Minutes for September 8, 2014
The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, September 8, 2014, in the South Ballroom of the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Day called the first meeting of the academic year to order at approximately 3:30 p.m.
The following members of the Senate were absent:
| S. Adams* | D. Allen* | M. Bradley* |
| C. Elliott* | K. Hale*^ | C. Hughes |
| S. Hunt | J. Thaxton |
* Indicates prior notification of absence to the Faculty Senate Secretary
^ SUB Laurence Hayes attended for K. Hale
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Senator Day welcomed the students from COM 301 who were in the audience tweeting live at #FacultySenate.
Senator Day stated that requesting guests to sign in at each meeting has been a compliance violation for years and therefore the Senate will dispense with that tradition as of this meeting.
The Senate is still searching for a new parliamentarian. Individuals interested in serving should contact Senator Day.
Senator Day welcomed newly appointed senators Denver Travis and Kimberly Creech on board.
Senator Day announced the following appointments:
- CAA – Senator O’Brien
- General Education – Senator O’Brien
- Parking Advisory Committee – Senator Howell
- Colonels Comply Drafting Team – Senator Palmer
- Faculty Senate Legislative Forum – Senator Hatcher
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The May 5, 2014 regular and organizational minutes were approved as written.
REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Benson
With the rest of the campus, Senator Benson joined in celebrating the life, career, and contributions of Professor Robert Miller during the memorial service held on campus in June.
Enrollment numbers have increased this fall. As of August 26, a total of 16,454 students had enrolled for fall classes, up 1.8 percent from the same date a year ago. That number includes significant increases in underrepresented populations: Black/African American students at EKU now number 997, up 11 percent. The number of Hispanic/Latino students is up 19 percent, to 344.
Other points of pride relative to student demographic include:
- New freshmen this year total 2,733, up 7.3 percent and the highest number since 2000.
- Currently, almost 1,500 students are taking online courses, an area of rapid growth, especially the last two years, as more and more programs are offered as fully online degree options. Online credit hours are up 15.6 percent.
- Honors Program enrollment has jumped 7.5 percent overall since last year. The program welcomed 125 new incoming freshmen this fall, up from 103 in the Fall 2013 class, an increase of 21 percent.
- More and more transfer students are attracted to EKU, as indicated by a 6.5 percent increase in new transfer undergraduates over 2013. Approximately 10 percent of Kentucky Community and Technical College System students go on to attend Eastern.
- Enrollment in the University’s dual credit program for high school students increased 21.8 percent over the past year and 62 percent since 2012-13. Eastern now partners with 38 schools; 646 students are enrolled for Fall 2014.
- Graduate School enrollment is up 7.8 percent.
- Total credit hours are up 2.1 percent.
Dozens of projects are changing the face of the Richmond campus. All of these efforts are aimed at enhancing the campus environment for students, employees and guests. These projects include:
- Groundbreaking on Oct. 23 for Phase 2 of the New Science Building, which will house the Departments of Biological Sciences and Geography and Geology. The addition is expected to be complete by late 2017.
- Technology upgrades in 21 classrooms and several administrative spaces across campus. One project benefited the First-Year Writing Program by providing a fully functional multi-media space with four high-definition presentation areas for collaborative work and presentations. Another involved the creation of a gaming development lab in the Department of Computer Science for students to develop and test games.
- The addition, by lease arrangement, of Grand Campus, a previously private student housing complex across Lancaster Avenue, to the University’s residential housing stock.
- The demolition of Combs Residence Hall this fall. The second phase of that project features a pedestrian entrance to campus in the former Combs space.
- The addition of an arboretum, to be designed by Kentuckian Jon Carloftis, a nationally known garden designer, in space now occupied by the outdoor tennis courts near Martin Hall. Eight new tennis courts will be built near the Greg Adams (indoor) Tennis Center on the south side of campus. That work is expected to take place this fall.
- The addition of a reading porch on the south side of the John Grant Crabbe Main Library, made possible by a gift from Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel, whose earlier gift enabled the addition of the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity, also in the Library. Construction is expected to begin this fall. The porch will eventually look out over a newly created pedestrian mall to replace what has been a lackluster, industrial space. Work on the mall will begin once steam line replacement work in the area is completed by late September.
- The construction of a multi-purpose facility, replacing the east side grandstands at Roy Kidd Stadium, to house classrooms and small conference rooms, a nutrition and dietetics center, training facilities, a new football locker room, offices for football coaches, and a café. Donald and Irene Dizney contributed the lead gift for the project. The project is also funded in part by a $15 million agency bond approved by the Commonwealth that allows EKU to improve some of its athletic facilities. The baseball and softball fields will also be getting upgrades, including bleacher renovations, along with new press boxes and restrooms.
