Minutes for October 6, 2014

The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, October 6, 2014, in the South Ballroom of the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Day called the second meeting of the academic year to order at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The following members of the Senate were absent:

D. Allen	C. Elliott*	S. Hunt
B. Karolich	C. Snider*^	D. Travis*

^* Indicates prior notification of absence to the Faculty Senate Secretary
^{^} ALT Melissa Powell attended for C. Snider

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

The September 8 minutes were approved as written.

REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Benson

Senator Benson commended Senator Cleveland for running for a position on the Fayette County School Board.

Senator Benson recently attended a SOAR (Shaping our Appalachian Region) meeting at Natural Bridge. The main focus of the meeting was about how to replace the thousands of coal-focus jobs that have been lost in Eastern Kentucky.

Two new degree programs were approved by the Council on Postsecondary Education last month: Psy.D. program in Clinical Psychology and bachelors program in Social Justice Studies.

A $247,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has enabled us to launch the Kentucky Environmental Public Health Traineeships Program. This will allow the University to attract more students from underrepresented populations and high-poverty areas into the growing field of public environmental health and, equally importantly, prepare them to work where their services are most needed.

Further, this past month, an agreement was signed between the EKU OSHA Training Institute Education Center in the Perkins Building and our academic program in Occupational Safety and Health across Kit Carson Drive in the Stratton Building that will give working professionals across the country as well as students the opportunity to enhance their skills while at the same time earning undergraduate credit at EKU.

Two of our School of Justice Studies faculty in the College of Justice and Safety were in the national spotlight in recent weeks. On September 9, Dr. Peter Kraska, professor and chair, Graduate Studies and Research, School of Justice Studies in EKU’s College of Justice & Safety, testified at a high-profile U.S. Senate hearing titled “Oversight of Federal Programs for the Acquisition of Military-Grade Equipment by State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies.” More recently, Dr. Vic Kappeler, Foundation professor and associate dean of the School of Justice Studies, was invited by The White House Office of Public Engagement to participate in a “policy review listening session” and discuss federal programs and policies related to equipping state and local law enforcement agencies.

The EKU-Danville Campus is spearheading a community service restoration project of the Shelby City African American Cemetery. The project received a major lift with a $10,000
Regional Stewardship Grant from EKU CARES, the acronym for the Center for Appalachian Regional Engagement and Scholarship in University programs.

In its America’s Top High Schools 2014 survey, Newsweek ranked Model Laboratory School 238th among the nation’s approximately 25,000 public high schools, placing it among the top 1 percent in the nation. Only one other Kentucky school made the list of 500 exemplary schools.

Also in recent weeks, U.S. News and World Report again ranked EKU in its top tier of southern regional universities. Eastern ranks 62nd among 92 universities in the top tier.

For the sixth consecutive year, EKU has been named a Military Friendly School by Victory Media, ranking in the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that are doing the most to embrace America’s service members, veterans and dependents and help them reach their educational goals.

Earlier today the NBC Learn Program was launched. NBC has digitized all their video from the 1920’s to present day. EKU purchased the license to use the materials and have also gifted access to the materials to the Madison County School district. The materials can be accessed through the library at http://library.eku.edu/access-nbc-learn.

Effective Fall 2015, Eastern will move from a 17-week schedule to a 16-week schedule.

Beginning this week, faculty, staff and students will be getting “a new read” on diversity. The Diversity Book Club is a new initiative aimed at addressing societal issues and concerns related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge of the Keen Johnson Building.

Some of the proposed activities planned for Inaugural and Homecoming week include:

• Faculty and staff luncheon on Tuesday, October 21, at 11:30 a.m. in the Wellness Center.
• Community service projects by our students, also on October 21.
• A presentation by celebrated poet Nikki Giovanni, at 6 p.m. October 21, EKU Center for the Arts.
• Student talent show on Wednesday evening, October 22, Brock Auditorium.
• Groundbreaking for Phase 2 of our New Science Building on Thursday, October 23, at 4:30 p.m.
• Chautauqua lecture by Kenneth Adelman, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, on October 23, at 7:30 p.m., Brock Auditorium.
• Inaugural ceremony on Friday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m., EKU Center for the Arts; community reception to follow the ceremony.
• Homecoming Parade on Saturday, October 25.
• Football game with Southeast Missouri at 3 p.m. on October 25, Roy Kidd Stadium.
• and, a few weeks later, a concert by Daughtry on Monday, November 10 at the Center for the Arts.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Policy 4.6.11 - Clinical Faculty.  Senator O'Brien moved to approve Policy 4.6.11, seconded by Senator Smith.

Senator Maloley stated that the sentence on page one “Clinical Faculty appointments are on a year-by-year fixed nine-month basis” is contrary to the original intention of the faculty in the College of Education when the policy was being developed. Therefore, Senator Maloley moved to postpone discussion until the November meeting so that the issue can be addressed. Motion to postpone carried.

Policy 4.6.6 - Evaluation of Full-Time Faculty Not Eligible for Tenure.  Senator Hale moved approval of Policy 4.6.6, seconded by Senator Scarambone.

Senator Whalen moved to amend the policy to add the following, seconded by Senator Adams.

1. On page 1, Procedures Section, Evaluation Sub-Section, after Item 5, insert:

Item 6: The faculty member may submit a written response to the evaluation report to the Dean within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the written evaluation, with a copy to the Chair and, if appropriate, the designated evaluation committee of the department.

2.  On page 2, Responsibilities Section, Full-Time Non Tenure-Track Faculty Sub-Section, add a second item:

If desired, submit a written response to the evaluation report to the Dean, with a copy to the Chair, and if appropriate, the designated evaluation committee of the Department.

Motion to amend carried. The main motion, as amended, carried.

Policy 4.1.6 - Student Absence.  Senator Lowry moved approval of Policy 4.1.6, seconded by Senator G. Hunter.  Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

Title IX Institutional Responsibilities and Initiatives. Sara Zeigler gave an overview of Title IX institutional responsibilities and initiatives and introduced two policies related to Title IX issues: Policy 1.4.1 Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Policy 1.4.1R Non-Discrimination and Harassment Response Regulation. The policies will be presented for action at the November Senate meeting.

Colonels Comply Policies. Judy Spain and Matt Roan were present to introduce the policies that relate to Colonels Comply. The information was presented as information only and will go to the Board of Regents in October for a first read only as well. Both policies will be presented for action at the November Senate meeting. (Policies: 1 & 2)

Policy 4.6.15 – Foundation Professorships. Senator Day introduced the policy for information only and stated the policy will be presented for action at the November meeting.

Report from Council on Academic Affairs - Senator Vice

As a point of clarification, Senator Day noted that as CAA items come forward from a committee, a second is not required for motions.

Program Revisions

College of  Health Sciences
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

1. Occupational Science (B.S.)
   To delete ENG 300 from support and add PSY 308 (Abnormal Psychology) and HSA 200 (Medical Terminology) to support.
   Reduce 2 hours of free electives and add 3 hours to support
   To eliminate the requirement that students seeking admission to the Occupational Science Program submit an Advising Form to the Department Chair and to Add HSA 200 to the Admission requirement.

College of Justice & Safety
Department of Safety, Security & Emergency Management

2. Homeland Security  B.S.
   Suspend the Security Management (SEC) program and convert SEC supporting courses and high-demand courses to Homeland Security (HLS) courses.
   Include the following HLS courses as part of the curriculum: HLS 380 (Border and Immigration Control), HLS 443 (Transportation Security), HLS 460 (Business Continuity and Emergency Management), HLS 465 (Modern Natural Disasters), HLS 467 (Crime in Disasters).
   Revise the Homeland Security CIP code to the appropriate Dept. of Ed CIP designation (43.0301).
   Other minor revisions to improve the BS curriculum quality.

Program Suspension

College of  Arts & Sciences
Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work

3. Minor in Deviance/Criminology
   Drop the Minor in Deviance/Criminology from the SOC program.

Action Item

4. Office of Admissions
   S2 Admission for Certain MAT 090 Level Applicants/Proposed S2 Admissions Letter
   Students applying for the Fall term who have an ACT (or equivalent SAT) Math subject score below 16 will be granted Success First Admission for the summer term and must successfully complete directed coursework to remain enrolled.

Senator Vice moved approval of the following items.

• Items 1-2 - Program Revisions.  Motion carried.
• Suspend item 3.  Motion carried.
• Item 4.  Motion carried.

GENERAL & STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS

REPORT FROM SENATE CHAIR: Senator Day

Two forums have been scheduled to address faculty and staff concerns over the upcoming changes in healthcare plans. The first is at 9am on Tuesday in the Herndon Lounge, Powell Building. The second is on Wednesday at 3pm in Perkins 229. All faculty and staff are invited to attend. In addition, Jennifer Strauel will be available before and after the meeting on Wednesday to address individual concerns in Perkins 229.

In reviewing the Senate history, Senator Day discovered that the EKU Faculty Senate was created by an act of the Board of Regents, and therefore, is a considered a public agency under the Kentucky Open Meeting and Open Records laws. Senator Day has contacted Judy Spain for a review of legal requirements that should be followed and will update committee chairs if changes need to be made in current practices.

On a related matter, last month COM 301 became the first class of students to live-tweet a Senate meeting. That generated some discussion of whether Senate meetings should, and/or could, be live-streamed. Capturing and streaming live video (through EKU Media, and consistent with ADA guidelines requiring closed captioning or transcription) would be costly and labor-intensive. However, there may be other more do-able avenues. The Executive Committee (XC) has asked the Rules Committee to discuss, and assess, Senate interest in this possibility, and report back to XC.

As Senators are aware, the Colonels Comply program is in development. As part of that process, the university is establishing new organizational structures to handle issues of non-compliance and other disputes. At the same time, the Senate XC has been discussing the possible need for a university ombudsperson to handle confidential faculty concerns. University legal counsel has asked the XC to postpone its considerations of the need for an Ombudsperson, but after discussion, the XC decided to proceed with a preliminary study of the issue. Accordingly, the Rights & Responsibilities Committee has been given this charge.

In an effort to improve communication between faculty and the Faculty Senate, Senator Day will be sending monthly updates to all faculty. He has already sent out a couple of updates.

Please remember if amendments will be introduced at Senate meetings, provide written copies of the amendments to the Senate chair and secretary before the meeting. This will help the chair clearly restate the issue before the Senate votes and will provide an accurate record of the proposed amendment for the secretary.

On Wednesday October 1st the Provost’s office and Faculty Senate held a forum on two important draft policies: Financial Exigency and Dismissal of Faculty. About twenty members of the faculty and administration attended to share suggestions and concerns with the drafts. The draft policies will next come before the XC for vetting. At that time the XC will determine if the policy is ready for full Senate consideration. As usual, the Senate will see the policies “for information only” in the first month, and then based on the Senate’s response, will return for a vote the following month. 

REPORT FROM FACULTY REGENT: Senator Thieme

Senator Thieme announced that the October 20th Board meeting will be held at Hazard Community College.

PROVOST REPORT: Senator Vice

Math modules continue to enhance the success of students with developmental math needs. With the exception of Module B in MAT 090, over 80 percent of students succeeded in completing each module for Spring 2014. Total Spring enrollment for MAT 090 was 158; and total Spring enrollment for MAT 095 was 382.

SPRING 2014
	MAT 090 Passed/Attempted (Pct%)	MAT 095 Passed/Attempted (Pct%)
Module A	69/83 (83.1%)	219/261 (83.9%)
Module B	71/115 (61.7%)	222/274 (81.0%)
Module C	82/99 (82.8%)	217/256 (84.8%)

Further, 25 of the 29 students who were enrolled in MAT 095 during Summer 2014 successfully completed all three modules. In MAT 090, 15 of the 24 students enrolled during Summer 2014 successfully completed all three modules.

