WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY SENATE
MEETING MINUTES
Date: April
24,2003
Taft Botner Room
(Killian 104)
A. Minutes of meeting were approved as corrected (Spencer & Abel).
B. Roll Call:
Memebers Present: Abel, Atterholt, Bardo, Beam, Caruso, Graham, Hale, Kneller, Lunnen, Mercer, Metcalf, Pennington, Philyaw, Spencer, Smith, Starr, Tholkes, Vihnanek, Chamberlin.
Members Absent: Burns, Adams, Banerjee, Henderson, Huff, Kane, Oran, Shults.
Members with proxies: Bell, Collings, Kolenbrander, Mallory, Noel, Proffit, Wallace, Wooten.
C. Chancellor Bardo,
1. The NC House has already approved a new budget. The NC Senate hope to have a budget ready next week. Then a conference committee will be set up to work out a compromise. Both House have small salary increases for State workers.
2. One way to stimulate the economy is to build new buildings.
3. The Faculty Senate has taken many important actions this year. It is one of the best Senates in recent years.
Questions/Discussion:
1. Enrollment for next year? As of today the freshmen class enrollment is at 1299. We may have a total enrollment of over 7400 next year. Graduate enrollment is solid. We are recruiting more of our own graduates in the graduate school. Many applications are still coming in. The SAT scores and quality is still good. Returning students will need to reserve their dormitory rooms early.
2. Benefits changes? There have been no official changes to the health insurance plan, but there are proposals for increases paid by workers.
3. When will the new hospitality building construction begin? The work will begin 90 days after the budget in which it is included is passed. Capital construction helps increase employment in the region. The movie industry also helps. The aging population & retirees could be a new business sector.
4. How does the student credit hours finance model effect faculty allocations? How are positions spread among the departments? Allocations are based on the strategic plan and needs of the University. We must try to understand what each department does. Credit hours are earned for the University not for a department.
D. Mary Adams, Senior Faculty Assembly Delegate, no report.
E. Lex Davis, SGA President, no report.
F. Keith Stiles, Staff Forum Chair: No report.
G. Nancy Dillard, University Advisory Council Chair
The Council discussed the following issues: Standing Committees. There will be two new committees: Traffic and Safety and Staff Benefits. The Senate needs to send two members to the UAC.
H. Athletic Committee. Newt Smith for A.J. Grube
1. There was a positive result from the posting of grades electronically.
2. The addition to the football stadium is underway.
3. Construction on the tennis courts and soccer field will begin in June.
H. Newt Smith, Chair of Faculty
1. The purpose of May 1 overflow meeting will be to confirm the CONNEC appointments and to approve the request to plan for the engineering program. The Councils will meet at 4PM to elect a chair for the new year.
2. New Senators will be assigned to Councils.
3. In a meeting with Chancellor Bardo the following items were discussed:
curriculum items; engineering; retention; campus student e-mail and Pipeline; the new assistant Chief Information Officer; how end of the year money will be spent, phased retirement issues and public relations issues.
4. Students will be asked to specify an e-mail address they wish to use.
5. Faculty Assembly Forum.
The Faculty passed the restructuring plan. Next year we will work on revising the Faculty Handbook.
The funding matrix, retention, class planning, recruiting from Western North Carolina, billboard images, the increase in advising time it will take to encourage students to take more hours ( funding matrix) to increase faculty positions, salary compression, service both on and off campus and phased retirement were discussed.
6. Thre will be a general faculty meeting on April 25 at 3:00 P.M.
Questions/Discussion:
1. Faculty need to be proactive about health benefits. Newt will inform the faculty of the proposals in his speech on 4/25 and Nancy Dillard will inform the UAS at the May meeting.
2. Will there be input from the faculty on the proposed wording in the
new faculty handbook? Yes, there will be discussion and changes will need to be voted on the faculty at large.
A. Faculty Affairs , Gael Graham chair
1. Changes to the phased retirement plan are outline on p. 8 of the
information packet.
Motion to accept the changes (
Graham & Spencer)
Discusssion:
Vote: Passed by voice vote.
2. Motion to move the Faculty/Staff Benefits Committee to
the UAC and to create a subcommittee on Faculty benefits. ( Graham &
Philyaw).
Discussion:
Vote: Passed by voice vote.
B. Council on Instruction and Curriculum , Scott Philyaew, chair.
1. The AA4 & AA5 course forms have been made simpler.
Motion to accept changes as
printed on 9-12 of the information packet (Philyaw & Abel).
Discussion:
1. If there are 2 changes within a course the new AA4 form should be used within the department. It will then go to the Dean and then to the registrar. It should be more efficient.
2. The AA5 is more clear and is for 3 or more changes.
3. Consultation forms are not necessary for AA4šs
4. Forms will be online.
5. Changes will come from department heads and move up the chain. It will enable units to work together.
Vote: passed by voice vote.
C. Council on Student Affairs, Debasish Banerjee, chair
No Report
A. Old Business
There was no old business
B. New Business
1. The request to plan Engineering programs as outlined on pp.13-18.
Motion to approve request to
plan two engineering programs (Abel & Philyaw).
Discussion:
1.This is a request to plan two programs NOT a college or department. The programs will bring more and brighter students to campus. There will be a partnership with UNC-C. Core competencies already exist on campus. DARPA resources will round out tech needs. The focus is on instrumentation and controls in computer engineering. We may do a student exchange. Theory course will probably be taught using ITV by Charlotte. Lab course will be at WCU. There will be about 80 students in 2004 in electrical engineering. The computer engineering will begin in 2005. ABET requires community involvement.
Question/Discussion:
1. Will both programs start at the same time?
2. Electrically engineering in 2004 and computer engineering in 2005.
3. What about new faculty?
4. New faculty will come with focused growth money and class enrollment. We already have credentialed faculty here.
5. Do grads take some kind of licensure exam?
6. Grads can apply for licensure certificate within 6 yrs of graduation, but a license is not required.
7. How many hours will the program have.
8. ABET requires 124 hours.
9. Will there need to be changes to Liberal Studies?
10. They will be more prescriptive for math and science.
11. Will a liberal arts sequence be required?
12. Will other departments be involved in meeting the program needs?
Example ethics?
13. Yes, we will work wit other departments.
14. We lost a valuable faculty member because we didnšt work together on long range planning.
15. Engineering attracts students.
16. Do you see a need to move math and physics to your department?
17. There will be a common bond, but no movement.
18. You are encouraged to recruit female faculty.
19. We are working on that.
20. The majority of students who begin an engineering program do not finish it, usually transfer within the university. So it helps build other programs.
Motion to suspend rules and
vote on motion today( Kneller & Philyaw).
Vote : Passed by voice vote
Vote on motion to approve
permission to plan passed with 24 votes in favor.
2. Other business will be concluded on May 1.
Meeting adjourned at 5:00