Wsu Faculty Senate Meeting

WSU FACULTY SENATE MEETING October 20, 2003

Senators Present: Sara Barbor, Tamara Berg, Danning Bloom, Matt Bosworth, David Bratt, Marianna Byman, Mark Engen, Pat Ferden, Peter Henderson, Kelly Herold, Matthew Hyle, Colette Hyman, Joe Jackson, Mary Kesler, Cindy Killion (sabbatical leave), Dan Lintin, Peter Miene, Bill Ng, Troy Paino, Christine Pilon- Kacir, Susanne Smith, Jo Stejskal, Cathy Summa, Bruce Svingen. Senators Absent: Darrell Downs (sabbatical leave). Others Present: Faculty: Charla Miertschin. Students: Megan Curran, Kelly Joyner, Gina Bonneville, Amy Baumgart, April Voigt, and Emily Finley.

I. Call to Order

Mary Kesler called the meeting to order at 3:02 p.m.

II. Approval of minutes of October 6, 2003 Senate Meeting

B. Svingen/D. Lintin moved to approve minutes of 10/6/03 as written. Motion Carried.

III. Agenda Additions/Revisions and Approval:

Additions: Com-G: Elections

NB-A: Technology (i) Changes to System Users email system (ii) Virus protection on Computer desktops NB-B: Retirement Questions NB-C: MnSCU Academic Program Policy

S. Barbor/T. Berg moved to approve agenda items. Motion Carried.

IV. President’s Report

Faculty Association President’s Report Mary Kesler October 17, 2003

I attended an IFO Executive Committee meeting on October 9 and 10. We dealt with a considerable amount of routine business, mostly job descriptions. There was also a meeting with the negotiations team and with the AFSCME and MAPE attorney. Of note is the fact that the IFO received a petition for contract mediation from MnSCU. We found out that all of the unions received a similar notice. The history here is that there have usually been 10 meetings between the bargaining teams before mediation is requested. President Jim Pehler immediately wrote to John Shabatura, Associate Vice Chancellor for Labor Relations, expressing his dismay about this premature action after only three meetings. Also we were concerned that this might mean a change in decision-making unilaterally determined by MnSCU. Finally, the message sent to negotiators was a negative one. In his response, Shabatura said that uncertainty about the State’s insurance package, in light of the State’s difficulties with its two largest bargaining units, was the impetus for the mediation request. He also said they were pleased with the progress in our contract negotiations. As you know, there was a subsequent settlement with AFSCME and MAPE. I e-mailed everyone the information that I had on the health package, but the website for that is http://www.afscmecouncil6.org/. The IFO has also sought legal advice in the light of these actions. I can share some of the results at our Senate meeting.

We will be attending an IFO Board meeting on October 23 and 24. One of our guests will be John O’Brien, who is heading the conversion to Desire2Learn for MnSCU. At the last IFO Board meeting, this decision was discussed, leading to the following motion:

‘The IFO expresses its serious concerns to the Office of the Chancellor about conversion to Desire2Learn. When and if a campus chooses to use Desire2Learn, MnSCU must provide adequate resources, including payment for all licensure fees and ongoing training and support in order to allow faculty to convert from the existing IMS to Desire2Learn. BO/GS Carried’

Board members have submitted the following questions to ask John, and if you have others, be sure to let Bruce (substituting for Cathy), David or me know: 1. How easy is D2L to use compared to WebCT? How comprehensive is each package? To what extent does each product meet faculty needs? 2. How would the conversion be accomplished? What support would be provided? 3. Where will the software be hosted? 4. Who would provide maintenance and support? 5. Will the Office of the Chancellor pay for the software, support, licensing and maintenance costs for D2L? What are the long term predicted costs of ownership for each product? 6. What type of Help Desk support will be provided? 7. How do the levels of on-campus support needed for each product vary? 8. What is the expected impact on bandwidth? 9. How much local flexibility and control does D2L offer compared to WebCT? 10. What would the timetable for switching be?

