PRESENT
Laine Berghout, Shannon Butler, Dave Ferro, Colleen Garside, Kami Hanson, Bruce Handley, Wade Kotter, Ann Millner, Peggy Saunders, Gene Sessions, Mike Vaughan – Kay Brown, Secretary

GUESTS
Erika Daines

MINUTES
Peggy Saunders: Moved to approve the minutes from the January 8, 2009 Meeting.
Second: Colleen Garside
Outcome: The minutes were approved.

CURRICULUM
Curriculum Committee – Erika Daines, Chair, reporting.

Curriculum

Communication - Program proposal for Master of Arts in Professional Communication; Course proposals for Intercultural Communication - MAPC 5080, Gender and Communication - MAPC 5090, Small Group Facilitation and Leadership - MAPC 5100, Editing - MAPC 5220, Health Communication - MAPC 5230, Public Relations Media and Campaigns - MAPC 5440, Topics in Communication - MAPC 5500, Organizational Communication - MAPC 5550, Communication Law - MAPC 5650, Persuasive Communication - MAPC 5810, Advertising - MAPC 5850, Introduction to Graduate Studies for a Master of Arts in Professional Communication - MAPC 6000, Team Building and Facilitation - MAPC 6100, Communicating Professionally in Speaking, Writing, and New Media - MAPC 6200, Communicating Organizational Leadership - MAPC 6300, Strategic Communication - MAPC 6400, Measurement and Evaluation for Professional Communication MAPC 6500, Introduction to Thesis/Project - MAPC 6600A, Thesis/Project - MAPC 6600B, Thesis/Project - MAPC 6600C

Zoology - Course proposal for The Nature of Sex - Zool 1030. General Education Life Science course proposal for The Nature of Sex

Telecommunications & Business Education - Program changes for Business Education Composite Teaching major, Business Education Teaching Minor, Business/Marketing Education Teaching Minor; course change for Principles of Business/Marketing Education - TBE 3600; New course proposals for Methods of Teaching Business/Marketing Education - TBE 6610, Principles of Business/Marketing Education - TBE 6600

Visual Art - Program proposals - BFA in Visual Arts with Art Education Emphasis, Art Education BA/BS, Art Education Minor; Course proposals for Drawing on the Land: The Visual Journal - ART 2015, Art Methods and Resources for Secondary Teachers I - ART 3515, Art Methods and Resources for Secondary Teachers II - ART 3520

Economics, Business Administration, Accounting - Program changes for Economics Minor for Non-Business Majors, Business Administration Major, Finance Emphasis, and Master of Accounting

Master of Accounting - New course proposals for Real Estate Taxation - Macc 6450, and a course change for Tax Practice, Procedures & Ethics - Macc 6425

The proposals from Communication and Telecommunications & Business Education were pulled from the packet.

MOTION
Wade Kotter: Moved to approve the curriculum proposals from Zoology, Visual Art, Economics, Business Administration, Accounting and Master of Accounting as stated above.
Second: Colleen Garside
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously

COMM
Curriculum proposals for the Master of Arts in Public Communication

The Executive Committee discussed the Master of Arts in Public Communication.

Concerns

• This master of arts degree has no language requirement. The standard at Weber State has been to require a language for bachelor or master of arts degrees. It was stated that there are master of arts degrees at other universities that do not require a foreign language. It was suggested that it could be a Master in Public Communication.
• Not all courses would be taught by PhD’s.
• No letters from other institutions in support of this proposal.
• Only 17 hours of graduate classroom instruction.
• Thesis hours repeatable multiple times for multiple hours.
• Regents standard for a master’s program is 30 hours. The Provost stated that 5000 level courses are not graduate courses.

MOTION
Gene Sessions: Moved to send the Master of Arts in Public Communication and the accompanying course proposals back to the Curriculum Committee.
Second: Bruce Handley
Outcome: The motion passed with 1 abstention.

MASTER’S DEGREE STANDARDS
The Executive Committee suggested that the Admissions, Standards & Student Affairs Committee discuss and set standards for:

TBE Telecommunications & Business Education

Concern was expressed about the two 6000 level courses, Methods of Teaching Business/Marketing Education - TBE 6610, Principles of Business/Marketing Education - TBE 6600. Who are these designed for? These courses are designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree.

