Revised 1-8-08
FACULTY SENATE
FULL MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 6, 2007
The third
regular meeting of the 2007-2008
Agenda Item I. Call to Order
Mark Taggart, Chair of the Faculty called the meeting to
order at 2:10 p.m.
Agenda Item II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of October
9, 2007,
were approved as distributed.
Agenda Item III. Special Order of the Day
A. Roll Call
Senators absent were: Professor Fletcher (Medicine), Jesse
and Lowery (Nursing), Brown (Psychology), Coddington and Pagliari (Technology
and Computer Science), Parker (Theatre and Dance), Rigsby (Past Chair of the
Faculty) and Chancellor Ballard.
Alternates present were: Professors Lawrence for Winstead
(Academic Library Services), Glass for Hodge (Education), Felts for Glascoff
(Health and Human Performance), Coleman for Abdel-Rahman (Medicine), and Heidal
for
B. Announcements
The
Chancellor has approved the following resolutions:
From
the February 20, 2007,
07-03
Plus/Minus Grading System (with amendment)
From
the September 11, 2007,
07-19
Change the
Colleges
07-20
Revised School of Medicine’s Unit Code of Operation
The Guidelines for the 2008-2009 Research/Creative Activity Grants are now
available online at
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-acad/fsonline/rg/research.cfm.
An informational grant-writing session will be offered prior to the end of this
semester. The awarding of grants will be made for the full fiscal year July 1,
2008 – June 30, 2009, and announced on or before May 1, 2008. This new
system will allow faculty receiving stipends to select either 2nd
summer session 2008 or 1st summer session 2009 to receive the
stipend. Proposals are due in the
The Committee on Committees is seeking nominees from the
faculty for the election of two
delegates and two alternates to
the 2008-2009 UNC Faculty Assembly.
Nominees should be full-time faculty, holding no administrative duties outside
his/her department. Because the responsibilities of delegates are diverse
and important, candidates must agree to the conditions of service. The
names of those nominated to the Committee on Committees will be submitted to
the
Letters concerning unit elections for 2008-2009
Faculty
members not located on main campus (Allied Health Sciences, Health and Human
Performance, Health Sciences Library, Medicine, and Nursing,) and who serve on
various academic standing committees are reminded of special courtesy parking
permits available from the office of Parking and Transportation Services. Special
Courtesy Permits allow faculty members
attending meetings, etc. to park in "A1/B1” lots on main campus. These permits are issued to unit heads at no
charge and are to be used in conjunction with a paid parking permit. Additional
information is available from Parking and Transportation Services at 328-1961.
C. Steve
Ballard, Chancellor
Chancellor Ballard was unable to attend the meeting due to conflicts
with meetings in
D. Deirdre
Mageean, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies
Vice Chancellor Mageean discussed the draft plans for the
Division of Research and Graduate Studies. Dr. Ted Morris was introduced as the
new Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development. Vice Chancellor Mageean
announced that once the division’s revised plan is finalized, it will be
released to the university, which will include strategic plan timelines,
resource outcomes, and measurement of success in terms of economic development.
Vice Chancellor Mageean also discussed other graduate school
issues including quarterly systems for grant reporting, and out of state
tuition remissions. She stated that a group is being organized to speak to GA
about the needs of the university for out of state tuition remissions. Major discrepancies are apparent between
state universities in allocation of out of state tuition remissions.
Vice Chancellor Mageean reported that there has been no
progress relative to support of student travel from state funds, which may be
due to the recent travels of GA in the UNC Tomorrow visits to the state
campuses.
Vice Chancellor Mageean also provided information relative to
the request from GA for all university campuses to consider the new Carnegie
Classification for an
Other Graduate school issues discussed by Vice Chancellor
Mageean included the newly drafted definitions of graduate faculty, graduate
teaching faculty and graduate advising, which are being untaken by the Graduate
School Administrative Board. Vice Chancellor Mageean reported that at the
present time, only the definition of the graduate faculty had been approved by
the GSAB.
