September 17, 2014

FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
September 17, 2014

Present: John Allen, Steve Barkan, Jason Bolton,Dick Brucher, Sudarshan Chawathe, Stephen Coghlan, George Criner, Mauricio da Cunha, Paula Drewniany, Scott Dunning, Thane Fremouw, Robert Gundersen, Marie Hayes, Zhihe Jin, Scott Johnson, Teresa Johnson, Leonard Kass, Robert Lilieholm, Mary Ellin Logue, Robert Milardo, Grant Miles, Patti Miles, Sidney Mitchell, Harlan Onsrud, Michael Peterson, Brian Robinson, Deborah Rogers, Jonathan Rubin, Thomas Sandford, Michael Scott, Howard Segal, Mary Shea (for Susan Wheaton), Kathryn Slott, Allan Smith, Shihfen Tu, Clayton Wheeler, Bob Rice, President Susan Hunter, Jeff Hecker, Joyce Rumery for William “Dee” Nichols, Jeff Hecker, Charles Rote, Meghan Sills (Grad Stud Gov).

Absent: Ian Bricknell, Charlsye Diaz, Dylan Dryer, Gordon Hamilton, Jason Harkins, Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, Jordan LaBouff, Laura Lindenfeld, David Marcinkowski, Jennifer Moore, Martha Novy-Broderick, Andrew Reeve, Owen Smith, David Townsend, Charles Wallace, Gail Werrbach, David Yarborough, Carol Kim, Melvin Johnson, Peter C. Altmann, Lindsay Nutter (Stud. Gov)

The meeting was called to order at 3:15 pm

I.        Welcome and Announcements:

Please sign up for a committee as the sheet circulates the room, the assignments are important.

II.        Approval of April 30, 2014 Minutes

Vote: Motion carried.

III.       Committee Reports

BOT Rep – Robert Rice 
Before the BOT report, Bill Desisto spoke regarding the Academic Portfolio Review & Integration Process APRIP, he is the UMaine Faculty Representative; there is one representative from each campus. The committee met in August and the second meeting is this upcoming Friday. There will be more information available after that meeting. The committee will be looking at increased collaboration across campuses, cost savings, etc. Subcommittees will be set up and then report back to the committee. There is an opportunity for feedback during the process; if there’s an opportunity to get involved he strongly advised people do that. Jeff Hecker commented that some areas will be exploring collaboration, increasing access to education, increasing quality of education, reducing costs, etc. Mick commented that one risk to UMaine is having faculty cut in favor of someone off campus. UMaine students shouldn’t attend class by watching a professor on their computer in their dorm; they should be in a classroom with the professor.

Q. Is there a guiding principle on how cuts are made?
A. The language looks at duplications, access, capacity, and demand.

The criteria for access, cost, etc. already look at collaboration. There’s a range of programs offered where there’s opportunity for collaboration. For instance, Fort Kent and Presque Isle both have Criminal Justice and the campuses are an hour apart.

Q. Would faculty be able to move/transfer like private companies?
A. Maybe, that is something that can be discussed.

Q. Could it be a priority?
A. Possibly, we do what we can to keep people working.

President Hunter stated that cutting programs and faculty always comes up. Growing enrollment by looking at changes to programs and making them attractive for growth.

BOT – There is a Board of Trustees meeting in Fort Kent on Sunday and Monday. Topics include restructuring financial management, program elimination, upgrading technology in the Little Hall STEM classroom, Wells Commons removing a convenience store and replacing it with a dish room, HR report, Academic year to be discussed with 2015 Veterans Day holiday, academic calendar (they are sensitive to UMaine’s need for spring break being two weeks). There will be a request to increase funding by $6 million for 2016 and $7 million in 2017, and, MEIF funding at $14,700,000 and asking for it to be increased to $20 million.

Academic Affairs –Marie Hayes
The committee will meet next week. Marie Hayes stated that she and Patti Miles would be working together this year. Topics will include the Mon, Wed, Fri and Tues, Thurs class scheduling.

Marie wanted to thank Thane Fremouw.

Constitution & Bylaws – Martha Novy-Broderick
No report.

Research & Scholarship – Scott Johnson & Mauricio de Cunha
They’d would like a few more committee members. Invited to Research Council, which meets once a month. Research and academics come together strongly, being the flagship campus has a defined definition of what the research mission is.

