ACADEMIC SENATE
MINUTES
Members Present: Allen,
Arkenberg, Bedell, Boyum, Buck, Byrnes, Cox, Emry, Erickson, Fitch, Fromson,
Gannon, Gass, Gilbert, Gordon, Guerin, Hall, Hewitt, Jones, Junn, Kelly,
Kreiner, Meyer, Michalopoulos,
Members Absent: Hagan, Klassen and Vasques
I.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Gilbert
called the meeting to order at
II.
URGENT BUSINESS
Chair Gilbert
asked the Senate’s approval to reorder the agenda to begin with our time certain
to accommodate Senator Parker who had a meeting off-campus. Members concurred.
Time Certain
Michael Parker, Chief Information Technology Officer
Subject: Campus-wide
ID Project
Senator Parker
recognized Ms. Susan Kachner, Director of Administrative Computing in
Information Technology. Ms. Kachner
stated there are a number of new state laws requiring universities in the state
of
Impact on faculty
and staff: SIS+ users may continue to search for student records using a SSN,
but the CWID number will display in place of SSN in the student record. IT will provide training after the first of
the year, but the training is really not necessary to be able to continue using
SIS+.
Impact on
students: Students can continue to use either SSN or CWID to access TITAN
Online, the Student Portal, and telephone registration. Students will not need a new Titan Card. The campus will still collect SSN information
from students for tax reporting purposes. A new campus website has been created to
provide members of the Cal State Fullerton community with information about the
Campus-wide ID project. Ms. Kachner stressed
the importance for faculty with private data bases containing SSN (such as
grade records) on their PC’s, to start encrypting that information and to shred
documents that contain SSN. Mr. Dabirian
will distribute instructions to faculty on how to encrypt files with SSNs.
Chair Gilbert
thanked Ms. Kachner for her report.
III.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senator
Nanjundappa announced that bargaining teams continue to meet. He also reminded the Senators of the CFA
Holiday party on Monday, December 15, 2003, TSU Pavilion C from 11:30 a.m.—3:00
p.m.
Senator Gannon
was pleased to announce that the mathematicians at the
Senator
Sutphen reminded the Senators of the Academic Affairs Forum scheduled for
January 26, which has been merged with a teaching and learning conference on
“How Learners Learn and Teachers Teach” sponsored by the CNSM, Faculty
Development Center, and Academic Affairs.
Senator
Fromson announced the conference keynote speaker on January 26th will be Dr.
Rochel Gelman, Professor of Psychology and Co-Director,
Senator Jones
announced a wellness fitness program will be available to faculty/staff beginning
with the spring semester in their new facility and to watch for those
announcements starting in February.
Chair Gilbert
announced Joyce Ono has been awarded funding from the CSU Institute for
Teaching and Learning for her proposal entitled “CSU Biology Initiative for
Improving Teaching & Curricula.”
IV.
CHAIRS REPORT
None.
CONSENT
CALENDAR
It was m/s/p [Bedell/Fromson] to approve the
following Consent Calendar:
A. ASD 03-135 Name Change of the Minor in Health
Promotion to the Minor in Health Science
B. ASD 03-136 Academic Senate Minutes
V.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. ASD
03-130 Proposed Resolution on the Campus Budget and the Supplemental Report
Language
It was m/s/p [Fitch/Nanjundappa] to approve
document ASD 03-130. The resolution passed
unanimously.
B. ASD 03-132
Resolution on Trash Pickup in University Offices
Chair Gilbert,
on behalf of the Executive Committee, asked to withdraw the Resolution on Trash
Pickup in University Offices from the agenda.
Chair Gilbert noted that Senator Hagan graciously listened to the
concerns expressed by the Senators and has arranged for trash to be picked up
once a week in individual offices; therefore the resolution was no longer
warranted. It was m/s/p [Fitch/Kreiner] to withdraw ASD 03-132 from the agenda.
C. ASD 03-131 Proposed Revisions to BL 62-4
Senate Officers: Nomination/Voting
Process
It was m/s [Hall/Jones] to approve ASD 03-131.
It was m [Hewitt] and accepted as a friendly
amendment in section e, line 34 to delete “minimum of 50% plus one” and insert
the word “majority.” Motion passed to approve ASD 03-131 as
amended.
VI.
