University Senate
Memorandum
Date: September 15, 2008
To: The Academic Community
From: Sharon Pitcher, Secretary
Subject: September 15, 2008—Minutes from the Meeting of the University Senate
The second regular meeting of the University Senate was held on Monday, September 15, 2007, at 4:00 p.m. in Rooms 314-315 of the University Union.
Absent were Professor Siegal, President Caret, Provost Clements, Vice Presidents Moriarty and Sheehan
The agenda was approved as amended by a vote of 22/0/0.
The minutes were approved unanimously.
Report of Vice Pres. Rubin, Vice President of University Advancement:
He welcomed the Senate back and thanked everyone for their support of the Giving Campaign, which has raised 6.5 million so far which is over our goal. The Capital Campaign also has done well. With the economy as it is, continuing this positive fund raising may be a challenge this year. He asks everyone to continue their giving to the university and stretch it if you can. Every gift counts so continue the effort of contributing to the fund raising of the university.
Report from Vice President Dyan Brasington, Vice President of Economic and Community Outreach:
This was her first senate meeting. The officers of the university just finished the Carnegie application to become a new engaged designation. She thanked everyone from the colleges for their support. She also shared how impressed she was with all that we are doing in the community. A website is being set up to capture these activities. New grants and contracts are being worked on to provide new opportunities for scholarship. A
new BARC contract for homeland security will provide some additional new opportunities.
AAUP Report, Prof. Ballengee:
Crab Feast/Bull Roast - Friday, Sept. 26th, 6-10 PM, Auburn House Pavilion. Faculty $25 ($15 of which goes toward membership fee); all others $35, for all you can eat and drink. Mail checks to the AAUP treasurer, Isabel Castro-Vazquez in the Foreign Languages Dept.
Second Fridays Series - Kimberly Katz (History) will speak at the first one, which is Friday, October 10, 3:30-4:30 PM in Linthicum 307, with Happy Hour to follow at the University Club, Burkshire.
AAUP Fall Meeting - Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 3:30-4:30 PM in the Potomac Lounge, University Union.
CUSF – No report
SGA Report, Senator Guy
SGA is off to good start with over 40 members in the organization working hard. They are working to brand the name of SGA. Students don’t know when they are going to SGA events so they are planning to do more of hands-on activities so students understand what they do. They are also working on putting all of the student groups in one place in the University Union and planning an Open House on Sept. 23 from 3 to 4:30 and invited the senators to attend.
President of the Senate, Tim Sullivan:
He welcomed three new senators: Don Worgs, Michelle Manassa, Tom Maronick and welcomed back Alex Storrs, who is filling in for Rachel Burks. The provost is working on the new Merit Policy this week. He will circulate it to the executive committee of the Senate for comments. Dr. Vatz noted that some of us pushed for a new policy last year with the concern that there will not be merit this year.
(Senate Executive Committee)
Tim Sullivan read the following list of those nominated into the record:
William Darrow, Department of Management, Service: 1984-2008
Lamont Steedle, Department of Accounting, Service: 1990-2008
Barbara R. Stewart, Department of Accounting, Service: 1998-2008
Barry B. Frieman, Department of Early Childhood Education, Service: 1970-2008
Maya Kalyanpur, Department of Special Education,Service: 1994-2008
Nancy W. Wiltz, Department of Early Childhood Education, Service: 1999-2008
Robert Pitman, Department of Art, Service: 1972-2008
Don Watts, Department of Music, Service: 1973-2008
James P. Coughlin, Department of Mathematics, Service: 1979-2008
James Hull, Department of Biological Sciences, Service: 1976-2008
Vince Angotti, Department of Kinesiology, Service: 1965-2008
Carolyn Hill, Department of English, Service: 1988-2008
Ralph Scott, Department of Geography and Environmental Planning, Service: 1974-2008
Motion passed 22/0/0.
Motion passed 22/0/0.
Motion passed 22/0/0
(Senate Executive Committee)
Dean Lorion, College of Education, spoke for the Council of Deans. He stated that this has been brought to the Senate for the Senates feedback. The Council of Deans would like a better working relationship with the Senate. This proposal applies most to the College of Education but Deans of many of the other colleges also can see future possibilities of using these appointments. Often lecturers are hired for other than just teaching. The Reading Clinic director and those serving in our off-campus PD sites are examples of how the COE would use these positions. Often these faculty members are not looking for tenure. At the present time we have no way to keep them on a long-range contract or promote them although their work is very important to the mission of the College of Education. The Deans hope the Senate will recommend ways for the Deans to revise this proposal to better meet the needs of faculty.
