EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

2005-2006 FACULTY SENATE

The fifth regular meeting of the 2005/2006 Faculty Senate will be held on

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, at 2:10 in the Mendenhall Student Center Great Room.

FULL AGENDA

I. Call to Order

II. Approval of Minutes

November 8, 2005, and December 6, 2005

III. Special Order of the Day

A. Roll Call

B. Announcements

C. Steve Ballard, Chancellor

Reports on Faculty Employment including Longitudinal Profile of Faculty Tenure Status and

Tenure Status of Permanent and Temporary Faculty by Unit

D. Deirdre Mageean, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies

E. Catherine Rigsby, Chair of the Faculty

F. Brief Moment in History, Henry Ferrell

G. Question Period

IV. Unfinished Business

V. Report of Committees

A. University Curriculum Committee, Cheryl Estes

Curriculum matters contained in the minutes of the December 8, 2005, and January 12, 2006, meetings.

B. Committee on Committees, Henry Ferrell

1. Nominees for one delegate and alternate to the UNC Faculty Assembly (attachment 1).

2. Second Reading of Proposed New University Environment Committee Charge (attachment

2).

C. Educational Policies and Planning Committee, Dale Knickerbocker

For information only.

1. Request to change name from BSBA in Management Accounting to BSBA in

Accounting.

2. Request to establish a Bioprocess Manufacturing concentration in the BS Industrial

Technology degree program.

3. Request to establish a MS in Software Engineering.

4. Notice of Intent to Plan a BA degree program in African-American/Black Studies.

5. Request to change the BS degrees in Special Education.

D. Faculty Welfare Committee, Bill Sugar

Resolution on Health Insurance (attachment 3).

E. University Athletics Committee, Mark Taggart

Resolution on Practical Measures to Reduce the Class Days Missed Due to Athletic Competition (attachment 4).

F. Admission and Retention Policies Committee, Larry Seese

Proposed revision to the ECU Undergraduate Catalog, Section 5. Academic Regulations, relating to Class Attendance and Participation Regulations (attachment 5).

VI. New Business

Attachment 1.

COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES REPORT

Nominees for one delegate and one alternate to the UNC Faculty Assembly

Need one Delegate and one Alternate

Nominees:

Charles Boklage Medicine

Connie Ciesielski Technology and Computer Science

Gregg Givens Allied Health Sciences

David Rosenthal Business

Ralph Scott Academic Library Services (for delegate position)

Jan Tovey English

Ken Wilson Sociology

Current UNC Faculty Assembly Delegates for East Carolina University

Name Academic Unit Term

Catherine Rigsby	Geology (Chair of the Faculty)	2006
Jan Tovey	English	2006
Dee Dee Glascoff	Health and Human Performance	2007
Brenda Killingsworth	Business	2008
John Cope	Psychology	2008

*Chair of the Faculty terms begin and end with term in office.

Current UNC Faculty Assembly Alternates for East Carolina University

Name Academic Unit Term

James Holloway	Business	2006
Patricia Anderson	Education	2007
Steve Estes	Health and Human Performance	2007
Ralph Scott	Academic Library Services	2008
Elizabeth Hodge	Education	2008

Attachment 2.

COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES REPORT

Second Reading of Proposed New University Environment Committee Charge

1. Name: University Environment Committee

2. Membership:
7 elected faculty members.
(5 from the Division of Academic Affairs and 2 from the Division of Health Sciences.)

Ex-officio members (with vote): The Chancellor or appointed representative, the Provost or appointed representative, the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences or appointed representative, the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance or appointed representative, the Vice Chancellor for Student Life or appointed representative, the Chair of the Faculty, one faculty senator selected by the Chair of the Faculty, and one student member from the Student Government Association.

The chair of the committee may invite resource persons as necessary to realize the committee charge. The chair of the committee may appoint such subcommittees as deemed necessary by the chair.

3. Quorum: 5 elected members exclusive of ex-officio.

4. Committee Responsibilities:
A. The committee recommends policies to preserve, improve and advance the general physical environment of the University.

B. The committee provides recommendations to mitigate the loss of habitat that includes repairing or replacing landscaping of the university that have been displaced owing to planned or unplanned actions.

C. The committee makes recommendations relating to traffic flow patterns, hardened sidewalk designs, speed limits, and parking facilities in and around the University campuses.

D. The committee indexes and recommends policies for maintenance of those trees of significant size and type, culturally historic landscape features, and ground covers possessing aesthetic, historic, and/or environmental value.

