Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes October 16, 2019
Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes October 16, 2019
Senate Meeting called to order at 4:05 PM
Presiding: Donna Gauthier; Secretary: Clai Rice
1) Approval of Minutes from 9-18: Motion to approve unchanged passes with three abstentions.
2) Executive Officer’s Report: FS President attend University Council meetings monthly (or twice monthly) and reports back to the Senate on items discussed there.
a) Taniecia Mallory is executive director of strategic planning and seems to be doing a fine job.
b) There is a preferred name policy being developed.
c) Moodle
i) Nola Navarre died last year, and many of us did not know that. It is disappointing that someone with such a service record for our school would not have been more generally acknowledged at her passing.
ii) More education on Moodle is needed, as both faculty and students report difficulties when using it.
d) The 6-year graduation rate is up 51.5% and first-year retention is up 75.9% since 2013.
e) A proposal for a Bachelor’s of Interdisciplinary Studies has been submitted to the Board of Regents. This is what everyone is doing to replace general studies.
f) Open Education Resources are being supported as part of the new QEP.
g) UL Foundation is ramping up a campaign.
h) New Chief of Police has been selected, but approval is still in process.
i) UL has won a NIH 7-year grant for $69 million.
j) We are looking for a new name for the University College.
3) Senate Committee Reports
a) First item is to vote for certain seats on the Committee on Committees
i) Education selects Peter Sheppard in a written vote.
ii) BADM will select between Will “Cary” Heath and Tony Greco. No full professors from BADM are present to vote, so vote is postponed until next meeting.
iii) Two at large members are selected, Chad Parker and Monica Tauzin.
b) Ways and Means (Berry): McKinney is evaluating our proposal on dual appointments. There is still time to comment if you wish–contact Calvin Berry
c) Academic Planning and Development has no members.
d) Governmental Concerns (Slater): The Regents have devised a master education plan for the state, “Louisiana Prospers: Driving Our Talent Imperative.” It can be reviewed at https://masterplan.regents.la.gov/
e) Jeff Lush will no longer be serving as our webmaster. We need a replacement. No technical knowledge is required (or even appreciated). The job essentially calls for working with the leadership team to move documents and information onto the web page and interface with the University webmaster to ensure work is being carried out. Send nominations to Donna Gauthier.
f) We need an alternate representative to attend FAC meetings in the event that Pres. Gauthier cannot attend. State pays driving expenses, as far as we know. Again, send nominations to Donna Gauthier.
g) SEI Committee: N. Autin’s report was emailed, posted to Moodle.
4) University Committee Reports
a) Faculty Benefits and Welfare Committee has no chair. This problem should be brought to the attention of the University Council. Considering current salary concerns, this important committee should be active.
b) Parking and Planning Committee is in the bylaws but seems to have no membership.
5) Other Reports to the Senate: most of these committees have not met yet. QEP reported last time. (Thanks Randy!)
6) Ad Hoc Senate Committees
a) Status of Women: L. Barry reports some history of the committee and membership, and advocates for it to be re-energized. Alison Leigh volunteers to serve.
b) Status of Underrepresented Faculty Groups: Currently moribund, we are facing a need for greater recruitment of members of underrepresented groups for faculty, so this committee should be active.
7) Old Business
a) Faculty Senate Constitution Review and Updating– Motion: The FS President is directed to create and populate an Ad Hoc Committee for this task. (McDonald, Tauzin) Passes unanimously.
b) Use of SEIs for faculty evaluation – McDonald proposed a motion for consideration and vote at the next meeting, Tauzin second. Please send amendments or suggestions to him or Gauthier. [Text available on FS Moodle page. –secretary]
Motion: The Senate proposes that in the Faculty Handbook, I, Section V. Faculty Personnel Policies, Performance Evaluation and Merit Pay, the following be inserted at the end of paragraph 2:
The evaluation instrument used in each college may vary slightly, but the general procedure and aims of the process are similar. The evaluation instrument, which a faculty member completes in January of each year, summarizes the person’s activities for the preceding calendar year. Faculty members are judged based on their overall merit in all activities.
It is important that the evaluation instrument and procedures, including college and/or department rubrics, reflect best practices and research on faculty assessment, especially the assessment of teaching. Teaching is a complex activity and research shows that student evaluation of instruction (SEI) should not largely determine the evaluation of teaching performance and that, when SEIs are used, multiple measurements from the surveys should be used in the evaluation. Therefore, any rubric that uses SEIs for teaching evaluation shall incorporate at least three questions from the survey and shall not give SEIs more than a weight of 25%.
8) New Business
a) Faculty Salary Adjustments. Kim raises the issue of lack of salary adjustments for faculty over the last several years. A motion to provide a slate of candidates for the Faculty benefits and Welfare Committee is not seconded. Another motion is proposed: That the president create an ad hoc Committee on Faculty Salary and Compensation (Slater, Kim). This motion passes by acclamation.
b) Call for new webmaster – already discussed, see item 3.e. above.
9) Other. McDonald raises the issue of problems with the new Chrome River software package we are being forced to use. Motion: that the FS President collect specific complaints about the software and send the report to the Senate and the Provost. (McDonald, Parker). Passes with no demurral.
10) Motion to Adjourn: 5:35 p.m.
Submitted October 31, 2019
Amended November 20, 2019
Clai Rice
Secretary