NUMBER 4

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
Kingston, Rhode Island
Faculty Senate

MINUTES
Faculty Senate Meeting – December 14, 2006

A.  Announcements:

1) Chairperson Rice reported that at the first Faculty Senate meeting this year, concerns about classrooms and responsibility for their equipment, design and maintenance were raised as part of the discussion of last spring’s faculty survey. He said that he wanted to thank Ms. Ann Morrissey for taking that discussion seriously and bringing the appropriate ad hoc groups and interested parties together to work on classroom issues.  The result is that we will propose this spring the establishment of a joint committee on classrooms that will have Senate representation and will report regularly to the Faculty Senate.  

2) Chairperson Rice announced that Dean Nassersharif from the College of Engineering had graciously agreed to sponsor the reception that afternoon. He thanked Dean Nassersharif on behalf of the Senate and encouraged everyone to meet at the University Club immediately following the Faculty Senate meeting.

3) Chairperson Rice said that the Executive Committee wanted to inform the Senate that the Faculty Senate has an account through the URI Foundation.  He suggested that if anyone was interested in making an end of the year contribution to enable the Senate to sponsor some receptions in the future, the number is #5179.   He then started the fundraising effort by giving Ms Grubman a check to be forwarded to the URI Foundation.

4) Chairperson Rice announced that it was the last Senate meeting for two Senators who were going on sabbatical leave in the spring.  He then thanked and congratulated Senator Leo Carroll and Senator Thomas Grigalunas.

5) Chairperson Rice said that before the business of the meeting begins he wanted to wish everyone a successful end of the semester and a happy holiday season, including those who celebrate the winter solstice.

B. Vice Chairperson Luebke said that the Minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #10, #11 and #12 appeared on pages 3-12 of the Agenda and asked if there were any questions.

Discussion ensued during which Provost Swan, and Vice Provost Pasquerella responded to questions about the Executive Committee minutes.
    
C. Vice Chairperson Luebke moved approval of the addition of the following new section 8.87.12 of the UNIVERSITY MANUAL recommended Executive Committee on page 15 0f the Agenda:

8.87.12  A decision to suspend admissions to a program shall be considered an implicit recommendation to abolish that program.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator Kowalski moved to amend the motion by replacing “an” with “a” and deleting “implicit.”

When the time for debate expired on the amendment, the Senate voted immediately.  The amendment carried.

8.87.12  A decision to suspend admissions to a program shall be considered a recommendation to abolish that program.

D. Senator Kowalski reported on the progress of the University’s NEASC Accreditation Self-Study and responded to questions.  Senator Kowalski said that as part of the Self-Study the University was obligated to disseminate information and that he and the rest of the Executive Committee had agreed that reporting to the Faculty Senate would serve that purpose.  He announced that the chairs of two of the subcommittees would provide an update to the Senate on their preliminary findings.

Senator Barbour, Chair of the Mission Statement Subcommittee reported on the work of her committee.

Discussion ensued, during which Senator Barbour, Senator Kowalski and Provost Swan responded to questions from the floor.
 
Professor Kahn, Chair of the Faculty Subcommittee reported on the work of his committee and responded to questions from the floor.

A. President Carothers said that, as indicated on the Agenda, he had approved the legislation that had been forwarded to him after the November 16 Faculty Senate Meeting.

B. President Carothers reported briefly on the arrest of eight freshmen on drug charges.  He said that while the University can’t expect to totally rule out the use of drugs, we would continue in efforts to help law enforcement when such instances take place and will remain consistent in efforts to make clear to students the dangers of high-risk activity such as use of drugs and alcohol.

President Carothers announced that Dr. Peter Alfonso, Vice President for Research and Professor of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the University of North Dakota,  has accepted the position of Vice Provost for Research, Graduate Studies and Outreach, which would be transitioned eventually into Vice President.  He said that Dr. Alfonso would officially take his position on March 1, but would visit the campus beginning in January.  President Carothers reported that under discussion was whether to separate research from graduate education.

The President noted that related reorganizations would include creating a URI Research Foundation and Research Park under the direction of the Vice Provost/Vice President.  He said that when the URI Research Foundation is established, the management of patents and other intellectual properties will move from the URI Foundation to the URI Research Foundation and that significant aspects of Grants Accounting will move from the Vice President for Administration to the Vice Provost/Vice President for Research.  President Carothers also reported that the responsibility for fundraising would be moved from University Advancement to the University of Rhode Island Foundation, making the Foundation the fundraising arm of the University.  

President Carothers also reported that the Kingston Campus recreation program has been separated from Intercollegiate Athletics and transferred to the Vice President for Student Affairs.

In addition, President Carothers announced that the University planned to create the position of Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, consistent with the recommendations in the "Hossler Report."  He said that the Vice Provost would be responsible for enrollment planning, recruitment, admissions and retention, as well as the Office of Institutional Research and Summer School.

The President noted that some of the proposed changes would require approval by the Faculty Senate, the Board of Governors, and in the instance of the Research Corporation, the General Assembly.  

President Carothers then responded to questions from the floor.

A. Vice Chairperson Luebke introduced the Four Hundred Forty-Sixth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 16-20 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.  

Discussion ensued with regard to the description of WMS 317 (or ENG 317) and Vice Chairperson Luebke agreed to verify that the proposed correction was acceptable as editorial.

Following discussion, 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 Part A of Section III was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none

Vice Chairperson Luebke said that Part B of Section III required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval.  The motion carried.

B. Dean Bibb presented Curricular Report No. 2006-2007-3 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on pages 21-24 of the Agenda.  He announced that the entire report required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion carried.

C. Dean Bibb presented Curricular Report No. 2006-2007-3A from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Dual Degree Doctoral program jointly with the Technische Universität Braunschweig, which appeared on pages 25-29 of the Agenda.  He moved approval of the proposal. The motion carried.

D. Dean Bibb presented Curricular Report No. 2006-2007-3B from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Proposal for a Post Graduate Certificate in Nursing Education, which appeared on pages 30-33 of the Agenda. He moved approval of the proposal. The motion carried.

Senator Rosen reported on the Ad Hoc Administrator Evaluation Committee and responded to questions from the floor.

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.