Thursday
August 21, 2008
Betty Lampros Board Room
MA 319
9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. Welcome –David Ferro

2. New Executive Committee member from Health Professions, Kami Hanson, to replace Bill Zundel

3. Campus Update – Mike Vaughan

4. Committee Membership Changes

5. 14-Week Summer Semester – Bruce Bowen

6. Meeting Schedule for 2008-09

7. Draft Committee Charges

8. Other Items

    Next meeting: Thursday, September 4, 2008, 2:00 p.m., MA 211K

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

EXCUSED
Wade Kotter, Ann Millner

GUESTS
Bruce Bowen

WELCOME
Kami Hanson replaces Bill Zundell on the Executive Committee as the representative from the Dumke College of Health Professions.

CAMPUS UPDATE
Mike Vaughan reporting

14-Week Summer Term - They looked at all the feed back they received last year. The survey indicated that there was a desire to change the summer term; however, the survey showed a 52/48 split on whether or not to change the academic year calendar. Themes that emerged included: desire for more instructional time, there was not overwhelming support for the perfect symmetry that Bruce Bowen was trying to achieve in the calendar proposed last year, faculty would like to preserve some artifacts of the presents system, e.g. Monday is always Monday, Tuesday is always Tuesday, Spring Break is five days. Bruce Bowen will come into the meeting later and present some options.

Summer Enrollment - Summer enrollment was up 6% with the biggest group of students being first-time freshmen. Fall enrollment will probably be up 1%.

Engineering Degree - The Engineering degree is stilled stalled at the Regents Office. Two years ago the Legislature funded a joint program and gave Weber State $300,000 to fund the first two years of a engineering program (pre-engineering) at Davis, and Utah State received $400,000 to fund the second two years of the engineering program. Currently Weber State has 145 students in pre-engineering. USU received additional money last year and some one time money for a total of 1.5 million, but have not taught a single course saying there are no students.

William A. Sederburg is the new Commissioner of Higher Education. His philosophy for governance is pretty hand off, and he has gone on record saying that approval of new degrees should stop with the Trustees.

Curriculum - The Provost suggested aligning the paper work for new programs with the Regents’ paper work.

Press Releases - Princeton Review ranks the top 120 universities (they don’t distinguish in that ranking; they are all listed as in the top 120). An very flattering article was published in the newspaper about Utah State being ranked in the top 120 universities in the Princeton Review. Weber State is in the same book, with the same ranking, but unfortunately no mention was made of Weber State in the newspaper. U.S. News & World Reports in the 2009 edition of Americas Best Colleges ranks Weber State as the 16th best public masters university in the west.

Hill Air Force Base - Hill put out a request for proposal for a project at the Test and Training Range. They need objects for the F-16 pilots to shoot at. Ed Walker of the Chemistry Department is able to remotely drive an SUV at the Ogden Airport while he is standing on top of the Science Building. The College of Applied Science & Technology built a prototype of a hovercraft that can be used in the desert for the F-16's to shoot at that they can build for about $10,000.

Construction Project - Construction projects of Elizabeth Hall, the Union Building, Bell Tower, and roundabouts are all going well. Both roundabouts will be open for the first day of school.

Vice President Information Technology - Brett Ellis is the new Vice President for Information Technology. He comes from the BYU Hawaii campus. It was suggested that Brett be invited to meet the Executive Committee and be introduced to the Faculty Senate.

Enrollment Funding - Higher education is going to grow in the next 10 years. Enrollment growth funding from the legislature will be based in the future using enrollment figures from 2007-08.

COMMITTEE CHANGES
It was proposed that Cori Tadehara replace Cath Stilwell on the Appointment, Promotion, Academic Freedom, and Tenure Committee. Gene Sessions will contact Cori. Yas Simonian needs to be replaced on the Faculty Board of Review. Kay Brown will check the ballots to see which of the alternates received the highest number of votes. Yas Simonian needs to be replaced on the Honorary Degree Committee. This four member committee meets with the University Honorary Degree and Commencement Speaker Committee. It was suggested that the liaison, Gene Sessions, be considered the fourth member.

