UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND 
Faculty Senate

MINUTES
Faculty Senate Meeting – April 24, 2008

A. Announcements

1) Chairperson Miller announced that this was the last official Faculty Senate meeting for the following Senators whose terms expire in May:    

ARTS AND SCIENCES                  GRADUATE SCHOOL OF OCEANOGRAPHY
Su Boatright-Horowitz                 Tetsu Hara
Donald Cunnigen
Megan Echevarria                      HUMAN SCIENCE AND SERVICES
Michael Honhart                        James Agostinucci
Kathryn Quina                          Minsuk Shim
Fritz Wenisch                                                          

THE ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE SCIENCES

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION          Tom Grigalunas
Laura Beauvais                         Gabriele Kass-Simon
                                         Gonquin Sun
ENGINEERING
James Miller
David Taggart

Chairperson Miller asked the Senate to join him in thanking the outgoing Senators for their service to the Faculty Senate and the University.
    
2) Chairperson Miller announced that the organizational meeting of the 2008-09 Faculty Senate would be held on Thursday, May 15.  He said that one-third of the Senate would be comprised of newly elected Senators taking their seats and participating in the election of Senate Officers for 2008-09.  

He explained that not all of the college elections were completed but said that he would like to announce the names of those Senators who had been elected and will take their seats in May:

ARTS AND SCIENCES                 GRADUATE SCHOOL OF OCEANOGRAPHY
Suellen Adams                         Randy Watts 
Will Krieger  
Jim Loy                               HUMAN SCIENCE AND SERVICES  
Suren Malik                           Sandy Hicks  
Christian Wittwer                    Mark Rowinski  
Paul Yager
                                                                    THE ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE SCIENCES     
ENGINEERING                        Steven Irvine   
Chris Baxter                          Bethany Jenkins
                                       Stephen Swallow       

3) Chairperson Miller then introduced Tom Ahrens, who is the new President of the Student Senate, who spoke briefly to the Senate about his plans for the upcoming academic year.

4) Chairperson Miller said that he wanted to thank Vice President Weygand, who was sponsoring the reception that afternoon. He noted that Vice President Weygand would not be able to stay for the reception and passed along his good wishes to all and urged everyone to go to the University Club after the Faculty Senate meeting.

B. Vice Chairperson Martin said that the Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #23 and #24 appeared on pages 4-9 of the Agenda.  She asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

C. Vice Chairperson Martin said that the Minutes of the January 17 meeting of the JSPC appeared on page 10 of the Agenda.  She asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued during which President Carothers responded to questions about the JSPC minutes.

D. Vice Chairperson Martin introduced the following motion recommended by the Executive Committee:

1) That the Faculty Senate approve the schedule of Faculty Senate meetings for 2008-09, which appeared on page 11 of the Agenda.  The motion carried.

Vice Chairperson Martin moved approval of following recommendation of the Executive Committee:

2) That the Faculty Senate approve the membership of the Nominating Committee for Officers of the 2008-09 Faculty Senate:

James Agostinucci, College of Human Science and Services
Laura Beauvais, College of Business Administration
Michael Honhart, College of Arts and Sciences

Chairperson Miller reminded the Senate that last spring there had been some questions about the slate of officers that had been brought forward by the Nominating Committee.  He said that the Executive Committee intended to ensure that they do not arise this year.  He said that if Senators are interested in nominating someone for the 2008-09 Executive Committee, he urges that they contact the Nominating Committee as soon as possible.  

He said that Ms. Grubman would send an e-mail on Friday repeating the request and   providing the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of the members of the Nominating Committee.  He said that she would contact the newly elected Senators as well.    

Following discussion, the motion carried.

A. President Carothers announced that he had approved all of the legislation forwarded to him after the March Faculty Senate meeting.  He noted that Bill #07-08—25, ”Curricular Report No. 2007-08-5A from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate:  Dual Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Oceanography Degree,” required approval by the Board of Governors and had been forwarded to the Office of Higher Education.
        
B. President Carothers reported on the University’s budget situation for the current academic year and projected difficulties with the FY’09 Budget. He suggested possible scenarios with regard to the retirement incentives and responded to questions from the floor.

C. President Carothers then introduced Dr. Donald DeHayes, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs who addressed the Senate and responded to questions.

A. Professor Luebke presented the Four Hundred Sixty-First Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 12–27 of the Agenda.

Professor Luebke noted that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none

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

Professor Luebke 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 and asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

Professor Luebke moved approval of part B of Section III.  The motion carried.

Professor Luebke said that Section IV was the CAC’s report on Course Fees.  She provided background on the recommendations on part A, the informational portion of the report.  She asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued.
 
Following discussion, Professor Luebke moved approval of the recommendations, which appeared in part B of Section IV.

Discussion ensued.

When the fifteen minutes allowed for discussion expired, Senator Honhart moved to extend debate for 10 minutes.  The motion carried.

Discussion resumed.

Following discussion, Senator Leo moved to refer the course fee issue back to the Curricular Affairs Committee with instructions.

Discussion ensued during which a number of instructions were suggested.

Following discussion, Section IV, Course Fees, was referred back to committee with instructions.

B. Vice Provost Pasquerella presented the Curricular Report No. 2007-08-6 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on pages 28-29 of the Agenda.  She said that there were no informational matters and moved approval of the matters requiring confirmation.  The motion carried.

C. Vice Provost Pasquerella presented the Curricular Report No. 2007-08-6A from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Ocean Engineering Professional Practice Degree which appeared on pages 30-39 of the Agenda.  She said that Section I was informational.  There were no questions.

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

D. In Professor Hicks absence, Senator Meagher Smith presented the University College and General Education Committee Report #07-08-5, which appeared on page 40 of the Agenda.  She corrected Recommendation III editorially.

Senator Meagher Smith then moved approval of the entire report as corrected. The motion carried.

E. Senator Wenisch introduced the Report of the Constitution, By-Laws and University Manual Committee, which appeared on pages 41-46 of the Agenda.  
   
Senator Wenisch said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Wenisch said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and introduced Vice Provost Bozylinsky.
    
Vice Provost Bozylinsky moved approval of Section II, the revised Policy #04-1.  The motion carried.

F. Professor Merrill introduced the Report of the Council for Research on the URI Center of Excellence in Undersea Technology, which appeared on pages 47-51 of the Agenda.

Professor Merrill then moved approval of the report.  The motion carried.

G. Dean Cohen introduced the Report of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Committee, which appeared on pages 52-53 of the Agenda.

Dean Cohen moved approval of recommendations 1 and 2, amendments to sections 5.14.11 and 5.14.12 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL.  The motion carried.

Dean Cohen moved approval of recommendation 3, amendments to section 9.23.10 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL.  The motion carried.

H. Professor Luebke reported on the activities of the Athletics Advisory Board (see http://www.uri.edu/facsen/AAB_Report_Senate_4-24-08.pdf for a written copy of the report.  Professor Luebke also introduced Mr. Thorr Bjorn, the Director of Athletics.

Professor Luebke then moved approval of the Athletics Advisory Board’s recommendations to amend the UNIVERSITY MANUAL sections on the Athletics Advisory Board, which appeared on pages 54-55 of the Agenda.  The motion carried.

I. Ms. Morrissey introduced the Report of the Joint Classroom Steering Committee, which appeared on pages 56-57 of the Agenda.  She said that the report was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none.