FACULTY
SENATE MEETING
Minutes
November
13, 2006
Present: Abbott, Akleman, Arant-Kaspar,
Armstrong,
Carlson, Carrigan, Cobb, Collisson,
Ellis, Estrada, Feldman, Fike, Gawande, Geva, Grant, Gunn, Hall, Harms, Hise,
Hobbs, Hobson, Kenimer, Kirkendall, Lard, Linton, Loudder, Machann, Magill,
Mahapatra, Martindale, McGeachin, Meagher, Merrell, Messina, Pearl, Price,
Reddy, Reese, Riccio, Rich, Schultz, Slack, Speed, Stabile, Stadelmann, Stein,
Stewart, Straube, Strawser, Toby, Vaid, Vogel, Volkman, Walker, Ward, Warden,
Webb-Johnson, Welsh, Whiteacre, Winemiller, Woodman, Woosley
Watson (Dean of Faculties)
Bazzi, Thornton (
Absent: Aufderheide,
Bangerth, Beksok, Blasingame, Boyd, Cepeda-Benito, Centinkaya, Curry, Fink, Harris, Heilman,
Ing, Kelly, Klein, La-Pastina, Luiselli, McIntyre, Moreira, Petersen, Shandley,
Smith, Stallone, Toliyat, Valasek, Vedlitz
Call to Order The meeting
was called to order at 3:20 by speaker Slack
Guest Speaker Dr. Mark Weichold, Dean of Undergraduate Programs & Associate Provost for
Academic Services gave a summary of data for the 45,000 student body that is
80% UG and 20% GS, and of the latest freshman class (2005) for which data have
been assimilated. The new class is
essentially even in sex distribution, includes 18% minorities, has an average
SAT score >1,200, includes ≈ 600 National Merit Scholars and 26-28%
are first-generation college students.
Average class size for freshmen is 41.5 and drops somewhat for upper
division students. The current FTE
student to faculty ratio is 20:1 using state definitions or 18.3: 1 under
coordinating board guidelines.
Dr. Weichold also
indicated that 60-80 classes per year are turned in as “small classes” under
state guidelines that permit classes with less than 10 UG or 5 GS to be
taught. Exceptions most often are granted
for 1) courses required for graduation or program scheduling, 2) new degree
programs, 3) first time offered, 4) (un)availability of laboratory space, but
there are also 7 other state-permitted justifications. He also noted that in
stacked courses (both UG and Grad students enrolled with extra work required
for Graduate level credit), graduate students count as 2 students to meet the
requirement. Mark also gave a summary of
the formula by which state funding is allocated based on weighted semester credit
hours. Distribution of the “level of
instruction” is shown in the table below adapted from his talk:
|
Rank |
Prof |
Assoc Prof |
Asst Prof |
Lecturer |
Visiting |
Other |
GAT-Lab |
GAT-Lect |
|
SCH |
21.1% |
13.5% |
10.3% |
27.1% |
7% |
9.8% |
4.0% |
10.9% |
|
WSCH |
25.0% |
15.9% |
11.2% |
24.5% |
5.1% |
9.0% |
4.0% |
9.0% |
After describing the various programs that fall under the purview
of his Office, Dr. Weichold also addressed problems that need attention,
including affordability (the average graduate has $18-20,000 debt accrued from
the cost of education), institution of the newly approved University Studies
degree and enrollment management. Also,
although TAMU already has the highest retention rate in the State, improving
retention rates for minority students is a priority.
