Faculty Senate Minutes Nov 17 2010
Senators Present: Jane Wallace, Mike Blackwell,
Chuck Ramer, Gail Smith, Leigh Bovaird, Gibbs Davidson, Linda Cowan, Brian
Fencl, Matthew Harder, Robert Gall, Leonard Rinchiuso, Susan Herrick, Corey
Reigel, Rose Briggs, Hollie Buchanan, Bob Fliess, James Vopal, Erik Root
Guests Present: John McCullough, Mike Turrentine,
Donna Lukich, Jack Hattman, Loren Wenzel, Tom Michaud, Robert Kreisberg, Shane
Stack, Keely Camden, William Baronak
Motion to Approve the Minutes from October 20 2009
– Susan Herrick
Motion passes and corrections made.
John McCullough’s Report:
8.5% higher registration than a year ago. Summer
2010 registration rates are also tracking higher. Assessment coordinators
working with Paula Tomasik. We’re still waiting to hear from the National
Association of Schools of Music for reaccreditation. Open House Oct 31 –
thank you to all. Just short of 150 prospective students and families in
attendance.
The proposed Bachelor of Music degree will be voted on
at the December 2009 meeting of the Board of Governors meeting. A letter of
“Intent to Plan” is being written for a proposed Bachelor of Organizational
Leadership and Administration degree. The proposed Bachelor of Social Work
degree is in the HEPC office awaiting approval. The “Intent to Plan” document
is being written for a Digital Media Design degree.
Faculty Excellence Awards have nominees and the
committees are being formed. President Capehart approved a Professional Development
Reimbursement plan – Erik Root will detail. International Education week
is this week. Attendance will be taken and extra credit can be given to your
students if you wish. The Oct 28th International Food Festival was
a success.
The Presidential Colloquium will occur November 30th
from 3pm to 4:30 in Boyle. Dr Ann Gaudino will present. Dec 1st there
will be a reception for retiring faculty 3pm in Boyle: Bob McCormack, John
Matviko, and a third.
Employee Appreciation Luncheon is Dec 7, 11:30 to
1:30 in Student Union Ballroom. Inclement weather. In case of bad weather,
there is no backup. If a delay happens, it is up to the professor to
reschedule, if not then we simply have to drop the final exam grade and
calculate grades without them. 125-135 students will be marching in commencement
this December.
Board of Governors report by Mike Turrentine.
The next meeting of the Board of Governors will be Wednesday
December 9th at 5pm in the Boyle conference room.
Erik Root’s ACF report.
Oct 23rd meeting. Highlights from the
meeting: Much concern about online education. WV Northern pay raise has been
rescinded. Wednesday November 18th there will be a PEIA public
hearing at 6pm at WV Northern Community College. Please register to be on the
agenda. Refer to Michelle Derita’s email sent Nov 10th .
Academic Policies Committee – no report
Finance Committee– no report
Personnel Committee – Dr. Linda Cowan
Regarding discussion of Policy 214 – Faculty
Evaluation: The committee recommends all chairs and faculty read and implement
policy 214 as it exists. They do not see why any changes need to be made.
Social Committee – Rose Briggs –
Committee met and agreed to meet with President for Breakfast.
Employee Appreciation Lunch in the Fall is good to
go. A holiday reception will feature a surprise. The President has pledged to
increase retirement gifts by a little bit.
April 1st – (no foolin’) there will
be some kind of off-campus social event. Rose Briggs feels strongly that the
faculty should get together and get to know each other in a social context.
Collaborations, etc. are one good result.
Student Advising – McClain – no report.
Announcements
Gall – Policy 245 comments were very few. Policy
210, however, did receive a lot of comments and has since been accepted by the
administration.
Bob Fliess – when will this be implemented?
Can the “overload pay schedule” instead be pro-rated from the salary, instead
of from the summer school pay schedule?
John McCullough – I will find out. Probably
the start of the next Academic year. That issue can also be discussed further.
