EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
2006-2007 FACULTY SENATE
The eighth regular meeting of the 2006/2007
FULL AGENDA
This is the last meeting of the year for the 2006/2007
Newly
elected Faculty Senators and Alternates will begin their service
on Tuesday,
April 24, 2007, with the organizational meeting and election of Faculty
Officers.
I. Call
to Order
II. Approval
of Minutes
III. Special
Order of the Day
A. Roll Call
B. Announcements
C. Steve Ballard, Chancellor
D. Jim Smith, Provost and
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Report
is withdrawn
Draft Faculty
Applicant Verification of Continued Interest & Fitness (attachment 1)
E. Deirdre
Mageean, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies
Draft
Division of Research and Graduate Studies Strategic Plan (attachment 2)
F. Mark Taggart, Chair of the Faculty
G. Ken
Wilson, Faculty Assembly Delegate
Report on the Faculty
Assembly Meeting of March 23, 2007.
H. Question Period
A. Academic Standards Committee, Linda Wolfe
1. Proposed
Policy on Disruptive Academic Behavior (attachment 3).
2. Review of Procedures and Instruments
for Peer Review of Teaching
(attachment
4).
A Survey
of Peer Review Implementation for 2006/07 is available online.
3. Courses
Approved for Foundation Credit (for information only)
a. The following courses were passed to receive Social Science
Foundation
credit: POLS 3042, SOCI 3219, SOCI 3025, SOCI 4300,
SOCI 4400.
b. The following courses were
passed to receive Math Foundation credit:
MATH 2151, MATH 2152, MATH
2153.
c. The following curses were
passed to receive Humanities credit:
MRST 2400, MRST 2500, CLAS
2600, CLAS 3600, ENGL 3660,
ENGL 3670, ENGL 4370, GRK
4001, GRK 4002.
B. Faculty Welfare Committee, David Lawrence
Proposed Revision to the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI.I.I.2.a.(8)
Reference Parking for
Retired Faculty (attachment
5).
C. Libraries Committee, Marianna Walker
1. Joyner Library and Laupus Library Operating Budgets (for
information only)
2. Institutional Repository and
Rising Costs of Electronic Journals/Databases.
(for information only)
D. Unit
Code Screening Committee, Garris Conner – Report is withdrawn
1. Approval
of the new Department of Hospitality Management’s Unit Code of Operation.
2. Approval
of the new Department of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Unit Code of
Operation.
E. University Athletics Committee,
Steve Estes
Report on ECU and Intercollegiate Athletics
(attachment 6).
F. University
Curriculum Committee, David Long
Curriculum matters contained in the minutes of the April
12, 2007, Committee Meeting.
G. University Environment Committee, Charles
Hodson
1. Revised
Report on the Area Near the Softball Field and Frisbee Golf (attachment 7).
2. Revised
Report on Campus Green Space (attachment 8).
April 17, 2007
Provost Jim Smith, Reporting
Attachment 1.
Faculty Applicant Verification of
Continued Interest & Fitness
A recent review of selected
articles from the Chronicle of Higher Education indicates that universities are
moving towards increased applicant verification and/or criminal background
checks. As an added precaution in the
hiring process, there is a national trend in higher education to require more
stringent applicant verification of all employees including faculty. A number of universities that are conducting
applicant verification are opting for criminal background checks of potential
hires.
A survey of the University
of North Carolina campuses indicates varied practices throughout the different
universities. Most of the University of
North Carolina campuses are conducting criminal background checks on some
employees before finalizing their hire.
Legal advice from UNC-GA is
that (at this time) there will not be a system policy on conducting criminal
background checks on prospective hires but each campus should create consistent
guidelines or policies. UNC-GA also
states that if a campus does criminal background checks on prospective hires,
and any group is exempt from the checks, there should be clear reasons for the
exemptions.
At ECU, criminal background
checks are conducted on all prospective SPA, CSS, and non-teaching EPA hires,
but criminal background checks are not routinely conducted on prospective
faculty hires. Certain faculty, such as
clinical faculty, undergo a more extensive background check than the routine
criminal background check.
We are recommending that
finalist for faculty positions complete the Faculty
Applicant Verification Form of Continued Interest and Fitness Form (See
attachment). If the applicant answers “yes”
to any of the questions or provides any questionable responses:
a. additional information will be requested
b. criminal background check may be requested if
necessary.
Additional information would
be shared with personnel committees (where permissible / legal) for further
deliberation and recommendations.
