|
ACADEMIC
SENATE MINUTES February 15,
2007 |
11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. ACADEMIC
SENATE CHAMBERS
Members Present: Altar, Alva, Arnold, Bedell, Buck, Dabirian, Drezner,
Fidalgo, Fitch, Fromson, Gordon, Guerin, Hagan, Hassan, Hewitt, Holland,
Absent: Bruschke, Burgtorf,
I.
CALL
TO ORDER
Chair Guerin called the
meeting to order at 11:31 a.m.
II.
URGENT
BUSINESS
None.
III.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senator Nanjundappa
provided an update on fact-finding. The first meeting was held on February 9,
2007 and another meeting may take place on February 28th. When he
receives progress reports from CFA, he will share that information with the
Senate.
Senator Nanjundappa also
stated that preparations for a possible two-day rolling strike or general
strike are moving along well. Other campuses have reported great support by
faculty members for the strikes.
Senator Pasternack
commended Senator Randall for the excellent job she did representing Chair
Guerin at the Statewide Senate Chairs’ Meeting last Thursday.
Senator Pasternack
deferred to VP Anderson, who reported on “Access to Excellence” a system-wide
follow-up to Cornerstone planning (the CSU strategic planning process). Our
campus forum is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 in the
TSU, 12:00-3:30 p.m. Lunch will be served; an RSVP is necessary. At President
Gordon’s request, the open campus forum will be co-hosted by VP Smith and VP
Anderson. A working group has been created to undertake the logistics of the
event. The WASC steering committee has recommended two items, both approved by
the President, which we will focus on. The first item is on “Ensuring Success
of Student Learning” and the second is entitled “Faculty/Staff Excellence to
Promote Student Success.” There is a
considerable amount of interest in discussing the issue of campus growth, as
well. The second planning exercise will take place on Thursday, April 5, 2007 from
8:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Announcements about these events will be distributed
shortly. We can accommodate up to 300 attendees. External observers will be
invited to attend, as well.
Senator Shapiro
announced the sad news that one of our founding faculty members, Professor
Raymond Adams, passed away on February 2, 2007. He was the first chair of the
Physics Department. A memorial gathering will be held on Friday, February 16th,
at 3:00 p.m. in MH-606. Senator Shapiro asked anyone who is interested in
attending to contact the Physics department.
IV.
APPROVAL
OF MINUTES
M/S/P
[Pasternack/Nanjundappa] to approve ASD 07-15 Academic Senate Meeting Minutes
2-1-07 as submitted.
V.
CONSENT
CALENDAR
No items.
VI.
FIRST
The vote to rescind ASD
07-18 UPS 508.100 Policy on the Disposition of Hard Copy Periodicals will take
place at next week’s Academic Senate meeting.
VII.
TIMES
CERTAIN
Time
Certain
Subject:
Vision Committee on Academic Quality (Update on Activities)
Time:
12:15
Jack
Bedell, Vision Committee on Academic Quality
The charge of the
Committee on Academic Quality is to determine academic quality indicators so that
we can assess on a regular basis, the University’s performance and analyze its
performance over time. The committee will meet this afternoon to review the
data generated by the survey on academic quality that was administered last
spring and assign writing tasks amongst members.
The survey was
administered to every employee and student. Attempts were made to distribute it
to alumni, but we were unable to facilitate this. The survey produced very rich data.
Respondents were asked to provide three indicators of academic quality and
suggest how they should be measured. They were then asked questions, arranged
randomly, about 27 indicators of academic quality. (These 27 indicators were
determined as a result of the committee’s research on quality.) The respondents
were asked how reflective of academic quality they believed the 27 indicators
are. The same 27 items were used again
in the third section of the survey, and respondents were asked to assess CSUF’s
performance in those 27 areas.
The committee hopes to
complete analysis of the survey results by May 1, 2007.
Time
Certain
Subject:
Second Language Graduation Requirement Study Group (Update on Activities)
Time:
12:30
Radha
Bhattacharya/Bradley Starr, Co-Chairs, SLGR Study Group
Dr. Bhattacharya briefly discussed how this study group was
established by referencing ASD 06-67, a recommendation approved by the Academic
Senate on April 13, 2006 that calls for the formation of an ad hoc study group
to study four areas related to the second language graduation requirement, make
an oral presentation in fall 2006 on its progress, and report to the Academic
Senate its recommendation by March 1, 2008. Due to time limitations, the study
group was unable to make its oral report during the fall semester.
The study group’s first
meeting was convened by Jack Bedell. Radha Bhattacharya and Bradley Starr were
elected co-chairs at this meeting.
The group has met five
times, once a month, between September and January. It has consulted with
Dolores Vura, Institutional Research and Analytical Studies, Lee Gilbert,
Modern Languages and Literature, and Dawn Valencia, Director, University
Outreach for the purpose of collecting statistical data and other related
information. The study group plans to examine how other campuses have
incorporated the requirement and then gather information as questions arise, on
the rationale of the requirement, impact, etc.
