FACULTY SENATE

FULL MINUTES OF 7 SEPTEMBER 1999

 

The first regular meeting of the 1999-2000 Faculty

Senate was held on Tuesday, 7 September 1999, in

the Mendenhall Student Center Great Room.

 

Agenda Item I.  Call to Order

Bob Morrison, Faculty Vice Chair called the

meeting to order at 2:10 p.m.

 

Agenda Item II.  Approval of Minutes

The minutes of 27 April 1999, and 4 May 1999,

were approved as distributed.

 

Agenda Item III.  Special Order of the Day

A.    Roll Call

Senators absent were: Professors Killingsworth (

Chair), Gares (Geography), Bauer (English), Mott

(Education), Cali (Education), Mustafa (Medicine),

Shea (HESC), Clark (Theatre Arts)

 

Alternates present were: Professors Griffin (Education)

for Joyner

 

B. Announcements

Attached

Faculty Vice-Chair Bob Morrison substituted for

Faculty Chair Killingsworth.  It was announced that

Professor Killingsworth gave birth to a daughter,

Sarah Killingsworth Kleckley, on August 31. 

Lori Lee, Faculty Senate Office Administrator,

gave birth to a son, Palmer London Lee, on August 24.

 

C. Richard Eakin, Chancellor, offered congratulations

to Professor Killlingsworth and Lori Lee on the birth of

their children.  The Chancellor discussed the construction

of the forthcoming Science and Technology building, and how

certain traffic areas will need to be blocked off in

anticipation of the building's construction, which will

save 7-8 months in completion time for the building.  The

Campaign for ECU scholars is going well.  A formal announcement

of the program's implementation will be made on September 24. 

The original target of 12 million dollars support funds for the

program has been revised to 15 million dollars, with 6 million

already received.  A faculty committee will solicit further support

for the program without administrative guidance.  The SACS

self-study is under way.  The October 1 deadline for submission

of a proposal should be met easily.  Chancellor Eakin envisions

a much better process and product through the alternate SACS

study plan.  The Chancellor announced the hiring of a new

Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Garie Moore.  Taffye B.

Clayton has assumed the duty of EEOC officer.  Chancellor

Eakin held a joint meeting in Charlotte on September 3 with

the Chancellor of West Virginia University and numerous high

school guidance counselors.  The Chancellor announced a new

program for early admission to the ECU medical school, and the

physical and occupational therapy programs, which should boost

recruitment efforts for those programs.  Some students will be

admitted as program alternates.  The Chancellor expressed his

thanks to the faculty members who have helped with the program. 

Ernie Schwarz Chair of the University Athletic Committee and

Academic Integrity Subcommittee is retiring at the end of

1999-2000 academic year after 33 years of service.  Schneider

(Business) asked the Chancellor about dormitory space or special

areas on campus being set-aside for honor students.  Chancellor

Eakin stated that Fleming Hall is being used for that purpose

but that effort in that area will be bolstered.

 

D. Richard Ringeisen, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs,

stated that he is in the process of meeting with all University

committees to provide encouragement, and is having informal

discussion sessions with faculty members.  Dr. Ringeisen

addressed several questions that have arisen in the course

of these meeting.  The large freshman class and plans to

accommodate growth in student enrollment are two issues of

concern.  The Vice Chancellor pledged that the quality of

students would be maintained and enhanced. He also addressed

the need of getting more high school guidance counselors to

visit ECU.  Dr. Ringeisen reminded the Senate that North

Carolina is a formula funded state, that as the number of

students increased, so should the number of faculty.  Plans

are still ongoing with respect to the creation of a school of

Information Technology.  A search has begun for a permanent

Dean of the School of Human Environmental Science.  A search

as begun for a Director for Enrollment Management.  Dr.

Ringeisen stated that he plans to meet with smaller faculty

groups throughout the year.  Friend (Industry and Technology)

asked the Vice Chancellor to elaborate on the early admissions

program.  Dr. Ringeisen stated that he would look for

other places to provide such programs like the ones begun

in medicine, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. 

He encouraged curriculum committees, particularly for

graduate programs to look for such opportunities.

 

E. Robert Thompson, SACS Self-Study Steering Committee

Member, gave an update.  The SACS self-study membership

list that was provided to the Senators should also include

Rita Reaves (Industry and Technology) who has agreed to

serve on the Steering Committee.  The Committee has

received input from the Board of Trustees, a faculty

group, the staff forum, and the SGA.  Issues that have

arisen include the multiple kinds of change facing ECU,

including having more graduate programs with more

research, the change to Doctoral II status, the funding

formula, information technology issues, distance education

and enrollment growth.  Self-study titles are being

explored around these themes.  The Steering Committee

is meeting each Wednesday.  Tilley (History) stated

the self-study model used previously aided in the

review/accreditation process of various departments. 

He asked if the alternate model now being used would

satisfy these requirements, eliminating the need for

additional self-study within these disciplines.  Dr.

Thompson stated that since the alternate self-study

goes in one direction, further self-studies within

various academic disciplines might still be needed.

 

F. Mike Hamrick, Director of the University Athletics,

provided an update on student athlete academic performance. 

