Minutes for November 5, 2018

The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, November 5, 2018 in the South Ballroom in the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Winslow called the third meeting of the academic year to order at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The following members were absent:

R. Baggett*^	C. Budano*^	A. Callahan
C. Cassidy	J. Fitch*^	A. Gossage*^
G. James-Wendel*^	D. Rothe	C. Sickels*
S. Zeigler*^

^* Indicates prior notification of absence to the Faculty Senate Secretary
^ ALT Joanne McGlown attended for R. Baggett
^ ALT Shane Dutton attended for C. Budano
^ ALT Ginny Whitehouse attended for J. Fitch
^ ALT Kim Creech attended for A. Gossage
^ ALT Eric Sokolowski attended for G. James-Wendel
^ ALT Tom Otieno attended for S. Zeigler

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

Senator Woodruff moved approval of the October 1, 2018 minutes, seconded by Senator Crosby. Motion carried. (YES = 55 votes | NO = 0 votes | ABSTAIN = 1 vote) (Due to a computer glitch in the digital voting software, individual votes are not available to post for this meeting.)

EKU FORWARD:

The following recommendation was made:

• Consider ways to reward faculty (in general) for their role in increasing 4-year graduation rates (e.g. awarding certificates).

REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT:  Senator Benson

Senator Benson shared the following in his written report to Senate.

If you ever wonder if what we do here at Eastern makes a difference, consider Stephen Jones. You may have seen the recent story about our junior psychology major who has endured all kinds of adversity to pursue his dream of a college degree and a rewarding career.

So now this Rodney Gross and McNair Scholar with a 3.2 GPA is planning to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, with an eye toward working perhaps with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. His immediate goal? Help his mother retire in 10-12 years.

Just another reason why we should all be excited to come to work each and every day.

Consider, too, the case of Jennifer Perkins, a junior journalism and history major from London, Kentucky, whose work with our Eastern Progress so impressed the judges that she was recently named Communication Professional of the Year by the Kentucky Communications Association. When our students are earning Professional of the Year awards for their work as students, we can take heart in two truths: we are blessed with some outstanding students, and we’re doing right by them.

During his nearly 30 years with us, Dr. Frank O’Connor certainly made an impression on his economics students, on his profession and on our Commonwealth. So it was great to see Dr. O’Connor receive the 2018 Distinguished Economist Award recently from the Kentucky Economic Association. It was a richly deserved honor for an outstanding educator and practitioner.

Elsewhere on campus, our mock trial program has picked up where it left off last year, achieving a second-place finish in its first tournament of the year in early October. And team captain Ryan Wiggins, who is also our SGA president and student regent, pulled off the impressive feat of winning both Outstanding Witness and Outstanding Attorney awards on opposite sides of the case.

The academic quality of our student body, and the exemplary work of our faculty and staff, is also reflected in the steady improvement in our four-year graduation rate, which this fall stands at 32.7 percent, an all-time record high for the institution and more than double where we were just eight years ago. Our six-year graduation rate is also at a record high of nearly 51percent, up 34 percent over eight years ago. Not coincidentally, this has been accompanied by a steady rise in the average GPA and ACT Composite scores of our incoming freshman classes. Our expanded merit scholarship program has been a critical factor in these improvements.

In other news, the services and positive environment we offer military veterans continue to bring us national attention. In the latest “Best for Vets” rankings from Military Times magazine, Eastern is 12th nationally, up from 14th a year ago. We are the highest ranking school in Kentucky or any adjacent state.

I was delighted last month to sign a charter that will serve as the organizational backbone of the University’s ombud office. The charter details the responsibilities and limitations of the ombud, provides a framework for how the work of conflict resolution gets done and advises faculty and staff on what they can expect when they call on the ombud. As Ombud Joan Beck has said, by addressing and resolving any conflicts that arise as early as possible, we have the opportunity to improve job performance and morale, and deepen job satisfaction.

Lastly, please allow me a moment of personal privilege to plug a book project which has eaten up any spare time that my co-author, Hal Boyd, and I had for the past two years. College for the Commonwealth: A Case for Higher Education in American Democracy is now out from University Press of Kentucky, and we hope that this work will help facilitate discussions about the important role that our institutions of higher education play in the furtherance of the democratic values, principles and practices that we all cherish as Americans. Joseph Beth Booksellers was kind enough to host me Thursday night for a discussion and book signing. (See flyer, from the University of Kentucky, detailing the upcoming Kentucky Book Festival.)

