Faculty Senate Minutes - 3/20/2003
Missouri Western State College
Faculty Senate Minutes
March 20, 2003
Call to order:
The meeting was called to order by President Steven Greiert at 4 p.m.
Senators present:
Larry Andrews, Brenda Blessing, Ben Caldwell, Bill Church, Richard Cluff, Steven Greiert, Susan Hennessy, Marilyn Hunt, Mark Mikkelsen, Barry Nelson, Michael Ottinger, John Tapia, Sharon Wagner, Randye Williams, Carolyn Windsor
Senators absent:
Keith Rhodes, Mike Smith
Ex-officio members present:
President James Scanlon
Guests present:
Ken Dagel, Teddi Deka, Jeffrey Poet, Don Vestal, Sharon Vestal
New members present:
Jennifer Hegeman, Robert Klostermeyer, Victoria Wacek
New members absent:
Mitch Haney
Approval of minutes:
Minutes of the March 6, 2003 meeting were approved with one correction: Minutes of the February 20 and March 6 meetings reflect attendance of Sharon Wagner (Nelson/Cluff).
Approval of the agenda:
The agenda for the March 20, 2003 meeting was approved with one addition: Under Old Business, SR05.03 “Children in the Work Place” (Nelson/Mikkelsen), add the statement,
“The Faculty Senate supports the following policy, “Children in the Work Place”.
Report from college president:
President Scanlon reported on the budget indicating that in FY2004, Western may have a further reduction in the core of $1.8 million. Preliminary planning is being done to handle this reduction.
Scanlon also reported on the “university bill”, describing activities in the Senate and the House.
He will meet with local legislators on March 26 to discuss the status of the bill.
Senators Mikkelsen and Greiert complimented Scanlon on the article in the local newspaper
in which he outlined several reasons for Missouri Western becoming a university.
Report from vice-president for academic and student affairs:
Vice President Arnold was not present to make a report.
Report from faculty senate executive committee:
Nominations for faculty senate officers:
President: Barry Nelson was nominated by John Tapia. Andrews moved that
nominations cease. Senators voted unanimously to close
nominations for President.
Vice President: John Tapia was nominated by Nelson. Andrews was nominated
by Senator Klostermeyer. Andrews declined the nomination.
Andrews moved that nominations cease. Senators voted
unanimously to close nominations for Vice President.
Secretary: Larry Andrews was nominated by Tapia. Senator Cluff moved
that nominations cease. Senators voted unanimously to close nominations for secretary.
Greiert reminded senators that write-in votes will be acceptable at the election to be held on April 3, 2003.
Greiert reported on the following:
1) He requested the senate consider hiring a scribe to record a rough draft of the
minutes of faculty senate meetings beginning August, 2003. The senate secretary would then be responsible for reviewing and revising the draft minutes.
2) Proposed issues at upcoming meetings:
April 3, 2003 Election of Faculty Senate Officers for AY2003-2004
Report from Promotion and Tenure Committee
Report from Salary Committee
Nelson’s motion regarding expanding number of credits in
major programs and number of credits needed to graduate
Reintroduction of ad hoc Grievance proposal
Dual credit
Evaluation of administrators
April 10, 2003 Approval of Faculty Senate Committee appointments
Report from Promotion and Tenure Committee
Report from Scholarship Committee
Report from Evaluation of Faculty Committee
Reintroduction of ad hoc Grievance proposal
May 1, 2003 Ad hoc Grievance proposal
Dual credit
Evaluation of administrators
Report from Klostermeyer about his activities this semester
in student affairs
3) Faculty members named to be on the Search Committee for new Director of Athletics:
Brenda Blessing, Steven Greiert, Bob Klostermeyer
4) Benefits issues- Severance pay. Greiert raised the issue of severance pay irrespective of current conditions at the college. President Scanlon indicated there is a bill currently in the legislature which would allow for a retirement incentive. This bill has not passed at this time.
Greiert also requested the names of four faculty members who have been at the rank of full professor for five years or more to serve on the Active Career Program Committee for Post-Professorial Awards. He indicated he will email all senators with the request and would prefer
two nominees from each school. He also indicated he will need to submit the names to Vice President Arnold by April 1, 2003.
Report from faculty senate academic regulations and standards committee:
Ken Dagel, chair of the committee presented the report from the committee (AttachmentA).
He reported that the committee had met three times and was making three recommendations:
1) That all faculty be absolutely clear in determining how grades are assigned and to
state the procedure exactly on the syllabus. This can be done even with courses
where grading is done more subjectively. In courses that are largely subjective,
switching to pass-fail grading may be the best solution;
2) That the issue of grading and the procedures for grading be discussed within each
department to eliminate any potential problems. The grading procedures should
fit the particular discipline without infringing on academic freedom in any way;
3) A change be made to the Policy Guide, Student Appeal Process, first paragraph, p.47,
adding the following sentence after the second sentence in the paragraph: “The
student must inform the department and ask that any relevant documents regarding
the case be sent to the Academic Regulations and Standards Committee”. Senator Church asked Dagel for clarification about the specificity of grading and Senator Andrews asked about the time frame for the appeal process. Dagel responded to questions asked by the senators.
Greiert thanked Dagel and praised his committee for their activities and for the report.
Report from faculty senate general studies committee:
Greiert reported that he had talked with Cindy Heider, chair of the faculty senate general studies committee, and she had indicated that the committee had not met in 2003. The most current report from this committee was presented to the faculty senate on November 21, 2002.
Old Business
SR05.03 (Nelson/Mikkelsen) “Children in the Work Place”:(Attachment B)
Senator Nelson reported on the development of the policy by support staff and asked faculty
senate to support the proposed policy. Senator Greiert indicated that the Executive Committee of the Support Staff will determine the legal and risk issues associated with the proposed policy and will forward their findings to the Executive Committee of the faculty senate. Guests who were present expressed their thoughts about the proposed policy. Senator Klostermeyer asked for clarification about the rationale for the proposed policy and Greiert responded by describing the concerns brought forward by the support staff. Senator Mikkelsen suggested the proposed policy more clearly define “routine basis”, “working hours” and “ages of children”. Following a lengthy discussion by senators and guests, Nelson withdrew his motion, and Mikkelsen agreed to withdraw his second.
Senator Ottinger distributed copies of “Faculty Senate Resolution on Children in the Workplace at Missouri Western” (Attachment C). Ottinger made a motion that the senate faculty describe their position, seconded by Caldwell. Ottinger’s motion will be discussed at the April 3 senate meeting.
Calendar Committee: Senator Williams asked for suggestions for the Fall 2004 calendar, specifically regarding the recommended date for final grade submission. The original calendar, which was approved, listed the time and date that grades would be submitted to the Registrar as December 21 at 4 p.m. Don Willis, Chair of the Calendar Committee, had indicated to Senator
Williams that the faculty senate needed to adjust this date to Monday, December 20 at 1:30 p.m.
Discussion among senators followed this revelation. Senators agreed in a straw vote to compromise and give Senator Williams an alternative date and time of Tuesday, December 21 at 4 p.m.- “take it or leave it”. Williams will present the recommended date and time to the Calendar Committee. If this is unacceptable to the committee, the senate will recommend the date return to Wednesday, December 22 at 1:30 p.m.
Adjournment:
Meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m. (Andrews/Ottinger).
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn Windsor
Faculty Senate Secretary
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