UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, Rhode Island
Faculty Senate
MINUTES
Faculty Senate Meeting – December
8, 2005
1. Immediately following a meeting
of the General Faculty-Graduate Faculty, the regular meeting of the Faculty
Senate was called to order at 3:10 p.m. in the Cherry Auditorium, Chester
Kirk Building, Chairperson Rice presiding.
All members were present except Senators
Boatright-Horowitz, Carroll, Ginis, Hara, Koske, La Luna, Manfredi, Shim,
Sun, Suzawa and Wortman; Vice Presidents Beagle and Weygand (Provost Swan
was represented by her designees); Vice Provost McCray (Vice Provost Pasquerella
was represented by her designees); Deans Farmer, Joseph, Letendre, Lynch,
Mazze, McKinney, and Richmond; Mr. Freeman and Mr. Mills.
2. Chairperson Rice asked if there
were any additions or corrections to or questions about the Minutes of Faculty
Senate Meeting #3, November 17, 2005. There were none.
Chairperson Rice 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 Rice reported that the Executive Committee had asked Provost
Swan to bring the Faculty Senate up-to-date on several issues under announcements.
He said that the Provost had asked him to convey her apology to the Senate
for not being able to attend the meeting and had also requested that he read
the announcements for her. He then read the following:
a.
The University will undergo its ten-year University-wide accreditation review
by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, October 21-24, 2007.
Senator James Kowalski and former Faculty Senate Chairperson Judy Beckman
will serve as co-chairs of the self-study process. Both attended a
workshop with the President and the Provost in Massachusetts on October 27-28,
2005.
The
process requires that several standards be addressed (e.g., Mission, Resources,
Assessment, the Academic Program and Faculty). We will be setting up
a major committee (to be co-chaired by Judy and Jim) and a committee for
each standard. There will be wide campus participation in this process from
faculty, students, staff and administration.
b.
The on-line learning committee (November 21, 2005 memorandum attached) will
address several issues to ensure that we are meeting our goal to deliver
quality on-line programs and courses. To this end, the committee has
been asked to develop recommendations, policies, guidelines and procedures
necessary to support the operations of all asynchronous web-based courses
and programs sponsored by the University. There is Faculty Senate and
AAUP representation because the work of this committee covers several areas.
c.
Administrative Searches
Vice Provost for Information
Services: This search is chaired by Bahram Nassersharif.
He has informed me that the committee will have a list of recommendations
for interviews by the end of the semester. I plan to fill this position
by July 1, 2006.
Dean of University Libraries:
Dayle Joseph is chairing the search. The search is underway with an
appointment date of July 1, 2006.
Vice Provost for Academic
Affairs: An additional candidate will be interviewed next week.
Vice Provost for Graduate
Studies, Research and Outreach: I am appointing the committee
now for a July 1, 2006 appointment date.
2)
Chairperson Rice expressed his appreciation to Vice President Weygand who
was the sponsor of that afternoon's reception. He invited everyone to the
University Club after the meeting.
3) Chairperson Rice said that
since this was the last Faculty Senate meeting of the calendar year, he wanted
to wish everyone a successful completion of the semester, a joyous holiday
season and a happy and healthy new year.
B. Vice Chairperson Martin said
that the Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #11 through #14 appeared
on pages 3-16 of the Agenda. She then responded to a question about the minutes.
C. Vice Chairperson Martin moved
approval of the following new section of the Faculty Senate By-Laws:
4.69 The University College and General
Education Committee shall be responsible for the assessment of General Education
student learning outcomes. The UCGE Committee shall appoint a subcommittee
on General Education Assessment which includes faculty members who have interest
and expertise in assessment of learning outcomes and faculty who represent
the General Education core areas, as well as representatives from the UCGE
committee. This subcommittee shall develop a process and be responsible for
assessing General Education learning outcomes on a continuing basis. The subcommittee
shall report at least once each semester to the University College and General
Education Committee. The UCGE Committee will forward subsequent recommendations
to the Faculty Senate for approval.
She explained that the recommendation
was a By-Laws change and could not be voted upon at the meeting at which
it is first moved.
Discussion ensued.
Following discussion, Chairperson
Rice announced that this proposed new By-Laws section would be on the January
26, 2006 Agenda as a matter of Unfinished Business.
D. Vice Chairperson Martin announced
that the Executive Committee’s response to Faculty Senate Action #05-06--3
appeared on page 17 of the Agenda. She asked if there were any questions
about the report of the Executive Committee. There were none.
4. REPORT
OF THE PRESIDENT
A. President Carothers reported
that he had approved all of the legislation forwarded to him after the last
Faculty Senate Meeting. He explained that his actions hadn’t been received
in time to be included on the printed Agenda.
