Minutes for November 1, 2010
The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, November 1, 2010, in the South Ballroom of the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Taylor called the second meeting of the academic year to order at approximately 3:30 p.m.
The following members of the Senate were absent:
| F. Awang | A. Back | R. Biggin* |
| L. Bosley* | Z. Eser* | M. Gerken* |
| M. Hesse | D. Howell*^ | K. Krampe* |
| R. Lorden* | N. McKenney* | S. Merlin* |
| C. Palmer*^ | J. Palmer | G. Potter* |
| G. Purdue* | C. Smith* | C. Walz |
*Indicates prior notification of absence to the Faculty Senate Secretary
^ ALT Doris Pierce attended for D. Howell
^ ALT Mary Whitaker attended for C. Palmer
Visitors to the Senate: Caleb Armbrust, Student Government; John Fields, MCS; Carol Gabbard, Education; Sandra Moore, Provost Office; Sherry Robinson, Provost Office
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The September 20, 2010 minutes were approved as written.
REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Whitlock
Since the last Senate meeting, Senator Whitlock has traveled to Daegu Haany University in Korea and Rikkyo University in Japan. Rikkyo University and EKU have drafted an agreement which will provide an opportunity for EKU students to study in Japan.
Senator Whitlock's association with the ACK/ KEEP Board may provide some exciting service learning opportunities for EKU students in the future.
At the joint Appropriations and Revenue Committee meetings of the House and Senate last week, the Revenue Cabinet and the Budget Director reported that state revenues for the first quarter of the current fiscal year were slightly better than the current budget was predicated upon. So that's good news.
The Council on Postsecondary Education is currently reviewing funding models and funding processes for the 2012-14 biennium and is also in the process of developing a new strategic plan. In addition, CPE will soon be implementing a new statewide diversity plan. Another subject which will be revisited soon is whether or not comprehensive universities will be approved to offer more advanced practice doctorates. At this point, the statute has only been amended to include the Doctor of Nursing Practice.
The next CPE meeting will be held on Eastern's campus this week on Thursday and Friday.
Military Times EDGE magazine recently ranked Eastern number one among the nation's top 100 institutions for its commitment to helping veterans further their education.
On a personal note, Senator Whitlock thanked everyone for the support, sympathy and prayers extended to him and his family over the last week.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
Faculty Development Fund Guidelines. Senator Johnson moved, seconded by Senator Wray, to approve the proposed faculty development fund guidelines. Motion carried.
NEW BUSINESS:
EKU Middle College. Carol Gabbard and John Fields were in attendance to share information on an upcoming proposal for the development of an EKU Middle College. Essentially a middle college is a unique, collaborative program between the school district and a college that allows juniors and seniors in high school to obtain a high quality, high school education while concurrently receiving direct and invaluable access to college courses. The proposal is based on a working model at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. The proposal will come before the Senate for a vote in the next month or two. Any questions and/or comments should be directed to Carol.Gabbard@eku.edu.
Report from Council on Academic Affairs - Senator Vice
New Concentrations
- Associate of General Studies Concentration in English
- Associate of General Studies Concentration in Geographic Information Systems
- Associate of General Studies Concentration in Geography
- Associate of General Studies Concentration in Geology
- Associate of General Studies Concentration in Office Systems and Technologies
- Associate of General Studies Concentration in Pre-Business
Program Revisions - Reducing Hours Required to Graduate
- Environmental Health Science B.S.
Reduce the hours required to complete the program to 120 hours. - Animal Studies B.S.
Substitute PHI 381 Animal Ethics for PHI 390 Special Topics in the program - Applied Engineering and Technology Management M.S. - Construction Management Option
Reconfigure the program to allow options and add Construction Management as an Option - Broadcasting and Electronic Media B.A.
Exclude Block VII (SBS). For Film Techniques & Technology Option Block VII (AH) is also excluded. Increase free electives by 3 hours for the Broadcasting & Electronic Media major and by an additional 3 hours for the Film Techniques & Technology Option. Both COM 200 and BEM 350 or 351 are required in the major. Eliminate the statement "Professional Skills Seminar" from College Requirements - Health Education B.S.
