MINUTES

FACULTY SENATE

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-SUPERIOR

November 16, 1999

RSC 112, 3:00 PM

PRESENT. David Beran, Hal Bertilson, Bob Carmack, Ella Cross, Timothy Cummings, Clyde Ekbom, Jeff Engstrom, Beth Gilbert, Jim Grittner, Ronald Mershart, Deane Minahan, Thomas Notton, Cecilia Schrenker, Greg Trudeau, Rich Walker, Julius Erlenbach, Charles Schelin, and Chris Voltzke.
Excused: Michael Wallschlaeger
Absent: Ed Burkett, Paul Keeney

APPROVAL OF MINUTES. Motion (Cummings/Engstrom) to approve the Faculty Senate Minutes of October 19, 1999 passed. The Executive Committee minutes of October 27, 1999 and November 2, 1999 were received.

REPORT OF THE CHANCELLOR. No final determination of appropriate sanctions for those involved in the hockey situation has been determined. Now the Admissions Office has a dedicated phone line to receive inquiries from the Twin Cities. The Admissions Office is receiving a lot of inquiries from the Twin Cities ad campaign. ASCU has established a commission on the liberal arts agenda. They have asked Chancellor Erlenbach to serve on the Board of Directors. Chancellor Erlenbach believes that the word is "getting out" that we are recognized as a liberal arts institution. A number of COPLAC schools are on the commission.

REPORT OF THE PROVOST. The fourth candidate for the Dean of Faculties position will be on campus on Monday. The Search and Screen Committee will have report to Provost Schelin by Thanksgiving. The Search and Screen Committee for the Assistant Chancellor for Finance made the first cut last Friday. It is the hope of the Committee to have candidates on campus before Christmas. The way the Study Abroad bill was written, stipends must be used in $2,000 amounts. Also in the budget is "access funding"--money for new students. It may be used for students already in the pipeline. UW-Superior will be asking for additional funding. There is an apparent sudden need for new teachers. If the federal plan is approved there would be need for another 700 teachers. That would represent an almost 50% increase in number of teachers produced.

ANNOUNCEMENTS. None.

REPORTS

Chair--Bob Carmack. No report.

Secretary--Hal Bertilson. The November 1, 1999 UW-System "Legislative Update" memo is now available on the Web. To view it:

  1. Type: www.uwsa.edu
  2. Select: 1999-2001 Budget
  3. Scroll down to "Legislative Updates"
  4. Select November 1999

Correspondence--Hal Bertilson. None.

Faculty Representative--David Beran. His memo dated October 29, 1999 was included in the packet with the agenda.

Planning and Budgeting Council--Mike Wallschlaeger. Minutes of the October 11, 1999 were included in the packet with the agenda. It included the following principles:

  1. The University should not compromise the quality of its instructional programming in response to enrollment goals.
  2. The Planning Budgeting and Review Council (PBRC) should have input into any planning process in which major allocations or reallocations affecting academic programming and personnel are contemplated.
  3. The PBRC recommends a special initiative (DIN) in support of our niche as a public liberal arts college.
  4. The PBRC and faculty need more input on major technological changes that may influence faculty work life.
  5. The PBRC supports building flexibility into the budget sufficient to handle potential reductions in funding that may accompany an economic downturn. The Council recommends continuation of the search for additional outside sources of funding for initiatives such as recruitment for diversity.

Motion (Cummings/Gilbert) to receive the minutes carried.

Personnel Council--Ron Mershart. No report.

Academic Affairs Council--Tim Cummings.

Consent agenda from minutes of October 26, 1999 meeting of the Academic Affairs Council.
  1. Proposal to require completion of core requirements in first 75 credits (Note that this proposal was amended to apply only to students who enter UW-Superior as freshmen.)
  2. Proposals from Math Department
    a. Proposal to change Math 101 to a three-credit remedial course (Please note amendments in AAC minutes.)
    b. Change prerequisites for MATH 130 and MATH 150.
    c. Revisions in math courses.
    d. Revisions in major requirements.
    e. Revisions in minor requirements.
  3. Proposal to allow freshmen to register for up to eighteen credits without advisor's approval.
  4. Proposal for COMM 200 (Note that the proposal was amended to indicate that all references to COMM 191 in the general education program will be replaced by references to COMM 200.)
  5. Revision of graduation honors policy.
Motion (Cummings/Beran) to approve the consent agenda passed. It was reported that the Registrar and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science reported agreement that Math 101 will be renumbered Math 095 and Math 099 will be renumbered Math 090.

Student Senate. Chris Voltzke. Gave a brief report.

Academic Staff Council. Donna Quinn was excused.

OLD BUSINESS.

1. Article VII-c of the Constitution of the Faculty Senate (3/29/96) states that "At least once every three (3) years, the Faculty Senate shall enter on its agenda the question of general revision of this constitution. The Faculty Senate shall decide, by an absolute majority vote of the faculty Senators whether or not to devise procedures for general revision. The procedures subsequently devised shall be adopted by a simple majority vote of the Faculty Senators present and voting." The Executive Committee has received three documents in support of a Constitutional review:
  a. Suggested corrections and clarifications to the present Constitution.
  b. Recommendations for a new charter from Michael Ball.
  c. Recommendations from John Davis.
 
2. If the Senators approve a constitutional review, the Executive Committee recommends the following procedure:
  a. Five faculty members will be elected at large. The elections will be conducted by the Senate Secretary. The purpose of this body is to review the need for revisions to the Constitution. Should a need be ascertained, implementation will be according to Article VII of the Constitution.
 
Motion (Walker/Ekbom) for the Senate Secretary to conduct an election of five at large faculty members to serve on a Constitutional Review Committee was approved. The purpose of this body is to review the need for revisions to the Constitution. Should a need be ascertained, implementation will be according to Article VII of the Constitution. Bob Carmack and Ron Mershart suggested that the January Opening faculty meetings or a referenda be used to seek input from the faculty for the Committee. Bob Carmack will request a report at the May 2000 Senate meeting. If substantive changes are recommended, the target for implementation will be May 2001.
 
Beth Gilbert asked the Executive Committee to review the use of the minutes by faculty. Dr. Gilbert suggested that faculty aren't as informed about Senate deliberation and action because they don't go to the web. John Davis suggested that the Senate Secretary make the minutes available via the DIGEST.

NEW BUSINESS. None.

ADJOURNMENT.