REGULAR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
MAY 7, 2012
– 104 GORE HALL
TO: Senators and Executives
FROM: Belinda Orzada, Vice President
University Faculty Senate
SUBJECT: Regular
Faculty Senate Meeting
In
accordance with Section IV, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, the regular
meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held on
I certify that hard copies of the approval page for each undergraduate and graduate studies academic item on the agenda are filed in the Faculty Senate Office with the appropriate signatures of approval up through the Chair of the Faculty Senate Coordinating Committee on Education. The Agenda will be as follows:
I.
Adoption of the Agenda
II. Approval of the Minutes: April 2, 2012
III.
Election of
Senate Officers and Selected Committee Members – A slate of nominations
prepared by the Committee on Committees and Nominations (Jack Baroudi, Chairperson)
is presented in Attachment
1. Biographies of the nominees are
presented in Attachment
2. Senators are reminded that
additional nominations may be made from the floor, and that senators making
such nominations are responsible for determining that a nominee would serve if
elected.
A. President Elect – Deni Galileo (Statement)
B. Vice President – Kate Rogers
C. Committee on Committees Chairperson/Member At Large – Joerg Busch and John Morgan
IV. Presentation of the 2012 Faculty Senate Excellence Awards: Senate President Jeff Jordan
V. Remarks: Provost Tom Apple
VI. Announcements: Senate President Jeff Jordan
VII.
Consent
Agenda
1.
Announcements
for Challenge:
a.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with
the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack,
Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the minor in Entrepreneurial Studies
-
b.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with
the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack,
Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Islamic Studies Minor -
c.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair)
and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to
revise the Food Science major BS -
d.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with
the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack,
Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to
revise the Animal and Food Science major BS -
e. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Bachelor of Fine Arts – Visual Communication (BFA-VC) Major - UGS 0130 (attachment) (revised attachment 4-4-2012)
f.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with
the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack,
Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise Major Concentration BA in Spanish
Studies -
g.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on
Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with
the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack,
Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Legal Studies Minor –
h. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplyakov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the program policy for the Doctorate in Physical Therapy Program--PHYT APA and New Handbook (attachment) (attachment)
i. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplyakov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the Major: MEd in Reading (attachment)
j. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplyakov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to revise the MS (thesis and non-thesis) and the PhD in Plant and Soil Sciences (attachment)
1. MS non-thesis (attachment)
(attachment)
(attachment)
2. MS thesis (attachment)
(attachment)
(attachment)
3. PhD (attachment)
(attachment)
(attachment)
VIII.
Regular
Agenda
A. Unfinished Business:
1. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate
Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges (Evelyn Hayes, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Rules Committee (Anu Sivaraman, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan,
Chair) for the request to create a policy for Emergency Involuntary Leave of
Absence With Pay (attachment)
WHEREAS, currently, the faculty have no right to file a
grievance and
therefore, no right to full due process, access
to information, if put on leave against their
will in an emergency situation, because the University of Delaware has no
policy on Emergency Involuntary Leave and;
WHEREAS, the proposed policy only applies to
situations where, on the basis of observed
conduct, there is credible evidence
to believe that the individual has
engaged, is engaging, or is likely to engage in behavior that represents an
imminent danger of harm to self or others; and
WHEREAS, To protect the
safety and security of all students, faculty and staff, the University must be
able to quickly respond to emergency situations; and
WHEREAS, Under the proposed policy the Vice
President has a maximum of 24 hours
after imposition of an involuntary emergency leave to explain the need for the
action and must before the end of each seven
day leave period, justify the need for continuation of the leave through a
formal review procedure in which the faculty has the right to participate; and
WHEREAS, It is in
University’s best interest to protect the reputation of
individual faculty members; be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate endorses the
proposed emergency involuntary leave policy, and will review the policy if and
when changes are proposed by either the FWP or the Administration.
2. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate
Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges (Evelyn Hayes, Chair) with the
concurrence of the Rules Committee (Anu Sivaraman, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan,
Chair) for the request to amend the
Mediation and Complaint Procedures and the Charge of the Faculty Senate
Standing Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges (attachment
1) (attachment
2) (attachment
3)
WHEREAS, the University Faculty Senate’s Faculty Welfare & Privileges Committee is charged with jurisdiction over faculty complaints which are not grievances as defined in the Collective
Bargaining Agreement, and
WHEREAS, the University Faculty Senate’s Executive Committee and Rules Committee reviewed the composition of and the procedures to be followed by the Committee on Faculty Welfare & Privileges in the mediation and hearing of faculty complaints, and
WHEREAS, it is imperative that the actions of the Faculty Welfare & Privileges Committee in the
mediation and hearing of faculty complaints be fair to both parties engaged in a
complaint, and
WHEREAS, revisions to the Faculty Handbook require Faculty Senate approval, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the University Faculty Senate revise (modifications of existing policy in the Faculty
Handbook are shown in Attachment 1) the membership of the Committee on Faculty
Welfare & Privileges to include only tenured faculty and to have a chair designated by
the Committee on Committees and Nominations (COCAN), and be it further
RESOLVED, that the University Faculty Senate revise (modifications of existing procedures are
shown in Attachment 2) the Complaint Procedures of the Committee on Faculty Welfare
& Privileges such that members of the Committee may not serve as a mediator in a
Complaint,
and that
B. New Business:
1. Confirmation of Appointments: Attachment 3
2. Standing Committee Annual Reports Attachment
3.
Resolutions:
a. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request for the Faculty Welfare & Privileges Committee to review, in the Spring of 2014, the Involuntary Leave with Pay policy
WHEREAS, review of the Involuntary Leave with Pay policy is important, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Welfare & Privileges Committee review, in the Spring of 2014, the Involuntary Leave with Pay policy and convey to the Senate any recommendations concerning it which the committee deems appropriate.
b. Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee
(Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request for
a one year extension for provisional status to the Associate in Arts in
Elementary Teacher Education Program –
WHEREAS, an extension will allow the college time to examine the program's viability in the context of the Simpson Scarborough demand analysis, and
WHEREAS, the Faculty Senate Standing Committees agreed that this was a reasonable request, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate recommends a one-year extension to the provisional status of the Associate in Arts in Elementary Teacher Education Program.
c. Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (Fred Hofstetter, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee
(Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request
for permanent approval of the Major in
International Business Studies –
WHEREAS, the program was given provisional approval
on
WHEREAS, the major is consistent with the University’s Path to Prominence plan and is meeting the General Education Goals of the University, and
WHEREAS, the major has demonstrated that it is meeting its stated goals, and objectives, and is attracting high quality applicants (more than were proposed), and
WHEREAS, the majors are graduating and getting jobs (as indicated by the information provided), and
WHEREAS, the major is comparable with similar majors as highly-ranked schools, and by some measures (number of foreign language courses required; semester-length study abroad) continues to be the most rigorous in the region, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate recommend that the International Business Studies Major be granted permanent status.
d. Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplyakov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee
(Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request for permanent
approval of the Ed.S. in School Psychology (attachment)
(attachment)
(attachment) (attachment
support letter) (attachment
support letter) ( attachment
support letter)
WHEREAS, the Educational Specialist Program in School Psychology was provisionally approved in April 2005, and
WHEREAS, at the end of the provisional period an external review team recommended that the Educational Specialist Program in School Psychology be given permanent status, and
WHEREAS, the Educational Specialist Program in School Psychology is one of a select few nationally accredited programs in the region, and
WHEREAS, the high quality of matriculated students has been demonstrated by the consistent receipt of more than 60 applications per year for 8 positions in the program, and
WHEREAS, the Educational Specialist Program in School Psychology is
consistent with the Path to Prominence’s emphasis on becoming a premier
graduate and professional education university that serves the state of
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate recommend that the Educational Specialist Program in School Psychology be granted permanent status.