Remove HEA 203 Respiratory and Circulatory Emergencies from the Program. - Master of Science in Nursing
Move Fall (part-time) application deadline from March 15 to February 15. - Master of Science in Physical Education
Make PHE 821 a required course in Exercise & Wellness Option; revise hours in Exercise & Sport Science Foundations; revise required hours from 12 to 12-15 in the Options. - Minor in Broadcast News
Revise course requirements and course credit hours. - Minor in Mathematics Teaching
Change minimum grade requirements for the Math Teaching minor to be in accord with those of the major. - Minor in Religion
Require all students with a minor in Religion to take 1) REL 301 2) at least 3 hours of "Abrahamic" religions (at least one of the following: REL 305; 306, 315, or 335 and 3) at least 3 hours of "non-Abrahamic" religions (at least one of the following: REL 340, 345, 350, or 355). - Minor in School Health P-12 Teaching
Revise total hours for the Minor from 29 to 30 hours. - Master of Public Health Certificate in Industrial Hygiene
Add General and Admission requirements to the Catalog. - Master of Public Health Environmental Health Science Option
Edit language in General Information section, Add prerequisite to Admission Requirements, revise courses within Electives. - Occupational Science B.S.
Add an admission requirement, revise and clarify progression and retention in the OS Program. Change the progression requirements (GPA, repeat of prerequisite courses, and hours of course work) to progress into Cycle 1 (Junior year) of the Occupational Science curriculum. Deadlines will be set for admission to the Occupational Science Program.
Action Items:
The Council approved the following items in the September and October CAA meetings:
- Comprehensive Baccalaureate Degree Requirements Revision
Add language to the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements to allow use of courses more than 8 years old toward non-General Studies majors and supporting course requirements within specific programs. - Course Registration Regulation 4.1.12R, Revision
Revise Course Registration Policy to include Early Registration for Student Veterans - Proposal to Accept IELTS (International English Language Testing System) as an alternative to TEOFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
- Protocol for Approval of Certificate Programs
Provide Catalog language to clarify Certificate definitions and approval processes.
Information Item:
The Council reviewed the following item as information in the October CAA meeting:
- Memorandum of Agreement between Eastern Kentucky University and National Safety Management Society
Senator Vice moved approval of items 1-6, seconded by Senator Matthews. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of items 7-20, seconded by Senator Schmelzer. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 21, seconded by Senator Park. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 22, seconded by Senator Ruppel. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 23, seconded by Senator Bhandari. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 24, seconded by Senator Shordike. Motion carried.
Senator Vice reported that item 25 was shared as information only.
GENERAL & STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT: Senator Taylor
The committee charges for the academic year were included in the Senate packet. One additional charge has been added to the Academic Quality Committee. That committee will also investigate how faculty members' syllabi can be posted on the web so students can have a better understanding of what is expected in a given course taught by a given instructor before students register for the course.During the last meeting of the Board of Regents, Athletic Director Mark Sandy gave an impressive report detailing the contributions of the Athletic Department in relationship to EKU's mission. It might be a good idea at some point to have him give that presentation to the Faculty Senate.
In the meantime, Senator Taylor shared some financial data for EKU athletics, Murray State University athletics and Western Kentucky University athletics from 2005-2008. Data provided is from the USA Today NCAA College Athletics Finance Data Base.
From that data what is quite noticeable is that under Revenue – EKU's Guarantees Received revenue has decreased during the past four years by $80,000 dollars; whereas, that same revenue area increased at Murray State University, and WKU. Under Expenses the Guarantees paid by EKU Athletics has increased more than $76,000 dollars. It is also noticeable that "Coaching salaries, benefits, and bonuses paid by the university and related entities," and "Support staff/administrative salaries benefits and bonuses paid by the university and related entities" have increased. However the most noticeable standout in this data is the percentage of revenue provided to the Athletic Department from Direct Institutional Support and Student Fees.
| Percent of Athletic Department Revenue from | ||
|---|---|---|
| Direct Institutional Support & Student Fees | 2007 | 2008 |
Eastern Kentucky University
|
83% | 82% |
Murray State University
|
58% | 60% |
Western Kentucky University
|
62% | 55% |
REPORT FROM FACULTY REGENT: Senator Frisbie
The Board met on September 24 for a regular quarterly meeting. Several informational items of interest were presented. One was the construction overview presented by James Street. Work continues on the two largest projects on campus: the Performing Arts Center (B &T Phase II) which is scheduled for completion in May 2011 and the New Science Building which should be completed by September 2011. The Noel Studio for Academic Creativity has been completed and is in use. Walters Hall is also back in use this fall after an $11M make-over.
