Faculty Policies Committee Minutes,
Present: Michelle
Benedict, Tom Crute, Gordon Eisenman, Cliff Gardiner,
Marc Miller, Jeff Heck (secretary), Bill Reese (chair), Katherine Sweeney, Wendy
Turner, Sabina Widner, Janice Whiting
A Thank You – Bill Reese expressed his thanks to
Marc Miller for chairing the FPC the previous week.
Minutes from
OLD BUSINESS
1. Organizational Chart –
The informal organizational chart, designed to help new faculty to know how many staff and faculty work in each department, etc., will be included in static form on the CD for new faculty from the FPC and placed on the Web as a “living” document.
2. Faculty Secretary –
The faculty secretary position is being reviewed. Currently the person in this job provides the agendas for University Council and all Faculty Meetings; minutes for the Faculty Meetings; Faculty Manual maintenance; and, makes necessary changes to the catalog at the end of each Spring Semester. Options for recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ office are being examined to ease the load on the faculty member who volunteers for this position. Gordon Eisenman will prepare a draft proposal for recommendations.
3. Faculty Manual Revision –
A committee is being formed to revise the faculty manual.
4. Information
Technology Updates –
Chip Matson has committed to providing an improved search tool for the ASU Web site. Adobe Acrobat 5 Standard Edition is now available to all faculty and staff. The software makes it possible to publish several types of documents, including Word documents, as Acrobat PDF files.
ITS will also be working on improving the provision of electronic forms on campus and the archiving of committee minutes. It is recommended that next year’s FPC submit desired information technology projects through the Director of ITS so he can allocate resources to the tasks.
Sabina Widner will resend a final list of digital objects to go on the CD for new faculty to FPC members. Marc Miller will work with his graduate assistant to compile these objects in digital form prior to ITS’s burning them to CD.
5. Timing of Grades –
President Bloodworth is interested in research on the legal background of publishing students’ grades. Katherine Sweeney will forward a guide published for registrars to Bill Reese. Reese will also contact Ray Whiting with the question.
6. Graduation
Proposal –
Tom Crute presented a proposal for possible implementation in 2005. The proposal would allow students who were eligible to graduate as of the Wednesday prior to graduation (according to the registrar) to participate in the ceremony, even if they unexpectedly fell short of meeting graduation requirements in the final days before graduation. They would continue to be responsible for correcting the deficit.
Katherine Sweeney will collect information on how other schools handle this issue and what trends there might be.
7. Fall Break –
Bill Reese presented an option for a final exam schedule that may meet Dr. Sam Sullivan’s concerns. After discussion, the FPC chose to send the information to Dr. Sullivan for possible implementation, with two additional recommendations. First, that, if used, the schedule be widely publicized on campus early in the semester, so faculty may discuss possible problems with timing finals with their chairs prior to setting their syllabus. Second, that students should not be forced to take more than two final exams in one day. Faculty would be encouraged to provide an alternative date for these students. Faculty should be advised that the registrar's office will have two fewer hours to post grades, and the actual fall examination schedule should be drafted by the registrar
in compliance with FPC guidelines.
Bill Reese will formalize these suggestions and send them to FPC members for recommendations and comment before forwarding the full proposal to Vice President for Academic Affairs Sam Sullivan.
8. Sabbaticals –
The title for such leaves might best be “Professional Leave.” Bill Reese will send Wendy Turner a copy of his proposed revision to the Faculty Manual section on Sabbaticals. The policy should also encourage faculty to seek funding for their replacement, by, for example, writing funding for a temporary replacement into a grant proposal.
9. Additional Issue
for Next Year –
A standardized class time schedule is needed.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Information Only
Items at Faculty Meetings –
Current policy on “information only” items is vague. Policy implies that any item brought before the Faculty Meeting or the University Council can be challenged at any level by any faculty member. The term “information only,” frequently used to label items coming before the two groups, implies otherwise. The policy needs revision to make the ability to challenge explicit. Marc Miller will work on this issue, though time constraints may force tabling of the issue until next year’s FPC convenes.
2. Use of Local
Skills –
Kathy Schofe invites any Art faculty who are interested to join the current, informally composed committees designed to assist with marketing ASU and handling design work for the school.
The FPC discussed other areas in which the school might better reflect the talents of the students, staff and faculty. Janice Whiting and Wendy Turner will work to address this issue structurally.
Adjourned at
All other agenda items were deferred.
Next Meeting:
Allgood Hall, Dean’s Office Conference room, within the N210 suite