Session: XXVI  Meeting # 1

Present: S. Davis, N. Werner-Burke, S. Gregorich, J. Bosworth, J. Purk, D. Wetzel, K. Verno, R. Dodson-Webster, P. Keller, D. Monkiewicz, M. Lockwood, W. Stein, C. Smith, J. Sim, D. Mason, L. Hammann, L. Rashidi, W. Keeth, J. Demchak, W. Evans, J. Rothermel, J. Harris, P. Savoye, A. Walters, S. Brown, L. Schankman, P. Richmond, R. Clark, C. Moulton, alternate for C. Hoy(?) 

I.    S. Davis called the meeting to order: 4:04

II.    Announcements  

a.    Scott welcomed new committee members and chairs. Let Senate Secretary know of any new senators.

b.    President Loeschke approved the curricular recommendation of April 2, 2009

 III.    Approval of University Senate minutes of February 19, 2009 (Evans/Richmond)

APPROVED

IV.    Treasurer’s report –

A.  Dues Report ~ $200 short – make the final push!!!

V.    Committee / Other Reports

A.    Academic Affairs

1.    Library Science - LSC 6600 (course title and description change)

Old Course Title: School Library Advocacy for Administrators

New Course Title: Leveraging School Libraries to Improve Student Learning

PASSED

2. Masters in Nursing program change – additional class to fulfill requirements.

A new course, NUR 4417-- Community Practices and Principles, can be offered as an online individualized instruction for students who did not have community health nursing as part of their basic nursing curriculum.  NUR 4471 for RN students is offered once every three years.

PASSED

3. Academic Dismissal (revised after CAN)

… Students who are reinstated by the ASRB and students who are readmitted on probation have two semesters to acquire the necessary QPA for continued matriculation. This is contingent upon earning a minimum 2.0 semester QPA for the semester immediately following reinstatement, after the 1st dismissal, or the first semester following probationary readmission to the university…

PASSED

4. Application Form for Global Awareness (revised after CAN)

6.    Student Learning Outcomes for Global Awareness are:

1.     Identify major global issues.

2.     Examine global issues from multiple perspectives.

3.     Examine the concepts of power, gender, race and class intra- and inter-culturally.

4.     Compare and contrast their own beliefs and attitudes with those of other national, cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, and religious groups.

NOTE: Please attach a current or proposed syllabus for this course clearly indicating that this course may be counted toward the Global Awareness requirements and which outcomes will be taught. For example, you may use the following statement: “This course meets Global Awareness requirements 1, 3, and 4.”

Discussion: Application for Global Awareness: criteria already in catalogue, added to syllabus.

LR: feeling overwhelmed by the many things that must be included in syllabi, denigrating the document as communication between instructor and student. Constant listing of learning outcomes is too much…

JB: AAC objected to a page of criteria, but Mid-States is clear that if we do this as a university, we must include it in the syllabus. If we say, “this course meets the WIG req” it is not enough.

LR: if for MidStates, why isn’t the form enough?

JB: the ‘G’ is instructor driven.

SB: this was a compromise suggestion, rather than explanation of how it will be met (which would be much more wordy)

PK: Faculty may not even know if they are teaching an I or a G course, lots of transition. May be time to revise things so this is a simpler process, for the moment we need integrity. Faculty must know what they are teaching and students know that they are taking a W or I or G courses.

JB: if there is no statement in syllabi, we need to get artifacts to evaluate for MidStates. This should satisfy them.

BK: Using MidStates document – Self Study guide: (msache.org/publications/self-study)

See:  p. 5 – left side: Standards 2 (Planning, Resource Allocation, and Ins…

We don’t need to have syllabi as proof.

P. 4: understand the commission’s expectations… assertion & description…

If we are not collecting artifacts, we are just collection syllabi. There are 3 standards that have to do with GE . Read standards: 7,14, 11

Institution should establish criteria, in each department, and when we assess it is appropriate for that dept. We get depts. in line with campus goals, then put that in syllabi.

See p. 60: assessing student learning and inst. effectiveness (p. 61 #3)

We have been just collecting, or ad libbing…

P. 62: A written or on line assessment plan…”

Make clear policies, then clarify at the dept level. We don’t need to litter our syllabi.

We need to start at top and work down from MidStates language. 

Motion to table Learning Outcomes until institution comes up with a more categorical description of what is appropriate (Keeth/Rashidi)

Discussion on this motion:

JB: our criteria are already in the catalogue. Would rather see an amendment rather than table.

SB: in practicality, we need to do something now, despite our weaknesses.

NWB: does committee want all 4 criteria? Is it on the form?

JB: different for each one, but meeting the majority fulfills criteria. There is a checklist.

