December 13, 2021

TAMU Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

December 13, 2021

3:00pm

Via Zoom

http://facultysenate.tamu.edu

The full video recording of the meeting can be accessed on the Faculty Senate website: https://facultysenate.tamu.edu/Faculty-Senate-Meeting-Recordings.

CALL TO ORDER

Speaker Dale Rice called the seventh meeting of the 39^th Session to order at 3:00pm. Due to ongoing social distancing practices resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was conducted via Zoom. Speaker Rice then proceeded to swear in a new Senator, Eric Kneese, from the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

GUEST SPEAKER

Speaker Rice welcomed guest speaker Dr. Annie McGowan, Interim Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity.

Dr. McGowan provided an overview of current CDEI initiatives and identified who was leading each. She touched on:

Faculty pipeline hiring program status
Pathways to doctorate fellowships for underrepresented students
TAMU investment in targeted recruitment
Bias reporting and dashboard
The Learning Environment Enrichment Program (LEEP)
HR initiatives

(To view Dr. McGowans slide presentation, click here.)

Questions and comments were offered by the following Senators: Senator Jorge Alvarado, College of Engineering; Senator Rob Carpenter, College of Medicine; Senator Clint Magill, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences; Secretary Tracy Hammond, College of Engineering; Senator Mark Sicilio, College of Medicine; Senator Joan Wolf, College of Liberal Arts; Senator Olbelina Ulloa, TAMU Galveston; Senator Kathryn Falvo, TAMU Galveston; and Senator Catharina Laporte, College of Liberal Arts.

Speaker Rice thanked Dr. McGowan for speaking to the Senate.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dr. Jocelyn Widmer, Assistant Provost for Academic Innovation, and Dr. Juan Garza, Assistant Vice President for Academic Services & Director of Provost Information Technology Office – Attachment A – For Informational Review – FS.39.129

Dr. Widmer provided her monthly update on the progress of Canvas (LMS) via a video, and the meeting time was devoted to questions. The following Senator posed a question: Senator Andy Tag, College of Science.
Speaker Rice thanked Dr. Widmer.

SPEAKER COMMENTS

Speaker Rice addressed the challenges that faculty have – and will be – faced with this year:

Nearly two years worth of COVID-related efforts, with the new Omicron variant bringing unknowns to the spring semester.
The upcoming sweeping transformation of the university initiated by the new university President, Dr. Kathy Banks, and the transition this will bring.
A proposal to reorganize faculty at TAMU Qatar that would significantly alter faculty contracts and research.
The impact on the Faculty Senate by the departure of the Senate’s executive assistant, Betsy Peterson, who was thanked for her service.

REORGANIZATION AT QATAR

Speaker Rice began by briefly introducing this issue and recognized Senator Ed Brothers, TAMU Qatar. He in turn recognized Qatar faculty member Dr. Joe Ura. Dr. Ura spoke at length explaining the issues facing Qatar faculty. (To view Dr. Ura’s slide presentation, click here.)

Questions and comments were offered by the following Senators: Senator Adam Kolasinski, Mays Business School; Senator Trevor Hale, Mays Business School; Senator Rajesh Miranda, College of Medicine; Senator Tracy Hammond, College of Engineering; Senator Jorge Alvarado, College of Engineering; and Senator Hassan Bashir, TAMU Qatar. Comments were also provided by Interim Provost Tim Scott and Qatar Dean Cesar Malave

Due to the length of this discussion, the SEBAC report was postponed to the January meeting and the regular meeting items below were voted on in the following order:

CONSENT AGENDA

The motion passed to approve the December 13, 2021 Consent Agenda as presented.
(Full Consent Agenda with FS #’s can be found under Adjournment below.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Core Curriculum Council Course Report – Attachment C – Passed – FS.39.179
The motion passed to approve the Core Curriculum Course Report as presented.
(Full CCC Report can be found under Adjournment below.)

NEW BUSINESS

Recommendation of December 2021 Degree Candidates – Attachment F – Passed – FS.39.181
TOTAL – 5,482
TAMU-Main – 5,166
TAMU-Galveston – 113
TAMU-HSC – 138
TAMU-Law – 52
TAMU-Qatar – 13

Proposed Revisions to Student Rules – Attachment E – Passed – FS.39.180
Student Rule 20.1.4.7 – Removal of the F* Grade and/or Honor Violation Probation

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The motion passed to approve the November 8, 2021 minutes as presented. Attachment B – Passed – FS.39.130

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.

OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS

SEBAC report postponed until January, 2022.

OTHER NEW BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR

Senator Trevor Hale, Mays Business School, proposed a motion in resolution format, which was seconded. There was some debate over whether this item should be presented in New Business or the Committee of the Whole. Senator Joan Wolf, College of Liberal Arts, moved to table the discussion until the January 2022 meeting, and was seconded. At this point, Senator Jorge Alvarado, College of Engineering, called the question of a quorum. It was established that a quorum was still present; the motion was voted upon and passed.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Speaker-Elect Patti Smith convened the Committee of the Whole.

Senator Joan Wolf, College of Liberal Arts, shared concerns about the Delta Dental health benefits and asked the Executive Committee to explore the concerns. Senate SEBAC representative, Dr. David Earnest, College of Medicine, responded that there is an upcoming review of the dental plan and that he would communicate concerns to the committee.

Senator Catharina Laporte, College of Liberal Arts, expressed concerns about the changes in the prescription plan as well.

Senator Rajesh Miranda, College of Medicine, asked on behalf of faculty in his college for the Senate to look into racial profiling of faculty, student, and staff of Chinese origin by the U.S. government in the crackdown on China’s intellectual espionage. It is seen as an infringement of academic freedom and an issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Senator Jorge Alvarado, College of Engineering, asked if the Senate knew when President Banks would be releasing her response to the MGT report; the answer was the Senate did not know.

Senator Adam Kolasinski, Mays Business School, expressed concern over a trend by the university administration to come up with proposal without any faculty input. He asked the EC to consider drafting a resolution insisting that faculty be included on university proposals, including the situation evolving in Qatar. This sentiment was seconded by Senator Jorge Alvarado, College of Engineering.

Speaker-Elect Smith took the opportunity to announce the annual Joint Meeting with UT’s Faculty Council on March 7^th, 2022. The meeting’s theme will be Academic Freedom and Shared Governance.

Speaker-Elect Smith returned the meeting to Speaker Rice.

ADJOURNMENT

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