Faculty Senate Minutes Clarion University January 30, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Faculty Senate met on Monday, January 30 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, V. Bennett, B. Buchanan, K. Colvin‐Woodruff , J. Croskey, E. Donato, E. Foster, B. Hallock, S. Heeter, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, J. Lyle, C. McCarrick, S. Nix, L. Occhipinti, T. Pfannestiel, A. Rosati, R. Raehsler, B. Register, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney, Provost R. Nowaczyk were also present. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes S. Sentner moved and E. Foster seconded to approve the minutes from Dec. 5, 2011. The minutes were unanimously approved. III. Announcements M. Franchino announced that the Middle States self‐study report is now available. He will send the e‐mail link to all Faculty Senate members. C. McAleer will attend the Feb. 13 Faculty Senate meeting to provide further updates. Faculty Senators should be prepared with questions. Franchino has sent the Venango Department of Humanities and Sciences proposal to Faculty Senate for review. Members should be prepared with any questions. IV. President’s Report K. Whitney circulated a planning document showing how Clarion University might respond to Gov. Tom Corbett’s request for a 5 percent budget freeze. Whitney explained the document is a product of financial planning between her and all RC managers. Once the plan is finalized, it will be circulated to all Clarion University employees via e‐mail. Faculty Senate members reviewed the document and discussion ensued. Whitney noted that all university departments are reduced by 1.4 percent under the proposed plan. She emphasized that the document is subject to revision as circumstances change. We will know more after Gov. Corbett gives his annual budget address on Feb. 7. However, everyone must plan for how the university would manage such a budget cut and act now. All RC managers have been instructed to discuss this situation with their respective departments and apprise employees of the situation. R. Leary said that the College of Arts and Sciences, Education, Business and Venango form the core of the university. Could we have spread budget reductions across other areas that are not central to the university’s academic mission? Whitney replied that she was not pursuing this option. Clarion is already an extremely underfunded, administratively lean institution according to a number of national measures. Cutting other non‐academic operations would impact essential services. Y. Ayad asked how budget reductions might impact the search and hiring process for tenure‐track and temporary faculty. Whitney said that so far, there is no impact. However, RC managers will have to determine this within their departments. It is also possible that RCs with positive revenues may not take as much of a budget hit. Also, the university does have some limited reserves to draw upon. Whitney concluded that the 5 percent freeze request is all the more difficult, given last fall’s budget reduction of 18 percent. This, combined with a slight drop in enrollment last fall, make enrollment dollars ever more critical. R. Nowaczyk provided a report on the latest enrollment figures. Recently, Clarion University had more than 600 students who owed the university $2,000 or less. Over the holidays, staff reduced that number to fewer than 80 students. Starting next year, students who waive their FERPA rights will be asked for additional parents’ contact information so that the university can reach them regarding unpaid tuition bills. From Fall 2010 to Spring 2011, Clarion University has enjoyed a 94 percent student return rate. For 2011‐12, that figure is 93 percent. Currently, 6,530 students are enrolled, down 7 percent from last fall. Nowaczyk thanked faculty for monitoring students who were not showing up for class, and for calling them to check on their status. Nowaczyk reported that performance funding from PASSHE now requires a “value‐ added standardized tests. The tests are intended to measure student learning between the freshman and senior years. T. Pfannestiel reported that universities are required to submit at least 200 viable results each year. Clarion will first administer this test on March 2, 2012, and present the results to PASSHE. V. Student Senate None. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources: Y. Ayad The Facilities Planning Committee met on Thursday Jan. 19. Y. Ayad will provide a report at the next meeting. B. CCPS: B. Sweet The deadline for special topics and experimental course proposals is Feb. 10. The deadline for major course proposals is Feb. 15. The objection deadline is March 7. E‐ mail reminders have been sent out to all faculty members. C. Student Affairs: J. Croskey This committee met Jan. 30 with faculty and Student Affairs staff to determine an excused absence policy for university‐sanctioned absences. J. Croskey will provide a report at the next meeting. D. CCR: E. Foster No report. E. Academic Standards: S. Sentner The committee met on Jan. 17. A total of 118 students were placed on probation or suspended. Of 71 appeals, 38 were readmitted. The committee will soon be meeting with Associate Provost S. Turell and T. Pfannestiel to better determine what allows a student to appeal committee decisions. Currently, the standard is “compelling evidence” and “new evidence.” The committee will resolve this issue soon and bring it back to Faculty Senate at a future meeting. F. Budget: S. Heeter No report. G. Faculty Affairs: B. Buchanan This committee will meet Friday Feb. 3. H. Venango – W. Hallock This committee will meet Wednesday Feb. 1. VII. Old Business T. Pfannestiel presented a new report on behalf of the Strategic Directions Steering Committee. The report included a preview of the draft mission, vision and core values statement. He summarized the results of campus‐wide forums leading up this document, and the work that committee members have put into this document. He also reviewed the timeline and upcoming deadlines for review and approval. Anyone interested in learning more can review the planning document at www.clarion.edu/planning/ The link contains all planning documents, with links to current literature showing how this process has worked at comparable institutions. The Steering Committee will review all planning documents through Spring Semester, welcoming the input of all university employees. The committee will then present the results to K. Whitney in formulating the university’s final mission and vision. Pfannestiel re‐emphasized the fact that the entire strategic planning process is collaborative, with many opportunities for all Clarion University stakeholders to attend upcoming meetings, respond to draft documents, and offer their ideas for the final version. VIII. New Business None. IX. Adjournment B. Sweet moved and Y. Ayad seconded the motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall, Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Minutes Clarion University February 13, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Faculty Senate met on Monday, February 13 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, V. Bennett, B. Buchanan, J. Croskey, E. Donato, E. Foster, B. Hallock, S. Heeter, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, C. McCarrick, S. Nix, L. Occhipinti, A. Rosati, B. Register, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney, Provost R. Nowaczyk, and Student Senate representative Jeff Donor were also present. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes S. Heeter moved and E. Donato seconded to approve the minutes from Jan. 30, 2012. The minutes were unanimously approved. III. Announcements V. Bennett announced that Ken O’Donnell of the California State System will be on the Clarion campus February 20‐22. She encouraged Faculty Senators to attend to learn more about assessment and integrating high‐impact practices into the curriculum. L. Occhipinti announced that author Maya Angelou will be speaking at Clarion on April 23 at 8 p.m. in the Marwick‐Boyd Auditorium. Ticket information will be forthcoming. E. Foster announced that author Anne Lamott will be speaking at the Venango campus on April 18. Ticket information will be forthcoming. IV. President’s Report K. Whitney announced that the university’s revised vision, mission and values will be going to the Council of Trustees for approval on Feb. 16. Whitney updated Faculty Senate on the current state budget situation. She said she was soon traveling to Harrisburg for a retreat with other PASSHE presidents to work on possible solutions and to fight for a better budget for PASSHE universities. Clarion University planners are also working on new financial planning documents for the university. The documents are based on 20%, 10%, and 5% budget cut scenarios. Whitney said she would apprise all RC managers, along with all faculty and staff, of budget developments, and that everyone will be included in the budget planning process. The target date for budget completion is May 1. Whitney asked Faculty Senators where they would like to be involved with this process. She will be offering campus‐wide financial planning seminars on March 1 and 5 to highlight all aspects of the budget process at Clarion University. R. Nowaczyk said that he is meeting with all deans on Feb. 15 to work up enrollment and tuition projections for 2012‐13. Luckily, we are running ahead on tuition deposits for next year compared to 2011‐12. R. Leary said that he understood that under the RCM model, the division of revenue was to be 50 percent of revenue dollars to each department, and 50 percent to the university. Will this be changed, given our new financial circumstances? Whitney answered no. Clarion University is all about mutual interdependence. The majority of our revenue is based on the sale of our credit hours, which hurts or helps all of us. This year is serving as a base year to see how well the RC model serves us. Whitney said that ultimately, the idea is to share mutual interdependence based on gain rather than loss. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor announced that Student Senate met recently to create a list of goals and objectives for Student Senate. This week, student senators will be meeting with Sen. Pat Toomey to discuss the current state budget. Also, they are soon moving forward with the Diane L. Reinhard Awards. Campus information will be forthcoming. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources: Y. Ayad The Facilities Planning Committee met on Jan. 26. Ric Taylor, the new Facilities Director, also attended. The design phase for the Becht Hall redesign is still in process. This building should be completed by Spring 2014, and it will be powered by geothermal energy. Funding for the Tippin Gym renovation is largely in place. The feasibility study is done and $8 million for the redesign has been spent so far. The university’s Master Plan is now being updated. It was last done in 1998 and updated in 2001. A total of 33 companies have expressed interest in our RFP. Next, university planners will convene a committee to sort through the vendors’ RFPs and select finalists by May. The Environmental Sustainability Committee will be getting under way soon for Spring Semester, along with an additional subcommittee concerned with ADA‐related issues. B. CCPS: B. Sweet The deadline for special topics and experimental course proposals was Feb. 10. The CCPS Committee is now reviewing these. Read‐ins will be done at our next meeting. The deadline for major course proposals is Feb. 15. The objection deadline is March 7. Student Affairs: J. Croskey This committee is still working with faculty and Student Affairs staff to determine an excused absence policy for university‐sanctioned absences. J. Croskey will provide another report at the next meeting. We are still seeking names for orientation leaders and Upward Bound this summer. D. CCR: E. Foster No report. E. Academic Standards: S. Sentner No report. F. Budget: S. Heeter The Budget Committee plans to attend upcoming planning meetings with K. Whitney. Nowaczyk noted that administrators are planning on a session soon with administrators from other colleges that have utilized the RCM model to discuss the process and how to make it work well for Clarion University. G. Faculty Affairs: B. Buchanan The Faculty Affairs Committee met Feb. 3. The Faculty Mentoring Dinners concluded Feb. 9, with a highly successful final dinner. Please inform B. Buchanan of anyone who might be participating in the spring retirement ceremony. Also, the committee is now finalizing the Faculty Author Series for 2012‐13. H. Venango – W. Hallock No report. VII. Old Business M. Franchino read a statement by T. Pfannestiel from the Mission, Vision and Values Steering Committee. The steering committee is moving ahead soon with recommendations, slated for final approval by April. VIII. New Business C. McAleer reviewed the Middle States self‐study document. All departments have been sent a copy, and M. Franchino will e‐mail copies to all Faculty Senate members. The Middle States site visit team returns to campus March 18‐21 to review key components of the report, and to meet with faculty, students, administration, alumni, and community members. McAleer reminded Faculty Senators that the one goal is re‐accreditation for Clarion University. Be sure to communicate with the site visit team clearly and remember who they are. Please read the report document carefully in advance and be prepared to discuss it with the team during their visit. Regarding the report’s description of Faculty Senate and the recommendation for a self‐assessment, R. Leary said there was nothing in the original document that indicated a need for Faculty Senate to review constitution and bylaws, or to engage in a self‐assessment. Why was this included in the final version? McAleer replied that this recommendation came from a university task force, which noted a lack of campus‐ wide visibility and the need to update the Faculty Senate website more frequently. Referring to Ch. 9‐Recommentations, V. Bennett asked whether there are any flags or things we should worry about. McAleer answered no; the idea is to be realistic yet analytical about where we are in the re‐accreditation process. Not every item will necessarily be addressed at the next site visit. All in all, Clarion University is in good shape. The main area we need to work on is assessment. Be ready to discuss this during the site visit. Whitney thanked McAleer for her years of leadership and energy on this project. Whitney said that one of her biggest goals is to present the information to Middle States in a clear and competent fashion. She encouraged all Faculty Senators to attend the sessions with the site visit team. Faculty presence and an honest discussion can be very effective – much better than an empty room. Administratively, we are prepared to implement whatever Middle States recommends. Regarding the Venango College proposal, Franchino said he could ask Dr. Reber to return to campus for more explanation, or send him further questions to be addressed. Franchino and Leary reiterated that the Venango College of Health and Sciences was supposed to unfold on a five‐year plan. Now, that has changed in year three. Leary said that if a policy can just be changed in mid‐stream, then he regards the entire document as suspect. Franchino reminded everyone of the university’s new cyberbaiting policy, and that this is an emerging issue to watch. Nowaczyk noted that it raises new and bigger questions regarding the use of digital devices in classrooms. Whitney said that T. Latour is available to visit Faculty Senate and explain anything related to copyright and use of electronic materials. Regarding the new Statement on Diversity and Equity, S. Heeter said that since we are just now taking a new new mission, vision and core values to the Council of Trustees, we need to review this statement to ensure that it is consistent and in compliance with the new documents. Leary questioned the meaning behind the statement that “all faculty are expected to advance equitable policies and practices.” He said he did not know what this statement meant from an operational standpoint. For example what if someone is a very good instructor, but doesn’t do this? The same concern applies to other parts of the document. How are its elements operationalized? Franchino will forward these concerns to J. Gant. Future dialogue on this issue is important. IX. Adjournment V. Bennett moved and B. Sweet seconded the motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall, Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Minutes Clarion University February 27, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Faculty Senate met on Monday, February 27 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: G. Barboza, V. Bennett, K. Colvin‐Woodruff, E. Donato, E. Foster, B. Hallock, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, J. Lyle, C. McCarrick, S. Nix, L. Occhipinti, T. Pfannestiel, R. Raehsler, B. Register, A. Rosati, S. Sentner and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney, Provost R. Nowaczyk, and Student Senate representative Jeff Donor were also present. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes L. Occhipinti moved and K. Colvin‐Woodruff seconded to approve the minutes from Feb. 13, 2012 with minor amendments. The minutes were unanimously approved. III. Announcements C. McCarrick announced that the Council on General Education will be meeting on March 1 from noon to 1 p.m. to discuss student learning outcomes. All faculty are invited to attend. IV. President’s Report K. Whitney announced that she will be hosting a financial planning forum on March 1 at 3:30 p.m. in Hart Chapel. All university employees are encouraged to attend. Whitney announced that the university’s revised vision, mission and values were approved by the Council of Trustees on Feb. 16. The trustees also approved the name for the new Venango College. Whitney also recapped the upcoming Middle States site visit and encouraged faculty to attend as many of the site visit team meetings as possible. R. Nowaczyk announced two academic planning dinner/reception events for Clarion University employees. The first will be held March 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. in Eagle Commons. The idea is to begin a university‐wide discussion on academic planning. A draft plan is to be in place by May 13, 2012. Nowaczyk said that during Summer 2012, he will be gathering “environmental scan” data from the outside to better inform Clarion of its true situation. Nowaczyk asked for Faculty Senate leadership on this issue. Whitney added that university planners also need to now look at current business processes and practices, which may need to be changed to ensure long‐term success. She added that in early stages of the academic planning process, it is important to not get bogged down in traditions and present constraints. Many positive changes are underway, both at Clarion University and across the PASSHE, Whitney noted. L. Occhipinti asked for updates on the sidewalk projected connected with Reinhard Villages. Whitney said the university is not waiting for PennDot to either formally accept or reject the project. Soon, the university should either be able to move ahead with the project or appeal it. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that on March 23, four student senators would be traveling to East Stroudsburg University for a leadership conference. On March 20, the Provost will host a roundtable event in the Gemmell Multipurpose Room. On April 25, the Diane L. Reinhard Awards will be presented. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources: Y. Ayad No report. B. CCPS: B. Sweet The objection deadline for CCPS proposals is March 7. B. Sweet and Nowaczyk met recently to discuss proposed changes to the CCPS policy manual. This project will soon be completed. Student Affairs: J. Croskey No report. D. CCR: E. Foster E. Foster is now assembling eligibility lists from nominating petitions recently received. The university‐wide election is April 7. E. Academic Standards: S. Sentner No report. F. Budget: S. Heeter No report. G. Faculty Affairs: B. Buchanan No report. H. Venango – W. Hallock No report. VII. Old Business T. Pfannestiel said that he is now assembling final versions of the university’s Strategic Directions documents. These should be finished by the end of April. VIII. New Business B. Sweet read in pending CCPS proposals. All were unanimously approved. E. Foster announced that Jeff Eicher is the proposed replacement for the vacant position on the COBA Dean Search Committee. Faculty Senate unanimously approved this replacement. Pursuant to Middle States’ recommendations, M. Franchino is now updating the Faculty Senate website, revamping its constitution and bylaws and taking other steps to improve the organization’s image and visibility across campus. He is open to any suggestions in this area. IX. Adjournment S. Sentner moved and B. Sweet seconded the motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall, Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Minutes Clarion University April 2, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Faculty Senate met on Monday April 2 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, J. Beal, V. Bennett, B. Buchanan, K. Colvin‐Woodruff, J. Croskey, E. Donato, E. Foster, S. Heeter, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, C. McCarrick, S. Nix, L. Occhipinti, T. Pfannestiel, B. Register, A. Rosati, S. Sentner and B. Sweet. Faculty members R. Bloom and K. Danvers, along with Student Senate representative Jeff Donor, were also present. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of the minutes Sweet moved and L. Occhipinti seconded to approve the minutes from Feb. 27, 2012 with minor amendments. The minutes were unanimously approved. III. Announcements None. IV. President’s Report None. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that a Student Senate committee has been working with sales representatives from various companies to select information kiosks for the campus. The committee will soon be deciding on a vendor. Committee Reports Institutional Resources: Y. Ayad The Library Subcommittee is sending two members to Slippery Rock University on April 5 to participate in a regional library conference in information literacy. The campus master planning process is proceeding well. The Facilities Planning Committee will meet April 8 to evaluate proposals from 12 different design firms. Phase I of the Becht Hall renovation is set to begin in September 2012. The Facilities Planning Committee is now reviewing proposals for 20 different companies interested in the Tippin Gym renovation. B. CCPS: B. Sweet B. Sweet is now performing final edits on proposed changes to the CCPS policy manual. He hopes to have the manual ready for final review and approval at the April 16 Faculty Senate meeting. Student Affairs: J. Croskey No report. D. CCR: E. Foster E. Foster is now assembling eligibility lists from nominating petitions for Faculty Senate elections, which will be held April 17. Poll watchers and ballot counters are needed. E. Academic Standards: S. Sentner No report. F. Budget: S. Heeter Members of the Budget Committee will be attending upcoming budget planning sessions on April 13 and 20. G. Faculty Affairs: B. Buchanan The annual retirement reception will be held on April 25 at 4 p.m. in Moore Hall. The committee is now seeking funding for next year’s event. H. Venango – W. Hallock No report. Old Business Croskey brought the “Who’s Eagletastic” Award forward for Faculty Senate approval. The award was unanimously approved. T. Pfannestiel said that he is now assembling final versions of the university’s Strategic Directions documents. These should be finished by the end of April. VIII. New Business CCPS Chair B. Sweet brought 61 curricular proposals forward for Faculty Senate approval. He noted that all had received positive recommendations from CCPS, except for proposal 123 (General Education), which was withdrawn. Proposals 20 (Library Science); 26 (Accountancy); 78 (Biology); 94, 95 and 97 (Allied Health); 103 (Administrative Science); and 105 (Music) were selected for discussion. Following discussion and suggested modifications, these proposals were voted upon and passed unanimously. General Education proposals 15, 16, 74, 76 77, 78, 107 and 108 were voted upon and passed unanimously. B. Sweet read in all remaining CCPS proposals. S. Sentner provided Faculty Senate with a report on the Academic Suspension Appeals process and proposed news changes made through the university’s Accelerated Improvement Process. Among the most important new changes, Student Affairs can no longer remove a student from the academic suspension process. In addition, the student may only appeal decision based on: a.) new information that surfaced after the initial hearing or: b.) demonstrated bias within the committee. Faculty Senate voted unanimously to approve the proposed new changes. B. Buchanan updated Faculty Senate on the university’s proposed new syllabus policy. He asked Faculty Senate for a recommendation to go forward to the Provost. From there, any changes proposed by the Provost will have to go back through Faculty Senate for further review. Discussion ensued on each of the proposed policy points, including the appropriate number of learning objectives and how they are assessed. On a vote of 12 yes’s and 4 no’s, the proposal passed. Adjournment Sweet moved and S. Sentner seconded the motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 5 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall, Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University April 16, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday, April 16 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, J. Beal, V. Bennett, B. Buchanan, E. Donato, J. Donor (student senate), E. Foster, S. Heeter, R. Leary, J. Lyle, C. McCarrick, S. Nix, L. Occhipinti, T. Pfannestiel, B. Register, A. Rosati, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes No minutes were available. M. Franchino will send them out and ask for approval at next meeting III. Announcements There is a sneaker sale going on today. Elections will be held tomorrow at the Carlson Library. E. Foster thanked all those who are helping. President’s Report: No report. Student Senate – J. Donor reported that elections will be held near the end of the week. During Finals Week, coffee and donuts will be provided to students in the Carlson Library. The purpose is to recognize Clarion University Veterans as an RSO. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources: Y. Ayad The Facilities Planning Committee meets this Thursday at 3 p.m. They will discuss plan proposals from 12 contractors and select from among them. Members of the Library Subcommittee met recently at Slippery Rock University to discuss library consortiums and various issues. The consulting group took notes and developed summaries for each university on how to grow/collaborate with the state system. According to Franchino, the big question was, “What can PASSHE do to support the library?” The Technology Subcommittee met last week. S. Puleio is talking to the team about some increased file size in attachment allowances through email. Regarding tech fees, 20 eligible projects have been approved for $230,000 including Smart classroom upgrades. About 160 computers on campus have been moved to other areas on campus. Wimba for online classroom support was bought by Blackboard and it will be offered under a new name. The PASSHE is currently evaluating this to determine a cost‐effective solution. Clarion University will continue to support Wimba for summer courses even if it means buying a short‐ term contract. B. CCPS: B. Sweet CCPS items will be addressed under New Business. C. Student Affairs: J. Croskey No report. D. CCR: E. Foster No report. E. Academic Standards: S. Sentner No report. F. Budget: S. Heeter S. Heeter reported her attendance at the April 13 round of RC presentations. She heard four RCM presentations from: Ron Nowaczyk (Provost), Bill Bailey (Admissions), Karen Whitney (President), and Paul Bylaska (Admin and Finance). She was unable to stay for Terry LaTour's (Library) presentation at the end of the day. G. Faculty Affairs: B. Buchanan The 2012 Retirement Reception takes place April 25 at 4 p.m. in Moore Hall. H. Venango – W. Hallock No report. Old Business Pfannestiel reported that his committee will soon be providing updates to the university community regarding strategic directions and initiatives the committee has been pursuing. New Business Bennett reported that an advisory council has been created by Provost R. Nowaczyk to review the university’s assessment plan. The PASSHE wants to become a LEAP system and so the committee is looking at how to identify CUP outcomes at a university wide‐level. Bennett provided a handout of the work done by the advisory council to date. Bennett plans to take the handout to chair’s council meetings and Faculty Senate for feedback. The next direction is to determine how gen ed courses and co‐curriculars might provide evidence of these outcomes. Further discussion ensued. Two gen ed proposals were approved, including the “I”flag for CSD 472 and a “W” flag for Soc 353. B.Sweet read in two proposals. B.Sweet will be taking the revised CCPS procedure manual to Meet and Discuss on Friday. Sweet reviewed the changes made to manual for Faculty Senate, which included some items that Nowaczyk wanted to add. A discussion ensued with a number of further additions, clarifications, and amendments. V. Bennett moved to approve the revised CCPS manual with amendments. L. Occhipinti seconded, and it passed. M. Franchino reported on the letter to Gov. Tom Corbett being drafted by Faculty Senate presidents from all 14 PASSHE universities. Faculty Senate voted to have M. Frahchino sign the letter and forward it on to sister institutions. IX. Adjournment B.Sweet moved to adjourn. Faculty senate adjourned at 4:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, S. Heeter for A. Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Minutes Clarion University April 30, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Faculty Senate held its final 2011‐12 meeting on Monday, April 30 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, J. Croskey, E. Donato, E. Foster, B. Hallock, S. Johnson, S. Heeter, R. Leary, J. Lyle, C. McCarrick, S. Nix, L. Occhipinti, T. Pfannestiel, J. Phillips, R. Raehsler, B. Register, M. Robinson, A. Rosati, S. Sentner, A. Shannonhouse, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney and Provost R. Nowaczyk, along with Student Senate representative J. Donor, were also present. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of the minutes Occhipinti moved and E. Foster seconded to approve the minutes from April 2, 2012. Sweet moved and S. Heeter seconded to approve the minutes from April 16, 2012. Both sets of minutes were unanimously approved. III. Announcements None. President’s Report Whitney provided updates on the financial planning process, with an overview of task force appointments she hoped to make soon. Whitney also handed out a timetable and criteria sheet to be used for judging the strength of academic programs at Clarion University. She asked Faculty Senate how they would like to be involved in the process. Occhipinti asked when the quartile rankings would be available. Whitney said this would be in mid‐June. Whitney said that from July 9‐13, she would be holding a series of meetings with students, faculty and staff governance, and unions, to review any proposed actions. Discussion ensued on the academic scorecards and the process behind ranking various academic programs. Y. Ayad asked whether faculty teaching in programs falling in the lowest 20 percent would be able to play a role in redesigning the programs or in deciding how any potential “sunset” process might play out. Whitney replied yes, of course. This is a months‐long, years‐long process, and each department plays a critical role in the dialogue. R. Leary pointed out that the entire academic scorecard process is happening over the summer. This will call for major decisions. If faculty are not on campus to be involved, the best decisions will not be made for the university. Whitney answered that the university has been working on this process since February. Given weak anticipated enrollments for 2012‐12, we must act quickly yet thoughtfully now. From her on out, this will be an annual event. Whitney noted there are budget gaps in every RC that must be addressed now. M. Franchino said the academic scorecards make it appear that departments are the RCs, which is not correct. He also asked what it really means to be doing well financially. R. Nowaczyk replied that the university will be using the Delaware data to make this judgment, along with universities across the rest of the PASSHE. Franchino said that programs like Art, for example, always appear to be losing money. In this scenario, how do we value Art as a university? What about combined programs? Whitney said that she understood these concerns; it is all about intelligent program design and a careful balancing of resources. Leary noted that Theater is listed in five different places on the “Criteria for Academic Program Insight Sheets” document. How is all the data separated? Could it be used to consolidate programs? Nowaczyk answered yes it could, but only if it made academic sense to do so. Leary replied that the document was based on a number of false dimensions. Whitney concluded that she would be contacting Faculty Senate and the rest of the campus community soon via e‐mail with updates on the financial planning process. She invited everyone to the upcoming financial planning meetings on campus from July 9‐13. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that elections for Student Senate Executive Board positions will take place tonight. Committee Reports Institutional Resources: Y. Ayad No report. B. CCPS: B. Sweet No report. Student Affairs: J. Croskey J. Croskey reported that the recent Diane L. Reinhard and “Who’s Eagletastic” awards went well. D. CCR: E. Foster No report. E. Academic Standards: S. Sentner The academic and athletics subcommittees met recently with B .Bailey to discuss student mentoring, building greater faculty involvement, and the university’s strategic planning process. D. Katis is concerned about games and meets that take place when the university is not in session, because there is no audience for the athletes. This issue remains unresolved. F. Budget: S. Heeter Members of the Budget Committee attended financial planning sessions on April 13 and 20. All of these presentations should soon be posted online. G. Faculty Affairs: B. Buchanan No report. H. Venango – W. Hallock Venango faculty members are now working on an updated version of a $15 million grant as part of a consortium with several other PASSHE universities to retrain dislocated workers. Old Business Pfannestiel distributed a handout summarizing Clarion University’s strategic directions and goals for 2012‐2017. He summarized the yearlong planning process leading up to the document. The final version of this document should be approved by the Council of Trustees by the end of May. Nowaczyk distributed the latest draft of the “University Policy for Course Syllabi” document and thanked Faculty Senators for their work on it. He reviewed the latest draft, noting that he had changed some of the “shoulds” to “musts.” In the recent Middle States review process, Clarion University was criticized for its lack of a syllabus policy, so this is a much‐needed document. VIII. New Business CCPS Chair B. Sweet brought General Education proposals 132‐134. They were voted upon and passed unanimously. Adjournment Sweet moved and S. Sentner seconded the motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall, Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Minutes Clarion University April 30, 2012 Meeting 2 4:45 p.m., 246 Gemmell Faculty Senate held its final 2011‐12 meeting on Monday, April 30 at 4:45 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. M. Franchino chaired the meeting, with the following members present: Y. Ayad, B. Buchanan, J. Croskey, E. Foster, B. Hallock, S. Heeter, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, T. Pfannestiel, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. I. Call to Order M. Franchino called the meeting to order at 4:45 p.m. Election of Chair Pfannestiel nominated E. Foster to serve as 2012‐13 Faculty Senate Chair. Y. Ayad seconded. B. Sweet moved to close nominations, seconded by S. Sentner. By unanimous vote, E. Foster was elected 2012‐13 Faculty Senate Chair. Election of Vice Chair Leary nominated S. Johnson to serve as 2012‐13 Faculty Senate Vice Chair. A. Lingwall seconded. T. Pfannestiel moved to close nominations, seconded by M. Franchino. By unanimous vote, S. Johnson was elected 2012‐13 Faculty Senate Vice Chair. Election of Secretary Sentner nominated A. Lingwall to serve as 2012‐13 Faculty Senate Secretary. B. Hallock seconded. M. Franchino moved to close nominations, seconded by S. Heeter. By unanimous vote, A. Lingwall was elected 2012‐13 Faculty Senate Secretary. Election of CCR Members Member No. 1: S. Sentner nominated M. Robinson and Y. Ayad seconded. Member No. 2: T. Pfannestiel nominated J. Phillips and Y. Ayad seconded. By unanimous vote, M. Robinson and J. Phillips were named to CCR for 2012‐13. Adjournment Franchino moved and T. Pfannestiel seconded the motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate Meeting 2 adjourned at 5 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall, Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University September 10, 2012 3:30 p.m., Conference Room, Former Rhea Lumber Building Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m. in the Conference Room of the former Rhea Lumber Building. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, V. Bennett, S. Boyden, J. Croskey, B. Hallock, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, C. McCarrick, J. McCullough, T. Pfannestiel, J. Phillips, S. Prezzano, B. Register, M. Robinson, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. President Karen Whitney and Provost R. Nowaczyk were also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of the minutes Sweet moved and S. Sentner seconded to approve the minutes of April 30, 2012. They were unanimously approved. Announcements Ayad announced that the 2012 Northwestern Pennsylvania GIS Conference will be held Oct. 17‐18 in the Gemmell Student Center. All faculty and students are invited to attend. E. Foster announced that all faculty members should try to attend the series of upcoming budget open forums this fall, and to watch e‐mail for announcements. Faculty members also need to complete the mandatory sexual harassment training as soon as possible. IV. President’s Report President K. Whitney announced that the university is now in Phase II of its strategic planning process, and is on track with its timetable. Planning initiatives will soon be implemented at the college and division levels, and a major fundraising campaign will kick off in May 2013. Whitney asked senators to let her know if strategic planning initiatives or documents are not reaching them at the departmental level. Whitney summarized provisions of the recently passed Higher Education Modernization Act (HEMA) in Pennsylvania. HEMA makes it possible for individual PASSHE universities to offer applied doctorates. Proposals for doctorates in Nursing and Special Education have been advanced at Clarion. HEMA also enables universities and their faculties to engage in entrepreneurial activities, and lifts many previous restrictions on fund raising. Whitney said she will be hosting a university forum on HEMA in October, and that it will be announced via campus e‐mail. Whitney announced that Paul Bylaska, Clarion’s vice president of finance, will be retiring on Nov. 1. The university will be hiring an interim vice president and conducting a search for a permanent replacement. Whitney said she hopes to have this position filled by July 1, 2013. Whitney encouraged everyone to attend the next budget open forum on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. in Hart Chapel, and to provide her and R. Nowaczyk with feedback and opinions. Provost R. Nowaczyk reported on recent enrollment data and trends at Clarion University. He handed out a document summarizing Fall 2012 enrollment data, noting that overall, university enrollment is down by 7 percent. Declines in new applications have been especially steep this year in the College of Education. However, online and part‐time enrollments have increased. Nowaczyk cited demographic changes in Western Pennsylvania and the economic recession as contributing factors. He added that PASSHE‐wide enrollment is down by nearly 4,100 students this fall. Nowaczyk reported the Admissions staff is now working to recruit students from neighboring states, and that the university is limiting out‐of‐state tuition to 150 percent of in‐state tuition. The university is also working on initiatives in international recruitment, largely in Business, Communication and other applied degree areas. More online programs are needed at the undergraduate level. To bolster overall recruiting efforts, university planners have retained the services of Mind Over Media, an advertising firm. Nowaczyk added that faculty are encouraged to participate in efforts to update departmental websites, to recruit new students, and to locate and publicize successful alumni from their programs. Finally, Nowaczyk reported that he has been working with Chris Reber on the Venango campus to develop a four‐year BSN program for the Clarion campus. Nowaczyk will provide further updates on enrollment and recruiting at the September 10 Faculty Senate meeting. R. Leary noted that Clarion University’ s enrollment has declined for three years, and that enrollments are now at the lowest point in six years. He asked what Clarion’s PASSHE competitors doing to bolster enrollments this year. Also, if new Clarion University programs are not drawing the expected number of new students, why not and why are we still running those programs? K. Whitney answered that as an institution, Clarion University now needs to decide what it is and what it is not. Many variables are in play, including dropping birth rates in the region. Whitney said the university needs to explore programs aimed at adult learners, not just high‐school graduates. Nowaczyk added that Virtual Campus graduate program enrollments are up, and that Clarion University needs to offer more online programs at the undergraduate level. K. Whitney said that in terms of new 2012‐13 enrollments, the College of Education has suffered the most. This problem also appears to be occurring in colleges of education at universities across the PASSHE. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor introduced herself and invited everyone to attend Student Senate meetings this fall. Committee Reports Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick No report. J. Beal noted that the committee is still waiting to get a meeting schedule from the Facilities Master Planning Committee. This group will likely be meeting some Mondays, which could conflict with Faculty Senate meetings. B. CCPS – B. Sweet The deadline for special topics and experimental course proposals is Sept. 14. The deadline for full circulation proposals is Sept. 28. Objections must be made by Oct. 19. Sweet noted that the committee will be posting CCPS proposals for major curricular changes electronically. For minor curricular change proposals, faculty should send ten copies to the Chair of CCPS. Sweet added that he is now finishing final edits to the CCPS procedure manual. These should be finalized over the next several weeks. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey All faculty and students to attend the first 2012‐13 Academic Speaker Series on Sept. 11. Todd Pfannestiel will present “My Big Sister, Santa Claus, and Fate: Why You Should Never Underestimate Your Ability to Succeed” The event runs from 7 to 8 p.m. in 250/252 Gemmell. D. CCR – S. Johnson The nomination process is under way for the 2012‐13 Clarion University Honors Council. The committee’s recommendations will be announced at the Sept. 17 Faculty Senate Policy meeting. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner During August, the Academic Standards Committee heard appeals from 49 students. Of that total, they re‐admitted 24 students. Of the 25 denied, three students appealed. Two of the appeals were upheld, and Susan Turell re‐admitted one of those students. Over the summer, Turrell met with a total of 14 students, three of whom had served suspensions but did not write the committee to request reinstatement. Senter also reported that the committee has assembled a form letter to streamline paperwork and forms. The committee is also working on tightening up the rules of academic appeals to prevent students from bypassing the committee and the hearing process. V. Bennett noted that faculty advisors somehow need to be updated on changes in students’ status when they are suspended, expelled, or re‐admitted. F. Budget – G. Barboza No report. G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden Thirteen new university faculty members have joined the new‐faculty mentoring program. However, the program is still awaiting funding for 2012‐13. A major goal this year is to make the mentoring program more hands‐on in nature, with sessions on advising, assessment, and other practical skill areas. Planning for the 2012‐13 Faculty Author Series is now under way. So far, two gatherings are planned for this fall, with two more planned for Spring 2013. H. Venango – B. Hallock No report. VI. Old Business None. New Business Foster reported that the recent Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools report recommended that Faculty Senate review its bylaws and constitution. She suggested that a committee of the past five Faculty Senate chairs convene in November or December to formulate recommendations. On Sept. 24, legal counsel Matt Schaffer will speak to Faculty Senate regarding academic honesty and how to interpret new university reporting requirements. On Oct. 8, Jocelind Gant will speak to Faculty Senate regarding social equity policies. R. Leary said that Faculty Senate should move the location of Faculty Senate meetings to the Trustees Room in the Carlson Library. He said that from a symbolic perspective, it is important for Faculty Senate to meet at the center of campus. From a logistical perspective, it is much easier for everyone to meet in the Carlson Library. M. Robinson moved that Faculty Senate investigate this avenue, seconded by P. Kolencik. E. Foster will investigate this idea and report her findings at the Sept. 10 Faculty Senate meeting. Adjournment Sweet moved and M. Robinson seconded a motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:45p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University September 24, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Sept. 24 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, V. Bennett, S. Boyden, B. Buchanan, J. Croskey, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, C. McCarrick, J. McCullough, T. Pfannestiel, J. Phillips, S. Prezzano, A. Roberts, M. Robinson, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. Provost R. Nowaczyk was also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of the minutes Croskey moved and V. Bennett seconded to approve the minutes of Sept. 10, 2012. Y. Ayad noted that the GIS Conference dates are Oct. 18‐19, not Oct. 17‐18 as listed in the minutes. With this amendment, the Sept. 10 minutes were unanimously approved. Announcements Ayad announced that the 2012 Northwestern Pennsylvania GIS Conference is shaping up well for Oct. 18‐19, with three major sponsors and several notable speakers lined up for the event. All faculty and students are invited to attend. Foster announced that all faculty members should try to attend the series of upcoming budget open forums this fall, and to watch e‐mail for announcements. Foster also announced that Jocelind Gant will be attending