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Provost Search Update. Search Committee Co-Chair Shirley O’Brien stated that, as was announced in a campus-wide email earlier today, an agreement could not be reached with the preferred candidate or candidates and the search committee will take some time to consider next steps and determine a revised timeline to continue the Provost search. Dr. Jerry Pogatshnik has been asked to step into the role as Interim Provost when Dr. Whitehouse retires on January 1st.

Dr. O’Brien thanked the faculty for attending the forums, watching the videos, and providing feedback on all candidates. Faculty input is invaluable in this process.

Student Government Association Update. Ms. Madison Lipscomb shared the following highlights from student government.

• The Student Government Association Office is now located in Coates 2.
• The constitution and bylaws are being revised and should be available for review by the end of the semester.
• The Student Activities Council events are grossing around 500 students per event which is a huge increase from past years.
• $40,000 in RSO funding has been awarded to student organizations.

Ombud Report. Ombud Joan Beck shared the following in her written quarterly report to Senate.

There were ten new consultations during the 34 working days of the quarter, maintaining about the same average as the last quarter of a new contact every three days on campus.

Several consultations this quarter touched on lack of appreciation or being valued on the job. This is still a period of mourning and uncertainty. The growing sense of insecurity can be countered with words of assurance, recognition of achievements, expressions of gratitude for work well done. By shoring up our fragile colleagues we strengthen the commitments to each other and our institution.

Office hours have been adjusted as needed this quarter in order to meet faculty or staff at times convenient to their schedules. My goal is to meet with faculty and staff promptly and at times that do not interfere with their work. (See also: 2nd quarterly report)

NEW BUSINESS:

Policy 11.2.4 – Information Security. Chair Winslow presented policy 11.2.4 for first read with action anticipated at the December meeting.

Policy 9.3.3 – Governing Time, Place and Manner of Demonstration Meetings, and Other Assemblies. Chair Winslow presented policy 9.3.3 for first read with action anticipated at the December meeting.

Posthumous Degree. Senator Eser moved to approve awarding a posthumous degree to Leo Manahl, seconded by Senator Ciocca. Motion carried. (YES = 56 votes | NO = 0 votes | ABSTAIN = 0 votes) (Due to a computer glitch in the digital voting software, individual votes are not available to post for this meeting.)

Report from Council on Academic Affairs.  Vice Provost Robinson presented the following materials.

Senator Dyer moved approval of items 1-4, seconded by Senator Fleischer. Motion carried. (YES = 54 votes | NO = 0 votes | ABSTAIN = 2 votes) (Due to a computer glitch in the digital voting software, individual votes are not available to post for this meeting.)

Senator Nachtwey moved approval of item 5, seconded by Senator Nowak. Motion carried. (YES = 52 votes | NO = 2 votes | ABSTAIN = 2 votes) (Due to a computer glitch in the digital voting software, individual votes are not available to post for this meeting.)

GENERAL & STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS

REPORT FROM SENATE CHAIR: Senator Winslow

As senators were not asked to stipulate which area should be responsible for reviewing the recommendations shared during the EKU Forward discussions, the Executive Committee agreed to review the October recommendations to determine how to proceed.

• Over $3M in capital improvements have been used to make the campus more aesthetically appealing. However, funds should be spent to maintain and/or renovate academic buildings and faculty offices in order to provide a safe, healthy environment for faculty and students.

Action: The Budget Committee will follow-up

• The campus should have a multi-level discussion (department, college, university) to answer the question what is the university? The university is essentially academic and what does that mean?

Action: This should be included as part of the strategic plan. That process should begin soon.

• Either a committee should be formed or a designated office should be appointed to review data and determine which students are providing the greatest economic value so that recruitment efforts can be more focused on the target market.

Action: The Student Success area is currently working on this data, but they may need to do more on international students. The XC will invite Gill Hunter to the November XC meeting to provide an update and to answer questions.

• Textbook costs have increased 3 times the rate of inflation and the increased costs place an extra financial burden on students. As a reminder, the library provides a plethora of resources both as subscribed and open access for faculty to use in their courses instead of requiring a textbook.

Action: Chair Winslow will appoint an Ad Hoc Committee to Review Textbook Resources. He will make an announcement asking for volunteers at the November Senate meeting and will encourage the senators to share that information with their colleagues. Interested faculty should contact Chair Winslow. (NOTE: Senator Eser volunteered to serve on the committee.)