e. Recommendation
from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplyakov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating
Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee
(Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to add
Operations Research concentration to Statistics— (attachment)
(attachment)
WHEREAS, The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Operation Research have been officially disestablished in the Department of Food and Resource Economics (FREC) in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and
WHEREAS, FREC expects to see continued interest in
operations research skills in the market, and
WHEREAS, the FREC Graduate Committee has recommended
folding the Operation Resource courses into a concentration into the AREC or
RESOLVED, that
the Faculty Senate recommends approval of the Decision Analysis Concentration
for the
f. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Committee on Graduate Studies (Andrew Teplyakov, Chair) with the concurrence of the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the request to add Operations Research concentration to Agricultural and Resource Economics— (attachment) (attachment)
WHEREAS, The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Operation Research have been officially disestablished in the Department of Food and Resource Economics (FREC) in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and
WHEREAS, FREC expects to see continued interest in operations research skills in the market, and
WHEREAS, the FREC Graduate Committee has recommended
folding the Operation Resource courses into a concentration into the AREC or
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate recommends approval of the Decision Analysis Concentration for the AREC M.S. degree beginning Fall 2012.
g. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) based on the findings of the ad hoc Academic Calendar Committee (Joerg Busch, Chair) with the concurrence of the Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chair), and the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) for the approval of a resolution concerning option C for weekly class meeting schedule (attachment) (attachment) (attachment) (attachment 1)
WHEREAS, the scheduling of classrooms is challenging because
of the concentration of classes in the middle of the day, particularly during
prime time
WHEREAS, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Academic Calendar has received input from faculty, students, and administrative staff regarding class scheduling options and potential impact on certain Departments and programs, and
WHEREAS, there is a plea for more 75 minute slots, and
WHEREAS, the Committee has deliberated on the various benefits and drawbacks under different class scheduling scenarios, be it therefore,
RESOLVED, that the University of
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Tuesday/Thursday
Period
Period
Period 3 * 10:
Period 4 * 11:15 a.m. ‐
Period 5 * 12:20 p.m. ‐
Period 6 * 01:25 p.m. ‐
Period
Period
Period
Alternate 75 min. Meeting
Pattern M/W, W/F, M/F
Period 1 &
Period 8 &
AND WHEREAS, changes in faculty policy require approval by the Faculty Senate, be it therefore,
RESOLVED, that the changes as shown in attachment 1 be made in
the Faculty Handbook with reference to the scheduling of class meeting times.
h. Recommendation from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) based on the findings of the ad hoc Academic Calendar Committee (Joerg Busch, Chair) with the concurrence of the Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chair), and the Coordinating Committee on Education (Sheldon Pollack, Chair) for the approval of a resolution concerning 65-68 days of instruction during spring semester (attachment 1) (rational attachment) (calendar attachment)
WHEREAS, according to the current Faculty Handbook, "The University's Academic Calendar in fall and spring semesters will contain a minimum of 68 instructional days followed by a final examination period of 6 days.", and
WHEREAS, a preliminary review of next year's calendars and taking into account all the parameters within which the Registrar Office must operate, there will not always be room for 68 days of instruction in the spring semester, and
WHEREAS, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Academic Calendar received a request from the Registrar's Office to modify the wording in the handbook, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the wording in the Faculty Handbook be changed to: "The University's Academic Calendar in fall and spring semesters will normally contain 68 instructional days followed by a final examination period of at least 6 days. In years when the holiday calendar makes this impracticable, the length of the semester may be reduced to a minimum of 65 days. The Registrar’s Office will make all reasonable efforts to maximize the number of instructional days.”
i.
