Faculty Senate	Minutes	Senate home | Comments
Tuesday, 14 October 2003   See Agenda   Meeting 04-02

Roll call

Absent: Dodd (Biology), Elikai (Accounting), Graham (Economics & Finance), Harper, (University Advancement Committee), Hickman (Music), Huntley (English), McCall (Research Committee), Perko (HAHS), Rishel (Information Systems), Tenhuisen (Mathematics), Usilton (History), Vetter (Information Technology Committee), Wilcox (Art & Theatre)

Approval of minutes

September minutes were approved as posted.

Individual reports

1. Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo reported as follows:
   • Ranking: UNCW was ranked #35 in Kiplinger's listing of best values in public colleges and universities.
   • Management: UNC administrators expect increased scrutiny following the accounting scandals at ECU. We still expect our request to the Board of Governors for increased management flexibility to be approved.
   • Out-of state students: Chapel Hill is seeking to raise the 18% cap on out-of-state enrollment. They are focusing on top students. We favor an approach that would bring in more nursing and education students—areas where our state has deficiencies—and believe our approach is the more politically viable.
   • Faculty salaries: Faculty salaries in the UNC system lag 12.8% behind the national average. To correct this would cost $55 million annually. To raise all EPA employees to the national average would cost $147 million, which would equate to a $1000 tuition increase.
   • Equity funding: UNCW would receive an additional $18 million annually if we were funded equitably vis-a-vis the other UNC campuses. She has asked Assistant to the Chancellor Mark Lanier to put together a compelling case, and we expect support from many on the Board of Governors.
      
2. Senate President Daniel Noland reported as follows:
   • RPT: The ad hoc committee considering revision to RPT procedures has ceased to function. Members have been asked to submit proposals to the Steering Committee so that they can be brought to the Senate as motions.
   • Basic Studies: He is asking senators from each department to have their departments nominate one tenured faculty member for a committee which will examine Basic Studies and, if they deem it fitting, submit proposals for revision to the Senate. From these nominees, a nine-member committee will be appointed.
   • Bookstore: Bookstore representatives met with the Steering Committee to discuss pricing and availability of sufficient textbooks. They are seeking to adjust their formulas so that sufficient books are available for all classes. Comments can be addressed to bookstore manager Andy Shaffer at shaffera@uncw.edu.

Committee reports

1. The following motion from the Steering Committee carried [Motion 04-02-03; commend student-athlete graduation rates; carried]:

        Whereas, UNCW has the highest graduation rate of student-athletes among all non-football-playing Division I colleges and universities in the United States; and
        Whereas, UNCW has the country’s fourth highest graduation rate of student-athletes among all Division I colleges and universities, behind only Bucknell, Davidson, and Notre Dame; therefore,
        Be it resolved, that the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington commend the University’s student-athletes, its coaches, and its athletic director Margaret Bradley-Doppes for this remarkable achievement and for their commitment to academic as well as athletic excellence.

   The vote was followed by applause for Athletic Department representatives Greg Dalton and Sandy Morrison, who were in attendance.

2. The following motion from the Faculty Handbook Committee carried [Motion 04-02-04; approve revised Faculty Handbook; carried]:

   That the Faculty Senate:

   1. approves the revised version of the UNCW Faculty Handbook to replace the current version of the Handbook; and
   2. recommends that a link to the Faculty Handbook be featured prominently at the top of the Faculty & Staff page of the UNCW web site.

   The vote was followed by applause for Handbook editor Richard Veit.

3. The following motions from the Faculty Welfare Committee carried:

1. [Motion 04-02-05; end faculty/staff parking fees; carried]

        Whereas, North Carolina’s public colleges and universities are the only employers in the state known to charge their own employees a fee for coming to work and parking their cars in employer-owned lots; and
        Whereas, lack of raises, decreased benefits, and increased fees have caused the take-home pay of most UNCW faculty and staff to decline during the past three years; and
        Whereas, the University should be seeking ways to increase the incomes and morale of its employees; therefore,
        Be it resolved, that, beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year, the University cease to charge its employees for parking at their workplace.

The motion was amended from the original proposal by unanimous consent, removing an erroneous statement that parking fees had increased this year. The motion underwent considerable debate. Among observations were the following: Students would pay a higher cost for parking, but the amount would mean a small percentage increase in their college costs. Free parking would encourage more faculty and staff to park on campus. Students might object to faculty receiving free parking. We pay our parking on a pre-tax basis. The current parking-fee structure lacks options.

2. [Motion 04-02-06; commend lunch buffets; carried]
    
        Whereas, opportunities for faculty from across the university to meet in social situations are valuable but rare; and
        Whereas, the longstanding Tuesday/Friday luncheon buffets had been suspended this semester but have now been resumed; therefore,
        Be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate commends Auxiliary Services and Aramark for resuming the Tuesday/Friday luncheon buffets.
    
4. The following motion from the University Curriculum Committee carried [Motion 04-02-07; approve new Basic Studies courses]:

That the following existing courses be approved for Basic Studies:

1. WMS 210, under Interdisciplinary Perspectives

WMS 210. Introduction to Women's Studies (3) An introduction to the study of women from an interdisciplinary perspective. Through readings, participation at extracurricular events, presentations, and other assignments, students will examine the status of women from a variety of historical, economic, cultural, and theoretical perspectives and trace the development of organized women's social movements. May be team taught.

2. CRW 202, under Fine Arts

   CRW 202. Explorations in the Creative Process (3) Exploration of the creative writing process informed by a variety of allied arts including, but not limited to: music, painting, sculpture, theater, dance and film. Includes lectures, readings, and creative exercises.

5. The following motion from the Academic Standards Committee carried [Motion 04-02-08; clarify GPA calculation]:

   That the following passage on page 68 of the 2003-2004 Undergraduate Catalogue after the grade table be changed as follows [additions, deletions]:

   The quality point ratio grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the accumulated number of grade points (quality points) earned by the accumulated number of quality hours. Hours for which a grades of "F" or "WF" has have been assigned are included in this the calculation of the GPA. Grades of “I”, “IP”, “W”, “NR”, “Z” and “P” are not included in the calculation of the GPA.

Adjournment

Minutes by Richard Veit, Senate Secretary