This practice parallels the
student process for criminal background checks, gives us better data than
requiring criminal background checks on all potential faculty hires, gives us a
signed statement that all relevant information has been disclosed, and includes
all employs in a systematic review.
We also recommend that this Faculty Applicant Verification Form of
Continued Interest and Fitness Form be appropriately modified for SPA, CSS,
and non-teaching EPA prospective hires so that similar forms are completed by
all prospective employees at ECU.
DRAFT
East Carolina University
letter relating to the applicant verification of
continued interest & Fitness
Date
Name
Address 1
Address 2
Re:
Faculty Applicant Verification of Continued Interest & Fitness Form
Dear [ ]:
This notifies you that [insert unit
name] has identified you as one of the finalists for the faculty position
of [insert title of position].
The University requires that, before [insert unit name] may
further consider your application, you must fully and accurately complete the
enclosed Applicant Verification of Continued Interest & Fitness Form
("Form"), and submit it to me on or before [insert date]. The Form will be considered part of your
application for this faculty position.
Please note that your failure to timely submit to me a completed Form
will result in the [insert unit name] taking no further action on your
application.
Thank you for your interest
in the position of [insert title of position] in ECU’s [insert unit
name].
Sincerely,
[ ]
Enclosure
cc: Applicant’s File
DRAFT
East Carolina University
Applicant verification of continued interest &
Fitness
Please complete this form and return in
the enclosed envelope.
___________________________________________
Applicant
name (please print)
___________________________________________
Faculty
position for which an application was submitted
1.
Do you remain interested in being considered for this faculty position?
_______Yes
________No
(If the answer is “no,” no further responses are
required. Please sign and return this
form.)
2. Have
you submitted a complete and accurate history of all employment?
_______Yes ________No
(If the answer
is “no,” please provide a full work history and return it with this form.)
3. For the purpose of the following three (3)
questions, "crime" or "criminal charge" refers to any crime
or charge other than a traffic-related misdemeanor or infraction. Please include alcohol or drug offenses
whether or not they are traffic related:
a. Do you have
any criminal charges currently pending against you?
_____Yes _____No
(If the
answer is "yes," please provide a complete explanation on a separate
sheet of paper and return it with this form.)
b. Have you
entered a plea of guilty, a plea of no contest, a plea of nolo contendere, or an Alford plea; or have you received a
deferred prosecution or prayer for judgment
continued to a criminal charge; or, have you otherwise accepted responsibility for the commission of a
crime? _____Yes _____No
(If the
answer is "yes," please provide a complete explanation on a separate
sheet of paper and return it with this form.)
c. Have you
been convicted of a crime? _____ Yes
______No
(If the
answer is "yes," please provide a complete explanation on a separate
sheet of paper and return it with this form.)
4. Have you ever been found to have made or procured
any false or misleading statement or omission of relevant information
including, but not limited to, any false or misleading statement or omission on
an application for employment, admission to a college or university or
professional school, or a professional licensing entity (e.g., State Medical
Licensing Board)?
_______Yes
________No
(If the
answer is “yes,” please provide a complete explanation on a separate sheet of
paper and return it with this form.)
5. Have allegations ever been brought against you or
have you ever been disciplined for or been found to have engaged in: academic
misconduct; misconduct in employment; acts involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit
or misrepresentation, neglect of professional obligations; or military
misconduct (including, but not limited to, any discharge other than honorable)?
_______Yes
________No
(If the
answer is “yes,” please provide a complete explanation on a separate sheet of
paper and return it with this form.)
6. Have you ever been denied admission to or had your
relevant professional license suspended, revoked, or limited in any way by the
applicable professional licensing organizations or associations on the grounds
of character and/or fitness?
______Yes
________No
(If the
answer is “yes,” please provide a complete explanation on a separate sheet of
paper and return it with this form.)
7. Have you ever been
accused of inappropriate conduct in your relationships with students?
______Yes
________No
(If the
answer is “yes,” please provide a complete explanation on a separate sheet of
paper and return it with this form.)
I
certify that the above responses are complete, true and correct. I further acknowledge that any offer of
employment made incident to my application for the above faculty position is
conditioned upon my disclosure of any and all information that may be relevant
to my ability to serve in the position including, but not limited to, the
information contained in the Form and my possessing legal authorization to work
in the United States as of the date I begin my employment.