Resolution introduced by Senator Morrison
for a revision to the current Drop/Add policy
WHEREAS, the current drop/add policy makes it difficult for students who are adding a class to catch up on class work, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the drop/add period shall not extend more than 5 business days beyond the first day of the Fall and Spring Semesters and 3 days beyond the first day of the Winter and Summer Sessions.
j.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate
Committee on Academic Appeals (Gary Alison, Chair), with the concurrence of the
Student Life Committee (Mark Parcells, Chair), the
Rules Committee (Anu Sivaraman,
Chair) and the Executive Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the revision to the Grade Grievance Policy at UD (Attachment
1) (attachment
2) (resolution
attachment)
WHEREAS, The University of Delaware’s Student Guide to University Policies and its Faculty Handbook include the University’s policies and procedures governing grade grievances brought by students against faculty members and
WHEREAS, the University’s policies and procedures governing grade grievances should be clear and unambiguous and
WHEREAS, the University’s policies and procedures governing grade grievances should give both parties reasonable time to prepare for each stage of the grievance process, but should also encourage “finality” -- allowing the student and the faculty member to return to their careers and teaching and learning and
WHEREAS, the University’s policies and procedures governing grade grievances should establish rules and standards that provide fundamental fairness and due process for all parties involved in a grade dispute and
WHEREAS, the University’s present guidelines for grade grievances fail to answer two procedural due process questions -- which party has the burden of proving his or her case and what standard of proof is to be applied by grade-grievance panelists when deciding a grade-grievance case -- that must be answered to ensure fundamental fairness in adversarial administration proceedings and
WHEREAS, hundreds of years of Anglo-American law make it clear that the burden of proof in adversarial administrative hearings falls upon the complaining party and
WHEREAS, requiring the complaining student to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the defending faculty member was biased against the student or failed to follow established procedures for assigning a grade would be unfair to the complaining student and
WHEREAS, a standard of mere “preponderance of the evidence” or any lesser standard would be unfair to the defending faculty member and
WHEREAS, the standard of proof that a
WHEREAS, the “clear and convincing evidence” standard is commonly used by American universities in adversarial administrative hearings involving students and faculty members, and arguably provides a fair balance between the interests of the complaining student and the defending faculty member, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate recommends approval of the attached proposed changes to the University of Delaware Student Guide to University Policies and the Faculty Handbook.
k.
Recommendation from the Faculty Senate
Committee on Rules (Anu Sivaraman, Chair) with the concurrence of the Executive
Committee (Jeff Jordan, Chair) for the revision to the Faculty Handbook concerning academic leave of absence for
one or more semesters: Parental Leave (attachment)
(attachment
1)
WHEREAS, the
current edition of the Faculty Handbook, Section 4: Personnel Policies for
Faculty, reads “If the
faculty member is the primary caregiver, one such option is to be granted a one
semester administered load that allows a choice of either partial or full relief
from teaching during the semester of the birth or the adoption of a child under
the age of five by the faculty member or immediately following the birth or
adoption,” and,
WHEREAS, this
wording reflects the prior Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has been
replaced in the current current (2010-2013) Collective Bargaining Agreement, 9.16, with the following wording, “If the faculty member is the
primary caregiver, he or she will be granted a one semester administered load
that allows the faculty member a choice of either partial or full relief from
teaching during the semester of the birth or the adoption of a child under the
age of five by the faculty member or immediately following the birth or
adoption,” and,
WHEREAS, reliance
on the current Faculty Handbook’s outdated wording may cause Chairpersons,
Directors, and other persons in authority wrongly to deny contractually
promised benefits to petitioning faculty members based on the mistaken
assumption that provision of such mandated benefits is merely optional, and
because the resulting conflicts may result in legal and other proceedings
deleterious to the good name of the University of Delaware, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that
the Faculty Senate Recommends that the Faculty Handbook be changed so that the
current phrase stating, “If the faculty member is the
primary caregiver, one such option is to be granted a one semester administered
load that allows a choice of either partial or full relief from teaching during
the semester of the birth or the adoption of a child under the age of five by
the faculty member or immediately following the birth or adoption,” be changed to state, as does the 2010-2013 Collective
Bargaining Agreement, 9.16, “If the faculty member is the primary caregiver, he or she will be granted
a one semester administered load that allows the faculty member a choice of
either partial or full relief from teaching during the semester of the birth or
the adoption of a child under the age of five by the faculty member or immediately
following the birth or adoption.”
VII.
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.)
/khs