Minutes of November 17, 2004
I. The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. (49 Senators present).
II. The minutes of the October 20, 2004 meeting were approved, with the correction
that the travel charge mentioned under new business was a standard charge, not
a charge added if you made your own arrangements. (
III. Report of the Executive Officer – Mickey Byrd
The end of the year finds more things undone than done. I had hoped to get a report on the parking outlook for at least the Spring Semester 2005, but ‘tis not to be. Think January. I anticipate a report of the state of sinecure supplements, otherwise known as endowed professorships. Think January for that also.
I can not find anyone who knows what the immediate effect of the 2005 restricted enrollment modification will be. The estimates I have been able to see range from negligible to the Titanic. God knew very well what she was doing when she made me poor and powerless, but if I were king, I would look for about 400 fewer freshpersons next fall, with a complete rebound by 2008. I would plan accordingly. Your guess is probably not as good as mine but it is certainly no worse. I wept when they took away my IBM Speedball Graphic typewriter and replaced it with a machine that is smarter than me. I correctly anticipated that we would never see the end of “improvements” that I would fight like a lion (I do nothing like a Tiger) and then end up confessing to my chagrin that the new way was better. It has happened again about which more later.
I mentioned in an earlier report that we have visits from accreditation societies. I think it is probably good that we be accredited. But if these good things are not watched very carefully they can become too good for our collective good. To wit: If we had a hand-blown glass and crystal production department and their accreditation society said that we must hire 200 Bavarian elves at a cost of 250,000 Euros per annum, we might be forced to murder some of our children to keep the goblets alive. We need an inspector general to keep tabs on these enthusiastic, well meaning accreditors. Feedback and ideas welcome.
I saw in a small item in the Federal Register that Manuel Noriega, Agustino Pinochet, The Late Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein, Nada Batista, Ahmad Karzai, and Osama Bin Laden have all returned back to work for their former employer the CIA. Their precise location and duties can not of course be released nor am I at liberty to reveal my source. I will make no further attempts to aid my country in the apprehension of this felon.
IV, Report by the president of the Student Government Association Katie Ortego. See Attachment 1.
The Student Government Association is urging the use of Blackboard across campus and wished the support of Faculty Senate. There were objections to this, mainly concerning accessibility, cost, reliability and security concerns about Blackboard. Faculty Senate will have a response by January.
V. Reports of Senate Committees: Permanent Committees:
A. Committee on Committees: Steve Knouse, Chair. No Report
B. Ways and Means Committee: William Rieck, Chair. No Report
C. Academic Planning and Development Committee: George Thomas, Chair. No Report
D. Governmental Concerns Committee: Christian Okoye, Chair. No Report
E. Faculty Senate-Faculty Advisory Council Committee: Harry Bruder, Chair.
Discussed a white paper to articulate the gist of a motion by Judy Gentry to consider the possible problems in measuring desirable goals in graduation and retention rates. This will be discussed at the next meeting. FAC has surveyed whether changes in the school prayer laws have had an effect on campuses. The results have been quite varied.
V Reports of Special Senate Committees
A. Ad Hoc Committee on Adjunct Faculty: James McDonald, Chair.
Turned the floor over to Nancy Gomez who reported the English Department adjuncts are disturbed by the absence of their names in the Blue Key. Sen. McDonald added that the Senate had passed a resolution about this. Sen. Byrd said he had taken it to University Council and had met with no resistance. He had gotten an agreement to put in pocket parts or some kind of supplement but hasn't followed through on it. Sen. Gentry suggested putting the names online somewhere, since the Blue Key comes out very late.
Office numbers would be included. The question was raised of which departments didn't have adjunct contact information on their websites. Sen. McDonald agreed to take on the charge of finding this out.
.B. Ad Hoc Web Site Committee: Jack Ferstel, Chair. No report.
C. Ad Hoc Committee on the Faculty Club: Joe Riehl, Chair. No report
D. Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Student Housing Concerns. Karl Volkmar, Chair. No report
E. Ad Hoc Committee on Dismissal for Cause. John Greene, Chair. The committee has met several times and will have a report sometime early next year.
F. Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Keith Dorwick, Chair
It's pretty clear that a legally viable version of Amendment I on same-sex marriage will eventually exist. The committee suggests forming a Committee on Diversity, which will consider the concerns of this committee but will also deal with other issues concerning diversity. A resolution will be presented in January. The Ad Hoc Committee can then be killed.
G. Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Harassment. Sen. Gentry, Chair. No report.
VI. Reports of University Committees
A. Curriculum Committee: Paula Broussard, Chair. No report
Sen. C. Bruder: We have just shipped off the Undergraduate Catalog and next will do the Graduate Catalog. Get your changes to the graduate curricula in before May.
B. Faculty Grievance Committee: Ron Heady, Chair. No report.
C. Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee: Melinda Oberleitner, Chair. No report
D. Library Committee: Allan Jones, Chair. No Report
E. Committee on Academic Affairs and Standards: Lewis Deaton, Chair No Report
F. Parking and Planning Committee: William Dudley, Chair. No report
G. Student Evaluation of Instruction: James Flaitz, Chair. No Report
H. Parking and Planning Committee. William Dudley, Chair. No report.
I. Academic Technology Committee. Keith Dorwick, Chair.
The committee has divided into small groups, each considering a white paper that will become policy. It will also conduct a faculty-wide survey on technology.
VII Unfinished Business
Sen. Gentry referred to the report by Bruce Turner on Conditions in the library. It seems there has been some improvement but problems still exist. Sen. Gentry has asked Sen. Byrd's student aid to work with her on a comparison between last summer and the summer before that to see if there was an improvement and also look at t he new places that are being monitored.
IX New Business
Sen. Gentry: I move that the Faculty Senate encourage faculty members to explore the possibility of utilizing Blackboard as a communication tool in all of their classes and request the editor of Faculty Forum to include in the next issue the benefits to faculty members and students of doing so. Seconded, Sen. Daniel. Amended by Sen. Berkeley (seconded by Sen. Auter) in include the words “or equivalent technologies” after the word “Blackboard”. Amendment passed. Sen. Dorwick asked that the motion be tabled until the Academic Technology Committee has time to consider the details and problems. Motion to table failed. Amended motion passed.
Sen. Gentry moved that the Faculty Senate request with enthusiasm that it become University policy that faculty members required to attend commencement be extended parking privileges in the parking lots immediately contiguous to the commencement. Seconded, Sen. Miguez. Passed.
X. The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Flynn
Senate Secretary