HUMBOLDT STATE UNIVERSITY
Academic Senate Minutes
May 08, 2001
Chair Cheyne called the meeting to order at 4:08 p.m. on Tuesday, May 08, 2001, in Nelson Hall East, Room 102 (Goodwin Forum).
Members Present: Bicknell, Bockover, Burroughs, Cheyne, Dixon, Kenyon, Knox, Larson, Little, MacConnie, Martin, Mayberry, McCrone, McFarland, Meiggs, Novotney, Smith, Snyder, Stokes, Thobaben, Thompson, Travis, Varkey, Wang, M. Wilson
Members Absent: Christensen, Fulgham, Giovannetti, Pecot, Benjamin Shaeffer for Goodman, Michael Bezanson for Mayer, F. Wilson
Proxies: Cranston for Yarnall; Greta for Sheppard
Guests: Steve Butler, Student Affairs; Ron Fritzsche, Office for Academic Affairs; Sherry Jones Deffenderfer, Office for Academic Affairs
It was moved and seconded (Bicknell/Meiggs) to approve the submitted minutes of April 24, 2001. Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED WITH ONE ABSTENTION.
2. Announcements and Communications
Chair Cheyne announced:
The agenda for this meeting indicates that a social in honor of new and outgoing senators is to be held in Goodwin Forum at 5: 30 p.m. That event will occur in Windows Cafe instead.
The Educational Policies Committee has compiled recommendations to be forwarded to Assistant Vice Chancellor Allison Jones regarding certain executive orders that relate to grading symbols; specifically, use of the "I" (incomplete symbol) and the "W" (withdrawal symbol). There was insufficient time to bring this to the senate for discussion since a response was requested by May 15.
The CSU Academic Senate is seeking nominations for faculty members to be part of a standard-setting activity for the revised entry level math (ELM) test. This activity will be conducted in September. The statewide senate would like to receive nominations by mid-May. Faculty who have taught a first GE course for several years in any discipline, not just math, are being sought. Additional information may be obtained from Greta.
The academic calendar will remain the same for one more year in order to allow for data to be gathered before the topic is revisited. The Academic Calendar Committee has submitted its report. As found in that report, the following recommendations are made:
1. To maintain the academic calendar for the summer term of 2002 as it is currently structured with one ten week, two five week, and a special session beginning the first Monday in June and ending in the middle of August.
2. To reconvene the Academic Calendar Committee in the fall of 2001 to evaluate the effectiveness of the two previous summer terms, and to provide a report with recommendations for the academic calendar of 2002-03 by January 30 of 2002.
3. The Office of the Registrar will review the time required to process grades and academic policies to determine the minimum number of days needed between the end date of one semester/term and beginning date of the next one.
In order to meet the contractual obligation of 180 instructional days, it was necessary to adjust the calendar for next year. Spring term will begin Monday, January 14, with classes beginning Thursday, January 17.
Senators Travis, Bicknell and Cheyne met with Vice President Charlotte Stokes, Undergraduate Dean Rick Vrem and CAHSS Dean Karen Carlton to discuss issues of communication, consultation and collegiality. According to Chair Cheyne, It was an open and congenial discussion although no major issues were resolved. There seemed to be a genuine desire among those present at the meeting to improve communication and consultation on important issues. The next step is not known yet; however, this meeting seemed to be a good first step. Appreciation was expressed to Rick Vrem for holding the meeting at his home.
3. Committee and State Senate Reports
Senate Finance - Material found in the agenda packet includes: (1) the guidelines for budget planning that have been adopted by the Joint Council; (2) the preliminary budget allocation for next year; and (3) policies and procedures for allocating and administering the general fund budget.
Educational Policies - The Committee will continue working on the service learning issue next fall. Regarding the memo that the Committee sent to Chair Cheyne on grading symbols, some documentation from the CSU Academic Senate Office was received indicating that campuses use the different grading symbols in different ways. The Committee reviewed the use of the I for incompletes and the W for withdrawals on this campus and submitted recommendations. In addition, the Committee recommended that student input be sought on several other executive orders.
Faculty Affairs - The remaining issue is clarification of Appendix K procedures. The Committee will meet one more time and will send a recommendation to the Senate Executive Committee.
