NUMBER 4
MINUTES
Faculty Senate Meeting
December 14, 2000
1. The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was called to order
at 3:12 p.m. with the ringing of the
Novgorod Bell in room 113 White
Hall, Chairperson Peters presiding.
All members were present except Senators Armstrong, Bajcz,
Hebert, Karow, Koza, Krausse, Lee, Leo, McCarthy, McIntyre, McNab,
Paton, Rodgers, Specker, Vangermeersch, Veyera, Wang and Zhang; Vice
Presidents Beagle, McCray and Stark; Deans Gandel, Luzzi, Mazze,
Taggart, Wright and Yoder (Deans Crocker and Kim and Registrar
Strobel were represented by their designees) Mr. DeMaria.
2. A motion was made to approve the Minutes of Faculty Senate
Meeting #3, November 16, 2000.
Chairperson Peters asked if there were any additions or
corrections to or questions about the Minutes. There were none.
3. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
A. Announcements
1) Chairperson Peters noted that there was a very
full agenda that afternoon. He said that if the Senate was not close
to considering the General Education proposal by 4:00 p.m., Vice
Chairperson Goldsmith would move to change the order of business in
order to move directly to Unfinished Business.
2) Chairperson Peters introduced Bob Cormier, President of the
Student Senate, who explained that he was unable to stay for the
meeting because of final exams but he wanted to comment on two
matters before the Senate. Mr. Cormier spoke briefly about his
positions on the issue of arming the campus police and on the General
Education proposal.
B. Vice Chairperson Goldsmith said that the Minutes of Executive
Committee Meetings #10 through #12 appeared on pages 3-9 of the
Agenda. She then responded to questions about items contained in the
Executive Committee's Minutes.
Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved approval of the following
resolution recommended by the Executive Committee:
The University of Rhode Island Campus Police have
with skill and dedication worked effectively to make the URI campus a
reasonably safe environment.
Because of its educational purpose and residential character,
the URI community requires special strategies and tactics to provide
for its safety and security.
The relationship between our unarmed campus police and the
campus community has been grounded in non-violent and negotiated
resolution of problems.
In order to ensure that the character of the University
community and the effective workings of the campus police be
sustained:
Be it Resolved:
The Faculty Senate of the University of Rhode Island opposes
arming campus police.
The Faculty Senate endorses a thorough investigation of
alternative means of enhancing the safety and security of the
University community including the campus police.
Discussion ensued.
Following discussion, Senator Mitra moved to amend the resolution
by deleting the last paragraph. The motion failed for lack of a
second.
Discussion resumed
After discussion, Senator Arakelian moved to postpone voting on
the resolution until the January 25, 2001 Faculty Senate Meeting.
Discussion ensued on the motion to postpone definitely.
Following discussion, the motion to postpone failed 18-13.
Discussion of the resolution resumed.
After discussion, the motion to approve the resolution carried.
C. Vice Chairperson Goldsmith said that as part of their
commitment to monitor progress on improving the general use
classrooms, the Executive Committee had invited Ms. Palm, from the
Office of Instructional Services, to update the Faculty Senate on the
efforts of the Classroom Management Team.
Ms. Palm introduced the other members of the Classroom Management
Team, Ms. McMahon from Enrollment Services and Mr. Hill from
Facilities and Operations, and reported on the team's achievements,
implementation problems, and plans for the future.
She responded to questions from the Senate throughout her report.
At the conclusion of Ms. Palm's report, Senator Wood moved that
the Faculty Senate adopt the following resolution:
RESOLVED: The Faculty Senate endorses the
allocation of funds with all due speed to the Classroom Management
Team for the purpose of making necessary improvements to the general
use classrooms.
Following discussion, the motion carried.
4. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
A. President Carothers said that he had approved all
of the legislation forwarded to him after the last Faculty Senate
meeting and had endorsed both resolutions. He noted that the approved
legislation appeared on the cover
of the Agenda for this meeting.
B. President Carothers reported on the status of the University's
FY'01 budget in anticipation of the mid-year review. He also
explained the various ways enrollment is counted and provided reasons
for differences in the reporting of enrollment figures. He said that
while the University's enrollment had increased this year, the
University had fallen short of its projections. This decrease in
projected revenue, along with increased fuel prices and the
University's share of the cost of operating the Feinstein College of
Continuing Education, had all effected the University's budget.
President Carothers then responded to questions from members of
the Senate about asset protection and the Fiscal "02 budget.
5. REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL
COMMITTEES
A. Senator Hickox presented the Three Hundred and
Ninetieth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared
on pages 10-13 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. He made several additions and corrections to Section
II and moved approval of the revised Section II.
The motion to approve Section II as revised 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 announced that part B of Section III required
confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion
carried.
Vice Provost Trubatch introduced the three reports from the
Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate.
B. A motion was made to approve Curricular Report No. 2000-01-3A
from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Proposal for
Development and Approval of Post Baccalaureate Certificate Programs,
which appeared on pages 14-27 of
the Agenda.