Prof Ballengee suggested it was easy to see how Health Professions could use these positions but was not sure how they could be used in other colleges. Dean Lorion further explained how the Reading Clinic Director, faculty working in Professional Development Schools, and those in the Center for Leadership would qualify for these positions. Presently COE has faculty serving in these positions that bring many years of experience and expertise important to the College but we have no way to give them long-term contracts or promote them.
Prof Ballengee asked if he was just appointing those positions or hiring?
Dean Lorion replied that the positions would go through the provost and in some cases these would be appointments.
Prof. Lawson asked if these positions were for all the colleges and would this change how they are using them in Health Professions. Dean Lorion suggested that these positions would be available to all of the colleges. Professor Moronic asked how they would be used in Business. Dean Kaynama, College of Business and Economics, shared that in the accounting field it is difficult to hire CPAS without terminal degrees. In this case they cannot bring them in as lectures because the money and ranking are both too low. A lot of other universities are adopting this type of appoint to address this need.
Professor Burgman suggested that for an instructor a Bachelors’ Degree and three years experience seems very weak. Dean Lorion suggested that the line above about appropriate certification further qualifies this so that it could be used across the campus. Professor Bergman replied that maybe that is the problem. It is too broad and maybe should be more specific. Dean Lorion agreed that they may need to make that clearer.
Professor Worgs asked if all the deans participated? Dean Lorion answered that as CLA becomes more involved in off-campus work, this may be more applicable. Dean Kaynama shared that all of the other system universities use the clinical faculty appointments. Professor Tabak asked if this is mainly because of promotion levels. Dean Lorion replied that we are competing with other universities with these appointments and not being able to offer this hurts our competitiveness for quality applicants.
Dean Fracasso, Honors College, reported that Family Studies already uses these appointments. Dean Extner, College of Health Professions shared that since she came with the original request, the designation is easy to understand for Health professions. In many fields we are looking for faculty with special areas of expertise. The positions are pin positions with full benefits. They are vital to her college. The mixture of the faculty has brought great strength to our college. Many universities have found the clinical faculty bring the experience dimension in the field. They may work in labs, intern supervision, application to the discipline and work with external agencies.
Professor Sullivan then asked if there was a discussion of the number of clinical faculty we would be talking about. Dean Lorion replied that he did not see adding these positions but to change some of the lecturer positions and rewarding those that have been very dedicated so they can make three-year plans instead of year-to-year. Professor Pitcher shared the example of the Reading Clinic Director who has over 30 years of experience in the schools and has directed the Clinic for the last four years and a colleague in the Center for Leadership who was a school system superintendent. Both of these faculty members are valuable faculty members in the College of Education and we can only offer them one-year contracts, which is not good for them or the College of Education.
Professor Sullivan suggested there are constitution implications to this. The language only relates to tenure/tenure track. If this document is passed, we will need to go back to the constitution to see how they are involved in shared governance. Dean Extner expressed appreciation for this because we are now not including everyone.
Senator Poltorak asked how will this influence the teacher-to- student ratio. Dean Lorion replied that this will not be affected. We have many lecturers that are outstanding scholars and this will honor them.
Professor Knutson suggested that in Heath professions and COE this makes sense but in her department of Dance, almost 80% of curriculum could be considered practice and asked how this is handled in the College of Heath Sciences. Dean Extner stated that in the College of Health Professions they keep the balance to 25% Clinical faculty to compliment the tenure-track faculty. Dean Kaynama suggested that in her college she cannot have more than 25% and she sees no impact on tenure/tenure track faculty but as a way to reduce part time faculty. Dean Lorion then suggested that it may be that the Senate approve this but have the provost approve a plan for each college.
Professor Brown asked how this will affect salaries? Dean Extner shared that they take degrees into consideration and often the positions come between lecturer and tenure/track. Professor Brown then asked that since they already have positions in mind for this, what is the impact of having this position on new tenure/track positions. Dean Lorion answered that some of the demand is from demands on the college. In COE, we have to place all of our students in PDS so we need people to run these. Our Graduate Reading Program, which is a premier program in the College, requires a quality person to run the Clinic. Tenure-track positions are separate. We have to hire qualified people to meet the mandates and requirements for continuing accreditations.
