Minutes for Faculty Senate Meetings

April 18, 2002

Number 7

1. The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was called to order at 3:15 p.m. in room 113 White Hall, Chairperson Peters presiding.

All members were present except Senators Beckman, Bide, Burbank, Felner, Kirschenbaum, McIntyre, Mitra, Morin, Paton, Veyera, Wills and Xiao; Vice Presidents Beagle, Dougan and Stark; Deans Farmer, Letendre, Mazze, Seemann, Shukla and Taggart Deans Brownell and Joseph were represented by their designees); Mr. Amidon.

2. A motion was made to approve the Minutes of Faculty Senate Meeting #6, March 28, 2002.

Chairperson Peters asked if there were any additions or corrections to or questions about the Minutes.

The minutes were corrected by deleting the names of Senators Arakelian and Kaufman from the list of those absent from the meeting.

Chairperson Peters reminded everyone to sign the roster. He noted that there were two copies of the roster available, one at the entrance and the other circulating around the room.

The motion to approve the Minutes of Meeting #6 as correctedcarried.

3. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. Announcements

Chairperson Peters congratulated Vice Chairperson Goldsmith who had received the highest honor of the Japanese Society of Sericultural Science, the "Sanshigaku-sho" (The Sericultural Science Prize) for contributions to insect genetics, biochemistry or biotechnology. Chairperson Peters noted that Vice Chairperson Goldsmith was the first woman and the first non-Japanese to be awarded this prize.
Chairperson Peters announced that it was the last Senate meeting for the following Senators whose terms expire this spring:

ARTS AND SCIENCES
William Bajcz
Marian Goldsmith
Yan Ma
Richard McIntyre
C. B. Peters
Christian Wittwer
Stephen Wood

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Joseph Matoney

ENGINEERING
Stephan Grilli
Vincent Rose
Jyh-Hone Wang

THE ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE SCIENCES
David Laux
Dennis Wichelns

HUMAN SCIENCE AND SERVICE
Peter Blanpie
Jing Jian Xiao

NURSING
Patricia Burbank

PHARMACY
Serpil Kislalioglu

Chairperson Peters thanked the outgoing Senators for their service to the Senate and the University.
Chairperson Peters announced that the following faculty members have been elected and would begin their Senate terms at the May 9 meeting of the Faculty Senate:

ARTS AND SCIENCES
Stan Cobb
Jerry Cohen
Stephen Grubman-Black
Michael Havener
Louis Kirschenbaum (re-elected)
Ronald Lee, Music
John Leo (re-elected)*
William Rosen
Judy Van Wyk

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Judy Beckman (re-elected)
Ruby Dholakia

THE ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE SCIENCE
Linda Hufnagel
Tim Tyrrell

*Pending Faculty Senate approval of amendment to section 2.7 of the Faculty Senate By-Laws

Chairperson Peters explained that elections were still pending in the Colleges of Engineering and Human Science and Services and at the Graduate School of Oceanography.

B. Vice Chairperson Goldsmith said that the minutes of Executive Committee Meetings #20 and #21 appeared on pages 3-7 of the Agenda. She asked if there were any questions.

Chairperson Peters responded to questions about references to the activities of the University College and General Education Committee in the minutes of Executive Committee meetings.

C. Vice Chairperson Goldsmith announced that she had several motions to present on behalf of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved that the Faculty Senate adopt the calendar for Faculty Senate meetings for 2002-03 recommended by the Executive Committee:

3:00 p.m. on the following Thursdays in Room 113 White Hall:

September 26, 2002 **
October 24, 2002
November 21, 2002
December 12, 2002 **
January 30, 2003
February 20, 2003
March 20, 2003
April 10, 2003 **
May 8, 2003 (organizational)

Special Meetings may be called upon due notice.

The motion carried.

** Will immediately follow General Faculty Meeting
Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved that the Faculty Senate approve the membership of the Nominating Committee for the 2003-03 Faculty Senate:

Peter Blanpied, College of Human Science and Services
Stephan Grilli, College of Engineering
Yan Ma, College of Arts and Sciences

The motion carried.
Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved that the Faculty Senate approve the URI World Wide Web Policy as it appears at http://www.uri.edu/home/help/www/web_policy.htmlwith the understanding that the following amendment procedure will apply:

Modifications to this web policy shall be submitted to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. If the Faculty Senate Executive Committee determines that the matter does not fall under Faculty Senate jurisdiction the Vice Provost for Information Services shall be informed of this determination, and the changes shall become effective upon approval by the President. If the Faculty Senate Executive Committee determines that the changes do require Faculty Senate approval, the matter shall be presented to the Faculty Senate for action.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator Kester moved that the web policy be referred back to the web policy advisory committee for further consideration based upon the comments raised by the Graduate School of Oceanography and by the members of the Faculty Senate at that meeting.

After discussion, the motion to refer to committee carried.
Vice Chairperson Goldsmith moved that the Faculty Senate adopt the following resolution with regard to People Soft and the Academic Progress Report:

The Academic Progress Report, a computerized degree audit program, is an extremely valuable advising tool for faculty and an equally valuable source of reliable information for students.

