Minutes - 12/2/1999

Call to order:

President Mikkelsen called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.

Senators present:

Brandt, Brooks, Cronk, Fowler, Leonard, McLear, Mikkelsen, Nelson, Roberts, Wagner, Wallner

Senators absent:

Aschermann, Bargar, Greiert, Hamzaee, Reidy

Ex-Officio:

Janet Murphy, president of Missouri Western State College
James Roever, vice-president for academic affairs

Guests:

Larry Andrews, Todd Eckdahl

Minutes of the previous meeting:

The minutes of the October 21, 1999 meeting were approved as submitted (Leonard/Fowler).

Report from the college president:

MWSC president Murphy expressed concern for the movement in which many two-year community colleges in
the United States are gradually evolving into institutions offering third-year and fourth-year curricula with the
purpose of eventually conferring baccalaureate degrees. She distributed a document entitled "Two-Year
Institutions and the Baccalaureate Degree: An Update” (copies of this document are available by request to
senate secretary Nelson). She encouraged concern for and participation in the upcoming meeting of the
Committee on Transfer and Articulation (COTA) to be held February 9 and 10, at which the GESC proposal will
be discussed.

Report from the vice-president for academic affairs:

James Roever, vice-president for academic affairs, announced that a committee composed of faculty and
administration personnel were preparing an institutional statement in response to GESC recommendations for
general studies. His plan is to present the statement at the December 10 meeting of vice-presidents of Missouri
state universities and colleges, as well as send the document to COTA. He then announced that a total of 203
students will walk in the winter commencement to be held December 15. Finally, he reported that tenure
materials from the promotion and tenure committee are nearly ready for his review.

Report from the faculty senate executive committee:

President Mikkelsen reported that the executive committee had met with president Murphy to discuss the budget
and whether a second round of mission enhancement will be funded. Earl Milton and Todd Eckdahl were also in
attendance. Next, he reported that the executive committee had met with the institutional committee in drafting
an institutional response to the GESC’s recommendations on general studies (as referred to by academic vice-
president Roever), the key points being (1) removing the language of competencies, (2) problems of transferring
credit without the entire block of general studies courses completed, (3) opposition to the proposed increase in
credit hours which would be required in general studies, and (4) opposition to the proposed methods of state
review of institutional curricula. He then reported that a presidential search committee consisting of thirteen
persons has been established in order to select the new MWSC president, including the following members:
James McCarthy, representative from administration; Mark Mikkelsen, faculty senate president; Sally
Radmacher, LAS faculty member; Richard Porr, PS faculty member; Mason Mortimer, president of professional
staff; Lynn Duckworth, president of support staff; Kerri Clark, student regent; Dan Kellogg, president of alumni
board; Cort Hegarty, president of foundation board; Bill Hurley, president of board of regents; Judy Grimes,
director of student success programs; David Bennett, director of honors program; and a citizen representing the
community (not yet selected). The target time line for selection of the new president specifies that the search
committee will select ten candidates for consideration by the board of regents in March, of which the board will
select five finalists for interviews. Candidates' visits will occur in the first two weeks of April, with final
decision following the April board meeting. Senators suggested that academic departments meet separately
before February 3 for the purpose of proposing criteria or considerations for selection of the president, so that the
senate can sort through the suggestions at its February 3 meeting.

Senate vice-president Tony Wallner reported that minutes of committee meetings have been received from the
curriculum, faculty evaluation, promotion & tenure, and grievance committees. He noted that there are two
vacancies on senate committees, for which the executive committee will meet and make nominations for
replacements.

Senators agreed by consensus to send to the academic standards and regulations committee an additional charge
to review section IV.B on page 43 of the Policy Guide. Mikkelsen announced that senate committee reports will
be presented at senate meetings as follows: January 20, curriculum committee; (by) February 24, professional
leave report; March 2, evaluation of faculty committee and academic regulations and standards committee; April
6, promotion and tenure committee; April 20, scholarship, salary, and fringe benefits committees.

Finally, by consensus, the committee participation points for merit pay were approved and forwarded to vice-
president Roever.

Report from grievance committee

Larry Andrews, chairperson of the grievance committee, reported that there were no standing grievances to
review for this year. There were two or three grievance inquiries during the last year, but they did not progress
to the committee.

Report from fringe benefits committee

President Mikkelsen summarized an e-mail report from Senator Greiert, liaison to the fringe benefits committee,
in which Greiert reported that he is serving as chairperson of the committee and that meetings are being held
weekly in order to execute the committee’s assigned charges.

Report from the salary committee

Todd Eckdahl, chairperson of the salary committee, reported that the committee met on November 11 at which
time members decided to draft statements related to senate charges numbers 3(a), 2, 4, 7, and 9 for presentation
at their next meeting (see September 16 minutes). They also decided to draft a statement related to salary
inequity issues for presentation at the next meeting and to invite Dr. Roever and both division deans to the next
meeting. They further discussed the possibility of inclusions of statements in the policy guide which would
ensure that the issues of salary adjustments granted for promotion and methods presently used for determining
chair workloads would be reviewed regularly. The committee met again on November 18, at which time the
division deans explained the criteria used in determining salary offers for new-hire faculty. In addition, chair
workloads were discussed at that meeting.

Old business:

MOTION: The Missouri Western State College Faculty Senate fully supports all efforts to provide for faculty
representation on the governing boards at each of the public colleges and universities in the State of Missouri.
Such faculty representation shall be selected from names submitted to the Governor of the State of Missouri by
faculty governance bodies or by the president and/or executive committee of the faculty governance bodies at
each of the state’s public colleges or universities (Cronk/Brooks).

The motion passed unanimously.




New business:

MOTION: To amend section I.B.3 of the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate so that that it reads “3. Be responsible
for coordinating all Faculty Senate elections in a manner that will ensure ballot security, confidentiality, and
clarity of procedures.” (Cronk/Leonard)

MOTION: To amend section I.B.3 of the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate so that it reads “3. Be responsible for
coordinating all Faculty Senate elections. An effort should be made to ensure ballot security by numbering and
initialing all official ballots. Confidentiality of faculty votes should be maintained by providing an envelope for
all ballots. Faculty should be informed that they can vote for fewer positions if desired. The count should be
verified by a member of the executive committee not on the ballot before the results of the count are
announced.” (Cronk/Fowler)

Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at 5:04 p.m. (Leonard/Roberts).


Respectfully submitted,



G. Barry Nelson, secretary