MINUTES

 

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting 29 – February 18, 2011

 

1.     The meeting was called to order at 11:05 a.m. on Friday, February 18, 2011 in the PresidentŐs Conference Room in Green Hall, Chairperson Eaton presiding.  All members were present.

 

2.     The Minutes from Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting #25, January 21, 2011 were approved as revised.  The Minutes of Meeting #26 were approved as revised pending review by Provost DeHayes of portions on his meeting with the FSEC.

 

3.     Chairperson Eaton reported on the meeting with Provost DeHayes that she and Vice Chair Larsen had attended the previous afternoon. She said that the Provost had informed her that the Council of Deans had expressed concern about advising and that Dean Richmond was in the process of establishing a steering committee on advising.  Chairperson Eaton said that the Provost asked that the FSEC provide names of faculty members who might serve on this group.

 

Discussion ensued, during which it was noted that the Teaching Effectiveness Committee presented reports to the Faculty Senate on advising in both 2007-08 and in 2008-09. (See http://www.uri.edu/facsen/TECreport08.pdf and http://www.uri.edu/facsen/TEC_Report_08-09.pdf.)

 

Following discussion, the Executive committee asked Chairperson Eaton to inform Provost DeHayes about the reports and to suggest he appoint faculty members who served on the committee during that period.  Professor Jim Kinnie chaired the committee both years. Other faculty members are: Professors Brand, Jervis, R. Marcoux, Torrens, and Viau, as well as Dr. Erickson from the IDP and Mr. Porter from Information and Technology Services.

 

        4.  President Dooley joined the Executive Committee at 11:20.  The following matters were discussed:

 

            a.     Proposed legislation on Centers:  The Executive Committee and the President discussed a draft proposal from the FSEC with regard to Centers.  The draft was intended to satisfy the PresidentŐs concerns identified during the 2009-10 academic year as well as the Executive CommitteeŐs wish to clarify the process for reviewing centers that the Council for Research did not consider under their purview. Following discussion, there was general agreement on the final version of the proposal.

 

      b.   The Confucius Institute:  President Dooley gave the Executive Committee a brief overview of the current status of the Confucius Institute and suggested that Provost DeHayes could provide greater detail.  It was agreed to include the Confucius Institute as a topic for their meeting with Provost DeHayes on February 25.

 

      c.   The UniversityŐs Mission and Vision Statements:  Professor Barbour suggested that the two documents might need to be reconsidered as part of NEASC Standards in the context of the academic vision, the academic plan and the PresidentŐs vision for URI.

 

            President Dooley and the members of the FSEC reviewed the University's current mission and vision documents.  President Dooley suggested that we study them some more and consider possible revisions, but that they were broad enough to encompass his vision as well as the Academic Plan.  The FSEC agreed.

 

5.                                                                                                                 After President Dooley left the meeting, the Executive Committee reviewed the draft Agenda for the February 24 Faculty Senate meeting and approved it in final form.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m.

 

                                          Respectfully submitted,

 

                                          Sheila Black Grubman