• Either the Executive Committee or Faculty Senate should review the policy for late class adds because as it stands now the add date is late enough that in some cases students can miss up to 2 to 3 class periods as well as 2 labs. Missing out on that much instruction at the beginning of the semester increases the likelihood that struggling students will fail the course.

Action: XC suggested pulling data to see how many students add classes late and the number of those that successfully complete the classes. They will ask Gill Hunter about this at the November XC meeting. Regent Day also suggested inviting Tanlee Wasson to the November XC meeting.

REPORT FROM FACULTY REGENT: Senator Day

The Trump Rally is now behind us and despite some early concerns and a few bumps along the way the event went about as well as we could have expected an event like this to go.

The university received praise from Rally organizers and Protest organizers alike for security at the event. The safe environment was due in large measure to the Interim Policy 9.3.3 on Time, Place and Manner of Demonstrations, Meetings and Other Assemblies, which is presently before the Faculty Senate for ratification. Rarely does a university policy receive such an acid test so soon after being written. The Secret Service told Executive Director for Public Safety Bryan Makinen that it was the best organized rally security they had witnessed to date. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee queried legal and law enforcement officials about any deficiencies in the new policy. None were reported.

Print media coverage of the event appeared to be fair and accurate (Washington Post, The Hill, Courier Journal, Herald-Leader, Eastern Progress); commentary somewhat less so.

Some folks reasoned that the university had “invited” the Trump Campaign to campus and that such an invitation was a tacit endorsement. In fact, the Trump Rally was a straight-up facility rental, and not due to any invitation from EKU. The decision to use EKU actually came from Congressman Andy Barr who told the assembly that “Trump easily could have filled Rupp Arena in Lexington, but I wanted him at EKU because of the school’s commitment to veteran staff and strong military presence in Madison County.”

As reported by the Herald-Leader, the rental contract and supporting documents (here, following 12 pages of state boilerplate) charged the Trump Campaign $10,800, the standard published rate for Alumni Coliseum, and specified reimbursement to EKU for anticipated and unanticipated costs incurred by the event. The Rally employed 16 private security personnel inside the arena. There were additional costs for the event to cover staging, portables, Hi Tech staff, and communication lines. The Trump Campaign has fully paid EKU’s invoice for costs associated with the event in the amount of $21,530.19.

A short paragraph related to “national security” was redacted from the contract.

Contrary to one person’s suggestion, the administration did not waive university policies. Rather, the administration bound the group to adhere to university policies by contract, followed Policy 9.3.3 to assure campus safety, and acted to preserve freedom of expression on campus. So far as I could determine, the administration performed a lawful act in an appropriate manner according to policy. If evidence of administrative wrongdoing did exist, it would be the responsibility of knowledgeable individuals to report their evidence to the appropriate authority.

PROVOST REPORT: Senator Whitehouse

Dr. Aaron Thompson was selected to serve as CPE’s fourth president. At a meeting of the Council of Chief Academic Officers last Monday, Dr. Thompson shared several priorities for the CPE going forward that include:

• Developing strategies to recruit non-traditional adult learners and students outside Kentucky.
• Continuing to emphasize student success, high-impact practices, and a 360-degree college experience that enhances retention and degree progression.
• Increasing the discussion around institutional focus and mission differentiation.
• Focusing on accelerated degrees.

EKU’s collaborative efforts to improve student success have resulted in moving the needle on key performance metrics, such as graduation rates, retention rates, and degrees awarded. Graduation rates at EKU have steadily improved since 2012. The 6-year rate has increased by 11.6% and the 4-year rate has doubled in that timeframe. We have also made consistent gains in retention rates during this time, with an increase of 5.5% since 2012 (2011 cohort).

EKU continues to increase the number of degrees awarded, awarding nearly 600 more total degrees annually in 2017-18 than in 2011-12. In 2017-18, EKU awarded more than 3,800 degrees to students who will primarily live and work in Kentucky. EKU produces 14% of bachelor’s degrees awarded by KY public institutions and 17% of low-income bachelor’s degrees. The number of STEM-H degrees awarded has increased 32% in just the last 4 years.

Eastern has ranked again as a leading school for our military veterans, according to the 2019 Military Times: Best for Vets rankings. Visit https://charts.militarytimes.com/chart/9 for the full list of schools.

