FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

2010-10-19

Senators Present: Craig Crow, Al Wudarski, Gail Smith, Aaron Huffman, Lance Tarr, Richard Brown, Brian Fencl, Robert Gall, Shannon Halicki, Darrin Cox, Tammy McClain, Corey Reigel, Tracy Hutchison, Carolyn Kinney, Shirely Misselwitz, Hollie Buchanan, Travis Miller, Matthew Zdilla, Erik Root. Other faculty present: Susan Herrick

Ex-Officio: Provost, John McCullough, present; President, Robin Capehart, absent

BOG Representative: Mike Turrentine, absent

Guests Present: Donna Lukich, Tom Michaud, Bill Baronak, Brian Crawford

The meeting was called to order by the Chair of the Senate, Robert Gall, at 3:03 p.m.

Minutes from 9.21.10 were amended to delete Jeremy Larance’s name from p. 2 and to change the word “moved” to “suggested” on p. 4 under Forum. Minutes were approved as amended.

Report from John McCullough, Provost:

• Enrollment – Final count is 2733, up 3.4% over fall, 2009; largest since 1977; Fulltime students = 2342, up 3.5% over fall, 2009; 274 students transferred to WLU, up 17% from fall, 2009. There are 1265 resident students, up 4.5% from fall, 2009 – the highest since 2001.
• The College of Business is now the Gary E. West College of Business named after him following a large donation to the College.
• Accreditations – Dental Hygiene by the ADHA. Margie Six and faculty commended for work; Teacher Education, Spring (March), 2011 by NCATE and WV Department of Education, headed by Dean Camden and JoJo Ullom.
• Work is progressing on the Proposed Learning Center plans. There are now tri-chairs of the committee.
• The Physician’s Assistants Program was visited for accreditation. Some issues need to be addressed and the program will receive a second visit next semester.
• The Severance Plan was accepted by 4 faculty (John Hattman, Harold Wiesner, Robert Fleiss, and Johnette McCracken); positions filled by adjuncts in the spring with the intent to fill those positions in August, 2011. There will be a reception for the retirees sometime in December.
• November 6, 2010 is Open House.

BOG Report – Mike Turrentine’s BOG Report has been distributed through e-mail.

ACF Issues – Erik Root

• The report from the last ACF meeting was e-mailed on 9.25.2010 to all. The next meeting is Thursday in Charleston.
• Highlights from the report: 1) Budget issues are ongoing with the year 2013 looking grim; 2) continued talks about paring down general ed. requirements.
• A brochure on ACF issues prepared for legislators was distributed to senate. The brochure was printed at WLU and Stephanie Trouten developed it. It is our turn to do it.

Committee Reports

Academic Policies and Procedures (Hollie Buchanan) – They have met once and are submitting one action item for today’s agenda.

Finance (Darrin Cox) – Met once and tabled some issues; two action items on today’s agenda.

Personnel (Linda Cowan) – 1) Met once; 1 action item regarding Policy 214; 2) Provost search procedure went to the committee, the president would not sign, it eventually went to the executive committee which provided feedback. It will not be policy. Dr. McCullough is retiring this summer. We should hear shortly from the president about the search. 3) Policy 216 is to be examined next by the committee.

Social (Shirley Misselwitz) – Meeting November 4, 2010

Student Advising (Tammy McClain) – 1) Met October 8^th with Scott Cook. The CAP program was discussed. Frequent program changes take a while to get into program; the issue of 90 hr. evaluations is ongoing; Scott will do training in the spring for CAP; 2) Still searching for 4 year plans and advising checklists; 3) the committee decided to “watch and wait” to see how the College of Business’s advising person works out; 4) pre-registration issues – alternate pins numbers should be sent out any day now; suggested we have 3 weeks for pre-registration rather than two; 5) advisor training should be done at the department/program level; performance factors do not account for the job we do as advisees only in the amount of advisees we have.

