1.     ROLL CALL

2.     APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

Motion: Moved to approve the minutes from the February 15, 2007 meeting.
Made: Warren Hill
Second: Bill Clapp
Outcome: The minutes were approved.

3.    ELECTION OF FACULTY SENATE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR

Gene Sessions, Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate, conducted the election of the Faculty Senate Chair for 2007-08.

Faculty Senate Chair Election - Dave Ferro, Colleen Garside, Peggy Saunders, Wade Kotter, Laine Berghout, Gene Sessions, and Jim Wilson removed their name from the ballot. The remaining names on the ballot were, Lloyd Burton and Bruce Handley. Election Tellers were Tamara Chase, Ron Holt, and Jack Mayhew. Bruce Handley was elected Chair of the Faculty Senate for 2007-08.

Bruce Handley, Chair of the Faculty Senate, conducted the election of the Faculty Senate Vice Chair for 2007-08.

Faculty Senate Vice Chair Election - Dave Ferro, Colleen Garside, Peggy Saunders, Wade Kotter, Laine Berghout, and Jim Wilson removed their names from the ballot. The remaining names on the ballot were Lloyd Burton and Gene Sessions. Election Tellers were Tamara Chase, Ron Holt, and Jack Mayhew. Gene Sessions was elected Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate for 2007-08.

4.    SALARY, BENEFITS, BUDGET AND FISCAL PLANNING COMMITTEE – Craig Oberg, Chair

Salary Negotiation Team: Craig Oberg, Bruce Handley, and Cheryl Hansen.

Motion by the Executive Committee to approve Craig Oberg, Bruce Handley, and Cheryl Hansen as the Salary Negotiation Team.
Outcome: The motion was approved unanimously.

Recommendations from the Salary, Benefits, Budget and Fiscal Planning Committee

3.5% Cost of Living Across the Board (Mandated by the Legislature)

1.0% Merit determined by Department Chair and Dean with oversight from the Provost.

0.5% Equity and Retention Adjustments - For Faculty members identified by Deans and those with equity gaps. (The Provost will provide money for those with 20% equity gap)

Medical/Dental increases covered by 9.2% provided by Legislature

Other Instructional Wage increased to $945 per credit hour

$300,000 Additional funding for online courses

Motion by the Salary, Benefits, Budget and Fiscal Planning Committee to accept the above salary recommendations.
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

5.    APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND TENURE – Doris Geide Stevenson

PPM 8-11 Rating of Good and Excellence in Scholarship, I. Descriptions and Clarifications of Ratings

Administration and/or Professionally Related Service
Good
Scholarship

Candidates may be rated good if they provide evidence of a regional and/or national refereed publication since the date of their last promotion and evidence of a plan of continuing scholarly activity.

Discussion

• "Normally" versus "may be" - Some felt that "normally" left more leeway.
• "Shall be" rather than "may be"
• The APAFT Committee looked only at the Scholarship category.
• Discipline specific journals available for the publication of articles varies from discipline to discipline, and from college to college.
• There is expectation for ongoing activity

Motion by the Appointment, Promotion, Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee to approve the above changes to PPM 8-11 Rating of Good and Excellence in Scholarship, I. Descriptions and Clarifications of Ratings.
Outcome: The motion passed with 1 opposed.

6.   CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW, APPORTIONMENT AND ORGANIZATION – Tony Allred, Chair

First Reading - PPM 1-13, Article C-II, Section 3.3 Student Members

"Student members shall consist of four (4) designated students duly appointed by the Executive Cabinet of the Weber State University Student Association. Student members shall have the right to discuss, make motions, and second motions, and vote   but only two students will have the right to vote."

Considerations of the Constitutional Review, Apportionment and Organization Committee as they reviewed this policy.

