UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, Rhode Island
FACULTY SENATE
MINUTES
Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting #15 – December 7, 2004
1. The meeting was called to order at 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday,
December 7, 2004 in the third floor conference room in Green Hall, Chairperson
Boudreaux-Bartels presiding. All members were present.
2. The minutes of Executive Committee Meeting #14, November
30, 2004 were reviewed and draft minutes from Meeting #13, November 23, 2004
were distributed. It was agreed to approve the minutes of Meeting #14
tentatively pending comments or suggestions from the Provost and to consider
the minutes from Meeting #13 at their next meeting.
3. Announcements/Correspondence:
a. Vice Chairperson Rosen reported on the December
6, 2004 meeting of the Board of Governors. He said that he missed most of
the Open Forum, but had arrived as student leaders from URI were completing
a request that the Board not place the burden of the Ryan Center debt on URI
students. Senator Rosen said that no discussion or comments from members of
the Board of Governors had followed the students’ remarks.
Senator Rosen said that the three reports of the Academic and Student
Affairs Committee were approved. Of greatest significance to the University
were revisions to Regulations Governing Academic Changes in Rhode Island Public
Institutions of Higher Education. He also noted that the Board had
approved the Commissioner’s recommendation on the delegation of authority
when action was necessary during periods when the Board does not meet.
In addition, Senator Rosen said that the Board had approved two recommendations
that would have an impact on renovations at URI.
Senator Rosen also noted that President Carothers reported on the proposal
to initiate sponsorship of a new Charter High School in Rhode Island.
He said there was an article on the proposal in that morning’s edition of
The Providence Journal. He said that the Board had been informed that
RIC has developed a strategic plan and that CCRI has been reaccredited by
NEASC.
b. Ms. Grubman announced that Executive Committee
meetings during the spring 2005 semester would be held on Wednesdays from
1-3 p.m. The Executive Committee agreed to hold their first meeting
of the spring semester on Wednesday, January 19, 2005.
c. The Council of Deans’ Agenda for December 8, 2004
was circulated for information.
d. Ms. Grubman reported that she had requested and
received a list of members of the URI Foundation Executive Board. She
circulated the list for information and indicated that copies of the most
recent issue of Horizons had been forwarded as well.
e. Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels announced that she
would be away from campus at the beginning of the following week and Vice
Chairperson Rosen had agreed to chair the December 14 meeting in her absence.
4. The Executive Committee reviewed the Agenda for Faculty
Senate Meeting #4, December 9, 2004, in preparation for the meeting.
5. The Executive Committee considered the following
matters of continuing concern:
a. JSPC: The Executive Committee discussed
the previous meeting of the JSPC, which had been held on December 2.
They agreed that the discussion of their proposal for an administrative facilitator
had been positive. Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels reported that after
the meeting Mr. Bakr and Ms. Morrissey indicated that they would develop a
process for implementation of the proposal. Assistant Provost Katz’ suggested
that a group of three high level and knowledgeable administrators might serve
as resource people for advice in unusual situations.
They also discussed the Charter High School proposal and agreed that
they had a number of questions for President Carothers about the University’s
role in its establishment and continuation.
b. The Murphy Program Review Model:
Senators Martin and Rice and Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels agreed to meet
the next day to review the questions and responses and make suggestions for
improving their clarity. Senator Ramsay indicated that she had
also reviewed the questions and had made some editorial suggestions as well.
Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels reported that President Carothers had
met with Mr. Murphy to discuss his model further and that he had appeared
to be reassured about the model’s usefulness in making financial decisions.
The Executive Committee agreed to pursue the issue when they meet with President
Carothers on December 14.
c. Committees: The Executive Committee
was brought up to date on the activities of Senate Committees.
1) Ms. Grubman reported that the Curricular
Affairs Committee had met on December 6 and had approved both the transfer
of the department of biological sciences and the ad hoc committee’s recommendation
for programs for traditional students at the Providence campus. She
said that she expected both recommendations would be included on the Agenda
for the January 27 Faculty Senate meeting.
2) Ms. Grubman said that she had contacted Professor
Loy, chair of the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee, and had
informed him of the Executive Committee’s concerns and suggestions with regard
to the University Calendar proposal for 2005-06 through 2010-11.
3) Ms. Grubman agreed to schedule a meeting of the
Executive Committee with the Constitution, By-Laws and University Manual
Committee for early in the spring semester to discuss the CBUM Committee’s
response to Senate Action #03-04--6 “CBUM Committee Directed to Consider Changes
to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Faculty Senate.”
4) Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels announced that
the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Education and Research had developed
a questionnaire for department chairs on the various forms of service performed
by Graduate Assistants and graduate students and had sent them to academic
department chairs.
5) Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels asked that the Executive
Committee devote time at the following meeting to considering who they might
recommend as the Faculty Senate’s appointee to the Master Plan Review
Team. She suggested that someone from the Executive Committee,
or a faculty member who has had experience on the Senate and has a broad
perspective of the University as a whole, might be an appropriate appointee.
6. The Executive Committee agreed to the following topics
for their December 14 meeting with President Carothers:
a. Follow-up on the Executive Committee’s recommendation
to the JSPC:
1) Update, clarify, and codify administrative rules,
regulations and forms
2) Create flowcharts depicting necessary steps
in routine paperwork and approval processes,
3) Establish in each unit a relatively high level,
administrative person who can respond to process and procedural questions,
especially those of an unusual nature, and review systems to recommend appropriate
modifications to aid in ease of use.
b. How did the President’s recent meeting with Tom
Murphy impact his thinking about using the Murphy Program Review Model for
making financial decisions and for program review?
c. More information about the proposed charter high
school from the perspective of the University:
1) University resources required for the fundraising
activities anticipated.
2) Plans to Integrate with URI's School of Education
and other units of the University
d. What are the administration’s plans with regard
to improving the financial health of the University in light of a declining
State appropriation:
1) Long-term plan for lobbying Legislature
2) Alternative funding sources
3) Status of RCM plans at URI. Is a presentation
to Faculty Senate appropriate in near future?
7. The Executive Committee discussed an issue raised
by Senator Kowalski about the programming limitations of e-campus with regard
to course prerequisites and inherent lack of flexibility associated with their
interpretation. It was agreed that the Executive Committee should ask
the Curricular Affairs Committee to review the matter and recommend a policy
with regard to the implementation of approved prerequisites.
8. Senator Martin suggested that everyone read the November-December
2004 issue of Academe, which had ‘family responsibilities and academic
work’ as its theme.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sheila Black Grubman