EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY SENATE
FULL MINUTES OF 23 FEBRUARY 1999
The sixth regular meeting of the 1998-99 Faculty Senate
was held on Tuesday, 23 February 1999, in the Mendenhall
Student Center, room #244.
Agenda Item I. Call to Order
Chair Brenda Killingsworth called the meeting to order at
2:10 p.m.
Agenda Item II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of 26 January 1999, were approved as
distributed.
Agenda Item III. Special Order of the Day
A. Roll Call
Senators absent were: Professors Albright (Allied Health
Sciences), Gabbard (Education), Boswell (Health and
Human Performance), Kennedy (Industry and Technology),
Dudek and Fiordalisi (Medicine), and Chancellor Eakin.
Alternates present were: Professors Killingsworth for
Schadler (Business), Mott for Joyner (Education), Wubneh
for Friend (Industry and Technology), Worthington for
Dolezal (Medicine), and Tranbarger for Droes (Nursing).
B. Announcements
1. Chancellor Eakin was in Chapel Hill attending the
monthly UNC Administrative Council meeting.
2. A special thanks was extended to Elizabeth Ross,
Alternate in the School of Art, for agreeing to serve
as a teller during the meeting.
3. Plans are now being made for the third annual
Teaching Awards Ceremony to honor upcoming recipients of
the three teaching awards: Alumni Teaching Excellence,
Board of Governors Award for Excellence, and Board of
Governors Distinguished Professor. The ceremony will begin
at 9:00 a.m. in the Hendrix Theatre on Wednesday, 5 May
1999 (Reading Day). Chancellor Eakin will host a reception
immediately following the event. Please make plans now to
attend.
4. The Chancellor and Mrs. Eakin will host a reception in
their home for Faculty Senators on Thursday, March 25,
1999, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Formal invitations will
be forthcoming. Please make plans now to attend.
5. Highlights of the Academic Committees' activities thus
far this year was compiled and distributed to Faculty
Senators. A copy of this report is available in the Faculty
Senate office.
C. Vice Chancellor's Report
Richard Ringeisen, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs,
introduced Dr. Austin Bunch, newly appointed as the
Assistant to the Chancellor for Constituent Relations, who
comes from Mississippi University for Women. Dr. Bunch
will lobby for funds for ECU's increased enrollment.
Ringeisen then addressed the Senate by discussing the
special called meeting by the Board of Trustees which had
the following objective as stated by the Trustees Chair, Mr.
Rayfield: to discuss ways to increase enrollment at ECU
while raising or maintaining standards. In doing so, the
following primary areas were discussed at the Board of
Trustees meeting.
1. School of Information Technology- ECU is
considered the best- wired campus in the state. At the
Trustees meeting, discussion evolved around how to show
that better. An analysis of our programs in technology show
that programs exist at least in six different places. For one
interested in these programs, it's difficult to determine where
they exist. We want to do a better job of marketing these
programs. The Bureau of Labor projects that by the year
2006, there will be a need for more than 1/2 million more
system analysists than we currently have. Rather than
forming new programs in this area, we want to do a better
job of packaging those programs we have in place. One
thought is to package them similar to the way we do our
graduate programs. University administrators are leaning
toward a School of Information Technology. There will be a
lot of planning that will go into this and faculty will be
involved in the planning.
2. Communications also is now in three places. Again, the
need for us to look at how we might market this better
3. A degree in Coastal Sciences is a program that
administrators are considering publicizing under a new
"umbrella". Committees are being formed to examine this
idea.
4. ECU needs to be more visible as we prepare teachers
within the School of Education. We believe we should
attract more teaching fellows.
5. Degrees in Engineering Technology should be offered.
Administrators will be examining more closely what we do
and what we do well; it seems more feasible for us to look at
engineering technology rather than engineering. EPPC has
been asked to allow proposals to come forward and waiver
the deadline for requests to plan programs this year.
Chancellor Eakin has committed to the Board of Trustees
that ECU will put these programs on the "fast track" in order
that we not be delayed 2 years.
In response to the question, how do we attract quality as well
as quantity, Ringeisen emphasized the increase in merit
scholarships, stating that such scholarships will attract other
high quality students. Professor Simon (Political Science)
raised a concern regarding Chancellor Eakin's comments at
the George Mason Basketball game when he stated ECU
had a wonderful record of doing more with less, and how we
might deal with the perception that ECU is willing to do more
less. In addition, Simon stated that we have had a strong
liberal arts traditional at ECU, and after hearing discussions,
he expressed further concern that we may be developing
trends toward specialization, and ultimately we may detour
from the traditional liberal arts focus for which we have been
recognized. Dr. Ringeisen responded that we would indeed
maintain our strong liberal arts tradition; students must take
courses in liberal arts here which also makes us different
and he sees that there is not any evidence of any attempt to
weaken that. The state is expecting 48,000 more students
ready to enter college. Funding in North Carolina is
enrollment driven. If a University doesn't grow aggressively,
things can happen other places, and not be happening to us.
