Minutes of November 22, 2004

Minutes - 

Attendees: Jim Abbott, Pat Alexy-Stoll, Herb Appelson, Lorin Arnold, Joe Bierman, Greg Biren, Lori Block, Kate Boland, Larry Butler, William Carrigan, Bruce Caswell, Joe Coulombe, Roberta DiHoff, Tom Fusco, John Gallagher, Kathy Ganske, Dorie Gilchrist, Gabriela Hristescu, Karlton Hughes, Cristina Iftode, Ihsan Isik, Martin Itzkowitz, Frances Johnson, David Klassen, Lee Kress, Kristyn Kuhlman, Denyse Lemaire, Phillip Lewis, Mary Marino, Mark Matalucci, Robin McBee, Ellen Miller, Eric Milou, Janet Moss, Esther Mummert, Jim Newell, Anne Phillips, Robi Polikar, Kathryn Quigley, Charles Schultz, Karen Siefring, Christopher Simons, Kathleen Small, Edward Smith, Rob Sterner, Don Stoll, Eileen Stutzbach, Skeff Thomas, Sandy Tweedie, Mary Beth Walpole, Michael Weiss, Barbara Williams, Tricia Yurak

Not in Attendance/Represented by Alternate: Judy Holmes represented by Connie Rosenberger, Joe Orlins represented by Yusef MehtaNot in Attendance: Jay Chaskes and Bob Fleming due to illness, Bryan Appleby-Wineberg, Eric Constans, Richard Earl, Bela Mukhoti, Bob Newland, Hector Rios, Lizziel Sullivan

I. Motion to approve the agenda, seconded and carried.

II. Motion to approve the minutes of October 25, 2004, seconded and carried.

III. General Education Task Force ReportA. Motion to take General Education Task Force Report off the table, seconded and carried.B. After a brief presentation of the Gen Ed Task Force Report by David Klassen, a motion was made and seconded to accept the report.A thoughtful 15-minute exchange of pros and cons ensued. The titles of the first four banks in the report, i.e. “Communication, Math and Science, Social and Behavior Science and History, Humanities and Languages,” were amended back to the current titles. The cons focused on the overall reduction in liberal arts and science courses in the proposed model, and particularly upon the apparent diminution of the social sciences in the model. The pros focused on the flexibility of the proposed model for the specialized and B.S. degrees. The report, as amended, passed with 44 in favor, 5 opposed and 3 abstentions.

V. Senate President’s Report

A. Appointed David Klassen, Parliamentarian, replacing Julie Peterson.

B. Taping of Senate meetings: after hearing a preliminary report from the Professional Ethics and Welfare Committee and consulting with the Senate Executive Committee, the chair rules that the tapes of the Senate meetings are memory aids for the Senate Secretary, and individuals needing access should contact the Senate Secretary, not the Seante staff. Professional Ethics & Welfare will continue to research the legal status of the tapes.

C. Announced the winners of the special elections for the two vacant professional staff Senators are Kate Boland, Institutional Research & Planning, and Lizziel Sullivan. The election for the Senator at-large position is underway.

D. Announced that the organizing meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Background Checks will be held once the Diversity Task Force has named its representative.

E. Called a special (additional) Senate meeting for February 21, 2005, 10:50-12:05, in Science 126, to consider curricula matters only.

V. Committee Reports

A. Curriculum: Eric MilouCurriculum Proposals (vote required):SCC#04-05-364: BA in Education: Specialization in Health & Physical Education
Reported, moved, seconded, and carried unanimously.SCC#04-05-373: BA in Education: Specialization in Early Childhood Education
Reported, moved, seconded, and carried unanimously.SCC#04-05-376: BA in Education: Specialization in Elementary Education
Reported, moved, seconded, and carried unanimously.SCC#04-05-377: BA in Education: Specialization in Subject Matter Education
Reported, moved, seconded, and carried unanimously.Curriculum Announcements (no vote required):
SCC#04-05-200: Journalism Practicum
SCC#04-05-201: Journalism Field Experience
SCC#04-05-206: Research Practicum in Communication Studies

FUTURE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE MEETINGS:
November 30, 2004: 3:15 pm, Library 403
December 8, 2004: 9:25 am, Library 403