The Student Life, Athletics, and Discipline Committee heard an interesting presentation from Athletics Director Mark Sandy. The Committee had asked that Mr. Sandy speak with it about the role of athletics at Eastern, with specific reference to Eastern's three areas of emphasis (student success, regional stewardship, and QEP). EKU athletes graduate at a higher rate (68%) than the EKU population as a whole, and than athletes at several other Kentucky universities. EKU athletes have a combined cumulative GPA of 3.089. With regard to regional stewardship, athletes performed over 1250 hours of community service last year. EKU's athletics programs contribute significantly to the diversity of the student body: athletes comprise 18% of EKU's minority student population. The athletics budget is $10.5M annually. The programs generate $1.7M annually in ticket and other revenue, and generate another $1.7M annually from student tuition and fees (paid by student athletes who are on partial or no scholarships). As EKU has faced declining state appropriations, Athletics has cut personnel costs by freezing four assistant coach positions, eliminating two administrative positions, and downgrading another administrative position.
Much of the meeting was devoted to financial matters. The Board received the audit report for 2009-2010 which was performed by Crowe Horwath. They offered some suggestions for changes in practices, many of which are already being addressed.
VP Newsom presented a financial update. The 2009-2010 fiscal year was finished within budget. This included an over expenditure in the financial aid line of $3.4M, as had been anticipated. Early indications for 2010-11 are that an over expenditure will occur again as previous commitments to students are honored, but to a lesser amount than last year. As work continues to bring the financial aid expenditures in line with the budget, it is important on the academic side to consider if the appropriate amount is being budgeted for financial aid.
For 2010-11, the EKU budget is approximately $200M. Tuition and fees provide 58% of our revenue; state appropriations have fallen to 36% of our revenue. On the expenditure side, salaries and wages (49%) and benefits (16%) account for 65% of the budget. Maintenance and operations account for almost all the rest (34%), with 1% going to capital. The contingency fund is currently $3.25M and there is almost $1M reserved in the state reduction fund. (This is the money set aside for a possible 4% giveback a year and a half ago.)
The EKU Board will next convene for a regular quarterly meeting in January 2011.
PROVOST REPORT: Senator Vice
On Thursday and Friday this week, the CPE staff and Council members, along with Kentucky presidents, chief academic officers, and other institutional representatives will visit EKU.
Many thanks to the faculty, the University Advising Office, and everyone who participated in the Early Alert process. On Monday, September 27, the Early Alert survey was sent to all undergraduate faculty teaching at Richmond's campus. Faculty had until Sunday, October 3, to complete the survey. Thirty-eight departments, all colleges, and 40 percent of faculty submitted an alert. A total of 2,537 alerts were submitted for 1,731 students (863 alerts for attendance, 1,674 for academic concerns). These students were informed by e-mail on Monday, October 4, that one or more faculty members had submitted an alert of the student's progress. Students were asked to contact their instructors and to call the University Advising Office.
At the conclusion of EKU Now!'s first academic year, 50 EKU Now! students entered EKU this fall with scholarships (39 Presidential Scholarships, 7 Regents Scholarships, and 4 Founders Scholarships). Of the 50 scholarship recipients, 37 students received the special designation of Whitlock Scholars —an added incentive for high school seniors who complete the EKU Now! program. Whitlock Scholars have earned a minimum of 9 credit hours, achieved a composite ACT score of 24 or higher, and maintained at least a 3.0 GPA both in high school and at EKU. All EKU grades must be a "C" or higher with no repeated courses.
The Whitlock Scholars are mentored as a cohort group, meeting with President Whitlock periodically and attending EKU academic, cultural, and athletics events. Mary Raider is the EKU staff liaison who will coordinate the Whitlock Scholars' activities.