North
Carolina law requires notice to every applicant for State employment that
willfully providing false or misleading information or failing to disclose
relevant information shall be grounds for rejection of an application, later
disciplinary action, and/or criminal prosecution. Dismissal from employment shall be mandatory
in any case in which a false or misleading representation is made in order to
meet position qualifications. ECU is
required by law to verify an applicant’s representations about credentials and
other qualifications relevant to employment.
By signing this Form, you authorize the release to ECU of any document
or information within the possession of any third party, such as an educational
institution or licensure board, that may serve to verify any representations
made by you in your submission for employment (including, but not limited to,
this Form).
__________________________ ________________________
Faculty applicant signature Date
Faculty Senate Agenda
April 17, 2007
Vice Chancellor Deirdre Mageean Reporting
Attachment 2.
Vision,
4-4-07 version
Explore, Create, Engage…
Double
ECU’s research productivity over the next five years.
II.
The Division of Research and Graduate Studies leads
research and creative endeavors, education, economic development, and community
engagement by promoting scholarship, ethics, and service, in an evolving,
dynamic environment.
III. Division of Research and Graduate Studies
Strategic Plan
ECU will increase scholarship and creative activity
over the next five years by:
1.
Enhancing computing,
physical and financial resources for research and graduate education
2.
Improving
administrative infrastructure for research and graduate education
3.
Expanding
research and education opportunities for faculty and students
4.
Encouraging
applications of research to benefit society and promote sustainable economic
development
5.
Stimulating
interdisciplinary/collaborative research and community engagement
Ambitious
goals for
Research is
transforming the world’s economy through the generation and application of
knowledge. In order to help eastern NC
to participate actively in this transformation, ECU will grow its research
enterprise to $80 M by 2012, creating a stimulating environment for research,
innovation, and community engagement.
This bold and ambitious plan for growth will require significantly more
faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduate students engaged in
research, creating significant pressure on utilization of research space and
financial resources to support research activities.
Creating a Stimulating Environment for Research,
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
In today’s
global knowledge economy, new discoveries drive the development of innovative,
new technologies and opportunities for social and economic growth. The knowledge based economy is fueled by
high-speed global telecommunications; however, a region cannot fully
participate by simply being plugged into the world’s telecommunication
network. Local competencies and clustering
of human capital is required to create a critical mass of highly skilled
innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations to exploit basic and
applied research and development. ECU
will stimulate research and knowledge generation in eastern NC by building a
critical mass of faculty, staff, and students; by recruiting world-class
faculty; by developing nationally and internationally recognized research
centers and institutes; by investing financial resources necessary to create
physical facilities for research; by maintaining cutting-edge computer and
communication networks; by creating a network of angel investors through its
entrepreneurial initiative; by licensing and developing its intellectual
property for the betterment of humankind; and by engaging community leadership
to address regional issues responsibly.
We recognize the value of basic and translational research in our
efforts.
Outcomes
Our success will
be measured by the outcomes of our efforts.
Over the next five year period ending in 2012, we expect to double the rate
of our scholarship (peer reviewed publications and other measurable forms of
creative and scholarly work), double enrollment in PhD programs, double our
international population of graduate students, create three new research
centers or institutes, develop five spin-off companies and licensed products,
and double our research space to accommodate this level of growth. Significant financial resources will be
needed to achieve these goals which will come from a combination of internal
and external funds.
Areas of
research focus
The University
will continue its investments in the following established strategic
priorities:
·
Metabolic
disorders, obesity, diabetes, and bioenergetics
·
Cardiovascular
disease
·
Coastal science
and policy
·
Agromedicine
research
·
Cancer research
The University
has identified the following new strategic opportunities for future investment
and development:
·
Health
disparities and public health
·
Sustainable
tourism
The University
will also retain reserve capacity to invest in emerging research opportunities
as they present themselves.
Goal #1 – Enhancing computing, physical, and
financial resources for research and graduate education
Compared to our
peer institutions, ECU’s level of research productivity lags
significantly. In order to increase
ECU’s level of research activity, we will need more space and greater financial
resources (both internal and external) to sustain our research enterprise. Universities of comparable size and quality
with medical schools have $80 million to $120 million in external grants and
contracts. Information technology plays
an ever increasing role in research, and in order to continue our development,
ECU must stay at the cutting edge of IT services.
Objectives for Goal #1
1.
Increase
external funding (research, contracts, and endowments) to $80+ million by 2012
(about 15% increase per year)
a. Increase faculty training workshops
b. Increase the number and quality of faculty research
mentoring activities
c. Embrace the concept of differential teaching loads to
provide increased released time for research productive faculty
d. Establish a faculty research leave program
e. Increase unit focus and participation in endowment
activities
2.
