NUMBER 2

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Faculty Senate
MINUTES

Faculty Senate Meeting – October 25, 2007

A.    Announcements

1)  Chairperson Miller said that he was pleased to announce that Ramstad’s Rams raised over $9,000 for ALSA Rhode Island in honor of Professor Yngve Ramstad.  The organizing committee thanks everyone who participated in the fund raising events. He said that if anyone wanted to make a donation, it isn’t too late to contact Professor Barbara Luebke.    

2) Chairperson Miller thanked Dean Mark Higgins from the College of Business Administration for graciously agreeing to sponsor the reception that afternoon.  He invited everyone to join Dean Higgins and the Executive Committee at the University Club after the Senate meeting.

Chairperson Miller informed the Senate that there was a possibility that Provost candidate Dr. Carol Bresnahan might be able to join the Senate’s reception if time permitted following her open forum at the Multicultural Center.

B.Vice Chairperson Martin said that the Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #3 through #6 appeared on pages 5-19 of the Agenda and asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued during which Chairperson Miller, Vice Chairperson Martin and Senator Beauvais responded to questions about the Executive Committee minutes.
    
C. Vice Chairperson Martin said that the Minutes of the September 20, 2007 meeting of the Joint Strategic Planning Committee appeared on pages 20-21 of the Agenda and asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

D. Vice Chairperson Martin moved that the Faculty Senate appoint Professor Marilyn Barbour, PHP, and Professor Nasser Zawia, BPS, to the Search Committee for the Dean of the College of Pharmacy. The motion carried.

E.  Vice Chairperson Martin said that the Report of the Executive Committee on Senate Action #2007-08--2: Laboratory Fees appeared on pages 22-23 of the Agenda.  She asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

F.  Professor Beckman reported on the comments of the NEASC Accreditation Team during their exit interview the previous day. She said that all of the work on the Self-Study had been confirmed by the committee and thanked everyone who helped with the Self-Study. She also thanked everyone who readjusted their schedules at the last minute to meet with members of the Accreditation Team and expressed her appreciation for Ms. Melissa McCarthy’s efforts to coordinate all of the last minute scheduling.

A.    President Carothers noted that as reported on the Agenda, he had approved all of the legislation that had been forwarded to him after the September 27 Faculty Senate Meeting.

B.    President Carothers said that the Accreditation process would continue, first with a draft report to which the University could respond and then through a number of iterations before a final document was submitted to NEASC in the spring. He expressed his appreciation to Provost Swan and to Professors Kowalski, Beckman and Barbour who had been responsible for the Self-Study and the completed document. He noted that all three of the faculty members were veterans of the Faculty Senate and explained that both Professor Beckman and Professor Kowalski had chaired the Senate and that Professor Barbour had served on two previous Executive Committees.  

The President reported on the opening celebration of the Confucius Institute and urged everyone to visit its new quarters in the URI Library.  He asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued during which questions were raised about the URI Budget in light of the expected reduction.  In addition, Senator Leo thanked President Carothers and Dean Richmond for their recently announced contribution to the URI Foundation to support international programs at URI.

Vice President Alfonso presented a status report on URI Research and Innovation, which was apportion of his recent report to the URI Commission for Innovation and Research, chaired by Judge Flanders.  During his presentation, Vice President Alfonso shared a number of slides on research at URI over the past several years and responded to questions during and following his report.

A.    In Professor Luebke’s absence, Senator Honhart presented the Four Hundred Fifty-Third Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 24-27 of the Agenda.

Senator Honhart noted that Section I was informational.  There were no questions.

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

Senator Honhart announced that Section III was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate Council on 400-level courses. She said that part A was informational. There were no questions,

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

B.    Professor Hicks presented the University College and General Education Committee Report #07-08-1, which appeared on page 28 of the Agenda.

Professor Hicks moved that the Faculty Senate approve the addition of HPR 202 Colloquium Topic for Spring 2008:  “Novels of the Contemporary Extreme” into the Fine Arts and Literature (A) area of the General Education program.  The motion carried.