B. President Carothers reported
on a recent joint meeting of the RI House and Senate with the Commissioner
and the Presidents of the three public institutions of Higher Education.
He explained that the meeting followed a national conference for state legislators
on the future of higher education and funding. He said that the three issues
of concern were 1) retention and graduation rates, 2) K-16 links, and the
3) relationship of higher education with business and industry. He then responded
to questions.
President Carothers then shared with
the Faculty Senate portions of a PowerPoint presentation on Methamphetamine
(crystal meth) from a recent juvenile justice conference that he had attended.
He explained that the presentation had been developed by the Honolulu Prosecutor’s
Office and described the drug, outlined the drug’s movement from Asia through
Hawaii to the west coast and its potential for becoming a major problem in
the northeast. He said that he hoped everyone would become aware of
the problems associated with the drugs and would continue to inform others
and be aware of the symptoms of drug use. He then responded to questions
about his presentation and his decision to share it with the Faculty Senate.
5. REPORTS
OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
A. Senator Luebke introduced
the Four Hundred Thirty-Sixth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee:
Proposal for a B.A. Degree in Writing and Rhetoric, which appeared on pages
18-25 of the Agenda. She said that Section I provided background information
and that Section II contained the CAC’s recommendation and the proposal.
Senator Luebke then moved approval of the proposal for a B.A. Degree in Writing
and Rhetoric at the Class A* Level. The motion carried.
B. Senator Luebke introduced
the Four Hundred Thirty-Seventh Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee,
which appeared on pages 26-28 of the Agenda and said that Section I was informational.
She asked if there were any questions. There were none.
Senator Luebke announced that Section
II required confirmation and moved approval of Section II. The motion
carried
Senator Luebke said that Section III
was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate Council
on 400-level courses. She said that Section III was informational and
asked if there were any questions. There were none
C. In Vice Provost Pasquerella’s
absence, Professor Sadd, representing the Graduate Council, introduced the
Curricular Report No. 2005-06-3 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty
Senate, which appeared on pages 29-31 of the Agenda. Professor Sadd
said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions.
There were none.
Professor Sadd announced that Section
II of the Graduate Council Report No. 2005-06-3 required confirmation by
the Faculty Senate and moved approval of Section II. The motion carried.
D. Senator Wenisch introduced the
Constitution, By-Laws and University Manual Committee Report #05-06-1, which
appeared on pages 32-33 of the Agenda.
Senator Wenisch reviewed for the Senate
Part A, the informational portion of the report and responded to questions
regarding Part A.
Senator Wenisch said that Part B required
confirmation of the Faculty Senate and moved approval of recommendation 1,
of Part B:
1)
Change the last sentence of 4.50.10 to read: “The college faculty shall elect
a secretary and committees including a scholastic standing committee and
a curriculum committee.”
Discussion ensued.
Following discussion, Senator Roworth
moved to amend the proposed sentence by adding “faculty” before “secretary.”
Discussion ensued on the amendment.
After discussion, the amendment failed.
The main motion carried.
Following is the approved section
4.50.10
4.50.10 College Faculties.
Faculty members assigned to a college of the University shall constitute
the faculty of that college. A faculty member affiliated with more
than one college shall be considered a member of the faculty of each.
The dean of the college shall be the presiding officer. The college
faculty shall elect a secretary and committees, including a scholastic standing
committee and a curriculum committee.
Senator Wenisch moved approval of
recommendation 2, of Part B:
2)
Add a new section on parliamentary authority to the UNIVERSITY MANUAL as
follows:
4.45.10 Parliamentary Authority.
Official meetings of all units at the University shall be in accordance with
rules stated in the latest edition of Sturgis Standard Code unless the unit
adopts another appropriate alternative parliamentary procedure.
Discussion ensued.
Following discussion, the motion carried.
E. Professor Rodgers announced
that the preliminary report of the ad hoc committee on Graduate Education
and Research appeared on pages 34-35 of the Agenda. He explained that
his slides provided significant additional information, but he was unable
to present them at that time. He said that he would present the full
report, including slides, to the Faculty Senate in January.
7. UNFINISHED
BUSINESS
Chairperson Rice asked if there was
any unfinished business. There was none.
8. NEW
BUSINESS
Chairperson Rice asked if there was
any new business.
Senator Pegueros asked if the Executive
Committee would look into the URI Foundation’s policy of restricting teaching
excellence awards to members of the continuing faculty.
Chairperson Rice said that the Executive
Committee would consider this request.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:20
p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Sheila Black
Grubman
* 8.85.30 Classification. When
new programs are approved by the Faculty Senate, approval may be classified
as follows: approval Class A will mean that the program is deemed to be of
such merit as to justify the recommendation of the immediate allocation of
funds for its implementation…