May 26, 2010

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
MAY 26, 2010
No attendance sheet was turned in. There were enough members present for a quorum.
Welcome
Dr. Judy Kuhns-Hastings, President
Judy thanked everyone for their hard work during the year.
Announcements
Discussion with Administrators
Approval of Minutes – April 28, 2010
Committee Reports
Board of Trustees Representative – Bob Rice
Dr. Rice reported that the BOT met on May 24 at UMFK.
The UMS FY2011 tuition increase is the lowest increase for six years. The Board of Trustees extended the appointment of Dr. Richard L. Pattenaude as Chancellor for a two-year term ending June 30, 2012. The Board of Trustees approved the creation of a Professional Science Masters degree at the University of Maine. Proposed budget increases were discussed. Two million dollars was approved for the Thayer Chair in Innovation at UMaine. There was a brief update on budget issues including increased revenues. There was a presentation from Noel-Levitz on the Phase One findings and recommendations for the Tuition/Financial Aid/Market Study. Also an update on New Challenges/New Directions.
Academic Affairs – Tina Passman
Dr. Passman thanked the members of the committee for their work this year. The committee has a motion on Transcript Reevaluation on today’s agenda.
Constitution & Bylaws – Michael Grillo
Research & Scholarship – Touradj Solouki
Dr. Solouki was unable to attend. Dr. Fairman gave the year end report. Thanks to the members of the committee, Paul Rawson, Karl Kreutz and Mark Wells, in addition to Janet and Touradj.
The committee is doing ongoing work on collecting the data, organizing small groups and gauging the level of interest/enthusiasm on having internal workshops on proposal submission and internal “panel reviews”. They are collecting statistical data on the impact of indirect return, the work is ongoing and a short report will be prepared for wider dissemination. The committee also thanked Cliff Wilbur and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for being generous with their time and willingness to work with the committee on this and many other projects.
The committee collaborated with the University Research Council (URC) and URC Equipment Committee (EC) in collecting data on “Major” instruments and drafting a request for proposal (RFP) for mini-proposals on “high end instrument review (HEIR) to boost our external funding. The committee thanks
Jody Jellison, Michael Eckardt and all the members of the URC and URCEC for their active participation and support.
The committee surveyed activities related to money saving efforts on sharing new and essential computer software and programs campus wide. This has been quite helpful in determining how the university should proceed with such cost saving efforts and synchronize interdepartmental collaborations. The committee thanked the IT department and all graduate program coordinators on campus for their excellent contributions. The committee also thanked John Gregory and Gail Garthwait for their assistance.
Finance & Institutional Planning – Craig Mason
Dr. Mason thanked the committee members for their work and time during the year. Members of the committee are Rodney Bushway, Todd Gabe, Bill Halteman, Duane Hanselman, Cary Jenson, Jim McClymer, Shihfen Tu, Ted Coladarci, Susan Hunter, Stuart Marrs, Claire Strickland and Janet Waldron.
University Environment – Daniel Belknap
Library Advisory – Howard Segal
Dr. Segal reported that Fogler Library is continuing to digitize collections from UMaine and elsewhere. Two ongoing digitization projects are the Maine Town Reports in partnership with the Maine State Library and the Maine Forester and the School of Forest Resources. We are scanning materials from our own collections and making these resources available via URSUS.
We have added collections to support the curriculum, including the American Periodicals Series Online and Springer e-book collections. The committee is looking at several physical improvements to Fogler, including increased and improved air-conditioning.
Service & Outreach – Deborah Killam
Committee on Committees – Shihfen Tu
Dr. Tu reported that the committee has nominated faculty representatives to serve on the Presidential Teaching Award Committee and Presidential Public Service Award Committee. The committee still needs a volunteer from the college of Business, Public Policy and Health to serve on the Faculty Research Funds Committee.
Program Creation and Reorganization Review – Harlan Onsrud
General Education – Tina Passman
Committees of the Administration Representatives
Old Business
No Old Business.
New Business
General Education Standing Committee Motion
Motion to Establish the General Education Committee as a Standing Committee
31 March, & 6 May, 2010
Introduction:
On 22 October, 2008, the Faculty Senate established an Ad Hoc Committee on General Education, as our current By-Laws reflect. The motion stated:
The Senate will create an Ad Hoc Committee on General Education. This committee will be made up of a chair, who is a Senate Member and appointed by the President of the Senate, and at least five committee members, representing each College. At least half of the faculty membership of the committee must be members of the Faculty Senate. Further, the chair of the Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment Committee (or his/her designee) will automatically serve as an ad hoc member of this committee.
