NUMBER 5

MINUTES

Faculty Senate Meeting

February 28, 2002

1. The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was called to order at 3:12 p.m. in room 113 White Hall, Chairperson Peters presiding.

All members were present except Senators Ariew, Bajcz, Beckman, Ibrahim, Karow, Kirschenbaum, Lee, Loy, Matoney, Mitra, Rodgers, Sullivan, Veyera, Wang and Wills; Vice Presidents Beagle and Stark; Deans Farmer, Gandel, Letendre, Mazze, McKinney, Seemann and Taggart (Deans Joseph and Shukla and Registrar McMahon were represented by their designees); Mr. Amidon and Mr. Jordan.

2. A motion was made to approve the Minutes of Faculty Senate Meeting #4, January 24, 2002.

Chairperson Peters asked if there were any additions or corrections to or questions about the Minutes. There were none.

The motion to approve the Minutes of Meeting #4 carried.

3. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. Chairperson Peters said that the AAUP had asked him to announce that Myrth York would be at the University Club later that afternoon. He said that Ms. York was the first in a series of gubernatorial candidates that the AAUP would be bringing to campus this year.

B. Vice Chairperson Goldsmith said that the minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #13 through #16 appeared on pages 3-12 of the Agenda. She asked if there were any questions. There were none.

C. Vice Chairperson Goldsmith announced that the report of the Executive Committee appeared on pages 13-15 of the Agenda. She explained that some items were informational, while others required action by the Faculty Senate.

1) Vice Chairperson Goldsmith explained that the portion related to the two groups of Senators asked to consider issues raised by the Athletics Advisory Board was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Vice Chairperson Goldsmith then moved approval of the Executive Committee's recommendation with regard to membership of the Athletics Advisory Board:

That section 5.14.11 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL be amended by replacing the "Dean of the College of Human Science and Services" with the "Vice Provost for Academic Affairs."

The motion carried.

2) Vice Chairperson Goldsmith added the names of Professor Chris Baxter from the College of Engineering and Professor Sandra Hicks from the College of Human Sciences and Services to the list of members of the ad hoc committee on Admissions Policy. She then moved approval of the membership of the ad hoc committee as follows:

Arts & Sciences: Michael Honhart, HIS

Arts & Sciences: Leonard Kahn, PHY, Chair

Business Administration: Andrew Laviano

Engineering: Chris Baxter, CVE & OCE

Environment and Life Sciences: Anne Veeger, GEO

Human Science and Services: Sandra Hicks, EDC

Nursing: Paula Viau

Pharmacy: Norma Owens

University Libraries: Michael Vocino

Provost's representative: Rick Rhodes,

Dean of University College: Jayne Richmond,

Dean of Admissions: David Taggart

Associate Dean, FCCE: Edmund Ferszt

Interim Director of Enrollment Services: Harry Amaral

Undergraduate Student: Jon Koenig

The motion carried.

3) Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved approval of the Executive Committee's recommendation with regard to Graduation Education and Research that appeared on page 14 of the Agenda.

Following discussion, Senator Feldman requested and the chair agreed to revise the recommendation editorially to include reference to a broad-based look at the strategic direction of graduate education.

The motion carried.

Following is the approved recommendation as revised editorially:

That the Faculty Senate establish an Ad Hoc Committee to take a broad look at graduate education and research to see where URI is now and to make recommendations for the future based on the review. The ad hoc committee to be chaired by Senator Dana Kester and members to be appointed by the Executive Committee in consultation with Senator Kester, Vice Provost Trubatch and Provost Swan. The committee will review the strategic direction of graduate study at the University and will make recommendations designed to enhance graduate education, the support for graduate students and programs and ways to advocate for graduate education and research.

4) Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved that Professor Wendy Holmes, ART, is appointed chair of the Teaching Effectiveness Committee. The motion carried.

5) Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved that the Faculty Senate endorse the recommendation on in-state tuition for graduate students on external grants which appeared on page 15 of the Agenda. She explained that the statement had been approved by the Graduate Council on October 5, 2001, and as amended, by the Graduate Council on December 7, 2001 and by the Council for Research on December 10, 2001.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator Rose moved to amend the resolution by replacing "employed" with "appointed."

After discussion, the amendment carried.

Following discussion, Senator Leo moved to amend the resolution by having it apply to all graduate students not just those on externally funded-grants.

Discussion ensued.

After discussion, Senator Leo moved to refer the recommendation back to the Graduate Council and the Council for Research via the Executive Committee with instructions to broaden the recommendation and to provide a stronger rationale in support of the recommendation.

Discussion ensued on the motion to refer to committee.

Following discussion, the motion failed.

After discussion, the amendment failed.

The recommendation as amended carried.

Following is the amended recommendation endorsed by the Faculty Senate:

URI graduate students supported full time on externally funded research grants, after having been appointed continuously for one academic year, and having established and maintained a residence in Rhode Island for at least one year, will be classified as residents of the State for tuition purposes.

4. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

A. President Carothers announced, as indicated on the Agenda, he had approved Senate Bills #01-02--9 , #01-02--10 , #01-02--11 and #01-02--12 , which had been forwarded to him after the January 24 Senate Meeting. Bills #01-02--10 and #01-02--11 require approval by the Board of Governors.

B. President Carothers reported on the status of the legislative discussions about arming the campus police and on the work of the joint task force on campus security. He informed the Senate about the Governor's budget for fiscal '03 and a bill to amend the state ethics law with regard to faculty members' serving on for-profit boards. The President also noted that the graduate students' petition to become a collective bargaining unit was before the Board of Governors.

President Carothers announced that the student member of the Board of Governors for Higher Education, Alison DiPetrillo, is a URI FCCE student. He explained that Governor Almond was in the process of interviewing candidates to fill the remaining vacancies on the Board. The President noted that the Board would meet in March as scheduled, but was not expected to meet again until May 2.

The President said that it would be a very busy weekend for the University. He explained that the last basketball game in Keaney Gym was scheduled for Saturday evening and that the Welcome Day for Centennial Scholars and the Rhode Island Philharmonic with David Kim were both scheduled for Sunday.

President Carothers responded to questions about Brown University's decision to increase its faculty and the differences between Brown University's endowment and URI's endowment.

5. REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

A. Senator Hickox presented the Four Hundred First Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 16-21 of the Agenda. He said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Hickox said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion carried.

Senator Hickox said that Section III was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate Council on 400-level courses. He noted that part A was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Hickox said that part B of Section III required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion carried.

B. Senator Hickox presented the Four Hundred Second Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 22-26 of the Agenda. He said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Hickox corrected Section II by changing item 3 to correspond to the correct report as it appeared on the web and as it had been published on FacSen-L. Senator Hickox said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion carried.

Senator Hickox said that Section III was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate Council on 400-level courses. He noted that part A was informational and asked if there were any questions.

Senator Leo requested and received permission to amend item A, 3, 1) by adding "curriculum" after "middle school" in the first sentence of the description in order to correspond to the course's title.

Senator Hickox said that part B of Section III required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion carried.

Senator Hickox said that Section IV was a report on the standing subcommittees of the Curricular Affairs Committee.

He moved approval of items A and B which contained changes to the Faculty Senate By-Laws and explained that By-Laws changes may not be voted upon at the meeting at which they are first moved. He asked if there were any questions or comments. There were none.

Chairperson Peters said that the By-Laws changes would be included as unfinished business on the March 28 Agenda.

Senator Hickox moved approval of the following amendments to sections of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL on the Faculty Institute on Writing, prior learning assessment and writing intensive courses (Changes are in boldface):

3.95.11 The Institute shall be administered by a director who shall report to the College of Arts and Sciences. The Faculty Senate Curricular Affairs Committee shall advise, monitor and evaluate the Institute's efforts. The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (or a designee) shall participate in the Institute's evaluation. The Curricular Affairs Committee shall report to the Faculty Senate on the Institute's activities.

8.36.37 Each year, the Curricular Affairs Committee shall request from the Feinstein College of Continuing Education a report on the types and number of credits earned through prior learning assessment and shall present this information to the Faculty Senate.

8.81.42 The faculty member sponsoring the course shall initiate the approval process for a writing intensive course. Either new courses or redesigned existing courses may be proposed for the writing intensive [WI] designation. Following approval by the appropriate departments and colleges, proposals shall be sent to the Curricular Affairs Committee. In those instances when the WI label is not recommended, the Faculty Institute on Writing should make every effort to work with the faculty member to bring the course features in line with the accepted WI design so that a label may be granted.

The motion carried.

C. Vice Provost Trubatch presented Curricular Report No. 2001-02-4C from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Proposal for Master of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) Program, which appeared on pages 27-41 of the Agenda. She moved approval of the proposed certificate program at the Class A level.

Senator Rose moved to amend the motion by replacing "Class A" with "Class C."

Following discussion, the amendment carried.

The motion as amended carried.

D. Vice Provost Trubatch presented Curricular Report No. 2001-02-5 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on pages 42-43 of the Agenda. She said that the entire report required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval.

The motion carried.

E. Professor Brown presented the University College and General Education Committee Report #2001-02-1, which appeared on pages 44-47 of the Agenda. She explained that Part I of the report contained recommendation for additions to the Current General Education Program (1981) and required conformation by the Faculty Senate.

Professor Brown moved approval of the following recommendations:

 

The motion carried

Professor Brown explained that Part II was an informational report on the Revised General Education Program (2001) and asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued.

After discussion, Senator Leo moved that Part II be referred back to the UCGE Committee to reconsider the portion relating to the FL/CC core area in light of the discussion.

Discussion ensued on the motion to refer to committee.

When the time for the meeting expired, Chairperson Peters announced that the motion would be considered as part of unfinished business at the March 28 meeting.

Chairperson Peters declared the meeting adjourned.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Sheila Black Grubman

for MARJORIE MCMAHON,

Secretary