FACULTY SENATE MEETING
Minutes
December
11, 2006
Present: Abbott,
Akleman, Arant-Kaspar, Armstrong, Aufderheide, Bangerth, Battle, Bednarz,
Benedik, Blasingame, Carlson, Carrigan, Ellis, Feldman, Fike, Grant, Gunn,
Hall, Heilman, Hise, Hobbs, Ing, Kelly, Lard, Machann, Magill, Martindale,
McGeachin, McIntyre, Meagher, Merrell, Messina, Moreira, Price, Reese, Riccio,
Rich, Schultz, Slack, Smith, Speed, Stadelmann, Stallone, Stein, Stewart,
Strawser, Valasek, Vogel, Volkman, Walker, Ward, Welsh, Winemiller, Woodman,
Woosley
Watson (Dean of Faculties)
Bazzi, Thornton (
Absent: Beksok,
Boyd, Cagin, Cepeda-Benito, Centinkaya, Cobb, Collisson, Curry, Estrada, Fink, Gawande,
Geva, Harms, Harris, Hobson Kenimer, Kirkendall,
Klein, La-Pastina, Linton, Loudder, Luiselli, Mahapatra, Pearl, Petersen, Reddy,
Shandley, Stabile, Straube, Toby, Toliyat, Vaid, Vedlitz, Warden, Webb-Johnson, Whiteacre,
Call to Order The
meeting was called to order at 3:20 by Speaker Slack
Speaker
Comments: The Speaker reported that he and Speaker-Elect
Price had met with minority student leaders (Amethyst Black, Kaku Barkoh and
Alisha Adams) concerning developing a plan for assuring the Core requirement for
International and Cultural Diversity is made as effective as possible in making
the campus welcome to all. He has also
met with the Mexican American Latino Faculty Association to encourage greater
participation in the Senate.
Speaker
Slack congratulated Dr. Martyn Gunn on being named to the position of Dean of
Undergraduate Programs and Associate Provost.
The
Speaker announced the recent untimely death of a colleague in Civil
Engineering, Dr. Timothy Kramer in a light plane crash.
Minutes of the November 13 Faculty
Senate Meeting were approved as distributed and are available on the Senate website. Motion Passed F.S.
24.50
Consent Agenda
Graduate
Council
(Recommended Approval) Motion Passed F.S. 24.51
New Courses-Sep 7, 2006 Attachment B
AGRO
663 Applied Spatial Statistics
ELEN
640 Thin Film Science and Technology
FRSC
663 Applied Spatial Statistics
MKTG
670 Marketing Leadership
MKTG
687 Seminar in Marketing Models
PETE
636 Horizontal, Multilateral
Intelligent Wells
New
Courses-Oct 5, 2006 Attachment C
HLTH 659 Writing for Health
Educators Motion Passed F.S. 24.52
University Curriculum Committee (Recommended Approval) Attachment D
New Courses-Oct 13, 2006 Motion
Passed F.S. 24.53
ACCT 410 Fraud
Examination
AERO
445 Vehicle
Management Systems
AGCJ
281 Journalism
Concepts for Agriculture
ANSC
487 Sensory
Evaluation of Foods
BIIOL
401 Critical
Writing in Biology
ENGR
410 Global
Engineering
GEOG
420 Geography
of Terrorism
IBUS
460 Academy
for Future International Leaders
MATH
439 Differential
Geometry of Curves and Surfaces
MKTG
438 Strategic
Internet Marketing
RLEM
420 Ecological
Restoration of Wetland and Riparian Systems
New
Courses-Nov 10, 2006 Attachment
E (p. 1-248)
AERO 424 Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Control Motion Passed F.S. 24.54
AERO 426 Space System Design
AGSM 462 Advanced GIS Analysis for Natural Resource
Management
ARAB 101 Beginning Arabic I
ARAB 102 Beginning Arabic II
ARAB 201 Intermediate Arabic I
ARAB 202 Intermediate Arabic II
CPSC 121 Introduction to Program Design and Concepts
CPSC 181 Introduction to Computing
CPSC 312 Computer Organization
CPSC 313 Introduction to Computer systems
CPSC 314 Programming Languages
CPSC 315 Programming Studio
CPSC 482 Senior Capstone Design
