FACULTY SENATE
FULL MINUTES OF 5 SEPTEMBER 2000
The first regular meeting of the 2000-2001 Faculty Senate
was held on Tuesday, 5 September, in the Mendenhall
Student Center, room #244.
Agenda Item I. Call to Order
Bob Morrison, Chair of the Faculty called the meeting to
order at 2:10 p.m.
Agenda Item II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of 18 April 2000, and 2 May 2000, were
approved as distributed.
Agenda Item III. Special Order of the Day
A. Roll Call
Senators absent were: Professors Stanley (Biology),
Schumacher (Economics), Gares (Geography), Ciesielski
(Industry and Technology), Fiordalisi and Wooden
(Medicine), Tranbarger (Nursing), and Vice Chancellor
Hallock (Health Sciences).
Alternates present were: Professors Bjorkman for Sargent
(Chemistry), Albada for Godbold (Communication and
Broadcasting), Jones for Watson (English), Chandler for
Woodard (Human Environmental Sciences), and Phipps for
Clark (Theatre and Dance).
B. Announcements
1. The Chancellor has approved the following resolutions
from 18 April 2000, Faculty Senate meeting:
#00-18 Request to establish a new professional
school within the Division of Academic Affairs.
#00-19 Revisions to the East Carolina University
Faculty Manual, Appendix A and By-Laws.
#00-20 Revisions to the East Carolina University
Faculty Manual, Appendix L.
#00-21 Interpretation to the ECU Faculty Manual,
Appendix D., Section IV.
#00-23 Policy statement regarding commercial
exploitation of classroom materials.
#00-24 Recommendations on the Undergraduate
Distance Education-Student Opinion of
Instruction Survey.
#00-25 Revised Department of Biology and
Department of Theatre and Dance Unit Codes of
Operation.
2. All Faculty Senate materials (agendas, minutes,
announcements) will be distributed via a Faculty
Listserv that was established over the summer. All
materials will be emailed to faculty via the
Microsoft Exchange mail system. Faculty choosing to opt
out of the Faculty Listserv will continue to
be able to access the materials via the Faculty Senate
website. Actual paper copies of the various
documents will only be available in the Faculty Senate
office.
3. Faculty interested in periodically receiving past copies of
"The Chronicle of Higher Education" are
asked to call the Faculty Senate office and place their
name on a list for distribution.
4. Members of the Libraries Committee encourage faculty to
complete the Faculty Library Survey located
on the Faculty Senate website at:
http://www.ecu.edu/fsonline/.
5. Faculty members are reminded of the granting proposal
deadlines as follows:
Research grants by 12:00 noon
Friday, 15 September 2000 Faculty Senate office
Teaching grants by 12:00 noon
Monday, 2 October 2000 Faculty Senate office
6. The ECU Board of Trustees will meet on Friday, 22
September 2000, at 9:00 a.m. in the
Mendenhall Student Center. All faculty are invited to
attend the open meeting.
7. Faculty members are reminded of the 15 September
2000, deadline for submission of nominations for
the three University-wide Teaching Awards. The winners
of these awards will be recognized in the
spring.
8. The Teaching Grants Committee is offering informational
sessions to assist faculty members interested in applying
for a 2001/2002 Teaching Grant. The informational
sessions are scheduled for:
Thursday, 14 September 2000, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00
a.m. in Rawl, room 105
Friday, 15 September 2000, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in
Rawl, room 105
C. Richard Eakin, Chancellor
Chancellor Eakin discussed the lower than projected
enrollment for this fall. The actual enrollment is 17,850,
several hundred less than the anticipated enrollment of
18,500. Some of the decline occurred because some
graduate students did not enroll. The decline in enrollment
was primarily attributable to the new retention standards.
Most of the students who did not return because of the new
retention standards would probably have been suspended at
some later time even without the new standards. This
decline should be viewed as a temporary blip, which should
even out with time. The decline in enrollment may have
come at a bad time because of the November bond
referendum. It may weaken the argument that expansion is
needed. However, this temporary decline does not change
North Carolina demographics, which project an increase of
thousands of new students in coming years. A recent
national study affirms that ECU's projections of enrollment
increases are well founded, and that the enrollment may be
even higher than currently anticipated. He stated that
November 7 represented a critical turning point for the
University. Faculty should discuss the upcoming bond
referendum in local terms. The bond would mean 190 million
dollars for new projects and new buildings, including a new
Nursing building and a new Science and Technology
building.
