Meeting Minutes

Ricardo Padron, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order. Mr. Padron gave opening remarks. Mr. Padron reported on initiatives that the Faculty Senate is involved in:

• The Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy – The Senate voted on October 30, 2007, to approve the creation of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and to transfer the existing BA/MPP program into the Batten School as its first degree program. A search committee has been convened to find the Batten School’s first dean.
• The Commission for the Future of the University – The Faculty Senate Planning and Development Committee responded to the draft reports and presented a document that was the topic of the Faculty Senate Work Session on October 3, 2007. A near-final version of the Commission Report should become available on the web soon.
• The Survey of Faculty Satisfaction – In September, Jennifer Harvey, chair of the Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Welfare Committee, distributed preliminary results of the survey that was distributed to all faculty in the spring. The Committee now has a draft of the full report, which should be ready for presentation at the next Faculty Senate meeting .
• The Senate will have a new and improved website, provided by Nancy Tramontin and her staff. Mr. Padron thanked Ms. Tramontin for volunteering her help. He also thanked the Cavalier Daily for their editorial complaining about the website, and thus getting the ball rolling.
• The Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards and the Faculty Senate Dissertation-Year Fellowships -- Amy Bouton, chair of the Research and Scholarship Committee, has a full committee and is ready to read and assess applications for the Harrison Awards. Stephen Macko, a Professor of Environmental Sciences, will chair the Dissertation-Year Fellowships Committee. He and Ann Hamric, chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, are currently finalizing the committee roster. Mr. Padron thanked all involved for their willingness to help with these important projects.
• Priorities that are emerging from the Senate’s work with planning and development – The development of science and technology at the University is one of the stated priorities listed in the Commission for the Future of the University report. The Senate is discussing hosting a “Town Hall”-style meeting on the sciences some time next semester.
• The Planning and Development Committee, chaired by Elizabeth Powell – The committee will discuss ways in which interested faculty can get more involved in development work. Other initiatives could include addressing ways to work on the proposals that came out of the committee’s dinner series last year, the College of Global Studies, a revived Center for Advanced Studies, and a yearly University theme. Graduate Studies might also be a subject addressed by the committee next semester.

In is closing remarks, Mr. Padron said that the Senate’s experience with the creation of the Batten School suggests that such pivotal decisions should be made in ways that are as open, inclusive and transparent as possible, perhaps even more so than the process we as an institution and as a Senate followed in the creation of the Batten School itself. Mr. Padron hopes that the Senate can serve as a forum for such discussions.

Mr. Padron thanked all Senators for the fine work that has been done this semester.

For the full text of Ricardo Padron's remarks click here

President’s Report – John T. Casteen III

President John Casteen’s report to the Faculty Senate included:

• Recent developments in the General Assembly. There is talk about funding Virginia’s public institutions for research initiatives. Mr. Casteen said there is, however, some clarification needed regarding what constitutes research.
• Mr. Casteen talked about the way that the state calculates faculty salary averages, known as “Base Adequacy.” The state currently is providing 7%-to-8% of the University’s current budget, Mr. Casteen said.
• The University’s Partnership with Rolls-Royce – Mr. Casteen said this partnership is a wonderful investment for the state and for the University. The potential impact it will have at the University, in particular, on activities in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the McIntire School of Commerce, is great. This is a major initiative, Mr. Casteen said. Mr. Casteen thanked all those at the University that had a major role in forming this partnership – Leonard Sandridge, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Arthur Garson, Executive Vice President and Provost; James Aylor, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science; Barry Johnson, Senior Associate Dean in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Carl Zeithaml, Dean of the McIntire School of Commerce.
• The Capital Campaign is going well. Mr. Casteen gave the Senators an overview of University development work that has been done, and work that is planned for the future. The administration will have a number of workshops next semester. It is important to have faculty involvement in these workshops, Mr. Casteen said. There will also be a number of kick-off events.

Mr. Casteen took questions.

Provost’s Report – Arthur T. Garson

Dr. Garson opened his remarks by saying that the University of Virginia made the Rolls-Royce deal happen, with a lot of work among a lot of people.