Professor Lillian (English) inquired about healthcare for
graduate students. Vice Chancellor Mageean commented on the studies that are
addressing the estimated cost for healthcare for graduate students. Vice Chancellor Mageean discussed her support
to move ahead with coverage of health care for graduate students and full time
doctoral students. She reported that UNC
provides out of state tuition remission and health care for all doctoral
students.
Professor Sprague (Physics) inquired about the nature of
representatives on the Graduate School Administrative Board, specifically the
“natural science” representative. He stated that since there are many more
Biology faculty, the GSAB representative for “natural science” will always be
from Biology, and will there will never be an opportunity for any other science
department to be represented on the GSAB. Dean Pelicane
(
Professor Coleman (Medicine) inquired about how and who sets
the standards for residency requirements at the university. Mr. Zigas
(University Attorney) stated that the NC statues set the residency standards
and that
Professor Coleman (Medicine) asked if a statement could be
offered by the university relative to the residency requirements. Vice
Chancellor Mageean said that the university could not do this and must abide by
the law relative to residency requirements.
Professor Martinez (Chair, Faculty Governance; Foreign
Language) asked about possible revisions to Appendix F. Vice Chancellor Mageean
stated that the GSAB needs to review the document before any revisions are
considered and before the definitions of graduate faculty, graduate teaching
faculty, and graduate advising are finalized. Professor Martinez asked whether
the
Vice Chancellor Mageean stated that Appendix F was approved
by the faculty senate, including all amendments and were also approved by the
graduate school. Vice Chancellor Mageean asked whether Appendix F and the
amendments went through the faculty senate.
Mageean stated that the graduate faculty will vote on the changes to
Appendix F and that the faculty senate will be notified on the outcome. Professor
Martinez again inquired whether Appendix F changes will go through the
Professor Taggart (Chair of the Faculty) also assured
Professor Martinez that any changes would go through the
At the end of the question period, Provost Sheerer announced
that the search for the Chief Diversity Officer had begun and that there were
five candidates who will interview on campus in November and December. She also
announced that there would be open forums for these candidates during this
time.
E. Judi Bailey,
Senior Executive Director of Enrollment Management
Dr. Judi Bailey, the
Senior Executive Director of Enrollment Management. Dr. Bailey discussed reports on the Offices
of Financial Aid and Student Financial Services, the Enrollment Management
Organizational Chart, the Director of Admissions search process, plus an update
on Banner, upon the approach of registration week.
Professor Jones (Criminal Justice) requested that students
should not be treated as customers. In addition, he asked whether COAD 1000
addresses drug and alcohol abuse. Dr. Bailey stated that she does not consider
students as customers in classroom, but she does consider them as customers
when they are standing in line for financial aid, cashier, etc.
Professor Felts (Health and Human Performance) remarked on
the importance of freshman living on campus during this important first year
and asked why ECU doesn’t require all freshmen to live on campus without a car,
especially when considering retention initiatives. Dr. Bailey stated that at
the present time, the residence halls are 99.9% full without this requirement.
She stated further that car issues for freshmen should be left to the Division
of Student Affairs.
Professor Wilson (Sociology) inquired about current GA
initiatives to increase student enrollment and retention. He asked about how to
meet these initiatives and to uphold to academic standards as well. Professor
Wilson asked “How many students incur debt and then flunk out of college?” Dr.
Bailey stated that the university is not currently tracking who has debt, but
is no longer at the university. She
stated that ECU students are among the neediest in the state with approximately
79% of students requesting support. She
stated that ECU has the resources and institutional needs and that 70% of
requests are met with loans. She stated that funds of $15,174 are needed per
student, with expected family contributions between $5,000 to $6,000.
Professor Vail-Smith (Health and Human Performance) inquired
about the I-School at UNC-G and stated that students can take AP classes in
high school from UNC-G. She reported
that these classes are free and that UNC-G is now advertising in
Professor Zoller (Art) stated that some students still have
not received financial aid and asked whether there will continue to be more problems.
Dr. Bailey stated that Spring Semester financial aid should be better. She
encouraged all faculty to call her if students have problems in financial aid.