ECU is going to be expected to do major marketing efforts.
For those programs in liberal arts that can grow, we will
encourage them to do so.
Schneider (Business) commented that summer school
salaries at other schools have no cap, stating that the
current structure for salaries remains the same as when he
was employed at ECU in 1991. Dr. Ringeisen responded
that he had been studying summer school salaries. These
salaries are separate from regular academic year ones and
not state supported. ECU has to charge the amount based
on how many students are enrolled in summer school.
Starting this summer, the upper bound will be raised to
$8000, which comes from a 7.5% allotment due to being a
Doctoral II university. With the doctoral funding, salaries will
go up, and so will summer school. Social work faculty will be
converted from 12 months to 9 months. Schneider
(Business) responded that in the past he had chosen to do
research instead of teach, but at ECU, summer teaching is
about all that is available to supplement one's salary. There
just are not opportunities for consulting in this area. Dr.
Ringeisen suggested that faculty might consider grants and
contracts. Schneider (Business) asked how faculty salaries
would be increased due to the Doctoral II status. Ringeisen
replied salaries would continue to be distributed on the basis
of merit, while the average salary will increase, it does not
mean there will be an across the board individual salary
increase. The University's priorities include funding for the
science and technology building and tuition remission
funding for graduate students. Schneider (Business) also
noted that many State legislators are made up of State &
UNC-Chapel Hill graduates, and that ECU only has three
identifiable representatives, Representatives' Ed Warren,
Mary McLawhorn, and Janice Faulkner. It was pointed out
that we probably have more ECU alumni in the legislature
this year than other universities in the State.
Rosenberg (Medicine) asked if ECU is trying to recruit high
school graduates in our own geographical area, and raised a
question about capital growth in relationship to the capacity
for our buildings as they currently exist. Ringeisen
emphasized the tremendous need we have for the new
Science and Technology Building to meet our projected
enrollment. Construction across the State will have to occur
to meet the demand for those anticipated 48,000 students.
We are extremely short in laboratory study areas. The
Governor's current budget does not include the doctoral
funding and the Science and Technology Building.
Ringeisen stated that Austin Bunch, Chancellor Eakin's
Assistant for Constituent Relations, will be working diligently
on these needs.
In response to questions from Professor Sexauer (Art) about
requesting to plan programs, Dr. Ringeisen replied that
requests to plan new programs are still being taken for those
who wish to submit a request, and that ECU has been
assured that General Assembly will examine the requests to
plan.
Ferrell (History) asked about the request from GA to study
productivity. Dr. Ringeisen stated that this occurs each year
at GA. At ECU, we do have some under-enrolled graduate
programs. In addition, Arts & Science majors have been
included in the data; previously, they had been excluded
from these decisions. Legislators want to know what we do,
and they respond by asking and analyzing. An example of
how complicated this becomes is when GA decided ECU
could not count any student in the Distance Learning
programs if they were enrolled on campus
There were no questions posed for Vice Chancellor for
Research, Tom Feldbush or Vice Chancellor Health
Sciences, James Hallock.
D. Brenda Killingsworth, Faculty Assembly Delegate
Professor Killingsworth (Business), presented an overview of
the Faculty Assembly meeting held on 19 February 1999, in
Chapel Hill. Rosenberg (Medicine) shared interest in a
presentation at the Faculty Assembly that centered around
looking at various models such as collegial versus a
managerial model and a teaching/learning model versus a
corporate managerial one.
A copy of the report is available in the Faculty Senate office.
Anyone interested in discussing particular items with the
Faculty Assembly Delegation are encouraged to contact the
following University members: Brenda Killingsworth
(Business), Henry Ferrell (History), Rita Reaves (Industry
and Technology), Alan Rosenberg (Medicine), and Lou
Everett (Nursing).
E. Election of Faculty Officers Nominating Committee
Bill Grossnickle (Psychology), Henry Ferrell (History), Jim
Joyce (Physics), Vivian Mott (Education), and Worth
Worthington (Medicine) were elected by acclamation to
serve on the Faculty Officers Nominating Committee. The
Committee will present its report to the Faculty Senate on
4 May 1999.
Agenda Item IV. Unfinished Business
Jim Joyce (Physics) presented a resolution from the
Department of Physics relating to the new Joyner Library
Loan Policy.
He stated that faculty typically research things that students
may not need, with increased faculty encouragement to
publish and write grants, it seems more feasible to follow the
yearly calendar. Carroll Varner, Director of the Academic
Library Services in Joyner Library, commented on the
growing use of the library with more requests for materials,
stating the most frequent requests the library staff get are
often those materials that faculties have checked out. He
stated that the renewal process had been made easier, with
the development of the new web page. Varner stated that a
faculty member can currently call and extend library loans.