Professor Hicks moved that the Faculty Senate approve the addition of HPR 202 Colloquium Topic for Spring 2008:  “Novels of the Contemporary Extreme” into the Foreign Language/Cross-cultural Competence (FC) area of the General Education program.  The motion carried.

C.    Senator DiCioccio presented the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee Report #2007-08-1, which appeared on pages 29-31 of the Agenda.

Senator DiCioccio moved to change to the Fall 2008 Calendar by extending the last day of classes to December 9, designating December 10 and 11 as reading days, and move the last day of final exams from Friday, December 19 to Monday, December 22 with Tuesday, December 23 as the make-up exam day.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, the motion carried.  One abstention was recorded.

A.    Chairperson Miller reminded the Senate that at the September 27 meeting of the Faculty Senate the following proposed changes to the By-Laws recommended by the Executive Committee were moved and seconded.  He said that they were now returned to the Faculty Senate for action:

    

Following discussion, the motion carried.

B.    Chairperson Miller said that at the September 27 meeting of the Faculty Senate the following proposed changes to section 4.56 of the By-Laws (membership of the Council for Research) recommended by the Executive Committee were moved and seconded (Changes are in boldface):

4.56 The membership of the Council shall be chosen to reflect the diversity of the academic disciplines of the faculty. The Council shall comprise seven faculty members appointed in accordance with the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate (See section 6.1); three faculty members from the research community chosen by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development; one member of the Council of Deans, chosen by that council; one director (or associate or assistant director) of a research center or bureau and one college business manager chosen by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; one graduate student chosen by the Graduate Student Association; one undergraduate student appointed by the undergraduate Research Grant Committee; the Dean of the Graduate School or designee; and the Vice President for Research and Economic Development or the Vice President’s designee as a voting ex officio member. The two students shall be appointed yearly. The members appointed by the Senate, the Council of Deans, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Research and Economic Development shall be appointed to three-year terms commencing in September. Wherever the same person or body is charged with selecting two or more members, the members' terms shall be staggered. The Council shall elect its chairperson for the year from among the faculty members of the Council at its first meeting in September. The name of the chairperson shall be made known to the University community and reported to the Faculty Senate and the President.

Chairperson Miller said that in addition, the following amendment was moved and seconded:

Delete “from the research community” and add “two faculty members appointed by the Provost.”

Chairperson Miller explained that the amendment should be acted upon first.

After discussion, the amendment carried

The main motion as amended carried.

The approved section 4.56 of the By-Laws reads as follows:

4.56 The membership of the Council shall be chosen to reflect the diversity of the academic disciplines of the faculty. The Council shall comprise seven faculty members appointed in accordance with the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate (See section 6.1); three faculty members chosen by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development; two faculty members appointed by the Provost; one member of the Council of Deans, chosen by that council; one director (or associate or assistant director) of a research center or bureau and one college business manager chosen by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; one graduate student chosen by the Graduate Student Association; one undergraduate student appointed by the undergraduate Research Grant Committee; the Dean of the Graduate School or designee; and the Vice President for Research and Economic Development or the Vice President’s designee as a voting ex officio member. The two students shall be appointed yearly. The members appointed by the Senate, the Council of Deans, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Research and Economic Development shall be appointed to three-year terms commencing in September. Wherever the same person or body is charged with selecting two or more members, the members' terms shall be staggered. The Council shall elect its chairperson for the year from among the faculty members of the Council at its first meeting in September. The name of the chairperson shall be made known to the University community and reported to the Faculty Senate and the President.

Chairperson Miller asked if there was any further Unfinished Business.  

Senator Leo requested an update on the Admissions Advisory Committee’s consideration of the proposal to make SAT’s optional.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator Leo was asked to forward the pilot project proposal to the Admissions Advisory Committee.

Senator Leo asked why the 2007-08 Faculty Senate Executive Committee hadn’t followed up on his request at the May 9 meeting of the Faculty Senate that the issue of future strategic positioning of the University as raised by Professor Logan be considered by the Senate.

Following discussion, Senator Leo was asked to provide the Executive Committee with the materials to which he referred.

Chairperson Miller asked if there was any new business.  There was none.

                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                        Sheila Black Grubman