Tuesday, March 18, 2008
1. Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 1:55 PM by Senate President Aiken.
2. Provost Lisa Listens:
Thursday, March 20 the men's basketball first round will be broadcast to Mitten Hall and the Student Center. The women's game will be similarly broadcast on Sunday, March 24. Faculty are welcome to attend.
The Provost thanked CATA and the FSSC for promptly providing her candidates for the various search committees.
For the academic planning process, the workgroups have finished. The academic plan steering committee is now beginning to work.
The search committee for the Dean of the Law School has identified three candidates. There will be an open meeting on March 26 for all faculty to meet the candidates.
The search committee for Dean of the Dental School has finished writing a job description.
3. Guest: Jodi Laufgraben – Periodic Program Reviews
Fifty-six reviews have been completed. Another three will be done during the next two weeks.
Departments have found the results helpful in many ways such as academic planning and development of new degree programs.
Joyce Lindorff BCMD noted that Provost Lisa has said that core values are important. How will outside evaluators be made aware that our values are important?
Answer: We have always alerted evaluators to Temple's core values. In addition, departmental self-study documents often make clear our values.
Scott Gratson SCT said that all of our reviews have concentrated on unit analysis. Is there any thought to doing analysis of programs such as honors?
Answer: We work hard to try to accommodate the process to the reality of things at Temple. We may at some point begin evaluating programs.
James Korsh CST asked if she could estimate the cost per review.
Answer: The self-study process is a departmental cost. The visit itself has expenses for travel & hospitality and for honoraria. She would guess $12,000.00 to $15,000.00 per review.
Paul Garrett CLA asked what happens if the dean and the team disagree, or if a department declines to follow recommendations.
Answer: She cannot think of a time when this has happened.
4. President's Report – Robert Aiken:
Aiken thanked CATA for its nominees for the advisory committee for choosing a Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Affairs.
The FSSC will meet next week with Peter Jones to discuss the revision of the CATES forms. He reminded us that we must all remember that the CATES are merely one piece of a comprehensive evaluation.
We are looking for a new editor for the Faculty Herald since Lewis Gordon's term is expiring.
There will be a presentation by the Community Based Learning & Collaboration Committee on April 25 which will showcase that committee's work.
With respect to President Hart's presentation about the named chair at the January 24th meeting, Aiken reported:
At our last meeting, February 25, there was a request that details of the discussion following Hart's presentation be included in the minutes. At that time, it was agreed that the summary of that discussion prepared by the Secretary should be considered by the FSSC and that the FSSC should recommend whether to include this discussion in the minutes. The FSSC recommended that the portion of the discussion following President Hart's presentation not be included in the minutes from January 24.
Joyce Lindorff BCMD moved that:
The minutes from today reflect that the FSSC recommended that the discussion following President Hart's presentation not be included.
The motion was seconded and passed 30 in favor, 0 against, 3 abstentions.
(The previous paragraph fulfills this motion.)
5. Approval of Minutes
Following this discussion, the minutes from the previous meeting were approved as distributed.
6. NTT motion
Aiken summarized the motion from the FSSC regarding membership in the Senate by non-tenure track faculty.
Art Hochner FSBM noted that the final proposed change was unclear and inconsistent. He moved that the proposed new language be appended to the old language rather than replacing it.
The motion was seconded and passed 31 for, 0 against, 0 abstentions.
Dieter Forster CST asked why a three year waiting period when last year we were talking about a five year waiting period.
LaFollette CST responded that the FSSC, based on the information brought by the representatives of various colleges, felt that there was wide diversity of opinion about whether there should be a waiting period and if so how long it should be. The FSSC felt that three years was a compromise that, while not optimal, could be sufficiently palatable to allow the motion to carry.
Scott Gratson SCT pointed out that teaching is an important part of the business of the Faculty Senate and it makes sense that those who are providing a large part of our teaching should be able to take part in Senate votes. He added that he does not like the three year waiting period, but can accept it as a compromise with the expectation that it will one day be corrected.
Billy Goldstein CST concurred with Gratson's comments about the waiting period.
William Aaronson FSBM asked how the election will work and how we will handle the PR.
Vice President Karen Turner answered that an electronic ballot will be sent to all members of the University Senate (currently all full-time tenured/tenure-track faculty. This ballot will contain the NTT motion, and also the ballot for Senate officers and elected committee members.
She urged that we all communicate to our colleagues about the importance of participating in the election.
James Korsh CST suggested that the ballot and the LISTSERV announcement of the ballot contain the information that a 2/3 majority is necessary to pass the NTT motion. He also suggested that this motion appear first, before the candidates for office.
Dieter Forster CST requested that the minutes appear earlier and contain more detail of discussions.
Eli Goldblatt CLA spoke strongly in favor of the motion.
7. Vice President's Report- Karen Turner
We are still missing three nominees for the Study Leave Committee.
Also, we are missing three nominees for the T&P committee.
Nominations are extended until next Thursday. Nominees need to submit a statement of interest and a CV.
8. Old Business
None
9. New Business
Joyce Lindorff BSMD thanked everyone who has signed the petition of support for Professor Mahmoud Ayoub. So far 165 people have signed it to support him as a colleague.
10. Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 PM
Paul S. LaFollette, Jr.
Secretary