Rosenberg (Faculty Assembly) asked if the enrollment
decline will affect ECU's budget. Chancellor Eakin said it
would not have any effect this year. However, faculty
searches next year could be affected. That will depend on
discussions between ECU and General Administration, and
nothing is certain in that regard.
Schneider (Business) asked if a detailed analysis has been
conducted on those students who did not return for fall
semester. The Chancellor stated that the analysis is ongoing
and is not complete. The analysis is very detailed, but that it
is pretty clear that lack of success in the classroom was the
key factor. Ken Wilson is in the process of conducting a
telephone survey rather than a paper and pen survey to
discover reasons for students not returning. It is not known if
last year's flood was a factor.
D. Phil Dixon, Chairman of the ECU Board of Trustees
Mr. Dixon discussed the Chancellor search. President Broad
has stated that we have an advantage by having begun the
search early. We may be able to name a new Chancellor by
January, February, or March of 2001. A search consulting
firm has been hired. Seven consulting firms were reviewed;
the list was narrowed to three. The consultant who was hired
is an East Carolina University graduate from Kinston. Better
faculty representation was a factor in selecting the search
committee. The President stressed the importance of having
a small search committee. The committee consists of 15
members, including four faculty members and one staff
person. The first meeting was held with Ben Irons, University
Attorney, and six public forums were held. To date, 91
applications have been received and the advertisement has
not appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The
advertisement should appear in the Chronicle around
September 22. Ten sitting chancellors are included in the
current pool. The search committee will meet again in
October. Three names will be submitted to President Broad
and General Administration. Finalists should be announced
by December 31. Dixon stated that confidentiality is of the
utmost concern. He expressed thanks to Phyllis Horn
(Nursing) for working with the committee.
E. Richard Ringeisen, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Vice Chancellor Ringeisen spoke of his faculty forums, and
his willingness to attend constituent faculty meetings by
invitation. The Honors program is growing. The Vice
Chancellor said that Mike Bassman is doing lots of good
things with the program. A full time assistant has been hired
for the program. The plan is to establish an honors college.
Thirty undergraduate student stipends are available for
faculty to would like for a student to assist them in research.
310 freshmen are in the honors program.
The Vice Chancellor encouraged Senators to remind
colleagues of the Teacher/Scholar awards. A new
multimedia center has been established in Joyner. CITAR,
the Center for Institutional Technology and Research, has
been established with Helen Parke as director. There are
two faculty task forces at work. One is looking at faculty roles
and rewards, and is being chaired by Rosina Chia. The other
is on fixed-term faculty and is being chaired by Jim Joyce.
The work of this task force is intersecting with that of the
Governance Committee.
F. Brenda Killingsworth, Director of the SACS Self-Study,
Professor Killingsworth provided an update and information
for new Senators. The current SACS group was established
early last fall. The self-study started work in February. Worth
Worthington (Medicine) is assistant director of SACS study.
The SACS group reviewed five primary areas of study; 150
people are working in these 5 areas. A progress report will
be sent in December, a draft will be sent in late March, and a
final draft will be sent to SACS in November 2001. Open
forums will be held so that input can be received. A new self-
study website will soon be operational, and it will
accommodate online discussion forums. The self-study
office will be located in the Taylor-Slaughter house.
G. Mike Hamrick, Director of the University Athletics
Mr. Hamrick stated that there are 414 student athletes
enrolled at ECU. As of last spring, the average cumulative
GPA for all athletes was 2.83. Five of the 19 teams averaged
3.0 or better. Athletes performed over 2000 hours of
voluntary community service last year. Of all incoming
freshmen who have played out their eligibility, 89% have
graduated. The four-year graduation rate is 62%. The
football team received outstanding spirit award from ESPN
after last year's game against Miami. The women's softball
team had 60 wins last year; the women's basketball team
had its second consecutive winning season; the baseball
team won 46 games, and was 1st regional seed in the NCAA
tournament. There will be five nationally televised football
games. This is the last year in the Colonial Athletic
Association; next year ECU will move to Conference USA.
Hamrick expressed thanks to Chancellor Eakin for his
support over the past several years.