TAMU
President Dr. Robert Gates, who has been nominated to serve as Secretary of
Defense at the national level was presented a framed copy of the following
resolution on behalf of the Senate:
Whereas
President Robert M. (Bob) Gates has served with great distinction as the 22nd
President of
Whereas he has done more than any other President of
Whereas he
is the first President to articulate an administrative credo that recognizes
the pre-eminent importance of the faculty to the academy;
Whereas he
has elevated the importance of the faculty at commencement and convocation;
Whereas he
has embraced the collective wisdom embodied in Vision 2020;
Whereas he
has initiated irrevocable initiatives in faculty re-investment, diversity,
infrastructure, and graduate and undergraduate education; and
Whereas he
has raised the stature of
Resolved
that the Faculty Senate thanks Bob Gates for all that he has done at
Resolved
further that the Faculty Senate is sorry to see him depart before his job here
is completed to his satisfaction;
Resolved
further that the Faculty Senate sends Bob Gates to
Resolved
further that the Faculty Senate believes Bob Gates is the best man to honorably resolve the situation in
Resolved
further that the Faculty Senate will welcome him back to Aggieland once his
task in Government is completed; and
Resolved
finally that the Faculty Senate hopes that, as Secretary of Defense, he will
insist that the various military bands he now controls learn how to play the
Aggie War Hymn and the Patton March while marching to form the block T.
Presented this day, Monday, 13 November 2006,
by the Faculty Senate of
Speaker
Comments: In wake
of the release of a student generated video made available on the World Wide
Web, the speaker asked Senators to support efforts to make TAMU a more
welcoming institution for all by helping to identify steps or methods to
curtail acts of racism and discrimination. Speaker Slack delivered the
following statement:
The recent disclosure of a video depicting obvious racism
and pornography associated with
At a minimum, I
call on all faculty members, staff, and students to no longer look the other
way when examples of discrimination and non-acceptance occur, regardless of the
severity of the forms of discrimination.
We must all step forward and say in the most emphatic way, “stop!” Whether it is an unfortunate comment in
class, a racial slur at a drinking fountain, or a laugh at a video “joke”
received on a computer terminal, all are unacceptable. We have an obligation to our campus, to our
students, and to the people of
Our acceptance of fellow Aggies, staff, and
faculty must be unconditional. To this
end “Welcome to Aggieland” must be more than a sign on water tower and in Kyle
Field. Until we can stand up for all of
our brothers and sisters, shoulder to shoulder, with pride and acceptance
regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, and physical disabilities, we
will not be worthy of the bravery represented by the efforts and sacrifices of
the Aggie medal of honor winners whose memorial plaques are displayed in the
Memorial Student Center.
I can assure the
campus community that the Faculty Senate will work in concert with Vice
President Tito Guerrero, Student Government leaders, minority faculty members,
and the Dean of Faculties to identify concrete steps that can be taken to
curtail and hopefully eliminate the divisive influence of racism and other
forms of discrimination on our campus and the local community.
Rabinarayan
Mahapatra (ENG) was installed as a Faculty Senator
Minutes
of the October 9 Faculty Senate Meeting were approved as distributed and are
available on the Senate Web site. Motion
Passed F.S. 24.35
Consent Agenda
Executive Committee (Recommended Approval)
Ratification
of candidates for degrees conferred December 15-16, 2006
Motion
Passed F.S. 24.36
Graduate
Council (Recommended
Approval) Motion
Passed F.S. 24.37
New
Courses-Oct 5, 2006
ANSC
687 Sensory Evaluation of Foods
CPSC
656 Computers and New Media
ELEN
617 Advanced Signal processing for
Medical Imaging
ELEN
695 Introduction to
Microelectromechanical Devices and Systems
ENTO
602 Insect Biodiversity and Biology
KINE
613 Diversity in Sport Organizations
RLEM
620 Ecological Restoration of Wetland
and Riparian Systems
SCEN
698 Writing for Publication
STAT
665 Statistical Applications of Wavelets
University Curriculum Committee (Recommended Approval) Motion Passed F.S. 24.38
Change
in Courses Attachment
D
KNFB 450 Supervised Student Teaching (from 36
contact hours for 9 credits to 30 hours for 6 credits)
Department of European and Classical
Languages and Cultures
MODL course prefix to EURO.
Course prefix change
From:
To:
MODL 220. EURO 220. Contemporary French Culture.
MODL
223. EURO 223. French Culture
and Society in French Literary Masterpieces in Translation.
MODL 230. EURO 230. Contemporary German
Culture.
MODL 232. EURO 232. Exploratory German
Language and Culture.
MODL 240. EURO 240. Contemporary Russian Culture.
MODL 311. EURO 311. Diversity Issues in Classical Studies.
MODL
323. EURO 323. Immigration
and Ethnicity in Contemporary
Withdrawal
of Courses
MODL
341.
MODL 342. Russian Novel in Translation.
Senator Stadelmann
requested that HLTH 659 “Writing for
Health Educators” be removed from the consent agenda. Dr. Christoph Konrad requested that MODL 337.
“Russian Drama” be removed from the list of courses to be withdrawn. The remainder of the consent agenda passed
unanimously by voice vote.
Committee
Reports (all moved for approval by the Secretary of the Senate)
Motion
Passed F.S. 24.39
Executive
Committee (Recommended
Approval) Attachment E
Core Curriculum Council
Approve
use of 285, 291, 485, 484 and 491 courses conducted abroad to count towards the
6 SCH of International and Cultural Diversity category in the TAMU Core
Curriculum.
Approve the following additions to the TAMU Core Curriculum:
AGRO 489 Brazilian Agriculture and Food Production Systems
(International and Cultural Diversity)
BUSN 289 Introduction to the Economic, Geopolitical and Cultural
Dimensions of Global Business (International and Cultural Diversity)
DCED 301 Dance History (Humanities)
HISP 489 Staging Hispanic Theater (Visual and Performing Arts)
WMST200 Introduction to Women's Studies (International and Cultural
Diversity)
WMST 391 Studies in Gender and Diversity (International and Cultural
Diversity)
Senator
Gunn, Chair of the Core Curriculum Council asked that the name of the AGRO 489
course be changed to Brazilian Agriculture and Food Production Systems,
which was accepted without vote as an editorial change. He also asked that at the request of the
History Department, HIST 489 History of American Businesswomen be
removed from the list. The remaining items
were approved by unanimous vote.
Approval
of courses recommended to fulfill the writing requirement (W courses)
Motion Passed F.S. 24.40
CPSC
289 Introduction to Computing
Attachment F
KINE
198 Health and Fitness
KINE
482 Seminar in Sport Management Research
Dr.
Gunn requested clarification on how KINE 198 could be a writing course when it
is primarily involved in physical activity.
Senator Grant (EDUC) called on Beth Netherland, the course teacher who
explained that one of the two weekly sessions deals with issues affecting
wellness and behavior, with numerous writing assignments. She also indicated that the
The
W courses were approved by voice vote with no dissent.
Graduate Council (Recommended Approval) Motion
Passed F.S. 24.41
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Attachment G
Department of Animal
Sciences
Implement
a Graduate Certificate in Meat Science
Approved unanimously
The Graduate Council: Motion
Passed F.S. 24.42
recommended a change in the
University rule requiring the use of standardized tests for admission to
graduate studies. The change will allow
departments or programs to set the requirements and will allow waivers when
appropriate which could not be done under SACS regulations so long as the rule
was in force at the University level.
The change in the requirements for admission to Graduate Student status
at TAMU is shown below:
FROM:
GRE, MAT or GMAT scores (evaluated
in a manner which complies with Chapter 51, Subchapter W of the Texas Education
Code, Admissions and Scholarship Policies for Graduate and Professional
Programs, House Bill 1641) is required.
TO:
An official score on a standardized
test is required unless otherwise specified by the graduate program to which a
student is applying. A program can
request exceptions to the Office of Graduate Studies. The scores are evaluated in a manner which
complies with Chapter 51, Subchapter W of the Texas Education Code, Admissions
and Scholarship policies for Graduate and Professional Programs, House Bill
1641.
The motion was approved unanimously
Department
of Marine Biology establish a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy
Interdisciplinary Degree Program in Marine Biology (MB IDP)
Senator
Stadelmann stated that he favored passage because the proposal was well
prepared, well documented and included ethics as a component.
