Weber State University Faculty Senate

AGENDA SETTING
November 18, 2010

 

1.     Approval of the minutes from the November 4, 2010 meeting

2.     Appointment, Promotion, Academic Freedom and Tenure – Afshin Ghoreishi, Chair

College of Applied Science and Technology Tenure Document

3.     Constitutional Review, Apportionment and Organization – Brian Rague, Liaison

PPM 1-13 - Article B-VIII. Procedures to Formalize Senate Actions
Article C-I. The General Faculty, Section 1 Membership

4.     Academic Calendar – David Ferro, Bruce Bowen

5.     Curriculum – Erika Daines, Chair

Creative Arts Gen Ed Renewal
Honors - Perspectives in the Creative Arts - HNRS CA 1530
Performing Arts - Music in Religion - MUSC CA 1063

Curriculum|
Political Science - Course proposal for Introduction to Political Science - Polsi 1010 and program changes to Political Science
Electronic Engineering Technology - Program change for Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology, and the minor in Electronics Engineering Technology
Computer Science - Program changes for Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, AAS in Computer Science; New course proposals for Computational Structures - CS 3130, Mobile Development for Android - CS 3260, Mobile Development for the iPhone - CS 3250, Rich Internet Application Development - CS 3630, Server-Side Web Development - CA 3620
Botany - Course changes for Biology of the Plant Cell - BTNY 3153
Geoscience - Program proposal for Geology Bachelor of Arts
Health Sciences - New course proposals for Foundations of Health Science Technology - Hths 3410, and Health Science Technology Applications - HTHS 3412
English - Course deletion for Topics in Literature - ENGL 3720

Gen Ed Creative Arts Proposal
English - Creative Writing - ENGL 2250

6. Liaison Reports
ARCC and CRAO - Brian Rague
Liaison Reports continued
ASSA - Shelly Costley
APAFT - Sue Harley
Curriculum - Colleen Garside
Environmental Issues - Michael Hernandez
Gen Ed - Ed Hahn
HD and TLA - Peggy Saunders
RSPG - Azenett Garza
SBBFP - David Malone

7. Other


MINUTES

PRESENT
Shelly Costley, Colleen Garside, Azenett Garza, Ed Hahn, Sue Harley, Michael Hernandez, David Malone, Ann Millner, Brian Rague, Peggy Saunders, Mike Vaughan, Kay Brown, Secretary

GUESTS
Bruce Bowen, Erika Daines, David Ferro, Afshin Ghoreishi

MINUTES
Ed Hahn: Moved to approve the minutes from the November 4, 2010 meeting.
Second: Michael Hernandez
Outcome: The minutes were approved.

APAFT
Appointment, Promotion, Academic Freedom & Tenure – Afshin Ghoreishi, Chair

College of Applied Science and Technology Tenure Document

1.2.2.4 As a Function of Rank

Basic expectations of faculty are also related to their rank. Advances in rank bring increased levels of expectations which shall be as follows: To be hired at one of the ranks shown, it is expected that the candidate will meet or exceed the following requirements. To be promoted to the ranks shown, a candidate must provide evidence that he/she has been consistently fulfilling these requirements since their initial appointment or last promotion.

a. Instructor/Instructor Specialist - A faculty member with the rank of instructor/instructor specialist demonstrates teaching effectiveness and has the technical competence and personal skills to become an excellent teacher

b a. Assistant Professor - A faculty member with the rank of assistant professor demonstrates teaching effectiveness and technical competence and is in the process of developing the skills needed to meet the long range goals of his/her program, department, college and university

c b. Associate Professor - A faculty member with the rank of associate professor demonstrates teaching effectiveness, technical competence, specific skills in support of his/her program area and is in the process of developing leadership skills.

d c. Professor - A faculty member with the rank of professor demonstrates teaching effectiveness, technical competence, specific skills in support of his/her program area, and leadership skills and serves as a mentor in support of his/her colleagues.

