Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Present: Karen M. Turner (Pres.), Paul S. LaFollette (V. Pres.), Joan P. Shapiro (Secy.), Robert M. Aiken (Past-Pres.), Margaret Devinney (CLA), Michael W. Jackson (STHM), Tricia S. Jones, (Educ.), Charles Jungreis (Med.), Luke Kahlich (BCMD), Stephanie Knopp (Tyl.), Laurie MacPhail (Dent.), Mark C. Rahdert (Law), Charles Ruchalski (Pharm.), Jay Sinha (FSBM), Roberta Sloan (SCT), David Waldstreicher (Fac. Herald), Cheryl Mack (Coord.)
Absent: Adam Davey (CHPSW), Joan Delalic (Engr.)
Call to Order:
The meeting began at 1:06 p.m.
Guest: Provost Lisa Staiano-Coico
Provost Lisa began by focusing on three themes that emanated from the Academic Compass. They were:
- Theme #1 - Changes in the Honors Program that included:
- enhancing not separating the program;
- offering four years of committed student housing;
- creating a faculty academy;
- offering 19 credits without extra tuition;
- providing a business plan.
A discussion followed with the senate steering committee and these were some of the comments and suggestions:
- the need for focus groups to find out why those, who dropped out of the Honors Program, left;
- the importance of enlarging the staff of the program;
- the small amount of income that the small honors classes generated for a department;
- the need of better advertising of the Honors Program;
- the need for more dedicated space for the program;
- the importance of having faculty fellows in each college who would assist the Honors Program.
- Theme #2 - Community-Based Learning Center Initiative spear-headed by Eli Goldblatt (CLA) and Novella Keith (COE).
- The Center focuses on research and scholarship and the development of service learning in Temple
- Goldblatt and Keith plan to apply for a major grant
A couple of comments followed:
- Stephanie Knopp asked about a course she is currently teaching and if it might fit with the Center’s goals;
- Bob Aiken indicated that the name of the group might change in the near future to the Community Network.
- Theme #3 - The Academic Center on Research in Diversity (ACCORD) that emerged from the Faculty of Color Committee.
- Roland Williams, the Diversity Threader from the Academic Planning experience, will serve as the director, and Marie Amey-Taylor, Associate Vice President, will be its associate director.
- A graduate symposium has already been held and an undergraduate symposium will take place this fall.
- Suggestions for both graduate and postdoctoral fellowships were put forward.
- After introducing the three themes, the Provost then turned to the search for the Vice Provost for Research Administration and Graduate Education. She provided the steering committee with some background information about Dean Hai-Lung Dai’s committee and Bob Zemsky’s report. She felt that the two areas of Research Administration and Graduate Education should be combined as previously there had been no strategic approach to leverage funds. She hopes that faculty will make up the core of this search committee and said that the Committee on Administrative and Trustee Appointments (CATA) had found some new search committee representatives to serve. She continued:
- She spoke of graduate education and the need to make most masters programs revenue generating;
- She emphasized the need for funds for terminal masters degrees, e.g., MFA, MBA;
- She felt there should be a blended rate for in-state and out-of- state tuition;
- There should also be a flat rate for graduate students that was not on a per credit basis and should not require extra tuition;
- She spoke of the need to centralize certain aspects of graduate education, e.g., degree auditing, periodic program review;
- She also spoke of decentralizing other aspects, e.g., admissions, masters degrees and diplomas.
A discussion, primarily based on the Provost’s comments, followed:
- A concern was raised about asking too much from one person in this new role;
- Another concern had to do with submitting non-print media for a thesis or dissertation;
- Yet another issue was put forth about the need for a graduate student on the search committee - - the provost asked that the steering committee members give Karen Turner the name of any appropriate student for the committee;
- A suggestion was made that there be more representatives on the search committee, particularly from the sciences, humanities and the arts;
- Speaking of representatives, the need for a faculty CARE Team member was also stressed;
- Karen Turner mentioned the work going on now to develop a data base of faculty who have diverse interests and might be ready to serve as members of different committees;
- The use of CATA was discussed briefly and the Provost stated that the committee was used to find faculty for searches but not for interim dean positions.
- Other issues were discussed. They included:
- The need for more information about the North Broad Street vision and how this plan dove-tails with the recommendations from the Destination Temple Working Group of the Academic Strategic Planning process;
- The importance of creating new deadlines for merit and sabbatical applications;
- The need to discuss a new vision of service and how it can be used in promotion and tenure;
- The recommendation for the appointment of a committee to streamline the tenure and promotion process to meet with Diane Maleson, the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs;
- The positive aspects of the Promotion and Tenure Committee were mentioned by Trish Jones (COE), who served on it. In particular, that it is more streamlined than in the past;
- The Provost mentioned that the Council of Deans will now deal with non-controversial promotion and tenure files and that the Promotion and Tenure Committee will only work on those files that received a negative vote;
- The Provost also said that she would like to see any models from other universities that use electronic submissions for promotion and tenure and she also would like to have a subcommittee that considers how to accommodate the arts in regards to promotion and tenure;
- Provost Lisa urged us to send any good models from other universities of electronic portfolios to Karen Turner;
- Provost Lisa left the committee with a long to-do list
Approval of the Minutes:
The Minutes from September 15, 2009, were approved with a few amendments.
President’s Report: Karen M. Turner
Karen Turner spoke of the following:
- President Hart will join us next week;
- Peter Jones, Vice Provost for Undergraduates Studies, will be with us on the following week;
- Turner contacted Dean Theresa Soufas (CLA) who will be pleased to speak with her about the mentoring of associate professors in her college;
- Turner is following up with Debbie Hartnett, Vice President for Human Resources, to try to bring together TAUP administrative committees with similar Faculty Senate committees;
- Turner requested three names from each school/college for informal receptions with President Hart. Cheryl Mack will post the last list of names that the Steering Committee gave for these receptions;
- There was a concern that CLA and other large colleges were under-represented on senate committees and even at president’s receptions;
- Turner urged us to respond to the invitation to the football game that President Hart invited us to attend;
- Michael Jackson’s name went forward and he will now serve on the Athletics Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Vice President’s Report: Paul LaFollette
Names continue to trickle in for different committees.
LaFollette sent Cheryl Mack preliminary ideas for the data base of faculty interests for committee work.
Old Business: None.
New Business: None.
Adjournment: The meeting ended at 3:00 p.m.
Joan P. Shapiro
Secretary