Announcements

• The ad hoc committee on post-tenure review is still being formed. Recommendations for the committee were sought from the executive board and it is close to being final. At the first meeting, the committee will choose a chair. The purpose is to gather information so that we will be able to respond to any initiatives and to provide information for the ACF. Darrin Cox noted that the concept of post tenure review could include rewards and be affirming rather than punitive in nature.
• The procedure for the provost search created by the president was examined by the executive board which tried to simplify it by having faculty serve on the screening committee. The composition of the screening committee consisted of deans and administrators and no faculty. Linda Cowan noted that the president said he will add faculty to the screening committee.

Action Items

• Honoring class limits from the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee.  The following motion was moved and seconded: The Faculty Senate requests from the WLU administration the establishment of a policy whereby

–       Course size limits are respected,

–       Course sizes can only be exceeded through the signing of a course override from signed by the course instructor (or the department chair), and

–       Pre-requisite override forms will not count as satisfying the course size override.

Discussion ensued concerning safety hazards for overbooked courses; availability of instructors and department chairs to sign overrides in summer when faculty/chairs are not normally on campus.

The motion was approved.

• Motions from the Finance Committee

1.  The following motion was moved and seconded:

The Faculty Senate of WLU charges the Finance Committee of the

Faculty Senate with investigating the establishment of a “Green Fund.”

The money for such a fund would come from the University. The

motion directs the committee to research the feasibility of such a fund.

Motion approved

2.  The following motion was moved and seconded:

The Faculty Senate of WLU charges the Finance Committee of the

Faculty Senate with investigating the establishment of a “Library

Fund.”

Darrin Cox noted that according to Cheryl Harshman, only $600/yr. is

allotted for the purchase of new books. This amount is not enough for

the research expectations for faculty and students. A discussion about

the financial picture of the library, professional learning resource

centers for each discipline and the use of outside sources like a library

consortium were noted.

Motion approved.

• Motion from the Student Advising Committee

The following motion was moved and seconded:

The Faculty Senate recommends that the administration extend pre-registration to three weeks to allow faculty sufficient time for advising.

Motion approved.

• Motion from the Personnel Committee

The following revisions to Policy 214 were moved and seconded:

1.  Section 1, A: Add #3 (new criterion): “Assessment of student learning”

2.  Section 1, B Service: specify “one (activity) related to the University, one related to the Community.”

3.  Section 1, B: service to the community: Delete “in area of expertise”

4.  Section 1, C: Professional activity: Delete “reflective of discipline”

5.  Flex Points: Change: flex points can now be ascribed to Teaching/Job Effectiveness are. Also, additional language under II. D. Now reads:

Each academic year, the Flexible points may be assigned by the faculty member in increments of five (5) to two of the three categories: Teaching/Job Effectiveness, Service and/or Professional Activity. Flex points must be assigned at the time of the Initial Performance Planning Conference with the Department Chair, and the final designation of Flex points to an evaluation category is subject to the approval of the Chair. Flexible points are earned through fulfillment of activities mutually agreed upon between the faculty member and Department Chair. Flexible points are not given without being earned and require the faculty member to perform beyond the base plan agreed upon for Teaching, Service, and/or Professional Activity.

6.  Date changes in Section III

A. date is 2^nd Friday of Fall Semester

B.  date is 3^rd Wednesday of Fall Semester

C.  date is 4^th Friday in September

D.  date is 1^st Friday in October

E.  date is 2^nd Friday of Spring Semester

F.  date  is 4^th Friday of Spring Semester

G.  date is 2^nd Friday in April

H.  dates are 1^st Friday in May & 3^rd Friday in May.

Motion approved.

Forum

Corey Reigel noted that Senate time is being taken up by already resolved issues like the debate on recycling. He announced that the Social Sciences department was holding a town hall style meeting at noon on Wednesday to inform their constituencies about issues and improve communications.  Other departments are welcome to hold similar meetings.

Linda Cowan noted that Alpha Chi ballots need returned immediately.

Bob Gall noted having received more parking complaints.

A motion was made to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 4:07 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Gail Smith

Recording Secretary