GEORGE MASON
UNIVERSITY
APPROVED
MINUTES OF THE FACULTY SENATE
DECEMBER 9,
1998
Senators Present: K. Alligood, A. Berry, E.
Blaisten-Barojas, L. Bowen, T. Brawley, L. Brown, R. Coffinberger, J. Crockett,
S. deMonsabert, M. Deshmukh, R.
Ehrlich, E. Elstun, K. Gaffney, D. Gantz, E. Gunn, J. Hale, M. Holt, D.
Kuebrich, L. Lederman, C. Lont, K. McCrohan, J. Metcalf, L. Miller, S. Muir, J.
O’Connor, L. Rigsby, L. Rockwood, R. Ruhling, J. Sanford, C. Sutton, A. Taylor,
E. Thorp, H. Tongren, K. Vaughn, S. Weinberger, J. Zenelis, S. Zoltek
Senators Absent: D. Boileau, R. Carty, J.
Censer, K. Clements, T. Domzal, J. Flinn, G. Galluzzo, H. Gortner, M. Grady, L.
Griffiths, M. LeBaron, B. Manchester, A. Merten, E. O’Hara, A. Palkovich, D.
Potter, J. Reid, D. Rine, J. Scimecca, A. Sofer, D. Struppa, P. Wilkie, H.
Williams, S. Zaccaro
Guests Present: M. Berlucchi (Student Senate), J. Bullock (Student
Senate), J. Coleman (Student Senate), D. Craig (University Equity Office), G.
Dunne (Student Senate), K. Graffius (Student Senate), R. Guilford (Vice
Provost’s Office), P. Hashemi (Student Senate), C. Herberg (Registrar’s
Office), S. Mehrnama (Student Senate), R. Nelson (Student Senate), K. Rosenblum
(University Life), J. Rospars (Student Senate), T. Starr (Student Senate), A.
Sutton (BOV, Student Rep.), M. Vance (Academic Support & Advising
Services), J. Windley (Student Senate), J. Wood (Provost’s Office)
I. Call to Order
Chair
Esther Elstun called the meeting to order at 3:02 PM.
II. Approval of Minutes
III. Announcements
1.
On December 2, 1998, the Senate’s Executive Committee was briefed by
Associate Provost David Rossell on the current status of an early retirement
proposal that was developed last year. The
proposal is presently in limbo because funding from the General Assembly was
not adequate to finance implementation. Faculty who nevertheless wish to have a copy of Dave Rossell’s report
to the Committee may obtain it by contacting the Senate office ([email protected],
or 3-2990).
2.
On February 3, 1999, from 3:00-4:30 in the Front Multipurpose Room
of the Johnson Center, the Provost and the Faculty Senate will sponsor a university
forum on general education. A major
purpose of this event will be to hear from academic units other than the CAS
regarding their expectations of general education. I urge all faculty to reserve this date and
time on their calendars now. I also
encourage academic units involved in the education of undergraduates to prepare
for participation in the forum by making their general education expectations
and ideas an agenda item for discussion at one or more of their meetings between
now and February 3. More detailed
information about the forum will be forthcoming in future announcements.
3.
Donald Gantz, Secretary of the Faculty Senate, has forwarded to Dr.
Daniele Struppa, chair of the search committee for a new Dean of Admissions,
the following “sense of the Senate” motion, introduced by Robert Ehrlich and
adopted by the Senate at its November meeting:
“The Faculty Senate believes that the highest priority of the Dean
of Admissions and Enrollment Development should be to improve the academic
profile of entering students.”
4.
The 1998-99 Faculty Exchange Center Supplement has now been published.
To obtain a copy, please contact the Senate Office.
5.
Vice Provost Rosenblum announced that the University is considering
the development of an alcohol program following a request from the State. There is a draft of the program available on
the WEB at gmu.edu.alcohol.draft and the BOV is expecting a report and possible
action on the draft at the December 16 BOV Meeting.
IV. Unfinished Business
There
was no unfinished business.
V. New Business
A.
Report from Darryle Craig, EEO/ADA Specialist, on American’s with Disabilities
Act (ADA).
D.
Craig outlined a general overview of the ADA which prohibits discrimination
against people with disabilities. Entities
must reasonably accomodate those with disabilities where and when possible. GMU has a Disabilities Resource Center (DRC)
which is the first contact point for people with disabilities and information
about GMU regarding the ADA. The DRC
is the host and sponsor for many educational and consciousness-raising events
on campus and throughout the University.
It is important that everyone become familiar with the ADA because
it has wide reaching effects, including recruitment decisions, supervisory
actions, student/teacher relations, etc.
D.
Craig explained that her job as the EEO/ADA Specialist is to facilitate University compliance with
ADA. Compliance with ADA is achieved
through UDAG, with several subcommittees which perform various duties.
The subcommittees include: the ADA Committee - which rules over ADA compliance;
the Assistive Technology Initiative - which provides the disabled with equal
or comparable access to the various technologies GMU has available; the Physical
Access and Safety Committee - which oversees the architectural removal and
alterations to accomodate the disabled; the Instructional Committee - which
accomodates students with disabilities and impairments; and the Education
and Training Committee - which needs faculty help to get the message out and
is the reason for this presentation. A
handout was distributed to those present and copies are available in the Senate
Office. For additional information,
comments or questions regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and GMU
please contact Ms. Darryle Craig, EEO/ADA Specialist, in the University Equity
Office.
B. Committee
Reports
1. Executive Committee
E.