- A 12,700-square-foot addition to the Ashland Building to house 11 faculty offices, a workroom/conference room, a student hub, two new high bay spaces, a lab classroom with prep lab, 80-seat lecture space with a view to an outdoor demonstration area, and more. Construction is expected to begin in October, with completion by August 2015.
- The removal of Model Laboratory School’s baseball and softball facilities at the corner of the Eastern By-Pass and Lancaster Avenue. The school will utilize fields elsewhere on campus. The University’s top capital construction priority remains a College of Education/Model Laboratory School complex, to be constructed at the corner of the By-Pass and Lancaster.
- The replacement of the McBrayer Arena floor in Alumni Coliseum, along with new, much stronger, and more energy-efficient, LED lighting above the floor.
- Electrical upgrades to the entirety of Commonwealth Hall, formerly a residence hall, to be followed by the migration of Human Resources, E-Campus and other campus operations to Commonwealth.
- A federally-funded project to construct a new sidewalk along the east side of Lancaster Road, from Kit Carson Drive (near the Stratton Building) to Hall Drive (near the EKU Center for the Arts), giving students the opportunity to walk safely to campus, rather than drive.
- The construction of a research facility and “bunk house” at Lilley Cornett Woods, a 554-acre, University-owned old-growth forest in Letcher County, near the Kentucky-Virginia border. The National Science Foundation awarded EKU a $300,000 grant for the research facility, which will serve as a central research hub and make it easier for EKU and other scientists to conduct sustained, high-level research related to the region. The University is funding the “bunk house” portion of the project.
- New seating for Gifford Theatre in the Campbell Building. The old seats are slated to be replaced over the Christmas-New Year’s break with seats similar to those in the EKU Center for the Arts.
- A completely renovated space for the Construction Management program in the Ault Building.
- Continuing upgrades for Hummel Planetarium, including new equipment. A re-dedication ceremony for the improved facility is planned for this academic year.
As reported at the Fall Convocation, the following appointments were made this summer: Dr. Thomas Erekson, Dean of the College of Business and Technology; Dr. Laurie Carter, Executive Vice President for Student Success and University Counsel; and Nicholas J. Perlick, Vice President for Developmental and Alumni Relations.
EKU and KCTCS recently signed a statewide, multi-program agreement to help facilitate the seamless transfer of KCTCS students to EKU.
The African/African American Studies program has partnered with several campus offices to launch a new program, The Freshman Academy for Diverse Students, aimed at promoting the retention of all students, with particular focus on minority students. Dr. Salome Nnoromele, Director of the African/African American Studies Program, is coordinator of the Academy.
The New Residence Hall on Kit Carson Drive was recognized as the first LEED Gold-certified residence hall on a state university campus in the Commonwealth.
In a message to the campus sent on 9/4/2014, Senator Benson noted that in the spring of 2014, CPE approved an increase of 5% to tuition and fees schedule for 2014-2015. Since the university is limited to an overall increase of 8% for the biennium, we will be limited to a 3% increase in 2015-2016. A portion of this increase will be used to continue efforts to enhance the Eastern experience, including additional resources for athletics.
Nevertheless, this 3% increase will not alone fund necessary campus enhancement projects. As a result, we plan to propose the implementation of a mandatory Special Use Fee of $75 per semester to be instituted in the 2015-2016 academic year. In order for this new fee to be implemented and the immediate benefits realized, a majority of our students must indicate their willingness to support the fee via a campus-wide vote. This will occur during the spring semester in conjunction with the general election of the SGA president and other student representatives.
The Colonels Comply program was approved at the June 2014 meeting and is being implemented this fall to support and enhance compliance with our current policies and procedures as well as with federal and state laws and regulations. Dr. Judy Spain, professor in the Department of Management, Marketing and International Business, has been asked to serve as Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer.
NEW BUSINESS:
Colonels Comply. Beth Ballard, Matt Roan, and Judy Spain were in attendance to provide an overview of the Colonels Comply program and to answer questions. To learn more visit colonelscomply.eku.edu.
Policy 4.6.11 - Clinical Faculty. Senator Day presented the policy as an informational item and urged the senators to gather feedback from their colleagues. The policy will be on the October agenda for action.
