Minutes for April 5, 1999

The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, April 5, 1999 in the South Room of the Keen Johnson Building.  Senate Chair Karen Janssen called the seventh meeting of the academic year to order at 3:30 p.m.

The following members of the Senate were absent:

^*denotes prior notification of absence to the Faculty Senate Secretary

Visitors to the Senate were: Onda Bennett, Occupational Therapy; Karen Carey, Institutional Research; Ann Chapman, Administration, Counseling & Educational Studies; Richard Chen, Accounting; Skip Daugherty, Student Development; Allen Engle, Management and Marketing; Richard Freed, English; David Gale, Allied Health and Nursing; Kirk Jones, Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science; Paula Kopacz, English; Stephanie McSpirit, Sociology; Shirley O'Brien, Occupational Therapy; Isabelle White, English/Women's Studies; and Andrea Blom and Dena Tackett, Eastern Progress

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

Senator Janssen called for additions or corrections to the minutes of March 1 and 8, 1999, meetings. Hearing none, the minutes were approved.

REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Kustra

President Kustra reported that he and some members of the Board of Regents recently attended a meeting of the Association of Governing Boards in Seattle. Many cutting-edge ideas for the rapidly changing, highly competitive educational marketplace were discussed at the meeting. For example, competition between both public and private universities and for-profit universities such as the University of Phoenix in distance/online education has profound affect on an institution's tuition policy. He also stated that there appears to be a growing attitude of collaboration and partnering rather than outright attack among these institutions.

The Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), along with EKU officials, have agreed on nineteen benchmark institutions that are comparable to Eastern which the CPE will use to evaluate Eastern's performance. The nineteen institutions are:

• Marshall University
• California State University-Sacramento
• West Chester University of Pennsylvania
• Central Missouri State University
• East Tennessee State University
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
• California State University-Fresno
• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
• Western Illinois University
• Eastern Illinois University
• East Carolina University
• Indiana State University
• Lamar University-Beaumont
• Ball State University
• Northeast Louisiana State University
• Youngstown State University
• Grand Valley State University
• Illinois State University

The president praised the efforts of Dr. Rita Davis and Mr. James Clark in diligently working with the CPE in developing the benchmark list. He also emphasized that representatives from the Governor's Office and the legislature were present at the CPE meeting when the benchmark list was approved.

Dr. Kustra reported on the recent reorganization and provided an opportunity for Senators to ask questions. The text of the president's remarks on reorganization will be distributed as an attachment to these minutes and available on the Faculty Senate web page. Report of the Executive Committee and Senator Chair: Senator Janssen

Senator Janssen reported that the Executive Committee met on March 22, 1999. The Chair of the Committee on Rules, Senator McCord, discussed recommendations for changes in the Senate rules. The Executive Committee commended Senator McCord and the Committee on Rules for the extensive work they have done. The report from the Committee on the Budget and pending motions were also discussed. Members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Teaching by Contract Staff and Classified Employees were appointed and are: Senator Harley (Committee Chair), Dr. Lana Carnes, Dr. Karen Carey, Dr. Don Batch, and the University Attorney, Kacey Coleman.

NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR OF THE FACULTY SENATE: Senator Janssen

Senator Janssen called for nominations for Faculty Senate Chair for the 1999-2000 academic year. Senator Flanagan nominated Senator Harley, Senator Murray nominated Senator Miller, and Senator Virgin nominated Senator Murray.

MOTION TO RECOMMEND NAME CHANGE TO FACULTY CLUB LOUNGE

Senator Rahimzadeh moved that "the Faculty Club Lounge in the Keen Johnson Building be named in honor of Professor Klaus Heberle." Senator Miller seconded the motion. Senator Rink reminded the Senate that the Faculty Club Board of Directors is responsible for anything related to the Faculty Club. Senator Rahimzadeh motion was revised to read that "the Faculty Senate recommends to the Faculty Club Board of Directors that the Faculty Club Lounge in the Keen Johnson Building be named in honor of Professor Klaus Heberle." The Senate approved the revised motion.

REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES:

Committee on Committees: Senator Taylor reported that the Committee on Committees final report will be delivered to the Chair of the Senate. It will be forwarded to the President for his appointment of faculty to University committees.

Committee on the Rules: Senator McCord moved approval of a series of amendments and changes to the Rules of the Faculty Senate (see attachment). Senator Banks seconded the motion, which was approved.

