TAMU Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

June 14, 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 first 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 reminded Senators of the Zoom features to be used during the meeting.
 

AWARD PRESENTATION

Speaker Rice presented the Richard Stadelmann Faculty Senate Service Award posthumously to Senator Thomas Sullivan, who passed away May 10, 2021.
 

GUEST SPEAKER

There was no guest speaker.
 

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.39.001 
Dr. Widmer provided her monthly update on the progress of Canvas (LMS) via a video, and the meeting time was devoted to questions only.  The following Senators posed questions or offered comments:  Senator Hank Walker, College of Engineering; Senator Catharina Laporte, College of Liberal Arts, and Senator Tracy Vemulapalli; and Senator Clint Magill, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.  Speaker Rice thanked Dr. Widmer for her ongoing reports.
 

SPEAKER COMMENTS

Speaker Rice began his comments by welcoming Dr. Kathy Banks in her new role of President of Texas A&M University.  He expressed the Senate’s interest in working with the new leaders in her administration, and thanked outgoing cabinet members for their service and willingness to work with the Senate. He thanked Dr. John Junkins for taking on the role of Interim President and for working with faculty on some tough issues.  Speaker Rice then congratulated Steve Oberhelmann of Liberal Arts, a former Speaker of the Faculty Senate, who was appointed to an interim dean position.
Speaker Rice then commented on some Senate issues:

• He heard from faculty who were concerned about students receiving CD credit for courses taken elsewhere, which was intended to be an interim practice until more CD courses were developed.  He appointed a small task force of Senators representing the Core Curriculum Council and the Academic Affairs Committee to assess progress in this area and report back to the EC at the end of the summer.  Those serving on the task force include Heather Ramsey, College of Science; Tamy Frank-Cannon, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences; Janice Epstein, College of Science; and Andrew Klein, College of Geosciences.
• He thanked Senator Greg Heim, Mays Business School, for admirably representing the Faculty Senate on the SEBAC committee the past three years, and thanked Senator David Earnest, College of Medicine, who has agreed to succeed Dr. Heim in this role.  
• Last month’s report from the Academic Affairs Committee raised concerns related to the bookstore suggesting course material not approved by faculty.  The Executive Committee would be meeting with a liaison from the bookstore to discuss this issue.

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The motion passed to approve the May 10, 2021 minutes as distributed. Attachment B – Passed – FS.39.002
 

CONSENT AGENDA

The motion passed to approve the June 14, 2021 Consent Agenda as presented. 
 (Full Consent Agenda with FS #’s can be found under Adjournment below.)
 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

None.
 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Core Curriculum Council Course Report – Attachment C – Passed – FS.39.014
The motion passed to approve the Core Curriculum Course Report as presented.  
(Full CCC Report can be found under Adjournment below.)
 

OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS

System Employee Benefits Advisory Committee (SEBAC Report) – Attachment D – For Informational Review – FS.39.015
Senator Greg Heim, Mays Business School, presented information from the May 2021 SEBAC meeting, found in Attachment D.  Questions were then asked by Senator Hank Walker, College of Engineering; Senator Catharina Laporte, College of Liberal Arts; and Senator Clint Magill, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.

Other Miscellaneous Item

Speaker Rice recognized Catharina Laporte, College of Liberal Arts, who received the inaugural Hullaballo U Instructor of the Year Award.  
 

NEW BUSINESS

Proposed Revisions to Student Rules 
Student Rules 1.7 and 1.8 Student Registration – Attachment E – Passed – FS.39.016
Student Rule 24.4.1     Dishonesty – Attachment F – Returned to Student Rules Committee
Student Rule 24.4.5     Hazing – Attachment G – Passed – FS.39.017
Student Rule 24.4.14   Weapons and Explosives – Attachment H – Passed – FS.39.018
Student Rule 57           Undergraduate Academic Appeal Panel – Attachment I – Passed – FS.39.019
Student Rule 59           Graduate Academic Appeal Panel – Attachment J – Passed – FS.39.020
Student Rule 62            First Professional Appeal Panel – Attachment K – Passed – FS.39.021
 
After much discussion of the revisions to Student Rule 24.4.1 found in Attachment F, the Senate voted to return the rule to the Student Rules & Regulations Committee for further revision.  All other rule revisions were approved.
 
Proposed Restructuring and Name Change of Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences (College of Agriculture & Life Sciences) – For Informational Review – Attachment L – For Informational Review – FS.39.022
This item was discussed at length, with many Senators feeling the chosen name was vague.  Although the Standard Administrative Procedure (SAP) for restructuring departments only requires that the Faculty Senate provide feedback to the college, a motion was made and the Senate conducted an informal vote on the proposed department name: Experience Management.  72% of those voting registered a negative view of the proposed name change.
 

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Speaker-Elect Patti Smith convened the Committee of the Whole.  
 
Senator Clint Magill, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences expressed concern over the computer in his classroom rebooting during class time so he was unable to use the computer.  Senator Mark Sicilio, College of Medicine, expressed similar concerns.  
 
