October 12, 1015
Printable Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
Minutes
October 12, 2015
3:15pm
601 Rudder Tower
http://facultysenate.tamu.edu
In Attendance: Louise Abbott, Gamal Akabani, Ergun Akleman, Derya Akleman, Stephen Alton, Joe Arosh, David Baca, Judith Ball, Debjyoti Banerjee, Guy Battle, Domonic Bearfield, Leonard Bierman, Joseph Boutros, John Buchanan, Christine Budke, Tahir Cagin, Richard Carlson, Luis Filipe Castro, Piers Chapman, Jeff Cirillo, William Beford Clark, Walter Daugherity, Nimir Elbashir, Margaret Ezell, Alva Ferninand, Jose Fernandez-Solis, Anthony Filippi, David Ford, Tammy Frank-Cannon, Lisa Geraci, Kevin Glowacki, Melinda Grant, Ira Greenbaum, Ayman Hamouda, Greg Heim, Kim Quaile Hill, Angie Hill Price, Brian Holland, Alan Honeyman, Jon Jasperson, Daniel Jimenez, Mark Johnson, Trez Jones, Kara Jones-Schubart, Cong Kang, Chris Kerth, Andrew Klein, Gary Kunkel, Thomas Linton, James Long, Charles Long, Blanca Lupiani, Igor Lyuksyutov, Cling Magill, Vanita Mahajan, Beth McNeill, Stephen Miller, Miguel Mora, Leslie Morey, Bruce Neville, Lynne Opperman, Alexandra Pooley, Sorin Popescu, Dale Rice, James Rogers, Eric Rowell, Laura Sare, Jordan Schweitzer, Jorge Seminario, Robert Shaw, Mark Sicilio, Joe Spurlock, John Stallone, Randolph Stewart, Bob Strawser, Michelle Strong, Cecilia Tamborindeguy, Gabriela Thornton, Joe Thornton, Grace Townsend, Kim-Vy Tran, Nancy Turner, Gretchen Tyson, Jyotsna Vaid, Evan Vestal, Hank Walker, Jaye Weston, Richard White, Matthew Whiteacre, Ben Wilhite, Jim Woosley
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 3:18pm.
Guest Speaker
Speaker Comments
Speaker Strawser announced that he had met with most committees, and asked the members to come up with specific issues that the Senate could discuss. He asked the committees to present the issues to Kelly, who will place them before the EC for consideration at future meetings. Speaker Strawser would like the Senate to focus on a couple of specific issues at each meeting.
Speaker Strawser announced that Representative Flores would be meeting with the Legislative Affairs committee and EC on Wednesday. October 14, 2015.
The Vice Provost made a presentation on the Task Force dealing with Faculty Evaluations and Post Tenure Review. Vice Provost Benedik is chairing the committee, which is broad based, and is reviewing the Post Tenure Review (PTR) policies from the University’s perspective. The committee is examining PTR policies at other institutions with respect to Texas Law, and reviewing the PTR guidelines as instituted across campus. The committee could be happy with the current rule, or recommend revisions with central guidance to make the PTR more uniform across the University. The committee will also assess what criteria is evaluated, and how good teaching in determined. Any recommendations for change will have to go through a number of channels including the Faculty Senate before implementation. Vice Provost Benedik indicated that the process is in month two of a one to two year timeline.
Two students from the Memorial Student Center (MSC) leadership gave a preliminary presentation on future programs that would help students create faculty relationships outside of the classroom through events sponsored at the MSC.
Approval of September 14, 2015 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes
The minutes of the August meeting were approved as submitted.
