September 12, 2011

FACULTY SENATE MEETING MINUTES
September 12, 2011
3:15 p.m., 601 Rudder Tower
http://facultysenate.tamu.edu
 
Present: Derya Akleman, Ergun Akleman, Jorge Alvarado, Carisa Armstrong, Judith Ball, Michael Benedik, Leonard Bierman, Doug Biggs, Patrick Burkart, Joe Cerami, William Bedford Clark, Mark Clayton, Jonathan Coopersmith, Joe Dannenbaum, Swaroop Darbha, Walter Daugherity, Darryl De Ruiter, Janice Epstein, Jose Fernandez-Solis, L. Paige Fields, Edward Funkhouser, Norma Funkhouser, Fran Gelwick, Clare Gill, Ira Greenbaum, Janet Hammer, Mike Hanik, Ed Harris, Kevin Heinz, Kim Quaile Hill, Shelley Holliday, Richard Hutchinson, Wendy Jepson, Guido Kanschat, Karen  Kubena, Paulo Lima-Filho, Carol Loopstra, Blanca Lupiani, Clint Magill, Vanita Mahajan, Christopher Mathewson, Kathryn McKenzie, Stephen    Miller, Jeffrey Morris, A. Gene Nelson, Brian Perkins, Michelle Pine, Harland Prechel, Leslie Reynolds, Dale Rice, J. Maurice Rojas, Luis San Andres, Jason Sawyer, Karen-Beth Scholthof, Brian Shaw, John Stallone, Elizabeth Tebeaux, Winfried Teizer, Mike Thornton, Wyoma vanDuinkerken, Gary Varner, William West, B. Dan Wood, Richard Woodman, Jim Woosley
 
Absent: Louise Abbott, Jaime Alvarado-Bremer, Perla Balbuena, Maria Barrufet, Hassan Bashir, Charles Bollfrass, Edward Brothers, John Carhart, Gwendolyn Carroll, Gwan Seong Choi, Richard Curry, Robin Dabareiner, Louise Darcey, Ron Douglas, John Edens, Gioia Falcone, Holly Gaede, Stephen Guetersloh, Karl Haupt, Dirk Hays, Patrick Louchouarn, Igor Lyuksyutov, R.N. Mahapatra, Sam Mannan, Kathleen Speed, Richard Stadelmann, Douglas Starr, Bob Strawser, Vatche Tchakerian, Grace Townsend, Manuelita Ureta, Jijayanagaram Venkatraj, Wei Wan, Tryon Wichersham, Keyan Zhu-Salzman
 
 
Call to Order:
Speaker Benedik called the meeting to order at 3:17 P.M. and reminded senators of the Academic Convocation September 16th. He introduced Distinguished Professor and Founding Speaker John McDermott, who briefly recounted the history of the faculty senate’s founding and of the last few years, and urged administrators and senators to recognize that the faculty are responsible for the academic well-being of the university. He then administered the oath of office to new senators and welcomed them.
 
 
Guest Speakers:
Speaker Benedik introduced John Sharp, the incoming chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. Chancellor Sharp said shared governance is  the most important idea in the world, on which this nation was founded, and promised not to bring any idea of his to the Board of Regents without input from all stakeholders. He said that if lean state revenues continue, he will first cut items which don’t affect teaching and research. He noted that     TAMU is young as a university and has much room to grow and improve.
 
Chris Mathewson (Geosciences) asked him about service in addition to teaching and research; he replied that he assumed that being involved in public service was a given, but he would make service more explicit.
 
Kim Hill (Liberal Arts) asked for more detailed plans. He replied that the current recession/depression is a blessing/opportunity to recruit top faculty from other schools under more stress; he wants to put together a 200-250 million dollar principal fund and to use the income from that fund to recruit. Stephen Miller (Liberal Arts) said that during the past year many on the College Station campus felt that the regents did not recognize that the College Station campus is different (not better or worse, but different), and asked why the regents picked him. He replied that he hoped that they think he is able to deal with the legislature and to raise money.
 
Jonathan Coopersmith (Liberal Arts) asked the chancellor to add K-12 public education to his list of stakeholders, and not to overlook the needs of the other System schools. He replied that he would like to see a website for students to plan their four years and make sure all their courses count, etc.
 
Speaker Benedik then introduced President Loftin, who listed upcoming academic events with Gordon Gee and John Gladysz speaking, and previewed his academic convocation address, which will highlight progress toward Vision 2020, reaffirmation of those goals, and specific ways to measure progress and to reach those goals. He noted several related campus discussions are scheduled over the next few months and invited faculty to participate.
 
He reported that the new Emerging Technologies and Economic Development building is now fully occupied, the MSC will reopen April 21, 2012, and the new Liberal Arts and Humanities Building is on schedule to be occupied in July, 2012. The Wellborn and Old Main grade separation project will begin soon. He will publicize three options for Joe Routt Boulevard and the space between the MSC, G. Rollie White, and Kyle Field, and invite    input.
 