Finance & Institutional Planning –Tom Sandford
Would like to have a member from the Maine Business School on the committee. The committee will be looking at facilities on campus relative to outreach and research and growth of administrative positions across the system.

There will be a work-study student hired to assist FIPC and Academic Affairs this year.

University Environment –Mike Scott
The committee will look at the issue of fossil fuel divestment, access to services, and continue with classroom technology.

Library Advisory – Robert Rice & Howard Segal
No report.

Service & Outreach –David Yarborough & Jason Bolton
UMaine is the only campus with extension, looking at how to further outreach.

Committee on Committees – Executive Committee
No report.

Program Creation & Reorganization Review – Brian Robinson
The committee will continue to make sure new programs or program elimination processes are transparent. Not a lot on the schedule currently but anticipate things coming up soon. The Faculty Handbook will also be worked on.

General Education  — Harlan Onsrud
The General Education Committee is focused primarily on a system wide initiative to increase the transparency for transfer of General Education credits among the University of Maine System campuses. The Senate passed a motion in the Spring concerning a large block transfer of general education credits among the UMS campuses. The faculty governing bodies of some campuses suggested a honing of the large block transfer agreement among the campuses and thus this Senate is likely to see and have the opportunity to vote upon a revised Large Block Transfer agreement before the end of this semester.

The statewide Credit Transfer and General Education Workgroup General is also working on a standardized Small Block Transfer agreement. If implemented and approved by the faculty governing bodies across the System, it would allow students finishing a two-year degree at one of the UMS campuses or within the Maine Community College System to transfer a smaller block of general education credits. This assumes that the transferring student will take the minimum appropriate courses within pre-defined general education areas that meet the specified learning outcome objectives and measures as specified in the agreement. This Senate should expect to see such a proposal set before it before the end f the academic year.

In the opinion of the current chair of the UMaine Faculty Senate General Education Committee and assuming that our scholarly standards general education credits are upheld:

By improving clarity for students and their parents in the credit transfer process, this campus is likely to benefit more than the other campus’s from the proposed transfer agreements since many more students are likely to transfer to UMaine from other campuses than vice versa. (Or alternatively start here to begin with since it will be much clearer as to what will or will not transfer.)

Ad Hoc IT – Michael Scott & David Townsend
A letter was sent to faculty for their input regarding IT centralization of all services. Faculty was asked for feedback regarding issues, concerns, access, etc. There will be two meetings this week for IT Strategic Council and IT Effectiveness Committee. Wednesday the Ad Hoc IT committee will meet with Dick Thompson.

One IT concern was a classroom not having the correct software installed. A call for assistance was forwarded to Augusta, they didn’t know about the software and didn’t think it was allowed to be used.

Someone also mentioned, not only is wireless going down in classrooms but also in the dorms. Students need to leave the dorm and go to the library for access.

Committee of the Administration
Prior Learning Assessment – Four areas of credit; military, credit review, academic portfolio assessment, and advanced placement.

IV.       Open Comments from the Administration
Q. The Memorial Union is closed evenings and weekends, is that going to be the new norm?
A. They’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback and discussion around this issue.

Q. What’s the intent of UMaine when people are here at night?
A. It appears that signage is confusing because Starbucks and the Bears Den are still open, only the Marketplace is closed. There are discussions ongoing.

The search for Vice President of Research is going forward with an internal/external search.

Q. Why doesn’t UMaine have a two-day a week class schedule?
A. It’s partly due to tradition but there has been a faculty group looking at making the change. A couple issues involve lab space and making sure students can finish in 4 years, public perception is also a consideration. UMaine could be scrutinized and the perception being that faculty want a four-day workweek. Those issues all need to be considered.

Discussion:
Mick Peterson commented that labs, currently, can only be scheduled on Tues/Thurs. By moving to a Mon/Wed, Tues/Thurs schedule it would allow for more labs.

It appears that UMaine is the only campus that still offers Mon/Wed/Fri classes.

1. One other campus does offer three days but that is for 4 credit courses.

Forestry students are in the field four days a week so they need flexibility in scheduling.

It was suggested that Mon/Wed classes could start in the afternoon and leave the morning classes as three days a week. Another commented that athletes couldn’t do all afternoon classes.

V.        Old Business
None

VI.       New Business
None

Adjourned at 4:35 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Kathryn Slott

Prepared by Kim Junkins