Consent Agenda
GRADUATE COUNCIL – GC REPORT
September 3, 2015
New Course
BICH 679 Building Scientific Relationships
BMEN 637 Pathologic Basis of Implantable Devices
ECEN 767 Harnessing Solar Energy: Optics, Photovoltaics and Thermal Systems
MEEN 660 Corrosion Engineering
MEEN 669 Alternative Energy Conversion
MGMT 674 Building Scientific Relationships
SCSC 628 Soil Mineralogy Lab
SOCI 683 Professional Writing and Publication
Attachment B
FS-33-72
Motion Passed
Change Course Request
CVEN 666 Foundation Structures
ECON 630 Microeconomic Theory II
HISP 602 Spanish Applied Linguistics
PSYC 684 Professional Internship
SCSC 626 Soil Mineralogy
Attachment C
FS-33-73
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
Texas A&M University Law School
THECB SCH Change in Semester Credit Hours
Master of Jurisprudence
Attachment D
FS-33-74
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
Texas A&M University Law School
THECB SCH Change in Semester Credit Hours
Master of Jurisprudence in Intellectual Property
Attachment E
FS-33-75
Motion Passed
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE – UCC REPORT
New Courses – September 4, 2015
AGEC 324 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship – Budgeting
ANSC 211 Equine Industry and Career Preparation
ANTH 436 Ancient Egypt
ENTO 321 Beekeeping
ESSM 324 Forest Measurements
FILM 445 Rhetoric of Television and Film
MEEN 439 Solar Energy Engineering
MEEN 469 Alternative Energy Conversion
PETE 337 Junior Student Paper Contest
PETE 437 Senior Student Paper Contest
RELS 436 Ancient Egypt
Attachment F
FS-33-76
Motion Passed
Withdrawal of Courses
ESSM 460 Spatial Data Acquisition with Field Methods
Attachment G
FS-33-77
Motion Passed
Change in Courses
COMM 435 Rhetoric of Television and Film
ENTO 291 Research
ENTO 484 Professional Internship
ENTO 491 Research
ESSM 415 Range Analysis and Management Planning
ESSM 430 Advanced Restoration Ecology
ESSM 459 Spatial Databases and Programming
ESSM 464 Spatial Project Management
FIVS 291 Research
FIVS 484 Professional Internship
FIVS 491 Research
NUTR 430 Community Nutrition
OCNG 410 Introduction to Physical Oceanography
OCNG 420 Introduction to Biological Oceanography
OCNG 430 Introduction to Geological Oceanography
OCNG 440 Introduction to Chemical Oceanography
PSYC 485 Directed Studies
PSYC 491 Research
RENR 410 Ecosystem Management
Attachment H
FS-33-78
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
BS in Forestry
Attachment I
FS-33-79
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Minor in Forestry
Attachment J
FS-33-80
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Entomology
Minor in Entomology
Attachment K
FS-33-81
Motion Passed
TAMU Galveston
New Course
MARS 408 Estuarine and Coastal Hydrodynamics
Attachment L
FS-33-82
Motion Passed
TAMU Galveston
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Department of Marine Biology
BS in Marine Biology
Attachment M
FS-33-83
Motion Passed
TAMU Galveston
Change in Curriculum
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Department of Maritime Biology
BS in Marine Fisheries
Attachment N
FS-33-84
Motion Passed
TAMU Galveston
Special Consideration Item
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Department of Liberal Studies
Minor in Maritime Studies
Request for a new minor
Attachment O
FS-33-85
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Performance Studies
Minor in Performance Studies
Request for a new minor
Attachment P
FS-33-86
Motion Passed
Special Consideration Item
College of Liberal Arts
Department of Performance Studies
Minor in Music
Minor in Theater Arts
Request to discontinue minors
Attachment Q
FS-33-87
Motion Passed
Change in Curriculum (from August 2015 UCC Meeting)
Dwight Look College of Engineering
Department of Petroleum Engineering
BS in Petroleum Engineering
Attachment R
FS-33-88
Motion Passed
W-COURSES - Report September 11, 2015
Courses submitted for W recertification
ANSC 314 Wool and Mohair Evaluation
ANSC 414 Sheep and Goat Production
ATMO 463 Air Pollution Meteorology
BIOL 455 Introductory Immunology Laboratory
CHEM 234 Organic Synthesis
COSC 494 Professional Internship
ENGL 308 History of Literary
ESSM 405 Forest Resource Assessment and Management
ESSM 430 Advanced Restoration Ecology
INTS 403 Nations and Nationalisms
MARA 416 Port Operations, Administration and Economics
MARB 435 Marine Invertebrate Zoology
OCEN 410 Ocean Engineering Laboratory
PHIL 381 Ethical Theory
RPTS/RENR 460 Nature, Values and Protected Areas
SCSC 429 Turfgrass Management Systems
WFSC 403 Animal Ecology
WFSC 410 Principles of Fisheries Management
Courses submitted for C recertification
ARCH 305 Design Studio III
MART 410 Watchstanding: Bridge Resource Management
VIBS 489 Science in Cinema and Society
Attachment S
FS-33-89
Motion Passed
__________________________________End of Consent Agenda____________________________________
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Core Curriculum Council Report- October 5, 2015
Attachment T
FS-33-93
Motion Passed
Informational Review Items
Unfinished Business
Old Business
After much discussion, changes to Student Rules 49 and 50 passed. Student Rule 53 was not approved. Rule 57 was approved with editorial changes: in 57.5.2.3, and in 57.5.2.4, the phrase “or other pertinent information” was added after the phrase “first-hand knowledge”. This is in reference to witnesses who may speak about the case.
