| Tuesday, 20 April 1999 | Volume 99: Number 8 |
President Richard Veit called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m.
Absent were: Ainsley (Stud. Aff. Cmte.), Applefield (Curr. St.), Appleton (A&BL), Baker (Budget Cmte.), Bartolome (Curr. St.), Bingham (PHY), Bradley (PSY), Buttino (Comm. St.), Cummings (Nursing), Dodd (BIO), Dunn (BIO), Earney (A&BL), Evans (S&A), Howell (E&F), Hunt (M&M), Jones (CHM), Leutze (Chancellor), McKinney (Comm. St.), Moore (Nursing), Moore (Pub. Serv. Cmte.), Moss (Provost), Parnell (LIB), Ragon (HPER), Robinson (E&F), Rockness (Dean, Bus. Admin.), Shay (LIB), Walker (Adm. Cmte.), White (CRW.), and Wray ( P&DS).
The March minutes were approved.
Mission and Purpose of the Division is to coordinate and facilitate the various functions related to technology throughout the university. Three units currently fall under the division: Office of Information Technology (Bobby Miller), Management Information Support (Bill Pate), and Telecommunications (Bill Vereen). The mission: "to remove the artificial boundaries which inevitably arise in complex organizations."
Current initiatives include the following:
The next steps (May 1st to June 30th) include:
Questions from the floor concerned funding from the General Administration and Y2K preparedness.
A motion was then offered from the floor:
The Senate wishes to express thanks to Richard Veit for his contributions and years of good service as President of the Faculty Senate. (Motion 99-8-23, approved without dissent)
Other topics:
Whereas the language of the current name and charge of the Faculty Senate Computer
Services Committee does not reflect current UNCW administrative units and incorporates
names of administrative units no longer in existence,
And whereas this language does not, in particular, take into account
the formation of a Division of Information Technology Systems,
Be it resolved that the name of the Computer Services Committee be
changed to Faculty Senate Information Technology Committee and that the mission statement
and membership statement be changed to read as follows:
Mission
To serve as an advisory liaison between the faculty senate and the Division of Information Technology Systems in the: (1) formulation of general information-technology policy; (2) development of information-technology services; and (3) allocation of information-technology resources.
Membership
Seven faculty members and one student member (to be nominated by the president of the Student Government Association), including membership from the College of Arts and Sciences, Randall Library, and the professional schools; the Vice Chancellor of Information Technology Systems; the Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs; the Director of Institutional Research, the Director of the Office of Information Technology, the Director of Management Information Support; the Director of Telecommunications; the University Librarian; the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs; and the deans of the schools and the College shall be ex-officio non-voting members.
(Motion 99-8-21, Carried without dissent)
Whereas the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has a dedicated faculty who contribute in many ways to the enrichment of the university community and the community at large,
And whereas service is considered one of the three major areas in which faculty are evaluated,
And whereas the university recognizes faculty excellence in the areas of teaching and scholarship but offer no awards for service,
Therefore, the Faculty Senate resolves that an award be established for faculty who contribute significantly in the area of service to the department, college, university, profession, and/ or community. (Motion 99-8-22, referred to an ad-hoc committee for further study)
Whereas the entry of animals (pets) into research facilities may result in significant health hazards to experimental subjects, students, faculty ad staff, and
Whereas the North Carolina State Workplace Requirements for Safety and Health state that animals are not permitted in any State buildings except: 1) Animals providing assistance to handicapped persons; 2) Animals used in research and teaching and authorized by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; 3) special circumstances or events which are subject to approval from the safety and health officer, and
Whereas the policy regarding pets in UNCW Residence Halls is clearly stated in the Student Handbook and Code of Student Life,
Be it resolved that the Faculty Senate request that; 1) the State Requirements Regarding Animals on State Property be inserted into the Faculty and Student Handbooks; 2) appropriate signs be placed in buildings containing research subjects indicating that pets are not allowed in these buildings; 3) the appropriate authorities be asked to enforce the existing State requirements regarding animals on State property.(Motion 99-8-24)
Announcements:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:50 p.m.
The Academic Standards Committee, chaired by Bruce Kinzer, met five times. The main issues addressed by the committee were the Three-Year Rule and the course-repeat policy relative to a grade of C-. Committee discussions gave rise to three Senate motions, none of which passed. In addition the committee considered two honorary degree nominations that ultimately were presented to the Senate. Moreover, the Director of Admissions met with the Committee and brought us up to speed on admissions for the 1999-2000 academic year. The committee served more to raise issues this year than to solve them.
The Admissions Advisory Committee, chaired by Brad Walker, met once but corresponded via e-mail several times. It sent suggestions to enrollment affairs for improvement of international recruitment and the orientation tours that prospective students take. It had representation at each meeting of the university admissions committee, which met weekly to determine the status of applications for admissions which were neither clear admits nor clear rejects. The committee also handled all admissions appeals. This was a huge undertaking . The chair sat on a newly created committee to provide a forum for members of the student-support community to discuss concerns with members of the academic community and enrollment affairs.
