October 11, 2005
OFFICERS: Judy Kilborn, Annette Schoenberger, JoAnn Gasparino, Robert Johnson
IFO BOARD: Jayantha Herath, Andrew Larkin, Annette Schoenberger; Negotiator: Bill Langen
BUSINESS: (Unit Representative) P.N. SubbaNarasimha; (ACCT) vacant; (BCIS) Susantha Herath, Ray Tsai; (FIRE) William Hudson; (MGMT) Larry Roth, vacant; (MKGB) Rajesh Gulati, James C. Johnson
EDUCATION: (Unit Representative) Stephen Hornstein; (CFS) Fati Zarghami; (CEEP) Nona Wilson, Robert Murphy; (HRESS) Mark Moore, Caryl Martin; (HURL) Michael Tripp; (LDR) John Rapp, Frances Kayona; (IM) John Theis; (SPED) John Hoover, Dory Beutel; (TDEV) David Heine, Geoffrey Tabakin, Ramon Serrano
FINE ARTS & HUMANITIES: (Unit Representative) Frances Condon; (ART) Nancy Weston; (CDSI) Margery Whites; (CMST) Scott Wells, Dan Wildeson, David Warne; (ENGL) Judith Dorn, vacant, Jim Robinson, vacant; (FORL) Gloria Melgarejo, Bill Langen; (COMM) vacant, vacant; (MUSIC) Marion Judish, Mark Springer; (PHIL) Yiwei Zheng, Carla Johnson; (THFD) Debra Leigh
SCIENCE & ENGINEERING: (Unit Representative) Balsy Kasi; (AVIA) Steve Anderson; (BIOL) Oladele Gazal, Heiko Schoenfuss, Matt Julius; (CHEM) Mahin Sadrai, Becky Krystyniak; (CSCI) Andrew Anda; (EAS) Tony Hansen; (EE) Ling Hou; (ETS) Tony Akubue; (ME) Steve Covey; (MATH) Dale Buske, vacant, William Branson; (NURS) Sue Herm; (PHYS) Kevin Haglin; (STAT) Leonard Onyiah, John Gammell
SOCIAL SCIENCES: (Unit Representative) Mary Clifford; (CMTY) Rona Karasik; (CJUS) vacant, vacant; (ECON) Ming Chien Lo; Orn Bodvarsson; (ES) Robert Johnson; (GEOG) Ken Wong; (HIST) Mark Jaede; Robert Galler; (POL) Steve Frank; (PSYC) Leslie Valdes; (SW) Sandra Chesborough; (SAN) Tracy Ore, John Alessio; (WS) Elizabeth Berila
SPECIAL SERVICES: (Unit Representative) Susan Motin; (OAA) vacant; (COUN) vacant; (LR&TS) Chris Inkster, Sandra Q. Williams, Tom Hergert; (MEN’S ATHL) vacant; (WOMEN’S ATHL) Jenifer Odette
1. Call to order at 3:23 PM.
2. Approval of Minutes
a. Faculty Senate Minutes of September 27, 2005 (FS 101105 2.a)
Motion to approve Faculty Senate Minutes of September 27, 2005—(Chesborough/Tabakin). Passed
b. Executive Committee Minutes of September 20, 2005 (FS 101105 2.b)—filed.
c. General Education Minutes of September 12, 2005 (FS 101105 2.c)—filed.
Kilborn announced that the General Education website will be up soon. She advised that she will send out email when this happens, and she encouraged members to view the new site.
d. Division of General Studies (DGS) Advisory Committee Minutes of September 13, 2005 (FS 101105 2.d).
Motion to approve Division of General Studies (DGS) Advisory Committee Minutes of September 13, 2005—(Chesborough/Dorn). There was discussion about the motion but it was never voted on.
Motion to pull Division of General Studies (DGS) Advisory Committee Minutes of September 13, 2005, and put on New Business, item 7.g—(Johnson/Condon). Passed
e. University Curriculum Committee Minutes of September 22, 2005 (FS 101105 2.e)
Motion to approve University Curriculum Committee Minutes of September 22, 2005—(Schoenberger/Ore). Passed
f. International Studies Committee Minutes of September 16, 2005 (FS 101105 2.f)
Motion to approve International Studies Committee Minutes of September 16, 2005—(Schoenberger/Dorn). Passed
3. Treasurer’s Report (FS 101105 3.a)—Johnson advised that the report was in the packet, and he said he would be available to answer questions if there were any. It was noted that the account numbers have been removed from the report.
4. Call for new agenda items—Meeting Room for Senate Meetings added—(Williams, item 7.h).
5. Announcements
a. Negotiations Report/Action Report—Langen discussed the upcoming meeting dates in October and November. Langen reported that there were $17.4 million new dollars on the proposal from the MnSCU Team, which included one step first year, one step second year, and 1% across-the-board increase, which was approximately a 7.7% increase over base. He added that there was 11.2% increase for those with masters teaching in community colleges, which meant there is room for more movement. Language was questioned, and Langen said it was still on the table. The MnSCU Team’s language change regarding the appointment of department chairs, was taken off, however, other language regarding supervisory duties of chairs was still on the table, along with language regarding the definition of duty days, especially with those in the library as well as counselors and coaches. Kilborn discussed Action and the issue of workload. Kilborn encouraged members to contact local Administration and the Chancellor about workload issues. There was discussion about workload and what is involved throughout the year and during the days to fulfill the faculty positions.