At its second meeting,
Dolores Vura provided the study group with statistical information which
included the following:
·
Early First-Time Freshmen, Entering Fall 2006: 54% had
already completed three years of high school foreign language studies; 19% were
exempt by major; and 26% would have been required to meet the second language
graduation requirement.
·
Transfer students, Entering Fall 2006: 35% exempt by
major; 54% would need two additional courses to meet the requirement.
·
39.4% of total number of students enrolled in Spring 2006
would have been exempt from the requirement (approximately 11,000 students)
Lee Gilbert provided
background and updates on the original report on the requirement and discussed
the issue of exemptions from the requirement. He also encouraged moving towards
the example of
The committee will
address the following questions/issues:
1. How can the University
coherently adopt the graduation requirement on grounds that it is fundamental
to excellence and then exempt 35-40% of the students from the requirement? The
second language requirement is a required component of an excellent
undergraduate education. Under what conditions would students be exempt from
the requirement?
2. What is the rationale
for imposing the requirement on the remaining 60-65% of students?
3. What is the rationale
for exempting majors such as nursing, business, and engineering from the
requirement while, according to recent studies, these are fields sited as most
in need of higher level foreign language proficiency?
4. Establish a
comprehensive set of criteria for determining the appropriateness of granting
waivers. Should wider review in the recommendation process be considered?
5. Are there are any
conclusions implied by the fact that all eligible departments without exception
did indeed request and were granted exemptions? Why did such departments,
especially those in the category of 1.B.2., choose not to accommodate the
requirement?
6. Given the preliminary
information sited above, what would be the resources needed for staffing
sections of modern languages that result from the implementation of the second
language graduation requirement? How will changes and exemptions alter these
needs?
7. What impact, if any,
will the loss of exemption from the second language graduation requirement have
on the recruitment of transfer students for affected departments and programs
at CSUF?
8. Knowing that Sacramento
State grants no exemptions to any departments or programs to the second
language graduation requirement, what lessons, regarding such policy, can be
learned from their experience? Are the affected programs comparable to those at
CSUF? What principle reasons did they use to reach their decision? What
consequences, if any, have resulted?
VIII. CHAIR’S REPORT
Chair Guerin thanked
Secretary Randall for representing her at the Statewide Senate Chairs’ meeting
that took place last week. She also thanked President Gordon for approving
eight transmittals and returning them to the Academic Senate office last
week.
Chair Guerin announced
that there is a vacancy in the part-time faculty constituency of the Academic
Senate. A special election will take place to fill that seat.
IX.
STATEWIDE
ACADEMIC SENATE REPORT
Senator Pasternack
reported that the next plenary meeting will be held in March. The CSU Academic
Senate Executive Committee is involved in planning the state-wide meeting for
“Access to Excellence”. A planning meeting for this event will be held at the
beginning of April. The actual state-wide meeting will be held in
X.
UNFINISHED
BUSINESS
10.1
M/S/F [Nanjundappa/Hassan] to
approve ASD 06-194 Resolution in Response to Audit Report (Resolution to
Restore Summer Pay to Faculty Who Completed Instructional Work in Summer 2004).
[Voice vote]
A roll call vote was requested by Senator Nanjundappa, and supported by over 20% of those present;
the resolution was approved: 18(ayes)-16(nays)-6(abstentions):
AYES: Buck, Fitch, Guerin,
Hassan, Hewitt,
NAYS: Altar, Alva,
ABSTENTIONS: Fidalgo, Fromson,
Jones, McConnell, Meyer, Randall
10.2
ASD 06-207 CFA
Senator Randall
(friendly amendment):
In first
resolve, amend
to read: “…the CSU Fullerton
administration provide laptop computers prior to fall 2007 semester to all
temporary part-time faculty teaching six units or more with three-year
entitlement contracts;”
It was M/S [Fromson/Pasternack] to change the end
of the first resolve to read “who teach nine units or more per semester.”
The meeting adjourned with discussion of this item
on the floor. Discussion will resume at
the next Academic Senate meeting.
XI.
NEW
BUSINESS
(Items 11.1 – 11.4 were
not discussed due to lack of time.)
11.1 ASD 07-08 Proposed UPS
on SRI [FAC]
11.2
ASD 07-09 Revised UPS 300.040 Academic Standards for
Postbaccalaureate Students [ASC]
11.3
ASD 07-17 Revised UPS 508.000 Policy on Return or
Replacement of Library Materials [Library Committee]
11.4
ASD 07-19 Revised UPS 210.000 (Section III: Documentation
Submitted by the Faculty Member) [FPC]
XII. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting was adjourned at 12:59 p.m.