Wichita State University Faculty Senate Minutes of the meeting Monday, October 10, 2005

accepted as corrected

MEMBERS PRESENT: Billings, Brooks, Carruthers, Cavarozzi, Celestin, Close, Decker, deSilva, Dooley, Elder, Griffin, Hamdeh, Hathaway, Klunder, Lancaster, Loftus, Manske, Markovich, C. Moore-Jansen, P. Moore-Jansen, Myers, Myose, Rokosz, Ross, Roussel, Soles, Spurgeon, Teshome, Vanderburgh, Waters, Wolf

MEMBERS ABSENT:  Badgett, Bryum, Driessen, Forlaw, Mau, Proctor, Stanga, Sun, Taher, Turk, Waheba, Wynn

MEMBERS EXCUSED:  Akrabova, Eckert, Gibson, Hodson, Yeager
 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS:  AVPAAR Shawver

Summary of Action:

    1.  Accepted the appointments of the following Senators:

                Mark Schneegurt, Chris Rogers & Paul Rillema --- representing LAS Math / Natural Sciences
    2.  Accepted appointments to the following Faculty Senate Committees:

                Faculty Support --  Thomas DeLillo -- appt. ends 2008

                Tenure & Promotion --- Silvia Carruthers --  appt. ends 2007

                Academic Affairs --  Julie Scherz -- appt ends 2006  and Marlene Schommer-Atkins --  appt. ends 2006

I.       Call of the Meeting to Order:  President Brooks called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.
 

II.    Informal Statements & Proposals:
Senator Billings proposed support for re-establishing Ethnic Studies as a separate department.  Senator Lancaster suggested that this proposal be referred to Executive Committee for study.  Accepted by Senate.   Senator P. Moore-Jansen questioned the parking lot modifications to the Ahlberg Hall parking area.  He noted a problem on communication being needed earlier regarding lots being closed.   Senator Carruthers asked about the issue of pay for part-time instructors.  Senator Cavarozzi indicated that the issues is being studies by Academic Affairs Committee
 

III. Approval of the minutes:  Minutes of the meeting September 26, 2005, accepted as presented
 

IV.  President’s Report:  
1.  TABOR --President Brooks indicated he had contacted and had responses from Carol Faust, Head of faculty Council at Colorado State, who stated that TABOR had choked the state budget and had bad result and "Don't Do It".  Robert Jones,  Faculty Senate President, Colorado University stated that as a result of TABOR, they were becoming a privatized state university, that Colorado ranks 48th in funding for higher education, that CU had a 21% tuition increase this year and to "Get Politically active and defeat TABOR".    Senator Lancaster suggested having state representative candidates speak to SGA/Faculty Senate about TABOR and other general issues.  President Brooks stressed the need for building non-faculty support opposing TABOR, i.e., business, alumni, etc.   Senator Spurgeon suggested bringing Visioneering Wichita into the TABOR discussion.   Senator Close suggested developing concerted efforts to bring pressure to bear on the Legislature.  Senator Klunder noted that certain areas of the budget are protected and this makes an even greater impact on higher education.  President Brooks stated that Executive Committee should prepare a listing of concerns to be given to students and they would find out for sure what is allowed in the classroom regarding political discussion. 

      V. Committee Reports:  

                A.  Rules Committee -- Brigitte Roussel, chair  (see summary of action)
                          

VII.  Old Business: None

VI.  New Business:       
A.  KBOR Articulation Agreement--President Brooks stated that if the student has an associate degree from a Kansas school, the hours are accepted by WSU (60 hours of basic skills have to be accepted), that General Education requirements are fulfilled, and that there is still discretion which courses will be accepted  by the department.  It was suggested that Community colleges may be required to keep their syllabuses up to date with WSU and there was a need to set expectations as to what associate graduates should be able to do regarding performance in WSU junior level courses.  AVPAAR Shawver announced that there would be a meeting with Community College Advisors 10-14-05, at the Metroplex.
B.  Senate Bill 345 --  President Brooks noted that Faculty tuition assistance will be funded via Senate Bill 345.   
C.  Nursing -- Senator Elder said that Nursing is expanding and reserving slots for students who take all their hours at WSU.

VII.      As May Arise: none

The meeting was adjourned at 4:50 pm
Respectfully Submitted
Robert Ross, Secretary