REPORTS FROM AD HOC COMMITTEES

Ad Hoc Committee on Child Care Services: Dr. Paula Kopacz, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Child Care Services, presented an interim report from the committee. The committee has been reviewing the Kids Company Day Care facility located in Brockton Apartments for the two years it has been in effect (1997-1999). All members of the Committee have visited the facility at least once; in the spring of 1998 the committee issued two surveys (one of current parent clients and a second of the university community); and the Committee also met with the Executive Director of Community Education Development Corporation of the Bluegrass, the parent organization responsible for Kids Company #4, the branch on EKU's campus.

The Committee has a number of concerns and issues. These issues will be addressed in an upcoming meeting with the current director of Kids Company. The Committee will finish its work this spring and present a final report, along with motions to the Senate, at the September meeting.

Ad Hoc Committee on College Credit for Workplace Training: Senator Nelson - In the absence of Senator Nelson, Senator Culross responded to numerous questions concerning a motion, which had been postponed from the March 1, 1999, Senate meeting, that the University change its policy on awarding of academic credit and begin awarding academic credit for experiential learning according to the following procedure:

Procedure II, Credit for Occupational Experiences. In this procedure, credit would be awarded for experiential learning, based on the completion of requirements for either XXX 279, Occupational Subjects, or XXX 479, Advanced Occupational Subjects.

• Students would present a packet of material (portfolio) for departmental evaluation;
• A recommendation to award credits would be sent to the Registrar based on the departmental evaluation and after the student's successful completion of: 12 credit hours at Eastern Kentucky University and; a validation activity designed by the department
• Credits awarded would be counted toward the requirements for a specific degree program on the recommendation of the academic department and with the concurrence of the Dean of the College responsible for administering the degree program.

Senator Culross mentioned that the Senate had already approved Procedure I and that the basic purpose of Procedure II is to describe the method by which individual departments could make recommendations to award credit for experiential learning. Discussion centered on issues such as when will the policy become effective, how to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy, why limit the number of credit hours to nine when other institutions are accepting considerably more hours, concern about possible abuse of the policy, and the need for further information. Senator Miller moved to postpone discussion of Procedure II until the Senate's September meeting. Senator Goodwin seconded the motion, which was approved.

Ad Hoc Committee on Grade Inflation: Dr. Kirk Jones responded to numerous questions concerning a recommendation from the Ad Hoc Committee, which had been postponed from the February 1, 1999, Senate meeting. The slightly modified motion was, that the University "Place a moratorium on the use of IDEA forms (or the departmental numerical equivalent) for a period at least three years for the purposes of merit pay, and tenure and promotion decisions starting with the academic year 2000-2001." After explaining the rationale behind the motion, Dr. Jones stated that the moratorium on the IDEA data is for personnel decisions only. It is expected that evaluations will be given throughout the moratorium period and that information from them will go directly to the individual faculty member for their own use to adjust their teaching. Since there are a variety of measures of teaching, the committee did not want to suggest a uniform, university-wide replacement. Each academic unit should decide their measure of evaluation. Lastly, Dr. Jones stated that the IDEA data collected outside the moratorium period as well as the alternative measures of teaching evaluation during the moratorium period can and should be used in conjunction with merit, tenure, and promotion decisions. Senator Anderson inquired if the recommendation had been cleared with the University attorney. Dr. Jones stated that it had not. Senator Dunston wondered why the departmental form is a part of the motion. Senator Sowders stated that she now favored the motion because departments could still evaluate faculty, for example, by use of narratives, even though there would be a moratorium on the use of IDEA or the departmental numerical equivalent. Senator Culross suggested that "at least" should be removed from the motion. The Senate accepted the change.

Senator Miller stated that often numerical evaluations are flawed and should be eliminated, but that a narrative student evaluation which more accurately evaluates the real character of a teacher's performance should be kept. Further discussion centered on such issues as the need for some type of numerical evaluation, the difficulty in designing one type of evaluation document that accurately measures all types of instructional situations, the apparent need in the past of some member of the University Promotion and Tenure Committee for information from IDEA forms in evaluation of candidates, and the possible difficulty for some departments in replacing the IDEA form. Senator Anderson called the question. By a standing vote of 29 to 13 the Senate approved the motion with the change.

ADJOURNMENT:

Senator Davis moved that the Senate adjourn.  It adjourned at 5:20 p.m.