Friday, May 13, 2005
1. Call to Order:
Jane Evans called the University Senate’s meeting to order at 1:48 PM.
2. Approval of Minutes:
The minutes of April 21, 2005 were approved as amended.
3. President’s Report:
President Jane Evans reported on the following senate business:
a. Board of Trustees Meeting:
Any faculty members interested in attending the Board of Trustees Budget and Finance Committee on June 14, 2005 are asked to contact J. Evans.
b. General Education Executive Committee
J. Evans reported that this committee has begun its work, even though a Director had not been put in place. The only Area Coordinator still without a nominee is in the area of the arts. The Committee will work through the summer with Peter Jones (Acting Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs) and with groups of faculty to begin to develop a blueprint for the various areas of General Education. She asked the faculty to defer questions on General Education to Old Business, when members of the General Education Executive Committee would present a report.
c. Faculty Committees:
Two important committees do not have sufficient nominees; hence, the FSSC has decided to hold the election for the Senate and FSSC Secretary as well as the University Study Leaves and the Promotion and Tenure Committees in the fall, after additional faculty have been nominated. The nominees should be active in research and be collegial with only two faculty members being considered from any single school for the Tenure and Promotions Committee. She expects that the Senate may begin to hear from the Handbook Committee in the fall. In response to President Adamany’s request for the senate’s comments on the formation of the Periodic Program Review, the FSSC will continue to monitor the programs and colleges that are or have been evaluated and will meet with Deputy Provost Dick Englert in the fall.
4. Vice President’s Report:
Lois Millner reported that 148 signed ballots were received with the following election results:
Officers: Jane Evans (Tyler) for President; Lois Millner (SSA) for Vice President.
Committees: O. Chein (CST), M. Gaffney (FSB), B. Newman (SSA) and K. Turner (SCAT) for EPPC; M. Haller (CLA) for Personnel Committee; T. Halbert (CLA) and D. Zitarelli (CST) for University Honors Program Oversight Commit-tee; P. Harris (CLA) and M. Crawford (SSA) for Research Programs Committee.
5. Old Business:
General Education Executive Committee Report: Dave Ryan (FSB), R. Brodhead (BSMD) and P. Swann (CST) indicated that only the Coordinator of Arts position remains vacant and that Peter Jones is functioning as Chair of the Committee. The appointed Area Coordinators are: D. Lebovsky (CLA) for Analytical Reading and Writing, D. Tompkins (CLA) for Classics, A. Hughes (CST) for Quantitative Literacy, S. Varnum (CST) for Natural Sciences & Technology, W. Stull (FSB) for Human Behavior and R. Alpert (CLA) for Race and Diversity. Committee meetings that will be held regularly over the summer will be to discuss the issues of pedagogy and philosophy rather than implementation of concrete syllabi. A set of core principals and elements will be developed as a framework that will need to be included in courses. It was clarified that area coordinators will focus on specific course area while the executive committee will focus on the overall GenEd program. Faculty input will be invited via a Blackboard listserv. The committee will consider issues such as transfer students, which affects over 40% of the students, and AP credits.
6. New Business:
B. Cutler (TAUP) reported that guidelines for awarding of merit for the 2003-2004 academic year were issued from the President’s office, and these were distributed at this Senate meeting. The distribution of merit funds in the June 30, 2005 pay period is doubtful due to the two-month delay from contract ratification to announcement of the merit guidelines.
K. Turner (SCT) related that a concern exists about a policy whereby students shy by no more than eight credits may participate in the commencement exercises. Jones responded that this policy was developed in response to faculty requests and has existed for several years though the language has been clarified, that the students are allowed to process but do not receive any diplomas and that discussions are underway to make this policy consistent among all schools. A motion was made and passed that this issue be reviewed in the fall by the EPPC.
W. Roget (CLA) reported that this committee, organized this year, encourages and recognizes faculty involvement in this area. It functions with the Director of International Programs regarding coordination, communication, planning and marketing of programs related to international studies. The committee is compiling a census of faculty efforts in teaching internationally at Temple for distribution by November 2005. It is also planning to develop a two-day program to highlight these opportunities to students in March 2006 via formal papers, round table discussions and artistic demonstrations as well as presenting work by faculty and students.
7. Adjournment:
at 2:30 P.M.
