Tuesday, 12 September 2006
Meeting 2007-01

Meeting called to order at 2:05

Roll Call:

Absent:
Departmental senators: He (ISOM), Satterlie (BIO)

Committee chairs: Hanerfeld (Bookstore), Levy (Advancement), Veit (Handbook)

Elections: Proceeded to ballot

Individual reports

1. Chancellor DePaolo

   There were a few clarifications from the fall faculty meeting:

   *Assessing Diversity: The number of minority students is not going up significantly. However, students who check “other” on their application or who leave the box blank is going up significantly (up 80% this past year).

   *Average salary: Last year the average salary was $65,000. This year it is $71,000. The Chancellor stressed that these figures must keep going up.
   

2. Provost Paul Hosier

   Isaac Bear Early College (IBEC) High School Report

   Last year, UNCW began thinking more seriously about this issue. Space was an overriding concern. In May, the Board of Education agreed to approve an off-campus site, which allowed plans to move ahead.

   Highlights of the IBEC plans:

   *School is a New Hanover County school, not a part of UNCW.

   *Costs (including instruction, fees, and utilities) are covered by NHC school tuition.

   *Site adjacent to campus was chosen. State will give $500,000 to purchase modular buildings at this site.

   Questions for Provost Hosier and Associate Provost Burt from members of the Senate:

   Q: How will we staff the program?
   A: New Hanover County schools have decided to hire high school teachers for this year and next to serve as faculty. After students have had two years of schooling, they will come to campus to obtain 60 hours of college credit. The plan is to integrate students into the classroom. It is estimated that that approximately 5 additional faculty lines will be needed to serve these students.

   Q: How many students will there be?
   A: 400 students, 100 per class. 200 will be taking classes on campus at any given time.

   Q: (regarding point 22 of the IBEC Memorandum): What happens when there is a conflict between UNCW policy and high school policy? (For example: field trips or films. Would permission slips be required?)
   A: This is an issue that will have to be worked out by a faculty committee.

   Q: After two years, would students receive a diploma?
   A: This is another issue for the faculty committee to discuss. Students will not be allowed to take UNCW classes if they are not prepared. They will also follow our academic calendar.

   Q: Do you have information about the student profile?
   A: It is not simply an elite group, but it is not a group of low performers. 60% come from families who didn’t attend university; 30% received free or reduced lunches. 64 are Caucasian; 33 are minority.

   Q: Will students be taking upper-division classes?
   A: Students will be taking lower-division basic studies classes.

   Q: Will there be an assessment to determine readiness?
   A: This hasn’t been worked out fully, but we will be the ones to decide. (Spaulding refers the Senate to point #15 of the IBEC Memorandum).

   Q: Will there be a protocol for disruptive students?
   A: Students will be held to the code of conduct. Faculty members will not need to become “bailiffs.”

   Q: What are the track records of other programs?
   A: There are many programs throughout North Carolina and elsewhere, but these programs have not been in place for a long time.

   Q: Who will be in charge of this tremendous responsibility?
   A: Part of the grant includes hiring a liaison. Moreover, some of the faculty members at the school have already had good track records at UNCW, which will be a help.

   Q: Will students have a choice of basic studies?
   A: The faculty committee will look at this.

   Plans should move ahead soon and students will be in the modular units in the spring.

   *Last spring, there was concern about forest land development including the ropes course that was installed. (Specifically: how did it get there?) Now, there is an agreement that if any cutting is to be done, those who are responsible must communicate with officials.

   *Each year salary data is put on the web. Faculty will be alerted to the location of the data.

3. President Mark Spaulding reported the results of elections.

   Vice President: Steve Pullam
   Secretary: Meghan Sweeney
   Steering Committee: Sue Cody, Gene Tagliarini, Eddie Caropresso, Andy Jackson

   President Spaulding remarked that the Senate would resume discussion of basic studies in October.

   He noted that there have been two resignations from the RTP committee. According to the bylaws, the elections officer should conduct a special election. This creates a problem, since the RTP committee needs to meet soon. Spaulding suggested that, since the bylaws cannot be suspended, the Senate amend the bylaws, which can be done with “previous notice.”

   Ken Gurganus raised concerns about this procedure. He suggested that we should determine the proper protocol. At issue: What constitutes “previous notice”?

Committee reports

1. Academic Standards: Russ Herman, Chair

   • The Academic Standards Committee offer the following motion: That the senate approve the following additions (underscored) and deletions (struck through) to the UNCW Repeat Policy:                                       [Motion 07-01-01]

   REPEATING OF COURSES – Current Policy – Page 80-81, Undergraduate Catalogue 2006-2007

   Students who receive a grade of "C" (2.00) or better in a course may not repeat the course but may audit without credit.  Students who repeat a course in which they have earned credit or for which transfer credit has been awarded, will have the status changed to audit during the term the course is repeated.

   Students who receive a grade below a “C” (2.00) in a course taken at UNCW may repeat the course at UNCW.  For Tthe first five different times a student repeats courses  repeated the previous grade and hours of credit for the repeated course will not be used in calculating the student's grade point average and hours toward graduation.  All grades shall remain on the student's transcript.

   In interpreting the policy it is to be understood that:

   1.        the term "first five different courses" means

   a.        that the policy is automatically operative for a student the first time that the student repeats a course and continues through the fifth time a student repeats a course, and

   b.       that the five repeats may involve five different courses or fewer courses repeated more than once;

   2.        a student may go beyond 5 course repeats, but such repeats will not enjoy the privilege of the policy;

   3.        all students will be able to enjoy the benefits of this policy irrespective of prior course repeat activity;

   4.        this policy does not govern the repeating of graduate courses (see the Graduate Catalogue for the appropriate policy).

   Students enrolled in a special topics course for a grade replacement must enroll in the same topic for which they originally received an unsatisfactory grade.

   Note:  A failing grade received owing to admitted or adjudicated academic dishonesty shall not be replaced if the course is repeated.  Both the penalty grade and the new grade shall appear on the student's transcript and count in the student's grade point average.  A student may not appeal the policy stated in this paragraph to any faculty or administrative level.

   Discussion: 
   Concern: Should we limit our policy to freshman? What about transfer students?
   Concern: What about students taking the same course 3-4 times?
   The faculty discussed the “Note” and raised questions about current policies.
   Spaulding reminded Senators to direct questions about policy to Russ Herman.
   Motion carried.

Old Business: none

New Business:

Ken Gurganus offered the following motion [07-01-02] to amend the Senate by-laws, “Election procedures for autonomous faculty committees,” point 13, as follows:

If a member of an autonomous faculty committee resigns after the beginning of the final semester of service, that vacancy is not filled.  Otherwise the Elections Officer conducts a special election starting with step 3.  Steering Committee will appoint the next highest vote-getter from the appropriate division in the most recent election.  Persons so elected appointed shall serve the unexpired term and shall not be, on this account, disqualified from candidacy in the subsequent regular election.

Call for division of the house. Because this was a change in the bylaws, it required a two-thirds vote. 58 were in favor of the motion and the motion carried.

President Spaulding adjourned the meeting at 3:30

Minutes by Meghan Sweeney, Senate Secretary