Dr. Garson thanked Ricardo Padron and the members of the Planning and Development Committee for their help with the Commission reports. He said the document continues to get better, and that the final write is not over until the Board of Visitors says it is over.
Dr. Garson also thanked the members of the Commission on the Future of the University and the chairs of the of the Commission committees. In closing, Dr. Garson thanked the University faculty for their comments/suggestions for the document.

The most recent draft of the Commission report can be found at the following URL:
http://www.virginia.edu/planningdocuments/commission/

Honor Committee Report – Catherine Anne Daley and Sophie Staples, Honor Committee Representatives

Collab and Flexible Exams – Project presented by the Honor Committee

“What are “flexible exams”? “Instead of scheduling exams for designated time slots, professors would have the option of allowing students to take an exam over a time period of the professor’s choice. These exams could be as flexible as the professor wishes – a three hour exam could be administered in a specific three hour block, for any three hour period over a day or two, of for a time period of the professor’s choice.”

“The exams would be accessed through a secure internet environment (Collab). Collab will be introduced gradually over the next three semesters. Ms. Daley invited interested faculty members to participate in the pilot program. Participants in the pilot program would use Collab as their course management system in the coming semester and would consider using the new technology to administer a quiz, paper, midterm, or final. Faculty with questions or interest in joining this initiative should contact Catherine Anne Daley at cad6w@virginia.edu.”

Janet Herman, a Professor in Environmental Sciences and a member of the Faculty Senate, pointed out that Collab is already available by contacting ITC. She also reminder everyone that Toolkit goes away in May 2009.

Committee Reports

Amy Bouton, Chair of the Research and Scholarship Committee

Ms. Bouton reported that the Research and Scholarship Committee now has a full roster of 12 members. The main charge for the Committee is to review Harrison Award applications and make recommendations for recipients of the Awards. Each year the Committee receives between 80-150 applications. The Committee works closely with the Arts and Sciences Center for Undergraduate Excellence in collecting, reviewing, and selecting the Harrison Awards recipients. Ms. Bouton asked the Senators to contact her if they are interested in helping with the reviewing of applications.

Ann Hamric, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee

The Dissertation-Year Fellowship Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee, will offer Fellowships again this year. Stephen Macko, a Professor in Environmental Sciences, will chair the Subcommittee this year.

Ms. Hamric distributed a handout introducing a new degree program proposal – M.E.D. in Student Affairs in Higher Education Administration (SAPHE) in the Curry School of Education. Ms. Hamric gave an overview of the new degree program. The Program already exists under a different School of Education program, and is already fully staffed. SCHEV requires a full review of the program. The program has the support of the School of Education.

Ms. Hamric called for a motion to approve the new degree program “M.E.D. in Student Affairs in Higher Education Administration.” A motion was made, it was seconded, and it passed unanimously. Date: November 28, 2007

Additionally, the School of Engineering and Applied Science has brought an idea to the Academic Affairs Committee for a program titled “Produced in Virginia.” Ms. Hamric says this program does not need the Faculty Senates approval. The Academic Affairs Committee will participate in an open dialogue with the Engineering School regarding the program.

The Academic Affairs Committee is also working on developing a template of information the Committee will need when considering new school and large program proposals.

In closing, Ms. Hamric reported that the Committee is looking at the Faculty Handbook and how best to update it.

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.

Submitted by Pamela Norris, Secretary of the Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Meeting – November 28, 2007

Attendance

Ricardo Padron
Edmund Kitch
Pamela Norris
David Mick
Adrienne Ward
Alfred Weaver
Pamela Tucker
Chris Holstege
Ricky Patterson
Marcia Childress
Teresa Culver
Lynda Phillips-Madson
Alice Howard
Bill Keene
Dana Elzey
Susan Kirk
Karin Wittenborg
Linda Waggoner-Fountain
Greg Schmidt Goening
Melvin Butler
Steve Macko
Robert Bloodgood
Herbert Tucker
Tim Wilson
Claire Lyu
Ann Hamric
Francesca Fioroui
Amy Bouton
Nick Kuhn
Brian Pusser
Janet Herman
Robert Rood
Julie Turner
Mohammed Sawaie
Brandt Allen
Diane Walker
Howard Goodkin