E. The committee reviews potential and actual effect of university projects upon water quality and quantity, runoff, and other physical impacts upon the community.

F.  The committee shall be familiar with the current East Carolina University master plan and intended placement of buildings and other construction approved by the Board of Trustees. The Committee shall consult with planning officers regarding future land use, changes to the current master plan, and future campus development.

5. To Whom The Committee Reports:
The committee reports to the Faculty Senate its recommended policies, procedures, and other procedural criteria.

6. How Often The Committee Reports:
The committee reports to the Faculty Senate at least once a year and at other times as necessary.

7. Power Of The Committee To Act Without Faculty Senate Approval:
The Committee may draft reports, hold hearings, or seek advice as necessary.

8. Standard Meeting Time:
The committee meeting time is scheduled for the fourth Thursday of each month.

Attachment 3.

FACULTY WELFARE COMMITTEE REPORT

Resolution on Health Insurance

Whereas, North Carolina’s state health plan compares poorly with many universities’ health plans across the country; and

Whereas, North Carolina state health plan’s current management process is cumbersome and unresponsive; and

Whereas, an affordable and effective health plan is one of the primary incentives for recruiting and retaining current faculty and staff members; and

Whereas, an affordable and effective health plan should promote health and wellness for its members; and

Whereas, the cost of health insurance coverage continues to increase without increasing benefits for its members, thereby decreasing the affordability and dollar value of this coverage; and

Whereas, the existing system does not provide incentives to East Carolina University faculty and staff members to better utilize its regional medical resources (e.g., ECU Physicians) for their health needs; and

Whereas, 158 East Carolina University faculty and staff members have opted out of the university’s free coverage because of the current plan’s costly deductible and limited coverage.

Therefore Be It Resolved that, the Faculty Senate strongly recommends that Chancellor Ballard request University of North Carolina President Bowles make an affordable and effective health plan a top priority on his North Carolina state legislative agenda; and

Therefore Be It Further Resolved that the Faculty Senate strongly recommends that Chancellor Ballard contact University of North Carolina President Bowles to emphasize the need to implement the pilot study of more effective health coverage for University of North Carolina employees.

Attachment 4.

UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMMITTEE REPORT

Resolution on Practical Measures to Reduce the Class Days Missed Due to Athletic Competition

Whereas, the Conference USA Mission states that the conference is to: (1) support the primary education mission of member institutions and (2) protect and promote the welfare of student-athletes. (p 129)

Whereas, the Conference USA Guiding Principles state that the conference “places its highest value upon high academic achievement.  The student first, the athlete second.”

Whereas, Conference USA institutions are so geographically dispersed that travel to competitions within the conference may negatively impact the student-athlete’s academic performance.

Whereas, the 2005 Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championship required the East Carolina University student athletes to be absent from classes for an entire week during the middle of the academic semester.

Whereas, the student athletes competing on the ECU men’s basketball missed an average of 14 class days due to CUSA games during the 2001 to 2004 seasons.

Whereas, the student athletes competing on the ECU volleyball missed an average of 8 class days due to CUSA games during the 2001 to 2004 seasons.

Therefore, Be It Resolved that the East Carolina Faculty Senate requests that the Athletic Director and Chancellor work with other Conference USA members to take all practical measures to reduce the class days missed due to athletic competition.  These measures should include but not be limited to:

• The timely completion of a study that applies standardized measures to determine the extent of the problem across the conference.

• Establishing specific policies resulting in a 25% reduction in missed class days over a two-year period.

• Eliminating scheduling of mid-week conference contests whenever practical.

• Creating conference tournament schedules that do not conflict with the primary academic mission of the conference members.

Attachment 5.

ADMISSION AND RETENTION POLICIES COMMITTEE REPORT

Proposed revision to the ECU Undergraduate Catalog, Section 5. Academic Regulations,

relating to Class Attendance and Participation Regulations

(Noted below is the text approved by the Faculty Senate on October 11, 2005, with the text in bold print being what the Chancellor has requested to be added prior to his approval.)

Replace Section 5: Class Attendance and Participation Regulations with the following:

“CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION REGULATIONS

Students are expected to attend punctually all lecture and laboratory sessions and field experiences and to participate in course assignments and activities as described in the course syllabus. Absences are counted from the first class meeting, and, at the discretion of the instructor, absences because of late registration may not be automatically excused.

Each instructor shall determine the class attendance policy for each of his or her courses, as long as the instructor’s policy does not conflict with university policy as described herein. The instructor’s attendance policy, along with other course requirements, will be presented to the class, preferably in writing, at the first class meeting. Faculty may include class attendance as criteria in determining a student’s final grade in the course. If class attendance is to affect a student’s grade, then a written statement to that effect must be part of the course syllabus.

