Meeting Minutes
ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES (Amended)
December 6, 2010
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Academic Senate, held on December 6, 2010 was called to order at 3:04 pm by James E. Metherall, Senate President. The meeting was held in room L105 Warnock Engineering Classroom Building.
Roll:
Stephen Alder, Peter Alfeld, Lisa Aspinwall, Richard Barton, Tami Beck, Joanna Bettmann, David J. Bjorkman, David Blair, John Bowman, Francis H. Brown, David Carrier, Steve Carson, George Cassiday, Reaz Chaudhuri, Kuan Chen, Vincent Cheng, Breanne Chipman, Margaret Clayton, Eva Comollo, Suzanne Darais, Larry DeVries, K.B. Forman for Lee Dibble), Kristina Diekmann, Richard Dorsky, Sean Erickson, Richard Ernst, Leslie Francis, Robert Fujinami, Bruce Gale, Timothy Garrett, Gwyndolynn Gentry, Michael Goodman, Charles Grissom, Max Hanna, Sandra Hasstedt, Henryk Hecht, Vladimir Hlady, Lauren Holland, Harriet Hopf, Martin Horvath, Howard Horwitz, Eric Hutton, Chase Jardine, Douglas Jones, Keith Keddington, Wen Kuo, Sharee Lane, Stephen Lessnick, Anthea Letsou, Joelle Lien, Karl Lins, Kim Martinez, Teri Jo Mauch, Chad Metcalf, Joseph Metz, William C. Michel, Justin McAllister for Ryan Morrison, Allyson Mower, Chris Myers, Rachel Nardo, Chris Nelson, Chad Nielsen, Lester Partlow, Martin Rechsteiner, Sean Redmond, Alison Regan, Kristina Rodriguez, Andrea Rorer, Nelson Roy, Sonia Salari, Sara Schneider, Janet Shaw, James Sibthorp, Joseph Sin, Connie Wilkerson for William Siska, Jeff Stratman, Orest Symko, David Viskochil, Bryce Williams, Chase Winder, Angela Yetman,
Excused: Lee Dibble, Ryan Morrison, Ron Coleman, William Siska, Michael K. Young,
Excused w/out proxy: Ron Coleman, Stephen Lessnick, Paula Smith
Ex-officio: James E. Anderson, A. Lorris Betz, Robert Flores, John Francis, Pat Hanna, Nancy Lines, James Metherall, Paul Mogren, Susan Olson, David W. Pershing, Octavio Villalpando,
Others: Ann Floor, Stephen Koester, Sylvia Torti, Marissa Diener, Ed Barbanell, Sharon Aiken-Wisnewski, and Hank Liese.
Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the Academic Senate meeting on November 1, 2010, were approved following a motion from Jim Anderson which was seconded by Robert Fujinami.
Request for New Business
There was no request for new business.
Consent Calendar
The resignations, retirements, faculty appointments, auxiliary, and limited term appointments, appearing in the Appendices dated November 15 and December 6, 2010, received approval to forward to the Board of Trustees as proposed by Suzanne Darais and seconded by Howard Horwitz.
Executive Committee Report
Pat Hanna, Executive Committee Secretary, summarized her written report of the November 15, 2010, Executive Committee meeting.
Report from Administration
David W. Pershing, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, announced the appointment of Jason Perry, former Governor’s Chief of Staff, as vice president for government relations to replace Kim Wirthlin who is stepping down. Ms. Wirthlin will return full time to her role with Health Sciences. Mr. Parry will assume his responsibilities January 1, 2010, as the primary liaison with the State Legislature.
The Senior Vice President introduced two administrative visitors for their reports to the senate, Myron Willson, Director of the Office of Sustainability, and Octavio Villalpando, Associate Vice President for Equity and Diversity.
Dr. Willson presented an overview of the campus sustainability program explaining their office coordinates all campus sustainability goals and initiatives with their focus centered on Climate Action. He explained that techno sphere is the main focus, and they have a goal to implement President Young’s Climate Commitment in 2008 by 2050. The Office of Sustainability plans to integrate sustainability into the curriculum and to expand existing programs into the colleges. He is seeking the help from the faculty in identifying sustainability-related classes and research projects in order to provide more opportunities for internships, grants, and project based activities.