The motion was approved
unanimously.
Following are a series
of requests to reduce curricula to meet the maximum 120 SCH requirement, as
requested by the Texas Legislature in its last session.
University Curriculum Committee (Recommended Approval)
Changes
in Curriculum
Department
of Nutrition and Food Services Attachment J
B.S.
in Food Science and Technology
Food
Science Option
Industry
Option
B.S.
in Nutritional Sciences Motion
Passed F.S. 24.45
Dietetics
Track Attachment K
Molecular
and Experimental Track
General
Nutrition Track
Department of Horticultural Sciences Motion Passed F.S. 24.46
B.A.
in Horticulture Attachment L
B.S.
in Horticulture
B.S.
in Floriculture
Department of Health and Kinesiology Motion Passed F.S. 24.47
Basic
Exercise Physiology Track Attachment M
Applied
Exercise Physiology Track
Motor
Behavior Track
All
Level Physical Education Teacher Certification Option
All were approved without
dissent.
University Curriculum
Committee (Recommended
Approval) Motion Passed F.S.
24.48
Special Consideration: New Certificates Attachment N
Department of Biomedical Science
International
Certificate Program in Cultural Competency and Communication in Spanish
Motion
approved by unanimous vote
Graduate
Council (Recommended
Approval)
Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness Motion Passed F.S. 24.49
Ph.D. in Agribusiness and Managerial
Economics Attachment O
Approved
unanimously
Old Business
Senator Stadlemann explained that
the course description for HLTH 659
Writing for Health Educators included either typographical errors
or incorrect punctuation and that it included “advertising” statements that are
not supposed to be a part of a course description, He requested that it be returned to the
Graduate Council to be revised to meet
University Catalog standards. Senator
Woosley, a member of the submitting college reported that the description was
not that intended for the course, but in fact included parts of
inter-departmental memos and asked that the course be returned with the correct
description directly to the EC for inclusion in the December meeting. The substitution of EC for GC in the original
motion was agreed to and the motion then passed without dissent.
Dr. Konrad explained that there was
never an intention to withdraw MODL 337, Russian Drama, as a course but that it
may be renamed in the future. The vote
to remove the course from the list of courses to be removed was unanimous.
New Business
Committee of the Whole
Senator
Feldman requested that at least substantive issues and outcomes be included in
the minutes since referral to attachments that cannot be obtained later may
make decisions described in the minutes almost meaningless.
Senator
Vogel, Chair of the UCC indicated that the AOC deans are concerned with Senate
decisions such as the institution of the University Studies Degree that they
are then required to implement, having had no input into the decision process. They have suggested that it would be helpful
if joint Senate and AOC committees can be established earlier in the process.
Senator
Vogel indicated that a proposal for considering +/- grading will be presented
to the Senate in December and passed out a draft of the proposed grading system
which has A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B-=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2.0, C-=1.7, D=1.0 and F=0.
.
Senator
Carlson questioned the current status of the Dean and Department Head hiring
and retention rules that the Senate passed last month. Dr. Slack indicated that the Deans still
object to the reporting of vote tallies back to the faculty involved, and Dr.
Watson indicated that some Deans also objected to the provision that allows the
search committee to cull prospects found acceptable to the faculty from the
list that goes forward. She indicated
there is also a potential problem in the wording that could leave upper
administration out of the decision on hiring a department head.
Senator
Carlson also indicated that there is still a move to contract computer
purchases and that any plan that would prevent individual faculty from making
decisions on computer purchases should
be vigorously resisted by the Senate.
Senator
Strawser asked that the Senate EC consider making the week of Thanksgiving a
vacation and eliminating the use of “redefined days”.
Senator
Stedelmann suggested the University should hire a professional Parliamentarian
to assist groups at all levels in the University in writing proper rules,
regulations and minutes!
Adjourn
The
meeting was adjourned at 5:00 pm.