TAMU Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

August 12, 2019
3:15pm
Rudder 601
http://facultysenate.tamu.edu
 
  
CALL TO ORDER 
Speaker Andrew Klein called the meeting to order at 3:15pm.  
 
 
CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION
Speaker Klein presented a certificate recognizing Fritz Kocher, an audio-visual specialist with the University Center Event staff, who contributes to making the Faculty Senate meetings successful each month.
 
 
GUEST SPEAKERS
Speaker Klein introduced Dr. Tim Scott, Associate Provost, Office for Student Success.
 
Dr. Scott began by introducing Jason Mastrogiovanni, new Executive Director of the Office for Student Success.  He then directed the Senate’s attention to the packet of information about the First Year Experience (FYE) that was distributed (see attachment at end of minutes).  

• Overall, the number of available seats in FYE sections this fall is greater than expected as enrollments are lower than anticipated. 
• Dr. Scott explained the need for more input from the Faculty Senate, as well as the Academic Affairs Committee, to move the program from pilot to mandatory for all incoming students.  
• He addressed program assessment; the instrument is included in the packet.  
• One concern at this time is how to track who has completed the FYE, as it can be different from college to college.  
• He also spoke of the difficulty of marketing the zero credit FYE to new students and their parents while the program is not mandatory.

 
Dr. Scott then fielded questions from the following Senators:
Hank Walker, College of Engineering
Darlene McLaughlin, College of Medicine
Julie Harlin, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Dan Collins, College of Science
Jay Ramadoss, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biological Sciences
John Buchanan, College of Education & Human Development
 
Speaker Klein thanked Dr. Scott for speaking to the Senate.  
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
No announcements.
 
SPEAKER COMMENTS
Speaker Klein welcomed Senators, then introduced the University administrators who were present at the meeting including Mike Benedik, Vice Provost & Chief International Officer; and Steve Oberhelman, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in Liberal Arts, both of whom were former Speakers.  After recognizing Walter Daugherity, long-time faculty member, Senator, and former Speaker who will be retiring after 32 years, Speaker Klein highlighted items that the Senate has been working on over the summer.
 

• The Provost requested nominees for the following task forces: (1) Distinguished Professors Committee (2) Post-Tenure Review Committee (3) Academic Professional Track Faculty Evaluations and Academic Freedom, and (4) Faculty Code of Conduct.
• Senate Committee assignments would be sent out soon, and he reminded Senators that the committees need to convene in September to elect a chair and discuss topics of interest for the year.  The Bylaws and Elections committees will be convened in the fall, and caucuses need to determine a designee for each.
• Speaker Klein and Senator Angie Hill Price represented the Faculty Senate at the summer graduations and shook the hand of all students crossing the stage.
• After encouraging requests for guest speakers from Senators, he thanked the outgoing Senators for their service and participation in shared governance.
• Speaker Klein announced that the Executive Committee discussed ways to ensure the monthly Senate does not run long, and voted to move the meeting time up to 3:00pm from 3:15pm beginning with the September 9 meeting.  Whenever possible, guest speakers will be limited to one only.
• Speakers at the September 9 meeting will include President Michael K. Young and brief comments by Dean of Faculties Blanca Lupiani.  Also, the Senate will welcome new Senators, and distance Senators who are able to be physically present.  The annual fall reception at the University Club will directly follow the meeting.

 
 
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The motion passed to approve the June 10, 2019 minutes as distributed.  Attachment A – Passed 
 
CONSENT AGENDA
The motion passed to approve the Consent Agenda.  Attachments B-L – Passed 
(Consent Agenda with FS #’s can be found below Adjournment.)
 
 
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Student Rule 24.7 – Amnesty – Attachment M, which was tabled at the June Faculty Senate meeting, was re-introduced.  After some discussion, Senator Matt Taylor moved to postpone the motion until the Academic Affairs Committee has considered proposed clarifications to the rule. The postponement was unanimously approved.
 
 
 
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Core Curriculum Council Course Report – Attachment N (no course documents) – Passed – FS.37.026
The motion passed to approve the Core Curriculum Course Report.  (Core Curriculum Course Report can be found after Consent Agenda below.)
 
Other Committee Reports
No other committee reports were heard.
 
 
OLD BUSINESS
No old business was conducted.
 
NEW BUSINESS
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 
Rule 6      Non-Degree Seeking Students – Attachment O – Passed – FS.37.027 
Attachment O – Student Rule 6 was approved.
 
Rule 13    Classification – Attachment P – Passed – FS.37.028
Attachment P – Student Rule 13 was approved.
 
 
Emergency Motion: Course Not on Consent Agenda – No Attachment – Passed – FS.37.029
Senator Dan Humphrey presented an emergency motion for immediate action to approve THAR 281.  Motion was seconded and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in Liberal Arts, Steve Oberhelman, was invited to the podium for an explanation as to the need to approve this course promptly.

• The course is part of new initiative called Aggie Achieve, an Educational Psychology program for young adults with intellectual and developmental needs.  The course is a zero credit offering.
• THAR 281 did not get to the Faculty Senate by the deadline, but needs to be available for these students to sign up at the start of the fall semester.

 
After questions, the motion passed unanimously.
 
 
Recommendation of August 2019 Degree Candidates
TOTAL – 2,189
TAMU-Main – 1,827
TAMU-Galveston – 71
TAMU-HSC – 154
TAMU-Law – 12
TAMU-Qatar – 5
TAMU-VMBS – 120
The motion to certify the August 2019 Degree Candidates was approved.
 
 
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
Speaker-Elect John Stallone convened the Committee of the Whole.  
 
