Minutes of November 7, 2002 Meeting
MSC Faculty Senate

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

GUESTS: Morris Brown, Jill Cordova, Matt Dahl, Sam Gingerich, Connie Grotepas, Gary Looft, Jerry Moorman, John Rogers, Sarah Swedberg, Hasson Tavossi, Richard Vail, Brenda Wilhelm.

The meeting was convened at 3:30 by Senate President Doug O'Roark.

I. Announcements

Mike Gizzi (FACT representative) reported on the October meeting of the Trustees. The state colleges' lobbyist was let go, and a contract lobbyist will be hired for the upcoming legislative session. The central office will no longer be administering the defined contribution pension plan (DCPP). The individual campuses will take on this responsibility. Mesa's concept paper for an International Studies major was approved and forwarded to the CCHE for consideration at that level.

Doug reported on the activities of the external team that is guiding the draft legislation for a new governing board. There is interest among team members in an alliance with the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, or University of Northern Colorado. The team will be meeting with the presidents of those institutions on November 19. The team is mixed on the question of voting status for the faculty trustee. The team will be meeting again to resolve this issue.

John Taylor from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association will be here on November 14 to learn more about Mesa and talk with Mesa's reaccreditation team and faculty in general. Doug asked the senators to encourage their faculty to attend the all-campus meeting. He also asked the senators to review the current draft of Chapters 1 and 2 of the self-study and provide comments to him in January.

Doug distributed a memo from Sam Gingerich (Vice President, Academic Affairs) about the distinguished faculty awards. The senators will consider this memo along with earlier discussions when the Senate revisits the award process.

II. Meeting minutes

A motion was made to receive the September 26 Curriculum Committee minutes (Buckley/ Zimmerer). The motion passed.

A motion was made to receive the October 8 Graduate Council minutes (Kavanagh/Zimmerer). The motion passed.

A motion was made to approve the October 17 Faculty Senate minutes (Gizzi/Thomas). The motion passed.

III. Assessment Committee (addition to agenda)

Doug distributed a proposal from Myra Heinrich (Chair, Assessment Committee) to make a minor revision to the Handbook description of the Assessment Committee. A motion was made to approve the revised description (Kavanagh/Thomas). The motion passed.

IV. Sport and Fitness Management Concentration

The Senate discussed a Sport and Fitness Management Concentration that was approved by the Curriculum Committee in its September 26 meeting. Concerns were voiced as to whether other programs were properly consulted about the proposal. The concentration included new courses related to other disciplines that would be taught by Human Performance and Wellness (HPW) faculty. Steve Murray reported that HPW faculty met with other faculty in the School of Professional Studies and resolved questions and differences. He distributed a handout describing specific changes to the concentration that resulted from this meeting.

A question was raised about the wisdom of HPW hiring a new person to teach the new courses during a time of tight budgets. HPW faculty members pointed out that the new person will be filling a vacancy created by a retirement. Sam Gingerich confirmed that he and the deans consider the relative priorities of programs before a search is approved.

The Senate remanded the revised proposal to the Curriculum Committee with the understanding that if Curriculum approved the revision during its October meeting, Gary Looft would report that outcome to the Senate at its November 21 meeting. The Senate would then have the opportunity to approve the revision on November 21 and keep the proposal on-track for appearing in the 2003-04 catalog.

V. Pass/Fail Option for Grading

A request was made to consider adding a pass/fail option for course grades. There was some question as to whether that option already existed. A motion was made to have the Academic Policies committee incorporate consideration of this proposal into its discussions on adding a plus/minus option (Kavanagh/Thomas). The motion passed.

VI. Class sizes

Jerry Moorman and Mary Zimmerer distributed a resolution on class size drafted by the Business Administration faculty. The resolution calls for faculty to reevaluate and reestablish class sizes for ratification by departments and deans, and for faculty approval of any future changes to class sizes. They also distributed the results of a survey of Business Administration students about the factors that influence students' decisions on which college to attend and which course sections to take. Doug asked the Senate to review the resolution for discussion at an upcoming meeting.

VII. Anti-Discrimination Policy and Affirmative Action Grievance Process

Phil Kavanagh and Mary Zimmerer reported that the faculty members who attended the two open forums on the new policy and grievance process were in favor of approving the drafts that were posted on the Faculty Senate Web site. Some discussion ensued about including sexual orientation and all veterans (as opposed to just disabled veterans and Vietnam-era veterans) for protection, as is the case in the draft of the anti-discrimination policy that was posted for faculty consideration. A motion was made to submit the current versions of the policy and grievance process to a vote of the faculty (Gizzi/Thomas). The motion passed.

A motion was made at 5:05 to adjourn (Thomas/Gizzi).