Minutes of the University Senate Meeting

March 13, 2008

1.

The March meeting of the University Senate was held at 4:05 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2008 in Room 7, Gamble Hall. Tom Petros presided.

2.

The following members of the Senate were present:

Anderson, Collin

Anderson, Katherine

Axtman, Benjamin

Bass, Gail

Berne, Jane

Berwald, Olaf

Boyd, Robert

Broedel, Hans

Buhr, Jordan

Campbell, Katherine

DeMers, Judy

Doze, Van

Elsinga, Lillian

Ferraro, Richard

Fisher, Jay

Gallager, Robert

Ghribi, Othman

Gourneau, Bonni

Grandstrand, Tyrone

Grant, Emanuel

Graves, Corey

Haskins, James

Hoffarth, Janice

Hume, Wendelin

Hunter, Susan

Iiams, Michele

Iverson, Joneen

Jackson, Jon

Jackson, Margaret

Jeno, Sue

Jerath, Sukhvarsh

Johnson, Gary

Khavanin, Mohammad

Kupchella, Charles

Lawrence, David

LeBel, Paul

Little, Michael

Liu, Rugao

Lothspeich, Jason

Mamaghani, Iraj

Marshall, David

Mayzer, Roni

Melland, Helen

Mertz, Tara

Murphy, Eric

Myrick, Matthew

Nelson, Susan

Perkins, Dexter

Petros, Thomas

Poochigian, Donald

Potvin, Martha

Reza, Hassan

Rice, Daniel

Richards, Thomas

Rieke, Judy

Rosenberger, Thad

Schwartz, Rhonda

Stolt, Wilbur

Sun, Jeffrey

Watson, John

Weisenstein, Greg

Widmer, Donovan

Wittgraf, Michael

3.

The following members of the Senate were absent:

Anderson, Suzanne

Baker, Mary

Behrmann, William

Beneda, Nancy

Benoit, Joseph

Bradley, April

Covington, Chandice

Cripe, Haylee

Drewes, Mary

Elbert, Dennis

Faruque, Saleh

Gordon, Gregory

Halvorson, Isaac

Kaler, Amanda

Kitzes, Adam

Light, Steven

Moen, Jan

Mortinson, Matthew

Rendahl, Stephen

Riedy, Joshua

Schnellert, Gary

Smith, Bruce

Tepper, Nadine

Wettersten, Kara

Wilson, H. David

Wu, Min

4.

The following announcements were made:

1. Mr. Petros announced that Big Event flyers were available and encouraged senators to participate.
2. President Kupchella distributed information regarding the Sustainability Symposium.
3. Mr. Gallager reported that a Parking Task Force is being formed to review and make recommendations to the University Administrative Parking Committee.

5.

The question period began during the parking update given by Mr. Gallager and was closed at 4:30 p.m.

6.

The chair asked for corrections or additions to the February 7, 2008 minutes. Hearing none, the minutes were approved as distributed.

7.

A motion was made by Mr. Marshall, and seconded by Ms. DeMers, to accept and file the Senate Student Academic Standards Committee, Administrative Procedures Committee, Academic Policies and Admissions Committee, and General Education Requirements Committee annual reports. The motion was approved.

8.

Mr. Jackson presented a proposed change to the Council of College Faculty constitution which would allow the election of the CCF representative to the State Board of Higher Education to take place earlier in the year in order to take advantage of system resources to provide training that would facilitate the work of the CCF/SBHE rep in the year to come. Mr. Perkins moved to accept the change. There was a second by Mr. Poochigian. The motion passed with a vote of 48 for and 1 abstention.

9.

Mr. Rice, on behalf of the Chair’s Role and Compensation Task Force, presented a proposed revision to the Faculty Handbook regarding the role of department chairs. Discussion ensued and questions were answered by Mr. Rice. Mr. Rice moved, and Mr. Marshall seconded, to accept the revision. More discussion ensued. Mr. Marshall moved to amend the proposal by adding a semicolon after the word “staff” in the third paragraph followed by “all chairs serve at the pleasure of the VPAA.” Mr. Rice was not in favor of the amendment. The motion was seconded and defeated with a vote of 1 for, 43 against and 1 abstention. Mr. Kupchella suggested that language be added to include requiring professional development for chairs. It was requested that the Task Force add the professional development language and that Mr. Rice bring the document back to the April Senate meeting.

10.

A motion was made by Mr. Jackson, and seconded by Mr. Perkins, to accept the Curriculum Committee report. The motion passed unanimously.

11.

Lori Swinney, Center for Instructional and Learning Technology, presented information and a demonstration on the clicker standard. Mr. Fisher moved, and Mr. Jackson seconded, to support the recommendation to use the Turning Point clicker. The motion passed with a vote of 43 for, 6 against, and 1 abstention.

12.

Mr. Murphy moved, and Mr. Haskins seconded, to extend the meeting time by 15 minutes. The motion passed.

13.

Ms. Iiams, chair of the Senate Committee on Committees, presented the slate of nominees for Senate committees for 2008-09. Nominations were taken from the floor and the senators were asked to complete their election ballot.

14.

A University Parking Plan resolution, sponsored by Dexter Perkins and Sukhvarsh Jerath and co-sponsored by Don Poochigian, Ric Ferraro and James Haskins, was presented. Mr. Perkins moved, and Mr. Jerath seconded, to approve the resolution. Discussion ensued. The motion was defeated with a vote of 10 for, 36 against, and 1 abstention.

15.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:45 p.m.

Lori Hofland for Suzanne Anderson

Secretary to the Senate