MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
February 24, 1999
PRESENT: Sherwood, McDermott, Burgess, Kommers, Peed, Neff, Leech,
Benham, Howard, Larsen, Harkin, Nehrir, Mooney, Weaver,
Locke, Lansverk, Gedeon, Jelinski, Richard Smith, McKinsey,
Martell, Prawdzienski, Butterfield.
ABSENT: Young, Paterson, O'Neill, Anderson, Duncan, Jost, Amend,
Cherry, Cutler, Monahan, Scott, Griffith, Cash.
The meeting was called to order by Chair Peter Kommers at 4:10 PM. It
was determined a quorum was present. The minutes of the February 17,
1999, meeting were approved as distributed.
Chair's report - Peter Kommers.
- A 2-24-99 draft of a response to the Board of Regents' planning
document was distributed.
- UGC Steering Committee met with Regent Dick Roehm on
February 18. He was attentive to the concerns of faculty
and professionals and seemed to want language in the
planning document which would address the concerns
expressed. Regent Roehm stated that he wants to have a
commitment from the regents to the centrality of learning.
- Today Faculty Council members received a memo from
President Malone requesting they review the Regents' Mission
statement (the planning document) with constituents and
provide written comments to him by March 10. Should Faculty
Council have input on the document a) through the President?
b) to the President with copies to the regents? or c)
directly to the regents? After discussion, there seemed to
be agreement to send Faculty Council's suggestions to the
President with copies to the Board of Regents. Steering
Committee will try to get further information about
President Malone's intent in soliciting comments - Does he
plan to consolidate comments before forwarding them to the
regents?
- Concern was expressed for the cost in both time and money
for implementing distance learning. Chair Kommers stated
that this issue was specifically addressed with Regent Roehm
and that additions to the draft are recommended to emphasize
the costs (Addition to the Vision and 8.e.).
- It was suggested that in 8.e. and ACTIONS d.(a.) wording
be changed to emphasize adequate budgets for providing
quality education rather than rebuilding operating budgets
of successful existing programs.
- The words "professional development" should be used
instead of "staff development" in 8.a. It is not clear what
"5%" means in that statement. It may be better to say,
"substantially increase".
- Marvin Lansverk moved Faculty Council recommend changing
the statement "We will focus on learning over teaching, ..."
in the first paragraph of the VISION to "We will focus on
teaching and learning, ..." The motion was seconded and
carried.
- After discussion, it was agreed a recommendation will be
made to separate the proposed 8.e. into 8.e. and 8.f.
- The draft will be distributed to Faculty Council
representatives by e-mail so they are able to share it with
constituents.
- Chair Kommers distributed information gathered by Jay Schmidt,
School of Art, indicating that the number of sabbaticals funded
at MSU for the size of the faculty is much lower than at other
institutions within the state and at peer institutions.
- Peter will ask the Provost's office to verify the numbers.
A funding mechanism for a reasonable number of sabbaticals
should then be discussed.
University Governance Council Nominating Committee report - Alan
Leech.
- Faculty Council's nomination of Ken Bruwelheide to the Traffic
Appeals and Regulations Committee has been approved.
- Faculty Council members are urged to consider nominees for
chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and of the MSU Benefits
Committee and to contact a Nominating Committee member with
possibilities.
- Amy Thomas has been appointed to the Athletics Committee to
complete a term ending in June.
Approval of Amendments to the Faculty Handbook.
- The following amendments have been discussed by Faculty
Council:
- Section 254.01 - University Promotion and Tenure Committee
Membership: delete "Dean of Graduate Studies" and add to the end
of the paragraph, "An administrator for academic affairs (e.g.,
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs), designated by the Provost,
shall serve as chair of the committee, without vote."
- Section 603.02 - Philosophy (Review of Faculty) - Add "and
student outcomes" to last sentence of Teaching: "This document
challenges faculty and administrators to adopt rigorous
strategies for the assessment of teaching performance, including
peer, student and self-evaluations, and student outcomes."
- Section 1132.03 - Approval of Faculty and Staff
Consulting/Avoiding Conflicts of Interest - Add "an average of
...during the contract period" to A. so the last sentence reads,
"Faculty members will use annual leave or leave without pay for
consulting activities that take them away from the university or
their university assignments for more than an average of one work
day per week during the contract period."
- Appendix A. Faculty Handbook Amending Procedure - Change the
15-day notification for Faculty Handbook changes to 10 days.
First sentence of A. Amendments Proposed by Faculty Council
would read, "No less than 10 days before Council takes action to
approve an amendment for proposal to the administration, Council
shall make know the text and a concise statement of the reasons
therefore, ..."
- Jack Jelinski moved the amendments by approved and forwarded to
President Malone. The motion was seconded and carried.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - Ron Larsen.
- Faculty Affairs will discuss P&T issues brought up at Faculty
Council. First they will see how grievance procedures fit into
the P&T process.
- President Malone has responded to the proposed changes in the
'split-appointment' policy, and his recommendations will be
discussed by Faculty Council. One change recommends that input
comes from Extension, not the Dean of Extension. Ron would like
to add to the phrase, "with approval of all parties". The title
of the Dean of Extension will be changed to the Vice Provost of
Extension, so provision will be made for it in the policy.
Academic Misconduct Policies Task Force Recommendations - Harry
Benham.
- The Event: Fall 1998, a number of students charged with
academic misconduct were able to avoid the instructor's grade
sanction by dropping the course.
- The committee which drafted the current Academic Misconduct
policy was re-convened to review policy in light of the Event.
- The philosophy of the review committee was to leave as much
discretion in the hands of faculty as possible.
- Conclusions and Recommendations of the review committee:
A. The Misconduct Policy is adequate.
B. In cases of Misconduct, the Registrar will freeze student
drops upon written notification from the faculty. (And
reverse any drops processed by students between when
misconduct occurred and when written notification arrives.)
C. Rename Drop/Add form to Drop/Add Request to reinforce that
dropping a course is not a right but a privilege.
D. Change the wording of the Drop Policy in the Catalog.
1. Change wording to indicate "students may request to
drop a course". (Current wording says that students
may drop.)
2. Explicitly state that the Instructor and Advisor
signatures are required. (Current wording only
explicitly requires the advisor's signature.)
3. Indicate that either the instructor or advisor may
refuse to sign if the student's attendance or
performance is not satisfactory. (Current wording
refers to advisor only on this point.)
- During Council discussion, concern was expressed that a student
may meet the criteria to drop but the faculty will not approve
it. In this case, a student may grieve the faculty's decision.
Under the current policy, the advisor may refuse to sign a drop
request. The proposed changes give the faculty more input into
the drop process.
- The report of the review committee was sent to the Provost.
What role should Faculty Council play in the discussion?
Status report - Accreditation Standard 4 Self-Study.
- The results of the faculty survey done Fall Semester should
soon be on the web, so faculty will be able to see them.
As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary
Peter Kommers, Chair