CNU Faculty Senate Minutes

16 October 2009

Board Room, David Student Union

Senators Present: Adamitis, Brash (arrives 3:05pm), Brunke, Carlson, Duskin, Filetti,

Frucot, Kennedy, Mollick (arrives 4:02pm), Puaca (arrives 3:57pm),

Rahim (arrives 3:53pm), Underwood, Velkey, Von Burg

Senators Absent: Lewis

I. The meeting was called to order at 3:03 pm

II. The Senate acknowledged electronic approval of the September 18 minutes

III. The report from Vice President Bill Brauer has been rescheduled.

IV. President’s Report See the attached report. A summary of the Senate’s discussion of specific items on the report follows:

A. Provost’s Work Group on the Electronic Dossier: As noted in the President’s Report, both chairs of this Work Group are from SS because that college is currently testing Digital Measures, which is a web-based software program that allows faculty to track accomplishments in teaching, research and service electronically. The Senate recommended that the Work Group also include faculty from A&H and NBS, since faculty in all three colleges would use the software if the university decides to replace the paper dossier with an electronic one. The Senate also recommended that the Group consider current university contractual obligations with Digital Measures and investigate multiple software programs, if possible.

B. Office of International Programs (OIP): The Senate fully supports the suggestion that the administration consider re-staffing the OIP and placing it under the purview of the Provost’s Office when the budget situation improves. The Senate also noted that other state schools of higher education in Virginia house their OIPs on the academic side of the university.

V. Committee Reports

A. Faculty Senate Goals

1. Objective 1: Hiring and Retention (Lewis-Chair)

a) Senator Filetti provided this handout on the 09-10 mentoring program.
Discussion: Because of the current budget situation, most new and replacement positions over the next few years will be restricted. When the budget improves, the university will increase the number of tenure-track positions, and it is likely that at least some faculty on restricted contracts will apply for and subsequently be appointed to these new positions. If a mentoring committee is formed, the Senate requests that the committee provide mentoring to restricted faculty if it would facilitate these transitions from restricted to tenure-track appointments.

2. Objective 2: Teaching, Scholarship and Service (Kennedy-Chair)

a) Senator Kennedy provided this handout containing a rough draft of a proposal for a Center for Teaching Excellence.
Discussion: The Subcommittee pointed out that whereas Teaching Centers at other universities tend to focus on technology, CNU’s Teaching Center would focus on pedagogy, which is consistent with the University’s educational mission. Ideally the Center would serve as a resource center for information on current best practices, organize working groups and seminars that address pedagogical issues, and provide guidance on obtaining educational grants.

3. Objective 3: Standards and Practices (Velkey, Puaca-CoChairs)

a) Child-Care: The committee has gathered information on child-care facilities in the Hampton Roads area.

b) Faculty Recognition: The committee will meet with University Architect Hunter Bristow in the near future to discuss the location of a possible plaque that recognizes outstanding faculty members.

c) Student Research: The University will sponsor workshops on engaged learning beyond the classroom in Spring 2010. The UGRC has been asked to consider additional ways of promoting student research beyond Paideia. The new Center for Student Research is in the initial stages of development.

B. Reports from A&H, NBS, and SS Chairs

1. A&H (Filetti): The following items have received attention at the chairs’ meetings this semester:

a) Mandatory advising and the use of alternate pins have been strongly encouraged.

b) The average faculty rating on Annual Reviews has been “re-normed” to 3.0.

c) Grant Applications: Every A&H faculty member should apply for external funding (at least one grant every other year).

d) Curriculum Review: Chairs and the department’s curriculum point person will be meeting with Dean Breese to examine departmental curriculum and make sure it aligns with the best liberal arts schools’ curricula.

e) Formation of the A&H Curriculum Committee: Each department will appoint a representative to serve on this committee.  It will review all pertinent curricular matters and make recommendations for all curricular changes brought before the College.

f) Institution of DOSSIER (Deans Office Support Source for Innovative & Emerging Research): This program will support course releases and funding for research within the College.

g) McMurran Move-In: A&H has received the moving schedule, a list of the furniture that will be in individual faculty offices, the department office and the chair’s office, and some information on classroom technology.

2. NBS (Brash): Report withdrawn.

3. SS (Kidd):

a) The College has created a curriculum committee, which is up and running.

b) The School of Business is working on accreditation and as a part of that endeavor is piloting the Digital Measures program.

c) The College is creating study abroad relationships in The Netherlands (Maastricht University) and developing another one in France. The SS Dean feels strongly about these study abroad programs.

Discussion:

The Chairs’ reports generated substantial discussion of the policies, procedures, and evaluation criteria currently employed to assess faculty on the Annual Review and the recent emphasis on grant writing. Individual Senators expressed a variety of concerns. As a first step in addressing these concerns, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will meet with the Deans to hear their perspectives on the AR and grants.

VI. Old Business

A. Post-Tenure Review Committee: Senator Duskin agreed to serve as Chair. Senators Underwood and Mollick had already volunteered for this committee at the August Senate meeting, and President Carlson will ask Prof. Ken Rose and Prof. Ronnie Cohen to serve as well.
Discussion: The sense of the Senate is that post-tenure review should serve as a means for facilitating faculty success. The Senate recommends that the committee identify and assess the current practices regarding post-tenure review and develop performance standards for future reviews.

VII. New Business

A. Course Load Reductions for Faculty Senate President and Secretary
A two-course reduction per annum is permitted for the Faculty Senate President and a one-course reduction per annum for the Faculty Senate Secretary. When the course load was 4-4, the President’s load was 3-3 and the Secretary’s load was 4-3. There is some question about how these course load reductions translate to the new 4-3 faculty load. Specifically, does the university-wide one-course reduction count against the President’s and Secretary’s course load reductions, so that the President would now have a one-course reduction (= a 3-3 load) and the Secretary would have no reduction (= a 4-3 load). The Senate will make recommendations regarding this matter in the spring.

VIII. Other

A. Faculty Development Grants: The FDG Subcommittee should review and revise the application and evaluation forms in the spring.

The meeting adjourned at 4:47 pm.