Question: As it reads, "To be hired at one of the ranks shown, it is expected that the candidate . . . " The Provost interprets this language to mean that you cannot hire an assistant professor unless they have had prior teaching experience.

The APAFT Committee chair will check with the Dean of Applied Science and Technology to see if that is the intent of the document. (The document was pulled by the Dean prior to the Senate meeting.)

MOTION
Colleen Garside: Moved to forward the College of Applies Science and Technology Tenure document to the Faculty Senate.
Second: Brian Rague
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

CRAO
Constitutional Review, Apportionment and Organization – Brian Rague, Liaison

PPM 1-13 PPM 1-13 1. ARTICLE C-I. THE GENERAL FACULTY

Section 1. Membership

The general faculty membership shall be composed of faculty members holding full-time, salaried appointments, with the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor or instructor specialist, or title of instructor, and whose primary function is that of instruction but who may also hold administrative appointments at the organizational level of department chair or lower. Each member of the general faculty shall have voting power and shall have representation through an organizational unit as defined in the Bylaws.

They are eliminating instructor and clarifying rank and title. This section determines the apportionment of the faculty.

MOTION
Brian Rague: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate PPM 1-13 Article C-1, Section 1 Membership as stated above for the first reading.
Second: Sue Harley
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

PPM 1-13 PPM 1-13 ARTICLE B-VIII. PROCEDURES TO FORMALIZE SENATE ACTIONS

Add the following as a new section:

Section 4. Transmittal to the Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents

Faculty Senate decisions that require action by both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents shall be transmitted promptly by the president to the Board of Trustees. Upon approval by the Trustees, decisions shall be forwarded by the president to the Board of Regents and shall become effective upon approval by the Regents.

MOTION
Brian Rague: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate the new section 4 as stated above to PPM 1-13 Article B-VIII for the first reading.
Second: Colleen Garside
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

CALENDAR
David Ferro and Bruce Bowen presenting options for the academic calendar.

Calendar A - 55 minute classes with a 10-minute break between classes, no breaks during the semester, 4 days for finals and a reading day. Fall and Spring have a day swap at the end of the semester. No Spring Break.

Calendar B - 55 minute classes with a 10-minute break between classes, partial breaks during the semester (Fall and Spring), 4 days for finals.

Three calendar options were presented, A, B, and C. The Executive Committee decided to forward calendars A and B to the Faculty Senate.

MOTION
Michael Hernandez: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate calendars A and B.
Second: Shelly Costley
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

CURRICULUM Curriculum Committee – Erika Daines, Chair

Electronic Engineering Technology - Program change for Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering Technology, and the minor in Electronics Engineering Technology

Computer Science - Program changes for Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, AAS in Computer Science; New course proposals for Computational Structures - CS 3130, Mobile Development for Android - CS 3260, Mobile Development for the iPhone - CS 3250, Rich Internet Application Development - CS 3630, Server-Side Web Development - CA 3620

Botany - Course changes for Biology of the Plant Cell - BTNY 3153

Geoscience - Program proposal for Geology Bachelor of Arts

Health Sciences - New course proposals for Foundations of Health Science Technology - Hths 3410, and Health Science Technology Applications - HTHS 3412

English - Course deletion for Topics in Literature - ENGL 3720

Political Science - Course proposal for Introduction to Political Science - Polsi 1010 and program changes to Political Science Political Science is adding one course, Polsi 1010, as a requirement.

MOTION
Colleen Garside: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate the above curriculum.
Second: Shelly Costley
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

CURRICULUM
Creative Arts Gen Ed Renewal from Honors for Perspectives in the Creative Arts - HNRS CA 1530, and from Performing Arts for Music in Religion - MUSC CA 1063. New Gen Ed Creative Arts Proposal from English for Creative Writing - ENGL 2250

MOTION
Shelly Costley: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate the above curriculum.
Second: Michael Hernandez
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

COMM
The Master of Professional Communication was approved by the Regents with minor changes. The Regents added a writing component and one credit hour to the program.