During the 2009-2010 academic year, the establishment of this committee will be reviewed for possible recommendation as a standing committee.
Since then, General Education issues have become even more significant, as we need address the recommendations of NEASC, which focus on outcomes assessment for General Education, and also as the Administration proposes that we consider changes to how we structure our General Education curriculum. Given that these issues will take time to work through, that the curriculum will need long-term monitoring for assessing its effectiveness, and that further issues will most likely arise as the University of Maine continues to address its programmatic needs, the Constitution and By-Laws Committee, in consultation with the Ad Hoc General Education Committee and Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee recommend the proposed motion below.
Turning the Ad Hoc Committee on General Education to a standing committee entails amending the Senate By-Laws. They state in Article VII, Ammendment:
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Senate Faculty Members present and voting, provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted to the Secretary of the Senate at least forty-five days prior to the vote on the proposed amendment. Upon receipt of the proposed amendment, the Secretary shall forward it to the Chairperson of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaw. The Secretary shall then notify the members of the Senate in the next regular meeting printed agenda that such a proposal has been received and forwarded to the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws in conformance with this section of the bylaws. This committee shall review the proposed amendment and make recommendations. The proposed amendment and the action of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws shall be distributed by the Secretary to the membership of the Senate at least fifteen days prior to the meeting at which action is to be taken.
At this point, the required steps have proceeded properly, so at the 26 May, 2010 meeting, the By-Laws and Constitution Committee asks the Senate to consider passing:
Motion:
The Faculty Senate will convert the Ad Hoc Committee on General Education to a Standing Committee of the Senate, continuing with its current structure, namely, lead by a Chair, who is a Senate Member and appointed by the President of the Senate, and at least five committee members, representing each College. At least half of the faculty membership of the committee must be members of the Faculty Senate. Further, the chair of the Student Learning Outcomes & Assessment Committee (or his/her designee) will automatically serve as an ad hoc member of this committee.
The motion passed.
Transcript Reevaluation
Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee
Resolution regarding revision of TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION policy, including “academic forgiveness” and “fresh start” policies
Rationale:
The University of Maine’s policy on transcript reevaluation has undergone several revisions over the course of its existence. It is far more liberal than current policies at peer institutions. Within the university itself, ambiguous text has led to varying interpretations, resulting in more and less restrictive options for students in the five degree granting colleges. Of greatest concern are the unintended academic and financial consequences created by a policy that forgives selectively across an unlimited number of semesters and without regard to subsequent academic performance. For all of these reasons we recommend moving toward a more restrictive policy, and providing implementation guidelines to facilitate a common interpretation across all administrative units. This recommendation assumes relative ease of movement within the five degree granting colleges, if only as an undeclared major under a clearly articulated contract. Unless this assumption holds, the new policy will exacerbate an already existing problem.
Motion:
The Faculty Senate moves acceptance of the revision of the TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION policy, including “academic forgiveness” and “fresh start” policies, as reviewed by the Academic Affairs committee and vetted thoroughly by the pertinent units of the Administration. We further move acceptance of the catalogue language included with the motion.
Resolution:
The Faculty Senate resolves that the emendation of the transcript evaluation policy currently in effect at the University of Maine and the accompanying catalogue language be accepted as policy, effective AY 2010-2011.
Revised CATALOG WORDING:
The University of Maine has two separate and distinct policies governing when and under what circumstances a transcript may be reevaluated. Each policy is described below.
Academic Forgiveness
Academic forgiveness refers to the exclusion of an entire fall or spring semester from the calculation of a student’s grade point average and earned credits. All grades remain on the transcript. When academic
forgiveness occurs, the associate dean or designee may waive the re-taking of selected courses for which the student has earned sufficient grades. Though the degree credit has been removed, these courses may be used to meet degree requirements and to meet pre-requisite requirements. Students must achieve program minimum requirements to graduate.
The motion passed.
Adjourn
Provost Hunter invited everyone attending to a reception immediately following the meeting in the pre function room.