Faculty Senate Agenda, August 20, 2021
Purdue Northwest Faculty Senate
AGENDA
August 20 2021, 10:00 AM – 12:00 noon
In person: Gyte 103, Hammond Campus
Agenda Items
- Determination of quorum.
- Call to order
- Approval of the agenda. Any additions by faculty members.
- Approval of Minutes from Senate meeting of May 7, 2021. Minutes are found at https://www.pnw.edu/faculty-senate/2021/05/27/faculty-senate-minutes-may-7-2021/.
- Remarks by Chair.
- Remarks by Chancellor.
- Saul Lerner stepping down as Parliamentarian.
Unfinished Business: Reports/updates on things in process
▪ Formal accreditation by HLC received
▪ National search launched for Dean of CHESS
▪ Meeting on July 19 on IPEDS data w/Steve Turner
▪ Geoff Schultz has resigned from Senate, and FAC will have an election to replace him
▪ Maureen Mascha resigned from the Budget Committee and has been replaced by Paul McGrath.
▪ Civics requirement—need to establish an ad hoc committee reporting to Curriculum Committee. Need to implement Fall 2022. Coordinate with Lee Artz.
▪ Westville: Update—Vanessa Quinn and/or Tony Sindone
Discussion:
▪ IBBM budget model went into effect on July 1. We need to follow this carefully. Budget sub-committee update. Paul McGrath.
▪ COVID-19: where do things stand today? We need clarification of details for heading into class on Monday. Provost Chris Holford. Comments on this subject by representatives of Student Government.
Old Business:
▪ Last Friday, August 13, a message went out from Rachel Clapp-Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, with a number of items that were “suggested” to be in your syllabus—Senate had discussed this last Spring. She had asked me if I approved of this information, claiming that faculty were seeking this information. I said I approved as long as it stated AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE that these were RECOMMENDATIONS ONLY, and the information would soon be placed on a BrightSpace page: they are NOT requirements for your syllabus (as settled by FSD 20-16, Faculty have control over each syllabus). Somehow, the communication broke down, and my stipulation did not make it to the top of the page. These are only recommendations and may be used/not used according to faculty’s own determination. This material should be posted on BrightSpace in about three weeks, and it will have a set of “book marks” in the document with an index so students can go directly to the issue they seek information on, and not have to read through the whole document.
▪ Ratification of Summer Executive Committee decisions—Meetings on May 28 and June 18
◦ Will create ad hoc committee under Curriculum Committee to develop Civics curriculum. Civics program becomes a graduation requirement for students entering Fall 2022 as per Board of Trustees’ decision.
◦ Accepted Standing Committees and membership as proposed by Nominations and Awards Committee.
◦ Accepted that Faculty Affairs Committee present a certificate or letter of thanks for faculty and staff leaving the university on good terms.
◦ Decided that Faculty Affairs would resume surveying faculty regarding Administrators’ yearly performance. They have been asked to develop survey and process by which this can be done in a professional manner. This will be initiated early in Spring semester.
◦ Accepted Nominations and Awards intent to present resolution to Senate for by-laws changes, reducing size of Senate from 14% of faculty to 10%
◦ Accepted Nominations and Awards intent to present resolution re filling Committees for Founders’ Day if colleges don’t present representatives
◦ Executive Committee agreed with Provost Holford that temporary ending of SAT/ACT should be made permanent for applicants.
New Business
▪ Course releases: We do not have the money in our budget to fund the course releases we want to fund in the Spring. We need to address this problem.
▪ Because of underfunding, coffee and pastries will not be provided for Senate meetings.
Remarks by Representative of Student Government (other than COVID-19).
Remarks by University Senate/Intercampus Faculty Representative: Vanessa Quinn.
Open Discussion, time permitting.
Adjournment and Standing Committee meetings.