UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, Rhode Island
FACULTY SENATE
MINUTES

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting #12 – November 14, 2006

1. The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, in the third floor conference room in Green Hall, Chairperson Rice presiding. All members were present except Senator Barbour.

2. The Executive Committee met with Professor Karen Ramsay from 10:00-10:40 a.m.

The Executive Committee expressed their appreciation to Professor Ramsay for her willingness to continue as chair of the Admissions Advisory Committee if the Senate approves the extension of the deadline for the report and for serving as the faculty member on Vice Provost Pasquerella’s Committee looking at the impact of a SATs Optional Policy on the Office of Admissions.
    
Discussion concerned the Admissions Advisory Committee’s responsibilities in compared to Vice Provost Pasquerella’s Committee’s charge from the President.  They considered issues such as the December reporting date for Vice Provost Pasquerella’s committee, the need for University data to inform the Admissions Advisory Committee’s deliberations. The Executive Committee reaffirmed that Admissions Policy is the responsibility of the Faculty Senate as outlined in state law and the Faculty Senate Constitution.
 
3. The Executive Committee reviewed the Agenda for Faculty Senate Meeting #3, November 16, 2006 in preparation for the meeting.  

Ms. Grubman reported that there was an error in the UCGE Committee Report #06-07-1 on page 20 of the Agenda. She said that she would send an e-mail message to all Senators and subscribers to FacSen-Bus explaining the error and correcting the report.

4. The Executive Committee considered the following matters of continuing concern:

a. JSPC:  It was noted that the next meeting of the JSPC is scheduled for November 30 at 1:00 p.m.  The Executive Committee agreed that the Hossler Report and its effect on the strategic plan and the university should be the main item of discussion.  Chairperson Rice verified with the Executive Committee that everyone had received a copy of the Hossler report from President Carothers.
    
b. Faculty Governance:  The Executive Committee agreed to recommend that the Senate approve an additional section of the University Manual under the abolition of programs (8.87.12) that would specifically include program suspension.  

Vice Chairperson Luebke noted that the Board of Governors’ policies stated that programs could not be suspended indefinitely, which supported the Executive Committee’s position that suspension of a program should be considered an implicit recommendation to abolish that program

c. Online courses:  Copies of Chairperson Rice’s memorandum to Professor Stephen Wood et al explaining the Executive Committee’s decision to refer the issue of online course review to the Constitution, By-Laws and University Manual Committee (CBUM) were distributed.

Ms. Grubman reported that the matter would be on the Agenda for the CBUM’s December 1 meeting.

d. Revising the SETs:  The Executive Committee reviewed the draft memo charging the Teaching Effectiveness Committee to recommend possible revisions to the SET.   It was agreed to forward the revised draft memo to Vice Provost Pasquerella and Dr. Annunziato for their review.
    
e. Establishing University Policies:  Ms Grubman reported that the issue of revising Appendix G was forwarded to the Constitution, By-Laws and University Manual Committee for their consideration.    

Senator Kinnie reported that the Library administration had been supportive of their being the official repository for university policies.
    
5. The Executive Committee agreed to the following topics for their meeting with President Carothers on Tuesday, November 21:
    
        a.    The Hossler Report on Enrollment Management;

        b.    The SAT Optional proposal;

        c.    Initiatives to implement Goal #4 of the Strategic Plan;

        d.    Upcoming issues for the JSPC.

6. The Executive Committee agreed to meet at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday mornings during the spring semester.  Ms. Grubman explained that approval of the final Agenda for each of the spring semester Faculty Senate meetings would have to be done by e-mail because Thursday morning would be too late to send an Agenda to Printing Services for the following week.  It was noted that much of the Agenda could be approved at the preceding Thursday’s Executive Committee meeting.
    
The meeting was adjourned at 11:20 p.m.

                                        Respectfully submitted,
                                        
                                        Sheila Black Grubman