REGULAR MEETING OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE FACULTY SENATE

Meeting Minutes

October 6, 2008

Memorial Hall                                                                                                   4:30 pm

 

 

I.            Adoption of the Agenda

Approved after Faculty Senate President Amy Johnson announced she was moving New Business after Remarks.

II.            Approval of the Minutes: September 8, 2008

Approved after noting the following correction. Sir Michael Barber, a speaker at the Energy Institute held September 19, was a former advisor to the Prime Minster of the United Kingdom.

III.            Remarks: Havidán Rodriguez, spoke about the Internal Transfers Policy at the University of Delaware. Part of the Strategic plan (May 2008) was to develop university-wide general education requirements enabling students to move more easily among majors. A committee was formed to develop a policy enhancing curriculum flexibility and intellectual exploration.  Students have difficulty transferring to other majors for several reasons, and meeting transfer requirements do not guarantee transfer into a major.  A goal of the policy is to facilitate the transfer of students to majors.  Students are permitted to transfer to a nonrestricted major throughout the year.  If they have a minimum grade point average (gpa) of 2.0, they must be admitted.  It is important that departments continue to advise students properly.

Some majors are restricted for a variety of reasons: limited resources, accreditation requirements, maximum student capacity, and academic requirements (must take specific courses or have a minimum gpa).  Restricted status for a major must be approved by the dean.  For restricted majors, there will be a two week transfer application period followed by a one week decision period in September and February.  Currently, 23 majors (19%) are restricted.  A complete list of restricted majors is available at http://www.udel.edu/registrar/restmajorsinfo.html.

Gateway courses are also addressed in the policy.  These courses expose students to basic foundations and may be required for admission into a major.  Gateway courses should be open to all students, especially if they are required for entry into the major.


A senator asked why the dates for application to restricted majors were chosen.  The dates are not convenient for all students, and due to the academic calendar, the dates may force students to lose a semester.  Rodriguez stated that no dates were perfect.  The dates were chosen following discussions with the admissions office, deans, and others.  It was believed that the dates selected were the best ones for the academic curriculum. Rodriguez will contact the admissions office again and re-examine the transfer dates.


A senator asked why the transfer policy was not brought to the Faculty Senate for a vote. Rodriguez answered that, like the case of student admission, there is no evidence or past precedent that this policy needed to come through the Faculty Senate.  Another senator was concerned about the number of restricted majors.  He suggested that the University should re-evaluate restricted majors and provide them with resources to become nonrestricted, to reduce the number of restricted majors.  Dan Rich commented that the restrictions were in place before the policy; the policy did not create the restrictions.  Senators expressed the sentiment that the University should help with resources to reduce the number of restricted majors.  Rodriguez agreed that the goal is to reduce the number of restricted majors.  A senator asked Rodriguez if he thought the Responsibility-Based Budgeting system the University is implementing would encourage departments to accept more students and, in turn, reduce the number of restricted majors.  Both Rodriguez and Dan Rich think that may turn out to be an effect.

A question was raised about the procedure followed in implementing this policy.  No Faculty Senate committee had input, and it was not brought to the Faculty Senate for approval.  At the least, it should have been announced at a Faculty Senate meeting that such a policy was being developed.  Rodriguez replied that there is no precedent for transfer requirements to come to the Faculty Senate, and the policy had input from individuals in the admissions office, deans, and others.  It was the responsibility of the deans to pass information on the policy to the chairs and the chairs to the faculty.

 

IV.            New Business: Internal Transfers at the University of Delaware raised by Senator Worden at the September 2008 regular meeting of the Faculty Senate (attachment).

A motion was made and seconded that the internal transfer policy be submitted to a Faculty Senate committee for review. Motion passed.

 

V.            Announcements: Senate President Amy Johnson. Dr. Johnson asked the senators to review the Faculty Senate bylaws to become familiar with policy procedures.  Senators represent their units; they should contact their constituents and get their views.  The next meeting will be held in Gore Hall November 3rd; a report on Residence life will be given, and speakers will discuss Responsibility-Based Budgeting.  An ad hoc committee report on a review of Breadth Requirements is due in the coming months.

VI.            Item For Information       

A.     Recommendation from the Coordinating Committee on Education (Cihan Cobanoglu, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Amy Johnson, Chair) for the approval of the revision to the guidelines of the Permanent Status Program Reviews (PSPR) documentation (attachment).


VII.            Consent Agenda

A.     Announcements for Challenge:  None

VIII.            Regular Agenda

A.      Old Business:  None

B.     Resolutions:

1.      Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Rules (Don Lehman, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Amy Johnson, Chair) for the discontinuation of video streaming of the Faculty Senate Meetings (attachment) 

Whereas,        on November 5, 2001 the University Faculty Senate approved a resolution establishing video-streaming and web conferencing of Faculty Senate meetings, and

Whereas,        the number of visitors utilizing this service has been extremely minimal, and 

Whereas,        the costs for this service seem to outweigh the benefits, be it therefore 

Resolved,       that the Faculty Senate recommends the disestablishment of video-streaming and web conferencing for Faculty Senate meetings effective immediately

 Approved

2.      Recommendation from the Coordinating Committee on Education (Cihan Cobanoglu, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive Committee (Amy Jonnson, Chair) to move the Department of Physical Therapy from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Health Sciences (attachment) (attachment) (attachment) (attachment).

Whereas,        the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees state that the faculty shall be given the opportunity to consider and make recommendations for proposed changes in the University organization including the transfer of a department from one college to another before final action is taken by the Board of Trustees.

Whereas,        the faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy (PT) have expressed their interest to transfer to the College of Health Sciences, and

Whereas,        the College of Health Sciences faculty have voted to support the transfer of the Physical Therapy program to the college, 

Whereas,        the Provost and the Deans of the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences support this transfer, and 

Whereas,        this transfer will provide for enhanced recognition of academic programs and opportunities to Physical Therapy students and faculty and create collaborative opportunities between the College of Health Sciences and Physical Therapy faculty, students and staff, be it therefore 

Resolved,       that the Faculty Senate recommends the transfer of the Department of Physical Therapy (PT) to the College of Health Sciences effective January 1, 2009.

Approved

IX.            Introduction of New Business

Such items as may come before the Senate.  (No motion introduced under new business, except a motion to refer to committee, shall be acted upon until the next meeting of the Senate.)

Adjourned 5:30.

Submitted by Donald Lehman