Faculty Senate Meeting
Approved Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes
I. CALL TO ORDER AND ESTABLISH QUORUM:
The
II. CERTIFICATION OF SUBSTITUTES: There were no substitutes.
III.
PRESENTATION
OF VISITORS: Pamela Roys,
IV.
APPROVAL OF
MINUTES (FS Handout 2003-08-29): Minutes of
V. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A. From FS President Foust:
1.
Welcome to new faculty senators Dr. Melody Ashenfelter
from the
2. Pilot study from the OSRHE will be conducted this fall.
3.
Finals schedule changes added to include classes that
meet MWF at
4. Acceptance of Dr. Don McGurk’s resignation as Computer Science Senator. He has been reassigned to Chemistry. To date – Computer Science has not named his replacement.
B. From Provost Becker: Requested that senators consider the composition of the University Tenure and Promotion committee that reflects the academic reorganization for next year. There are currently 209 full-time faculty slots but all are not filled. The eight faculty positions mentioned in the reduction of positions (18) remain in the departments – unfilled but not cut.
C. From the COD: This council is being reorganized to reflect the reorganization and will meet soon under a new name and composition of members.
D. From Administrative Council: No August meeting. July minutes were emailed. Refer to the last page of these minutes for activities scheduled in the fall semester.
E. FS Secretary/Treasurer: Dr. Buddy Penner
1. Roll Sheet – please sign
2. Treasurer’s Report: BancFirst checking account balance: $1,698.09
University account balance: $453.90
3. Faculty Senate Dues may be sent to: Nancy Penner
STF 302
F.
G. FS Past President Dr. Hayden: No Report
H. FS Student Government Representative Mr. Bensch: Absent
VI. REPORTS FROM STANDING AND AD HOC COMMITTEES: None
VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
A. Motion to accept 2002-2003 President’s report form Dr. Hayden
It was moved and
seconded to accept the 2002-2003 President’s report submitted by Dr. John
Hayden.
FS Motion 2003-08-01
The Motion passed by voice vote.
B. The Ad Hoc Committee to revise the Faculty Handbook includes Melody Ashenfelter, Cynthia Foust, Judy Haught, Don Wilson, and Robin Jones.
VIII. NEW BUSINESS:
A. FS Constitution revision – Judiciary Committee
FS Motion
2003-08-02 Proposed
Amendment to the Constitution of the Faculty Senate of It is moved that
the phrase ”The School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the
School of Education, the School of Health Sciences, and the Sayre Campus”
in Article II, Section 1 be amended to read “The College of Arts and
Sciences, the College of Professional and Graduate Studies, the College of
Pharmacy, and the College of Associate and Applied Programs-Sayre Campus”,
and that the last word in Article II Section 1 be changed from “school” to
“college”. Motion was seconded.
The Motion passed by voice vote.
The
above changes are “housekeeping” changes necessary to align the “Faculty Senate
Constitution” with the new organizational structure of
FS Motion
2003-08-03 It was moved and
seconded to conduct the vote for ratification of the proposed changes to
the Faculty Senate Constitution contained in FS Motion 2003-08-02 by
electronic vote (email).
The Motion failed by voice vote. Division of the House was called.
The Motion failed by show of hands.
Cindy Foust and Ric Baugher using Campus mail will conduct the ratification vote on the proposed changes to the Faculty Senate Constitution.
B. FS representation changes – Judiciary Committee
The Faculty Senator representation changes that may occur because of the reorganization of the University will be addressed later in the fall semester.
Currently each School is allowed one senator per seven faculty in the School.
C. A discussion was held concerning using ITV as an alternative for Sayre and OKC faculty to attend FS meeting. This alternative may reduce travel and time costs to the faculty senators. Faculty Senate will continue to meet on the Weatherford Campus.
D. Other business:
FS Motion
2003-08-04 It was moved and
seconded that the Faculty Senate issue a statement to the President and
Provost of SWOSU as follows: The faculty
senate protests the changing of nomenclature of Chairs and Departments
within the
It was moved and
seconded to strike the phrase “School of Arts and Sciences” in the first
sentence and replace the phrase with “Colleges”.
FS Amendment 2003-08-01 to FS Motion 2003-08-04
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Amendment 2003-08-02 to FS Motion 2003-08-04
It was moved and seconded to add to the final sentence “; and to the
process by which new students and faculty are recruited and the risk of
escalating costs.”
The Amendment failed by voice vote.
It was moved and seconded to strike the phrase “is not
only dehumanizing and insulting to the faculty and to the history of
academic life itself; it also” in the last sentence.
FS Amendment 2003-08-03 to FS Motion 2003-08-04
The Amendment failed by voice vote. Division of the House was called.
The Amendment passed by show of hands.
FS Motion
2003-08-04 as amended It was moved and
seconded that the Faculty Senate issue a statement to the President and
Provost of SWOSU as follows: The faculty
senate protests the changing of nomenclature of Chairs and Departments
within the Colleges. The Senate would like to remind the Administration
that the titles “Chair” and “Department” are part of a
nine-hundred-year-long academic tradition that have their origins in the
founding of the Sorbonne University in Paris in the 11th
century. The Senate would also like to point out that, quite apart from
their historical value, the terms “Chair” and “Department” are a nearly
universal standard in Academia throughout the
FS Motion 2003-08-04 as amended passed.