PK: MidStates has changed requirements. They are not prescriptive, but we need to align outcomes with our program objectives. Do we have capacity to do what we say we do? Are we fulfilling our promise?

BK: syllabi – primary function is a course outline and goals and requirements. It is pedagogical tool not an administrative instrument. GE is not departmental, GE is standard 11, but also 7…. GE is only 1 component of process. Policing at this point only addresses incoming courses, or an ongoing process, we should have something overarching, not just on 1 syllabus.

JB: language change: took off “must” and used “please”. AAC opposed to putting all criteria, come up with the compromise. Does not preclude doing more down the road. Want integrity perspective from both angles (faculty and MidStates requirements). No one has to re-apply every semester.

NOT PASSED (motion to table)

2 for

Global awareness checklist motion:

PASSED

2 opposed

JB: Checklists are on forms on My Mansfield.

Information literacy revision:

Student learning outcomes are in catalogue but not in forms. Asked faculty to “please” include.

BK: asks friendly amendment for a hyperlink in syllabi added if specific outcomes are only listed by number, rather than all outcomes (to find where these outcomes are). (Keeth/Bosworth)

Approved.

Approving application form as amended.

PASSED

2 opposed

W form application revision: 6 criteria. WIG worked with writing director. Rephrased some things. They would be on the form, but not catalogue yet. OK to use in form, but if in catalogue it has to go through CAN, senate, president, etc. Just want to get something through now.

BK: requiring all these add-ins without some overarching guideline…(not in catalogue, no official campus goal recognition)… there is no consistency.

JB: did go through CAN and AAC. Concern is anyone applying for a W (for example), at least they have guidelines on how WIG is making decision. This will be readdressed, in CAN, in the fall. We want to fix that, but no way to do that now.

SD: these are not new, they are clarifications from already established checklist.

SB: if writing course, they are learning to write, not GE outcomes, regardless of content. Request is just to make outcomes clear in syllabus.

JB: intention was there are many ways to address writing across curriculum.

BK: friendly amendment: link to refer to site where criteria are

JB: these are not in catalogue yet, so no site to refer to yet. Fall we can put this through the full CAN process.

NWB: hyperlink to senate minutes?

BK: Hyperlink to WAC list friendly amendment (Keeth/Clark)

PASSED

1 opposed

APPROVING WAC checklist

PASSED

1 opposed

Form for GE: currently no GE form

WE: do we have to resubmit a form for longstanding classes proving they meet the requirements? “failure to do so may result in revocation of GE status”

SB: Department Chair reviews.

PK: requirement that all chairs review classes/syllabi to ensure classes continue to meet requirements.

PASSED

1 opposed

BK: this is a change of policy.

SB: if you have a GE course, you must do this, this is not a new policy or a policy change.

B.    Academic Planning (Wetzel)

Reviewed Mus Ed changes which reorganizes program to fulfill PDE requirements. Same credits, same faculty.

C.   Administrative Affairs/Elections (Verno)

Vote over. 2 runoffs, next week.

D.   Student Affairs/Admissions – no report

E.    Information Technology – no report

F.    Library Advisory  - no report

G.   First Year Experience – no report

Provost –

• Director of Institutional Research has resigned. Search committee in place and working. Thanks C. Renner for all work she has done.
• Dean searches are underway, both committees are refining criteria. Expect to have deans in place for fall semester. Hope faculty will be available for interviews.
• Will need assessment help, Univ. Days help, will ask for FTE equivalent to assist provost. May be 1 person, may be 2 or 3.
• New residence halls underway. Want to take down Hemlock, and get private partner for new residence halls.
• NCAT date has been deferred to 2014 (yippee), but does not take pressure off our quality attention.
• Budgets still under discussion. Lots of pressure. Looking at a 3 billion dollar shortfall. Don’t know how we will deal with this.
• Scholarships: state board changed policies to allow our funding dollars to support scholarship. We don’t have any left, but we can use SA fees towards scholarship. Will meet to see if carryover from this year and use a portion towards scholarship. Students have been very generous, majority want any excess to go towards this. Athletics have agreed to relinquish funds to go towards scholarships. Tremendous good will and generosity.
• U days in fall, on Th & Fri, and new student orientation (includes Wed).
• Renovations underway for Grant Science.

VI.    Remarks for the Good of the Order

SB: Charlie Sidel celebration invitation.

WE: Can admin send a letter for UNV instructors to donate the $50.00 honorarium for coming to the May meetings to the scholarship fund?

SD: come to graduation!

a.    Convocation – Friday before classes start.

b.    Welcome Bob back in fall as senate president.

VII.    Adjournment

(Evans/tutti)

Minutes respectfully submitted,

Christine Moulton, Senate Secretary