Discussion ensued.
When the fifteen minutes allowed for discussion expired, the
Senate moved directly to a vote on the motion.
The motion carried.
C. A motion was made to approve Curricular Report No. 2000-01-3B
from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Proposal for a
Center for Midwifery which appeared on pages
28-36 of the Agenda.
The motion carried.
D. A motion was made to approve Curricular Report No. 2000-01-4
from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on
pages 37-38 of the Agenda.
The motion carried.
E. Professor Luebke introduced the Academic Standards and
Calendar Committee Report #2000-01-1 which appeared on pages
39-40 of the Agenda.
Professor Luebke moved that the Faculty Senate amend section
8.33.13 to read as follows (change is in green):
8.33.13 Students not
attending courses in which they
enrolled have the obligation to drop those courses before the drop
deadline. Names of students who are absent from the first and
second class meetings of a course and who do not notify the course
instructor of their intention to attend future class meetings may be submitted by the course instructor and/or the
department chairperson to the Registrar for deletion from the class
roster. If the instructor does not exercise this option, the student
remains enrolled in the course unless s/he drops it through regular
procedures.
The motion carried.
Professor Luebke moved that the Faculty Senate amend section
8.22.22 to read as follows (change is in green):
8.22.22 Students who have completed degree
requirements for a major and have graduated shall be readmitted to
the University to pursue a second major subject
to current catalog requirements.
The motion carried.
Professor Luebke moved that the Faculty Senate amend section
8.51.20 to read as follows (change is in green):
8.51.20 Scheduling Final Examinations. The
final examination in any course shall be scheduled by the Scheduling
Officer only. The time allowed for completion of a final examination
shall be no less than two hours nor more than three hours, as decided
by the individual faculty member. In short
courses and summer session courses (see 8.32.12) the final exam shall
be administered during the last regularly scheduled class session
unless otherwise approved by the scheduling office. The amount of
time allocated to the final exam shall be no less than one
hour.
The motion carried.
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Chairperson Peters reminded the Faculty Senate that
when the November 16 meeting adjourned the University College and
General Education Committee Report #2000-01-1: Recommendations of the
President's Commission on General Education was under consideration.
The Senate was considering an amended version of the "Framework." He
said that the revised "Framework" appeared on pages
41-42 of the Agenda and that the
entire report appeared on pages 20-28
of the Agenda for Meeting #3, November 16, 2000.
Chairperson Peters said that he would begin by asking the Senate
whether they accepted each of the University College and General
Education Committee's proposed changes as editorial and noted that if
a change was not accepted as editorial, it would require a motion to
amend.
Chairperson Peters asked the Faculty Senate if they would accept
the UCGE Committee's recommendation that "skill development areas"
replace "areas of emphasis."
There was objection to accepting this recommendation as an
editorial change.
Chairperson Peters asked the Faculty Senate if they would accept
the UCGE Committee's recommendation that "effectively" replace
"logically" after "writing" and "speaking" in the framework and on
page 26 of the Agenda for Meeting #3.
There was objection to accepting this recommendation as an
editorial change.
Chairperson Peters asked the Faculty Senate if they would accept
the UCGE Committee's recommendation that the definition for Write
Effectively be amended to read as follows:
Write Effectively - Course requires written
assignments designed to allow students to practice and improve
writing skills with instructor and/or group feedback.
There was objection to accepting this recommendation as an
editorial change.
Chairperson Peters asked the Faculty Senate if they would accept
the UCGE Committee's recommendation that "orientation" replace
"preference" after sexual in the definition of Examine Human
Differences.
This change was accepted as editorial.
Chairperson Peters reminded the Senate that the amended version
of the "Framework" was now on the floor for consideration.
Discussion ensued.
Following discussion, Senator Wittwer moved that areas of
emphasis be replaced by "opportunities for activities."
After discussion, Senator Witwer's motion was revised editorially
to amend the revised paragraph beginning with "In addition" to read
as follows:
In addition, because particular skills are
essential to a thoughtful engagement with the world, each course in
General Education must incorporate opportunities to practice three
(3) or more of the following:
Discussion ensued.
Following discussion, the motion carried.
Discussion resumed.
After discussion, Senator Devin moved to substitute the following
for the main motion:
That the Faculty Senate adopt the general
principles of the General Education proposal.
Discussion ensued on the motion to substitute.
The motion to substitute failed.
Following discussion, the Senate resumed discussion of the
"Framework" section of the General Education proposal.
After discussion, Senator Honhart moved that that "effectively"
replace "logically" after "writing" and "speaking" in the framework
and on page 26 of the Agenda for Meeting #3.
Discussion of the amendment ensued.
Following discussion, Senator Wood moved to amend the amendment
by replacing "writing effectively" and "speaking effectively" with
"communicating effectively."
Discussion ensued on the amendment to the amendment.
After discussion, the amendment to the amendment failed 15-10.
The time for the meeting expired and Chairperson Peters declared
the meeting adjourned.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Sheila Black Grubman
for ROBERT STROBEL,
Secretary