DAYTON, OHIO

February 23, 2001

KU 310, 3:00 pm

______________________________________________________________________

Presiding: Betty Youngkin

Senators Present: Bartlett, Bartley, Castellano, Conniff, Conte, Cox, Crum, DeConnick, Doyle, Dunne, Eimermacher, Erdei, Geiger, Gerla, Gould, Hary, Ilg, Korte, Massucci, McKenna, Morman, Pedrotti, Saliba, Sargent, Staubauch, Youngkin, Yungblut

Guest: Skill, Walker

______________________________________________________________________

1. Opening Prayer

Fr. Massucci opened the meeting with a devotional moment about the Family of Mary.

2. Roll Call

Twenty-seven of thirty-seven senators were present.

3. Approval of the Minutes

The minutes of January 5, 2001 were approved as written.

4. Announcements

a. The "Policy and Procedures for Courses Listed in Bulletins" was presented to the senate. Deans will consult with chairs concerning the policy of keeping courses in the bulletin if they are not offered.

b. Laura Yungblut has been appointed keeper of Robert’s Rules of Order.

c. Cindy Thomas will be the timekeeper.

d. Brian Conniff has been appointed keeper of the Academic Senate’s Constitution.

e. Jim Dunne and Cindy Thomas will count votes.

f. Nicoletta Hary has been appointed keeper of the budget.

g. Roger Crum has been appointed keeper of levity.

h. Betty Youngkin briefly explained the working of the senate operations and responsibilities of senators.

5. Resolution

The Academic Senate moves that "The Executive Committee of the Academic Senate be placed on the itinerary for interviews of each candidate for President of the University."

It was recommended that senators formulate questions for the ECAS to ask the candidates. It was further suggested that the ECAS inform the Academic Senate as to the questions they will ask the candidates. With those friendly amendments the vote was called.

For: 22 Against: 0 Abstain: 0 The resolution passed.

6. Consultation Procedure for Curriculum Change

A document, passed by the Academic Senate on March 28, 1997, was distributed to remind the senators that if a department curriculum change impacts another department, there must be consultation between the departments. The policy has been sent to all department chairs.

7. Amendment to Constitution of Academic Senate to Provide for Undergraduate Student Senators to be the Same Students Elected by the Student Government Association as Academic Senators - Issue I – 00 – 24, Document 01-01

This amendment to the Academic Senate Constitution provides for the undergraduate students elected as academic senators to SGA be the same students who serve as undergraduate students on the Academic Senate. It changes the election date from the fall semester to the winter semester, and the period of service to start in the fall semester rather than the winter semester. The amendment also provides for a seventh undergraduate senator on the Academic Senate, the SGA Vice-President of Academic Affairs.

A friendly amendment was offered to change the number of senators from thirty-seven to thirty-eight, which would be accurate if this amendment passed. It was accepted.

A clarification on SGA’s election process was asked for. Kat Walker, the present SGA V-P of Academic Affairs, addressed the question.

A vote was called on the proposal with the friendly amendment.

For: 22 Against: 0 Abstain: 0 The proposal passed.

The SAPC will arrange for an open meeting in March so that the faculty may ask questions concerning this amendment to the Academic Senate Constitution. A vote of the entire tenured and tenured-track faculty will then be held in April.

8. Committee Reports

Academic Policies Committee -- Jim Dunne reported for the APC. It is currently involved in the following issues.

a. The General Education and Competency Committee is presently leading a campus-wide review of General Education.

b. The Competency Implementation Subcommittee is in the process of helping to begin the writing and oral communication competencies in the fall of 2001. The quantitative analysis and information literacy competencies will start in the fall of 2002 and 2003, respectively.

c. The Calendar Committee is working to maintain a minimum number of meeting hours per semester. It has also suggested an additional day for faculty to turn in grades at the end of the semester.

d. Obsolete courses in the bulletin are being monitored.

e. New technology systems used by the registrar are being monitored.

f. Computer requirements for students are being monitored.

Student Academic Policies Committee - George Doyle reported for the SAPC.

a. The SAPC will hold open hearings for the amendment to the Academic Senate – see 7 above.

b. The results of a survey of the faculty concerning +/- grades to be added to the present grading scheme were discussed. The faculty favors a +/- grading scheme 65 to 35. The following points were made.

i. A C- grade impacts competency courses

ii. C- should satisfy competency requirements

iii. C- should be added to the Retake Policy

iv. A vote on this issue should take place this semester so that the faculty and registrar will have a full year to adjust to a new system by fall 2002.

v. A +/- system would require students to work at very high levels in all their courses. They will be stressed out. They are likely to work hard on the easy courses to earn the A, and ease up on the more difficult courses.

vi. The survey of the faculty offered only three alternatives. If more alternatives had been offered, the distribution would have been different.

vii. SGA discussed the +/- scheme. They were evenly split between adopting it and staying with the present system.

viii. Was the purpose of a +/- grade scheme to reduce grade inflation? Absolutely not.

ix. The +/- grading scheme is being introduced for two main reasons. First, it is more precise, and second it will motivate students to study.

x. Students will have to study more and have less time for extracurricular activities.

xi. The +/- scheme puts too much emphasis on grades.

xii. Students will learn better time management and quickly adjust to a +/- scheme.

xiii. Students who work harder will be rewarded.

xiv. Faculty members do not have to use the +/- grades.

xv. Should we identify a description of each grade, i.e. A = exceptional, A- = outstanding, B+ = . . . ?

xvi. C- is not quite satisfactory, but not as likely as a D to lower the GPA to the dismissal requirement.

Faculty Affairs Committee – Harry Gerla reported for the FAC. It is currently involved in the following issues:

a. Hearings for the full-time, instructional staff, senate position were held. Nobody came.

b. The possibility of creating a nontenure-track Research Professorship, primarily for UDRI, is being considered.

c. The treatment of nontenure-track instructional staff by the university is being reviewed.

d. The proper use of the Student Assessment of Instruction in evaluation of faculty is being studied.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 pm.