Minutes of the University Committee
for November 17, 2005

Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 3:35 PM by Prof Doug DeVinny, Chair. Present in addition were Profs Mary Lenard, Frances Kavenik, Paul Mohazzabi, Anne Statham and Chris Evans, members; and Prof Walter Feldt, Interim Secretary of the Faculty. Prof Jerry Greenfield, Associate Provost, and Prof Anne Gurnack, were present for a portion of the meeting.

Minutes

The minutes of the meetings of September 8, September 22 and October 20, 2005, were approved as distributed.

Business

Discussion with Associate Provost Greenfield – Use of the ACT Exam for Placement Purposes

Prof Greenfield said that the administration would like to use students’ ACT scores for course placement purposes for a trial period. This would save about $5000 annually and UW-P’s competitor, UW-Whitewater was doing this, he continued. He also pointed out that this would streamline the admission process which might help draw in potential students.

He said that he had consulted with Charlotte Short (Coordinator, Learning Assistance) and Christine Tutlewski (English Composition Director) and both comfortable with this trial.

The Committee expressed some concern about the reliability of the ACT exams as a replacement for the traditional placement exams, but they did not recommend against the trial.

Discussion with Associate Provost Greenfield – Entitlement to Plan – Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts for Teachers

Prof Greenfield also addressed a proposal to seek an Entitlement to Plan a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts for Teachers. He said that a summer study group created by the Teacher Preparation Steering Committee (TPSC) had recommended that such a program be planned. He said that the Committee on Academic Planning (CAP) was scheduled to consider the matter at its meeting on Nov 21, and, should it be approved by CAP, he would like to see the item on the Agenda for the November 29 meeting of the Faculty Senate.

The Committee agreed to tentatively place the matter on the Senate agenda during its broader discussion of the agenda (see below).

Faculty Senate Agenda – November 29, 2005 Meeting

The Committee approved the agenda for the November 29 meeting of the Faculty Senate.

Survey of Perceptions of Administrative Performance

With regard to a survey of perceptions of administrative performance, Prof DeVinny reported that Bonnie Peterson, Chair of the Academic Staff Committee, had expressed concern that full-time non-teaching academic staff had not been surveyed when the Committee surveyed members of the faculty and members of the full-time teaching academic staff.

The Committee had no objection to surveying this additional group, but it was pointed out that the questions asked related more to the full-time instructional staff.

Prof DeVinny agreed to discuss the matter further with Ms Peterson. [Subsequently, the full-time non-teaching academic staff received the same survey as the original group.]

Seat on the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee

After Prof Feldt reported that none of those previously recommended to fill a vacancy on the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee had accepted appointment, the Committee provided Prof Feldt with additional (ranked) possible appointees. He agreed to contact these faculty members.

Secretary of the Faculty Position

 The Committee, and Interim Secretary of the Faculty Walter Feldt, discussed the duties of the Secretary of the Faculty with Prof Anne Gurnack (Political Science and Law), who had expressed interest in being appointed to the position.

Prof Feldt spoke, at some length, about the duties of the position, and, after further discussion, the Committee agreed to offer the position to Prof Gurnack, pending administrative approval. Prof Gurnack said that she was amenable to starting in the spring semester.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 5:05 PM

Respectfully Submitted,

Walter T Feldt
Interim Secretary of the Faculty