• Students are valued in terms of their participation and input.
• CRAO Committee does not want to disenfranchise students.
• Faculty don’t have a vote in the Student Senate.
• Administrative members do not have a vote in Faculty Senate.
• Student participation on Faculty Senate at other state institutions:
  U of U - 3 students members with voting privileges (97 members of the Senate)
  USU - 3 student members with voting privileges (69 members of the Senate)
  SLCC - 1 nonvoting student member
  UVSC - 1 nonvoting student member
  WSU - 4 student members with voting privileges (52 members of the Senate)
• Students have a greater voice than the Library, the School of Business, and equal to or greater than the College of Education.
• Peter Owen was contacted and was aware of the discussion and recommendation of the CRAO Committee. The CRAO committee heard no resistance from the students to the committee discussion and recommendation

Objection to Consideration
Made: Jim West
Outcome: The motion failed.

Discussion

• Students want to continue being represented on the Faculty Senate with four student members with voting privileges.
• What groups do the students represent?
• Separates students into two group, voting and nonvoting.
• Has the student vote determined the outcome in the past?
• The Constitution of the Faculty Senate was revised drastically 34 or 35 years ago and provided for four student members with full privileges.
• Students would still have a voice and would still have the right to discuss, make motions, and second motions, but only two students would vote.

This proposal would be a change to the Constitution - PPM 1-13, Article C-III "Amendments shall be proposed to the general faculty by a majority of the total voting membership of the Faculty Senate. The Senate shall not take its final action on an amendment during the first meeting at which it is introduced. This Constitution of the Weber State University Faculty Senate may be amended only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the general faculty as determined by mail ballot, conducted by the secretary of the Senate and by three tellers appointed by the chair of the Senate. A ballot shall be valid only if returned in two envelopes provided by the secretary, with the outer envelope signed, and if received by the secretary of the Faculty Senate within 15 (fifteen) days after the date on which ballots were mailed to the general faculty. A faculty member who wishes to abstain from voting shall submit a blank ballot in envelopes sealed and signed in the prescribed manner. At the end of ten (10) days, the secretary shall send a second ballot, plainly marked, to all members of the faculty who have not yet submitted ballots. At the end of the 15- (fifteen-) day period, the ballots shall be counted and the results announced."

7.    CURRICULUM COMMITTEE – Laine Berghout, Chair

English Department - Course proposal for Wasatch Range Writing Project Summer Institute - Meng 6230

Health Promotion and Human Performance - Program change for Physical Education Major and Physical Education/Coaching Minor.  Course proposals for Assessment/Technology in Physical Education - PEP 3610, Skill Development and Methods of Teaching Fitness for Life - PEP 3290, Physical Education for Students with Disabilities - PEP 3660.

Computer and Information Literacy - Course proposals for Humanities on the Internet: Culture, Content and Access - LIBS 1115, THEA 1115, FL 1115, Comm 1115, ENGL 1115, ART 1115

Motion by the Curriculum Committee to approve the above curriculum proposals.
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

Discussion

• Research and Statistics - MSN 6120 - The level of statistics taught in the course was questioned (undergraduate level versus graduate level).
• Nursing statistics are applied to clinical practice. A master’s level nurse is prepared to evaluate research, implement research to support patients, and develop clinical program.
• How does the graduate research methods course differ from the undergraduate research methods course?
• Prerequisites for program? Curriculum designed following national standards.
• No Math prerequisite.
• Need - There is a shortage of nurses nationally and in the intermountain area we are about 24,000 short.
• Support from other state institutions - UVSC(UVU) is working of a proposal for a master’s degree in nursing, but has voiced support of this program. Letters of support from the other state institutions except for the University of Utah have been received. The University of Utah is willing to work with the Weber State Nursing Department in anticipation of students taking the fifth semester that would transfer to a doctoral program at the University of Utah. The University of Utah, however, is concerned about competition with their current master level nursing programs. 
• There is nursing initiative funding support from the Legislature. 47,000 thousand students are turned away from nursing programs nationally because of the lack of faculty.
• Courses are hybrid courses.Doctoral Faculty - They currently have four doctoral faculty and another four currently in doctoral programs. They also have PhD Faculty in Health Administration that will teach some of the courses. Most courses will be taught by doctoral faculty. Their accreditation agency supports some courses taught by master level professors.
• Program designed for those working in the field.

Motion: Move to cut off debate.
Made: Gene Sessions
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

Motion by the Curriculum Committee to approve the above proposals for the Master of Nursing degree and the courses in the program.
Outcome: The motion passed.

ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.