He said that although the university tried to hold freshman enrollment to 8100 this fall, there were more acceptances than anticipated [resulting in 9540 freshmen, according to the Office of Institutional Studies and Planning]. This increase adversely impacts the faculty/student ratio, as does the decrease in faculty from 105 accepting the Voluntary Separation Program which concluded in August.
 
Clint Magill (Agriculture and Life Sciences) asked, on behalf of someone else, if TAMU is breaking a contract on athletic conference alignment. President Loftin said no, there were Big 12 bylaws which specified procedures for leaving that conference.
 
Ed Harris (Liberal Arts) asked if he had heard of a case of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He replied that he was not familiar with any specific such case. Patrick Burkart (Liberal Arts) said perhaps the issue was spousal benefits for partners; President Loftin said that issue was at the system level.
 
 
The July 11, 2011 Faculty Senate meeting minutes were approved as submitted.                 Motion Passed
                                                                                                                                                 FS.29.18
                                                                                                                                                 Attachment A
  
Consent Agenda
GRADUATE COUNCIL                                                                                                         Motion Passed
New Courses - July 7, 2011                                                                                                 FS.29.19                               
ATTR 651               Clinical Education I                                                                                Attachment B
ATTR 652               Clinical Education II
ATTR 653               Clinical Education III
ATTR 654               Clinical Education IV
ATTR 655               Clinical Education V
ATTR 656               Clinical Education VI
ATTR 660                Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries
ATTR 661                Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries Lab
ATTR 662                Clinical Examination and Diagnosis-Lower Extremity
ATTR 663                Clinical Examination and Diagnosis-Lower Extremity Lab
ATTR 664                Clinical Examination and Diagnosis-Upper Extremity
ATTR 665                Clinical Examination and Diagnosis-Upper Extremity Lab
ATTR 666                 Physical Rehabilitation
ATTR 667                 Physical Rehabilitation Lab
ATTR 668                 Therapeutic Modalities
ATTR 669                 Therapeutic Modalities Lab
ATTR 670                 General Medical Conditions and Therapeutic Medication
ATTR 671                 Organization and Administration in Athletic Training
ATTR 672                 Professional Preparation and Issues in Athletic Training
ECON 633                Energy Markets and Policy
EPSY 655                  Item Response Theory
HLTH 645                 Health Education Research and Program Evaluation
VIBS 616                 Advanced Developmental Neurotoxicology
 
 
New Courses - August 4, 2011                                                                                           Motion Passed                      AGLS 600                 Agriculture and Life Sciences Graduate Study Abroad                      FS.29.20                                MGMT 613                Management  Macroeconomics                                                         Attachment C                          
 
Course Changes - July 7, 2011                                                                                        Motion Passed                        ECEN 690               Switching Power Supplies                                                                  FS.29.21                                  
HISP 671                Bilingualism in Hispanic Literature                                                      Attachment D
VIBS 612                 Mammalian Embryology
 
 
Course Changes - August 4, 2011                                                                                Motion Passed                            AGEC 633                 Economics of Underdeveloped Agricultural Areas                       FS.29.22                                      
ENGL 640                 Topics in Children’s Literature and Culture                                   Attachment E
 
 
Course Withdrawal - August 4, 2011                                                                           Motion Passed                    
PLPA 625                  Plant Pathogenic Fungi                                                               FS.29.23                                                                                                                                                                              Attachment F
 
Special Consideration - July 7, 2011                                                                         Motion Passed       
College of Liberal Arts                                                                                                  FS.29.24
                                                                                                                                     Attachment G
Request to discontinue and officially remove the MA in Comparative Literature Program from the TAMU Degree Inventory
 
 
Special Consideration - July 7, 2011                                                                        Motion Passed                                Mays Business School                                                                                                FS.29.25
                                                                                                                                    Attachment H
Request to update university records and graduate catalog to indicate that the MS in Management program has reduced the number of prerequisite/preparatory hours for the program from 12 to 9

 
Special Consideration - August 4, 2011                                                                  Motion Passed                
College of Engineering                                                                                              FS.29.26
Request for Non-Thesis Option to MS SENG via Distance Education                     Attachment I
 
