Kansas State University

Highlights from the June 10 Faculty Senate meeting

Submitted by Faculty Senate

These are the highlights from the June 10 Faculty Senate meeting. Previous minutes are available on the Faculty Senate website as they are approved.

Guests:

• None. 

Consent agenda:

• Course and curriculum changes as outlined in the consent agenda were approved. 

Standing committee and Student Senate reports:

• Faculty Affairs: Senator Betsy Cauble reported there were no action items for today's meeting. However, she reminded senators of the upcoming work of Faculty Affairs on Professional Titles language for the University Handbook, and review of Appendix M in the handbook. Also, the Women's Center will be undergoing some reorganization, including potentially changing the name of the center.
• Professional Staff Affairs (PSA): Senator Danielle Brown also reviewed with senators the upcoming work of the committee for next year.
• Student Senate: No report.
• FSCOT: Senator Don Crawford reported on Canvas and Office 365, Phase II.
• FSCOUP: Senator Barbara Anderson reported on the budget update the committee received at their last meeting as well as the co-location to occur in August of a few K-State Research and Extension persons to Dole Hall. This will create better efficiency and allow more interaction of personnel on projects. Also, Anderson is serving on the North Campus Corridor Master Plan Committee as FSCOUP chair. 
• Academic Affairs: Senator Andy Bennett presented two discussion items. The first was a new course for the Salina campus. This normally would not be a discussion item and is not controversial. However, since it was added to the agenda too late to allow faculty members from other colleges to comment, he wanted to be sure all were aware of the proposal. The second was a posthumous degree from the College of Human Ecology. Both items were approved. Also, Bennett reminded senators of their upcoming topics for discussion next year, including additional guidelines for certificate programs, Honors Program requests and constitutional changes to the honor and integrity system regarding having additional members on the Honor Council. 

Announcements: 

• President Rintoul announced that the Ombudsperson vacancy has been filled. Scott Jones will serve as an Ombudsperson for a three year term beginning fall 2014.
• President Rintoul requested a few more volunteers to serve on the Integrity in Research and Scholarly Activity Committee. These need to be tenured faculty members who are also members of the Graduate Faculty. 
• President Rintoul thanked senators for their support and attendance at the May Kansas Board of Regents meeting when the revised social media policy was on their agenda. There may be handbook language drafted to assist the university president in adjudicating any cases that arise. Also, a small working group is working to created syllabi language for the fall that addresses academic freedom. This syllabus language may be required or optional; this has not yet been decided. 

Discussion from senators: 

• A senator inquired about the distribution of targeted enhancements and why they were restricted to only tenured or tenure-track faculty. It was felt that department heads should also be able to use these enhancements for professional staff or instructional faculty. President Rintoul will inquire where that decision was made.

David A. Rintoul, Ph.D.
Associate Director/Graduate Program Director
Biology Division
Faculty Senate President
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506