University Senate Links
University Senate
MEMORANDUM
Date: April 27, 2004
To: The Academic Community
From: James M. Anthony
Subject: April 19, 2004-Meeting of the University Senate
The seventh regular meeting of the University Senate was held on April 19, 2004 in the University Union, Rooms 314-316. The meeting was called to order at 4:04 PM.
ROLL CALL
Professors Fisher and Whitman, Vice Presidents Phillips, Rubin, and Clements were excused.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
The agenda was approved as distributed.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The Minutes were approved as distributed.
REPORTS OF THE EX OFFICIO SENATORS
President Caret reported that the Legislative session had been very productive. We received the operating budget we expected. In the capital budget we received approval for the Liberal Arts/Social Science Building: 4-5 million in money for the next 2 years for planning. We lost the funding to make it a green building.
He also mentioned several bills that were important to the University and the System.
S.B. 812 provides more flexibility to the MHEC.
SB 738 provides more autonomy to the System.
There are several bills relating to tuition.
H.B. 1188 guarantees 5% new money if we agree to keep tuition increases to 5% or less, contingent on our compliance with enrollment targets. We are lobbying the Governor to sign it.
The Committee on Efficiency and Effectiveness is studying many different issues. They are predicting a 30% enrollment growth for higher education in Maryland. We are putting together a more formal administrative group to prepare responses to items that come to the committee. The good news is that the committee thinks that TU is being creative.
We are looking for a new basketball coach.
The Search Committee for the new Vice President for Student Affairs will begin to conduct interviews.
Professor Anthony asked if there was any news on raises for faculty and staff. Answer: The legislature provided a $750 lump sum COLA. There is a 2.5% merit pool.
Professor Sullivan asked if it is inefficient to use course load instead of credit hours for workload calculations. Answer: We hope to come up with a better formula for this calculation.
Provost Brennan announced that predictions for enrollment for Fall are good. We are ahead of where we were this time last year.
Several appointments:
Dr. Raymond Lorion has been appointed Dean of the College of Education. He will be working through the transition period with Acting Dean Tom Proffitt. He thanked Dean Proffitt for his service to the College of Education and the University. The Senate gave Dean Proffitt a round of applause.
Dean Intemann has appointed Professor Saunders as director of MB3.
The System has set up a committee to look at the definition of workload. They hope to establish a more accurate way of measuring it. In relation to the mandate about our workload, we believe we will make the guideline of 7.
In reference to Satellite Offerings, Towson is in negotiations to offer a Nursing course at Hagerstown. Towson is considering offering a post-master certificate in Education Administration at Shady Grove.
The proposal for a Master of Business Administration is coming up at the meeting today. This is a critical program.
Professor Pitcher said that in regards to workload it is important to come up with guidelines that empower the faculty. They need to be much more specific. Provost Brennan applauded what she said.
Vice President Harnage reported on the University Operating Budget. Some of the language is not finalized. We have made good progress in planning for next year. He will be meeting with the chair of the Senate Resource Planning Committee with the goal to publish the budget by the end of May.
On the Capital side: our one active project, the Center for the Arts renovation is on schedule. The General Assembly has funded an additional $3 million for equipment and has added another ½ million for further enhancements to the Main Stage.
The Liberal Arts Building: We will be working to choose a design team.
Ms. Berlanstein asked about the site for the Liberal Arts Building. Answer: It starts where Lida Lee Tall is now.
Professor Siegel (CUSF) noted that the System has provided a venue for the faculty and students to get involved in the legislative project. Chancellor Kirwin is lobbying for the Governor to sign H.B. 1188. CUSF is looking for faculty to participate in some of the work groups being set up by the Committee on Effectiveness and Efficiency.
Professor Siegel gave testimony on workload to the Committee on Effectiveness and Efficiency. They will be looking at other ways to measure workload. Some measures of faculty productivity can be measured against our peer institutions.
They are talking to the community colleges on: Issues of tenure at community colleges: the question of lifting tenure from the community colleges. This would have a great impact on our transfer students.
