THE

UNIVERSITY                                                                                    

OF RHODE ISLAND

FACULTY SENATE

 

NUMBER 8

 

 

MINUTES

Faculty Senate Meeting - May 14, 2009

 

1.   The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was called to order at 3:10 p.m. in the Cherry Auditorium, Chester Kirk Building, Chairperson Martin presiding.

 

All members were present except Senators S. Adams, Baudet, Baxter, Betensky, Danis, Dholakia, Gordon, Hedderich, Husband, Jenkins, Kirschenbaum, Hutt, Lasky, Malik, Ohley, Roworth, Schwegler, Wills, Wilson and Wittwer; Vice Presidents Beagle, Dougan, and Weygand; Vice Provosts Beauvais, Bozylinsky, Libutti and McCray; Deans Farmer, Higgins, Jordan, Joseph, Maslyn, McKinney, Richmond and Seemann.

 

2.   Chairperson Martin asked if there were any additions or corrections to or questions about the Minutes of Faculty Senate Meeting #7, April 23, 2009. There were none.

 

      Chairperson Martin ruled that in the absence of any additions or corrections, the Minutes were approved as distributed.

 

3.   REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

      A.  Announcements 

          

           1)    Chairperson Martin announced that it was the first meeting of the 2009-10 Faculty Senate.  She said that the following Senators were taking their seats at that meeting and asked those who were present to stand:

 

ARTS AND SCIENCES

Jerry Cohen, Psychology  

Lynne Derbyshire, Communication Studies  

Nancy Eaton, Mathematics 

Michael Honhart, History  

Leonard Lardaro, Economics

Louis Kirschenbaum, Chemistry  

Michelangelo La Luna Languages

Sheri Wills, Film Media

Kathleen Davis, English 

 

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

      Betsy Cooper

 

ENGINEERING

William Ohley, Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering 

Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi, Industrial and Systems Engineering

 

THE ENVIRONMENT AND LIFE SCIENCES

Thomas Husband, Natural Resources Science

Ingrid Lofgren, Nutrition and Food Science

 

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF OCEANOGRAPHY

      Jeremy Collie

 

      NURSING

Denise Coppa

 

PHARMACY

Kerry LaPlante, Pharmacy Practice

 

2)   Chairperson Martin said that there was also a new ex officio member of the Faculty Senate.  She then introduced David Bedard, President of the Student Senate

 

3)   Chairperson Martin thanked Dean Brownell from the College of Arts and Sciences for agreeing to sponsor the reception that afternoon.  She invited members of the Senate to come to the University Club after the Faculty Senate meeting.

     

      4)   Chairperson Martin thanked members of the 2008-09 Executive Committee, Vice Chairperson Costello and Senators Meagher Smith, Ordonez, Rathemacher and Swallow for all of the time thought and energy they had put into serving the Faculty Senate during the academic year.  She also thanked Ms. Grubman for her assistance.  Chairperson Martin expressed her appreciation to President Carothers and Provost DeHayes as well.

 

      Chairperson Martin then outlined for the Senate the accomplishment of the Executive Committee during the year. (Details of these accomplishments are available on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/FSEC_27m08-09.html.)


Vice Chairperson Costello moved that the Faculty Senate adopt the following resolution:

 

Whereas: Chairperson Celest Martin has served the Faculty Senate with diligence, tenacity, grace, and good humor; and

 

Whereas: She has demonstrated her ability as a strong and skillful leader in the face of a variety of challenging circumstances and kept her head while some about her were losing theirs; and

 

Whereas: She has represented the faculty's interests and concerns and enhanced the shared governance process through:

 

·       Her consistent advocacy for matters of concern to the faculty at meetings of the JSPC and elsewhere,

 

·       Her service as a member of the Presidential Search Committee

 

·       Her attendance at meetings of the Board of Governors

 

·       Her work with the Provost to establish a series of Faculty Forums to enhance collaboration and a sense of community between and among faculty

 

·     Her participation in the deliberations of the Ad Hoc Committee on the site of the Research Park

 

Therefore, Be It Resolved that the 2008-2009 Faculty Senate expresses its appreciation to Celest Martin for her warmth, wisdom and outstanding service to the Senate and the faculty as a whole. 

                                   

            The motion carried.

     

      B.   Professor Rathemacher, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee presented the

Report of the Nominating Committee for Officers of the 2009-10 Faculty Senate, which appeared on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/NomCom_09-10.pdf

 

Professor Rathemacher placed in nomination for Chairperson the names of the following Senators:

 

Sandy Jean Hicks, Education

Celest Martin, Writing

Stephen Swallow, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

 

She asked if there were any nominations from the floor. There were none.

 

Nominations were closed. The Senate proceeded to vote.

 

During balloting, the Senate moved to the next item of business.

 

4.   REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

 

President Carothers welcomed the new Senators and expressed his appreciation to Chairperson Martin and the members of the 2008-09 Executive Committee.

 

      A.  The President said he had approved all of the legislation forwarded to him after the April Faculty Senate Meeting and had supported all three resolutions as well. 

 

B.   President Carothers said that he had enjoyed working with the Faculty Senate and its leadership over the past 18 years and the experience had renewed his faith in shared governance.  He said that David Dooley was an excellent choice as his successor and opined that the Senate would appreciate working with Dr. Dooley as President.