Professor Sprague (Physics) asked Dr. Bailey about rumors of
federal investigation and financial penalties for the office of financial aid
and whether the rumors were true and if so, how would this affect ECU?
Dr. Bailey stated that there was an federal audit
(Department of Education) after several state audits. She stated that ECU had
made errors in processing 1.486 million dollars of financial aid, which was not
done with malice in favor of any one employee. Dr. Bailey furthered report that
ECU was not careful in following guidelines of FASFA or in obtaining
appropriate signatures from parents or individuals students, especially in
relation to tax form filing. Therefore, Dr. Bailey stated, there was a lack of
proper documentation. As a result of the audit, ECU was required to correct the
improper verifications or return money.
According to Dr. Bailey, both the students and families involved with
the inadequate verification had to cooperate, especially if a tax office was
involved. Dr. Bailey stated that due to the correction of many of the
verification problems, the amount of money owed by ECU and to be repaid to the
Department of Education was changed and the current amount stands at $935,135.
F. Mark
Taggart, Chair of the Faculty
Professor Taggart stated that he would like share some
comments he had heard recently, when the question, “What do you see in the future for ECU?” was
asked to one of our finalists for the position of Senior Associate Vice
Chancellor for Special Initiatives. He
replied that universities not only have a future but also a past. What an institution has done in the past is a
pretty accurate barometer for determining its future course. Professor Taggart
stated that one of ECU’s attributes has always been that it reaches out to the
people in eastern
He noted that this describes the “collaboration between
institutions of higher education and their larger communities for the mutually
beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and
reciprocity.” He stated that the
description of the classification goes further with “One classification
describes a curricular engagement, where “teaching, learning and scholarship
engage faculty, students, and community in mutually beneficial and respectful
collaboration. Their interactions
address community-identified needs, deepen students’ civic and academic
learning, enhance community well-being, and enrich the scholarship of the
institution.” Professor Taggart stated that it does sound like this Carnegie
classification fits ECU perfectly. When
one thinks about the activities of the Interdisciplinary Institute of Coastal
Science Policy, or the Center for Tourism, or activities like the Roper
project, it sounds like ECU has been engaged in this manner for some time.
The foundation
is opening the classification of engagement to new participants in 2008, and
Professor Taggart stated that he believed that ECU should apply for this
classification. In support of this, he
was asking the Faculty Governance Committee to go into ECU’s past and reexamine
the “Commission
on Scholarship Report”. He noted
that one of ECU’s former Chairs of the Faculty, Professor Bob Morrison
(Chemistry) was instrumental in keeping this issue on the agenda of various
administrators and committees for the purpose of determining ECU’s path for the
future. Professor Taggart stated that he believed that this path should include
the “Scholarship of Engagement” as we now begin to move forward and prepare to
become an
G. Approval of
the Fall 2007 Graduation Roster, including honors program graduates.
Chris Grymes (Music) moved approval of the Fall 2007
Graduation Roster, including honors program graduates. There was no discussion and the Fall 2007
graduation roster, including honors program graduates was approved as
presented. RESOLUTION #07-25
H. Question
Period
Professor Sprague (Physics) inquired about the new Sciences
building and whether the university will begin to build green buildings to
promote resource efficiency. Sprague then recommended that the new Science
building should be a green building and asked when the building will begin.
Vice Chancellor Sheerer stated that she has not been in the planning of this
building, but that the Executive Council will be talking about space and the
new building soon.
Professor Martinez (Chair, Faculty Governance; Foreign
Language) stated that she was confused about the organization of the
Chancellor’s Division, especially after seeing the organizational chart. Vice
Chancellor Sheerer stated that the Chancellor took Enrollment Management out of
Academic Affairs and into a separate division under the Chancellor.
Professor Martinez (Chair, Faculty Governance; Foreign
Language) expressed confusion regarding this administrative organization and
questioned why the Provost and Vice Chancellor of Student Life are in the same
division. She again questioned why Enrollment Management has been removed from
the Division of Academic Affairs.
