Minutes of September 19, 2002 Meeting
MSC Faculty Senate

SENATORS: Sherri Arosteguy, Barbara Borst, Michael Gizzi, Phil Kavanagh, Steve Murray, Doug O’Roark, Jim Buckley, Cindy Thomas, Russ Walker, Carrie McVean Waring, Mary Zimmerer.

GUESTS: Sam Gingerich, Myra Heinrich, Gary Looft, Anne Spalding, Hasson Tavossi.

Doug O'Roark (Senate President) opened the meeting at 3:30.

I. Announcements

The Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on Higher Education will be here at Mesa on October 1.

Base funding for the state colleges will be discussed at the CCHE meeting in Alamosa on October 3. Doug O'Roark will attend the meeting.

Mesa has nominated 61 courses for the general education state-wide common core. It was noted that Adams nominated only 15 courses, while Western nominated 41.

The Faculty Development Conference sponsored by the state colleges is next week. There are 82 faculty planning to attend.

Carrie Waring (Senate Vice President) distributed the latest rosters for the various committees.

The Senate will discuss how class sizes are determined at its October 17 meeting.

II. Meeting Minutes

A motion was made to approve the Graduate Council minutes of April 23, 2002 (Zimmerer/ Thomas). The motion passed.

A motion was made to approve the Curriculum Committee minutes of April 11, 2002 (Walker/ Gizzi). The motion passed.

A motion was made to approve the Faculty Senate minutes of May 2, 2002 (Zimmerer/Thomas). The motion passed.

A motion was made to approve the Faculty Senate minutes of September 5, 2002 (Gizzi/ Kavanagh). The motion passed.

A motion was made to both receive and approve the Graduate Council minutes of August 27, 2002 (Gizzi/ Buckley). The motion passed.

III. Assessment Committee

Myra Heinrich (Assessment Coordinator) proposed that the Assessment Committee membership be changed to one representative from each department instead of two people from each school. This change would allow broader participation in work that is especially important. The Senate discussed whether to continue to have a position on the committee for a community member. It was noted that the participation of a community member would add credibility to the committee's work. A motion was made that the committee have one representative from each department plus a community member (Gizzi/Zimmerer). The motion passed.

IV. Ombudsman

Doug O'Roark reported that there is some degree of faculty interest in having an ombudsman who would mediate or facilitate communication among disagreeing parties. He distributed a proposal that further describes the purpose and functions of the ombudsman. Discussion centered on how well this function was already covered by the department chairs and Faculty Senate president, and the qualifications needed for the position. Doug asked the senators to solicit opinions from their departments.

V. FACT Report

The Faculty Advisory Council to the Trustees (FACT) met with the Trustees on September 13 in Alamosa. Mike Gizzi (FACT representative) reported that governance options for the three state colleges were discussed along with the possibility of a pay raise in October. There was a mixed response from the Trustees regarding the raise.

The Trustees passed a resolution rescinding their June 2002 resolution to support the continuance of the state college system. There was no public discussion of the new resolution.

Ed Crowther (from Adams State College, but working temporarily as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Office of State Colleges) is drafting a policy on appeal of adverse tenure decisions by the Trustees.

The Senate spent the rest of its meeting in Executive Session.

A motion was made at 5:00 pm to adjourn (Gizzi/Thomas). The motion passed.