Professor Zimmerman (AAUP/Faculty Association) announced that: The election is finished. The results will be announced in a week or so. The Spring General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 27 at 3:30-5:00 PM in University Union 316.
Ms. Pica (SGA) announced that Professor Richard Vatz was the keynote speaker at the SGA Towson's Elite Celebration. The SGA elections are going on currently.
(Dr. Vatz requested to make an announcement: Tonight at 7:30 PM the Bill Horne Memorial Lecture Series will present a lecture on the Media and Political Bias.)
Professor Sullivan complimented Bobbie O'Connell and the other students for their good work this year.
Mr. Horton (Graduate Student Association) reported that discussions are underway about the poor pay for graduate assistants. They submitted a request for discussion to the Senate Executive Committee. The request has been remanded to the Resource Planning Committee.
REPORTS BY OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE
Ms. Berlanstein urged committees to get their year-end reports in.
Chairperson Holter announced that the Senate would be represented at the two commencement ceremonies by Professor Anthony (morning ceremony) and Professor Lu (afternoon ceremony). She also asked that the Committee liaisons provide reports from their committees of any items that need to come to the Senate by Thursday morning.
OLD BUSINESS
1. Motion 03/04-20: To approve the ratification of the College Constitution and By-Laws for the College of Fine Arts and Communication.
Dean Spicer spoke to the motion and noted that it had passed unanimously in COFAC. There was a question about the terms for the Service Unit representatives.
Professor Zimmerman asked about the fact that the electorate is limited to tenured and tenure-track faculty. Chairperson Holter noted that such a policy is not in violation of University policy.
Chairperson Holter asked that the dates of the ratification in the college and in the Senate be added at the end of the Constitution.
The question was called: The motion passed 21/0/1.
2. Motion 03/04-30: To eliminate the C- grade.
Ms. O'Connell spoke to the motion. She presented the following points:
a. The current system doesn't allow for an A+ to counteract the C-.
b. Historically, only 2% of professors use the C- grade.
c. In transferring credits from the community colleges, it may require students to repeat a course.
For these and other reasons the SGA supports eliminating the C- grade.
Professor Gallagher asked that the motion be sent to the Academic Standards Committee for review.
Professor Gallagher moved, Professor Forbes seconded a motion: To table the motion and remand it to the Academic Standards Committee for review and a recommendation be brought back to the Senate. (Motion 03/04-33.)
The motion to table passed 15/7/0.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
3. To form a Senate Ad hoc committee to examine workloads across colleges.
Provost Brennan stated that he thought it was a good idea. It is important to have a vehicle for getting the sentiments of faculty.
Professor Zimmerman said that he thought it needs to start as soon as possible.
Professor Lu stated that he thought this committee could be combined with the proposed committee on Junior Faculty. Professor Gallagher added that he believes this committee should have a higher percentage of junior faculty on it.
Professor Pitcher said there is much consternation among junior faculty as to whether they want to stay at Towson. She believes lecturers should also be included. Provost Brennan said that the inclusion of lecturers would present a problem because their workload includes only teaching.
Professor Siegel supported the motion and said that she feels that junior faculty should predominate on the committee. She believes there should also be a representative from the University P&T Committee.
Professor Zimmerman said he believed that the committee should not include lecturers and that it be appointed by the Senate Chairperson.
Professor Gallagher stated that there should be four junior and three senior faculty, and that the Chair of the University P&T should sit on it. As a result, we probably don't need the junior faculty committee.
There was some further discussion of the makeup of the committee.
Professor Zimmerman moved, Professor Hartzler-Miller seconded a motion: To establish an ad hoc committee to examine workloads across colleges. The committee will study and make recommendations to the University Senate and to the Administration regarding:
a. How faculty activities, such as supervising student teaching, directing programs, administering service learning, supervising independent studies, advising students, running laboratory courses, teaching graduate courses, etc. are accurately counted in faculty workload to the maximum extent allowed by BOR policy.
b. How workload is computed and reported in each academic department.
c. How requirements for tenure, promotion and merit are determined as they relate to an individual's teaching expectations.
d. General principles and guidelines which may be used by individual academic departments to recommend an individual's teaching load.
