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Tuesday, 9 November 2004   See Agenda   Meeting 2005-03

Roll call

Absent: Blake (Earth Sciences), Clark (Cameron School), Lee (Creative Writing), Maume (Sociology & Criminal Justice), Messer (Creative Writing), Reid (Arts & Sciences)

Approval of minutes

October minutes were approved.

Executive session

Senate went into executive session to consider honorary degree nominations.

Individual reports

1. Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo reported, including the following:
• On Friday, the Board of Governors will decide whether UNCW will get an additional $7 million equity funding for its base budget.
• Task forces on Diversity, Educational Safety, and Violence have reported or will report shortly. Each has been allocated $100,000 to implement its recommendations.
• The newly renovated Kenan House will provide a beautiful space for the university to do the entertaining it needs to do. Most changes were to infrastructure, although the house was also restored as far as possible to its original look. The Kenan family was very generous.
• Athletics: By law, she cannot address individual personnel issues. She met with all coaches and Athletics staff. Interim Athletic Director Mike Capaccio came into a difficult situation, is working seven days a week, and has her absolute confidence and support.
   
2. President Daniel Noland reported as follows:
   • He has been asked to name faculty representatives to the Diversity Council and to the Safety Committee. He is seeking interested volunteers.
      
3. Faculty Assembly delegate Richard Veit reported as follows:

• A UNC-wide committee studied safety on the campuses. Rates of student-on-student violence on campuses are exceptionally low; few places are as safe to be as college campuses. They reviewed the applications of students who later committed crimes on campus; most had no prior arrests and did not differ in background from other students; the others lied about past arrests. They recommended (1) a standardized questions on applications about criminal history, (2) cost-effective steps to verify that information, and (3) training admissions staff to identify applicants who may pose threats. They do not recommend universal criminal checks. Students who admit prior arrests should be interviewed to determine admissibility.
• OP will ask the legislature for the following:
  • an increase from two to three in the number of courses that staff/faculty may take per year without charge;
  • an exception to the 12-month residency requirement so that dependents of new faculty may pay in-state tuition rates immediately;
  • an exception to the state personnel act so that the identity of outside RTP reviewers can be kept confidential.
• Over 12,000 faculty responded to the health-benefits survey (a very high 35% response rate, showing much unhappiness). One step to improve our competitiveness: we will seek immediate vesting in the optional retirement plan (TIAA) rather than the current 5-year wait.

Committee reports

1. The following motion by the Academic Standards Committee was defeated [Motion 2005-03-04: disallow W or WP after classes end; failed]:

   That the "WITHDRAWAL POLICY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS" on page 78 of the 2004-2005 Undergraduate Catalog be revised by inserting the following as a new fourth paragraph:

   No withdrawals ("W" or "WF") shall be processed after the last day of classes for the semester.

   It was argued that since only deans can assign these grades and since deans have the authority to override such restrictions, this one would serve no useful purpose.

2. The following motion by the University Curriculum Committee carried [Motion 2005-03-05: approve curricular changes; carried]:
   1. That the Senate approve the creation of a Journalism Minor in the CAS
   2. That the Senate approve the creation of a Postcolonial Studies Minor in the CAS
   3. That the Senate approve THR 227 (FST 227) as a Basic Studies Course in Fine Arts
   4. That the Senate approve the creation of a new prefix, LIB, for Library Science courses
   5. That the Senate approve LIB 103 as a new course
        
3. The following motion by the Steering Committee carried after amendment [Motion 2005-03-06: set principles for outside evaluation in RTP; carried]:

Whereas:

• Departments at UNCW have different expectations of their faculty, including the importance of the "impact on the profession" in the decision to promote to full professor and the method by which this impact can be assessed; and
• When assessing the “impact on the profession” of individuals, letters solicited from external evaluators can be of value; therefore,

Be it resolved:

• That individual departments may formally decide to require outside evaluation letters for all candidates who seek the rank of associate and/or full professor; and
• That in the event that the department decides not to solicit such letters in all such cases, the department's senior faculty may request outside evaluation letters in individual cases where they feel these letters would be of benefit in assessing the candidate; and
• That any candidate for promotion may request that the department solicit such letters when the candidate believes the information would be beneficial in the assessment of their candidacy; and
• That each department shall develop explicit and consistent guidelines for the solicitation of outside letters of evaluation that include the following:
  • the number of letters to be sought (which shall be no fewer than two nor more than five);
  • the criteria by which evaluators are to be selected;
  • the information to be provided to the evaluators;
  • the role of this evaluation in the overall decision process;
  • (for departments not requiring letters for all candidates for promotion) the process by which, in specific cases, the senior faculty may request letters in a timely manner consistent with evaluation deadlines; and
• That the Steering Committee shall bring forward to the Senate a subsequent motion presenting language revising existing RTP documents to incorporate the principles approved in this motion.

The Senate amended the original motion to delete language saying that outside letters may be sought only in cases of promotion to full professor. An amendment that would not have allowed the department's senior faculty to seek letters in individual cases for promotions to associate professor was defeated.

New business: none

Adjournment

Minutes by Richard Veit, Senate Secretary