Associate Vice President Villalpando reported on the status of diversity across the campus for faculty, students and staff. He noted that the only programs that are overseen by his department are: American Indian, African American, Asian American, Latino, Pacific Islanders, White Women, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Community (LGBTQ). He pointed out that student diversity mirrored the diversity of graduating high school seniors within the state and provided new comparisons to diversity at Pac 12 schools. He noted student and state-wide growth in Hispanic populations. He presented data demonstrating lower than expected diversity at administrative levels throughout the university with respect to both minorities and women. He encouraged senate members to consult with his office to help with faculty and student recruitment, as well as identifying appropriate candidates for administrative appointments.
Report from ASUU
Chase Jardine, president of ASUU, limited his report to a particular student group, the Pacific Islander Student Association. In a recent “Destined for Greatness” conference they held to recruit high school students, there were 600 students in attendance, 200 more than they anticipated. He read a letter from a mother of two students who said this activity was a turning point in the lives of her children and she has never seen them so excited in what they can do and what they can become. She expressed her thanks for what the conference meant to her and her family.
The state of the ASUU will be held tomorrow in the Union.
Notice of Intent
There were no items of intent.
Debate Calendar
Stephen Koester, Interim Chair of the Department of Modern Dance, presented a short précis for the proposed minor in Modern Dance for students who have had dance in high school but either has majored in another discipline or was not accepted in the majors program. No new resources are necessary and all courses already exist. Larry DeVries made a motion to forward the proposal to the Board of Trustees for final approval which was seconded by Rachel Nardo and received unanimous approval.
Sylvia Torti, manager of the Entrada Research Field Station, explained the proposal for a name change of the Entrada Field Station to the Rio Mesa Center. The Center would provide opportunities and collaboration for interdisciplinary studies and research without competing with other Entrada entities in Utah. A motion to approve the proposed change and to forward to the Board of Trustees for final approval was made by Chris Nelson, seconded by Joelle Lien and approved unanimously.
Ed Barbanell invited Sharon Aiken-Wisnewski, Assistant Vice President from University College Advising, to explain the memo attached to the agenda packet addressing the questions raised in the last Senate meeting regarding Policy 6-100, Section M – Academic Renewal. She has researched other universities in the Pac 10 as well as statewide institutions and found that there were various rules ranging from zero to many options. The proposed revisions would allow the 117 students in waiting to take advantage of the one-time academic renewal policy as they have been waiting for two years for the policy to be approved. James Anderson made a motion to approve the proposed revisions to Section M which was seconded by Teri Mauch and unanimously approved. A second motion was made by James Anderson to approve the entire revised Policy 6-100 and to forward to the Board of Trustees for final approval which was seconded by Teri Mauch and was approved unanimously.
Professor Barbanell explained the proposed revisions of Policy 6-101 regarding final comprehensive and special examinations for an undergraduate degree. This added part of this policy was simply taken out of Policy 6-100 and moved into Policy 6-101 with no changes to the verbiage. Larry DeVries made a motion to approve the revised policy and to forward to the Board of Trustees for final approval which was seconded by Robert Fujinami and approved unanimously.
Professor Barbanell continued to explain the proposed New Rule 6-100a, which was created from material being removed from Policy 6-100 which procedural in nature and therefore made into a new rule. Teri Mauch made a motion to approve the new rule which was seconded by Karl Lins and approved unanimously.
Dean David Bjorkman from the School of Medicine reported on the proposed John Moran Institute and recommends its approval. The proposed Institute meets all criteria for an institute and greatly expands the areas of interest in eye disease. Larry DeVries motioned to accept the proposed Institute and forward to the Board of Trustees for final approval which motion was seconded by Dean Francis Brown and approved with one opposing vote.
Information Calendar:
There were two items on the Information Calendar that were approved by the Senate Executive Committee. The first was a Graduate Council review of the Department of Biochemistry, and the second item is the annual report from the Athletics Advisory Council. Both will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees.
New Business
There was no new business.
President Metherall made an announcement that scheduling office moved the Senate meeting back into 115 C. Roland Christensen Center beginning in January 10, which is the second Monday in January due to the late stare in Spring Semester. The remainder of the Senate meetings will be on the first Monday of each month.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lines