Faculty Senate
AGENDA
September 20, 2007

1. Roll Call

2. Approval of the minutes from the April 19, 2007 meeting

3. Fall Update - Mike Vaughan

4. 14-Week Semester/Summer Schedule – Mike Vaughan

5. Welcome New Faculty Senate Members – Bruce Handley

6. Faculty Senate Standing Committee Charges 2007-08

7. Faculty Senate Standing Committee Assignment Changes
Salvador Martinez to represent the Goddard School of Business on TLA/TLF
Bruce Christensen to represent the Goddard School of Business on ASSA
Replace Cliff Nowell on the Faculty Board of Review with Judy Mitchell (Ed)
Replace Carol Hansen on the Constitutional Review Committee with Chris Hauser (Lib)
Replace Cliff Nowell on the Gen Ed Committee with Doris Geide-Stevenson (B&E)

8. Research, Scholarship & Professional Growth Committee – Therese Grijalva, Chair
RSPG Funding Report

9. Curriculum Committee – Craig Bergeson, Chair
Curriculum Proposals
Communication Department
New Course Proposal - Family Communication - Comm 3085, and the program change
Performing Arts
New Course Proposals - Dance History Project: Development - Danc - 3710, and Dance History Project: Performance - Danc 3711

10. Other Items

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MINUTES
September 20, 2007

MEMBERS - Listed Alphabetically

1. ROLL

2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

A correction to the minutes was made to item 13, last paragraph to read: Budget related FTE for Summer is approximately 20% of the average of Fall and Spring enrollment. It is felt that if we change to a 14-week tri-semester the percentage for Summer semester could be increased to 29 to 30%. Bruce Bowen will present additional information April 26 at 3:00 p.m. in WB 206-207.

Motion: Moved to approve the minutes from the April 19, 2007 meeting with the above correction to item 13.
Made: John Sohl
Second: Laine Berghout
Outcome: The minutes were approved.

3. FALL UPDATE

Provost, Mike Vaughan, reporting -

• Last Spring the Faculty Senate approved a proposal for a Master of Science in Nursing. The Board of Regents approved the Master of Nursing degree September 13, 2007. The Nursing Department intends to begin that program in January 2008. The nursing degree did not receive any opposition as it progressed through the approval process.
• The Weber State University Mission Statement was also approved by the Regents at the September 13 meeting.

4. 14-WEEK SEMESTER/SUMMER SCHEDULE

History - There have been requests for several years to do something different with the summer term. The two most frequent concerns are: (1) The amount of time available for summer instruction. (2) Too many different summer terms (4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks). Students complain that scheduling in the summer is done in such a way that one course they want to take overlaps and prevents them from taking another course.

The Provost put a group together to look at the concerns of department chairs, deans, and students. They developed an alternative summer model that consisted of two 7-week terms and a 14-week term (70 days of instruction). As they thought about the 14-week term in summer (70 days of instruction), they looked at the possibility of offering a 14-week term for fall and spring. Presently in fall semester there are 71 days of instruction and 73 days of instruction spring semester. Bruce Bowen put together some alternative models. Beginning in March of 2007 the alternative models were presented to Deans’ Council, the Executive Committee, Faculty Senate, the Department Chairs’ Retreat, student government leaders, an open meeting for all faculty, it was discussed in the Signpost, a group of graduate coordinators, and a web site has been posted with information about the proposal that allows for feedback on the proposal.

Issues that Emerged -
• Instruction Days - Some felt it would be detrimental, and felt the loss of one day was significant. Others felt that one day was not significant.
• Fall Break, Spring Break - Some feel that a 5-day spring break is needed. Others feel that they are willing to have a shorter spring break in order to end the semester a week earlier.

The Provost's Office has done some straw polling. Department Chairs, Deans’ Council, and the students gave significant support to the proposal (80% or more from each of the three groups was in favor of the change). Faculty and staff were surveyed through the web. 152 people responded to the web survey; 69% of the respondents were faculty. Of those that responded to the web survey, 74% were in favor of the change.

A question was raised about days of instruction. The Provost responded that they looked at universities that consider themselves to be on the semester system. There is a wide range of instruction days ranging from 63 to a high of 75. 70 days of instruction is clearly in the middle.