UCC - Several actions have been taken recently including (1) approval of the procedure for faculty designed interdisciplinary studies programs; (2) progress has been made on all general education learning outcomes and assessment areas, and the target is to finish with this process by the end of fall term at the latest; (3) recommendation to implement the liberal studies elementary education blended program; (4) approval of a recommendation from a subcommittee on liberal studies elementary education oversight; (5) recommendation that all GE and institution syllabi include a statement that this is a GE or institutions course and enumerates the educational goals of that particular general education area; and (6) open discussions on university wide GE reform are being planned.
Associated Students - The new council was seated last night; Elexis Mayer has been re-elected.
General Faculty - General Faculty President Larson announced that the final results of the elections will be distributed soon and expressed his appreciation to all for allowing him to serve as General Faculty President.
OAA - Candidates for the executive director of the Foundation are on campus this week. The report from the Athletics Review Committee has been received and the Committee will be meeting with President McCrone and Vice President Stokes to discuss the report, particularly how issues related to next year's program will be addressed.
CFA - Chapter President Travis reminded senators of the year-end social to be held next Monday at Plaza Grill to honor the retirees; all were encouraged to attend.
An attempt will be made to distribute CFA reports and updates throughout campus so that faculty receive all information available.
The Union has introduced its primary salary proposal, which asks for a 4 percent general salary increase (gsi); recommends that the ssi increase be raised to 3 percent; and recommends that an ssi be granted to everyone in the system who has not reached the top level of their classification.
The CSU has proposed to reduce the faculty early retirement program (FERP) to a two year program starting the second year of the contract, assuming it is a three-year contract and assuming that it goes into effect July 1, 2001. The CSU also presented its proposals on a portion of the salary: FERP was one segment, the second segment is faculty development, which they propose to keep at $2.5 million (this amounts to approximately $100 per faculty person in the system); and the third segment is the salary proposal which would be primarily a merit based salary increase. These three segments are all part of a package and the Union would be expected to negotiate on all three segments or none. The CFA bargaining team left the session without much hope for reaching agreement.
4. Resolution on Procedure for Proposing a New Degree Program (#18-00/01-EP)
It was moved and seconded (MacConnie/Varkey) to place the resolution on the floor.
WHEREAS, The curriculum is the responsibility of the faculty; and
WHEREAS, The faculty is the body initiating new degree programs; and
WHEREAS, Faculty who are interested should be encouraged to pursue new programs; and
WHEREAS, The process of proposing a new degree program involves extensive campus collaboration and review, and eventually review and justification at the Chancellor's level; and
WHEREAS, There is currently no documented procedure faculty should follow if they wish to propose a new program; therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of Humboldt State University recommend approval of the revised Procedure for Proposing a New Degree Program [Attachment A].
Senator MacConnie provided background on the resolution stating the procedure was developed because there is no formal written process for proposing new degrees, and this process also will allow for as much input as possible from the various constituencies. In the past, new programs would be developed by updating the Master Plan first, and after approval from the CSU level was received, then the actual process of developing a program could begin. In order to expedite new degree program development that did not require extensive capital outlay and resource implications, the Chancellor's Office developed a fast-track process and a pilot program process. The proposed procedure has been designed to accommodate all three types of new degree program proposals.
It was accepted as a friendly amendment to add specific language indicating that both graduate and undergraduate programs are included in the procedure (Attachment A) by adding the words undergraduate and graduate to the title, to the last sentence in the first section and to the first sentence under Procedure.
Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED.
Approval of Spring Graduation List
It was moved and seconded (Cranston/Larson) that the Academic Senate of Humboldt State University accept the graduation list for Spring 2001 and recommend that those students whose names are on the list be graduated with the following two exceptions: (1) those students who have not completed the requirements for graduation shall have their names removed from the list and shall not be graduated, and (2) the name Raymond Boden shall be added to the list and he shall receive his degree posthumously.
Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
5. Resolution on the Membership of the Academic Senate of the CSU (#19-00/01-EX)
It was moved and seconded (Cranston/Snyder) to place the resolution on the floor.
WHEREAS, The Academic Senate of Humboldt State University has for the past 16 years included a member of the Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association as a voting representative; and
WHEREAS, It has been a great value to the Humboldt State University Academic Senate to have the advice, the expertise, and the institutional memory provided by the Emeritus representative; and
WHEREAS, The Academic Senate of Humboldt State University believes it would be advantageous for the Academic Senate of the California State University to have the advice, the expertise, and the institutional memory provided by the Emeritus representative; therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of Humboldt State University support an amendment to the Constitution of the Academic Senate of the California State University which would permit the Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association of the California State University to elect one of its members to be a voting representative on the Academic Senate of the California State University.