the Oct. 8 Faculty Senate meeting to discuss international student programming and diversity initiatives. IV. President’s Report Provost R. Nowaczyk reported that the Council of Trustees had approved the 2012‐ 13 university budget at its last meeting. Clarion received $1.8 million in performance funding from the PASSHE, the same amount as in 2011‐12. Fifty percent of the total will go to the academic units that provided the performance initiatives, 25 percent will go to the Office of the President, and the remaining 25 percent will go the Office of the Provost. Some of these funds will also be used for recruiting and infrastructure improvements. Nowaczyk also reviewed enrollment data for Fall 2012. He noted that the biggest enrollment declines were occurring in the College of Education. J. Phillips asked about the status of the search for the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Nowaczyk said that Joyce Overly is now the acting dean, and that he was working with the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences and the Executive Registry, Inc. to locate an interim dean to fill the position for 18 months while the search for the permanent replacement is under way during 2013‐14. Nowaczyk said he hoped to have the interim dean in place late this fall, and that he would keep all department chairs closely posted on his progress. Phillips expressed concerns about hiring an interim dean, saying the person would have no stake in the institution, no knowledge of it, and no loyalty to it. E. Foster asked whether a search committee would be convened for the interim dean position. Nowaczyk replied that he had not planned on this, but that if faculty wanted to convene a search committee, he would do it. S. Prezzano asked how long a dean can serve in an interim capacity. Nowaczyk said in this case, no later than the end of 2013‐14. The discussion returned the university’s budget and its current shortfall. G. Barboza suggested there are two ways to address the shortfall: either increase enrollments or reduce costs. Of these two options, which way is the university headed? Nowaczyk answered that options might include restructuring departments and reducing part‐time faculty pay. Nowaczyk also said that the Office of the Provost has “loaned” approximately $1 million to the College of Arts and Sciences and $400,000 to the College of Business Administration to cover current budget year shortfalls. The loan is interest‐free, but it will have to be paid back someday. R. Leary asked why the Provost could not alter the RCM tax rate for the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business Administration. S. Boyden said it appeared that all potential budget cuts are aimed at academic programs and faculty members. What about reducing overhead at the management/administrative level? Nowaczyk replied that he was looking at this, as well. Nowaczyk said that Clarion University runs above the national average in terms of instructional costs, but below the national average in terms of infrastructure, which is need of repair and updating in many areas. Phillips said he believed the instructional costs argument to be dubious, given the high levels of faculty productivity at Clarion University. He asked Nowaczyk to provide data supporting this argument. Nowaczyk promised to get data and provide it at an upcoming Faculty Senate meeting. Y. Ayad said that if faculty members are being penalized for lower enrollments, then it seems unfair that they do not have a larger say in how recruiting and admissions is managed. Nowaczyk replied that faculty members’ opinions are being included in the process, supported by a new Web developer position to help colleges and departments publicize their individual academic programs. Phillips asked how it is possible for the university’s colleges and departments to meet their 201213 PASSHE performance goals including program growth, improved graduation rates, etc., given the university’s overall declining enrollments. He asked for a future presentation addressing this question. Nowaczyk promised to do this. T. Pfannestiel noted that the PASSHE set up these initiatives two years ago, before more recent PASSHE‐wide events occurred. This locks Clarion into unrealistic numbers that will be impossible to meet. Regarding the university budget, B. Sweet said that Faculty Senate needed to know where the university’s reserves are being held. For example, what is restricted and unrestricted? Nowaczyk said he would present this information at the budget forum on Sept. 26. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that senate held a successful fall retreat this weekend. Senators are now working on community events and voter registration. Committee Reports Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick No report. B. CCPS – B. Sweet The deadline for full circulation CCPS proposals is Sept. 28. Objections must be made by Oct. 19. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey No report. D. CCR – S. Johnson S. Johnson announced that on Sept. 17, the Faculty Senate Policy Committee approved the Clarion University Honors Council recommendations of Y. Ayad (one‐ year replacement); and J. Beal, B. Frakes and J. Lyle (regular three‐year terms) for 2012‐13 Honors Council membership. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner No report. F. Budget – G. Barboza No report. G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden No report. H. Venango – B. Hallock A learning outcomes and assessment workshop will be held Oct. 9 on the Venango campus. VI. Old Business None. VII. New Business Matt Shaffer, Clarion’s Coordinator of Judicial Affairs and Residence Life, made a presentation on the judicial process at the university and updated Faculty Senate on the office’s recent activities. He reported an overall decline in student misconduct over the past three years, with 1,257 incidents taking place during that period. Within the past year, 35 to 40 students went before the conduct board and were either suspended or expelled. Most of these offenses were not related to academic integrity. Shaffer noted that the board usually deals with only one or two such cases per year. Shaffer said he hopes to soon start a program to educate students on academic integrity and honor. He noted that cheating can negatively impact the Clarion brand. Shaffer said his office is seeing about a 5 percent recidivism rate for alcohol‐related offenses. The office is currently running a “healthy decisions” promotion to reduce drug and alcohol use at Clarion. R. Leary asked what happens to information regarding student behavior that faculty report to Shaffer’s office. Shaffer replied that the information is entered into a database that enables Shaffer to monitor and follow up with the students. Leary said he had a problem with faculty being required to report plagiarism because in his opinion, it would result in fewer faculty members reporting it. S. Boyden said that she respectfully disagreed. Faculty can exercise flexibility in enforcing plagiarism penalties. Also reporting is required only when they are reducing a student’s grade or failing them for an entire class. Considerable discussion ensued as to the advisability and legality of reporting plagiarism, and how to deal with the problem at Clarion. Shaffer concluded that a student’s transcript is usually not tagged for behavioral suspensions, but that transcripts are tagged for academic suspensions and expulsions. However, he stressed the importance of tagging transcripts for severe behavioral issues including crimes. If, for example, a student applies to another university, that university should know what occurred at the previous institution. B. Sweet read in 11 curricular proposals. Adjournment Hallock moved and B. Sweet seconded a motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 5:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University October 8, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Oct. 8 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, V. Bennett, B. Buchanan, J. Croskey, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, W. Hallock, C. McCarrick, M. Franchino, T. Pfannestiel, J. Phillips, J. Beal, A. Roberts, M. Robinson, S. Sentner, S. Prezzano, B. Register, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney and Provost R. Nowaczyk were also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of the minutes Buchanan moved and P. Kolencik seconded to approve the minutes of Sept. 24, 2012. B. Sweet noted that the loan amount noted to the College of Business Administration in the minutes was closer to $400,000 not $2 Million. With this amendment, the Sept. 24 minutes were unanimously approved. Announcements Register noted that the University musical opens this week and will be in the little theater, as well as an Honors Colloquium will be presented on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Hart Chapel. Foster mentioned that the President’s Budget Forum will be held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Venango College, and P. Kolencik noted that a new student recruitment event will be held at Venango on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. IV. President’s Report President Whitney noted that the class of 1962 alumni banquet was held recently and showed us a handout from the student handbook in 1962 and showed some interesting facts including how the Commonwealth paid 80 percent of student tuition then vs. only 24 percent today. President Whitney mentioned what a success Autumn Leaf Festival was over the past weekend, and noted great alumni participation and that students were on their best behavior. She mentioned the great number of giveaway items our Clarion University booth had. Provost Nowaczyk provided some updates, noting that six‐week attendance was due today. Mapworks software to look at factors for retention, had about 70 percent of students complete this survey. He is giving one last plea to have closer to 100 percent complete it by Wednesday, and might even use the incentive of students losing their priority registration if they don’t complete it. Nowaczyk next announced that Friday at 11 a.m., the Education Advisory Board would meet and give a software demonstration, which compares how students are doing in classes in comparison to how others have done in the past in the same major. He noted that Richard Lane had mentioned that this program could do what a good senior advisor could do. The University is thinking of purchasing this software. The Provost gave data on first to second year retention, stating that only 67 percent of 2011 freshman came back this year, but was concerned that this rate dropped to 47.8 percent for African‐Americans. G. Barbosa asked if this data could be broken down by major, and the Provost said he’d look into that. Y. Ayad asked if we would be contacting the dropouts to see why they did not return to school and the Provost said that would happen too. Nowaczyk noted that Bill Bailey will be sending out weekly emails regarding what the University is doing in recruiting, and the first one was sent out today. He asked Susan Turrell to send out emails every other week with regard to our efforts in retention. R. Leary asked for the cost of the Mapworks program; the Provost said approximately $30,000. R. Leary asked the cost of the other software program, and the Provost said approximately $90,000 per year. Nowaczyk said money to pay for these two programs would come out of performance monies. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that senate will be participating in a ropes course on Oct. 28, and are attending the Clarion Borough Council meeting this week. S. Sentner asked for an update on the Reinhard Villages sidewalk project. K. Whitney said a delay is happening now due to not being able to get a utility pole moved, and it was unlikely that this sidewalk was going to be completed this winter. Whitney noted that she was very unhappy that this sidewalk is taking so long to complete, and the safety of students will likely go another season at least before it’s improved. Committee Reports Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick The facilities committee met, and the master plan is now in Harrisburg. A hiking trail is being built from the freshman parking lot to the river, and the Becht Hall demolition is continuing and should be completed by summer 2014. B. CCPS – B. Sweet The deadline for objections must be made by Oct. 19. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey No report. D. CCR – S. Johnson The list of new members to Senate Committees was presented by S. Johnson. This came from the CCR committee, and was approved unanimously. E. Foster noted thanks to the members of CCR ‐‐M. Robinson, S. Johnson, and J. Phillips. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner No report. F. Budget – G. Barboza The Venango College budget forum is tomorrow at 1 p.m., and two other forums have been presented on the Clarion campus. A report on these will come in the near future. G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden No report. H. Venango – B. Hallock A learning outcomes and assessment workshop will be held Oct. 9 on the Venango campus. VI. Old Business None. New Business Gant gave a report on Social Equity and International Programs. She asked Senate for approval of a statement on Diversity and Equity. This had been previously approved by other committees on campus with the exception of Senate. M. Franchino noted that Senate had been waiting for the University to develop new mission and core values before approving the statement. R. Leary asked a clarification on the expectation of faculty, and J. Gant said that faculty need to treat everyone equitably. A motion to approve the statement was made by J. Croskey and seconded by M. Robinson. This motion passed with unanimous approval. Gant gave an overview of International Programs. She showed data that from 2000 to 2010 the number of international students has doubled, but the U.S. share of those students has dropped from 23 percent to 17 percent. Clarion’s enrollment has dropped from 66 in fall 2008 to 52 this semester. Of those 52, eight are in a continuing education IEP program. J. Gant noted that students wishing to obtain an online degree cannot get a visa to attend school in the U.S. for online programs, meaning there are fewer graduate program options for international students at Clarion University. She said they are targeting Speech Pathology and MBA students and doing joint marketing with PASSHE. Kolencik asked about the budget she had to market to these students, and Gant said about $22,000. J. Phillips asked if we were likely to get the Georgetown University partnership grant back, and J. Gant noted that they were working on it with other agencies. G. Barboza asked if we were targeting specific pockets of students, and Gant responded that China and Korea are the top areas Clarion is recruiting. J. Gant stated that Clarion University has lowered its undergraduate tuition to international students and she feels that will make a big difference in their recruitment. G. Barboza asked why international students choose Clarion, and J. Gant responded that most feel safe here, the love their majors, and the faculty. She said the international students never feel like a number a Clarion, that everyone was genuinely interested in their success. Gant then gave some data on social equity complaints. She stated that a full complaint cycle can take at least four months. President Whitney commended Dr. Gant on her diligence in dealing with complaints with a two‐person office. She noted that we have taken appropriate disciplinary action when necessary. Sweet read in new curricular proposals. Leary made a motion that Senate request of PEC to rescind the requirement that faculty are required to refer students to judicial affairs when academic dishonesty is presumed. This motion was seconded by J. Phillips. M. Robinson said she believed there was a due process failure in the judicial process when we all handle this internally. Nowaczyk noted that there had not been a PEC vote yet. T. Pfannestiel said that this was to inform students about their ability to appeal a professor’s decision and require faculty to turn in students to the judicial board. Eight senators voted in favor of the motion, and 9 opposed it. The motion failed. Leary made a motion that PEC rescind the decision that judicial affairs must put a notation on student transcripts when they have been suspended. This was seconded by J. Phillips. J. Beal asked if there were any liability issues raised by stamping student transcripts in these cases. T. Pfannestiel noted that there was not and it had been reviewed by the University’s legal counsel. Phillips noted that if a crime had been committed, it would show up in a police report, so it was not needed on the transcript and it would only hurt students. T. Pfannestiel said he would want to know if a transfer student to Clarion was an offender of the student code of conduct, and this transcript notation would show us that, where a crime might go unnoticed by the Office of Admissions for various reasons. J. Beal asked and other PASSHE schools do this transcript notation for suspensions, and it was stated that two other schools do. Nine voted in favor of this motion, and 5 opposed it. The motion passed. Adjournment Robinson moved and B. Sweet seconded a motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bill Hallock Acting Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University October 22, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Oct. 22 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, J. Beal, V. Bennett, S. Boyden, B. Buchanan, J. Croskey, M. Franchino, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, C. McCarrick, J. McCullough, S. Prezzano, B. Register, A. Roberts, M. Robinson, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney and Provost R. Nowaczyk were also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Approval of the minutes McCarrick moved and P. Kolencik seconded to approve the minutes of Oct. 8, 2012. They were unanimously approved. Announcements Ayad noted that the recent GIS conference was a major success, with more than 320 attendees, 30 presenters and two keynote speakers. President’s Report Whitney re‐announced the Higher Education Modernization Act and a PASSHE entrepreneurial forum to be held October 23 in Becker Hall. She encouraged all faculty, staff and students to attend and get involved with these new initiatives. Whitney also circulated the recent memo on the APSCUF strike authorization vote from T. Fogarty. She said she was committed to moving the institution forward during this difficult time. Provost Nowaczyk provided updates on the university’s 2012‐13 budget shortfall and how it is being addressed. He reviewed a recent e‐mail sent to faculty recapping the search process for the Dean of Arts and Sciences. The search for an interim dean is now under way, with the hope of a Jan. 13, 2013 start date for the position. E. Foster asked whether current Clarion faculty will be able to apply for the position. Nowaczyk replied that they would not. However, current Clarion faculty will be able to apply for the permanent position when it is advertised. The search for the College of Business Administration Dean is ongoing. Nowaczyk said he hopes to be bringing candidates to campus for interviews this November. Nowaczyk announced that the Financial Aid and Student Accounts offices have now been combined into a new Office of Student Financial Services. He explained that the move was necessary to bring all financial services under one umbrella. Nowaczyk is now trying to bring in an interim director while a national search is completed. Nowaczyk applauded everyone who organized and participated in the Oct. 20 Campus Visit Day, which generated an excellent turnout. S. Turell will soon be reporting to faculty on the university’s latest student retention efforts. Watch for e‐ mail updates. Nowaczyk circulated a blue handout titled, “Academic Affairs Proposed Action Items” in response to the university’s current budget shortfall. The handout contained a list of initiatives that various colleges and departments might undertake to generate stronger enrollment. Considerable discussion ensued: B. Buchanan noted that many of the proposed new programs were online. He asked what the university is doing to recruit online students, when it appears that most current recruiting efforts are concentrated in Ohio and Pittsburgh, and aimed at on‐ campus students. Nowaczyk answered that the university was retaining an outside marketing firm to provide some assistance. R. Leary asked for clarification on the status of the proposed program changes listed on the blue handout. He asked whether they were already decided upon, or just proposals? Nowaczyk replied that they were merely proposals that he and Whitney want to discuss with faculty. Leary asked whether some of them could be deleted or modified. Nowaczyk said yes, they could. Nowaczyk also discussed the issue of student credit hours, stating that the target range for each faculty member would be 500 to 700 credit hours per year. M. Robinson said that it is wrong to value or devalue faculty members solely based on credit hour production. Under this system, she noted, faculty can be hurt by taking on a smaller, specialized class. S. Prezzano said that such a target may well create more problems than it solves. It depends upon the discipline, cross listings, and other factors, which could become extremely complicated. Nowaczyk answered that administration will have that discussion with faculty before implementing any changes. Prezzano replied that faculty members are not producing products – they are trying to produce educated students. The two are not the same. Nowaczyk said he agreed with this statement. Prezzanno added that the university must also work on attracting and recruiting better students. M. Franchino asked about the programs that already have strong growth potential. He said the ideas on the blue handout appeared to be relatively quick and easy to implement for lower‐performing programs. However, boosting the reputation of individual programs and the university as an institution takes time and requires a long‐term investment. Whitney said that she and Nowaczyk want as much faculty guidance as possible in this process. Each item on the blue handout needs a full discussion. She said that Clarion University is now in a moment of great challenges, and so we also need to develop great solutions. How do faculty members want to be involved in this process? S. Sentner said that the Academic Standards Committee’s Admissions Subcommittee could look at several of the issues under discussion and provide their advice. Whitney said the new student enrollment goals call for a total of 10,000 students, with 5,000 on campus. This number is not firm, but it is key to regain control over our enrollment and budget. She added that traditionally, higher education is a place in which people traditionally under‐perform; this would not be acceptable in the business world. Foster said that Faculty Senate will need to discuss how to proceed with the Academic Affairs Proposed Action Items at Policy on October 29 to determine how each piece of the plan should play out. Leary said it would be ill‐advised and unethical for Faculty Senate to attempt to decide upon the new program proposals on its own. No Senate committee could do this because the initiatives must be addressed at the college and department level. Robinson said that the university administration’s attitude of openness and collaboration is not being communicated down to the department level. Faculty members are fearful of what they are hearing in their own departments. The History Department, for example, has traditionally generated strong enrollments. Then, when a statewide drop occurs for one semester, the department is immediately threatened with cuts. Nowaczyk said that administration does not wish to communicate this message to any of the academic departments. He said that the Office of Academic Affairs would assume some of the initial risk for the proposed program changes. Whitney added that we are all trying to manage risks right now. We do not have the luxury of waiting and taking a slow approach to fixing the university budget. A 20 percent cut from the state and an 11 percent drop in 2011‐12 enrollments have made it very hard for the university. It is critical that we engage everyone at all levels now not just in Faculty Senate but at the college and department level. Roberts said that to better reflect reality, faculty credit hour production should be averaged, not based solely on individuals. Sometimes, faculty members take on smaller classes so they can complete key university projects. For further cost savings, why not skip the Interim Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences altogether and hire the permanent dean now? Nowaczyk replied that we need the interim dean on board now during this transitional period for the university. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that the first CSA budget meeting with RSOs was held last week. Next Sunday, senate members will be completing a ropes course. Committee Reports Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick No report. B. CCPS – B. Sweet CCPS met last week. Two objections came in by the Oct. 19 deadline. Open Hearings will take place on November 1, from Noon‐2pm, in 248 Gemmell. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey Speakers have been secured for the Academic Speaker Series for the semester. President Whitney will speak November 6. Her presentation will be: “Everything I Needed to Know about Being a University President I learned when I was A Student Leader.” D. CCR – S. Johnson S. Johnson presented the list of new members of Faculty Senate committees for 2012‐13. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner The Academic Standards Committee is working with Lisa Hepler of the Registrar’s Office. Hepler is asking that Academic Standards consider recommending changing the date that grades are due. Secondly, the committee will work with IMIR and a representative from the retention committee to examine what happened to students who were readmits, and students whose suspensions were upheld. Did they come back and were they successful? F. Budget – G. Barboza No report G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden No report. H. Venango – B. Hallock No report. VI. Old Business None. New Business Sweet read in two new curricular proposals. Johnson expressed concern about the new group of EOP students, which first joined Clarion in Summer 2012. He said he had received numerous reports of inappropriate classroom behavior from fellow faculty members. Johnson suggested that perhaps this cohort should be more fully dispersed among the general student population, and that student‐to‐student mentoring might help improve the situation. Adjournment Robinson moved and B. Sweet seconded a motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 5:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University November 5, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Nov. 5 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, J. Beal, V. Bennett, S. Boyden, B. Buchanan, M. Franchino, B. Hallock, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, J. McCullough, T. Pfannestiel, J. Phillips, S. Prezzano, B. Register, A. Roberts, M. Robinson, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney and Student Senate representative Jeff Donor were also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes A. Roberts moved and P. Kolencik seconded to approve the minutes of Oct. 22, 2012. They were unanimously approved. III. Announcements E. Foster announced that Clarion University Equity Week runs Nov. 12‐14. Faculty and students should try to attend as many events as possible. IV. President’s Report K. Whitney circulated the Undergraduate Admissions Monthly Progress Report‐ Three‐Year Application Summary as of Nov. 1, 2012, produced by Provost Nowaczyk. Based on the projected numbers, Whitney said members of administration are optimistic for healthier enrollments in Fall 2013, but added that many factors could intervene between now and then. Whitney announced an open campus forum on Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. to discuss the university’s budgetary challenges and Nowaczyk’s proposed action items for academic programs. Whitney thanked all faculty who contributed to the 2012 SECA Campaign, which raised $36,361. Whitney recently met with T. Pfannestiel to discuss Clarion’s Strategic Plan. University planners are on target to finish the college and division plans by May 2013. The strategic plan will then be used to seek outside financial resources, both public and private. P. Kolencik asked whether a search was under way for a management position as director of advising, and asked for details on the position and search process. V. Bennett responded that the advertisement process is just beginning, and that a position description has been created under the direction of S. Turrell. J. Phillips said this position and the search would be a Meet and Discuss issue because the position had been a faculty job in the past. He added that the current position description is problematic because it contains job duties that are supposed to be performed by faculty, according to the CBA. Phillips will report back to Faculty Senate after Meet and Discuss. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that the annual Equity Dinner would be held on Nov. 14. In addition, the “Eagle’s Nest,” a new RSO, has been formed. This is a university cheer group that will attend Clarion games and events to provide extra school spirit. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick The Facilities Planning Committee met on Oct. 25 and discussed the following items: The Facilities Master Plan is moving forward: the architects are developing a timeline. The Facilities Planning Committee will be notified when their input is needed. The committee met last week and discussed the Reinhard Villages sidewalk project, which is moving ahead very slowly. The project now goes to the Clarion Borough Council for approval, which will then file necessary paperwork with PennDOT. The Committee on Institutional Resources has been working with the Clarion Area Transportation Authority on plans for improving bus service for students, especially those who participate in evening classes and programs. The Authority will be hosting a campus meeting on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Carlson Library Level A to discuss potential plans. Renovations on Stevens Hall will begin in early Summer 2013. B. CCPS – B. Sweet B. Sweet showed Faculty Senate a visual presentation explaining how the new online CCPS process works. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey Speakers have been secured for the Academic Speaker Series for the semester. President Whitney will speak November 6. Her presentation will be: “Everything I Needed to Know about Being a University President I learned when I was A Student Leader.” D. CCR – S. Johnson No report. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner No report. F. Budget – G. Barboza No report G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden No report. H. Venango – B. Hallock The Venango College Committee will meet Nov. 12. VI. Old Business None. VII. New Business B. Sweet presented a number of course proposals for Faculty Senate approval, all with positive recommendations from CCPS. With the exception of course proposals 15, 76, 94, and 118, all proposals were unanimously approved. Proposal 15: Art 301. Following discussion, this course proposal was unanimously approved. Proposal 76: Minor in Bioinformatics. Following discussion, this course proposal was approved. All senators voted for passage with the exception of R. Leary. Proposal 94: HPE 253. Following discussion and amendment of the proposal to fix a typo, this course proposal was unanimously approved as amended. Proposal 118: Associate of Science in Real Estate. After discussion, senators decided the proposal needs to clarify in writing how students complete the second two years of their education toward the bachelor’s degree. J. Beal moved to table the proposal until this process was clarified. V. Bennett seconded. All voted in favor of the motion. All General Education proposals with flag requests were unanimously approved. VIII. Adjournment M. Franchino moved and B. Sweet seconded a motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University November 19, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Nov. 19 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: V. Bennett, S. Boyden, J. Croskey, M. Franchino, B. Hallock, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, A. Lingwall, C. McCarrick, T. Pfannestiel, J. Phillips, S. Prezzano, B. Register, A. Roberts, M. Robinson, S. Sentner, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney, J. Beloit, and Student Senate representative Jeff Donor were also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes P. Kolencik moved and Susan Prezzano seconded to approve the minutes of Nov. 5, 2012. They were unanimously approved. III. Announcements None. IV. President’s Report K. Whitney announced that the facilities master planning process is on track. All faculty and staff are invited to campus information sessions Nov. 28 and 29 on the Clarion and Venango campuses to learn about the future of the built environment at Clarion University. Whitney recapped her recent trip to Harrisburg, at which she and other PASSHE university presidents advocated for the best possible 2013‐14 budgets. The report by Gov. Tom Corbett’s Commission on Higher Education has been issued. Clarion University is on track with all performance indicators mentioned in the report. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that last week’s Social Equity Dinner went well. S. Johnson asked how Student Senate is dealing with RSO funding, given the current freeze in student activity fees. Donor will check further on this and report back to Faculty Senate at its Dec. 3 meeting. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick The Facilities Planning Committee met on Nov. 15. Members discussed the facilities master planning process and the university’s work with Perkins Eastman architects. The six major steps in the planning process are scheduled to be complete by Spring 2014. All faculty and staff are invited to Clarion and Venango campus forums on Nov. 28 and 29 to discuss the facilities master planning process. B. CCPS – B. Sweet B. Sweet read in curricular proposals no. 27, 98, 134, 135 and 136. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey The Faculty Senate Committee on Student Affairs and the Subcommittee on Student Activities will meet on Nov. 30 at 10a.m. in the CSD conference room at Keeling Health Center. On Nov. 6, President Karen Whitney presented “Everything I Needed to Know About Being a University President I learned When I was a Student Leader” for the Academic Speaker Series. D. CCR – S. Johnson S. Johnson brought forward names for the Campus‐Wide Faculty Development Committee, all with a positive recommendation from CCR. All names were unanimously appointed. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner S. Sentner discussed proposed changes in the Late Withdrawal Policy for students, which came from the Academic Standards Committee with a positive recommendation. They are as follows: 1. Student must follow withdrawal procedures to drop or withdraw from courses they are NOT attending. This means they follow the timelines and submit paperwork directly to the registrar's office. 2. No student will be dropped from classes after grades have been submitted due to non‐attendance. 3. Faculty must grade all students even if the student did not attend. If no grade is submitted, the Registrar's office will submit a "Z" grade. 4. The "Z" grade will revert to an "E" grade if a grade is not turned in before the next semester. (Exceptions can occur with the involvement of the Dean and Associate Provost under extremely compelling circumstances). 