The contract was discussed and concerns about language, especially “office hours” versus “contact hours.” Kilborn said that she asked the Provost to speak at Meet and Confer regarding office hours and the different interpretations on campus.
Motion to compile a list of different things faculty do, with a strongly worded letter about workload issues to those in authority—(Akubue/Chesborough). Passed. Akubue offered to collect and compile a list of everything that faculty do.
b. Searches and Search Firms (FS 101105 5.b). Kilborn explained that there were lots of questions regarding the search for an Affirmative Action Officer since Administration lost the faculty’s list and Schoenberger had to find it for them. There should be notification of a meeting with the search firm in a couple weeks. Kilborn discussed the other searches. In the COE, Kate Steffens has agreed to be Acting Dean, and Kilborn has put out a call for the Advisory Committee for the interim dean search. There was discussion about Kate Steffens’s workload and concern about who will do the work she is currently doing. There was discussion about the various COE searches. There was a request to be considerate to the new faculty in the COE under the current circumstances. Kilborn discussed a new search and a request for three faculty to serve on a search committee for the Director of Admissions. This was not on at the last Meet and Confer, but Kilborn has asked that it be on the next agenda for Meet and Confer.
c. Centers of Excellence—Kilborn passed out the three SCSU proposals for the Centers for Excellence and asked Senate to sign up for copies if interested.
d. New announcement—Kilborn announced a meeting on campus this Friday, 9-11:30 Glacier Room about revamping the ISRS system.
6. Unfinished Business
a. Academic Freedom Committee Report (Frankie Condon)—Report will be given next Senate meeting.
b. Motion from Teacher Development (FS 092705 8.a.1; FS 092705 8.a.2; FS 092705 8.a.3; FS 092705 8.a.4; FS 101105 6.b.1; FS 101105 6.b.2; FS 101105 6.b.2)—Kilborn explained that things have changed since Senate last discussed the motion. Kilborn reported that she did file a 1B1 complaint on Wednesday, September 29, 2005, due to the issue of timeliness; however, in view of the new circumstances, Senate needs to decide on whether they would like to continue with the complaint or withdraw it.
Motion to withdraw 1B1 Complaint—(Frank/Condon). Several members spoke against this motion for different reasons and discussed doing other things as well. Both Frank and Condon spoke against their motion after hearing the objections. Kilborn read Nancy Jessee’s report to the Senate.
Motion to substitute Motion—(Hergert/Williams). Passed
Substitute Motion for the Senate to direct the Meet and Confer Team to take the issue of the 1B1 Complaint to Meet and Confer, and request alternative processes, including the services of Nancy Jessee as a primary contributor—(Hergert/ Williams). Passed
There was discussion about supporting the substitute motion. There was discussion about getting the COE to spell out what the problems are so that Senate can help. Kilborn explained how the Diversity Education Task Force that was intended to begin addressing some of the issue in the COE had been disbanded on Wednesday, October 5th because the process for initiating the taskforce wasn’t clear or open. Although this taskforce was requested over a year ago and the Administration had agreed that such a taskforce was a good idea, they had never agreed to the taskforce makeup because they considered it too large. These concerns were discussed in Meet and Confer, and the Administration asked if the Meet and Confer team would bring to Senate a request that two faculty be appointed to meet with two Administrators to figure out how to organize and manage the work of this taskforce.
Motion to propose Senate to appoint two faculty members to meet with two Administrators to discuss how to set up the Task Force on Diversity Education—(Schoenberger/Hornstein). Passed. Condon and Leigh appointed.
The motion was discussed, and it was noted that there are problems that need to be addressed on campus.
Motion for Faculty Senate to direct Meet and Confer Team to ask Administration to convene the COE Task Force described in the EEOC report—(Condon/Ore). Passed
7. New Business
a. Attendance Policy (FS 092705 8.b)—Kilborn pointed out the policy from the last Senate packet. The Provost and President believe it is related to retention, which they feel is important.
Motion for the Meet and Confer Team to go to the next Meet and Confer and inform Administration that Senate disapproves of the Attendance Policy insofar as it increases faculty workload—(Langen/Jaede). Separated
There was discussion against the motion because of the importance of addressing the needs of the students and attending classes and how they are related. There was a question about Langen’s motion, if it addresses faculty or students. Langen stated that his motion was only for faculty. Langen recommends that we oppose the policy insofar as it increases faculty workload, only on that basis, not taking in consideration the other statement.
Senate agreed to separate the statements, and they first discussed the Statement for Catalog (students policy). There was discussion about this first statement of the policy, stating that faculty have been asked to look out for students at risk.
Motion to amend Motion by removing the very last sentence of the Statement for Catalog Attendance Policy: “Members of the faculty are encouraged to report the name of any student whose repeated absence is impairing her/his work.”—(Larkin/Langen).
Motion to postpone motion until next meeting—(Jaede/Roth). Passed
There was discussion for and against the motion to amend: those in favor believe it would be a good negotiation stance and those against the motion were so because of the welfare of the students. The faculty responsibility to students was discussed. Workload was discussed in relation to the policy.
b. Recruitment and Retention—not discussed.
c. Uniform Start Date 092705 8.d)—not discussed.
d. Summer Session (FS 092705 8.e.1; FS 092705 8.e.2)—not discussed.
e. Space Assignment Policy (FS 092705 8.f) –not discussed.
f. Early Warning Notice—not discussed.
g. DGS Advisory Committee (FS 101105 2.d) (Robert Johnson)—not discussed.
h. Meeting Room for Senate (Sandra Williams)—not discussed.
8. Adjournment at 5:12 PM.