MOTION
Laine Berghout: Moved to approve the above committee changes.
Second: Peggy Saunders
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

TLA Autumn Behringer needs to be replaced on the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee. It was suggested that Leigh Shaw be asked to serve on this committee.

MOTION
Peggy Saunders: Moved that Leigh Shaw replace Autumn Behringer on the Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee.
Second: Gene Sessions
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

SEMESTER CALENDAR
Bruce Bowen presented options for the academic calendar. Information was distributed for a proposed 14-Week Summer Term and 15-Week terms for Fall and Spring with one week time between Spring and Summer, two weeks between the end of Summer and the start of Fall, maintenance of the Thursday and Friday holiday for Thanksgiving, and the five days for Spring Break. Consideration of changing the current 50 minute class periods to 60 minute periods for classroom instruction with 15 minutes between classes was discussed. Extending the class time will extend the day for many students who tend to leave campus by noon for work obligations.

When to begin classes was discussed ( 7:00 or 7:30 a.m.). Currently there are 55 classes out of 4,000 classes that are taught at 7:00 a.m. Staggering the end of classes at noon was discussed, e.g. 12:00, 12:05, 12:10, 12:15.

The Provost has asked Steve Kerr to give an analysis of a fall term that shows the full time equivalent students in each hour to show if the proposed calendar would have an adverse affect on enrollment. The next step would be to give the schedule to Candy Stevens and ask her to simulate it given the number of courses that are currently offered and see if there are enough classrooms available.

The Executive Committee felt it was not necessary to do another survey about the academic calendar, but they did feel it was important to keep faculty informed. The proposed calendar has been reviewed and discussed by the Deans. The Executive Committee felt that once the decision is made by the administration, the final calendar should go to the Faculty Senate as an information item.

CALENDAR
The Executive Committee meeting schedule was reviewed.

CHARGES
Draft charges for the Faculty Senate Standing Committees were discussed.

ARCC Academic Resources & Computing Committee - Draft Charges

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 Grants.

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 and policies 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 CE and IT online instruction.

7. Be represented on the IT Council and IT Steering Committee, 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. Continue to function 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.

It was suggested that Eric Sweeden come and report to the Executive Committee on what is going on with the Links/Banner Team and the IT security Team.

Mike Vaughan was concerned about a policy that focuses only on computer upgrades rather than including taking care of areas that do not have any computers. We have facilities with really great computer labs, but we also have areas (classrooms) without a computer station. A policy needs to address allocating money for upgrades, but the policy also needs to include money for the purchase of computer equipment and wiring in areas that are in need of both. Money comes from Carl Porter (Academic Support Services) and ARCC, or from individual colleges and departments. The question was asked if replacement of computers every three years was a university policy. David Ferro stated that the policy only related to computer labs.

ASSA Admissions, Standards & Student Affairs Committee - Draft Charges

1. Meet with the Vice President of Student Affairs to review any student affairs issues which may need to be addressed.

2. Receive a report from the Associate Provost about continuing evaluation on MAPP.

3. Review data on concurrent enrollment courses and make recommendations.

Charge 3 - There are rural school districts that are almost totally depending on concurrent enrollment to give high school degrees. Some students are graduating from high school with associate college degrees.

APAFT Appointment, Promotion, Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee - Draft Charges

1. 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.

2. Examine the language used in the PPM for Instructors, Instructor Specialists, and Visiting Professors, and recommend revisions of this language that may be required in order to eliminate inconsistences.

3. Review the language in Section 8 of the PPM regarding consistency of language and policy.

4. Review the schedule for submission of materials and responses by the Faculty Board of Review and make a recommendation.

5. Review the current definition of tenure and make a recommendation.

Charge 4 - When a faculty member is denied tenure or receives an adverse rating it reaches the Provost’s Office in April or May. The faculty member is then trying to call the Faculty Board of Review to meet in June and July, which is difficult. The policy could be changed to say something like, "The Faculty Board of Review has six months to react to requests from faculty" or "The Faculty Board of Review has adequate time to react to requests from faculty."

CRAO Constitutional Review & Apportionment Committee - Draft Charges

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 Curriculum Committee - Draft Charges

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 review thestrengths and weaknesses of the Diversity requirement.