Discussion -
• The survey did not give options
• Lab instruction will be affected
• Clinical instruction will be affected
• It would harm Service Learning
• Spring Break
• Thanksgiving - In the survey faculty were concerned about two days of classes and three days off. This break could easily be changed to three days of classes and two days off.
• Summer Teaching
• Retention
• English Summer Instruction - Writing courses need at least 8 weeks for instruction.
• English Department - Disturbed by the manner in which the survey was done.
• Social Science - Polling of faculty revealed no faculty in favor of the proposal (152 responses)
• Hiring - Could be detrimental when they realize the teaching load and a partial Spring Break.
• Sociology and Anthropology - 100% against the proposal.
• Some faculty feel this is a “done deal.” The Provost stated that this is not a “done deal.”
• In the survey you have to vote for something, one of three options.
• “The proposal shows promise” does not mean that faculty are in favor of the proposal.
• If summer is the issue, let’s fix summer. Could we drop the 4-week term, and keep the 6 and 12-week terms?
• Concerned about the number of minutes of instruction time. In fall semester you lose one Monday and one Friday. In spring semester you lose two Mondays.
• There is not broad understanding across campus that the fall break and spring break can be adjusted.
• Faculty Contracts - There would be no change.
• Need more study.
• Discussion needs to take place in departments.
• Teacher Education - Courses are offered in July for public education teachers pursuing a master’s degree. A 7 or 14-week term would eliminate those classes.
• Spring and Fall semester don’t match. There are two more days in spring semester than in fall semester.
• Could alternative proposals be made available for faculty to look at? What are the options?
• There isn’t broad misunderstanding about the calendar.


It was suggested that an ad hoc fact finding committee be formed to look at the issue and poll faculty.

5. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY SENATE

Madonne Miner was welcomed to the Faculty Senate as the new Dean of the College of Arts & Humanities. Student senators this year are: Jake Beus, Chris Bentley, John Hill and Amgela Perkins.

6. FACULTY SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE CHARGES FOR 2007-08

ACADEMIC RESOURCES AND COMPUTING
1. Allocate ARCC resources, including Dee Family Technology Grant funds, using consistent, objective, fair, and responsible criteria
     A. Review funding criteria and procedures for ARCC for possible revision or clarification purposes
     B. Continue to develop funding criteria for and advertisement of the Dee Family Technology Grant.
2. Assess faculty and student computer needs, solicit faculty input, and lobby for the faculty’s computer-related interests.
3. Review (with computing support) standards for hardware and software purchases.
4. Continue to improve the means of submitting proposals and decreasing the amount of paperwork involved.
5. Monitor the expenditures of all ARCC funds, including those supported through WSUSA funding.
6. Maintain close communication with other computer resource entities on campus, including WebCT/Vista.
7. Be represented on the IT Council and routinely invite directors to summarize status of new projects and ongoing IT/CE support.
8. Coordinate faculty representation on other IT related committees
9. Improve communication between faculty, IT/CE, administration regarding technology issues and advise said bodies of faculty needs.
10. Sponsor a faculty/staff IT Users Group to share information, ideas, and solutions regarding the use of technology at Weber State.
11. Further establish itself as a nexus of information regarding IT issues between faculty, staff, and students, acting in an advisory capacity, and investigate its position as a decision-making body.

ADMISSIONS, STANDARDS AND STUDENT AFFAIRS
1. Work with the Registrar and the Provost to ascertain the viability of a changed academic calendar (tri-semesters).
2. Have Bruce Bowen meet with the committee to present current information and statistics on MAPP. This should be done on an annual basis.
3. Meet with Jan Winniford fall semester to review any student affair issues which may need to be addressed.
4. Review and make a recommendation on granting graduate credit for experience.
5. Invite WSUSA Legislative Vice President to a full committee meeting as soon as possible during Fall, 2007, to have him explain the new, online professor evaluation survey that is proposed by the Student Senate. ASSA will then:
     A. discuss the pros and cons of the proposal.
     B. decide whether or not a subcommittee would be useful, and if that subcommittee should have representation from APAFT and TLA.
     C. make recommendations to the Faculty Senate via the Senate Executive Committee.

APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND TENURE
1. Ensure that policy changes recommended by APAFT and approved by the Faculty Senate in 2006-07 are adequately communicated to the faculty, for example, the policy change that mandates student evaluations in every course taught by tenure-track, contract or adjunct faculty.
2. Determine the status of proposed changes to the intellectual property sections of the PPM that are currently under review by the University Counsel and make recommendations for policy changes in response to the results of that review.

CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW, APPORTIONMENT AND ORGANIZATION
1. Calculate apportionment for Faculty Senate representation using the Hamilton Method and present the apportionment figures to the Faculty Senate during Autumn Semester.
2. Research questions and make recommendations that are brought to the attention of the CRAO Committee.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
1. Review and approve curriculum and program proposals.
2. Continue to conduct workshops on an as-needed basis with college curriculum committee chairs to acquaint them with curriculum procedures.
3. Work with the General Education Improvement & Assessment Committee to develop curriculum approval forms for core and breadth areas.
4. Work with the General Education Improvement & Assessment Committee to review the strengths and weaknesses of the Diversity requirement.

GENERAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT & ASSESSMENT
1. Complete the forms needed for new gen ed course approval fall semester.
2. Communicate learning outcomes to the campus.
3. General Education Faculty Retreat: Plan and implement a retreat for faculty teaching general education courses, to be held May 2008.
4. Assessment: Revisit assessment plans and progress in the breadth areas. Develop an assessment plan for the key gen ed courses identified by enrollment data (Nutrition, Environmental Appreciation, Natural Environments of the Earth, etc.), i.e. the courses which a considerable majority of students take to satisfy their gen ed requirements.
5. Diversity Requirement: Assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Diversity requirement is needed before meaningful reforms can be devised.

HONORARY DEGREE
1. Examine the differences between the December and May Commencements and recommend ways to make the events more uniform. Discuss the Advisability of eliminating December Commencement as a possible solution to the problem.
2. Analyze reasons for the increasingly poor attendance at May Commencement. Recommend possible solutions to the problem. 3. Meet separately and early as the faculty portion of the committee to discuss representing in a unified manner the constituent needs and interests of the faculty in the deliberation of the larger committee.
4. Ensure faculty involvement in the nomination and selection of candidates for honorary degrees and for commencement speakers through maintaining the important voice of the faculty and the Faculty Senate as a major force on the institutional committee.
5. Consider ways to encourage more nominations from faculty for honorary degrees,
6. Encourage the selection of at least one honorary degree recipient each year who has made an outstanding academic contribution to higher education, preferably a WSU faculty member.
7. Work to achieve a representation of gender and ethnicity among degree recipients and ensure that all recipients are of stature to enhance the image of Weber State University.
8. See that the criteria for honorary degrees are considered , so that the understandable desire of the administration to cultivate donors and potential donors does not overwhelm the deliberations and pass over otherwise worthy candidates.
9. Provide the larger committee with a way to carry forward information so next year’s committee can benefit from work done this year.

RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
1. Continue to issue RFPs for Research and Instructional Improvement grants, and Hemingway Vitality, Excellence and Collaborative awards, and review the proposals in a timely manner.
2. Continue to coordinate deadlines for submission of proposals with the chairs of the Institutional Review Board and the Animal Care and Use Committee.
3. Review and update as needed the proposal guidelines. Clarify and report the criteria for awarding the grant. Explore ways to simplify the process and broaden the criteria.
4. Provide feedback to authors why proposals were not funded.
5. Continue efforts to publicize the committee’s activities. Seek ways to broaden participation campus wide. Explore opportunities to disseminate information about funded projects including workshops in order to provide consistent information and feedback to potential applicants.
6. Work with the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee to find non-monetary ways to promote and recognize faculty research and scholarship.
7. Work with the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee to help faculty identify new methods of scholarship.
8. Look at the committee description and membership regulations listed in the Faculty Senate Bylaws, PPM 1-13, for possible revisions and updates.
9. Continue to coordinate with the office of undergraduate research to provide faculty with funding for research assistants.