 

                        President Carothers asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

                 

            Vice Chairperson Costello moved that the Faculty Senate adopt the following resolution:

 

WHEREAS Robert L. Carothers is completing a distinguished 18 year career as President of the University of Rhode Island, through financial times that began as difficult and never got easier; and

 

WHEREAS it is through his efforts that the student quality at the University has been elevated, diversity among students, staff, and faculty has been increased, a "party school" has developed a conscience, the endowment has grown; and

 

WHEREAS he is the University's best-known lawyer-poet;

 

BE IT RESOLVED that the Faculty Senate of the University of Rhode Island expresses its admiration and appreciation to Robert L. Carothers for his service and continuing commitment to the University of Rhode Island and welcomes him wholeheartedly as a member of the faculty.

 

      The motion carried.

 

3.    B. Professor Rathemacher announced that Senator Stephen Swallow had been elected Chairperson of the 2009-10 Faculty Senate.

 

            Professor Rathemacher placed in nomination for Vice Chairperson the names of the following Senators:

 

                                    William Ohley, Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering

Margaret Ordoñez, Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

 

She asked if there were any nominations from the floor. There were none.

 

Nominations were closed. The Senate proceeded to vote.

 

During balloting, the Senate moved to the next item of business.

 

5.   REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

 

      A.  Professor Mundorf presented the Four Hundred Seventy-First Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee, which appeared on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/471_CAC.pdf. He noted that Section I was

            Informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none

 

            Professor Mundorf said that Section II required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval.  The motion carried.

 

Professor Mundorf announced that Section III was a joint report of the CAC and Graduate Council on 400-level courses.  He said that part A was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

 

Professor Mundorf moved approval of part B of Section III.  The motion carried.

 

3.   B.   Professor Rathemacher announced that Senator Margaret Ordoñez had been elected Vice Chairperson of the 2009-10 Faculty Senate.

 

            Professor Rathemacher placed in nomination for the two-year term on the 2008-9 Executive Committee the names of the following Senators:

 

                                    Nancy Eaton, Mathematics

Michael Honhart, History

 

She asked if there were any nominations from the floor. There were none.

 

Nominations were closed. The Senate proceeded to vote.

 

Since Dean Killingbeck was serving as a teller for the election, during balloting, the Senate moved item 5, D.

           

5.   D.   Senator DiCioccio presented the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee Report #08-09-3: Summer Session 2010, which appeared on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/AS&C_08-09-3.pdf. Senator DiCioccio moved approval of the calendar for summer 2010.  The motion carried.

 

3.   B.   Professor Rathemacher announced that Senator Michael Honhart had been elected to the 2-year term on the Executive Committee.  

 

            Professor Rathemacher explained that both Senator Swallow and Senator Ordoñez had been elected officers of the 2009-10 Faculty Senate there would be three 1-year vacancies on the Executive Committee.  She placed the names of the following Senators in nomination for the three 1-year terms:

                                     

Ann Danis, Music

Rachel DiCioccio, Communication Studies

Thomas Husband, Natural Resources Science

Amanda Izenstark, Public Services, University Libraries

Suren Malik, Physics

Bahram Nassersharif, Mechanical Engineering

Christian Wittwer, Theatre

 

She asked if there were any nominations from the floor. Senator Nancy Eaton and Senator Elizabeth Cooper were nominated from the floor.

                                                                                                                                  
 
Nominations were closed. The Senate proceeded to vote.

 

During balloting, the Senate moved to the next item of business.

 

5.   E    Professor Swift presented the Report of the Learning Outcomes Oversight Committee for 2008-09, which is available on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/LOOC_08-09.pdf

 

F.  Senator Swallow presented the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee to Collaborate with the Administration on the Site of the Proposed Research Park, which was available on the web at  http://www.uri.edu/facsen/Research_Park_Final.pdf and http://www.uri.edu/facsen/Research_Park_Appendices.htm

 

      Discussion ensued.

 

Following discussion, Senator Swallow moved that the Faculty Senate accept the Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Site of the Research Park and endorse its conclusions.

 

The motion carried.    

 

3.   B.   Professor Rathemacher announced that Senators DiCioccio and Izenstark had been elected to 1-year terms on the Executive Committee and that a run-off election would be held between Senators Eaton and Husband..

 

During balloting, the Senate moved to item 5, B and C. Dean Killingbeck remained to present the reports of the Graduate Council

 

5.   B.   Dean Killingbeck presented the Curricular Report No. 2008-2009-8A from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate: Accelerated BS-MS Degrees in Engineering, which appeared on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/GC_CURRICULAR_REPORT_08-09-8A.pdf

 

                        The motion carried.

     

      C.   Dean Killingbeck presented Curricular Report No. 2008-09-9 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate, which appeared on the web at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/GC_CURRICULAR_REPORT_08-09-9.pdf. He explained that the first section of the report was informational and asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

 

                        He said that the second section of the report required confirmation by the Faculty Senate and moved approval.  The motion carried

 

3.   B.   Professor Rathemacher announced that Senator Eaton had been elected to the remaining 1-year terms on the Executive Committee. The Officers of the 2009-10 Faculty Senate are:

 

    Stephen Swallow, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (Chairperson)

Margaret Ordoñez, Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design (Vice Chairperson)

Michael Honhart, History (first year of a two-year term)

Rachel DiCioccio, Communication Studies, (one year term)

Nancy Eaton, Mathematics (one year term)

Amanda Izenstark, Public Services, University Libraries (one year term)

 

Chairperson Martin thanked the Nominating Committee and the tellers.

 

6.   UNFINISHED BUSINESS

 

      Chairperson Martin asked if there was any unfinished business. There was none.

 

7.   NEW BUSINESS


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

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

                                                           

                                    Respectfully submitted,

                                                           

                                    Sheila Black Grubman