4. Monitor the Faculty Senate paperless curriculum approval process and work with the Executive Committee to address problems and make improvements.

5. Align program proposal format and requirements for consistency with Board of Regent’s policies.

6. Develop in conjunction with the General Education Improvement & Assessment Committee general-education rubrics that facilitate assessment of general education courses.

7. Consider in conjunction with the General Education Improvement & Assessment Committee changes to the current university requirements for the bachelor of science degree.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUED Environmental Issued Ad Hoc Committee - Draft Charges

1. Help facilitate the modeling of best practices for economic and environmental sustainability at WSU.

2. Serve as a local and statewide source for scientifically-based information and for leadership on environmental issues affecting Utah and the Wasatch Front.

3. Help facilitate integration of environmental initiatives into academic affairs, student affairs, and facilities management.

4. Review status as a Faculty Senate committee and determine if steps should be taken for it to become a Standing Committee.

GENERAL EDUCATION General Education Committee - Draft Charges

1. Develop a plan to communicate mission statements and learning outcomes to faculty.

2. Sustain cross disciplinary faculty discussions of general education.

3. Analyze enrollment data and/or transcripts of recent graduates to identify those courses most often used to satisfy the breath requirements of general education. Summaries by college, as well as the university as a whole, should be produced.

4. Develop in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee general-education rubrics that facilitate assessment of general education courses.

5. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Diversity (DV) requirement. This assessment should include significant input from the Student Senate as this requirement was established at their request.

6. Explore promising initiatives including e-portfolios, disciplinary advising template, and linked courses including online courses

7. Consider in conjunction with the Curriculum Committee changes to the current university requirements for the bachelor of science degree.

HONORARY DEGREE Honorary Degree Committee - Draft Charges

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 data for May and December commencement including cost and attendance. Make recommendations.

3. Meet separately and early as the faculty portion of the committee to discuss representing ina 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. Explore collaborative roles with other funding sources, i.e. Hall family, ARCC.

RSPG Research, Scholarship & Professional Growth Committee - Draft Charges

1. Continue to issue requests for proposals (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 the 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. Explore collaborative roles with other funding sources, i.e. CIC (Community Involvement Center), OUR (Office of Undergraduate Research), Hall family, ARCC (Academic Resources & Computing Committee).

SBBFP Salary, Benefits, Budget & Fiscal Planning - Draft Charges

1. Equity Adjustments and Merit - Look at dollar amounts each year.

2. Narrow the gap between online teaching and face to face teaching.

3. Review salary compression by rank using CUPA data, and make a recommendation.

4. Monitor implementation of the new sick and family leave policy for faculty.

5. Investigate broadening the definition of dependents in the faculty sick leave policy PPM 3-21a, A.

TLA Teaching, Learning & Assessment Committee - Draft Charges

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;
• Sponsor 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, retreats;
• Assist the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and the Community Involvement Center (CIC) in providing faculty awareness and development in these areas;
• Sponsor the annual New Faculty Retreat;
• Sponsor bi-monthly workshops for new faculty.

2. Explore ways to increase participation in all TLA sponsored events.

3. Talk about ways a database of faculty and community expertise, and those interested in sharing, in various aspects of teaching and learning could be compiled.

4. Continue to assess the effectiveness of established forums in serving faculty needs in teaching, learning, and assessment.

5. Develop, monitor, and assess a number of ways to promote faculty awareness, attendance, and support for TLA sponsored opportunities for professional development including monthly calendars of events.

6. Work with RSPG Committee to find non-monetary ways to promote and recognize faculty scholarship and research.

7. Work with various campus entities (OUR, CIC, and the like) to help faculty identify new methods of scholarship.

8. Investigate the potential of moving the new faculty retreat closer and the number of days the retreat is held.

The process of selecting the new chair of the TLA Committee and the timing of the selection was discussed. The position announcement used in past years will be reviewed at the Executive Committee meeting September 4. A letter expressing thanks for her service as chair of the TLA Committee will be sent to Fran Butler from the Executive Committee.

ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Executive Committee is scheduled for September 4, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.