Elstun reported that the Executive Committee met with the Provost on December
2, 1998, and discussed the following items:
1.
the
need for a University-wide policy on the bestowal of honorific titles for
faculty members - E. Elstun (Senate Chair), E. Thorp (Chair, Faculty Matters
Committee), and L. Irvine (Senior Fellow, Provost’s Office) will be working on
a draft of that policy for future action.
2.
a
forum on general education which will be held on February 3, 1999, and will be
co-sponsored by the Faculty Senate and the Office of the Provost. The forum will take place from 3:00-4:30 PM
to learn what expectations all units of the University have regarding the
general education issue.
Representatives from CNHS, SOM, IT&E, NCC, CAS, and IOA will be
making a presentation and then the forum will open for questions and discussion.
3.
a
forum for the drafting of criteria for discontinuation of programs which have a
University-wide impact is scheduled for March 3, 1999, from 3:00-4:30 PM in the
Front Multi-Purpose Room of the Johnson Center. Further details wil be forthcoming.
2. Academic Policies Committee
L.
Bowen reported that the Committee is working on a Resolution from the Student
Government and Student Senate regarding R.O.T.C. classes for credit.
M.
Deshmukh introduced the motion from Committee, moving: “Commencing in calendar year 2000 the first
day of classes for spring semester will be held on the Monday that falls on
January 12 through 18, or one week earlier than presently scheduled.” M. Deshmukh stated that, assuming that two
weeks is sufficient to prepare the University for the Fall term, the motion
provides the best solution to making the Summer session schedule less crowded
and the smoothest transition between Commencement and the Summer session.
·
beginning
the Spring semester a week earlier provides an additional week of inclement and
possibly hazardous weather to affect schedules and university preparedness;
·
beginning
the Spring semester a week earlier cuts into the limited amount of time which
faculty currently have for research, conferences, etc.;
·
beginning
the Spring semester a week earlier could affect Winter study abroad programs
and inter-sessional courses;
· ending the Spring semester a week earlier so that students may better compete for Summer jobs seems less important given that so many GMU students are already working.
A
substitute motion was made and seconded
that “classes start on the third Monday in January except when that is Martin
L. King, Jr. Day.” E. Blaisten-Barojas
moved to refer the matter back to Committee
for further investigation and review of the motion’s impact on Study Abroad
Programs, as well as the other key topics identified above. The motion to refer back to Committee was seconded
and passed, with instructions to include communication between the
Committee and Student Government representatives.
3. Facilities and Support Services Committee
4. Faculty Matters Committee
E.
Thorp stated that the Committee is revising the Evaluations of Administrators.
Also, S. Weinberger is working on the implementation of the actions
passed in the Senate regarding working conditions of part-time faculty.
5. Nominations Committee
L.
Miller stated that the Committee had nothing to report at this time.
6. Organization and Operations Committee
E.
Blaisten-Barojas presented two motions from Committee:
(1) “The O&O Committee moves that a TASK FORCE of the Senate be
created during this academic year to study the issue of Distance Learning
Technology and its delivery, collaborate with the Provost’s Office to produce
a university wide policy on the matter, and study the need to create a Committee
of the Senate that would address future issues on this matter including eventual
modifications to the Faculty Handbook.” In
the discussion that followed, it was moved and seconded that the original motion include the composition,
report date and dissolution date presented in the rationale from Committee.
The motion to amend passed. The
main motion passed as amended and
reads as follows:
(2)
“The O&O Committee moves that at every Senate meeting two of the eleven
University Standing Committees, Ad-hoc Committees, and Task Forces give an
oral report of the matters being addressed in their respective Committees.
A schedule for these reports will be set by the Chair of the Senate
and announced in the September meeting.”
Following a brief discussion of the motion, and the benefits of reporting
Committee business to the Senate for possible debate or discussion prior to
the end of the year final report, the motion passed.
C.
Other Reports
1. Senate Liaisons to the Board of Visitors
H.
Tongren reported that the BOV meets next on December 16.
At that meeting, two motions will definitely be considered: 1. the publication of results of student generated Teacher/Course
Evaluations; 2. a University policy on drinking by college students.
2. Representatives of the Faculty Senate of Virginia
E.
Elstun stated that there was no report at this time.
3. Senate Composition Task Force
No
report at this time.
4. Faculty Senate Anniversary Committee
No
report at this time.
VI. Other New Business
1.
J. Wood reported that the Student-generated Teacher/Course Evaluations
would be implemented this semester and that they would use the same six questions
as the faculty evaluations. Following
the data analysis by the I.R.& R., there will be a report to the faculty
member, the library, the department chairs and the student government.
An internal-access-only WEB will post the numeric data of the evaluations.
J. Wood asked that the Senate review the entire process of teacher/course
evaluations.
2.
It was asked that the Senate, in its January agenda, address the creation
of the Staff Senate at GMU.
VII. Adjournment
The
meeting was adjourned at 4:30 PM.
Respectfully
submitted,
Donald
T. Gantz,
Secretary
of the Faculty Senate
NOTE: Dr. Darryle Craig, EEO/ADA Specialist, requested that the following
changes be noted for these minutes. This
request came following the Senate’s approval of the Minutes and the requested
changes are noted here.
-
The DRC (whose Director is Mary Lee Vance) is the first point of contact for
students with disabilities and the professors who have them in class. ADA issues involving employee recruitment,
supervisory actions and other issues in the GMU workplace, should be brought to
my attention in the Equity Office;
-
The ADA Committee (which I chair)
facilitates Title I (GMU employee) issues of
the ADA. It doesn't facilitate all aspects of ADA compliance;
- It's Dr. (not Ms.) Craig