[Approved February 13, 2008]

Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate

February 6, 2008

St. Mary’s 113 B; 12:00 PM

Present: D. Biers (presiding), A. Fist, P. Johnson, R. Kearns, L. Laubach, J. O’Gorman, R. Penno, A. Seielstad, T. Stevens, R. Wells

J. Farrelly (Faculty Board)

Roll Call:

Ten members of the Committee were present.

Prayer:

The meeting opened with T. Stevens reading Walt Whitman’s poem “Reconciliation.”

Approval of Minutes:

January 30, 2008 approved.

Announcements:

• D. Biers indicated that he will need to leave the February 8 meeting of the Academic Senate by 4:00 PM. If the meeting runs beyond that time, the Vice-President will preside and coordinate a report from the Executive Committee.

Old Business

• J. O’Gorman and R. Penno reported for the Academic Policies Committee. They indicated that D. Pair had attended the last meeting and provided the standing committee with a report on the work of the sub-committee on a Common Academic Program (CAP). That sub-committee is now meeting regularly and reports considerable progress. O’Gorman and Penno reported that they had reminded APCAS of the request of the Executive Committee that the materials being accumulated and used as background information by CAP be provided to the University community. Members of APCAS asked for further rationale for this request. The Executive Committee discussed this request and reviewed Senate Document 82-7 which sets out the processes for handling documents. After discussion, the following motion was moved (J. O’Gorman) and seconded (A. Fist):

With a desire for openness, the ECAS requests that APC and its subcommittee, the CAP subcommittee, make available to the campus community the entire library that CAP has accumulated, and will continue to accumulate, over its tenure. We make this request in the Marianist spirit of involvement and community. It is understood that those visiting this site will do so in a spirit of engagement and shared discovery and in anticipation of the Fall 2008 discussions that will follow the CAP final report.

Vote on the motion was 8 yes, 1 no, and no abstentions.

• Because of time constraints, reports from the other standing committees were not given.

New Business:

• A. Fist presented the materials on the Honor Code that had been distributed to the Executive Committee. He noted that the materials contained three sections. The first section includes what is being proposed for inclusion in the Student Handbook to replace all current policy statements. The second section presents the current Student Handbook statement on academic dishonesty. The third section includes materials about an Honor Board generated by the 2007 SAPCAS. The proposal is to finalize the first section for consideration by the Academic Senate before the end of this academic year. SAPCAS would appreciate response from members of the Executive Committee on where to place such a policy, on the use of a pledge, and on the proposal to separate consideration of the Honor Code from any consideration of an Honor Board. It was suggested that the appropriate persons in the various deans’ offices might be asked to review the draft. Fist noted that if the Code can be finalized this year, it could be promulgated by means of the Peer Academic Leaders in the Fall.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Patricia A. Johnson, Secretary