NEW BUSINESS
A. ASD 03-140 Proposed
Resolution Open Enrollment Spring 2004
It was m/s [Bedell/Fromson] to approve document
ASD 03-140. Senator Bedell stated that
under the new “open enrollment” policy approved last year, students had to wait
until the third week of the semester before they could enroll. As a result, numerous students who had to
wait found out they would not be admitted.
By then it was too late to add other classes in the third week of the
semester. This caused great difficulties
for international students. Senator Bedell
noted that regular students currently have “several bites of the registration
apple.” This revision in the policy would allow Open University students to
enroll the first day of classes.
Dean Norman
reminded the Senators that faculty still have control of the process.
It was m/s [Hewitt/Fitch] to amend the
Resolution. On line 13, to change the
word “first” to “third” day of classes. Motion failed.
Motion passed to approve document ASD 03-140.
B. ASD 03-134
Proposed Revisions to UPS 300.020 Grading Practices
It was m/s [Gannon/Fitch] to approve ASD
03-134. Chair Gilbert noted that there had been an extraordinarily rich
exchange of emails circulated on this proposal, and given that, urged the
Senators to be fairly brief in their remarks.
Senator Gannon
recognized Kristi Kanel, Chair of Academic Standards Committee. Ms. Kanel
explained that the committee had surveyed CSU/UC schools and found that only
four do not use the plus/minus grading system.
One of the big issues was the grade of “C-,“ because students need to
have a “C” in the four cornerstone courses. We allow students to transfer in from the
community colleges with a “C-“ counting as a “C.” Departments that offer upper division writing
courses will decide whether they will allow a C- and whether they allow a C- in
all major requirements. The committee
also felt this would allow more distinction to grades. She said the committee was unanimous in proposing
this change in the document.
Senator Fitch recognized
Natalie Fousekis, History Department. Ms. Fousekis argued that the plus/minus
grading is an incentive for the students who stop applying themselves when
their grade is in the middle of the grade range.
Senator
Russell stated he had surveyed his students and some of the students indicated
that it would create more competition in the classroom and were opposed to the
change. Senator Russell said he was opposed
to the proposal as long as the “C” was defined as ”average.” The word “average”
can mean different things, but the widespread implication is that “C” is the
grade most often given. “B” does not
mean “above average”, it means “good.”
“C” does not mean “average,” it means something like “acceptable” and a
“D” means “poor.”
Senator Gass
recognized Ms. Atara Stein, English Department. Ms. Stein expressed her frustration about not
being able to assign plus/minus grades.
Ms. Terry
Saenz, Human Communication Studies, was opposed to the change.
Mr. John Drew,
It was m/s [Pasternack/Bedell] to amend the
document to indicate that an “A+” would receive 4.3 points.
It was m/s [Shapiro/Bedell] to call the
question. Motion carried. Motion on the
Pasternack amendment failed.
Adam Byrnes,
student representative, noted in his polling of students found an overwhelming
majority opposed and feared it would hurt their GPA’s. He noted that Matt Martinez, President of ASI,
also had concerns about how this would affect students who are teetering on
academic probation.
Senator Rhoten
asked Jim Blackburn if the way it is written now with the “C-“ being a 1.7,
would one be able to graduate from an institution with a 1.7 because
technically it is a “C?”
Jim Blackburn stated
the rule as written is that a student must have a 2.0 overall at CSUF and a 2.0
in the major. Disqualification is driven
by GPA, not letter designations.
It was m/s [Sutphen/Fitch] to propose an
amendment to change the description of the grades as follows: “A” indicates Outstanding work (remains the
same); “B” (Above Average) change to Good; “C” (Average) indicates Acceptable
work; and “D” (Below) change to Poor.
Senator
Shapiro stated this amendment is out of order as there is nothing in UPS
300.020 that refers to definitions of grades. Chair Gilbert ruled that the
Sutphen motion is in order.
It was m/s/p [Fitch/Bedell] to call the
question on the Sutphen amendment.
Brief
discussion continued with Senator Wong noting that if faculty members do not
like the new policy, they do not have to use +/- option. Ms. Kanel noted that students may not like
the new policy because they will now be held to an “honest level of standards” and
have to put forth more effort.
It was m/s/p [Rutemiller/Sutphen] to call the
question.
The motion to approve ASD 03-134 as amended passed.
Due to time
limitations, ASD 03-139 Proposed UPS Visiting Scholars and Other Formal
Delegations of Visitors from Abroad: Procedures for Invitations and
Considerations for Hosting was not discussed.
It was m/s/p [Nanjundappa/Bedell] to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at