NUMBER 4
Faculty Senate
MINUTES
Faculty Senate
Meeting
December 11,
2003
1. The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate
was called to order at 3:08 p.m. in the Cherry Auditorium, Chester
Kirk Building, Chairperson Beckman presiding.
All members were present except Senators
Adams, Cobb, Conley, Dewhurst, Ferszt, Ginis, Glasow, Hicks,
Hufnagel, Karno, Kogut, Rosen, Roworth, Strom, Wortman; Vice
Presidents Barrett, Beagle and Dougan; Vice Provost McCray; Deans
Farmer, Letendre, Mazze, McKinney, Nassersharif and Taggart; Mr.
Lopes and Mr. Sutherland.
2. Chairperson Beckman asked if there were any
additions or corrections to or questions about the Minutes of Faculty Senate
Meeting #3, November 20, 2003. There
were none.
Chairperson Beckman ruled that in the absence
of additions or corrections, the Minutes were approved as
distributed.
3. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
A. Announcements:
1) Chairperson Beckman announced
that the Faculty Senate meeting would be immediately followed by a
reception at the University Club. She thanked Dean Richmond and Vice
Provost Gandel for sponsoring the reception.
2) Chairperson Beckman said that whatever
upcoming holiday individuals may or may not celebrate, she hoped that
everyone enjoys the season and she wished them a very happy and
healthy new year as well.
B. Vice Chairperson Hollinshead announced that
the minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #10 through #12 appeared
on pages 3-10 of the Agenda. She asked if there were any questions.
There were none.
C. Vice Chairperson Hollinshead said that the
minutes of the October 2, 2003 meeting of the JSPC appeared on page
11
and asked if there were any questions.
There were none.
Questions ensued about the minutes of the
November 6, 2003 meeting, which had been posted earlier but had not
been included in the Agenda.
D. Vice Chairperson Hollinshead reported that
at the October 30 Faculty Senate Meeting the proposed Small Research
Vessel Policy had been referred back to the Executive Committee for
consultation and clarification. She announced that this had been done
and that there were no objections to the policy as written.
Vice Chairperson Hollinshead said that the
Small Research Vessel Policy appeared on pages 12-13 of the Agenda and moved approval. The motion
carried.
E. Vice Chairperson Hollinshead explained that
at the previous meeting the Senate had requested copies of President
Carothers' November 4, 2003 memorandum to the JSPC on Academic
Organization. She said that the memo and the Council of Dean's Report
been included on pages 14-19 of the Agenda and that this time has been set aside for
discussion.
Discussion ensued.
4. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
A. President Carothers announced
that, as indicated on the Agenda, he had approved Senate Bills
#03-04--3, #03-04--4 and #03-04--5.
B. President Carothers expressed his
appreciation to everyone and wished them the best of the holiday
season. He said that after the well-deserved break, he hoped they all
would return refreshed for the semester ahead.
President Carothers announced that the search
for a Vice President for Administration was continuing through the
following week and encouraged everyone to attend the interviews and
provide the Search Committee with their comments. He said that each
of the candidates was very different in experience and background and
he hoped people would take advantage of the opportunity to meet each
of them.
The President asked if there were any
questions. There were none.
5.
REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
A. Professor Kaufman presented the
Four Hundred Eighteenth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee,
which appeared on pages 20-23 of the Agenda. He said that Section I was informational
and asked if there were any questions. There were none.
Professor Kaufman said that Section II
required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The
motion carried.
Professor Kaufman announced that Section III
was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate
Council on 400-level courses. He said that part A was informational
and asked if there were any questions. There were none
Professor Kaufman said that part B required
confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion
carried.
B. Vice Provost Trubatch presented Curricular
Report No. 2003-04-1A from the Graduate Council to the Faculty
Senate: Post-baccalaureate Certificate Program in Polymers, which
appeared on pages 24-26 of the Agenda. She then moved approval of Report
2003-04-1A.
Following discussion, the motion
carried.
C. Vice Provost Trubatch presented Curricular
Report No. 2003-04-4 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate,
which appeared on page 27 of the Agenda and moved approval. The motion
carried.
D. Vice Provost Trubatch announced that the
Report of the Council for Research: Recommendation for Continuing
Status for the URI Transportation Center, appeared on pages
28-31of the Agenda was being withdrawn at that time for
further consultation and consideration.
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Chairperson Beckman asked if there was any
unfinished business. There was none.
7. NEW BUSINESS
Chairperson Beckman asked if there was any new
business.
A. Senator Feldman moved that the
Ad Hoc Committee on Admissions to the Providence Campus be asked to
address the issues of quality and resources that had been raised at
the November 20 Faculty Senate Meeting and to report to the Faculty
Senate in March.
Discussion ensued.
During discussion, several editorial
suggestions and friendly amendments were agreed-upon by the
Senate.
After discussion, the following motion as
revised was approved.
That the Faculty Senate establish a committee
to address the issues of quality, staffing, and resource allocation
raised at the November 20 meeting of the Faculty Senate during the
discussion of the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Admissions to the
Providence Campus and report back to the Faculty Senate by March 25,
2004. As part of its consideration of these issues, the committee
shall consult all of the units that would be affected by a change in
admissions policy.
The membership of this committee may include
members of the original committee as well as others recommended by
the Executive Committee and/or the Provost, for example, members from
departments that were listed in the original report as already
providing undergraduate majors or those that might potentially
provide undergraduate majors in Providence, or those whose
accreditation might be affected by this proposal.
It was understood that this would include
students coming directly from high school as well as those
transferring to URI from other institutions.
It was further understood that the issue of
admissions to the Providence Campus is separate from admissions to
the College of Continuing Education.
The committee was asked also to consider
possible scenarios and the role of general education offerings in
Providence.
Chairperson Beckman asked if there was any
further new business.
B. Discussion ensued with regard
to the Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting #14, which had not been
included in the Agenda but had been posted earlier in the
week.
When the discussion ended, Chairperson Beckman
reminded everyone that a reception at the University Club sponsored
by Dean Richmond and Vice Provost Gandel immediately followed the
meeting and she encouraged everyone to attend.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sheila Black Grubman