Professor Zimmerman shared that he was sympathetic to the need but worries about how it would be used. He liked limiting to 25% included in the document so we don’t over use this. Dean Lorion suggested that colleges may have different needs. Professor Zimmerman asked if faculty could have some input in this. Profesor Extner suggested that the percentages didn’t seem to work in this document. Dean Lorion then suggested that maybe it should go before college councils. Professor Worgs shared that if we can hire someone with higher qualifications, he could see that but is this a step that can move us away from tenure/track positions. Dean Kaynama stated that in no way do they replace tenure/track because we have to have a certain amount of scholarship but they offer a different level of expertise. Dean Lorion suggested that once you are tenured, you are here and often the knowledge is data. These three-year appointments allow us to bring in new perspectives every three years, which cannot be done with tenure/tenure track faculty.
Professor Bergman asked about clinical lecturers. Dean Lorion gave an example of how he could use that designation in areas that it is difficult to find someone with specialized background. Dr. Extner shared that this is a level that someone could be brought in who was working on a doctorate and that these designations came from other system universities and may be necessary in special situations. Professor Bergman suggested that it was an insult to the faculty that this position only required three years of experience. Dean Kaynama suggested that she couldn’t use this in her college but there may be a need in other colleges. Professor Knutzson was concerned that if they are reviewed by tenure-track faculty that it will add to their load. Dean Extner explained that her clinical faculty are reviewed in the same way as others and this has never been a concern. Professor Maronick shared a concern for the Business College where those with this little experience can be a substitution for tenure-track faculty. Dean Lorion answered that the deans are suggesting these positions but the department heads will choose to use these. We are not requiring this. Professor Maronick replied that the document doesn’t say that this is department driven.
Professor Cox suggested that most of the clinical faculty would not want to be tenure track but there is a possibility. It is in the best interest of the faculty that we are evaluating them. Professor Webster then suggested that part time faculty are more of a threat than these folks. These folks would have more of a commitment to students and are well known in their field with experience. Professor Extner shared that these faculty will come through a competitive search process. Professor Tabak completely supports this because of recruiting and bringing these people in with emphasis on service and teaching that will make it easier for tenure-track faculty to do more scholarship. She also suggested that since other colleges have these, without them makes it difficult for us to compete. Professor Zimmerman asked if we have a tenure-track person not doing too well, can we convert a tenure-track person to this. He was not supportive of this because it erodes tenure. Dean Lorion suggested that there are some cases where this may better fit the faculty member.
5. Motion 08/09-04 Proposal to Reinstate Laboratory and Studio Fees for AY 2009-10
Professor Brown shared that the current budget for Ceramics in the Art department only pays for the clay and not the operation of kilns. In all of these areas it is important for us to keep current and funding has to come from somewhere. Professor Zimmerman added that labs have to be maintained.
Professor Webster asked where are funds going that we don’t have funds for these labs. Professor Manassa asked if these fees are only for these classes and expressed concern for costs for students. Senator Meyer also questions additional fees for students but sees needs. Professor Brown asks students about how many fees they pay but don’t know what they are for. Senator Meyer replied that he understands fees but tuition is high enough as it is.
Dean Spicer, CoFAC, shared that these fees are for consumables and allows the professor to buy in bulk rather than students having to buy these at retail. Over all this is cost saving for students. Senator Guy suggests that this helps because students would know where the fees are going.
Professor Seagul from the RPAC Committee shared that the students would know immediately where the fees go. Community colleges have these and have better labs. These fees will improve the learning experiences. Senator Guy asked what classes in Mass Com would these fees apply? Dean Spicer answered that they would be used for software for specialized classes
The Department Head of the Art and Design Department added that they looked at similar departments in other University OF Maryland system’s schools and all of them do have fees. Senator Poltorak asked if the departments could just collect a fee themselves. Dean Spicer answered that faculty cannot collect fees in that way. Professor Zimmerman suggested that the Senate vote on the motion.
The motion was passed 15/0/0.
Professor Sullivan adjourned the Senate at 6:00 PM.