MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
November 15, 2000
PRESENT: Giroux for Sherwood, Miller, Kommers, Linker, Leech, Benham,
Howard, Stewart, Larsen, Harkin, Nehrir, Mooney, Lefcort,
McClure, Levy, Bogar, Jelinski, Lynch, Fisher, Scott,
Griffith, Carlstrom.
ABSENT: Young, Hatfield, Morrill, White, Anderson, Peed, Jost,
McMahon, Locke, Lansverk, Bond, Kirkpatrick, McKinsey,
Prawdzienski, Butterfield.
The reguarly scheduled Faculty Council meeting was called to order by
Chair Ron Larsen at 4:10 PM. It was determined a quorum was present.
The minutes of the November 1, 2000, meeting were approved as
distributed.
Chair's report - Ron Larsen.
- The Board of Regents meets in Missoula tomorrow and Friday.
- All units are to report how they will replace course fees.
- MSU plans to change to program fees (in programs such
as Architecture, Media and Theatre Arts), and make
small increases in equipment fees and tuition.
- The changes will be cost neutral.
- MSU will request an increase in spending authorization to
renovate the Gardiner house.
- An intellectual property policy addressing ownership of
electronic course materials is on the submission agenda.
- The policy is modeled after the patent policy.
- If university facilities are used to develop the
course materials and they are developed as part of
the faculty's workload, the university retains
ownership and any profits after costs are split
50/50 between the faculty member and the
university.
- If university facilities are not used and the
faculty member develops the materials on her/his
own time, the university does not claim ownership.
- According to current MSU interpretation, the use
of the faculty member's desk, computer, or the
library does not count as "university facilities".
- During discussion by Council members, it was asked
how development of e-course materials differs from
writing textbooks. It seems this is a copyright issue
rather than a patent issue.
- All comments made by members present were opposed to
the policy as currently proposed.
- The policy probably will be discussed with the
regents when they meet with faculty leaders Thursday
afternoon.
- When the Special Review Committee was active a couple of years
ago, a proposal was made and accepted that the administrative fee
on designated accounts be increased. One-half of the increase
was to go to the Office of Academic Affairs for academic
enhancements. Since the administrative fee was increased, all of
the money has been used to help balance the budget.
- The Faculty Council Chair has proposed the designated
money be put in the Provost's budget, as originally
intended. Then, if necessary, it can be returned to the
general operating budget. This would at least establish the
precedent for this money going to the Provost's Office.
- The Provost has proposed all new MSU and MUS academic programs
pass through Faculty Council for discussion as part of the review
process.
- During discussion, it was suggested this duplicates the
work of the Undergraduate Studies Committee and of the
Graduate Studies Committee.
- Faculty Council representatives on these two committees
might bring information about proposed programs to Faculty
Council as an informational item.
- The resolution requesting the MSU pay date be changed to the
first of the month following the work period has been sent to the
President.
- The memo requesting Deans' Council and the Provost immediately
begin planning for a possible budget shortfall Spring Semester
has been sent.
- All Montana legislators have been invited to MSU December 15th,
the last day of Fall Semester classes. Faculty are asked to open
their classes to the legislators. Erin McGowan, ASMSU State
Legislative Director, may be reached at erinmmc@yahoo.com or at
582-4130.
- The Chair requested input from Council members, and the
question of workload equivalency for distance learning classes
was raised. Where is the issue being discussed? According to
Rich Howard, a member of the faculty workload task force, it has
not yet been raised in discussions by that group. It was pointed
out that if faculty do not deal with the issue of time and effort
needed to teach distance learning courses, it will not be raised.
- The faculty workload task force is meeting every two weeks and
is currently working on definitions. The Provost chairs the
committee.
- The committee hopes to have a policy to present by the end
of the semester.
- The policy needs to come to Faculty Council for approval.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - David Scheerer.
- The committee is temporarily setting aside its work on the
Faculty Council By-Laws to discuss faculty review of
administrators.
Proposed Amendments to Faculty Handbook Sections 200-272 (Faculty
Council and University Governance Council) - First Reading.
- The definition of Faculty Council (220) has been rewritten to
include a statement that Faculty Council has the authority to
frame policy.
- During discussion, it was recommended wording be added to
make it clear faculty, through Faculty Council, make final
determinations in matters of the substance of the
curriculum, academic programs, and of degrees and the
requirements to be met in awarding them.
- Section 250 has not been written but is being left to the
faculty affected by the description in the section (adjunct and
research faculty).
- It was suggested Section 232 be titled Faculty Council
Executive Committee. The responsibilities of the committee
should be included in the narrative. The committee's purpose is
to act during summer or between-semester breaks on issues that
pertain to faculty only. Normally, the University Governance
Council Steering Committee acts during these recesses, but it
includes representatives from both Faculty Council and
Professional Council, and so it is not an appropriate body to act
on issues relating to faculty only.
Faculty review of administrators.
- This year, the intent is to send each academic faculty member
one form, which may be duplicated according to the number of
administrators the faculty member chooses to review.
- The review may be done on the web, but hard copies of the form
will be available.
- The evaluation instrument will be rewritten, with the help of
someone involved in performance evaluation.
- What results to disclose is still under discussion. Summative
results may be published, but not specific results. During
discussion, concern was expressed that summative results may not
give information of any value.
As there was no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 5:05
PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary Ron Larsen, Chair