WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE MINUTES -

Monday, November 29, 1999

MEMBERS PRESENT: Bakken Bennett, Brooks, Campbell, Carroll, Cavarozzi, Celestin, Cheraghi, Chopra, Davis, DeLillo, DeSilva, Eggers, Feleppa, Hazen, Hoyer, Huntley, Kelly, Klunder, Kuchment, Kuhn, Larson, Lause, Lawless, Long, Mandt, Markovich, Matson, Miller, Murphey, Myers, Paarmann, Pfannestiel, Ravigururajan, Riordan, Rokosz, Rosenthal, Scherz, Schommer, Steinke, Swan, Toops, York

MEMBERS ABSENT: Bajaj, Blocher, Klingsporn, Lancaster, May, Wine

MEMBERS EXCUSED: Quantic

Ex-OFFICIO MEMBERS PRESENT: SGA rep, Zoller

SUMMARY OF ACTION:

1. Passed several sections of the recommended changes to the University Tenure and Promotion Policy before discussion was suspended. Sections passed were 3.131, 3.132, 3.142, 3.1431. Section 3.143 was sent to departments and colleges for review.

I. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 3:30 by President Mandt.

II. INFORMAL STATEMENTS & PROPOSALS:

A. Senator Myers introduced a new faculty member from the Library, Scott Goldy, Reference Librarian for the Social Sciences.

B. Senator Brooks announced an upcoming AAUP meeting on Thursday, December 2, from 1:30-3:30 PM in Hubbard Hall Rm. 309.

C. With regard to the ongoing "Parking Plan," Senator Kuchment expressed frustration that none of the reserved places appeared to have been eliminated. Senator Rokosz voiced his concern on behalf of

the Heskett Center, which is scheduled to lose playing fields to the north of its building. The administration promised that at the Metropolitan Center playing fields would be developed, lights would be installed and restrooms made available. He does not see any of this happening. President Mandt stated he would check on these issues.

D. Senator Davis stated he wants to be on record as not satisfied with President Beggs' replies to questions regarding administrative searches, especially with regard to salary levels (Dean of Engineering at 160K, and the Dean of Business and VPAARR at even higher salary levels).

E. President Mandt announced that the annual visit to WSU of representatives from the Board of Regents is canceled for next week, as a cost cutting measure.

III. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

The minutes for November 15 were approved as written except for one correction. Senator Long requested clarification of his comments about the offsite centers during the Informal Statements and Proposals. He stated that he would like to see an analysis of the time spent and credit hours generated at each of the centers.

IV. PRESIDENT'S REPORT:

A. There is still a need for one faculty volunteer at a December 6 retreat for Freshman Orientation.

B. The Executive Committee has discussed a range of issues related to the broad theme of budget, and has decided to plan a faculty caucus in the near future.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS: none

VI. OLD BUSINESS:

A. Recommended changes to the Tenure & Promotion Policy - reports from the

Faculty Affairs Committee and Tenure & Promotion Committee: Senator Klunder, Chair of Faculty Affairs Committee led the discussion of the recommended changes through 3.172. Section summaries as follows:

3.131 - accepted

3.132 - accepted

3.142 - accepted

3.143 - The committee recommends that the guidelines be written to clarify whether tenure must be tied to promotion. It was the consensus of the committee that the guidelines not be universally tied together. The recommendation went forth that the various departments and colleges would be charged to discuss the issue of whether tenure may be granted without promotion.

3.1431 - Accepted after a discussion of wording. The word "appropriate" in "Appropriate consideration..." was struck in favor of beginning with "Consideration...."

3.172 - Discussion opened regarding the time frame for adding additional materials to the dossier. At that point, President Mandt moved that discussion be suspended until the next meeting in order to allow Martha Shawver to offer a presentation under New Business.

VII. NEW BUSINESS:

A. Student Retention Issues: Martha Shawver, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, addressed the Senate on student retention issues, sharing research on 1) positive characteristics linked to retention (such as caring faculty and staff, good teaching, etc.) and 2) risk factors (such as minority, commuter, first generation college student, etc.). WSU has strengths in the category of positive characteristics, but clearly also has a student body with a strong risk profile. For example, in the Fall of 1998, 2203 freshmen entered WSU. At the end of the first semester, 26.5% went on probation. Of the 26.5%, 61.2% enrolled in Spring 1999. Of those, at the end of the Spring 1999 semester, 46.8% still remained on probation, 27.5% were dismissed and 25.8% were removed from probation. Shawver's organization is working on a Retention Management Strategy, which will include an Intervention Strategy. Discussion followed. Several faculty stated that the faculty need this type of information, but also need to know what to do with it. The faculty should partner with the Office of Undergraduate Studies in retention efforts. Others mentioned the lack of any shopping-coffee house etc located close to campus, i.e. a place like Aggieville at KSU or the Bradley Fair area in Wichita.

VIII. AS MAY ARISE: