University Governance

SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

October 20, 2009, 3:00 P.M., Provost’s Conference Room

 

 Approved 11/03/09

PRESENT: John Stratton, Lisa Wolf-Wendel, Jim Daugherty, Paul Farran, Steven Maynard-Moody, Ben Eggleston, Dennis Constance, Kellee Kirkpatrick, Jeannette Johnson, Mary Ann Baker, Andrea Peterson, Mason Heilman.

 

EXCUSED: JJ Siler, Barbara Phipps, Ada Emmett

 

ALSO PRESENT: Molly Mulloy and Kathy Reed, Governance

 

            Chair John Stratton called the meeting to order.

 

MINUTES for 10/6/09 were approved.

 

STANDING REPORTS

 

SenEx Chair.

            John Stratton reported that the Retirees Committee is soliciting SenEx’s opinion regarding the former Provost’s decision to eliminate the practice of providing retirees with free tickets to Lied Center events.  This will be brought up under New Business on today’s agenda.

The final report of the FY09 Task Force on Learner Outcomes has just been received and will be presented at the 11/12/09 University Senate meeting. The chair of the Task Force on the Conflict of Interest Policy will report to  SenEx on 11/03/09. The Libraries Committee chair is planning a meeting to be held with the library liaisons to academic departments. The Furlough Planning Committee has sent its recommendation to the Provost, who will review it and forward his recommendation to the Chancellor.  Stratton noted that an administrator from the Edwards campus is interested in possibly speaking to the Faculty Senate this spring regarding new programs created on that campus. FacEx chair Lisa Wolf-Wendel commented that presentations to the Faculty Senate may need to be limited to issues on which the Senate will be voting because of time constraints.

 

Faculty Senate President

            Lisa Wolf-Wendel reported that retention and graduation rates were the primary focus of discussion at the Board of Regents meeting last week. COFSP (Council of Faculty Senate Presidents) approved the concept of the Library Consortium, made up of libraries in the Regents’ system, which proposes to function as a group when ordering from publishers. KSU, like KU, is working on a Furlough Plan but the other Regents schools do not see the need for one. This summer, KSU and PSU will have a 4-day work week; FHSU tested a 4-day work week last summer and found that it saved a great deal of money. 

 

Student Body President

            Mason Heilman said the Student Senate will vote on Oct. 28th on a resolution to reaffirm last spring’s decision that the proposed new 13th student position on the University Senate will be filled by the Student Body Vice President.

 

Unclassified Senate President

            Jeannette Johnson reported that the Unclassified Senate has scheduled a brown-bag luncheon with the Provost on Nov. 12th. She was pleased to announce that the Chancellor has approved the new annual evaluation policy for unclassified staff.

 

University Support Staff President

            Dennis Constance stated that the Support Staff Senate voted to support the transgender amendment to the Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity policies approved by SenEx and the University Senate.

 

AMENDMENT TO CODE, ARTICLE XX, SECTION 2

            Mary Ann Baker/Kellee Kirkpatrick moved that Art. XX, Sec. 2 be amended.  Members discussed and made several edits. References to technical amendments involving the Faculty Senate were removed and will be considered by FacEx next week. Mason Heilman suggested that text be added to specify how editorial changes will be approved to the several University Senate Code articles that are the purview of Student Senate, Unclassified Senate, and University Support Staff Senate. However, the consensus of SenEx was that each constituent senate should decide how to approve editorial changes to its respective Code articles.  The final text is shown below in bold/strikeout fonts. The motion passed.

 

Section 2.  Editorial Changes to the Code and USRR, and FSRR

When, as a result of administrative action, the title of an administrative position referred to in this CODE or in the Rules and Regulations of the University Senate (“USRR”), or of the Faculty Senate (“FSRR”) has been changed, it shall be the duty of the University Senate Executive Committee to cause the appropriate editorial changes to be made in the CODE and/or respective Rules and Regulations. It shall also be the duty of the University Senate Executive Committee or the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, as appropriate, to cause appropriate  approve editorial changes to be made in the CODE and/or respective Rules and Regulations to reflect changes in administrative titles, section numbers, and other non-substantive corrections. Article and Section University Senate Code numbers of provisions attributable to amendments adding, deleting or renumbering provisions of the CODE or of the Rules and Regulations. Such technical changes may be approved by majority vote of the members present at a meeting of the respective executive committees senates and are not subject to the requirements of Article II, Section 9, subsection 2 or of Article II, Section 5, subsection 2.

 

Technical changes to this Code and the University Senate Rules and Regulations are to be understood to include renumbering articles and sections, updating administrative titles, and making other non-substantive revisions that improve accuracy and clarity.  It shall be the prerogative of the University Senate Executive Committee to make such changes by majority vote.

 

REVISONS TO CODE, ARTICLE II. SECTION 4

As reported earlier by Mason Heilman, the Student Senate will vote on Oct. 28 concerning the proposed change approved last spring to add the Student Body Vice President as the 13th student member of the University Senate.

 Ben Eggleston/Lisa Wol-Wendel moved to delete the proposed final paragraph of Section 4 as redundant since a similar new paragraph in Code, Article 19.3, will be voted on at the Nov. 12th University Senate meeting. Passed.  The deleted paragraph is:  “  Per Article XIX of this Code, the number of students serving as voting members on the University Senate, University Senate Executive Committee, and University Senate standing committees shall be no less than 20 percent of the number of faculty members who serve in each body.”

 

REVISION TO USRR, ART. II

            SenEx discussed two issues raised at the last University Senate meeting: 1) changing “should” to “shall” in the first sentence, so that a syllabus would be required, and 2) listing courses that would be exempt from the requirement.   Jeannette Johnson reported that she consulted with various administrators who recommended that exceptions include courses such as theses, dissertations, directed studies, and directed projects.  Kellee Kirkpatrick brought up the issue of discussion sections and labs where a grade may or may not be given.  Jim Daugherty/Kellee Kirkpatrick moved to change the word “shall” to “should.”  Steve Maynard Moody/Ben Eggleston moved for a friendly amendment to replace the words “within the first two weeks of class” to “by the 10th class day of the semester.”  Vote on the friendly amendment passed. Consensus of SenEx in the lengthy discussion that followed was to add the following new sentence regarding exceptions:  “This requirement does not apply to discussion sections or labs for which a separate grade is not given, or to courses that meet by appointment, such as theses, dissertations, directed studies, and directed projects. “  The vote on the original motion, as amended, passed.  The final text is:

 

2.1.2     Information about the basis for evaluating students' performance and about the requirements that students must fulfill should SHALL be made available to students, preferably in writing, in print or electronic format within the first two weeks of class.  BY THE 10TH CLASS DAY OF THE SEMESTER. THIS REQUIREMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO DISCUSSION SECTIONS OR LABS FOR WHICH A SEPARATE GRADE IS NOT GIVEN, OR TO COURSES THAT MEET BY APPOINTMENT, SUCH AS THESES, DISERTATONS, DIRECTED STUDIES, AND DIRECTED PROJECTS. Students who are not in class when such information is provided are responsible for knowing it.  Students are also responsible for subsequent announcements about course content and grading policies.  This information should not be considered a contract; the information may be revised as the course progresses, provided students are given timely notice of such revisions.

NEW BUSINESS

            John Stratton led a discussion about the Retirees Committee’s interest in asking the Provost to reinstate the provision of free Lied Center tickets provided to retirees.  He will communicate with the Retirees Committee chair regarding SenEx’s discussion.

 

No further business.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Molly Mulloy