[Approved April 19, 2007]

Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate

April 12, 2007

St. Mary’s 113 B; 12:00 AM

Present: D. Biers (presiding), D. Courte, G. DeMarco, P. Johnson, M. Lofton, M. Morton, J. O’Gorman, R. Penno, F. Pestello, A. Seielstad, R. Wells

J. Farrelly (Faculty Board)

Roll Call:

Eleven of the twelve members of the Committee were present.

Prayer and Welcome:

D. Biers opened the meeting with a prayer.

Approval of Minutes:

March 29, 2007 were approved.

New Business:

• D. Biers has consulted with J. Untener to identify any senators who may be on leave next year or who may be leaving the University. Youssef Rafoul will serve a one year term as a natural science representative to complete a term for a representative who has resigned. There will be need for a one-year replacement in both education and natural sciences because of sabbatical leaves. D. Biers will contact those next in line to serve. Senate elections for the Executive Committee will take place at the April 20 meeting. New Senators will be asked to attend the meeting. We will need to elect representatives to the Executive Committee from social sciences, engineering, and education. In addition, we need to elect one-year replacements in the areas of natural sciences and deans. D. Biers will consult with J. Owen in the Provost Office about gathering information from the members of the new Academic Senate so that proposed membership of sub-committees can be developed at the Executive committee meeting on April 19.
• The Executive Committee reviewed the most recent draft of the University Promotion and Tenure Policy document. A few final changes were made and the action and reference were finalized. The document will be posted on the Senate website on April 13. There will be no changes made to the document between that posting and the meeting of the Academic Senate on April 20. A vote will be taken at the April meeting. Amendments can be made at that meeting. If the document is approved at the April 20 meeting, open hearings will need to be conducted in the Fall of 2007 and a vote of the tenured and tenure-track faculty will need to take place. It was agreed that consultation will take place with the Board of Trustees about whether or not a post-tenure review policy needs to be in place before the promotion and tenure policy can become effective.
• The Academic Calendar for 2008-2009 was discussed. The calendar is already approved. The calendar includes the movement of Christmas on Campus to a Friday (December 12, 2008). It also includes Saturday examinations for both semesters. Concern was expressed that while the Academic Policies Committee was consulted, the Executive Committee was seeing the calendar for the first time. There is a need to be sure that communication and consultative processes are clear for the operation of the Academic Senate. It was noted that it is important that subcommittees write and share minutes of their meetings. Getting quorums at meetings seems to be a problem. It could be decided that a quorum is constituted by the members present.

Agenda for the April 20 meeting of the Academic Senate:

• Doc I-10-06 Tenure and Promotion Policy
• Standing Committee Reports—these should be summary reports of the work of the year and should be submitted electronically to P. Johnson for inclusion in the minutes of the April 20 meeting.
• Convening of the new Academic Senate with election of representatives to the Executive Committee and of the officers of the Academic Senate. Subcommittees will also be organized

Old Business:

• J. O’Gorman will present a report on the status of work on University committees at the April 19 meeting of the Executive committee.

Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 1:20 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Patricia A. Johnson, Secretary