Ferrell (Faculty Assembly) asked if the new retention
standards had affected the athletic program. Hamrick said
that one student was lost, and that the retention standards
had challenged the students to work harder.
H. Trenton Davis, Chair of the University Athletic Committee
and Academic Integrity Subcommittee,
Professor Davis reported on his job description (distributed
to Senators) which has recently been written in concert with
the Chancellor. There was no time limit placed on the term of
service, but a three-year limit will be added to the
description. Professor Davis stated that a policy will be
established with respect to fringe benefits for the position.
I. Peter Mather, Director of Research, Assessment and
Testing,
Dr. Mather presented the preliminary results of a study of
student attitudes on diversity issues. The results will soon be
available on an ECU website. Rosenberg (Faculty
Assembly) asked if the responses were broken down by
state. McMillian (Medicine) asked how ECU compared to
other schools in and out of state. There is comparable data
on some things, but not every item. Nida (Human
Environmental Sciences) asked if the instrument enabled
them to delineate accuracy of discrimination responses. He
stated that such information needed to be teased out before
any other action is taken. Albright (Allied Health) asked if
student perceptions change over time as they stay at ECU.
Mather replied that they seemed to change.
Agenda Item IV. Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business to come before the
Faculty Senate at this time.
Agenda Item V. Report of Committees
A. Committee on Committees
Henry Ferrell (History), presented Professor Linda Allred
(Psychology) as the Committee's nominee to fill the
unexpired two year term on the UNC Faculty Assembly. No
additional nominations were offered from the floor and
Professor Allred was elected by acclamation.
Agenda Item VI. New Business
Mark Jones (Social Work and Criminal Justice Studies)
Secretary of the Faculty, offered a commendation for
Professor Brenda Killingsworth, Past Chair of the Faculty.
Patricia Anderson (Education) Parliamentarian read the
commendation as follows:
WHEREAS, Professor Brenda Killingsworth has served
with distinction as Chair of the Faculty for the 1998-1999
and 1999-2000 academic years; and WHEREAS,
Professor Killingsworth has dedicated her time and much
effort to activities that benefit all faculty at East Carolina
University, serving as a stalwart steward for upholding
the principles of academic freedom and shared faculty
governance; and WHEREAS, Professor Killingsworth has
served and continues to serve as Chair of the SACS Self-
Study Committee; and WHEREAS, Professor
Killingsworth presided over the faculty and was a leader
during the adoption of the revised University Academic
Retention Standards and the establishment of the new
School of Computer Science and Communication; and
WHEREAS, during the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 terms,
the Faculty Senate adopted 68 resolutions, including
revisions to Part I, Part V, Part VI, Appendix A, Appendix
C, Appendix D (editorial), Appendix L, and Appendix Y of
the ECU Faculty Manual, resolutions on the Policy for the
Cumulative Review of Permanently Tenured Faculty,
Quality Assurance Standards for Undergraduate Courses
Offered via Distance Education at ECU, Capital Funding
and Faculty Salaries, as well as various Committee
reports too numerous to list, and WHEREAS, Professor
Killingsworth helped foster an atmosphere of trust and
collegiality between the Faculty Senate and the
administration of East Carolina University; and
WHEREAS, Professor Killingsworth offered valuable
input into administrative decisions at East Carolina
University during her tenure as Chair of the Faculty.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Professor Brenda
Killingsworth has served the faculty of East Carolina
University extremely well during her tenure as Chair of
the Faculty, setting high standards for future Chairs of the
Faculty to remain vigilant on important matters relating to
the welfare of faculty. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that due to Professor Brenda Killingsworth's hard work
and dedication to faculty, faculty at East Carolina
University feel confident that their concerns and issues
were well represented to interested parties within the
University Administration, ECU Board of Trustees, UNC
Faculty Assembly, and UNC General Administration. BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Faculty Senate
commends Professor Brenda Killingsworth for her
outstanding leadership, professionalism, and energetic
efforts during her tenure as Chair of the Faculty of East
Carolina University.
The commendation for Brenda Killingsworth, Past Chair of
the Faculty, was approved without dissention.
RESOLUTION #00-26
There being no further business to come before the Faculty
Senate at this time, the meeting adjourned
at 4:00 p.m.