5. All late university withdrawals must be processed within 90 days following the end of the semester in which the student is petitioning for a late university withdrawal. (Registrar Lisa Hepler noted that in one case, a fire destroyed all of a student's belongings and the student was unable to withdraw within the timeframe listed on the calendar). 6. If this policy is recommended, it will be published in the course catalog and communicated to all faculty and deans via email. All Faculty Senators voted in favor of the proposed changes, except for A. Roberts, who voted against them. The changes were approved. F. Budget – G. Barboza No report G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden No report. H. Venango – B. Hallock The Venango College Committee met on Nov. 12. They will meet with the Admissions Subcommittee on Dec. 11. VI. Old Business S. Boyden made a motion to reconsider curricular proposal 118: the Associate of Science in Real Estate, which had been previously tabled. V. Bennett seconded. Further explaining the proposal, J. Beloit said that under this program, students officially become COBA students when they are admitted to Clarion University. Once they complete their associate degree, they must only complete a Change of Status form to complete their B.S. in Business Administration. The admission requirements are the same for either program. Whitney questioned this arrangement, noting that admission requirements for an associate degree program are usually different than those for a bachelor’s degree program, because it is a different credential. Beloit responded that he and his faculty had not yet discussed this question. A. Roberts made a motion to approve proposal 118, seconded by C. McCarrick. The proposal was unanimously approved. Whitney said that admissions standards for associate degree and bachelor’s degree‐ seeking students are all major issues that impact university enrollment. She suggested that the Faculty Senate Admissions Subcommittee consider inviting Bill Bailey and Ron Nowaczyk to one of its next meetings for a deeper discussion of these issues. This should be followed by a full discussion with Faculty Senate. VII. New Business C. McCarrick and P. Woodburne showed a presentation and recapped their recent work on university‐wide learning outcomes with the Council on General Education. The council has been working from the LEAP model used by the AACU. The two discussed the process of assembling university‐wide learning outcomes using the LEAP model, and how the committee’s work interfaces with PASSHE and Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Discussion ensued on the proposed outcomes. J. Phillips asked how the General Education curriculum will be redone to match the new outcomes. He also asked how, given the current political and budgetary climate, how the council expects to achieve the desired changes in the university’s General Education program. McCarrick replied that the change efforts are actually more focused on what students should be able to do with what they learn at the university. S. Johnson noted that students should be given more leeway in electives based on their career and academic interests and needs. Phillips said the problem is that many of the proposed university‐wide learning outcomes can be met in a variety of ways, which could make current General Education courses obsolete. V. Bennett answered that all of the council’s work is still in the early planning stages. S. Courson said that Clarion University students will still be receiving a liberal arts education with strong distribution requirements. McCarrick added that the council is also focused on retention and high‐impact educational practices. Phillips again expressed concerns that any outcome‐based educational model can be subtractive in nature. It can specify that fewer courses can fulfill given objectives. Courson said the model is already subtractive, considering PASSHE rules on degree requirements and credit limits. S. Boyden said that the core pieces of Clarion’s General Education program can still remain in place. The new model simply does a better job of setting measuring learning objectives and outcomes. S. Prezzano echoed Phillips’ concerns. Courson noted that all Clarion faculty members will be involved in this project, and that nothing is decided yet. Whitney said she hoped that Faculty Senators would take a balanced approach to addressing this issue. She also asked whether the new university‐wide learning outcomes would apply to new associate degree students, as well. Senators replied, yes, they would. Phillips said that meeting a learning outcome in a course is not nearly the same as someone who teaches the actual material in their courses every day. M. Franchino added that in any discipline, something valuable is lost without a rigorous course in that discipline. The danger is that certain low‐level outcomes can move through the approval process quickly without proper consideration of what they really mean. M. Robinson said that in times of low enrollment, it is only natural for faculty members to try to add more objectives into their courses. She also asked if the plan is to eliminate distribution requirements and flags, and if so, how will the university ensure that students have taken the proper courses? Boyden replied that the council is still working on this issue. Phillips noted that simply adding more outcomes to one’s course will not necessarily make it a better course or contribute more to a program. Returning to the four proposed university‐wide learning outcomes, E. Foster pointed out the fact that the university’s current general education program in its current form can accommodate all of the outcomes. B. Hallock moved to approve the four proposed university‐wide learning outcomes, and allowing them to proceed to the next level of university approval. T. Pfannestiel seconded. All Faculty Senators voted in favor of the motion with the exception of Adam Roberts, who voted against it. The motion carried. VIII. Adjournment M. Robinson moved and M. Franchino seconded a motion to adjourn. Faculty Senate adjourned at 5:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate Faculty Senate Clarion University December 3, 2012 3:30 p.m., 246 Gemmell Minutes Faculty Senate met on Monday Dec. 3 at 3:30 p.m. in 246 Gemmell. E. Foster chaired the meeting, with the following senators present: Y. Ayad, G. Barboza, V. Bennett, S. Boyden, B. Buchanan, J. Croskey, M. Franchino, B. Hallock, S. Johnson, P. Kolencik, R. Leary, A. Lingwall, C. McCarrick, T. Pfannestiel, S. Prezzano, B. Register, A. Roberts, M. Robinson, and B. Sweet. President K. Whitney, Provost R. Nowaczyk, and Student Senate representative Jeff Donor were also present. I. Call to Order E. Foster called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. II. Approval of the minutes P. Kolencik moved and M. Robinson seconded approval of the minutes of Nov. 19, 2012. They were unanimously approved with one minor amendment. III. Announcements E. Foster announced that Faculty Senate has accepted, with regrets, the resignation of Val Bennett. IV. President’s Report K. Whitney reported that on Sunday Dec. 9, she will be helping to serve a midnight breakfast to students at Eagle Commons. Faculty and staff helpers are needed, as well. Whitney announced that Pete Fackler has been named the new Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration. R. Nowaczyk distributed the Undergraduate Admissions Monthly Progress Report: 3‐ Year Application Summary from Nov. 15, 2012. He noted areas of progress and areas of concern. Nowaczyk said he is cautiously optimistic about these numbers and that total applications to date are up 37 percent over last year at this time. Also, deposits are up 30 over this time last year. He reported on students who were admitted but had not yet registered for classes, noting that 52 percent of these were due to financial holds. Nowaczyk said that he is also looking at ways to admit more associate degree students who will successfully matriculate to the bachelor’s degree level. These students must first demonstrate academic mastery at the associate degree level. K. Whitney added that the bachelor’s degree credential must be held to a higher standard. Nowaczyk said that the university is now reviewing all of its admissions criteria, moving toward a new model that would evaluate prospective students on a broader, more holistic basis. P.Kolencik asked whether the financial holds preventing some students from registering for Spring 2013 would be resolved soon. Nowaczyk replied that some but not all of them would be resolved. He explained that some students owe the university $8,000 or more, and cannot afford to return to Clarion. Nowaczyk updated Faculty Senate on Dean searches for the College of Business Administration and College of Arts and Sciences. He said that the third candidate for the COBA position would be visiting campus on Dec. 7. The COBA dean is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2013. Nowaczyk said the university is using the Registry of Higher Education Administrators to search for an interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences. An open meeting on this subject is scheduled for tomorrow, Dec. 4. The interim CAS Dean is scheduled to begin in January 2013. Nowaczyk added that he will keep the campus community closely updated on progress. A. Roberts asked for an explanation of the supposed budget shortfall in the College of Arts and Sciences, which later was revealed not to be an actual shortfall. Nowaczyk said that dollars were shifted out of Central Accounts and into another account for Extended Programs. Every department got back a portion of its budget deficit through this budget stream. The remainder came from incentive monies set aside for the College of Arts and Sciences, and revenues generated by the College of Arts and Sciences. Anyone who would like more details on this process should contact Nowaczyk. V. Student Senate Student Senate representative Jeff Donor reported that RSO funding is frozen for Spring 2013, and that Student Senate is asking for a 3.2 percent giveback from all RSOs. VI. Committee Reports A. Institutional Resources – C. McCarrick The Facilities Planning Committee met on Nov. 29 with Perkins Eastman architects to discuss the facilities master planning process. The six major steps in the planning process are scheduled to be completed by Spring 2014. All faculty and staff are invited to Clarion and Venango campus forums on Nov. 28 and 29 to discuss the facilities master planning process. B. CCPS – B. Sweet B. Sweet read in curricular proposals no. 129, 130, 131, 141 and 142. C. Student Affairs – J. Croskey The Student Affairs Subcommittee met last week to plan the Spring 2013 Academic Speaker Series. Also, freshmen and sophomores can now apply for the “Who’s Eagle‐ tastic” Award. D. CCR – S. Johnson No report. E. Academic Standards – S. Sentner No report. F. Budget – G. Barboza No report. G. Faculty Affairs – S. Boyden No report. H. Venango – B. Hallock The Venango College Committee will meet with the Admissions Subcommittee on Dec. 11. VI. Old Business None. VII. New Business Faculty Senate discussed the proposed 2013‐14 academic calendar and the planning process behind it. E. Foster asked Faculty Senators to review the proposed calendar and get back to her as soon as possible with questions or comments. A. Roberts asked why Clarion offers a Winter Intersession that runs during December and January. Why not run it only in January after Christmas and New Year’s Day? Leary said he would like to see PASSHE‐wide data on the profitability of Winter Intersession classes. He questioned their viability, given that the university also has to house and feed basketball players and wrestlers who play to an empty floor during this time. Whitney and Nowaczyk said they were willing to look into these ideas, and to explore new approaches with input from deans, department chairs and individual faculty. VIII. Adjournment M. Robinson moved to adjourn, seconded by B. Sweet. Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Andy Lingwall Secretary, Faculty Senate