Provide more
physical space for ECU’s research enterprise
a. By 2008, complete the design and up-fitting of empty
research space in the Science and
b. By 2008, complete plans for the renovation of
research space in the Brody School of Medicine (labs are 30 years old)
c. In 2007-2008, begin advanced planning for the
construction of two new research buildings (45,000 ft2) with an
emphasis on promoting interdisciplinary research
d. Develop plans for an adjacent research incubator /
research park
3.
Provide
strategic institutional investments for scholarship and creative activities to
leverage external resources
a. Earmark internal funding for research and creative
activities in the arts and humanities (estimated cost: $150,000)
b. Create university graduate fellowships, including an
assistantship, tuition remission and health care coverage to recruit the very
best students into our graduate programs.
(5 masters’ students, $125,000/yr, and 10 PhD students, $300,000/yr
initially, increasing to a total of $1.0 million by 2012)
4.
Increase
financial and physical resources for graduate educational experiences and
graduate professional development opportunities
a. Create a
b. Provide a
5. Increase
financial support for graduate assistantships, in-state and out-of-state
tuition remissions
a. Using
a combination of internal and external funds, double the average amount of a
graduate assistant stipend by 2012 (estimated cost: $9M / yr)
b. Double
the number of in-state and out-of-state tuition remissions by 2012 (estimated
cost: $0.4m / yr and $1.9 M / yr)
Goal #2 – Improving administrative infrastructure for
research and graduate education
Limitations in
ECU’s research infrastructure make it difficult to manage and spend research
funds, ensure compliance with state and federal guidelines, hire research
personnel, and purchase research equipment and supplies. As our research productivity grows, these
services will be improved so faculty, staff and students can more effectively
devote their time and effort towards research and scholarly activity.
Objectives
for Goal #2
1. Improve
the quality of pre-award, post-award, and clinical trial services
a.
Implement an
electronic research administration system during FY 2007-08
b.
Add a database
support person in OSP during FY 2007-08
c.
Add a grants and
contracts specialist for clinical trial negotiations by the end of FY 2006-07
d.
Add an
administrative support position to support the Division of Health Sciences
grant and contract specialist by the end of FY 2006-07
e.
Add an
additional grants and contracts specialist for the Division of Health Sciences
during FY 2007-08
f.
Convert the
effort reporting period for grants and contracts from monthly to quarterly
2. Build
research administration capabilities at the college level
a. Recruit at
least one grants and contracts officer for each college with significant
engagement in externally funded research
b. Develop
grants and contracts training materials and activities for college and unit
level administrators
3. Develop
“best-practice” procedures and processes to ensure compliance with applicable
guidelines, laws and regulations
a. Develop a University Research Compliance program
(estimated costs $200,000 /yr)
b. Develop a University code of conduct setting forth
legal and ethical principles upon which research should be conducted
c. Develop, facilitate and oversee the implementation of
timely educational training programs for all engaged in or supporting research
(estimated costs: $10,000/yr)
d. Increase the capacity for managing international
research activities, including recruitment of faculty, staff, and students, as
well as proper handling of research materials and data
4. Improve
institutional business practices [supporting the research enterprise and
graduate education]
Goal #3 – Expanding research and education
opportunities for faculty and students
The prestige of
a university is built upon the quality of its graduates, its outstanding
scholarship, creative activity and research productivity, as well as the
outreach services and economic development that it generates. If
Objectives for Goal #3
1. Create
critical mass of scholars, programs, centers and institutes
a. Recruit
12-15 senior scholars per year (estimated cost $350,000/yr salary, $2
million/yr start-up)
2. Communicate
grant and corporate funding opportunities to faculty and staff
3. Optimize
teaching loads to enhance research productivity
4. Identify
and engage strategic institutional and corporate partners to enhance research
and educational opportunities for staff and students
5. Create a
university faculty research leave program (estimated cost $1 million initially
for 20 to 25 one-semester faculty leaves)
Goal #4.
Encouraging application of research to benefit society and promote
sustainable economic development
As outlined in a recent report by the Yardley Group, ECU’s future lies in developing concentrated research excellence in areas that have immediate regional impact. While this development should relate to existing economic clusters, actual economic activities are shifting away from an agricultural and manufacturing environment to one that is less defined. To strengthen viable economic clusters