MOTION
Peggy Saunders: Moved to approve the curriculum proposals from Telecommunications and Business Education as stated above.
Second: Kami Hanson
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

UCFSL
Laine Berghout and Kay Brown attended the Utah Council of Faculty Senate Leaders meeting at the University of Utah December 19, 2008. Laine presented the Executive Committee with a report.

Items Discussed

• Background Checks on Faculty (New Employees)
• New Hires. Some institutions have a freeze on new hires.
• Budget Issues Affecting Faculty
• Early Retirement
• Distance Learning

BUDGET ISSUES
Budget issues affecting Academic Affairs – Mike Vaughan reporting.

The University took a 4% cut in October. The academic Deans, the Library and Enrollment Services, all areas of Academic Affairs were told they would have to take a cut in the area of two to two and a half times that big. The total cut for Academic Affairs could be 9.3 million. This included the 4% cut taken in October.

A compensation cut for adjunct, overload and online could amount to 1.3 million. The Provost felt that the stimulus options were not a good idea: salary cut, retirement cut or an increase in base load. It looks like Academic Affairs will have three faculty and four staff involuntary departures. The Provost presented some options for consideration. The Provost will meet with the Salary, Benefits, Budget & Fiscal Planning Committee for discussion of options.

Tuition - Under discussion are different tuition costs for different undergraduate degrees. Tuition will be set after the Regents’ meeting the end of March. The Legislative session ends March 12.

Promotions - Faculty promotions will be funded.

RSPG - Does not anticipate a budget cut for RSPG. The Provost would like to see RSPG evaluate the proposals they receive with a different mind set toward programs that are currently functioning. New programs in the past have received funding while continuing program have not. If current functioning programs are unable to receive RSPG money they will be unable to continue.

MOTION
Bruce Handley: Moved to place on the Faculty Senate agenda budget issues affecting Academic Affairs.
Second: Wade Kotter
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

MT. OGDEN GOLF COURSE
Weber State has been asked to participate in the Mt. Ogden Golf Course project. There are some advantages for the golf team to have a golf course and driving range. Discussion of this project will take place.

STREET CAR
The University is putting money into an environmental study for a street car. The study will allow Weber to apply for Federal money. (Obama stimulus funds). The questions on where it will go and what it will connect will begin to take place. The Ogden mayor is hopeful that planning will take place during the next six months.

GEN ED
Rick Ford, Chair of the General Education Improvement and Assessment Committee has requested that the Executive Committee clarify charge #4.

Charge 4 as it currently reads: Develop in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee General Education rubrics that lead to assessment of General Education courses. Consider a sunset rule for courses to undergo periodic review.

Proposed revision to charge 4: Develop, in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee, a process for periodic review of existing General Education courses to determine if those courses continue to meet updated learning outcomes. The process should provide a method for removing Gen Ed status if a course no longer meets the required outcomes.

FACULTY
Faculty and staff are highlighted at Trustees meetings on occasion. David Ferro asked the Executive Committee for suggestion of employees in Academic Affairs who could be highlighted at Trustees meetings. Highlighting employees tied to things currently taking place at Weber State was suggested.

The following suggestions were made: Ann Ellis for the Story Telling Festival, Forest Crawford, Kathy Herndon, and Peggy Saunders for the International Society for Teacher Education, Shannon Butler for the Venture Program, Mikel Vause for the Undergraduate Literature Conference, Victor Uzur from Performance Arts, Gary Dohrer for the Wasatch Writing Group, Brenda Kowalewski for the Community Involvement Center, and Carl Porter for Academic Support Services.

SENATE REPRESENTATION
A chart showing faculty and their rank that are serving on the Faculty Senate was distributed. The graph compared the percentage of faculty serving on the Senate and the percentage of faculty in each rank. The figures indicate that faculty at the associate level are doing most of the work on the Senate.

ALCOHOL POLICY
The Trustees have approved a policy allowing alcohol to be served on campus by outside entities while conferencing on campus. Campus departments will not be allowed to serve alcohol. Allowing alcohol on campus applies to four locations that they felt could be managed in such a way that no students would be in the location of the event: Hurst Center, Alumni Center, Sky Suites, and Kimball Visual Arts.

ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.