FS Motion
2003-08-05 It was moved and
seconded that the Faculty Senate issue a further statement to the President
and Provost of SWOSU as follows: The Faculty
Senate strongly protests the statement included in the Provost’s recent
campus-wide memo which reads as follows: “Associate deans will assume
several of the responsibilities now held by present chairpersons, such as
…personnel actions…” This change would appear to transfer the
advice-and-consent function of the Department Chairs to a new
extra-departmental administrator (the ‘Associate Dean’). As such, the
change constitutes what can only be interpreted a s new attempt by the
Administration to disenfranchise the faculty from those few vestiges of
influence which academic personnel still possess over the hiring, firing,
and promoting of colleagues within their own profession and discipline.
Such a change clearly runs counter to the Administration’s past repeated
assurances that all academic decisions would remain within the purview of
the faculty themselves. Blithe statements to the effect that “the result
won’t create another layer of administration” do not reassure the Senate,
in the face of the current proposal by the Provost to introduce just such a
layer.
It was moved and seconded to strike “clearly” and
“repeated” in the next to last sentence and strike the last sentence.
FS Amendment 2003-08-01 to FS Motion 2003-08-05
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Amendment 2003-08-02
to FS Motion 2003-08-05 It was moved and
seconded to strike the phrase “constitutes what can only be interpreted as
a new attempt by the Administration to”; strike the words “few” and “still”
from the third sentence; and add an “s” to disenfranchise.
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Amendment
2003-08-03 to FS Motion 2003-08-05 It was moved and
seconded to strike the word “strongly” from the first sentence.
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Motion
2003-08-05 as amended It was moved and
seconded that the Faculty Senate issue a further statement to the President
and Provost of SWOSU as follows: The Faculty
Senate protests the statement included in the Provost’s recent campus-wide
memo which reads as follows: “Associate deans will assume several of the
responsibilities now held by present chairpersons, such as …personnel
actions…” This change would appear to transfer the advice-and-consent
function of the Department Chairs to a new extra-departmental administrator
(the ‘Associate Dean’). As such, the change disenfranchises the faculty
from those vestiges of influence which academic personnel possess over the
hiring, firing, and promoting of colleagues within their own profession and
discipline. Such a change runs counter to the Administration’s past
assurances that all academic decisions would remain within the purview of
the faculty themselves.
FS Motion 2003-08-05 as amended passed.
FS Motion
2003-08-06 It was moved and
seconded that the Faculty Senate submit to the Provost the following
questions from Faculty Senate: 1.
Would the Provost please explain precisely how the
interjection of a new layer of administrators (to be known as ‘Associate
Deans’) does not create another layer of administration? 2. Would the Provost please explain, in
specific terms, what is meant by the phrase “pooling of clerical support”? 3.
Would
the Provost please offer specific data to support the statement that
“Pooling of clerical support and anticipated savings from the reassignment
amounts to $300,000 per year beginning in FY ’05?’ In other words, how many
secretaries are to be fired? How many hours of Chair release time are to be
revoked?
FS Motion
2003-08-06 continued 4.
Would the Provost please explain how two half-time
Associate Dean positions, to be filled by people who have no experience in
any of the disciplines or departmental procedures of the various
‘curriculum units’ they are to be given authority over, will be able to
make intelligent and useful decisions for all those ‘units’? 5. What checks and balances will be introduced to ensure fair and
equal treatment by the Associate Dean with regard to departmental management
outside the Associate Dean’s own academic discipline?
FS Amendment
2003-08-01 to FS Motion 2003-08-06 It was moved and
seconded to strike the word “two”; add the word “may” after “who”; strike
the phrase “intelligent and useful” and replace it with relevant in fourth
question; and strike the word “any” and replace with the phrase “some or
all.”
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Amendment
2003-08-02 to FS Motion 2003-08-06 It was moved and
seconded to rewrite the questions in parallel form.
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Amendment
2003-08-03 to FS Motion 2003-08-06 It was moved and
seconded to strike the words “half-time” from question number four.
The Amendment passed by voice vote.
FS Amendment
2003-08-04 to FS Motion 2003-08-06 It was moved and
seconded to add question number six. 6. What is the incentive for someone to serve as a director?
The Amendment failed by voice vote.
FS Motion
2003-08-06 as amended It was moved and
seconded that the Faculty Senate submit to the Provost the following
questions from Faculty Senate: 1.
How does the interjection of a new layer of
administrators (to be known as ‘Associate Deans’) not create another layer
of administration? 2. In specific terms, what is meant by the
phrase “pooling of clerical support”? 3. What specific data supports the
statement that “Pooling of clerical support and anticipated savings from
the reassignment amounts to $300,000 per year beginning in FY ’05?’ In
other words, how many secretaries are to be fired? How many hours of Chair
release time are to be revoked? 4.
How will Associate Deans who may have no experience
in some or all of the disciplines or departmental procedures of the various
‘curriculum units’ they are to be given authority over, be able to make
relevant decisions for all those ‘units’? 5. What checks and balances will be introduced to ensure fair and
equal treatment by the Associate Dean with regard to departmental management
outside the Associate Dean’s own academic discipline?
FS Motion 2003-08-06 as amended passed.
The Faculty Senate will invite the President and Provost to the September meeting to address the concerns expressed.
IX. ADJOURNMENT:
With
no further business, the meeting adjourned at
Next Faculty Senate meeting:
Respectfully submitted,
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