July 13, 2015
Printable Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
Minutes
July 13, 2015
601 Rudder Tower
http://facultysenate.tamu.edu
In Attendance: Louise Abbott, Gamal Akabani, Judith Ball, Debjyoti Banerjee, Guy Battle, Leonard Bierman, Carlos Blanton, Nathan Crick, Walter Daugherity, Margaret Ezell, Jose Fernandez-Solis, David Ford, Gerald Frye, Clare Gill, Elsa Gonzalez, Ira Greenbaum, Julie Harlin, Greg Heim, Kim Quaile Hill, Angie Hill Price, Shelley Holliday, Jon Jasperson, Charles Long, Clint Magill, John Quarles, Deva Reddy, James Rogers, Karen Russell, Laura Sare, Jorge Seminario, Mark Sicilio, Nancy Simpson, Joe Spurlock III, Bob Strawser, Kim-Vy Tran, Evan Vestal, Coran Watanabe, Jim Woosley, Gary Kunkel
Call to Order
Guest Speaker
Speaker Comments
Approval of June 8, 2015 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes
The minutes were tabled to be reviewed at the August 10 meeting.
Consent Agenda
GRADUATE COUNCIL – GC REPORT
May 7, 2015
New Course Request
ACCT 625 Professional Accounting Seminar
EEBL 601 Physiological Ecology
EEBL 602 Population Ecology
EEBL 603 Community Ecology
EEBL 604 Ecosystem Ecology
EEBL 605 Population and Quantitative Genetics
EEBL 606 Phylogenetics and Comparative Biology
EEBL 607 Evolutionary Genomics
EEBL 608 Integrative Animal Behavior
EEBL 610 First Year Graduate Seminar
EEBL 612 Open Source for Open Science Bootcamp
EEBL 681 Seminar
INTA 637 Field Research Methods
INTA 671 The Political Economy of the Middle East
MEEN 602 Modeling and Analysis of Mechanical Systems
MEEN 604 Time Frequency Nonlinear Vibration Control
PHPM 603 Managing Healthcare Data and Information
PHPM 604 Population and Public Health for Health Professionals
SOCI 682 Grant Writing for the Social Sciences
Attachment B
FS.33.3
Motion Passed
GRADUATE COUNCIL – GC REPORT
June 4, 2015
New Course Request
BIOL 612 Fundamental Molecular Cell Biology
EDCI 754 Trends in Data Management and Analysis
GEOG 677 Geomorphometry
HCPI 551 Healthcare Quality Improvement and Informatics
KINE 614 External Research Fund Development
OCNG 669 Python for Geosciences
Attachment C
FS.33.4
Motion Passed
Change Course Request
ECON 609 Human Resource Economics I
ECON 610 Human Resource Economics II
ECON 635 Monetary Theory
ECON 637 Monetary Policy
EHRD 628 Research & Publishing in HRD
EHRD 628 Feminist Pedagogy
WGST 680 Theories of Gender
Attachment D
FS.33.5
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
School of Law
3+3 Bachelor’s /JD Program Educational Program
Attachment E
FS.33.6
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
School of Law- New Program Proposals
Master of Jurisprudence (M.Jur)
Master of Jurisprudence in Intellectual Property (M.Jur)
Master of Laws (LL.M.)
Master of Laws in Intellectual Property (LL.M.)
Attachment F
FS.33.7
Motion Passed
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE – UCC REPORT
New Courses – May 8, 2015
ASTR 103 Introduction to Stars and Exoplanets.
ASTR 104 Introduction to Galaxies and Cosmology
FILM 345 Media Industries.
LMAS 201 Introduction to Latino/Mexican American Studies
Attachment G
FS.33.8
Motion Passed
Change in Courses
AGSC 383 Teaching Ag Mechanics
MATH 467 Modern Geometry
STAT 414 Mathematical Statistics I
STAT 415 Mathematical Statistics II
Attachment H
FS.33.9
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Liberal Arts
Minor in Film Studies
Attachment I
FS.33.10
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Science
Department of Mathematics
BA in Mathematics
Attachment J
FS.33.11
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Science
Department of Mathematics
BS in Mathematics
Attachment K
FS.33.12
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Science
Department of Mathematics
BS in Applied Mathematical Sciences
Attachment L
FS.33.13
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Science
Department of Mathematics
BS in Applied Mathematical Sciences
Computational Science Track
Attachment M
FS.33.14
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Science
Department of Mathematics
Minor in Mathematics
Attachment N
FS.33.15
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications
Minor in Extension Education
Request for a new minor
Attachment O
FS.33.16
Motion Passed
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Chemical Engineering Program
BS in Chemical Engineering
Attachment P
FS.33.17
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Chemical Engineering Program
BS in Chemical Engineering
Attachment Q
FS.33.18
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Electrical Engineering Program
BS in Electrical Engineering
Attachment R
FS.33.19
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Mechanical Engineering Program
BS in Mechanical Engineering
Attachment S
FS.33.20
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Petroleum Engineering Program
BS in Petroleum Engineering
Attachment T
FS.33.21
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Qatar
Petroleum Engineering Program
BS in Petroleum Engineering
Attachment U
FS.33.22
Motion Passed
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE – UCC REPORT
New Courses – June 12, 2015
OCNG 469 Python for Geosciences
HLTH 333 Spirituality and Health
Attachment V
FS.33.23
Motion Passed
Withdrawal of Courses
SCSC 101 Introduction to Soil and Crop Science
