Meeting Minutes
ACADEMIC SENATE MINUTES
October 5, 2009
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Academic Senate, held on October 5, 2009, was called to order at 3:01 pm by James A. Anderson, Senate President. The meeting was held in room 115 C. Roland Christensen Center.
Roll:
Elizabeth Adoyo, David Ailion, Peter Alfeld, Bob Allen, Tim Ameel, Richard Barton, Shmuel Baruch, Tami Beck, Francis Brown, Connie Bullis, David Carrier, Steve Carson, George Cassiday, Vincent Cheng, Margaret Clayton, Suzanne Darais, Larry DeVries, Marianna DiPaolo, Elizabeth Clement for Nadja Durbach), Eric Eddings, Richard Ernst, Richard Forster, Robert Fujinami, Michael Goodman, Michael Hardman, Sandra Hasstedt, Greg Hatch, Henryk Hecht, Eric Hinderaker, Vladimir Hlady, Lauren Holland, Harriet Hopf, Martin Horvath, Jay Jordan for Tom Huckin, Randy Jensen, Tom Cheatham for Steve Kern, David Kiefer, Cameron King, Todd Kramer, Stephen Lessnick, Edward Levine, Joelle Lien, Laurence Loeb, Brad Lundahl, James Metherall, William Michel, Alysha Moore, Katie Moore, Marta Heilbrun for Kathryn Morton, Allyson Mower, Chris Nelson, Maria Newton, David Pendell, Kevin Perry, Mollie Poynton, R. Lor Randall, Rita Reusch, Gerald Root, Andrea Rorrer, Nelson Roy, Donn Schaefer, Bam Dev Sharda, James Sibthorp, Erica Sellers, Paula Smith, Sarah Solomon, Irving Torres, Margaret Wan, Donna White, Bryce Williams, Lindsay Williams, Seth Welborn, Nick Wolfinger, Braden York
Excused: Amanda Barusch, A. Loris Betz, Tayler Clough, Peter Martin, Irving Torres, David Viskochil
Ex-officio: James Anderson, Robert Flores, Nancy Lines, Paul Mogren, Susan Olson, David Pershing, Octavio Villalpando, Chuck Wright, Michael K. Young
Others: Ann Floor, Stephanie Richardson, Adam, Halstrom, Ann Darling, Kent Udell, Jim Ehleringer, Donna Costa, Donna Zugenfuss, Anna Adams, Darrell Coleman
Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the Academic Senate meeting of August 31, 2009, were unanimously approved following a motion from Suzanne Darais, seconded by Larry DeVries.
Request for New Business
Stephanie Richardson with the assistance of Adam Helstrom presented a white paper entitled “Student Course Evaluations at the University of Utah”. The entire paper can be found on the Academic Senate webpage.
Consent Calendar
The resignations, retirements, faculty appointments, auxiliary and limited term appointments, appearing in the Appendices dated September 21, and October 5, 2009, were approved to forward to the Board of Trustees following a motion from Larry DeVries, which was seconded by Seth Welborn.
Executive Committee Report
Jim Metherall, Executive Committee Secretary, summarized his written report of the September 21, 2009, Executive Committee meeting.
Report from Administration
President Michael Young informed the senate of this year’s enrollment figures indicating Fall Semester’s enrollment has increased by 4 percent or about 1300 students over last year, bringing the total enrollment to 29,284, the highest student enrollment in University history. The graduate school headcount increased about 7 percent, indicating that the University is gradually moving toward a more heavily-weighted graduate student enrollment..
President Young also explained the University’s current sense of understanding of the budget issues. The current prognosis indicates that it could range from $50 million less than estimated to $150 million more than was estimated. However, President Young does not anticipate a mid-year cut but is anticipating that we would take the full brunt next year as the federal stimulus money is gone. The business community is concerned and is beginning to talk about revenue enhancements. The governor is not looking to raise taxes this year. Deans and department chairs have been encouraged to look for places to make additional cuts. The external research funds are ahead by $50 million over the last fiscal year but that those funds are not transferable money and do not affect the core budget operations. President Young encouraged the senate members to prepare for the worst while at the same time knowing that the administrators are working hard to not realize the worst.
Report from ASUU
No report was given.
Notice of Intent
Ann Darling attended the meeting to respond to questions regarding the proposed revision of Policy 6-401 dealing with the creation of the University Student Media Council and the decommission of two other councils, the Publications Council and the Student Broadcast Council. The proposal will move to the Debate Calendar at the November 1 senate meeting.
Debate Calendar
Kent Udell gave a short synopsis of the request to create the Sustainability Research Center. Following the death of Craig Forster, he was asked to take over this proposal and move forward. The Center’s creation would bring various groups together who are working with this effort, taking advantage of each other’s effort, and various funding, to establish a world class institution including storage, integrated medicine, cap and trade, environmental psychology, and mass transit transportation.. A motion from Larry DeVries to forward to the Board of Trustees for approval was seconded by Robert Fujinami and approved unanimously.
Jim Ehleringer gave a précis of the proposal for a Center for Ecosystem and Global Change, indicating that it was clearly a different type of proposal than the Sustainability Research Center even though they over-lap somewhat. The two centers would become more differentiated over time. His explanation of the distinct differences was that the sustainability proposal functions as a brokerage while the ecosystem proposal deals with the mechanisms, technical research, education and outreach. He stated that “life is at the edges” and this center would bring together all aspects of public education within a common training. A motion from Chris Nelson to forward to the Board of Trustees for approval was seconded by Zack Brown and approved unanimously
Donna Costa presented an overview of the proposed Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy explaining that it is basically a “license to practice”. There are two paths of entry: 1) for individuals whose entry level occupational therapy degree was at the Bachelor’s degree level, and 2) for those who earned their entry-level occupational therapy degree at the Master’s degree level. The focus for the professional doctorate is to provide clinicians with a stronger, more up-to-date theoretical base while advancing leadership skills as well to provide them with knowledge and skills in pursuing research related to their chosen area of emphasis. A motion from Steve Carson to forward to the Board of Trustees for approval was seconded by Vincent Cheng and approved unanimously.
Information Calendar
Chuck Wight was ready to respond to questions regarding the Graduate Council Reviews for Bioengineering, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Educational Leadership and Policy, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Human Genetics, Linguistics, Languages and Literature, Pharmacology and Toxicology and Middle East Center but none were received.
New Business
Paul Mogren announced the Campaign for Our Community for which he is the representative from Central Communication. He encouraged all to look at the website and offer our contributions in the community as very little paper work will occur during this campaign.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 3:55 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lines