Return renewals work best in January and May instead of at
the end of summer. Rosenberg (Medicine) urged faculty to
review holdings twice each year.
Sargent (Chemistry) shared with the senators a written
statement about his concerns and experiences with Joyner
Library. He cited ECU's greatest assets were its faculty, not
its students or its administrators. Any time a faculty member
has to spend on renewing books is time away from his/her
research. He stated that this policy is such that it does not
ensure faculty will return the books on time. He then
questioned if it was really better for a book to be in the library
where someone might browse it or be in a faculty member's
office where it is being utilized. Such a policy as is now in
place is a hindrance to doing one's job. Other decisions
have been made regarding library policies resulting in
inconveniences without consulting with faculty. Professor
Sargent cited two of these decisions: 1. Bound periodicals
were removed to remote storage without faculty's input.
Those bound periodicals were shelved binding down
resulting in much lost faculty time. 2. Joyner has
purchased 1-12 volumes of a traditional chemistry edition;
however, library staff chose not to purchase the 13th volume
again, without consultation of chemistry faculty, which
resulted in hindering the faculty in chemistry from their
research. Munde (Academic Library Sciences) responded
that the library is purchasing the 13th edition of the chemistry
holding.
Ferrell (History) pointed out when this issue was addressed
three years ago, they took out the Congressional Records,
too. Miller (Philosophy) pointed out how these
inconveniences add up.
Joyce (Physics) who also had chaired the Libraries
Committee for six years, stated that when the initial
resolution was sent forward, no one from the Libraries
Committee contacted the department that originated the
resolution. He further stated that the Committees' response
to the Faculty Senate last month did not address the
problem. Joyce stated that he supported confronting those
who were not honoring library policies, stating he was
actually thrilled when someone wanted a book he had.
Smith (Allied Health Sciences) asked Director Varner for
data on how many graduate students could not get material.
That data was not available.
Following discussion, the proposed resolution requesting a
return in the Joyner Library Loan Policy to the original one-
year loaning period for faculty members was approved as
presented. RESOLUTION #99-1
Agenda Item V. Report of Committees
A. Research/Creative Activity Policies Committee
Bodo Nischan (History), Chair of the Committee, was ill and
unable to attend the meeting and make the Committee's
presentation. This Committee report will be presented at the
March 30, 1999, Faculty Senate meeting. Sexauer (Art)
commented that there were several professional schools that
would not fit into the categories currently listed in the
Committee's report.
B. Unit Code Screening Committee
Bill Grossnickle (Psychology), Chair of the Committee,
presented the proposed revised School of Music's Unit Code
of Operation. There was no discussion and the revised
School of Music's Unit Code of Operation was approved as
presented. RESOLUTION #99-2 (Copy of this code is
available for review in the Faculty Senate office, 140 Rawl
Annex.)
C. University Curriculum Committee
Jim Smith (Business), Chair of the Committee, presented the
curriculum matters contained in the 28 January 1999,
meeting minutes. There was no discussion and the
curriculum matters were approved as presented.
RESOLUTION #99-3 (Copies of these minutes have been
distributed to all units and are available on the Faculty
Senate web page at: http://www.ecu.edu/fsonline/cu.htm.)
Agenda Item VI. New Business
Patricia Anderson (Education), Chair of the Faculty
Governance Committee, presented editorial revisions to
Appendices D and Y of the ECU Faculty Manual regarding
time limits on appeals pursuant to Section 501c(4) of the
UNC Code. Following discussion, the editorial revisions to
Appendices D and Y of the ECU Faculty Manual were
approved as presented. RESOLUTION #99-4 (A copy of
the editorial revisions are available in the Faculty Senate
office. These revisions have been incorporated into the ECU
Faculty Manual located on the Faculty Senate website at:
http://www.ecu.edu/fsonline/contents.htm.)
The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
RESOLUTIONS
#99-1Resolution requesting a return in the Joyner Library
Loan Policy to the original one-year loaning period for faculty
members.
Disposition: Chancellor
#99-2Revised School of Music's Unit Code of Operations.
Disposition: Chancellor
#99-3Curriculum matters contained in the University
Curriculum Committee minutes of 28 January 1999.
Disposition: Chancellor
#99-4Editorial revisions to Appendices D and Y of the ECU
Faculty Manual regarding time limits on appeals pursuant to
Section 501c(4) of the UNC Code. (A copy of the editorial
revisions is available in the Faculty Senate office. These
revisions have been incorporated into the ECU Faculty
Manual located on the Faculty Senate website at:
http://www.ecu.edu/fsonline/contents.htm.)
Disposition: Chancellor