Professor McKinnon (Interior Design and Merchandising)
inquired about a possible cooperative agreement with ECU and high school
students. Provost Sheerer stated that an early charter high school is currently
being planned. She stated that there should be approximately 40 high school
students on campus (in 4 years) and that after that time, the students should
have an Associates Degree. Sheerer reported that Dr. Dorothy Muller is
responsible for this endeavor and Chancellor Ballard signed an agreement for
this
Professor Evans-Case (Political Science) inquired about
writing intensive courses and that due to plagiarism, the university needs to
have the software Turnitin.com. She
described the software and how it documents plagiarism once students’ papers
have been submitted to it.
Professor Jones (Criminal Justice) stated that he has
inquired about this software and problem with plagiarism with the Libraries
Committee, via email; but he does not know if the committee has responded to
his inquiry or not. Professor Stapleton
(Education) stated that she has noted problems with this as well and that
current students do not see that “copying is a problem”.
Professor Sharer (English) stated that there is a subcommittee,
a judicial task force, that is currently investigating plagiarism on campus.
Agenda Item IV. Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business to come before the body at
this time.
Agenda Item V. Report of Committees
A. Educational Policies
and Planning Committee
Professor Dale Knickerbocker
(Foreign Languages and Literatures), Chair of the Committee, presented an
authorization to plan a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences in the
Department of Medicine Research and Graduate Studies, within the School of
Medicine. There was no discussion and when asked for approval by the body,
Professor Knickerbocker stated that this report was for information only and
did not require Senate approval.
Later Chair Taggart stated that
previous reports this semester of this type were presented for approval by the
body and that the confusion should be cleared up with the upcoming report from
the Educational Policies and Planning Committee on proposed revisions relating
to curriculum development in Part V. of the Faculty
Manual.
B. Faculty
Welfare Committee
Professor Bruce Southard (English), Chair of the Committee,
presented proposed revisions to the ECU
Faculty Manual, Part VI. and Appendix C. relating to emeritus status.
Professor Martinez (Foreign Languages) moved to have the
proposed revision to Appendix C, as noted below, be referred to the Faculty
Governance Committee for consideration on November 14 and then brought back to
the
Add the
following, noted in bold print to
Appendix C. Section I.D.4. to provide additional clarity.
Appendix C. Section I.D.4.
“4. Emeritus
status
The titles “emeritus” and “emerita”
will be conferred upon those retired faculty with ten or more years of service to
The motion was approved.
There was no further discussion, and the proposed revisions
to the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI.
relating to emeritus status were approved as presented. RESOLUTION
#07-26
C. University
Curriculum Committee
Professor Janice Neil (Nursing), Chair of the Committee,
presented the curriculum matters contained
in the minutes of the October
11, 2007, Committee meeting. There
was no discussion and the curriculum matters were approved as presented. RESOLUTION #07-27
Professor
Neil then briefly discussed the Guidelines
for Courses with Varying Credit Hours that was provided to the Senators prior
to the meeting. There was no discussion.
Agenda Item VI. New
Business
A. Resolution on ECU SPA Employees
Professor Ken Wilson
(Sociology) presented the resolution recognizing the efforts of SPA
employees. He noted that, with ongoing
changes to University systems and the introduction of many new ways of doing
business, SPA employees continue to meet the needs of the University in unique
ways and that he wished to recognize the hard work and efforts of SPA
employees.
Chair Taggart recognized Wayne Reeves, current Chair of the
Staff Senate and the Faculty Senators gave him a round of applause. Following a
brief discussion, the resolution recognizing the efforts of SPA employees was
approved as presented. RESOLUTION #07-28
B. Resolution on
James LeRoy Smith
Professor Dale Knickerbocker (Foreign Languages and
Literatures) presented the resolution on James LeRoy Smith. There was no
discussion and the resolution on James LeRoy Smith was approved as presented. RESOLUTION #07-29
There was no additional business to come before the
Respectfully submitted,
Marianna Walker Lori
Lee
Secretary of the Faculty Administrative
Officer
College of Allied Health Sciences
FACULTY SENATE
RESOLUTIONS APPROVED AT THE NOVEMBER 6, 2007, MEETING
07-25 Fall 2007 Graduation Roster, including honors program
graduates.
