Faculty Senate Minutes - 2/15/2001

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
February 15, 2001



Call to Order


President Mikkelsen called the meeting to order at 4:16 p.m.


Senators Present


Bargar, Cadden Caldwell, Greiert, Hamzaee, Klostermeyer, McLear,
Mikkelsen, Nelson, Noynaert, Radmacher, Roberts, Tapia, Williams


Senators Absent


Aschermann, Fowler


Ex-officio


None


Guest present


Kathyrne Mueller, administrative associate to vice president for academic
affairs


Approval of minutes


The minutes of the January 18, 2001, meeting were approved as presented
(McLear/Noynaert).
The minutes of the February 1, 2001, meeting were approved as presented
(Noynaert/Tapia).


Meeting agenda


The agenda for today's meeting was approved by unanimous consent
(Radmacher/Caldwell).


Report from college interim president


None


Report from vice president for academic affairs


None


Report from faculty senate executive committee


President Mikkelsen indicated that he had met with Suzanne Colgan, the
newly appointed member of the MWSC Board of Regents, and Dan Eckhoff,
president of the professional and support staff. They had a pleasant
discussion with her about the functions of their respective groups.


Vice President Nelson and Senator Noynaert reported on the MAFS meeting
that they had recently attended (See Attachment A). They discussed
lobbying efforts that had been directed toward state legislators regarding
the proposal to appoint faculty representatives on the Board of Regents at
each state college or university. Nelson said that he had talked with
State Senator Sidney Johnson, who had responded to the lobbying by stating
that he had "always opposed it [the appointment of faculty representatives
to the Board of Regents] in the past." Nelson was not sure what Johnson's
current position on this matter might be. Hope exists among other faculty
familiar with the history of this issue and with the state legislature
that, if the bill makes it to the Senate floor, it has a decent chance of
passing.


On an issue which seemed much more significant to some senators than the
previous one, Noynaert expressed his concern about the advent of a new
junior college, Big Sky Junior College, that will be tangentially
connected with Lincoln University. It appears that the CBHE will require
Lincoln University to provide resources and faculty for this new junior
college. This development might not bode well for other four-year state
colleges and universities in Missouri.


Mikkelsen and Senator Klostermeyer reported on the COTA meeting that they
had recently attended. They think that the state will undoubtedly push
forward the General Studies proposal on competencies and
assessment. Mikkelsen noted that at the second plenary presentation a
highly visible "guru" of the assessment movement openly admitted how
complicated this issue has become. Mikkelsen said that a vote at the
University of Missouri-Columbia on changes to their General Studies
curriculum is expected on April 1, 2001.


Mikkelsen reiterated that Dr. James Scanlon will officially assume his
duties as the new president of MWSC on March 1, 2001. The faculty senate
executive committee will meet with him soon thereafter. Mikkelsen wants
the agenda for that meeting to focus on three items: 1) the Master Plan
and faculty representation on that committee; 2) a genuine discussion on
the college mission statement as earlier requested by Scanlon; and 3) the
willingness of the new president to open up the budget process to faculty
input. Senators agreed that these were important issues to be addressed
in the upcoming meeting with the new president.


Mikkelsen stated that the Enrollment Management Committee will be meeting
again on February 20, 2001. The database about enrollment patterns
requested by Martin Johnson, dean of the division of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, has been given to Brian Cronk, associate professor of
Psychology, for study.


Vice President Nelson distributed a document involving Senate election
procedures (See Attachment B). A procedure is necessary in order to
restore the annual rotation of senators elected from each division,
according to the constitution of the MWSC faculty senate (Article V,
Section 2).. The constitution of the faculty senate (Article VIII,
Section 6) requires that this be done so that one-half (rounded up or down
as necessary) of the senators from each division are elected
annually. Faculty senators from the division of liberal arts and sciences
whose terms are not yet completed exceed the requisite number by one. It
is necessary to reduce the current term of one senator from this division
from two years to one year, so that five senators will be elected from
that division in the general election. Senator Greiert volunteered to
relinquish his seat on the faculty senate and will seek renomination at
the next divisional faculty meeting for a new term. It is also necessary
to lengthen the current term of one senator from the division of
professional studies from two years to three years so that, in future
alternate years, either three or four senators will be chosen from that
division in the general election.


As agreed upon in work session, Mikkelsen asked for a vote to approve the
use of a random procedure to lengthen the term of one of the senators from
the division of professional studies. This was approved by a vote of 10
to 2.


Mikkelsen next asked for a vote to approve the election procedures put
forth by Vice President Nelson. The motion was approved by a vote of 10
to 2. Senators requested that the faculty senate executive committee
decide what random procedure should be used to determine which senator
from the division of professional studies will have her/his current term
lengthened from two years to three years.


Old Business


The following item had been tabled at the February 1 meeting:


SB00-01.05 (Aschermann/McLear) To add to the wording of the MWSC 2000-2001
Policy Guide (Section III. SALARY ADMINISTRATION, C. FACULTY SALARY, 2.,
p. 122, paragraph 3) the following sentence: The new salary may not exceed
the salary that the faculty member would have if he/she had been
originally hired at the new educational level without prior approval of
the Department Chairperson, the Divisional Dean, and the Vice President
for Academic Affairs."


No motion was forthcoming to remove this item from the table. Therefore,
SB00-01.05 died on the table.


New Business


A question arose concerning an "academic bankruptcy" proposal. The issue
at hand was whether a student could consider his/her poor grades in
courses taken long ago to be eliminated because he/she was not permitted
to count these old courses for credit. If permitted to eliminate these
"ancient grades," the student might then qualify for admission to a degree
program. Some discussion ensued with proponents and opponents
participating.


A motion was made to approve adoption of a MAFS resolution on on-line
degrees (Nelson/Klostermeyer). That resolution reads as follows: "The
Missouri Association of Faculty Senates affirms that normal faculty
governance processes must be used in the development, approval, and
operation of on-line and other cooperative degree programs." (See
Attachment A) A motion was made to invoke the emergency clause
(Tapia/McLear). The motion passed unanimously. There was no further
discussion on the original motion. The question was called by
Williams. The motion passed unanimously.


Adjournment


The meeting was adjourned at 4:57 p.m. (Williams/Roberts)



Respectfully submitted,



Steven Greiert
Secretary