B. Professional Ethics and Welfare: Barbara Williams
Summarized committee’s research on the issue of the Senate tapes.

C. Research: Robi Polikar - The Research Committee recommended the following resolution on
continuation of SBR Support to fund non-time-release portion of research and creative activities after load-readjustment:Whereas, the senate applauds and supports the administration’s past efforts for increasing the SBR budget available to faculty to expand their research, scholarly and creative activities, and more recently instituting a load re-adjustment mechanism to provide them with a meaningful time-allowance for such contractually-expected activities;Whereas
The SBR program benefited the faculty in many ways, other then just providing time-release, such as providing seed money and funding for - pilot studies for future grant applications,
- student research assistantships,
- minor equipment, supplies and other miscellaneous expenses associated with research and creative activity,
-student and faculty travel (to research sites, conferences, etc.),
-hosting professional meetings and conferences,
-performances, exhibitions, and other similar student and faculty creative activities, among others,
none of which is addressed, or can be sustained by faculty load readjustment;Whereas
Support in the form of release-time, while certainly necessary and beneficial, is not sufficient, and that faculty success is critically dependent on continued and appropriately adjusted SBR support; Be it resolved that the load readjustment be used to provide faculty with course/time-release, while an appropriately budgeted SBR program be enhanced and continued so that the above listed non-time-release related scholarly and creative activities of the faculty may thrive and successfully grow with the university. ***After a brief discussion about conforming the references to “research” to the new agreements references to “scholarly and creative activity, instructional improvement and scholarship of teaching, and extraordinary service,” the resolution was moved, seconded, and carried unanimously. Written Reports

D. Academic Policies and Procedures: Lorin Basden Arnold
The AP&P committee is currently working on the issue of the age of acceptable transfer credit. The university has no official policy on the age of transfer credits (or guidelines related to how programs should develop their own policy). However, various departments and colleges apply differential ages based on the needs of their area. This presents a problem for transfer students who may be unaware of the age limitations until after arriving at Rowan (particularly since NJ Transfer does not indicate age limitations when calculating transfer acceptance). The committee is considering the needs of various programs, the policies of our aspirant universities, and the articulation agreement between the NJ state colleges and universities in order to formulate recommendations for a University wide policy.

E. Learning Outcomes Assessment: Don Stoll
Our committee has had four meetings this semester. Our primary focus has been on working with the proposal the LOAC made last year that the Senate passed. This has been complicated by
· the change in Provost
· the illness of two key committee members and
· the pressure and indecision revolving around the proposed load readjustments when making future plans.
In process: 1. drafting a new proposal for the Provost that will give us more guidelines for the Spring semester. 2. getting underway with plans for a Core Faculty group in place for at least the Spring semester.

F. Sabbatical Leave: John V. Gallagher
Twenty five persons intending to apply for sabbatical leave during AY 2006 signed up by October 29th. Eleven were for full year leaves.Mr. Zazzali met with union and senate officials to discuss the issue of the 13 deferred leave holders. It is not likely that semester leaves will be funded at the 100% level for the near future. Therefore, it was agreed that candidates deferred will have two opportunities to take their approved leaves – either during AY 2006 or AY 2007. If they do not take the leave then, they must reapply through the regular process. They will have the deferred leave deleted from their records and the timetable between leaves will be reset so they lose nothing in terms of application eligibility. Deferred candidates will receive a letter on this decision shortly.By the noon deadline of Friday, November 12, 17 applications were received. Two additional applications were late in the sign up or delivery process and will be held by the committee for further processing should leave vacancies occur. We do not know how many deferred candidates will take their leaves. There are also a number of full year applications that impact on the number of leaves available. We expect the process for recommending leaves will be competitive.

G. Technological Resources Committee: Gabriela Hristescu
The committee’s second meeting was on Monday, November 8, 2004.
The committee discussed the revised Web Policy document and put together a list of suggested changes. The committee received the document on “Faculty Computer Replacement Procedures” from Neil Toporski, director of IT.

H. Tenure & Recontracting: Jim Newell
The University Tenure & Recontracting Committee concluded its business for the Fall 2004 semester. During this semester, the committee reviewed packets from 50 candidates including faculty, librarians, and professional staff. The committee held separate hearings for ten candidates and their departmental committees. Hearings for four of the candidates resulted from either negative or split votes from their departmental committees. The University Senate Committee requested the other hearings because of inconsistencies between the packet and the departmental committee analysis that resulted in the Senate committee considering a negative vote. In most cases, these discrepancies were cleared up during the hearings. Overall, 19 candidates were recommended for tenure; 1 candidate received a negative tenure recommendation; 28 candidates received a recommendation for their requested level of recontracting; 2 candidates were recommended for third-year recontracting only, rather than third-year and fourth-year.

I. University Scholarship: Pat Alexy Stoll
All 11 Scholarship Committee members met on Monday, November 8 at 11 a.m. in Room 226 of the Library. Pat Alexy Stoll was formally elected as the chair. Committee members were briefed on the scholarship application and selection process. They were also given the schedule of meetings for the Spring 2005 semester. The Scholarship Banquet will be held on April 8, 2005 in the Student Center Eynon Ballroom.

Motion to adjourn, seconded and carried at 12:07 PM.