 
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE                                             Motion Passed
New Course - August 11, 2011                                                                            FS.29.27        
AGEC 435 Personal Financial Planning for Professionals Attachment J
ANSC 423 Issues in the Equine Industry  
CHEN 301 Engineering Workplace Writing  
ECON 433 Energy Markets and Policy  
ESSM 201 Exploring Ecosystem Science and Management  
ESSM 306 Plant Functional Ecology and Adaptation  
ESSM 311 Biogeochemistry and Global Change  
ESSM 313 Vegetation Sampling Methods and Designs in Ecosystems  
ESSM 318 Coupled Social and Ecological Systems  
ESSM 459 Spatial Databases and Programming  
ESSM 460 Advanced Remote-Sensing Based Field Survey  
ESSM 464 Spatial Project Management  
RELS 340 Folklore and the Supernatural  
RELS 364 Diversity Lessons from Medieval Spain  
RELS 418 European Intellectual History from Ancient Greece to the Early Middle Ages  
RELS 419 European Intellectual History from the High Middle Ages to the 17th Century  
RELS 480 Religious Communication  
SCSC 205 Problem Solving in Plant and Soil Systems  
SCSC 307 Crop Biology and Physiology  
SCSC 309 Water in Soils and Plants  
SCSC 311 Principles of Crop Production  
SCSC 402 Crop Stress Management  
SCSC 410 International Agricultural Systems  
SCSC 427 Sports Field Construction  
SCSC 441 Crop Production Systems  
SCSC 444 Forage Ecology and Management  
SCSC 446 Weed Management and Ecology  
 
Withdrawal of Courses - August 11, 2011
FRSC 101                 Introduction to Forestry
FRSC 102                 Introduction to Spatial Science
FRSC 291                 Research
FRSC 306                 Forest Measurements
FRSC 308                 Tree Structure and Function
FRSC 311                 Wood Properties and Utilization
FRSC 314                 Forest Economics and Valuation
FRSC 404                 Forest Management
FRSC 409                 Manufacturing and Applications of Wood Products
FRSC 414                 Modeling Forest Resources
FRSC 430                 Introduction to Tree Improvement
FRSC 484                 Internship
FRSC 485                 Directed Studies
FRSC 489                 Special Topics in…
FRSC 491                 Research
RLEM 103                Introduction to Ecological Restoration
SPSC 398                 Interpretation to Aerial Photographs
SPSC 444                 Remote Sensing in Renewable Natural Resources
SPSC 462                 Advanced GIS Analysis for Natural Resource Management
 
 
Change in Courses - August 11, 2011
ENGL 251               Language of Film
FILM 201                Introduction to Film Analysis
FRSC 203               Dendrology
FRSC 300               Forest Practices
FRSC 302               Fundamentals of Environmental Decision-Making
FRSC 304                 Forest Ecology
FRSC 305                 Silviculture
FRSC 307                 Forest Protection
FRSC 398                 Interpretation of Aerial Photographs
FRSC 405                 Integrated Forest Resource Analysis and Planning
FRSC 406                 Forest Policy
FRSC 461                 Geographic Information Systems for Resource Management
PHYS 221                 Optics and Thermal Physics
PHYS 222                 Modern Physics for Engineers     
PHYS 225                 Electronic Circuits and Applications
PHYS 304                 Advanced Electricity and Magnetism I
PHYS 401                 Computational Physics
PHYS 408                 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
PHYS 412                 Quantum Mechanics I
RENR 444                 Remote Sensing in Renewable Natural Resources
RLEM 102                 Introduction to Rangeland Systems
RLEM 301                 Range and Forest Watershed Management
RLEM 302                Rangeland Plants of North America 
RLEM 303                 Agrostology
RLEM 304                 Rangeland Plant Taxonomy      
RLEM 315                 Vegetation Inventory and Analysis
RLEM 316                 Range Communities and Ecosystems
RLEM 317                Rangeland Vegetation Manipulation
RLEM 320                 Landscape Restoration
RLEM 415                 Range Analysis and Management Planning
RLEM 416                 Fire and Natural Resources Management
RLEM 420                 Ecological Restoration of Wetland and Riparian Systems
RLEM 430                 Advanced Restoration Ecology: Current Concepts and Emerging Issues
RLEM 481                 Seminar
SCSC 405               Soil Microbiology
SCSC 422                 Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
SCSC 432                 Soil Chemistry and Fertility Laboratory
SCSC 455                 Environmental Soil Science
SCSC 481                 Agronomy Seminar College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
Course prefix changes to ESSM (see memorandum from Dr. Mort Kothmann) FRSC 462, RLEM 291, 305, 314, 440, 484, 485, 489 and 491
 
 
Special Consideration - August 11, 2011                                                                Motion Passed                    
College of Liberal Arts                                                                                               FS.29.28
Minor in Film Studies – requirement changes                                                           Attachment K
 

Special Consideration - August 11, 2011                                                            Motion Passed                        
College of Science                                                                                                FS.29.29
Department of Physics and Astronomy                                                                 Attachment L
B.A. and B.S. in Physics
Request to establish admission criteria to upper level Physics courses
 