Senator Adam Haney, TAMU Galveston, shared that the link to the minutes on the Faculty Senate website was broken and asked that it be fixed.
 
Speaker-Elect Smith returned the meeting to Speaker Rice.
 

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 4:22pm.
 

APPROVED CONSENT AGENDA for June 14, 2021

GRADUATE COUNCIL 
New Courses – Passed – FS.39.003
EEBL 600: Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems
INTA 718: Counterterrorism Financing
INTA 719: U.S.-Mexico Relations - History, Policy, and the Road Ahead
MXET 600: Mechatronics II
 
Change in Courses – Passed – FS.39.004
ATTR 652: Clinical Education II
ATTR 653: Clinical Education III
ATTR 655: Clinical Education V
ATTR 656: Clinical Education VI
ATTR 661: Essential Clinical Skills
ATTR 671: Healthcare Administration, Management, and Delivery Strategies in Athletic Training
BIMS 602: Foundations in Biomedical Graduate Education and Research
EDCI 656: Learning Theories for Teachers of Young Children
EPSY 640: Statistical Analysis in Educational Research I
ESSM 646: Drones for Environmental Remote Sensing
FORS 601: Foundations of Forensic Healthcare
FORS 602: Victimology: Clinical Implications and Applications
FORS 610: Forensic Sexual Assault Examiner
FORS 611: Application of Clinical Pharmacology to Victims of Violence
FORS 612: Human Trafficking
FORS 613: Forensic Photography
FORS 614: Policy and Ethics of Interpersonal Violence
FORS 615: Forensic Mental Health
INTA 705: Biodefense for the 21st Century
MTDE 611: Enterprise Basics for Technical Entrepreneurs
MTDE 612: Sales, Operations, and Manufacturing for Technology Companies
MTDE 621: Technology Company Management, Leadership, and Corporate Culture
MTDE 652: Engineering Entrepreneurship Hour
SCMT 611: Statistical Foundation of Data Analytics
 
Change in Courses – Inactivation Proposal – Passed – FS.39.005
College of Engineering
Department of Ocean Engineering
OCEN 677: Environmental Fluid Mechanics
 
Change in Programs – Passed – FS.39.006
College of Engineering
Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
MS-INEN: Master of Science in Industrial Engineering
 
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE 
   New Courses – Passed – FS.39.007
MEEN 435: Compressed Air Systems
 
Change in Courses – Passed – FS.39.008
AGSM 315: Food Process Engineering Technology
ARTS 304: Graphic Design II
BICH 410: Comprehensive Biochemistry I
CEHD 300: Education and Human Development Study Abroad
ESSM 446: Drones for Environmental Remote Sensing
GEOL 102: Principles of Geology Laboratory
MEEN 260: Mechanical Measurements
MEEN 344: Fluid Mechanics
MEEN 357: Engineering Analysis for Mechanical Engineers
MEEN 442: Computer Aided Engineering
OCNG 320: Biological Oceanography
PSYC 105: First Semester Experience 
PSYC 301: Elementary Statistics for Psychology
PSYC 307: Developmental Psychology
RPTS 320: Event Management and Operations I
RPTS 321: Event Management and Operations II
SPMT 260: Overview of Practices in Sport
SPMT 262: Human Capital Management in Sport
SPMT 270: Sport Marketing
SPMT 272: Sport Marketing Issues
 
Change in Courses – Galveston – Passed – FS.39.009
DIVE 331: Alternative Diving Technology
 
Change in Courses – Inactivation Proposal – Passed – FS.39.010
College of Education & Human Development
Department of Educational Psychology
EDTC 489: Special Topics in...
 
W&C COURSES  
Courses Submitted for C Certification – Passed – FS.39.011
ANSC 412-C: Swine Production and Management
DDHS 4710-C: Applied Research Methods
 
Courses Submitted for W Certification – Passed – FS.39.012
BAEN 480-W: Biological and Agricultural Engineering Design II
BMEN 465-W: Biomechanics Experiential Learning Lab
PHIL 332-W: Social and Political Philosophy
 
Courses Submitted for W Re-Certification – Passed – FS.39.013
BMEN 450-W: Case Studies
DDHS 4220-W: Comprehensive Care Seminar
GERM 315-W: Literary Investigations: German Short Fiction
VIST 339-W: Research Techniques in Visualization
WGST 401-W: Feminist Theory
 
______________________________End of Consent Agenda_______________________________
 
 
CORE CURRICULUM COUNCIL COURSE REPORT – Attachment C – Passed – FS.39.014
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: Communication 
ENGL 203-GE: Writing about Literature
 
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: Creative Arts
PERF 324-GE: Music in World Cultures
 
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: Language, Philosophy & Culture
ENGL 222-GE: World Literature
GEOG 301-GE: Geography of the United States
 
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: Life and Physical Sciences
ASTR 109-GE: Big Bang and Black Holes
RENR 215-GE: Fundamentals of Ecology--Laboratory
 
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: Mathematics
MATH 140-GE: Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences
MATH 150-GE: Functions, Trigonometry and Linear Systems