The idea of having a member of the Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association become a member of the statewide senate is under consideration. As a result of this suggestion, local senates are being urged to consider this membership addition and inform the statewide senate of their opinion.
Discussion included 1) the emeritus representative would have full voting rights; 2) concern was expressed that if statewide community constituencies are electing this person, then it may result in an erosion of what little political power the northern and smaller campuses have on the CSU Academic Senate, particularly since the CSU Academic Senate seems to lean more and more towards issues of import to the southern campuses and to urban campuses; 3) civil strife is not being proposed, there just is no desire to exacerbate a perceived condition; 4) at one time, the alignment of campuses was based more on the development of a campus as opposed to geographic location, how is it now? [it does not appear to be an issue of campus autonomy now, and the issue of an emeritus representative is just part of a bigger package wherein the larger campuses want to add more members since the larger the constituency, the larger the block vote] [there are other constituencies that also would like representation]; 5) the vote on this issue most likely will be ad seriatim; 6) currently there is an emeritus representative who attends the statewide academic senate meeting, but he has no voting rights and travel is not paid by the CSU Academic Senate; 7) concern was expressed regarding the imbalance of larger to smaller campuses; and 8) the emeritus faculty are more interested in any effects of legislative matters on faculty in general than in the size of the campus.
Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Seating of New Senators
Recognition of Chair Cheyne's outstanding job and hard work during the past two years occurred and senators applauded her dedication and many accomplishments.
Chair Cheyne expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to serve as Chair of the Senate for the past two years which has proven to be a challenge and a most valuable experience. She stated that her work with such a broad constituency across campus has been most enjoyable, revealing a much larger picture of education. Chair Cheyne also acknowledged the exceptional contribution of Mary Greta, who provides her remarkable service to a number of campus constituencies, including the Academic Senate.
Chair Cheyne welcomed the new senators: Steve Jenkins, Craig Klein, and Scott Paynton from the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences; Dale Oliver and Richard Paselk from the College of Natural Resources and Sciences; Saeed Mortazavi from the College of Professional Studies; and Ken Fulgham, the new General Faculty President.
Elexis Mayer has been re-elected President of Associated Students.
Chair Cheyne bid farewell to the outgoing senators with many thanks for their contributions: Chip Dixon, Joseph Giovannetti, Claire Knox, Mark Larson and Marcelle Pecot.
The new senators were invited to take a seat at the table.
Election of Senate Officers and Members of the Senate Appointments Committee
It was moved and seconded (Thobaben/Travis) to nominate Susan Bicknell for Chair of the Academic Senate. It was moved and seconded (Bockover/Meiggs) to close nominations. Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED to close nominations. Voting occurred and Susan Bicknell was elected Chair of the Academic Senate.
Senator Bicknell assumed the role of chair.
It was moved and seconded (Cheyne/Bockover) to nominate Bob Snyder for Vice Chair of the Academic Senate and Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee. It was moved and seconded (Thobaben/Little) to close nominations. Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED to close nominations. Voting occurred and Bob Snyder was elected Vice Chair of the Academic Senate and Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee.
It was moved and seconded (Little/Varkey) to nominate Sue MacConnie for Secretary of the Academic Senate and Chair of the Educational Policies Committee. It was moved and seconded (Cheyne/Meiggs) to close nominations. Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED to close nominations. Voting occurred and Sue MacConnie was elected Secretary of the Academic Senate and Chair of the Educational Policies Committee.
It was moved and seconded (Travis/Thobaben) to nominate John Meyer to the Senate Appointments Committee; it was moved and seconded (Snyder/Travis) to nominate Robin Meiggs to the Senate Appointments Committee. It was moved and seconded (Cheyne/MacConnie) to close nominations. Voting occurred and MOTION PASSED to close nominations. Voting occurred and John Meyer and Robin Meiggs were elected to the Senate Appointments Committee.
Senators were reminded to attend the reception at the Windows Cafe.
It was moved and seconded (Thobaben/Cheyne) to adjourn the meeting.
Meeting adjourned 5:25 p.m.