Disposition: Chancellor
07-26 Revisions to the ECU Faculty Manual, Part VI. relating to
emeritus status, as follows:
Delete the following, noted by strikethrough, in Part
VI. Section I.I.1. because it does not relate to insurance and conflicts with
text currently in Appendix C. Section I.D.4.
Part VI. Section I.I.1.
“I. Retirement
1. Insurance
Upon receiving written confirmation of intent to retire by a
tenured faculty member with ten or more years of full-time service to East
Carolina University, the unit head shall notify the unit personnel committee
which, in turn, may recommend granting the retiree emeritus status. Its decision shall then be forwarded to the
unit head and other appropriate administrative officers in the same manner as
other personnel recommendations for their concurrence or nonconcurrence.
All full-time employees of the university
with a permanent appointment must participate in the North Carolina Teachers'
and State Employees' Retirement System with the exception that employees who
hold faculty rank are eligible to choose between the North Carolina Teachers'
and State Employees' Retirement System (TSERS) or the Optional Retirement
Program (ORP). When first employed or when given a permanent appointment, all
employees should contact the department of Human Resources to be enrolled in
the retirement system. Once the eligible
employee has made a choice and enrolled in the system he or she selects, the
decision will be irrevocable. It is not
possible to change from one program to the other during employment in an
eligible position. All members of TSERS
or ORP will contribute 6 percent of their earnings, including summer session
salaries. All retirement contributions
to either TSERS or to ORP are tax sheltered from federal and state withholding
taxes. For those who teach a regular nine-month school term and who are active
members of TSERS, one year of creditable service is allowed for retirement
purposes. The employee in TSERS should apply for retirement benefits at least
thirty days but not more than ninety days prior to the effective date. Arrangements for retirement should be made at
the university department of Human Resources.
For those in ORP, individual guidance from the ORP representatives is
always available. A few months before
retirement age, the employee will receive information and specific figures for
options in regard to retirement benefits from ORP.”
Add the following, noted in bold print to Part VI. Section I.2.b. to provide clarity.
Part VI. Section I.2.b.
“b. Upon
the recommendation of the unit personnel committee, unit head, and appropriate dean,
the appropriate vice chancellor may grant the faculty retiree emeritus status (as defined in Appendix C.) which
includes the items listed above under Section I.I.2.a. and, in addition, the
following privileges:
1) Access
to recreational facilities under the same conditions as active faculty.
2) Continuance
of eligibility to march, wearing appropriate regalia, in University
commencement exercised and other University formal processions, as active
faculty.
(
Disposition: Chancellor
07-27 Curriculum
matters contained in the minutes of the October
11, 2007, Committee meeting.
Disposition: Chancellor
07-28 Resolution on ECU SPA Employees that reads as
follows:
Whereas, the University has adopted several new computer applications in
the last several years (including CommonSpot, the PeopleAdmin system, Banner Student, Banner Finance, Banner
HR, and Sedona).
Therefore Be It Resolved, that the
Be It Further Resolved that the
Disposition:
07-29 Resolution on James LeRoy Smith that reads as
follows:
Whereas, James LeRoy Smith has been a champion of shared governance as a
faculty member, Chair of the Faculty, Faculty Assembly representative, and in
various administrative capacities; and
Whereas, James
LeRoy Smith has been a beacon of integrity, reasoned discourse, and
receptiveness to faculty input and dialogue within our administration; and
Whereas, James LeRoy Smith has been an anchor for ECU during periods of
turbulence and transition; and
Whereas, James
LeRoy Smith’s dedication to teaching is well known; and
Whereas, throughout his career, his unflagging and tireless dedication
to East Carolina University, the region of Eastern North Carolina and the
people of this state have demonstrated James LeRoy Smith to be the
personification of ECU’s motto “Servire”.
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the membership
of the
Disposition: