WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE MINUTES - Monday, November 25, 2002

MEMBERS PRESENT: Bakken, Behrman, Brooks, Carroll, Celestin, Chopra, Dawe, DeLillo, deSilva, Edwards, Enns, Goldy, Hershfield, Herzog, Hill, Hiltner, Johnson, Klunder, Lancaster, Lause, Markovich, Matson, Mau, May, McDonald, Miller, Moore-Jansen, Murphey, Quantic, Ravigururajan, Riordan, Rokosz, Ross, Roussel, Russell, Sheikh-Ahmad, Williamson, Withrow, Yeager, Zhang

MEMBERS ABSENT: Eichhorn, Hemans, Kahol, Kear, Muma, Teshome, Wimalesena,

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Bees, Forlaw, Hodson, Parker

Ex-OFFICIO MEMBERS PRESENT: VPAAR, SGA rep. Sell

SUMMARY OF ACTION:
    1. Several past chairs of the University Tenure and Promotion Committee discussed the use of external peer reviews in tenure and promotion decisions, and responded to questions from members of the Senate.
     2. Three of the chairs of the taskforces relating to Basic Skills and General Education gave preliminary reports.
    3. The motion from the Library Committee relative to the USA PATRIOT Act was tabled until the next meeting.

I. CALL TO ORDER: President Lancaster called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.

II. INFORMAL STATEMENTS & PROPOSALS:
            VPAAR Robert Kindrick was asked to comment on yesterday's television speculation that WSU may cancel its summer school program because of budget constraints. He said the summer program is profitable to the extent of a million dollars and is desirable for its own sake, but that WSU may prove not to have the resources to be capable of doing it next summer. If it is cut, it will only be reluctantly; but that has not been decided.

III. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: Minutes of November 11, 2002, accepted as presented.

IV. PRESIDENT’S REPORT: President Lancaster delayed (& because of time, report was not given) his report until after item VI. A. so that discussion could be heard.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS: none

VI. OLD BUSINESS:
            A. Past Tenure & Promotion Chairs discussion of External Review -- Eight members of the faculty who have been chairs of the University Tenure and Promotion Committee spoke briefly and answered questions about the use of external peer reviews in the making of tenure and promotion decisions. These members were, in the order of presentation, Ken Pitetti, (felt there were very informative especially in academic areas outside of one’s expertise), Don Malzahn, (thought they were interesting but not sure how much weight was given to them in decision making process-- more impact on promotion to Full Professor), Anthony Gythiel, ( good evaluation of candidates work), Donna Hawley, (essential for Promotion candidates & provides additional information especially in highly technical disciplines), Jay Mandt, (essential if no one in the candidates department also has expertise in the candidates discipline—helpful at the department/college level), Deborah Soles, (can be helpful, but agreed with Mandt, --not sure how appropriate and useful at University level), Jeri Carroll (more appropriate at the college/department levels, - University level is to be sure the College criteria have been followed – felt candidate knows if they are needed or not), and David Alexander (can be important in certain cases but felt that following the procedures for requesting external reviews is ESSENTIAL). Questions followed: are External Reviews standard in all colleges – Always used in LAS & usually in Fine Arts. Are they beneficial? – can be helpful and are one way to provide information about the quality of the candidates work in their field.
            B. ad hoc General Education Task Forces update -- Three of the four chairs of the taskforces dealing with issues relating to the Basic Skills and General Education programs presented preliminary reports. These were Jeri Carroll, for the taskforce on goals and outcomes; Dwight Murphey for the taskforce on assessment; and Peer Moore-Jansen for the taskforce on transfer equivalencies. Elizabeth Behrman, chair of the taskforce on graduation requirements, was ill and not present to make a report.

VII. NEW BUSINESS:
            A. Motion from the Library Committee – Senator Hershfield moved (Goldy, 2^nd ) that the motion from the Library Committee relative to the USA PATRIOT Act be tabled so that Assistant Counsel Leonard Clark can present an independent review of the Act at the December 8 meeting. Motion accepted.

VIII. AS MAY ARISE:
            The Senate applauded Senator Moore-Jansen for having recently received the Kansas Professor of the Year Award.

Respectfully submitted,
Dwight Murphey
Secretary