Robert Gall – Online Classes. What are the
purposes and goals of online classes at WLU?
Gall had lunch with the President. President Capehart
indicated that he will get a better picture about Finances later this week. They
also spoke about academic preparation of our incoming students and faculty development.
The University has budgeted for Faculty Raises next year, but we’ll see.
McCullough: we have received supplement for salaries
in the past, but not this year though. Probably not next year either. Raises,
if they come, will come from in-house, not from the state.
Susan Herrick: can we express our dismay at the
State’s lack of support of higher education?
Gall: the ACF is doing that.
Erik Root: We’re 25% supported by the state and 75%
a private University. When do we actually become the latter?
McCullough: graduation rates and retention rates are
substantially higher than West Vriginia State University, yet they get about
50% of total operation budget from the State.
Action Items:
Erik Root: Motion to support Faculty Emeritus Status
for both Michael Strada and John Reilly. Susan Herrick 2nd the
motion. The Motion passes.
Herrick: Motion to ask the Administration to
address the Housekeeping situation. Bob Fliess 2nd the motion.
Herrick: Our housekeeping service has a 90% turn-over rate. Cleaning is
sub-standard. They seem to be understaffed. When it was a part of our
maintenance department, it was much better.
Gall: The ASRC is great.
Brian Fencl: When problems come up, I notify them
(WFF), and things usually improve. Things have been OK recently, but may drop
off again.
Herrick: We shouldn’t have to tell them to do their
job.
Pat Henry is the supervisor of the cleaning service.
McCullough and Donna Lukich: the more calls, the
better the action.
Herrick: We should consider recreating the in-house
staff.
Fliess: Faculty shouldn’t have to deal with these
things.
Fleiss: Motion to table the motion. Root 2nded.
Herrick opposes the tabling.
Motion to table passes.
Fliess: Motion to ask the Senate to ask the
Executive Board to write a letter to the Board of Governors expressing concern
about the lack of adherence to University Policies. Examples: summer classes
at the Highlands, ROTC, hiring practices, Policy 216 about Tenure, etc. All
infractions will be spelled out in the letter and the letter would come back to
the Senate for approval.
Discussion ensued.
Shane Stack: has the President been approached?
Before a letter is written to go over his head?
Several senators said “no”.
Root: The problems with Policy 216 are still
debatable.
Gall: The Motion on the table is “Should the
Executive Committee draft a letter?” Let’s not discuss so much content at this
point, until the letter is written.
Mike Blackwell: Shouldn’t we discuss the content
before a letter is written?
Rose Briggs: A letter will not be given to anyone
until the Senate approves it.
Several Senators agree that open verbal
communication (i.e. at Faculty Senate Meetings) is the best way to resolve some
of these issues.
Root: I don’t want this Faculty Senate to look
foolish before the Board of Governors.
Much discussion. Some senators were opposed to any
letter being written in favor of speaking with the President in person.
The question is called. The motion to draft a
letter fails.
Motion to suspend the rules passes.
Fliess to the Deans: The Learning Center. How
should we proceed with this?
Bill Baronak: This is something that needs to be
worked on TOGETHER, not top-down, but together.
Gall: Motion – We should call on the Administration
to form a committee of Faculty and Administrators to address the issue of The
Learning Center.
Gall comment: Administration has to provide the
funds, no matter how “Faculty-Driven” it is.
Motion Carries.
Motion by Susan Herrick to support the ACF letter.
Fleiss seconded. Root will report our endorsement of the letter from Betty
Dennison. Motion Passes.
Erik Root provided information about new faculty
development money: $200 per year to faculty for reimbursement toward
Professional Memberships, Software, Books, etc.
Herrick: Should faculty apply for this?
McCullough: No. The Chair signs off on what it is
you’re buying. Reimbursement up to $200. Save your receipts. Effective next
Academic year.
Herrick moves to adjourn at 4:26.
Next meeting in Janurary 2010.