Policy 4.6.6 - Evaluation of Full-Time Faculty Not Eligible for Tenure. Senator Day presented the policy as an informational item and urged the senators to gather feedback from their colleagues. The policy will be on the October agenda for action.
Policy 4.1.6 - Student Absence. Senator Day presented the policy as an informational item and urged the senators to gather feedback from their colleagues. The policy will be on the October agenda for action.
Budget Committee Election. Senator Miller was nominated and accepted by acclamation to fill the vacancy on the Budget Committee.
Resolution of Support. The following resolution was brought forth as a motion from the Executive Committee, seconded by Senator Elliott. Motion carried. (letter of support)
To approve a resolution supporting the Provost’s approval of an exception to policy regarding the Society of Foundation Professors. This waiver is an attempt to recognize more deserving faculty members while allowing self-nominations for this honor.
Report from Council on Academic Affairs - Senator Vice
Prior Action/Notification Program Revisions
College of Education
Department of Special Education
- Early Childhood Special Education (IECE)
Revise the Early Childhood Special Education program to allow for a common planned program of IECE certification and incorporate changes for new Clinical model - Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Change applied learning courses to reflect new clinical courses, add EDF 413 and EMS 300 from the Professional Education Core. - Special Education/Teaching
Change the applied learning courses to clinical courses and add the new curriculum course and the core assessment course.
College of Health Sciences
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
- Child & Family Studies - To add the course CDF 327s to the admission requirements and drop the ACT score requirements from the Child Development and Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education concentrations.
To drop the following courses from the Child and Family Studies core requirements: CDF 437, CDF 538, NFA 317.
To add CDF 437 and CDF 538 to Child Development and Family Studies concentrations.
To add the following to Child Development and Family Studies supporting courses: NFA 201 or NFA 317.
To drop the Special Education minor for the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education concentration and add the following courses to the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education concentration major requirements: SED 341 or 590, SED 352, 436, 518, 530, CDS 360 and 525. Drop CDF 399 from the Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education concentration.
To add SED 104 (element 6) as a required supporting course and add ELE 519 and CDF 437 as additional choices for 9 remaining hours of supporting coursework in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood.
To add CED 100, 200, 300, 400, 450, and 499 clinical work to Professional Education Requirements and delete Applied Learning Field Experience as required.
Program Revisions
College of Business and Technology
Department of Accounting, Finance & Information Systems
- Computer Information Systems BBA
Add CIS 420 as an elective for Network Management option.
College of Education
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
- Certification for Supervisor of Instruction
To revise program to reflect new licensure standards. - Certification for Director of Pupil Personnel Services
To revise program to reflect new licensure standards. - Specialist in Educational Administration and Supervision
To move SSE 870 from an elective class to a core course.
College of Health Sciences
Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
Develop a Neuroscience Concentration for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.
College of Justice and Safety
Department of Safety, Security & Safety Emergency Management
- Master of Science in Safety, Security and Emergency Management
Replace SSE 824 and SSE 825 with POL 874 and POL 877, respectively.
New Programs
University Programs
Asian Studies
- Create a new minor in Asian Studies
- Create new Certificate in Asian Studies
Program Suspensions
College of Justice and Safety
Department of Safety, Security & Safety Emergency Management
- Master of Science in Safety, Security and Emergency Management
Suspension of the Certificate/Option in Labor & Employment while leaving SSE 860 as an elective course.
Action Items
- Regulation Change - 4.1.6R Student Absence from the University
Update Student Absence from the University Regulation Statement - Bachelor of General Studies Majors
Allow Bachelor of General Studies majors to declare a minor, concentration, and/or a departmental or University-level certificate.
Discussion Items
Office of Admissions
Senator Vice moved approval of items 1-4, seconded by Senator Corley. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of items 5-10. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of items 11-12. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 13. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 14. Motion carried.
Senator Vice moved approval of item 15. Motion carried with a vote of 37 to 19.
Item 16 was presented as an informational item and will be on October's agenda for action.
GENERAL & STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
REPORT FROM SENATE CHAIR: Senator Day
The Executive Committee would like to thank those Senators who volunteered to help with new student orientation - Senators Zhuang, Lamb, Elliott, Howell, Blevins, Spigelman, Hatcher, O’Brien, Reed, G. Hunter and S. Hunter.
In June, Senator Day gave his first report to the Board of Regents. He shared with the Board that while last year’s Strategic Reallocation Process was well-received across the state, its cost seems to have been some amount of lost trust across the campus. One of his goals as Senate chair this year is to pay close attention to processes and make sure academic concerns remain in the forefront and are vetted through the Senate.
