NUMBER 3

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, Rhode Island
Faculty Senate

MINUTES
Faculty Senate Meeting – November 16, 2006

A. Announcements:

1)  Chairperson Rice welcomed Senator Michael Honhart from the College of Arts and Sciences who was taking his seat at that meeting.
    
2)  Chairperson Rice announced that Dean Brownell from the College of Arts and Sciences had graciously agreed to sponsor the reception that afternoon. He thanked Dean Brownell on behalf of the Senate and encouraged everyone to meet at the University Club immediately following the Faculty Senate meeting.

B. Vice Chairperson Luebke said that the Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #7 through #9 appeared on pages 3-12 of the Agenda and asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued during which Vice Chairperson Luebke, Provost Swan and Senator Carson responded to questions about the Executive Committee minutes.

C. Vice Chairperson Luebke said that the Minutes of the October 12 meeting of the JSPC appeared on pages 13-15 of the Agenda and asked if there were any questions.
    
Discussion ensued during which Vice Chairperson Luebke and Vice Provost Bozylinsky responded to questions about minutes.

D. Vice Chairperson Luebke moved approval of the following recommendation of the Executive Committee:

That the Faculty Senate postpone until its January 2008 meeting the deadline for the report of the Admissions Advisory Committee on the implications of eliminating the requirement of the SAT for admission of freshman to URI.    

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator R. Lee moved to terminate debate.  The motion carried.

The main motion carried.  One abstention was recorded.

E. Senator Kowalski and Dean Beckman reported on the progress of the University’s NEASC Accreditation Self-Study and responded to questions from the floor.

Chairperson Rice said that he had forgotten a third announcement and introduced Ms. Amma Marfo and Ms. Melissa Callahan from the Student Alumni Association.

A.  3) Ms. Callahan reported on the Student Alumni Association’s program that evening to raise awareness of the effect of Hurricane Katrina on college students and to serve as a fund-raising event for victims of Hurricane Katrina.  They invited members of the Senate to attend.

Following discussion, individual members of the Senate made contributions to the fund.

A. President Carothers said that, as indicated on the Agenda, he had approved the legislation that had been forwarded to him after the October 26 Faculty Senate Meeting.

B. President Carothers thanked everyone who worked on behalf of the Bond Issue, noting that it passed with 62% of the vote and was approved in almost every city and town in the state.  He expressed his gratitude to the URI Foundation, the URI-AAUP, URI Alumni Association, as well as Ms. Hopkins and Vice President Weygand who ran an outstanding campaign.  President Carothers also noted that the support from the College of Pharmacy students had been impressive.

President Carothers announced that the University was close to hiring a new Vice Provost for Research, Graduate Education and Outreach and Dean of the Graduate School.  He said that an offer had been made and the University was waiting for final confirmation.  The President noted that the new Vice Provost would be responsible for the Research Foundation and the establishment of a Research Park. He said that changes to the role of the URI Foundation as the fund-raising arm of the University, would move research, including intellectual property to the new Research Foundation.

The President also noted that Dr. Don Hossler from the University of Indiana, who had consulted on admissions and enrollment management issues, had just submitted his report, which would be shared with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the other members of the JSPC shortly.  President Carothers said that there were a number of recommendations for reorganization in the report that would be discussed at length.

President Carothers then responded to questions from the floor.

A. Vice Chairperson Luebke introduced the Four Hundred Forty-Fifth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 16-18 of the Agenda and said that Section I was informational.  She asked if there were any questions about Section I. There were none.

Vice Chairperson Luebke said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval of Section II.  The motion carried.
        
Vice Chairperson Luebke announced that Section III was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate Council on 400-level courses.  She said that Section III was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none

B. Dean Beckman presented Curricular Report No. 2006-2007-2 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on page 19 of the Agenda.  She said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

Dean Beckman said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval of Section II. The motion carried.

C. Senator Honhart said that a corrected copy of the University College and General Education Committee Report #06-07-1 had been sent to everyone by e-mail and distributed prior to the meeting.  He moved that the Faculty Senate approve the following course for the (N) area of the General Education program:

BIO 102 Principles of Biology II (reading complex texts, using quantitative data, using qualitative data)

The motion carried.

A.  Chairperson Rice announced that the President’s recommendation to amend section 5.70.11 of the University Manual by adding a representative of the Council of Deans to the membership of the JSPC had been moved on September 28, 2006 and postponed definitely until President Carothers was available to participate in the discussion.  He said that the proposed amendment was on the floor at that time (the change is underlined):

5.70.11 The Joint Strategic Planning Committee shall be comprised of the President, who shall serve as Chair, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice Presidents for Administration, Student Affairs, and University Advancement, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, a Dean representing the Council of Deans, two administrative staff members appointed by the President, the President of the Student Senate, and the President of the Graduate Student Association.  It shall be staffed by the Executive Assistants to the President and Directors of Planning Services.

Discussion ensued.
       
Following discussion, Senator Wenisch moved to amend the motion by revising it to read “ a Dean elected annually by the Council of Deans.”    

Discussion ensued.

When the time for discussion of the amendment expired, Senator Leo moved to extend debate for five minutes.  The motion to extend debate failed.

The amendment failed.

Discussion resumed on the main motion.
Following discussion, a motion was made to amend the motion by replacing the underlined sentence with “a Dean of a degree-granting college,”

After discussion, a request was made and accepted to add editorially “appointed by the President,” to the amendment.    

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, the amendment carried.

Following discussion, Senator Leo moved to amend the motion by adding “for a one-year term” after “the President,”

Discussion ensued.

After discussion, Senator Leo requested permission to revise the amendment editorially by replacing “one-year” with “two-year”

Discussion ensued.

After discussion, the amendment failed.

Senator Kirschenbaum moved to terminate debate.  The motion carried.

The Senate voted immediately on the motion as amended. The motion carried. One abstention was recorded.

The approved section 5.70.11 as amended reads as follows:

5.70.11 The Joint Strategic Planning Committee shall be comprised of the President, who shall serve as Chair, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice Presidents for Administration, Student Affairs, and University Advancement, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, a Dean of a degree-granting college appointed by the President, two administrative staff members appointed by the President, the President of the Student Senate, and the President of the Graduate Student Association.  It shall be staffed by the Executive Assistants to the President and Directors of Planning Services.

B. Chairperson Rice announced that as noted on the Agenda, Senator Rosen’s Report of the Ad Hoc Administrator Evaluation Committee was postponed until the December 14 meeting.

Chairperson Rice asked if there was any additional unfinished business.  There was none.

Chairperson Rice asked if there was any new business.  There was none

A motion was made to adjourn.  The motion carried.