CVEN 343 Portland Cement Concrete Materials for
Civil Engineers
EURO 405 European Cinema
EURO 430 Seminar in German Literature and Culture
EURO 431 German Author and Genre Studies
EURO 432 Music in German Culture
EURO 434 Martin Luther and the Reformation in
EURO 435 German Film
EURO 436 German Fairy Tales
EURO 441 The Russian Novel I: Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
EURO 442 The Russian Novel II: The Twentieth Century
EURO 446 Russian Artistic Culture I: Beginnings to
1900
EURO 447 Russian Artistic Culture II: 1890 to
Present
FILM 405 European Cinema
FILM 435 German Film
GEOG 102 Introduction to Spatial Sciences
GERM 430 Seminar in German Literature and Culture
GERM 431 German Author and Genre Studies
JAPN 401 Advanced Japanese I
JAPN 402 Advanced Japanese II
POLS 362 Latin American Political Thought
RUSS 410 Seminar in Russian Studies
RUSS 441 The Russian Novel I: Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
RUSS 442 The Russian Novel II: The Twentieth Century
RUSS 446 Russian Artistic Culture I: Beginnings to
1900
RUSS 447 Russian Artistic Culture II: 1890 to
Present
SOMS 381 Workshop in Leadership Education II
SOMS 482 Seminar in Executive Leadership II
SOMS 485 Directed Studies
SPSC 102 Introduction to Spatial Sciences
SPSC 461 Geographic Information Systems for Resource
Managers
SPSC 462 Advanced GIS Analysis for Natural Resource
Management
VIBS 926 Introduction to Public Health Concepts
VMID 925 Diagnostic Imaging Interpretation I
VMID 926 Diagnostic Imaging Interpretation II
VTPB 913 Infectious Diseases
VTPP 401 History of Human and Veterinary Medicine
in
WFSC 419 Wildlife Restoration
Withdrawal of Courses-Nov 10, 2006 (p. 249-253)
CPSC
210 Data Structures
GERM
415 Franz Kafka
GERM 418 Post-War
RUSS
341
RUSS
401 The Russian Novel.
Change
in Courses-Nov 10, 2006 (p. 254-351)
ANSC 316 Aptitude
and performance Appraisal of Horses
CHEM 101 Fundamentals
of Chemistry I
CHEM 102 Fundamental
of Chemistry II
CHEM 111 Fundamentals
of Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 112 Fundamentals
of Chemistry Laboratory II
CHEN 425 Chemical
Engineering Plant Economics
CHEN 461 Process
Control and Instrumental
CVEN 342 Materials
of Construction
CVEN 365 Introduction
to Geotechnical Engineering
CVEN 422 Civil
Engineering Systems II
CVEN 455 Urban
Stormwater Management
CVEN 458 Hydraulic
Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering: Change in course prefix for
all ELEN courses to ECEN
GERM 310 Conversation
and Composition I
GRM 311 Conversation
and Composition II
GERM 350 German
Film
GERM 404 Martin
Luther and the Formation in
GERM 405 Music
in German Culture
GERM 416 German
Fairy Tales
HLTH 421 Elementary
School Health
MEEN 227 Principles
of Thermodynamics
MEEN 260 Mechanical
Measurements
MEEN 402 Intermediate
Design
MEEN 404 Engineering
Laboratory
MODL 337 Russian
Drama
NUEN 406 Nuclear
Engineering Systems and Design
NUEN 430 Computer
Applications in Nuclear Engineering
RELS 404 Martin
Luther and the Reformation in
RUSS 337 Russian
Drama
VMID 924 Radiology
VTPB 910 Microbiology
I
VTPB 911 Microbiology
II
VTPP 926 Pharmacology/Toxicology
III
WFSC 420 Ecology
for Teachers
Consent Agenda: Sen. Hobbs
(COS) requested that CPSC 221, 222, and 411 be removed from the consent
agenda. The remaining items were
approved without opposition.
Senator Stewart called for a
quorum. The count was 58 present. A quorum is 47. Speaker Slack declared a quorum present.
