September 17, 2012
Highlights of the Sept. 11 Faculty Senate meeting
Here are the highlights from the Sept. 11 Faculty Senate meeting. Meeting minutes will be available on the website as they are approved by the senate.
Sept. 11:
Guests:
Provost Mason deferred her time to the president. President Kirk Schulz was present at the Faculty Senate meeting at the invitation of the Faculty Senate Leadership Council. President Schulz informed senators of an eight-person task force that will be created very soon to work on a faculty salary plan to be presented in December. This task force is being created in response to the Faculty Senate's special session on salaries in May. Four of the members will be appointed from Faculty Senate and four will be from administration. President Schulz also discussed the set of benchmarking schools he and Provost Mason recommend to be used, which were somewhat different than the set of schools previously passed by Faculty Senate. The set of schools could be used not only for the salary discussion, but in other K-State 2025 comparisons.
Other:
President Bloodgood presented Past President Tom Vontz with a plaque of appreciation from the Board of Regents for chairing the Council of Faculty Senate Presidents during 2011-2012. Annual dispute resolution reports were presented. The annual honor and integrity system report was presented.
Standing committee and Student Senate reports:
Academic affairs: Senator Andrew Bennett reported the current approval, routing and notification instruction manual for course and curriculum changes is being reviewed by a work group of the academic affairs committee. The K-State Eight tagging criteria passed on June 12 by Faculty Senate has been distributed to those requested. After conversation at the last senate meeting, the process used for this item was reviewed and determined to have been followed correctly.
Faculty affairs: Senator Melia Fritch reported that work on the University Handbook continues.
FSCOT: Senator David Rintoul reported that the textbook resolution Faculty Senate passed last semester had an impact. Students now have a more user friendly website that provides them multiple suppliers for textbooks or e-textbooks and the prices for these options.
FSCOUP: Senator Bob Condia reported that Bruce Shubert attended the committee's September meeting and gave an update on budget matters and the master plan. Ayers Saint Gross will be returning in October with design plans. He encouraged all senators to attend the sessions when they are announced. FSCOUP also forwarded three nominations for the city/university special projects fund committee.
Student Senate: Senator Emilee Taylor reported on discussion in SGA regarding Student Union spatial concerns. They wish to be proactive not reactive about the Union's future. They are also working on a student success effort and undergraduate retention efforts. Changes were made to their by-laws recently. Taylor also encouraged professors to talk to students about getting involved with SGA by filling out interest forms for at-large positions.
For the good of the university:
Senator Katie Kingery-Page reported that a K-State sculpture near the Beach Museum, created by an internationally known environmental artist, was damaged. Senator Fritch announced two upcoming events in Hale Library on Sept. 18 and 19 that she encouraged all to attend: http://www.lib.k-state.edu/events.
Jim Bloodgood
Faculty Senate President
Management
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