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Scenes from Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting

Minute

Meeting #21

February 1, 2006

1. The meeting was called to order at 12:35 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 in the third floor conference room in Green Hall, Vice Chairperson Martin presiding. All members were present except Chairperson Rice

2. The Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting #20, January 25, 2006 were reviewed. It was agreed revise the Minutes based on the discussion and to consider them on February 8.

3. Announcements/Correspondence:

a. Ms. Grubman distributed copies of the Final Enrollment Report - Fall 2005 (October 15, 2006), which had been forwarded by Mr. Boden from the Office of Information Services/Institutional Research. It was agreed to discuss the report after members of the FSEC have had the opportunity to review the materials.

b. As agreed at the previous meeting, Ms. Grubman provided members of the Executive Committee with copies of materials on projections for Rhode Island's workforce, which had been forwarded by Commissioner Warner in his letter to President Carothers, Chairperson Rice and Vice Chairperson Martin regarding the Providence Campus Undergraduate Initiative.

c. The Executive Committee reviewed e-mail correspondence between Chairperson Rice and Professor Emeritus Lott regarding the possibility of arranging for the "Call To Duty Tour" program at URI in late February. This program consists of group of young veterans who work as a panel and give their personal accounts of their military experiences as well as their views of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and why it should be repealed. The Executive Committee agreed that the program was consistent with the Faculty Senate's resolution and suggested that Student Affairs might be the appropriate department to support the effort.

d. The Executive Committee discussed e-mail correspondence from Professor Ramstad regarding academic excellence among student athletes. Ms. Grubman was asked to include the pertinent information in the Minutes and to ask Professor Ramstad to elaborate on this information when he gives the Report of the Athletics Advisory Board at the March 23 meeting of the Faculty Senate.

The text of the January 30 e-mail to the Executive Committee is reproduced below:

As the University's Faculty Representative to the NCCA, it's part of my charge to keep the University informed about the academic integrity of the athletics program. Although this is only part of the picture, I thought you would be interested in the fact that 21 student-athletes earned a 4.0 during the fall semester. Don't know whether that's a record, but it's mighty impressive! Congratulations are due to both the athletes and the coaches who encourage them to excel. Below is the distribution by team. -- Yngve

Field Hockey (Women) 2 Swimming (Women) 4
Football (Men) 1
Tennis (Women) 1




Golf (Men) 2 Track/XC (Women)
4
Rowing (Women) 2 Track (Women) 2
Soccer (Women)
1 Volleyball (Women)
2

e. Senator Kowalski reported that Dr. Barbara Brittingham, former Professor of Education and Dean of the College of Human Science and Services at URI, had been appointed Director of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE).

4. The Executive Committee discussed the previous Faculty Senate Meeting, which had been held on January 26, 2006. The FSEC agreed that a number of thought-provoking issues had been raised by the preliminary report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Education and Research and that several items needed further clarification and consideration.

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

a. Faculty Survey Questionnaire: The Executive Committee reviewed the draft survey questionnaire and agreed that each member of the FSEC would take 5 of the questions and attempt to revise them based on the discussion. It was further agreed to devote the first hour of their next meeting to reviewing each of the reworked questions in an effort to revise the survey.

b. Academic Program Review Draft: Ms. Grubman reported that she had completed a very rough draft report and wanted everyone's advice and suggestions on improving the draft. She said that she would send the Executive Committee the rough draft that afternoon.

c. Administrative bottlenecks: Following discussion, it was agreed to invite Ms. Morrissey to a future meeting for an update from her perspective on progress towards streamlining administrative functions.

Senator Kowalski reported on the efforts of the academic department chairs to work together and advise each other on navigating the various bureaucracies they encounter as they perform administrative functions for their departments.

d. Academic Investment & Improvement Model (AIIM): Following discussion, Vice Chairperson Martin agreed to find out for the Executive Committee when academic department chairs will have access to the results of their department's survey and also to what extent they have access to data for other departments.

e. Administrator Evaluation: It was agreed that the Executive Committee should make a recommendation to the Senate with regard to the process by the March meeting.

f. President's Futuring/Strategic Planning Project: The Executive Committee discussed a preliminary draft charge to the committee that had been forwarded to them by Chairperson Rice. Vice Chairperson Martin agreed to offer her assistance in revising the charge using the FSEC's suggestions.

The Executive Committee discussed whether the 1993 report of JASC was the appropriate starting point or whether there was another relevant document on future planning that should serve as the basis for the Futuring study. Senator Ramsay agreed to find out what relevant materials were available in the Library.

g. NEASC Accreditation: Senator Kowalski reminded the Executive Committee that he and Associate Dean Judy Beckman were serving as coordinators for URI's Self-Study. He reported that they were currently in the process of finding the appropriate persons to chair each of the subcommittees. He asked that a report on the NEASC Accreditation Self-Study become a regular item on the Faculty Senate Agenda and the Executive Committee agreed to include the NEASC update on the Agenda as a regular Report of the Executive Committee.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sheila Black Grubman