Excused absences should not lower a student’s course grade, provided that the student, in a manner determined by the instructor, is able to make up the work that has been missed and is maintaining satisfactory progress in the course. If a student anticipates that he or she may miss more than 10% of class meeting time as a result of university-excused absences, the student is required to discuss this matter with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Instructors are expected to honor valid University excuses for student absences and to provide reasonable and equitable means for students to make up work missed as a result of those absences. Student experiences that cannot be made up should be discussed at the onset of the courses to ensure that continued enrollment is feasible while there is still the opportunity to drop the course within the schedule change period. Instructors may require that students provide reasonable advanced notice of a university-excused absence, when possible. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain verification of a university-excused absence by contacting the Office of the Provost or his or her designee. Requests for university-excused absences should be submitted, whenever possible, to the Office of the Provost or his or her designee at least a week prior to the scheduled absence. Requests submitted after the fact will be disapproved unless circumstances made prior approval impossible.

The death of an immediate family member or student participation in religious holidays may be considered an excused absence under university policy. Should such a circumstance occur, and the faculty member desires verification, the student should contact the Office of the Provost or his or her designee for a university-excused absence and provide documentation of the particulars.

The Student Health Service does not issue official written excuses for illness or injury except in the case of a final examination when a grade of incomplete (I) is requested by the student. Upon student request, however, the Student Health Service will confirm that the student has received medical care.

The Office of the Provost or his or her designee may authorize university excused absences for the following activities:

1. Participation in authorized activities as an official representative of the university (i.e., sporting events, delegate to regional or national meetings or conferences, participation in and necessary travel to and from university-sponsored performances);
2. Participation in other activities deemed by the Office of the Provost or his or her designee to warrant an excused absence.

Any student who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly concerning absences or has been misinformed by the faculty member regarding that instructor’s absence policy shall have the right to appeal through the appropriate Dean.”

Current Text reads as follows:

“Students are expected to attend punctually all lecture and laboratory sessions and field experiences and participation in course assignments and activities as described in course syllabus. Absences are counted from the first class meeting, and absences because of late registration will not be automatically excused. The student is held accountable for the work covered in each class meeting.

Each instructor shall determine the class attendance policy for each of his or her courses. This policy, along with other course requirements, will be presented to the class, preferably in writing, at the beginning of the semester or summer school term.

The Student Health Service does not issue official written excuses for illness or injury except in the case of a final examination when a grade of incomplete (I) is recommended. Upon request, however, the Student Health Service will confirm that the student has received medical care. If a faculty member needs additional information regarding the nature and/or scope of an illness or injury, the student must authorize the release of the information by signing a release of information form in the Student Health Service.

Instructors are expected to recognize and honor university-excused absences, i.e., treat the absence as an excused absence. Instructors may require that students provide reasonable advanced notice of a university-excused absence, when possible. If required by the instructor, verification of a university-excused absence may be obtained by the student by contacting the Office of the Provost or his or her designee.

The death of an immediate family member or student participation in religious holidays may be considered an excused absence under university policy. Should such a circumstance occur, and the faculty member desires verification, the student should contact the Office of the Provost or his or her designee for a university-excused absence and provide documentation of the particulars.

University-excused absences may be authorized by the Office of the Provost or his or her designee for activities as follows:

1. participation in authorized university activities as an official representative of the university (i.e., sporting events, delegate to regional or national meetings or conferences, participation in and necessary travel to and from university-sponsored performances);

2. participation in activities directly related to university course work and part of the course requirements; or

3. participation in other activities deemed by the Office of the Provost or his or her designee to meet the spirit of these requirements by furthering the mission and enhancing the reputation of East Carolina University.

To qualify for a university-excused absence, as in 2., above, an activity must

• be directly related to the course work;

• be of a nature that prevents it from being accomplished at a time that does not conflict with a class;

• be announced on the first day of class with complete information regarding date, time, purpose, and duration;

• be limited to one per course per term; and

• be submitted by the course instructor, through the appropriate departmental chairperson, director, or dean, to reach the Office of the Provost or his or her designee not later than one month prior to the start of the term.

Except as provided above, requests for a university-excused absence should be submitted, whenever possible, to the Office of the Provost or his or her designee at least a week prior to the scheduled absence. Requests submitted after the fact will be disapproved unless circumstances made prior approval impossible or unreasonable.”