At its September meeting, the Council on Academic Affairs approved multiple course changes in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. These changes include (1) renumbering many MAT course offerings to ensure appropriate numbering in current and future MAT courses and (2) adding an Applied College Algebra course to align with other universities, thereby improving transferability, and to give programs latitude to require the College Algebra class that is most appropriate for their curriculum. Changes are anticipated to go into effect Fall 2015. The Registrar’s Office will work with programs to determine how MAT course changes will impact their curriculum.

The response rate for the 4-Week Report was 73 percent for all CRNs offered this fall. Two areas in particular had 100 percent participation: (1) Chair Lana Carnes and the Department of Management, Marketing, and International Business and (2) Director David Coleman and the Honors Program. Thanks also to all faculty and chairs that followed up with their students regarding the 4-Week Report.

Thanks to all EKU faculty for another successful Assurance of Learning Day! All departments and programs participated in the day, and programs worked to evaluate their student learning outcomes and make meaningful changes to ensure student learning. Department agendas were right on target.

The Colonel’s Cupboard is a donation-based operation that provides emergency food boxes and/or referrals to social service agencies to currently enrolled students in need. Food boxes are designed to provide around 9 well-balanced meals. The Office of Student Life is leading the Colonel’s Cupboard initiative. The Colonel’s Cupboard operates primarily on the referrals of faculty and staff members who identify students in need of temporary assistance. To refer a student, go to http://www.communityservice.eku.edu/refer. For immediate/emergency assistance, call 859-622-2855 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.).

The Colonel’s Cupboard is fully funded by donations from the community. Donations can be made at http://communityservice.eku.edu/donate. The Cupboard also works with any office, department, or organization that wants to host a food drive. For more information, email food.pantry@eku.edu, or visit http://communityservice.eku.edu/colonels-cupboard.

The Whitlock Scholars’ Induction Ceremony was held last Tuesday, September 30. The Whitlock Scholars’ Class of 2018 consists of 73 eligible members with an average ACT score of 27.

Invitations were emailed Friday for an International Faculty Luncheon hosted by the President and Provost Vice on October 27. If an international faculty member has not received an invitation, please call 859-622-3884 or email Shelia.Adams@eku.edu.

Please join Provost Vice for lunch, Wednesday, October 8, 12-1 p.m., Fresh Food Company, Powell, if schedules permit. Sign in at either register.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Academic Quality Committee.  Senator Hunter stated that last year the AQ Committee asked the Senate the question “Why not take an online course through Quality Matters”. This year the Executive Committee has asked the AQ Committee to find an answer to that question.

The committee has also been asked to review the academic integrity appeals process.

Budget Committee.  Senator Hatcher reported that the committee met earlier today. The main topic of discussion was how to make the Budget Committee more proactive in the budget process and how to effectively communicate budget issues with the overall faculty.

Elections & University Nominations Committee.  Senator Day announced that Senators Brumfield and Johnson will co-chair the committee this year.

Information Technology Committee.  Senator Kilgore reported the following:

• Laptops will be rolled out in the spring and summer.  (Also, IT would like to know if faculty are interested in receiving tablets versus laptops.  Send feedback to Senator Kilgore.)
• Mona Isaacs retired October 1st.  Jean Marlow and Jeff Whitaker are temporarily assuming her duties.
• IT is willing to schedule faculty training sessions for Drupal.  Any faculty interested in Drupal training should contact Senator Kilgore.
• The Wi-Fi infrastructure on campus will be upgraded soon.

Rights and Responsibilities Committee.  Senator Maloley stated that all of the committee’s concerns on the policies viewed today were addressed.

Rules Committee. Senator Skubik-Peplaski announced that she and Senator Adams will serve as co-chairs this year.

Faculty Welfare Committee.  Senator El-Amouri reported that the committee is continuing to address the charge on summer pay.

Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Forum.  Senator Hatcher  announced that the committee is working on the schedule.  The topic this year will either be SOAR or the economics of education.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Senator Benson introduced Laurie Carter, Executive Vice President for Student Success and University Counsel.

ADJOURNMENT:

Senator Vice moved to adjourn at approximately 4:45 p.m.

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