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K-State Today

March 26, 2012

March 13 Faculty Senate meeting highlights

Submitted by Faculty Senate

Here are the highlights from the March 13 Faculty Senate meeting. Meeting minutes will be available on the website as they are approved by Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate minutes for the Feb. 14 meeting have been posted to our website: http://www.k-state.edu/facsen/facsenate/2012/minutes.htm

March 13

Guests:

  • Provost April Mason reported on the Inside Higher Ed website. An article in it just this morning pointed out how important it is to have good shared governance at institutions during these turbulent times. She thanked Faculty Senate for giving her the time each month to visit with them and keep the relationship open and shared governance in a good place.
  • Associate Vice Provost Brian Niehoff gave an update to senators regarding the Higher Learning Commission visit beginning April 9. Faculty as a whole will be given the opportunity to meet with the 12-member committee as well as Faculty Senate Leadership Council and others. We have submitted our report to the HLC and are now awaiting the visit.
  • Sue Peterson reported activities of the current legislative session to senators. She also thanked Faculty Senate Leadership for their support and active participation in the University Committee on Governmental Issues. 

Standing committee and Student Senate reports:

  • Academic Affairs:  Senator Andrew Bennett presented two discussion agenda items for approval; a new graduate certificate in grassland management from the College of Agriculture and a new MS in family and community services from the College of Human Ecology. Both programs were approved. The MS will now move forward to the provost for submission to the Board of Regents for approval. Consent agenda course and curriculum changes and graduation list additions were approved.
  • Faculty Affairs: Senator Kaleen Knopp reminded senators that the portion of Appendix J that was inadvertently deleted when changes were made to ppm 3010 is back in the handbook now. She updated senators on progress with the anti-bullying professional conduct policy. This should come forward to senate next month. Also, work on faculty professional titles is continuing; the hope is to have work completed sometime in May.  Revisions to the University Handbook, Section B, should come forward next month as well as the annual salary report as information. Senator Judy Hughey presented revisions to the University Handbook, Section A, for approval. After discussion, it was returned to the committee for further work. Senator Hughey presented revisions to University Handbook, Section C12.2, regarding clinical faculty. These revisions were approved as presented.
  • FSCOT: Senator David Rintoul informed senators about the annual email access report submitted to FSCOT. He updated senators on designated access, which allows a student grant access to financial information to a designated guardian. This could be used for other means later down the road. He also updated senators about the new requirement for instructors to indicate why a student received an “F” when reporting grades. This is in response to a federal mandate linking to federal financial aid. Finally, a resolution regarding textbook reporting measures was passed by faculty senate.
  • FSCOUP: Senator Bob Condia reported on FSCOUP’s recent activities. Jeff Morris presented a new advertising campaign idea to members to get feedback. Ben Champion and Bonnie Lynn-Sherow are working on creating language for a vision statement regarding sustainability. Discussion continued regarding a faculty or intellectual commons and whether this is possible for our university at this time.
  • Student Senate: Senator Kate Bormann reported the turn over meeting will take place in April with new leadership being sworn in.

New Business:

  • Faculty senators approved an honorary doctorate to be given this year. 

Announcements:

  • President Vontz announced that Faculty Senate election final ballots are due by March 26. 
  • The Salina Open Forum with President Schulz and Provost Mason will be at 3 p.m. Monday, March 26, and the Manhattan Open Forum will be 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12.
  • President Vontz thanked key senators for their continued work on review of Appendix J and ppm 3010.
  • President Vontz reported that a memo discussing 2025 Priorities and Suggestions, as discussed by the Faculty Senate standing committees, was submitted to President Schulz.

Tom Vontz

Faculty Senate President

Curriculum and Instruction

203 Bluemont Hall

Manhattan, KS 66506

785-532-5927