Jay Ramadoss, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences
Senator Ramadoss requested to hear the status of the Deans and Department Heads rule worked on by the Senate over the previous academic year.  Speaker Klein stated it is moving forward as the Senate approved it.  Vice Provost Benedik added that it is at the University Rule level and in the open comment period.  If no comments are received, it will go to the System for posting; if there are comments, they will need to be addressed.  
 
Speaker Klein shared that Student Rule 7, approved by the Senate in the spring, will go into effect this month.  It can be found on the Student Rules website.
 
Walter Daugherity, Parliamentarian, College of Engineering
Dr. Daugherity updated the pre-tax parking deduction developments.  After his cautiously optimistic comments in the last meeting, he has learned that the University will not be offering pre-tax parking.  The tax increase that faculty and staff will receive in September amounts to a pay decrease.  UT Austin will continue to offer the pre-tax parking deductions, unlike Texas A&M University.
 
Michael Benedik, Vice Provost shared that he will, as usual, send out his annual welcome letter.  He wanted to point out a new section concerning Title IX.  As many faculty know, they are mandatory reporters when it comes to incidents of sexual violence.  The Texas legislature has now made it a criminal offence requiring dismissal not to report such incidents to the Title IX Coordinator, whether or not the student wants the incident reported.  This is critically important information for faculty to know, so that they can share it with students
 
Speaker-Elect Stallone turned the meeting back over to Speaker Klein.
 
 
ADJOURN
 
The meeting was adjourned at 4:31pm.
 
ATTACHMENTS BELOW: Approved Consent Agenda, Core Curriculum Council Course Report, Dr. Tim Scott’s handout on FYE
CONSENT AGENDA
            GRADUATE COUNCIL 
            New Courses – Attachment B – Passed – FS.37.015
MSCI 650 Foundations of Clinical and Translational Research
MSCI 684  Professional Internship
STAT 600  Statistical Computations I
VPAT 667             Animal Research Laws and Regulations
VPAT 668             Animal Models
 
Change in Courses – Attachment C – Passed – FS.37.016
ALEC 615             Philosophy of Agricultural Education
ECEN 601            Mathematical Methods in Signal Processing
ECEN 635            Electromagnetic Theory
ECEN 667            Power System Stability
ECEN 669            Engineering Applications in Genomics
ECEN 750            Design and Analysis of Communication Networks
ECEN 766            Algorithms in Structural Bioinformatics
ICPE 631              Sustainability Considerations In Energy
INTA 635              Great Famines, War and Disaster Response
SPED 601             Assessment in School Settings
TCMT 610            Engineering Personal Leadership
TCMT 613            Technical Project Management
TCMT 623            Financial Decision Making
TCMT 624            Managing Technical Teams
TCMT 631            Capstone I
TCMT 643            Contract and Risk Management
VIBS 617              Cell Biology
 
Change in Courses – TAMU Galveston – Attachment D – Passed – FS.37.017
MARA 675            Leadership in the Maritime Industry
MARS 660            Environmental Conflict Resolution
 
 
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE 
   New Courses – Attachment E – Passed – FS.37.018
COMM 303            Communication Data Applications
COMM 310            Communication Intervention
KINE 334   Coaching in Personal Training
PSYC 389  Careers in Psychology
SOCI 213   Gender and Health
 
Change in Courses – Attachment F – Passed – FS.37.019
ACCT 410              Fraud Examination
AGLS 492              Cooperative Education in Agriculture
COMM 309            Research Method Projects
CSCE 120              Program Design and Concepts
EPFB 210              Family Involvement and Empowerment
INST 301               Educational Psychology
ISEN 320               Operations Research I
ISEN 355               System Simulation
PHLT 412              Health Advocacy and Policy
PSYC 411              Psychology of Self.
VTPB 410              Cell Mechanisms of Disease
VTPP 429              Introduction to Toxicology
 
Change in Courses – Inactivation Proposal – Attachment G – Passed – FS.37.020
      College of Science
            Department of Physics and Astronomy
                  PHYS 208                    Electricity and Optics
 
Change in Courses – Inactivation Proposal – Attachment H – Passed – FS.37.021
      College of Science
            Department of Physics and Astronomy
                  PHYS 218                    Mechanics
 
Change in Programs – Attachment I – Passed – FS.37.022
      College of Public Health
    School of Public Health
                  BS-PHLT                     Public Health - BS
 
Change in Programs – Attachment J – Passed – FS.37.023
      College of Engineering
    Department of Engineering
                  CERT-CU32    International Engineering - Certificate
 
 
Change in Programs–Inactivation Proposal – Attachment K – Passed – FS.37.024
      Mays Business School
    Department of Management
                  BBA-MGMT-NON        Management - BBA, Nonprofit Management Track
 
 
W&C COURSES  
 
Courses Submitted for W Certification – Attachment L – Passed – FS.37.025
AGSC 302-W       Teaching School-Based Agricultural Education & Clinical Professional Experience
BIOL 351-W         Fundamentals of Microbiology
COMM 425-W      Rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement
CSCE 315-W        Programming Studio
INST 362-W         English as a Second Language Methods I
MATH 489-W       Special Topics in...
MSEN 380-W       Communicating Materials Science and Engineering
SCEN 489-W        Special Topics in...
WFSC 484-W       Internship
 
______________________________End of Consent Agenda____________________________________
 
 
 
CORE CURRICULUM COUNCIL COURSE REPORT – Attachment N (no course documents) – FS.37.026
 
Courses Submitted for Recertification in Foundational Component Area: Lang, Phil, Culture – TAMU Galveston
ANTH 210     Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
                     
 
Dr. Tim Scott’s FYE Handout