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Scenes from Faculty Senate

Minutes for Faculty Senate Meetings

March 24, 2008

Number 7

1. The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was called to order at 3:04 p.m. in the Cherry Auditorium, Chester Kirk Building, Chairperson Miller presiding.

All members were present except Senators Blissmer, Boatright-Horowitz, Caines, Cunnigen, Echevarria, Fastovsky, Fischer, Grigalunas, Juda, Kirschenbaum, Kook, Lasky, O'Brien, Rothstein, Ruemmele, Shim, Sodhi and Sun; Vice Presidents Beagle and Weygand; Vice Provost McCray; Deans Farmer, Jordon, Maslyn and Seemann; Ms. Fry.

2. Chairperson Miller asked if there were any additions or corrections to or questions about the Minutes of Faculty Senate Meeting #6, February 21, 2008. There were none.

Chairperson Miller 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 Miller announced that as a follow-up on the February presentation on "Understanding Student Veterans," members of the Department of Psychology will discuss the effects of military deployment, focusing specifically on deployed persons, returning veterans, and their families that evening at 7:00 p.m. in Atrium 2, Memorial Union. He explained that the program was being sponsored by URI Supports Student Veterans.

  2. Chairperson Miller reported that Executive Committee just learned that Friday was Beverly Swan's last official day as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He said that on behalf of the Senate and the Senate Office, he wanted to thank her for all of her years of service to the Senate and University. He noted that according to the Senate Office, the Provost has been involved in Faculty Senate for about thirty years. First as Faculty Senator and Vice Chair and then as Assistant Vice President, Vice Provost and, for the last 17 years, as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

    Chairperson Miller said that the Senate wouldn't be the same without her presence and that the Senate would miss seeing her on Thursday afternoons. He said that, once more, the Senate extended all good wishes to her in the future.

  3. 3) Chairperson Miller said that he wanted to thank Dean Winnie Brownell, of the College of Arts and Sciences, who was sponsoring the reception that afternoon. He invited everyone to join Dean Brownell at the University Club after the Faculty Senate meeting.

B. Vice Chairperson Martin said that the Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #19 through #22 appeared on pages 4-15 of the Agenda and asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued during which Chairperson Miller and President Carothers responded to questions about the Executive Committee minutes.

4. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

A. President Carothers announced that as indicated on the Agenda cover, he had approved all of the legislation forwarded to him after the February Faculty Senate Meeting

B. President Carothers said that he was pleased to report that the House and Senate would be voting on the name of Swan Hall within the next day or two. He said that he hoped to have a dedication of the building around Commencement.

President Carothers stated that the legislature was discussing public higher education and its governance this spring and that various pieces of legislation had been proposed with regard to the Board of Governors, the Office of Higher Education, Rhode Island College and CCRI.

With regard to the FY'09 Budget, the President indicated that the budget situation had not changed and continued to be worrisome for the University. The President noted that the staff of the URI Commission on Research and Innovation had met with URI faculty the previous afternoon and were scheduled to meet with Vice President Weygand.

President Carothers then responded to questions from the floor about safety concerns on campus and the University's plans to respond to potential violence. The President noted that arming campus police remained an issue for the legislature while the results of the informal survey of Senators showed that faculty were opposed 5-1 to arming the police.

5. REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

A. Senator Honhart presented the Four Hundred Fifty-Eighth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 16-25 of the Agenda and made two editorial corrections.

Senator Honhart noted that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued.

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. He said that part A was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Honhart moved approval of part B of Section III. The motion carried.

Senator Honhart moved approval of Section IV, changes to the Honors Program.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion the motion carried.

B. Vice Provost Pasquerella presented the Curricular Report No. 2007-08-5 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on pages 26-27 of the Agenda.

Vice Provost Pasquerella said that Section I of the Report was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Vice Provost Pasquerella moved approval of Section II. The motion carried.

C. Vice Provost Pasquerella presented the Curricular Report No. 2007-08-5A from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Dual Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Oceanography, which appeared on pages 28-35 of the Agenda.

Vice Provost Pasquerella said that Section I informational. She then moved approval of Section II. The motion carried.

D. Professor Hicks presented the University College and General Education Committee Report #07-08-4, which appeared on pages 36-37 of the Agenda.

Professor Hicks moved approval of the entire report. The motion carried.

E. Senator Nassersharif presented the Report of the Admissions Advisory Committee, which appeared on pages 38-39 of the Agenda and responded to questions. He then introduced the Dean of Admissions, Cynthia Bonn.

Using a series of PowerPoint slides, Dean Bonn reported on the process by which the Admissions Office makes decisions about admitting students to the University and responded to questions from the Senate.

F. Senator DiCioccio introduced the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee Report 2007-08-3, which appeared on pages 40-41 of the Agenda.

Senator DiCioccio moved approval of the proposed amended section 8.22.11 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL:

8.22.11 The work of the senior year shall be taken at the University of Rhode Island. Exceptions must be approved by the faculty of the college in which the student is enrolled. However, the dean of the college shall be able to approve a maximum of fifteen credits to be taken at another college or university.

The motion carried.

Senator DiCioccio moved approval of the proposed amended section 8.38.14 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL:

8.38.14 A matriculating University student who, with the approval of the student's academic dean, registers for courses during the summer or the academic year at other institutions shall have these course credits included in the student's cumulative record in the same manner as transfer credit. (Board of Governors' policy on articulation and transfer between state institutions of higher education defines exceptions to this regulation) See Appendix F, Transfer Policies.

The motion carried.

Senator DiCioccio moved approval of the proposed amended section 8.10.50 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL as corrected editorially:

8.10.50 Full time students matriculated at one of the other public institutions of higher education in Rhode Island may enroll for a maximum of seven credit hours of their full time schedule of study at the University at no additional expense. Summer Session registrants, Feinstein College of Continuing Education Special Programs Courses, and off campus study are not included in this program.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, the motion carried.

Senator DiCioccio moved that the 2011 date for "midterm grades for freshman due" be changed from March 28th to March 18th.

The motion carried.

G. Professor Kinnie presented the Report of the Teaching Effectiveness Committee, which appeared on pages 42-43 of the Agenda and responded to questions.

6. SPECIAL REPORT

Professor Ruby Dholakia and Ms. Linda Acciardo, Co-Chairs of the Branding Steering Committee, presented a series of PowerPoint Slides outlining the process of developing a brand for URI with the assistance of FORGE Worldwide.

Discussion ensued during which Professor Dholakia and Ms. Acciardo responded to questions about the Branding Initiative from members of the Senate.

7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Chairperson Miller asked if there was any Unfinished Business. There was none.

8. NEW BUSINESS

Chairperson Miller asked if there was any New Business. There was none.

The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Sheila Black Grubman