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Scenes from Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting

Minute

Meeting #33

May 11, 2005

1. The meeting was called to order at 1:04 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 in the third floor conference room in Green Hall, Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels presiding. All members were present.

2. Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting #32, April 20, 2005, were approved as revised.

3. Announcements/Correspondence:

a. Senator Kowalski reported on the Research, Outreach, Graduate Studies & Intellectual Property Recognition Luncheon, which he had attended prior to the Executive Committee meeting.

b. The Executive Committee discussed ongoing administrative searches:

i. Dean of Admissions: It was noted that Provost Swan announced at the May 9 meeting of the JSPC that a tentative agreement had been reached with a candidate for Dean of Admissions, but that no official announcement had been forthcoming.

ii. Vice Provost for Academic Affairs: Ms, Grubman reminded the Executive Committee that the interview of the fourth candidate for the Vice Provost position, Dr. Carol Blackshire-Belay, was scheduled for Wednesday, May 18 from 10:30-11:30 in the third floor conference room in Green Hall.

iii. Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Research, and Outreach: It was noted that there had been no official announcement about Vice Provost Trubatch's departure or about an interim appointment.

Ms. Grubman said that she had forwarded to the Provost on May 9 the Executive Committee's list of possible faculty appointees to the Search Committee

The Executive Committee noted that while the AAUP appeared to have two faculty appointees to Search Committees even in those instances when the contract was silent, the Senate could only make suggestions. They discussed the possibility of asking the CBUM Committee to draft Manual language that would provide for Senate appointees to searches for academic administrators.

c. Correspondence from faculty on bureaucratic problems: The Executive Committee discussed problems identified by faculty members regarding the "red tape" required for them to move ahead on various projects. It was noted that Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels had raised these concerns at the May 9 meeting of the JSPC.

The Executive Committee agreed to recommend to the 2005-06 FSEC that the issue of administrative "Ombuds" and the need for updating forms and posting flow charts should remain a priority.

4. The Executive Committee reviewed the Agenda for Faculty Senate Meeting #9, May 12, 2005.

The Executive Committee noted that portions of the Report of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Committee were controversial. They discussed concerns raised by members of the Student Senate, as well as a request from the RI ACLU that Senator Carroll be permitted to read of a statement by Steven Brown at the beginning of the dialogue. It was agreed that Senator Carroll could, as part of the debate read or refer to Mr. Brown's statement, but that this would not take precedence over comments by members of the Senate or the URI community.

It was also agreed that when the Report of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Committee was on the floor Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels would remind the body to that speakers should speak from their seats and not read prepared statements and keep remarks brief and germane to the matter under consideration.

The Executive Committee discussed Senator Manteiga's request to introduce a resolution about the use of the University's playing fields by informal groups. It was agreed that because the matter was time-sensitive, Vice Chairperson Rosen would move to change the order business to consider this one item of new business before reports of standing and special committees.

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

a. JSPC:

i. May 9, 2005 JSPC Meeting: The Executive Committee discussed the most recent meeting of the JSPC, which had been held on the previous Monday. The Executive Committee noted that while their recommendations to the JSPC were drafted in consultation with each other and other faculty members, other proposals were circulated by individual members rather than on behalf of the people they represent, and even from individuals who were not members of the committee.

ii. Year-end report to the Faculty Senate on JSPC activities: Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels shared with the Executive Committee a chart of the activities considered by the JSPC during the 2004-05 academic year. The format of her May 12 presentation to the Faculty Senate was discussed and the Executive Committee provided her with advice and suggestions about the presentation. (See http://www.uri.edu/facsen/JSPC_Meeting_Summary_04-05.pdf)

iii. Strategic plan process: Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels reported that her most recent information about the proposed all-day JSPC retreat was that Ms. Orabone would circulate some possible dates for scheduling a day in July or August. It was noted that members of the soon to be elected Executive Committee would be contacted about possible dates as well.

iv. Tutorial/overview for new FSEC members on the JSPC: Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels reported that in conversations with Ms. Morrissey, they had agreed that the budget update sessions held the previous year were probably not necessary. She said that Ms. Orabone was compiling a list of unfamiliar terms and acronyms for members of the JSPC. She encouraged members of the FSEC to forward to Ms. Orabone any terms or acronyms they thought everyone should know as they begin JSPC meetings.

v. Proposal for JSPC subcommittees: Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels said that she had spoken to Ms. Morrissey about the JSPC subcommittee idea and that Ms. Morrissey had suggested that the idea of short-term ad hoc subcommittees was already underway with the establishment of the group working with Provost Swan on the Mission Statement. It was agreed that the idea of standing subcommittees on the budget for example should be considered by the JSPC.

b. (Murphy) Program Review Model: Chairperson Boudreaux-Bartels shared with the Executive Committee an outline of the report she planned to present to the Faculty Senate on May 12 and asked for advice and suggestions. Following discussion, the content and format were agreed upon. (See http://www.uri.edu/facsen/May_9_update.html.)

c. University-wide Land Grant Sea Grant, Urban Grant initiative: The Executive Committee reviewed the suggested changes to the final draft proposal for the Provost. Senator Rice and Ms. Grubman agreed to meet the following week to complete the draft. They said that they would share the final version by e-mail before sending it to Provost Swan.

When the representative of the NCAA arrived, the Executive Committee changed the order of business and moved to item 7.

7. The Executive Committee met from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. with Dr. Robert Koob, President of the University of Northern Iowa on NCAA Rules Compliance and Academic Integrity as part of the University's NCAA Re-accreditation visit.

When Dr. Koob left the meeting, the Executive Committee resumed its regular order of business with item 5, d.

5. d. Student Learning Outcomes Assessment: In response to concerns raised by SLIAC about the faculty and the Faculty Senate's role in developing, approving and modifying outcomes assessment goals for students, the Executive Committee agreed that outcomes assessment for general education was within the purview of the University College and General Education Committee. With regard to developing outcomes objectives and assessment of outcomes for majors, they agreed that these were the prerogative of the faculty in a given major. It was suggested that the department faculty should inform the appropriate college curriculum committee of their goals for graduates and notify them when the department changes or modifies them.

The Executive Committee agreed that the issue of outcomes assessment should be addressed in the University Manual. Ms. Grubman was asked to bring the concern to the CBUM Committee in the fall.

6. The Executive Committee reviewed their goals from the beginning of the academic year and agreed that they had made progress. Although the impact varied, they had initiated discussion and had taken or proposed some action with regard to each of the areas.

It was noted that one accomplishment had been to initiate a survey of faculty, staff, students and administrators. They agreed to recommend that the 2005-06 Executive Committee begin this fall with help from faculty experts to develop a survey instrument to identify major concerns of members of the URI Community. Their suggestion would be to begin in the fall in order to conduct a survey during the spring semester.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sheila Black Grubman