Any break in the continuity of its functioning will deprive both students and faculty of a well-proven and often-used part of the academic advising process.

The Faculty Senate of the University of Rhode Island strongly urges that the initial implementation of People Soft include a fully functioning Academic Progress Report capacity.

Discussion ensued.

Dean Gandel assured the Faculty Senate that the APR as currently constituted would continue to function until its People Soft version was implemented.

After discussion, Senator Leo read the following memorandum from the chairs of departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, (signed by the chairpersons) to Mr. Amaral, Vice Provost Gandel, Vice Provost Rhodes and Mr. Schifino and asked that it be included in the minutes of the meeting:

TO: Harry Amaral, Paul Gandel, Richard Rhodes, Charles Schifino

FROM: Department Chairs, College of Arts and Sciences

DATE: 28 March 2002

RE: Implementation of PeopleSoft

We, the undersigned Department Chairs in the College of Arts and Sciences, are greatly concerned by the fact that important software capabilities currently available and critically important in providing information to students as well as Department Chairs and Advisors in the College, will not be in place when PeopleSoft is implemented in Fall 2003. We have also learned that even if the capabilities, most importantly the ability to print Academic Progress Reports while meeting with a student, are ultimately forthcoming, they apparently will not be available when PeopleSoft begins to function. One major consequence of this situation is that we are going to lose necessary functions that make it possible for us to provide students with current and accurate information they need to ensure that they have fulfilled all university requirements in order to graduate. The impact of this situation will fall most heavily on the staff in the Dean's Office of the College of Arts and Sciences; but, since we rely on their expertise to provide information and assist department chairs and advisors in carrying out their responsibility to provide students with timely, accurate, and up-to-date transcript and program information, the burden will fall equally on the department chairs as well as faculty advisors. This critical loss of flexibility will create serious problems with respect to transfer admissions and student retention as well.

We are requesting that these urgent planning issues be addressed as soon as possible. Specifically, we ask that all of you join us at the next Chairs Council meeting on Wednesday, 24 April 2002 at 3:00 p.m. in the Chafee conference room. That forum will provide an opportunity for us to convey in detail our concerns (and there are many) to you.

Discussion of the proposed resolution continued.

After discussion, the motion failed.

4. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

A. President Carothers noted that there were no bills or resolutions included on the agenda cover.

B. President Carothers announced that four members of the Faculty Senate had been promoted this spring, Senators Kulenovic, Pegueros and Sullivan to Associate Professor and Senator Leo to full Professor III.

President Carothers reported the University's efforts with regard to student health issues, specifically alcohol use/abuse and smoking.

President Carothers and Provost Swan responded to questions about the official interpretation of "Professor III," the recent report about Rhode Island ranking at the bottom in state support of research, and the delay in Board of Governors approval of programs forwarded by URI.

5. REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

A. Senator Hickox presented the Four Hundred Fourth Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on pages 11-17of the Agenda. He said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Hickox said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator Leo moved to refer Section II, items 2, b, 3) and 4) and Section III items 4, a) and b) back to committee.

When the time for debate on the motion expired, the motion to refer to committee carried.

Senator Arakelian requested and received permission to add editorially items 5) and 6) of Section III to the motion to refer to committee.

Following discussion, the motion as amended carried.

Senator Hickox said that Section III was a joint report of the Curricular Affairs Committee and Graduate Council on 400-level courses. He noted that part A was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Senator Hickox said that part B of Section III required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval of Section III, B as amended earlier.

Discussion ensued.

Following discussion, Senator Finizio requested and received permission to divide the vote on Section III, and consider item B, 5 separately from items 1-4.

Following discussion, the motion to approve Section III, B items 1,2,3, and 4 carried.

Discussion ensued on item B, 5.

After discussion Senator Lehrer moved to amend the proposed new section 8.30.20 of the University Manual by replacing "Under exceptional circumstances...may be," with "Departments may offer."

After discussion, the amendment carried.

Following discussion, the motion to approve item B, 5 as amended carried. The approved section 8.30.20 reads as follows:

8.30.20 Simultaneous Courses. Departments may offer courses at the 400-level and 500-level taught simultaneously to both undergraduates and graduate students. In such a case students must register for the course under either its 400 number or its 500 number. For approval at two levels course proposals must demonstrate appropriate differences to the satisfaction of both the Curricular Affairs Committee and the Graduate Council. To be approved at both levels courses must differ substantially in requirements and expectations of students. Assignments, examinations, projects and analyses should require a greater depth of understanding, sophistication and skills for students registered under the 500 number than for those registered under the 400 number.

B. Vice Provost Trubatch presented Curricular Report No. 2001-02-6 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on pages 18-19of the Agenda. She said that Section I was informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.

Vice Provost Trubatch said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval. The motion carried.

C. Chairperson Peters announced that the reports of the Ad Hoc Senate Committees on Athletics and Academics were the next item of business. He called upon Senator Nippo to present the report of the Committee on Priority Registration for Athletes.

Senator Nippo said that he believed it was too late to present the report of his committee and give the matter the consideration it deserved. He then moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:53 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Sheila Black Grubman
for Marjorie McMahon
Secretary