Committee
Reports (all moved for approval by the Secretary of the Senate)
Executive
Committee
W Courses – New Course Request, Nov 16, 2006 Attachment F Motion Passed F.S. 24.55
BESC
489 Special Topics in Water and
Bioenvironmental Sciences
MICR
455 Immunology Lab
PHYS
491 Undergraduate Research Writing
in Physics
POLS
423
POLS
424 Comparative Democratic
Institutions
SOCI
489 Sociology In and Out of
FSTC
481 Food Science and Technology
Seminar
RUSS
301 Advanced Grammar and Composition
RDNG
372
MARS
430 Geological Ocean
ATMO
456 Practical Weather Forecasting
University
Curriculum Committee
Changes
in Curriculum - November 10, 2006
Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology
B.S.
in Bioenvironmental Sciences
Department of Health and Kinesiology
B.S. in Health
Department of Health and Kinesiology
B.S. in Health
Community Health Option
Allied Health Option
B.S. in Civil Engineering
Department of Computer Science
B.S. in Computer
Science
Department of Mechanical Engineering
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
B.S. in Nuclear Engineering
B.S. in Radiological Health Engineering
Veterinary Medicine – DVM Professional Motion Passed F.S. 24.64
All
items were approved unanimously with corrected information in the B. S. in
Computer Science considered an editorial change.
Special
Consideration - November 10, 2006
Women’s Studies Program
AWIL Scholars Program, a Certificate in Gender
and Leadership
Minor in Asian Studies
Department of Health and Kinesiology
Outdoor Education Minor – withdrawal
International Certificate Program for
Engineering Students
With regard to the
Attachment T Motion Passed F.S. 24.70
In regard to the removal of CPSC
221, 222, and 411 from the consent agenda, Senator Hobbs explained that CPSC
222 matched a course already taught by the Department of Mathematics, and CPSC
221 and CPSC 411 referred to CPSC 222.
Senator Walker (ENG) presented the following motion detailing a
resolution that had been agreed to by the respective Department Heads:
1. The request for
CPSC 222 has been deleted.
2. The co-required
course for CPSC 221 will be Math 302.
3. The prerequisite
for CPSC 411 will be Math 302.
The motion was seconded by Senator Vogel (COS) and following
distribution of corrected curriculum incorporating these changes with
agreements from both department heads, the motion passed unanimously.
Old Business
There was no old business.
New Business
Per a request from Senator Strawser, the Speaker called the Senate,
with staff, into Executive Session to consider a matter private to the Senate.
Committee of the Whole
1. Senator McGeachin (LIBR) who is Chair of the election committee reported that it is time for reapportionment, but that a change in the bylaws needs to be made. Whereas the constitution limits the number of Senators to 100, the bylaws call for 1 Senator per 24 Faculty. Now that we have over 2,600 faculty, it would be advisable to make the by-laws simply state “the total number of faculty divided by 100 will provide the proportional representation number”.
2. Senator Carlson (GEOS) suggested the By-Laws Committee should also consider going to departmental representation, in the belief that there would be greater participation and feedback to constituents.
3. Senator Stadelmann (LA), Chair of the by-laws committee indicated these issues would be addressed in a January meeting. He also indicated the issue of term limits would be re-addressed.
4. Senator Stadelmann pointed out that the Senate appears to be being by-passed from “above and below”. He pointed out that a “Forensic Sciences” degree never considered by the Senate was reported as approved by the Board of Regents. In addition, having curricula approved with required 489 special topics courses means that the Senate is basically agreeing to accept courses that can be offered without any level of review.
5. Speaker Slack explained that his investigations showed that in fact the Board of Regents had not approved a “Forensic Sciences” degree, but to put a request before the Coordinating Board that would allow TAMU to offer such a curriculum in the future, an essential step since that authority does not currently exist. He indicated that since requests of approval to offer specific programs directly affect academic matters there could still be an issue over whether such requests should also seek prior Senate approval. Any request for initiating a degree program in Forensic Sciences must still come before the Senate.
6. Senator Hobbs voiced concern over the number of curricula reducing the number of required credits to 120 (or the lowest number accepted for SACS accreditation) and suggested that the Coordinating Board was not pressing the issue despite it being a law enacted by the legislature. Speaker-Elect Hill Price said there are a number (perhaps 7) of acceptable reasons for exceptions to the 120 credit rule that can be sought, and that word needs to get out to the faculty groups that it is possible to be granted an exception. Dean of Faculties Watson said that while the University is not pushing programs to reduce the number of credits required at the cost of quality, documentation of exceptions will be expected.
7. Senator Vogel reported that the plus/minus grading issue was being examined by a joint committee from the Faculty and Student Senates.
8. Senator Gunn announced that when he becomes a Dean, he will resign his Senate seat, and thanked the members for their support over 4 enjoyable years. Although he would still be eligible to retain his seat as a Faculty Member, he feels resigning is the proper step.
Adjourn
The
meeting was adjourned at 4:30 pm.