Printable Minutes

TAMU Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

March 21, 2022

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 tenth meeting of the 39^th session to order at 3:04pm.   Due to ongoing social distancing practices resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was conducted via Zoom.
 
Senator Andrew Klein will be monitoring the raised hand function and will monitor the chat.  Registration function is being used to track attendance

GUEST SPEAKER

No Guest Speaker
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS – FS.39.312
Speaker Rice welcomes Former Senate Speaker Julie Harlin.  Now Associate Dean of Graduate and Professional School.  
Associate Dean Julie Harlin, along with Clint Patterson, Instructional Consultant, Center for Teaching Excellence discussed Building a Culture of Mentoring at Texas A&M University.
Learning Outcomes:

• Define mentorship and the importance of mentoring - Mentorship is a professional working alliance in which individuals work together. Mentoring is important, because there is potential for transformation. 
• Describe research surrounding mentoring – Improve the research mentoring relationship for mentees and mentors at all career stages and disciplines. 
• Explore opportunities through Mentoring Academies at Texas A&M –

Faculty Mentoring Academy, Departmental Mentoring plans, Department Head Trainings, Graduate Mentoring Academy. 

• Discuss how we can all work to build a culture of mentoring – Maintaining
        Effective Communication, Aligning Expectations, Assessing Understanding,
        Fostering Independence, Promotion Professional Development. 

To become a Mentoring Academy Fellow:   Attachment A
Register for GMA (Graduate Mentoring Academy) http://tx.ag/TAMUGMAregister
Register for FMA (Faculty Mentoring Academy) http://tx.ag/TAMUFMAregister
 
Speaker Rice Thanked Dr. Harlin and Clint Patterson.  
Comments were offered by the following senators: Catharina Laporte, Jorge Alvarado.  

SPEAKER COMMENTS

Expressed Thanks on behalf of the Faculty Senate to the Student Senate and the Graduate and Professional Student Government at Texas A&M for their support of Academic Freedom and Tenure.
Both student governing bodies adopted resolutions recognizing the importance of tenure and academic freedom in the educational life of this institution.  
He discussed the limitations on teachings on the subjects of race and gender which are troubling.
Consultation with faculty before taking action and being part of the decision-making process, which is not part of the decision-making process today. 
Chaired committee that judges the finalist for President Professor of teaching excellence award.  For those individuals, it’s not only worthy of the University’s highest honor but deserving of being consulted on decisions affecting their academic life.
Texas A&M has been designated as a Hispanic serving institution by the US Department of Education. 

CONSENT AGENDA

The motion passed to approve the February 14, 2022; Consent Agenda as presented.
(Full Consent Agenda with FS#’s can be found under Adjournment below.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Core Curriculum Council Couse Report -Attachment C – Passed FS.39.327
The motion passed to approve the Core Curriculum Course Report as presented.
(Full CCC Report can be found under Adjournment below.)
MEETING MINUTES for February 14, 2022, Attachment B FS.39.313 Passed
Old Business
Proposed Resolution dealing with students seeking extra credit for grade adjustments. 

 Senator Hale asks that the Executive Committee draft language for an appropriate policy and bring it before the full Faculty Senate. This was second by Adam Kolasinski.
 
 Comments offered by: Senator Angie Hill Price, Senator Richard Waer, 

 Poll was launched by Senator Klein decision was no not to bring this forward to the Executive Committee to change the policy. 

New Business

Secretary Tracy Hammond - Moves resolution in support of faculty librarians.  Texas A&M University employees 82 librarians.  Other Universities such as Ohio, Penn State have similar faculty and tenure-based systems for those serving as librarians and have noted that the role of librarians requires them to function as part of faculty.  And that librarians should be granted faculty status and academic freedom 
Comments offered by: Senator Raymundo Arroyave, Senator Adam Kolasinski, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Tim Scott, Senator Maria Irene Moyna, Senator Jorge Alvarado, Senator Terri Pantuso, Senator Andy Tag, Senator Tina Budzise-Weaver, Secretary Tracy Hammond, Senator Olbelina Ulloa, Senator Catharina Laporte, Senator Angie Hill Price, Senator Trevor Hale, Senator Claire Carly-Miles.
Poll launched by Senator Klein: Vote was to move forward with no further discussion before voting on a resolution.  
 
 Poll launched by Senator Klein: Resolution has been approved.  Speaker Rice will send to President Banks.

Additional Item of New Business

Senator Adam Kolasinski introduced an emergency item to be added to the agenda regarding committee election for the Dean search at the Mays School and the way the election is being run.  People were added to the ballot that were nominated even though they did not want to serve. 
Poll launched by Senator Klein to consider this being added to the agenda which was accepted.
Motion to pass rules that all nominees will be asked for their willingness to participate and anyone that doesn’t respond will be removed from the ballot prior to voting. 
Comments offered by: Senator Jorge Alvarado, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Tim Scott, Senator Adam Haney-Galveston.
Poll launched by Senator Klein- which failed to reach Quorum of 75% of those present and voting. 