The committee will consist of seven faculty members, which must include: one from each college to be appointed by the Senate Chairperson, plus the AAUP President; the Associate Provost; a Dean appointed by the Provost; a member of the University P&T Committee; a representative of the Council of Chairs appointed by that body; and a member of the University PTRM Committee, ex officio and non-voting.
The faculty representatives will be selected as follows: Each college will submit three names, one of whom must be a junior faculty to the Senate Chair. The Senate Chair is directed to choose at least three junior faculty to serve on the committee.
The committee will be dissolved when their final report is submitted to the Senate.
The question was called and the motion passed 18/0/0.
Professor Zimmerman withdrew Discussion Item 2, the Ad hoc junior faculty committee.
Chairperson Holter asked that people go back to their colleges and encourage colleagues to volunteer to serve on this workload committee.
Professor Tabak asked that the agenda be revised so that New Business, Item 2 (Motion 03/04-32) could be addressed. There was no objection.
NEW BUSINESS
4. (Formerly item 2) Professor Tabak moved, Professor Zimmerman seconded a motion: To approve the degree of Master of Business Administration (Motion 03/04-32.)
Associate Vice President Tom Basuray, Professor Louise Smith (Dept. of Management and Asst. Dean of Curriculum Programs, CBE), and Professor Ray Stinar (Dept. of Kinesiology) spoke to the motion.
Professor Lu asked about the proposal to commit all tuition dollars back to this specific program. Professor Basuray responded that this is an unusual case because MHEC has said we must fund the program completely internally. The program is, therefore, asking for 100% of the tuition for the first two years.
Provost Brennan stated that this is not to set a precedent. Each proposal has a unique plan. He sees this as a loan. We should get our investment back.
Ms. Berlanstein asked about the adequacy of library funds.
The question was called. The motion passed 17/0/0.
5. (Formerly Item 1) Professor Sullivan moved, Ms. Berlanstein seconded a motion: To accept a change in admissions criteria (Motion 03/04-31)
Professor Hull, Chair of the Admissions Committee, spoke to the motion.
Policy
Starting with Fall semester 2006, freshman admission to Towson University will require a national educational test (e.g., SAT, ACT) with a written essay component. This policy shall not apply to transfer students with less than 30 transferable credits and who graduated from high school prior to May 2006.
The question was called. The motion passed 17/0/0.
OLD BUSINESS
6. Discussion Item 10 (from March agenda). Reports of Three Presidential Task Forces: Distance Learning, Service Learning, and Economic Outreach: There was no further discussion of these reports.
NEW BUSINESS
7. Discussion Item 3. The Impact of Growing numbers of contingent faculty on the profession.
Professor Little spoke to the issue. She described the problems of the inconsistencies of treatment, participation, and duties of contingent faculty in the different departments.
Professor Pitcher noted that there is much inconsistency within her department.
Professor Lu said that there is a problem with lecturers. Most lecturers have publications, but they don't participate in P & T, but they write annual reports.
Professor Zimmerman suggested that the question be remanded to the PTRM Committee. Chairperson Holter suggested that the AAUP work on it. The AAUP should ask for volunteers at the Spring General Meeting. Professor Little agreed to work with Professor Zimmerman on this matter.
Ms. Schectel moved, Professor Stein seconded a motion to adjourn.
The motion passed.
The Senate adjourned at 6:05 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
James M. Anthony, Secretary
The University Senate usually meets the first Monday of each month during the fall and spring semesters. The Executive Committee of the University Senate invites all interested parties to attend the meetings in the University Union.
Copies of documents relevant to agenda items are available at the Faculty Reserve Desk in Cook Library. Recordings of the meetings are located in Cook Library in the Media Resource Services area on the second floor.