What is the Eastern Experience? This question is important as EKU responds to numerous statewide initiatives —Senate Bill I (college readiness); House Bill 160 (seamless transfer); CPE's Program Review, new Strategic Plan, Diversity Policy, and tuition setting. This is a great opportunity to "re-imagine" the educational experience provided to EKU students.
Faculty Senators are invited to lunch on Wednesday after each Faculty Senate meeting to continue discussion from the Senate or open new topics. This month's luncheon will be Wednesday, November 3, 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in front of the Faculty Dining Room, Powell Building. Please sign in with either cashier.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION: Caleb Armbrust
A number of issues are being considered in the Student Senate and as resolutions become available, they will be shared with the Faculty Senate.
Faculty senators are encouraged to attend the Student Senate meetings on Tuesday nights at 5pm.
The list of student representatives who will be serving on University committees has now been finalized. Please inform Mr. Armbrust if there are any University committees that still need student representation.
FINANCIAL PLANNING COUNCIL: Senator Taylor
Several tuition models are being reviewed. At some point there will be public forums allowing for student, faculty, and staff feedback.
STRATEGIC PLANNING COUNCIL: Senator Noblitt
The strategic plan was distributed for comments and the Council met as a whole to discuss the feedback received.
Currently the Council is divided into two groups. One group is working on key performance indicators and the other is working on the distribution of the strategic plan and implementation of college and department plans.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:Academic Quality Committee. Senator Shordike stated that given the long list of charges for this year, the committee will be sending a letter to the senators requesting their help in determining which charges are most important for the committee to pursue.
Budget Committee. Senator Johnson reported that the committee met on Friday, October 22nd at 3:30pm and will continue to meet the remainder of the semester on every other Friday at that time. The charges were reviewed as well as information from the University Planning Council concerning budget analysis and review process, tuition models, course drops for the fall of 2010 and spring 20111, and online course offerings.
Finally, the committee dealt with guidelines for the Faculty Development Funds.The committee felt that the guidelines should be general rather than specific due to the diversity of different colleges, departments, and programs. After some discussion the committee decided the FDFs should have a measurable impact upon a faculty member's teaching, service, or research and that each faculty member should reflect how these funds would accomplish this. The committee further decided that any computer related (based) equipment should substantially improve current computing capabilities and not just duplicate what laptop computers do. In addition, the committee decided there should be a record of how these funds are spent and a form was developed to request use of the faculty development funds.
Committee on Committees. Senator Butler announced that Brooke Bentley has agreed to continue to represent the Senate on the University Residency Appeals Committee.
New Senator Orientation. Senator Rainey reported that the new senator orientation meeting was held on September 22. Packets were sent to those who were unable to attend. Any new senator who did not receive a packet should contact Senator Rainey.
Rights & Responsibilities Committee. Senator J. Palmer shared the following in his written report to the Senate.
The committee reviewed their charges and following is a status update:
- The committee met with the faculty members of the P & T drafting team and also scheduled a meeting with the full drafting team in November to discuss proposed changes and additions to the policy.
- The committee examined and vetted the proposed P & T policy. The Senate Rules Committee also participated in the vetting process.
- The committee plans to construct a table to compare differences between the current P & T policy and the proposed policy after meeting with the drafting team.
- A number of court cases have been collected which are relevant to the proposed P & T changes.
- The committee has reviewed the AAUP policy on the use of collegiality as a criterion for P & T.
- Senator J. Palmer agreed to serve as a liaison with the EKU Learning Community studying ethics and will help draft a code of ethics for EKU faculty.
Rules Committee. Senator McKenney shared the following in her written report to the Senate.
The Rules Committee met on Monday, October 25 to discuss their charges.
Those members present decided to postpone examining the method for nominating and electing faculty senate chair, vice-chair and Senate committees until the spring semester. It was noted that the Senate Elections Committee will also be reviewing this issue.
The committee has also agreed to assist the Rights & Responsibilities Committee in making a careful study of the substantial revisions which are being proposed in the university's Promotion and Tenure Policy.
ADJOURNMENT:
Senator Vice moved to adjourn at approximately 5:15 p.m.
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