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Speaker-Elect Smith could not be present.  Secretary Hammond was asked to conduct the Committee of the Whole and asked if there were any positive actions or items of concerns related to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Comments offered by: Senator Adam Haney, Secretary Tracy Hammond, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Tim Scott, Speaker Rice, Senator Jorge Alvarado, Senator Stefanie Harris, Senator Trevor Hale, Senator John Stallone, Senator Adam Kolasinski, Senator Tianna Uchacz, Senator Richard Waer, Senator Maria Irene Moyna, Senator Raymundo Arroyave, 

Speaker Rice 

Per parliament 75% of the vote was reached therefore it should have passed.  Speaker Rice sided with the parliament and passed the vote. 
ADJOURNMENT
 Speaker Rice thanked everyone for joining virtually the meeting was adjourned 
 CONSENT AGENDA
GRADUATE COUNCIL 
 
 New Courses – FS.39.314 Passed
 
 CSCE 753: Computer Vision and Robot Perception 
 EDAD 672: Immigrant Student Experiences in K-12 and Higher Education 
 EHRD 658: Writing Literature Reviews for Empirical Research in Education 
 EPSY 649: Introduction to Survey Design Methods in Educational Research 
 HLTH 658: Advanced Social Network Analysis in Health 
 NUEN 632: Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation 
 
Change in Courses – FS.39.315 Passed
ANSC 607: Physiology and Biochemistry of Muscle as a Food 
BESL 619: Second Language Acquisition in Pre-K-12; Advanced Theory and Practice 
EDCI 629: Historical Analysis of Urban School Reform 
EPSY 603: Qualitative Methodologies in Educational Research 
EPSY 646: Issues in Child and Adolescent Development 
EPSY 661: Data Analysis for Single-Case Experimental Design in Educational Research 
LDTC 613: Integrating Technology in Learning Environments 
STAT 665: Statistical Application of Wavelets 
 
Change in Programs 
College of Education & Human Development – FS.39.316 Passed
Department of Health & Kinesiology 
BS/MS-KINE/ATTR-ETR: Kinesiology - 5-Year Bachelor of Science and Master of Science
 
Change in Programs – FS.39.317 Passed
College of Science 
Department of Mathematics 
BS/MS-MATH/MATH-FTR: Mathematics - 5-Year Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Mathematics 
 
Change in Programs – FS.39.318 Passed
College of Engineering 
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering 
MS-CEEN: Master of Science in Computer Engineering 
 
Change in Programs – FS.39.319 Passed
College of Education & Human Development 
Department of Educational Administration & Human Resource Development 
PHD-EDAD: Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration 
 
Change in Programs – Inactivation Proposal – FS.39.320 Passed
College of Liberal Arts 
Department of Communication 
CERT-CG66: International Communication and Public Diplomacy – Certificate
 
UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE – FS.39.321 Passed
Change in Courses 
AGEC 217: Fundamentals of Agricultural Economics Analysis 
BUSN 484: Internship 
COMM 243: Argumentation and Debate 
FINC 441: Private Equity - Insights, Industry Dynamics and Deal Making 
FINC 472: Real Estate Finance 
SOMS 180: Survey of Performance Based Training Methods 
SOMS 280: Fundamentals of Peer Leadership 
SOMS 485: Directed Studies 
UGST 405: Thesis Writing 
 
Change in Programs – Inactivation Proposal – FS.39.322 Passed
Mays Business School 
College of Business 
CERT-NPSI: Nonprofit and Social Innovation – Certificate
 
Special Consideration Item – FS.39.323 Passed 
College of Geosciences 
Department of Oceanography 
BA-OCNS: Ocean Studies - BA 
 
W&C COURSES – FS.39.324 Passed
Courses Submitted for W Recertification – Galveston 
MARB 408-W: Marine Botany 
 
__________________________End of Consent Agenda_____________________________ 
 
COMMITTEE REPORTS – FS.39.325 Passed
 
CORE CURRICULUM COUNCIL COURSE REPORT – Attachment C 
 
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: American History 
HIST 230-GE: American Military History, 1609 to Present 
 
Recertification for Foundational Component Area: Lang, Phil, Culture 
ENGL 204-GE: Introduction to African American Literature 
ENGL 232-GE: Survey of English Literature II 
ENGL 376-GE: The American Novel Since 1900 
HIST 210-GE: Russian Civilization 
INTS 251-GE: Contemporary Issues in the Middle East
 
UNFINISHED BUSINESS – FS.39.326 Attachment D
 
Proposed Resolution dealing with students seeking extra credit for grade adjustments. 
 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS – 

 
Resolution in support of Texas A&M Librarians and Libraries