March 28, 2019
Highlights from the March 5 Faculty Senate meeting
Guest: Provost Taber discussed and answered questions related to the Library Serials crisis, enrollment management and budget.
Standing committee and Student Senate reports:
- Academic Affairs: A new associate's degree program in technology and aviation was approved. The committee continues to reviewing K-State 8 policies as well as the approval, routing, and notification procedures for course and curriculum approval. They are also working on a future proposal related to a universitywide policy for concurrent bachelor's/master's degrees.
- Faculty Affairs: A proposed change to University Handbook, Section C10-11 was approved. Section K handbook changes should be back on the agenda next month. They continue to meet jointly with Professional Staff Affairs to discuss expanding various benefits to term employees.
- Professional Staff Affairs: They continue to meet jointly with Faculty Affairs to discuss representation and benefits for term unclassified professional employees.
- Student Senate: Elections were well participated in and student senators will soon be making the transition to the new body. They are working on a resolution similar to the one on this Faculty Senate agenda.
- Technology, FSCOT: The committee has much on their spring docket including reviewing the use and disuse of office phones; Office 365 updates; shared governance related to the IT strategic plan; clickers; and Duo two-factor authentication rollout.
- University Planning, FSCOUP: The committee continues to work on their spring docket of verifying election procedures for CCOPs, looking at city-university fund ideas, being informed about information relating to the new budget model as it progresses into the next phase, and better identifying FSCOUP's role in strategic planning.
Announcements
- Faculty senators were invited to attend a meeting with Bryan Samuel, chief diversity and inclusion officer, from 1-3 p.m. March 26 in the Union's Big 12 room related to the 2015 Climate Survey. This will close out phase one of this effort.
- The monthly KBOR meeting report was provided by President Wood.
- Faculty Senate elections are underway.
- The annual faculty and professional staff retiree ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. April 16 at the K-State Alumni Center.
Open discussion period
- Senator Hsu reported on the recent Provost's Distinguished Lecture Series talk on artificial intelligence. The URL is bit.ly/KSU-AI-Safety.
- President-Elect González reported on a campuswide Social Justice Center in the works. It will promote interdisciplinary work and action supporting social justice issues.
Spencer Wood
Faculty Senate President
Associate Professor
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
Kansas State University
213 Waters Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506