SCSC 303 Crop Ecology
SCSC 306 Grain, Fiber and Oilseed Crops
SCSC 308 Forage Crops
SCSC 314 Life and Physical Environment
SCSC 425 Biofuels and the Environment
SCSC 435 Ecology of Agrichemicals in Field Crops and Turf
SCSC 445 Soil Physics
SCSC 450 Chemical Weed Control
SCSC 460 Problems in Agronomy - Plants
SCSC 461 Problems in Agronomy - Soils
Attachment W
FS.33.24
Motion Passed
Change in Courses
FINC 351 Investment Analysis
FINC 361 Managerial Finance I
FINC 422 Applied Investment Analysis
FINC 423 Options and Financial Futures
FINC 424 Trading Risk Management
FINC 425 Active Portfolio Management
FINC 426 Trading Market
FINC 428 Fixed Income Analysis
FINC 435 Managerial Finance II
FINC 443 Valuation
FINC 445 International Finance
FINC 447 Financial Statement Analysis
FINC 449 Financial Modeling
FINC 472 Real Estate Finance
FINC 473 Real Estate Appraisal
FINC 475 Real Estate Investment Analysis
IBUS 445 International Finance
OCNG 401 Interdisciplinary Oceanography
Attachment X
FS.33.25
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
Mays Business School
Department of Finance
BBA in Finance
Attachment Y
FS.33.26
Motion Passed
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Change in Curricula
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Department of Marine Biology
BS in Marine Biology – License Option
Department of Marine Sciences
BS in Marine Sciences – License Option
Department of Marine Transportation
BS in Marine Transportation
Attachment Z
FS.33.27
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Animal Science
Minor in Animal Science
Request to discontinue minor
Attachment AA
FS.33.28
Motion Passed
W-COURSES - Report May 22, 2015
Courses submitted for W certification
INTS 410 Gender and the Global Modern: International Perspectives
MATH 442 W Mathematical Modeling
SOCI 411 Social Psychology
SPED 310 Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities
Courses submitted for W recertification
ARCH 205 Architectural Design
CLAS 491 Research
ENGR 401 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design
MATH 220 Foundations in Mathematics
MATH 491 Research
PHIL 410 Classical Philosophy
Courses submitted for C recertification
MATH 442 C Mathematical Modeling
Attachment BB
FS.33.29
Motion Passed
W-COURSES - Report May 22, 2015
Courses submitted for W certification
ANTH 434 Human Evolutionary Economy II
ANTH 445/AFST 489/RELS 489 Studies in African Diaspora
STAT 182 Foundations of Statistics
STAT 482 Statistics Capstone
Courses submitted for W recertification
INST 362 English as a Second Language (ESL) Methods I
OCNG 410 Introductions to Physical Oceanography
RDNG 371 Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Literature for Middle Schools
SOCI/WGST 424 Women and work in Society
Attachment CC
FS.33.30
Motion Passed
__________________________________End of Consent Agenda____________________________________
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Critical Task Force on Four Year Graduation Rates Final Report
Attachment DD
FS.33.31
Motion Passed
Information Only
Graduate Council, May 2015- Special Consideration Items
Graduate Faculty Guideline Changes (new policy begins on page 8)
Informational Review Items
SOPH 680 Public Health Capstone
Attachment FF
FS.33.32
Motion Passed
Unfinished Business
Old Business
New Business
Committee of the Whole
A request was made for information regarding how Academic Analytics will be used in the College of Engineering and the University to identify at-risk students.
Senator Woosley gave a brief summary of the task force on four year graduation rates. He said that faculty are encouraged to be creative in how we get students to graduate in four years. We are not where we need to be. Our current rate is 56% of our first time in college, full time freshmen graduating in four years. The University’s goal is to get to the low 60’s. We are number two in the state of Texas. Faculty should be aware of this goal, and should be advocates to finding creative solutions in each college. The Provost doesn’t want to degrade a degree with a blanket approval for substitutions, but wants the faculty to approve courses that make sense. We are being compared to our peer institutions across the nation. Individual programs may have some unique aspect that justifies students taking longer. Dean of Faculties Benedik said that often students are delayed because classes are full or that they took classes in wrong order. High impact experiences are also being reviewed as to impact on graduation rates.
Speaker Strawser announced that his goal for the Senate for the year was to have fewer outside speakers, and have more discussion and committee reports.
Senator Ackerman expressed concern that outside entities such as reporters were going to the CPI or DPs for statements about faculty. She wanted to make sure these outside entities know that the Faculty Senate is the only organization that represents all faculty. Dean of Faculties Benedik noted that the administration fully supports the idea that the Faculty Senate is the overall representative organization.
Speaker Strawser indicated that the Faculty Senate action items should align with and support the strategic plan of the University, and that we should suggest modifications to the plan as needed.
Adjourn