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 49 (from September 2015)
Attachment U
FS-33-90
Motion Passed
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 50 (from September 2015)
Attachment V
FS-33-91
Motion Passed
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 53 (from September 2015)
Attachment W
Motion Failed
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 57 (from September 2015)
Attachment X
FS-33-92
Motion Passed pending revisions
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 59 (from September 2015)
Attachment Y
Motion Failed
New Business
Rules that were presented in new business were not approved, and will be taken up at the next meeting.
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 1
Attachment Z
Motion Tabeled until November
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 5
Attachment AA
Motion Tabeled until November
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 8
Attachment BB
Motion Tabeled until November
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 10.5.2.2
Attachment CC
Motion Tabeled until November
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 10.14.4
Attachment DD
Motion Tabeled until November
Proposed Revisions to Student Rule 17
Attachment EE
Motion Tabeled until November
Approval of Faculty Senate Constitution Revisions
Attachment FF
No Action Taken- Pending Revisions
The changes to the Constitution were approved by the Senate and will be sent to the general faculty for a vote.
Senator Fernandez-Solis asked the Senate to think about changing the way the EC is formed in order to make sure that each college is represented on the EC. He suggested that the EC be made up of the caucus leaders. Senator Rice moved that the issue be referred to the bylaws committee and the EC, and request that these groups think about those alternatives of representation. Motion passed.
Information Only
Faculty Senate Bylaw Revisions
Attachment GG
No Action Taken
Committee of the Whole
Senator Morey represents the Senate on the Transition of Services Committee, which has been tasked with moving Sponsored Research Services from the system to TAMU. The goal is to make SRS truly service oriented, rather than an obstacle. He asked for emails with questions or concerns, to
morey@tamu.edu .
Senator Jasperson brought up concerns about ecampus, and asked that IT should come to the Senate to address the issue.
Senator Cirillo noted that though we have rules about smoking on campus, there doesn’t seem to be any enforcement of those rules.
Senator Whiteacre brought up the elimination of the ENDG program by the College of Engineering. He said that it did not appear that the College had any discussion to help the 3 faculty impacted by this decision. Interim Dean of Faculties Lupiani noted that the funds from the college will be moved to the departments that need the courses, and the departments will hire faculty to teach the courses.
Senator Hill continued the discussion of the smoking rules and said that he felt like the University was not trying to enforce the rules at all.
Senator Klein said that there is no way for faculty to see a transcript of a graduate student and that access to Howdy was removed for faculty who are still advising. Vice Provost Benedik said that FERPA limits who has access, and that the college administrations and department heads have to make the request for faculty, so the determination on who has valid reasons for access will vary across departments.
Senator Akabani expressed concern about student safety near the Zachry construction area and that students should not be permitted to use skateboards there.
Senator Price suggested that the Senate host an open forum to discuss concealed carry on campus.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 4:59 PM.