V. Review of Meet and Confer Notes of October 13, 2003.

Changes/Additional Notes: Item 1: Change "Oral Communication" to "Oral Communication" Item 7: Scott E. sent IFO a laptop cost breakdown, but it appears that the breakdowns were not specific enough. For example: (i) Does the hardware designation of $805 include lease price from company, printer, paper, routers, etc? (ii) The previous number we’ve heard for leasing price of laptop from company was $500? (iii) Since there is a Carrying Bag designation of $20, why do many faculty Senators stated that they had never received a new Bag since Laptop U started? (iv) (Six students were in attendance and most nodded that they had a new Bag when they swapped in their laptops.) Item 6: Point 8 - Is the steering committee ready to go? [Yes, members are presidents of the constituency groups.] The statement "Besides, the Steering committee has release time to do this” was only a funny ha-ha-joke. WSUFA President only gets release time for her IFO presidency, not for serving on the steering committee, perhaps administrators get release time. (Though Secretary Ng at the Meet and Confer did not considered the comment as a joke!)

Meet and Confer Notes received by Senate.

VI. Committee Reports

COM-A. A2C2 (Document in Senate Packet)

Items from October 8, 2003 A2C2 meeting: I. University Studies

A. Course Requirements 1. Arts & Science Core: Humanities CHIN 101 Beginning Chinese I (4 SH) CHIN 102 Beginning Chinese II (4 SH) JPN 102 Beginning Japanese II (4 SH) 2. Unity & Diversity: Global Perspectives GS 250 Introduction to Asia (3 SH) B. Flag Courses 1. Writing BIOL 445 Immunology CMST 371 Discussion and Small Group Dynamics (3 SH) POLS 347 International Organizations (3 SH) POLS 450 Feminist Political Theory (3 SH) SOC 407 Offender Assessment and Management (3 SH)

II. University Studies Progress Report

A. Referred to the University Studies Subcommittee (USS). USS will respond with a plan of action by the end of fall semester

III. Notifications (information only)

A. Geoscience 1. GEOS 240 - course title and prerequisite change Old: Hydrogeology; prereq. GEOS 130 New: Watershed Science; prereq. Any 100-level Geoscience course OR permission of instructor. 2. GEOS 425 - course title change Old: Quaternary Environments New: Global Climate Change 3. GEOS 440 - course title and prerequisite change Old: Basin Analysis & Tectonics; prereq. GEOS 340 OR permission of instructor. New: Tectonic Evolution of North America; prereq. GEOS 220, 280, 330, or 340, OR permission of instructor. B. Mass Communications - one-time course offering MCOM 401 Terrorism: Topics in Mass Communication (3 SH), Spring 2004 C. Political Science - course number change Old: POLS 380 Political Research I - Secondary (3 SH) New: POLS 280

Faculty Senate approved Courses in Item I, noted Item II and received notifications.

Com-B. Graduate Council

No report.

Com-C. Government Relations

No report.

Com-D. Personnel Policies and Grievance

PP&G Chair M. Hyle reported and forwarded the following PP&G recommendation to Faculty Senate:

Based on Article 6, Section B, subd. 2 ("The Association and the President shall confer on the need for faculty to serve on college and university-level committees, after which the Association shall appoint the faculty", p. 21), the Personnel Policies and Grievance Committee recommends that

1) the UPC and all related committees involving faculty must conform to the provisions of the IFO contract, and

2) the UPC and all related committees involving faculty must be reconstituted through the normal WSUFA process.

Senate Discussion: 1. If two depts. set up a cross-discipline committee, the committee must be constituted via the WSUFA. 2. Comments were related on course approvals by Dean, will check into A2C2 document.

Faculty Senate approved the PP&G recommendation.

Com-E. Committee on Committees Committee on Committees recommends:

1. To Graduate Council, ADD Doug Hayes, English Frank Rocco, Special Education Gaylia Borror, Counselor Education

DELETE: Colin Ward 2. To A2C2, ADD:

Larry Bergin Anne Plummer Celeste Miller, n Melanie Reap(alt) Chris Buttram, Debra Cumberland Ditlev Larsen Lilian Ramos (alt) Linda Seppanen (alt) Gaspare Genna (alt) Jeff Draskoci-Johnson(alt)

DELETE: Paul Johnson

3. APPOINT: Gene Lundak to Commencement Committee John Weis to Orientation and Space Utilization Committees Bill Ortega to Long Range Planning Committee Larry Reuter to Space Utilization Committee Rill Reuter to Sesquicentennial Committee Rodney Nowosielski to Orientation Committee Pat Paulson to Faculty Development Committee Helen Dachelet to Affirmative Action Committee

4. ACCEPT RESIGNATIONS: Sandra Bennett from Sexual Violence Advisory Committee Peter Henderson from Sexual Violence Advisory Committee

5. To All University Study Groups, APPOINT:

Business and Community Partnership: Carole Madland Gloria McVay Shellie Nelson Lorene Olson Dan Rand Kathy Sullivan

Philanthropy: Joan Francioni Mary Gander Karen Gardner Joe Jackson Troy Paino Mary Jane Wiseman

Services and Student Support: Toby Dogwiler Pat Ferden Peter Henderson Melanie Reap Linda Seppanen Kim Snyder

Program Excellence and Quality: Marzie Astani Susan Hatfield Mary Proksch Roger Riley Cathy Summa Alex Yard

6. REQUEST of administration the appointment of Ron Elcombe as a seventh faculty member, representing the Residential College, to the New University Program Excellence and Quality Study Group.

Faculty Senate approved all recommendations/appointments.

M. Kesler related that WSUFA still needs more faculty to serve on committees. She asked Senators to recruit colleagues to serve.

COM-F: Negotiation

Matt Hyle reported: 1. Should have meeting soon. 2. MnSCU believes negotiations could be done in two meetings. 3. If just MnSCU posturing, then it might take longer. 4. Present MnSCU proposal of 1.2% 2nd year and 15% member pick up on Health Care costs are not acceptable to the IFO.

Com-G. Elections

The following time frame was proposed:

October 9 Call for candidates sent to faculty October 20 Deadline for call for candidates October 21 Final day for posting candidate info on web page October 23 Send ballots to IFO Members October 30 Deadline for return of ballots October 31 Disseminate results to Senate President and all Candidates appearing on the ballot November 3 Announce results of fall election at Senate Meeting November 12 Announce results of fall election at Meet and Confer

*M. Kesler related that no one has filed for candidacy for the one Senate seat. She requested Senators to recruit candidates. Deadline could be extended.

VII. Old Business

OB-A. New University (Document OB-A in Senate Packet)

The OB-A document was provided by the administration at the 10/13/03 Meet and Confer. The document titled "Proposed Schedule for New University (NU) Planning" describes a proposed time line for the work of Study groups and Steering committee. Study Groups/Steering committee: 1. Study groups should begin work the week of October 27th. Administrator on each committee will call first meeting. 2. Study groups (SG) and Steering committee (SC) will meet weekly from November 2 through end of school year. 3. Steering committee will plan/design the large group-visioning event, to be held Nov. 24-26.

Large Group Visioning event(s): 1. First event will be Midday November 24 - midday November 26. 2. To articulate a common direction for NU planning in a facilitated process. 3. Participants are expected to attend the entire event, to be held on campus. 4. Participants may include reps from Steering committee, study groups, department leaders and other stakeholders. 5. Participants will be selected based on the determined goal and structure of the event. 6. A consultant is working with Steering committee and administration reps to design and facilitate the event. 7. Two additional large group sessions may be scheduled during the process as appropriate.

Department and work unit activity: 1. Procedures are being designed to support the work of departments and work units toward the vision of a NU throughout the planning process. 2. Funds are proposed to be made available through each Vice President. Processes for accessing funds will be developed in each unit to fit the culture, schedule and needs of the unit. Uses may include reassigned time, travel to other universities, benchmarking or other projects.

Proposal: A proposal is needed by Fall 2004 for presentation to the MnSCU Board of Trustees.

Communication: A website will be developed to assure continuous communication and input throughout the process.

Senate Comments/Questions: 1. Is the Large group event participation beyond the SG/SC members; that is, can non-committee- faculty/staff attend the Large group event? 2. How are people selected (to participate in the Large Group event) based on the determined goal and structure of the event? [C. Killion will be there...let’s get that straight!] 3. Website is up.

B. Ng/B. Svingen moved to request faculty on Study Groups and Steering Committee to present progress reports at every Senate meeting. Motion Carried. [On behalf of SG/SC, the following faculty were identified/volunteered: M. Kesler (SC), Kathy Sullivan (SG-Business and Community Partnership), Troy Paino (SG-Philanthropy), P. Henderson (SG-Services and Student Support), C. Summa (Program Excellence and Quality).]

OB-B. Spring Semester Attendance Policy

At the 10/13/03 Meet and Confer, the administration’s responses to Senate’s inquiry of whether students can be dropped from a class that is not yet full were: 1. consider all options and consequences, don’t want lots of paperwork, and 2. welcome suggestions from faculty, including A2C2. Senate discussion/questions/comments: 1. Senate should take hard stance on this issue. 2. Reminded that Monday is a holiday after Thursday and Friday in the spring semester for FY05 and FY06 Calendars, which could cause even more attendance issues. 3. Why can’t the administration do more paperwork? 4. Policy should be applied as soon as it’s approved.

P. Miene/B. Svingen moved to send "whether to drop students from non-filled classes during spring semester" issue to A2C2. Motion Carried.

OB-C. Handguns

At the 10/13/03 Meet and Confer, the administration stated that they WILL NOT take down (handgun) signs posted by faculty.

After more consultations between faculty (including M. Kesler/T. Paino) and President Krueger, a suggestion was made that studying of the Handgun Law and its interpretations warrant further investigations.

T. Paino/S. Barbor moved that the WSUFA form an Ad Hoc committee to look further into the MnSCU policy and the Handgun Law. Motion Carried. [T. Paino, P. Henderson, and P. Miene volunteered to serve on the Ah Hoc committee on Handgun Law/MnSCU Policy. The Ah Hoc committee will begin deliberations and will return to Senate with recommendations.]

VIII. New Business

NB-A. Technology

(i) Changes to System Users email system

On Thursday, 10/16/03, Tom Grier sent out email (via sysusers) announcing changes to the use of "system users"@ broadcast-email system effective Monday, Nov. 3, 2003. Two reasons were given for the change: a.) Help WSU IT be proactive in controlling the spread of viruses, b.) b.) To assist in limiting unwanted emails in individual mailboxes.

Replacing the "old" sysusers list are four unique/targeted lists: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Only members of the WSU Council of Administrators plus the University Communication Office staff have the ability to send messages to these lists.

In addition to above lists, each college and department will have their own list. Each member of a department or college can send to their specific college or department list, BUT cannot send to the list for a different department or different college. Senate questions/comments (some came from Executive Committee discussions): 1. From M. Kesler discussions with the administration, Tom Grier and VP Richardson appeared to have totally different interpretations of the IT note. 2. Though agreed that emergencies need to be sent out via Sysusers, most e-mails are not emergencies, therefore IFO needs discussion and input in the use/development of other lists. 3. Key point is that the IT note MUST come through Meet and Confer process before it can be sent out to the university. This is a continuing IT communication problem for the campus community. 4. How do departments access their own department list? 5. The notion (from IT) that discipline-specific emails are ONLY interesting to one discipline is ABSURD! Many discipline-specific speakers/talks are of specific/general interests to many colleges/departments outside that discipline, including interests to non-academic units and staff/administration on this campus! 6. Departments/Colleges must be able to e-communicate with other Departments/Colleges...Is IT and the administration promoting non-open-communications between/among Departments/Colleges? 7. Is it that difficult for people to hit the one “DELET” key to remove unwanted emails? 8. Should the campus return to using the hard/paper copy communication method?

Executive committee moved to refer questions/comments to next Meet and Confer and refer issue to the Faculty Instructional Technology Committee. Motion Carried.

(ii) Virus Protection on Computer Desktops

B. Ng reported that IT has changed the path of updating Virus definitions to a new computer server. Has found that most computer desktops (with Windows 98/lower and XP) still have the old Parent Server designated as “WORMTEMP” or other name(s) in the Norton/Symantec AntiVirus program. The new Parent Server designation is “WORM”. As a result, found last week that some desktops are not performing virus definition file updates. IT has been informed but immediate action has apparently not been taken for all desktops on campus, therefore many desktops could be unprotected from any new virus attacks.

There are still many computer (networked and non-networked) desktops on this campus. For example, there are many desktops attached to equipment/instruments.

Will take "Virus Protection on Computer Desktops" to next Meet and Confer.

NB-B. Retirement Questions (several documents were brought to the attention of Senators)

Retirement questions from MnSCU designed questions/surveys could be problematic and could be misleading. MnSCU could change benefit coverage’s based on misconceptions.

B. Ng/C. Killion moved to notify/alert Gloria McVey on the State-wide IFO committee and to bring further discussion at next State Board meeting. Motion Carried.

NB-C. MnSCU Academic Program Policy (several documents were brought to the attention of Senators) Documents (at least two versions) may have come through State Meet and Confers. Senators are encouraged to read and bring back (if any) questions for Senate considerations. B. Ng/S. Smith moved to refer to A2C2 for comments and return to Senate by November 17th. Motion Carried.

X. Adjournment

Faculty Senate adjourned at 4:02 p.m. (Perhaps a time-adjournment record!)

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Ng.