SALARY, BENEFITS, BUDGET, AND FISCAL PLANNING
1. Look at a proposed change in the PPM related to sick leave for faculty.
2. Equity Adjustments and Merit - Look at dollar amounts each year.
3. Narrow the gap between online teaching and face to face teaching.
4. Discuss how to communicate more effectively to faculty their contract period and how long their salary and benefits continue once they have tenured their resignation.
5. Review salary compression by rank using CUPA data, and make a recommendation.
6. Review and make a recommendation on WSU employee benefits, i.e. life insurance.

TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
1. Continue to provide faculty development of teaching and learning through a range of established forums and opportunities yet to be created. These may include, but are not limited to the following:
• Sponsor an Adjunct Retreat in conjunction with the Office of Academic Affairs;
• Revise and re-organize the Last Lecture Series in partnership with WSUSA;
• Sponsor the annual Faculty Forum in conjunction with Academic Affairs and RSPG;
• Promote book discussion groups, workshops, and retreats;
• Assist the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Community Involvement Center in providing faculty awareness and develop in these areas;
• Sponsor the annual New Faculty Retreat.
2. Compile a database of faculty and community expertise in various aspects of teaching and learning which would serve as a resource when planning professional development activities.
3. Continue to assess the effectiveness of established forums in serving faculty needs in teaching, learning, and assessment.
4. Develop, monitor, and assess a number of ways to promote faculty awareness, attendance, and support for TLA sponsored opportunities for professional development which might include re-instituting a semester newsletter.
5. Work with the Research, Scholarship and Professional Growth Committee to find non-monetary ways to promote and recognize faculty research and scholarship.
6. Work with the Research Scholarship and Professional Growth Committee to help faculty identify new methods of scholarship.

Motion: Moved to approve the above Faculty Senate Standing Committee charges for 2007-08 tentative to possible revisions at the next meeting.
Made: John Sohl
Second: Lloyd Burton
Outcome: The charges were approved unanimously tentative to possible revisions at the October Senate meeting.

7. FACULTY SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT CHANGES

Salvador Martinez to represent the Goddard School of Business on TLA/TLF. Bruce Christensen to represent the Goddard School of Business on ASSA. Replace Cliff Nowell on the Faculty Board of Review with Judy Mitchell (Ed). Replace Carol Hansen on the Constitutional Review Committee with Chris Hauser (Lib). Replace Cliff Nowell on the Gen Ed Committee with Doris Geide-Stevenson (B&E)

Motion: Moved to approve the above committee membership changes.
Made: Colleen Garside
Second: Mike Hernandez
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

8. RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH COMMITTEE – Therese Grijalva, Chair

A total of $134,912 was disbursed during the 2006-07 academic year. There were three rounds of funding – one round fall semester, during which RSPG and Hemingway Vitality grants were distributed; a second round in the early spring, during which Hemingway Collaborative and Faculty Excellence awards were decided; and a final round in the late spring, during which RSPS, Hemingway Vitality, and New Faculty grants were reviewed and funded.

Hemingway Faculty Excellence and Collaborative Funds 54,066
Hemingway Vitality Grants 25,225
Undergraduate Research Funds for Faculty Research 7,154
New Faculty Grants 15,000
RSPG Grants 33,467

Total $134,912

9. CURRICULUM COMMITTEE – Craig Bergeson, Chair

Curriculum Proposals

Performing Arts - New course proposals for Dance History Project: Development - Danc - 3710, and Dance History Project: Performance - Danc 3711.

Motion from the Curriculum Committee to approve from Dance the new course proposals for Dance History Project: Development - Danc - 3710, and Dance History Project: Performance - Danc 3711.
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

Communication Department - New course proposal for Family Communication - Comm 3085, and the program change.

Concerns: Syllabus not detailed enough to distinguish between this course and a similar course offered in Child & Family Studies. The course prerequisites are listed differently in two separate places on the course proposal form. Child & Family Studies would like to have Child & Family Studies 1400 and Child & Family Studies 2400 listed as prerequisites for this course.

Motion by the Curriculum Committee to approve from Communication the course proposal for Family Communication - Comm 3085, and the program change with the addition of the above stated prerequisites.
Outcome: The motion passed with two abstentions.

10. OTHER ITEMS

A concern was expressed about Convocations and the educational worth of some of the events scheduled. Jan Winniford will bring up and discuss the concern with the student leaders.

ADJOURN

The meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m.