Of 407 recruits, 260 had a 3.0 GPA or higher either

last fall; 36% last spring had a 3.0 GPA of higher. 

Student athletes performed 2800 hours of volunteered

community service work last year.  Mr. Hamrick directed

special attention to the speaker's bureau, in which 400

hours has been devoted by student athletes giving

speeches at elementary schools.  ECU had 2 GTE academic

all Americans, one from softball, one from baseball,

both of whom were business majors.  ECU has a new

basketball coach, Bill Herrion.  The softball team

won 50 games, and went to the NCAA tournament; the

baseball team was ranked 25th in nation.  Athletic

facilities are being upgraded, including the football

stadium.  A new strength and conditioning facility is

being developed.  Schneider (Business) asked about the

new multipurpose room and usage by departments other

than athletics.  Mr. Hamrick stated that an auditorium

that holds 500-600 people would be available for use by

other University departments.  Sexauer (Past Chair)

asked about the availability of athletic facilities

for non-athletic groups.  Chancellor Eakin stated

that the university will make the new facility available

for other groups' use, and that the new club seating

area of the football stadium may be used for more than

just home football games.  Mr. Hamrick stated that the

Faculty Senate might like to meet in the club area to

view the facility.  Rosenberg (Medicine) asked about

advancing educational opportunities for athletes.  Mr.

Hamrick stated that of 19 seniors on last year's

football team, 18 should graduate this fall or spring. 

He discussed the student development and mentoring

program that helps athletes, particularly incoming

freshmen.  In response to another question from Dr.

Rosenberg (Medicine), Mr. Hamrick announced that a

new smoking policy will go into effect this season. 

No smoking will be allowed in the seats at Dowdy-

Ficklen Stadium, only at designated areas under the

Stadium.  Ferrell (History) spoke of the importance

of a winning football team in recruiting students.

 

G. Ernie Schwarz, Chair of the University Athletic

Committee and Academic Integrity Subcommittee, stated

that his committee continues to monitor the progress

of student athletes working toward their degrees. 

He announced new committee members, and mentioned

meetings he has attended in the past year.  He

reminded the Senate of his role as a faculty member,

not as a representative of athletics.  Allred

(Psychology) led the Senate in a round of applause

for Professor Schwarz who is retiring at the end of

this academic year. 

 

H.    Diana Henshaw, Director of Continuing

Education and Summer School, provided general

information on summer school.  She stated that

perceptions of summer school have experienced

positive change over the years.  ECU has the

second largest summer school enrollment in the

UNC system.  Most ECU summer school students are

continuing rather than visiting students.  The

average enrollments over 1996-1998 constituted

52,700 credit hours each summer.  Last summer,

students registered for 45,823 credit hours and

49,627 total hours, and 11,019 total enrollments,

down 2% from 1998.  The General Administration

has changed the way summer school tuition is

calculated, pricing by credit hour, meaning that

it is often not financially advantageous to take

additional labs or 1-hour credit courses in summer. 

This may have accounted for the 2% decline. 

The average class sizes for summer were 10 and

15 undergraduate and graduate courses, respectively. 

The faculty salary cap has increased three times

in recent years, now capped at $4000 for a three-

hour course.  Professor Henshaw stated that there

are no guaranteed teaching positions in summer

school, which is mentioned in the Faculty Manual. 

Dr. Henshaw stated that accolades have been received

for the math anxiety, intensive chemistry, and

intensive foreign language programs for improving

retention and that students have praised these programs.

 Rosenberg (Medicine) asked if there was a significant

 difference between the two summer sessions, and about

online summer courses.  Professor Henshaw stated that

the first session is traditionally more populated,

 but that the difference is shrinking, dependant in part

 on individual units.  There were 2000 students in 100

 courses on Blackboard this summer, with 83 faculty

involved.   Nineteen other faculty members have expressed

 interest in distance formats for summer courses.

 Ferell (Faculty Assembly) expressed concern about

 faculty losing classes in summer, especially those

who make a commitment to teach and do not get paid

because the class fails to make.  Professor Ferrell

 stated that the SACS study should look at the problem.

 He also stated that not all students have a favorable

opinion about summer school.  Professor Ferrell stated

 that the "volunteer concept" currently employed should

 result in compensation for those teachers who lose courses.

  Professor Henshaw stated that the goal is not to cancel

class, except in cases of low enrollment.  She stated that

 care should be taken within individual units to predict

 how many courses will be needed.  The 1999 summer school

cancellation rate for ECU was 1% for 1200 sections, compared

 to 4.5% at North Carolina State University.  Tilley

 (History) stated that Human Resources does not give

 answers to questions about pay in advance of summer,

 and asked if there were some way faculty members could

 know in advance how much they will be paid for teaching

 summer.  Professor Henshaw stated that she would bring

the matter to the attention of the budget office.

 

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

There were no committee reports.

 

Agenda Item VI.  New Business

There being no further business to come before

the Faculty Senate at this time, the meeting adjourned

 at 3:37 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Mark Jones

Secretary of the Faculty                                   

School of Social Work and Criminal Justice Studies