The Advisory Committee for the Department of Public Service and Extended Education, chaired by Kemille Moore, met twice as a group. Issues discussed were the purpose of the committee, the role of DPSEE in the UNCW community, the moving of DPSEE to an off-campus location, and connections between university faculty and DPSEE activities. The chairman of the committee also served on the search committee for a new Director of Lifelong Learning within DPSEE.
The Bookstore Committee, chaired by Maggie Parish, did not meet. Clearly, it needs to take a more proactive role next year.
The Budget Committee, chaired by Jack D. Baker, met four times. It considered university budget issues and concerns and provided information to the faculty via the Senate Budget
Committee's home page. The committee did not meet its goals for the year. Several budget issues that had been placed on the year's agenda were not considered.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee, chaired by Lee Schweninger, met six times. It was involved in design of new classroom building, discussions of use of University Common for
public functions (especially concerning amplified music), parking and traffic issues (in conjunction with Chancellor's Traffic and Parking Committee), the design and placement of the Seahawk sculpture, and the location of the proposed new education building. The committee sent motions to the senate concerning the removal of temporary units behind Friday Hall (voted down) and booting automobiles (voted down). Having been convinced that faculty does have some control over and advance warning of public use of the common, we reported back to senate concerning University Common noise that no further regulations were necessary. The committee is made up (for the most part) of concerned and active, participating faculty, who have a genuine interest in the campus. Regrettably, however, again this year, the committee was essentially ineffective concerning issues of importance on campus. It is usually told after the fact about building locations, construction and remodeling, parking issues, and road widenings. Despite its effort to be pro-active, it is essentially overlooked by the administration and such divisions as Student Affairs. Plans reported to it are already in motion more often than not. Next year's committee should make efforts actually to have input on important buildings and grounds issues–such as road widenings, placement of traffic signals, clearing of woods, and placement of new buildings.
The Computer Services Committee, chaired by Joe Wilson, met twice this year with the directors of the Office of Information Technology and Management Information Support and was briefed on the state of information technology on campus and on future plans. A representative of the newly created Division of Information Technology Systems was also present. Vice Chancellor designate Tyndall has advised us that the chair of this committee will be a standing member of an Information Technology Systems Advisory Council. A motion that its name, mission, and membership be changed to reflect current administrative units was passed by the Senate.
The Evaluation Committee, chaired by Ronald K. Sizemore, met four times . It considered ways to improve SPOTs to evaluate distant learning courses and proposed Web based administration of the Evaluation of Administrators tool. The later proposal was accepted by the Faculty Senate and will be put in place this Spring. The chair of the committee was also responsible to insure appropriate SPOTs are printed and distributed. In this role he was a liaison between academic computing and the chairs. The committee had a successful years thanks to the constructive attitude and hard work of the committee members. Continuing attention needs to be placed on evaluation of nontraditional courses such as the distant learning courses. Plans need to be made to move toward Web based (and paper-less) evaluation procedures.
The Financial Aid Committee, chaired by Jack C. Hall, met once this year. It received information from the Director of Financial Aid but did little or no advising on financial aid matters. The committee needs to work with the director so that it has more than just a passive role.
The Library Committee, chaired by Robert Blundo, met twice. A library newsletter, "The Randall Report," was initiated and has since been published twice. Discussion included the effect on the collection of diversity issues and new departments and minors, as well as space needs and feedback from faculty. The chair believes the committee should reexamine its purpose next year.
The Research Committee, chaired by Steven I. Dworkin, met twice and corresponded by email . Its major responsibility is the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Competition. The competition was widely advertised, and nine applications were submitted. The committee's chair served on the Cahill Awards Committee, and the committee brought a motion to the floor of the Senate regarding pets being brought into buildings containing research animals. The committee performs an important function, but, with the growing research interests of the faculty at UNCW, the responsibility of the committee regarding issues related to research could be expanded.
The Student Affairs Committee, chaired by W. Frank Ainsley, met once. No student members showed up. Those present decided not to meet again unless requested to do so. Clearly this committee needs to be more proactive next year.
The University Advancement Committee, chaired by Lou Buttino, met nine times with additional meetings still to come. It considered problems/challenges with new development officers; ways the committee might be more support of university advancement–especially in regards to faculty, invited the Chancellor to a discussion about the post of VC for University Relations, and served as a sounding board for UR proposals and strategies. It was a very effective and participatory committee. So enthusiastic is the committee that members have agreed to serve another year. After a few years of exploration and explanation, the committee plans to take on a more advocacy role next year.
The University Curriculum Committee met six times and corresponded by email. It recommended changes in Basic Studies offerings, new course designators, changes in foreign-language requirements, and oral-competency courses. It was a rather "slow" year for the committee with limited requests from faculty and administration. One "unfinished" item is the issue of waiving Basic Studies hours when a basic study has been met other than by completion of the course at this university. Next year the committee will review natural and mathematical divisions of Basic Studies requirements, address supplemental credit and its effect on Basic Studies requirements, and computer literacy requirements.