 
W-COURSES                                                                                                     Motion Passed
July 19, 2011                                                                                                      FS.29.30                                                                                                                                                                             Attachment M
W certification:                                                                                                                                                   
COSC 175                Graphics in Construction
RPTS 426                 Tourism Impacts
 
 
 
 
                                                                             End of Consent Agenda  
 
Committee Reports
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
Change in Curriculum - August 11, 2011                                                                    TABLED
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                       Attachment N
B.S. in Renewable Natural Resources

Secretary Daugherity moved Attchment N. In the discussion on the motion, Mort Kothmann was recognized to speak to the senate; he explained that Attachments N through R were the result of curriculum redesign following the merger of two departments. A lengthy senate discussion ensued, primarily concerning the reduction in courses in science (specifically botany) and mathematics (specifically calculus), after which Mark Clayton (Architecture) moved to table Attachment N and ask that the proposing department have further consultations with the College of Science. The   motion to table passed.
 
 
Change in Curriculum - August 11, 2011                                                                  TABLED
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                     Attachment O
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
B.S. in Ecological Restoration
 
Attachment O was moved by Secretary Daugherity, discussed by the senate, and tabled on the motion of Brian Perkins (Science).
 
 
Change in Curriculum - August 11, 2011                                                                   TABLED
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                      Attachment P
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
B.S. in Forestry
 
Attachment P was moved by Secretary Daugherity, discussed by the senate, and tabled on the motion of Brian Perkins (Science).
 
 
Change in Curriculum - August 11, 2011                                                                  TABLED
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                     Attachment Q
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
B.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management Ranch Management Option
Rangeland Resources Option
 

Attachment Q was moved by Secretary Daugherity, discussed by the senate, and tabled on the motion of Brian Perkins (Science).
 
 
Change in Curriculum - August 11, 2011                                                                    TABLED
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                      Attachment R
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management
B.S. in Spatial Sciences
 
Attachment R was moved by Secretary Daugherity, discussed by the senate, and tabled on the motion of Brian Perkins (Science).
 
 
Administrative Change - August 11, 2011                                                               TABLED                                            College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                   Attachment S
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
B.S. in Agronomy
Turfgrass Management Option
Request to change option to a stand alone B.S. in Turfgrass Science degree
 

Secretary Daugherity moved Attachment S; Jim Heilman was recognized; he described the web-based “Delphi process” of 100 consultants to develop the content of new courses.  Several senators questioned the reduction and changes in math and science courses, after which Jose Fernandez-Solis moved to table Attachment S and ask that the proposing department have further consultations with the College of Science.  The motion to table  passed.
 
 
Special Consideration - August 11, 2011                                                                Motion Passed                                  College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                   FS.29.31
Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications                Attachment T
B.S. in Agricultural Communication and Journalism Request to correct degree program name
 
 
Special Consideration - August 11, 2011                                                               Motion Passed
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                  FS.29.32
Department of Animal Science                                                                                 Attachment U
Request for a Certificate in Equine Science
 

Special Consideration - August 11, 2011                                                               Motion Passed                     
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                  FS.29.33
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management                                             Attachment V
B.S. in Forestry
Urban Forestry Option
Forest Resource Management Option Request to discontinue degree options
 
 
Special Consideration - August 11, 2011                                                              TABLED
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                                                                 Attachment W
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
B.S. in Plant and Environmental Soil Science Plant Science Career Emphasis Environmental Soil Science Emphasis
Request to replace existing emphasis with two new emphases: Crops Emphasis and Soil and Water Emphasis
 
Secretary Daugherity moved Attachment W. Janice Epstein (Science) expressed concern about removing a full year of calculus, and changes to the requirements for writing courses and physics, and moved to table Attachment W and ask that the proposing department have further consultations with the College of Science. The motion to table passed.
 
 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE                                                                                      DISCUSSION ONLY
                                                                                                                                 Attachment X
Proposed Revisions to University Rules 12.99.99M5 and 12.99.99M6 (Discussion Only)                                             
Attachment X was opened for discussion only, and will be voted on in the October 10, 2011, meeting. The discussion elicited the points that department heads/deans could be reappointed for more than two terms, without limit, with the approval of two-thirds of the relevant faculty (by confidential vote) and dean/provost.
 
 
New Business
Speaker Benedik then suspended the meeting to allow senators to meet as college caucuses and select a caucus leader and appoint members to certain committees.  When the senate meeting resumed, he turned the chair over to Speaker-Elect Stallone to convene the Committee of the Whole.
 
 
Committee of the Whole
Jonathan Coopersmith (Liberal Arts) noted that the student senate had voted that the selection of the non-voting student regent was “tarnished” by irregular procedure.
 
 
Adjourn
There being no further business to come before the Committee of the Whole, Speaker-Elect Stallone returned the chair to Speaker Benedik, who adjourned the meeting at 5:00 P.M.