Lots of work is being done in strategic planning. A university-wide commitment to recruiting and retaining excellent faculty is key to maintaining high quality instruction. In that regard, policies are being crafted and re-crafted to promote Faculty Development.
Some Senators and Chairs Association members had concerns over the combining of Student Services and University Counsel into one position. While combining administrative functions benefits the faculty (in terms of reducing the percentage of the budget dedicated to administration) when the University Counsel is involved, it presents special challenges. A small group of faculty met with Senator Benson to discuss attorney/client privilege in cases where the attorney is also an administrator. Faculty access to legal services and the handling of contracts are also of interest. The newly appointed VP, Dr. Laurie Carter, is fully aware of the issues.
This is an important moment to pay close attention to higher education issues. The federal government is reaching into new areas, and there are legitimate concerns over the technical challenges associated with the metrics of a national rating system the government plans to use, and whether they may actually provide perverse incentives that could harm underprivileged students and the schools that serve them, like Eastern.
It is shaping up to be a busy year. As always faculty input is needed in a number of areas. Faculty serve on a host of committees and at every level within the university. But the Faculty Senate remains the heart of shared governance. It is here that the faculty speak to the most important issues of the day. Thanks to everyone willing to serve.
Senator Day shared the 2014-2015 committee charges with the Senate.
Senator Day took a moment to pay tribute to long-time Faculty Senate Parliamentarian Bob Miller who passed away from lung cancer soon after the May meeting. Bob was a retired EKU Religion professor and a former pastor. He is fondly remembered for writing the infamous Plantation Papers which was a highly satirical look of EKU administration in 1986. Senator Day gave the eulogy at the memorial celebration in June
REPORT FROM FACULTY REGENT: Senator Thieme
The Board met Monday, June 9, 2014. At President Benson’s request, the Board meetings are hosted by different deans throughout the year. Dr. Sara Zeigler, Dean of University Programs, hosted the meeting in the Noel Studio Greenhouse.
Highlights from the meeting included the following:
- Bryan Makinen was sworn in as the newly elected Staff Regent.
- Each time a new member joins the board, an election of officers must occur; a motion was made to keep House as Vice Chair, elect Tandy as Secretary, and have Poynter as Treasurer. The motion passed.
- Dr. Sara Zeigler introduced her staff and presented a video highlighting University Programs.
- The Finance and Planning Committee, The Student Life, Discipline, and Athletics Committee, and the Executive Committee presented their reports to the Board.
- The Board heard reports from Craig Turner, Kyle Nicholas (SGA President), Richard Day, Leah Banks, and President Benson.
- All action items from the morning business meetings were presented to the Board for approval. All action items were unanimously approved as were the April 14, 2014 minutes.
- Chair Turner presented Resolutions of Application to Sarah Carpenter and Steven Fulkerson.
- The Board went into Executive Session for purposes of discussing KRS § 61.810 (b) discussing the potential acquisition of property.
- Following executive session, a motion was made to continue discussions with Grand Campus regarding negotiating a lease of those facilities by EKU. University Housing is an auxiliary service unit which means it is self-sustaining. Payment for the lease would come directly from rental rates.
Future Board Meetings: October 20, 2014, Hazard, KY (Lilley Cornett Woods); January 26, 2015; April 27, 2015; June 22, 2015.
October 24, 2014, 4:00 p.m. is the inauguration of EKU’s Twelfth President – Michael T. Benson.
Bryan Makinen (Staff Regent) and Amy Thieme (Faculty Regent) will be meeting monthly with the Staff Council President and Vice President, Faculty Senate Chair and Vice Chair, and Chair of Chairs Association. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss current issues and trends as well as future initiatives.
PROVOST REPORT: Senator Vice
The chart below lists unofficial enrollment data as of September 3, 2014.
| 2013/14 | 2014/15 | |
| Total Enrollment | 16,140 | 16,435 |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 13,919 | 14,038 |
| Graduate Enrollment | 2,221 | 2,397 |
| New Freshmen Enrollment | 2,537 | 2,724 |
| Retention of First-Time Freshmen | 69.6% | 69% |
| Six-Year Graduation Rate | 39.2% | 42% |
Provided by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness
In August, Dr. Aaron Thompson and Provost Vice co-presented to the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the Interim Joint Committee on Education regarding closing the achievement gaps for under-represented, under-prepared, and low-income students. With the support of the CPE, the Kentucky Council of Chief Academic Officers is focusing on cultural competency. The goal is to foster a campus environment that promotes success for all students. Most recent EKU initiatives include:
- Dr. Wardell Johnson is leading the Freshman African-American Male Initiative again this year.
- The AFA launched the Academy for Diverse Students this fall, designed to provide diverse students with personal and professional development.
- The College of Education is launching a Center for Equity and Excellence that will not only serve EKU but will work with K-12 schools in Kentucky and beyond. Dr. Roger Cleveland will serve as director.
- EKU hosted the state-wide Governor’s Minority Student College Preparations Program on June 25-26, organized by Dr. Jaleh Rezaie in collaboration with the CPE.
The Interim Joint Committee on Education has asked the CPE to create a state-wide Dual Credit Work Group to discuss issues related to dual credit and make policy recommendations for the 2015 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The group will discuss (a) access, (b) cost, (c) quality, and (d) transferability regarding Kentucky’s dual credit programs. Early college, early graduation, dual credit, and dual enrollment are all becoming important initiatives in Kentucky.
The University is committed to identifying additional support for professional development. Listed below are examples of opportunities this year:
- Scholarship-of-Teaching Grant Opportunities - Faculty are invited to apply for a new grant program to support the Scholarship of Teaching. Grants of up to $2500 will be awarded on a competitive basis to support scholarly activities that focus on the impact of quality teaching on retention, graduation, narrowing of achievement gaps, innovations in developmental education, student success in online courses and pedagogical improvements to existing courses. Program guidelines and application materials are posted on the Sponsored Programs website at sponsoredprograms.eku.edu/SOTG. All applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, November 3.
- Dr. Saundra McGuire, retired Assistant Vice Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at LSU, will be on campus February 19-20 to meet with students and faculty regarding metacognition and learning. The Faculty workshop will be held on February 20.
- After Dr. McGuire's visit, the Physics Faculty will host an open forum, focused on how they are using active learning techniques and metacognition to improve student learning and how these changes have resulted in an increase in the number of Physics majors.
- The Teaching and Learning Center has a robust schedule of faculty sharing how they are improving learning outcomes.
Assurance of Learning Day will be on Friday, September 19.
Overall evaluation of the 2011-15 Strategic Plan shows the following academic programs’ progress on Student Learning Outcomes:
| Rating | No. of Programs | Percentage |
| Excellent | 48 | 32% |
| Acceptable | 67 | 45% |
| Needs Improvement | 17 | 11% |
| Developing | 18 | 12% |
Below is the SACS-COC Timeline for Reaffirmation and QEP Development.
| 2014-2016: | Conduct a self-audit Begin discussions for the new QEP |
| Fall 2016: | Submit our self-study for the off-site reviewers |
| Spring 2017: | Host an on-site review team Submit our new QEP |
Please join Provost Vice for lunch, Wednesday, September 10, 12-1 p.m., Fresh Food Company, Powell, if schedule allows. Sign in at either register.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION: Kyle Nicholas
Over the summer SGA has done an extensive overhaul of our constitution and the different branch bylaws and the overall structure of student government. These were presented at joint branch meetings during the first week of school and will now go forward to each individual branch to be debated and voted upon. After that, information will be shared with President Benson, who will then forward his recommendation on to the Board of Regents. The goal is to have everything implemented by January 1, 2015.
Below is a list of initiatives SGA has been working on:
- Worked closely with the Colonel One Office to get off-campus flex, known as Colonel Cash, operational.
- Formed a partnership with the Athletics Department for a new incentive program for students’ attendance at events.
- Revamped Eastern Fan Friday. More details will be available soon.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Academic Quality Committee. Senator Hunter announced that the committee would meet briefly after the Senate meeting today.
Budget Committee. Senator Hatcher reported that the committee will meet soon to select a chair.
Elections & University Nominations Committee. Senator Johnson stated that the committee will be meeting soon.
Information Technology Committee. Senator Kilgore was elected to serve as chair.
One item requested last year by faculty is now available—photos have been added to Banner.
Rights and Responsibilities Committee. Senator Maloley will serve as chair.
Senator Turner will be a representative on the drafting team for post tenure review.
Rules Committee. Senator Day asked Senator Skubik-Peplaski to convene the committee and elect a chair.
Faculty Welfare Committee. Senator El-Amouri reported that he will serve as chair during this academic year. The committee will meet again soon to continue discussions on summer pay.
Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Forum. Senator Day announced that Senator Hatcher will serve as chair for the Legislative Forum
ADJOURNMENT:
Senator Vice moved to adjourn at approximately 5:05 p.m.
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