Applications are being accepted for EKU’s Annual Faculty Awards Program. Eight awards will be given to recognize faculty excellence in five categories. Applications for all awards are due February 1. Additional information and applications for the awards are available at https://studio.eku.edu/annual-faculty-awards.

The Instructional Design Center invites EKU faculty and staff to register for the upcoming, day-long certification course for Applying the Quality Matters Rubric. The session is scheduled for November 16 and is limited to 20 participants. Further information and details about course registration are available at https://idc.eku.edu/qm.

The Teaching & Learning Innovation Series schedule includes many more opportunities for faculty development and joining faculty colleagues in discussions focused on teaching and learning. For more information or to register for a workshop, visit https://studio.eku.edu/tli.

Please mark the following upcoming dates on your calendars:

• November 16 – Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Certification –Instructional Design Center (https://idc.eku.edu/qm)
• December 5 – 2018 Showcase of Teaching & Learning Innovations
• February 1 – Application deadline for the 2018-2019 Annual Faculty Awards (https://studio.eku.edu/annual-faculty-awards)
• February 21, 2019 – Posters-at-the-Capitol 

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Budget Committee. Senator Ciocca reported that the committee met on October 24. The following topics were discussed:

1. Approval of the Minutes of 9-21-2018 meeting
2. Events surrounding the Trump Rally: details on the contract for the event.
3. Revenue vs. costs: Rental charge of the facility and cost of refurbishing (Power washing, replacing of lights etc.). Costs of preparation: fencing, Police and security detail. Cleanup. Vendor Locations.

Motion – As part of due diligence, in the interest of transparency and in order to help evaluate best practices in EKU policies, the Faculty Senate Budget Committee respectfully requests that the Administration provide a full and clear account of all revenues and costs associated with the October 13, 2018 event rental of Alumni Coliseum.

As partial fulfillment of the above request, please see the additional information (pp. 2-24) provided in the full committee report to review the charges and expenses related to the Trump Rally.

Elections & University Nominations Committee. Senator McCardle announced that the part-time faculty election has concluded and the new part-time senator is Chris Pyle. The alternates are Cory Blackeagle and William Dooley.

Information Technology Committee. Senator Cogdill announced that the new faculty laptops are available for review from November 5 to December 7 in the Combs Building. The rollout is scheduled to take place in February.

Rules Committee. Senator Bishop-Ross reported that the major charge of the committee this year is to work on the various definitions of “faculty” as it appears in the handbook. The committee feels that “Faculty-at-large” should be an umbrella terms that describes the broadest group of faculty and that all other types of faculty should be subcategories under it. Currently, not only is this not the case, but the definition is legally ambiguous and gives the appearance of a conflict of interest. Also, RTP faculty, clinical faculty, and lecturers are not listed under any of the groups that constitute membership of the faculty.

Our committee has discussed this with Vice Provost Sherry Robinson for policy impact and Sarah Pitt for HR/legal impact of changing these definitions and has since learned that changing these definitions can impact employee benefits. We are concerned that changing these definitions could become a legal issue that is beyond the purview of our committee. If we can legally change these definitions, we will. If we can’t, we would like to know if the Senate will support our committee creating:

1. a new umbrella term that encompasses all faculty and
2. new definitions to be used in tandem with the old words that will be clearer and more inclusive.

If our committee continues to move forward with this charge, we feel that the handbook language must be clearer about the groups and roles of faculty.

Chair Winslow encouraged the committee to continue with their charge. The need for clarification is even more important now that motions approved by Senate that require faculty-at-large approval are posted online and notification sent by email to the faculty for review. It is imperative that all eligible faculty have the opportunity to receive those notifications because if more than 10% of the faculty have concerns and sign a petition, then the faculty-at-large must meet face-to-face for deliberation on the motions. Furthermore, clarification would help in determining which faculty should receive other types of notifications (e.g. faculty regent election information, evaluation of EKU president).

Faculty Welfare Committee. Senator Bentley reported that the committee met with Steve Caudill on September 24 to get additional information on the new printer program. He informed us that most of the printers on campus are Lexmark. Lexmark has the most expensive toner to purchase, and unfortunately cheaper brands will not work. The University currently spends $250,000 a year on Lexmark toner alone. So that is one reason for the proposed change. He also answered a list of questions prepared by the committee members. Faculty may want to review the questions and answers from the meeting (See addendum at the bottom of page 1) to learn more.

ADJOURNMENT:

Senator Whitehouse moved to adjourn at approximately 4:30pm.

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