MOTION
Peggy Saunders: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate as an information item the changes made by the Regents to the Master of Professional Communication.
Second: Azenett Garza
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

LIAISON REPORTS

ARCC - The Acceptable Use Policy needs to be approved. The Senate wanted the policy to be reviewed by ARCC. That has now happened. The Senate was also concerned about privacy issues. The policy needs to be put in place so that Weber State is in compliance with state law. It will go back to the Senate as an information item.

ARCC funding has been flat for many years. Last year the ARCC budget was reduced from $130,000 to $116,000. Grants were awarded based on $130,000. When the budget cut came, ARCC had to go back and reduce the awards. The ARCC budget is a line item in IT which means it tied to IT cuts.

CRAO - They are looking at the different sections of the PPM and the governing body of each section. The governing body will be assigned to review and update their assigned sections.

Program Discontinuance Policy - The subcommittee is meeting and discussing policy for program discontinuance.

ASSA - The committee will bring forward different language for PPM 4-21a (age limits for transfer and reentry courses). The committee is working on policy language for double majors.

APAFT - The tenure document for the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics is coming for review. The APAFT Committee is gathering information from other institutions on votes of no confidence, and term limits for department chairs and deans. The APAFT Committee is reviewing WSU policy on dismissal of faculty.

CURRICULUM - The committee is finishing the Gen Ed renewal for Creative Arts and Humanities. Next semester they will be sending through forms for Quantitative Literacy and American Institutions based on information from the Gen Ed Committee.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - Paperless documents for Senate seems to be working.

Ogden City is proposing putting in a water pipeline that would connect two water lines. One considerations is to put the pipeline go across Weber State land. This route is above the fault line. Things to consider: Impact on WSU property, existing trails, geologic hazards, impact on land, etc. Ogden City will come and do a presentation in the Union Building for Weber State.

The Environmental Issues Committee is discussing carbon offsets. Rather than using a carbon offset broker, they are discussing taking those rates and putting them in an internal fund to finance renewable energy projects on campus. These renewable energy credits have a market value. The cost of the carbon offset fee is minimal. The carbon offset could be added to the RSPG application. A fair amount of travel money comes from Hemingway. President Millner will talk with the Hemingway people about the possibility of adding the carbon offset fee on travel.

GENERAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT & ASSESSMENT - Learning outcome have been approved for quantitative literacy and for American Institutions. Discussions on assessment are taking place. The Gen Ed Committee is setting up four core area committees (Quantitative Literacy, Information Literacy, American Institutions, and Composition), and five breadth area committees (Humanities, Creative Arts, Social Science, Physical Science and Life Science).

HONORARY DEGREE - Selection depends somewhat on availability of the person to attend the graduation.

TEACHING, LEARNING & ASSESSMENT - The website is up. The adjunct retreat is scheduled for February 5, 2011.

RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP & PROFESSIONAL GROWTH - The committee met on October 29. The committee had $30,000 to allocate for projects. They received 35 applications totaling $65,000. 

SALARY, BENEFITS, BUDGET & FISCAL PLANNING - PPM 3-51, Evening School and Off Campus Rate, was approved by the Faculty Senate. The committee will now work on an online supplemental pay model. If there are disproportionate amounts of resources going to individuals, then there are other individuals who are being under allocated those resources.

MISSION STATEMENT

Revised Mission Statement
Weber State University provides associate, baccalaureate and master degree programs in liberal arts, sciences, technical and professional fields. Encouraging freedom of expression and valuing diversity, the university provides excellent educational experiences for students through extensive personal contact among faculty, staff and students in and out of the classroom. Through academic programs, research, artistic expression, public service and community-based learning, the university serves as an educational, cultural and economic center for the region.

MOTION
Colleen Garside: Moved to forward to the Faculty Senate the revised mission statement as an information item.
Second: Michael Hernandez
Outcome: The motion passed unanimously.

LETTER
The chair of the Faculty Senate discussed with the Executive Committee the possibility of sending out a letter to all faculty to address some of the faculty concerns that are being passed around across campus.  These concerns include the effectiveness of faculty governance.

ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.