Faculty Senate Minutes
for October 3, 2000

The Senate was called to order at 3:35 in D137 MOLN by Larry Duetsch, Secretary of the Faculty. Senators present were Baylor, Buenker, Colston, Gellott, Gregory, Hansen, Hayward, Kaufman, Kavenik, Keating, Lenard, Li, Lyter, Mayer, McNair, Monardi, Mullen, New, Ostheimer, Piele, Ross, Ruffalo, Saffioti-Hughes, St.Jean, Walasek, Wallner, White, Wright, and
Zaibert. Also present were Cress, Crist, Fossum, Khan, McCann, Norton, Singer, Streeter, and Wafa.

ELECTION OF CHAIR

Professor Duetsch called for nominations for the position of Chair for the current academic year. Professor Gellott nominated Professor Kavenik. There being no further nominations, Professor Kavenik was elected by voice vote and assumed her role as Chair.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The Minutes of the Senate for April 18, 2000, were approved without objection.

REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE CHAIR

Professor Gellott said that, as Chair of the University Committee, she has already attended two meetings of the UW System Faculty Representatives this year and would report on four matters that have been brought before that group. First, she said that the UW System budget proposal for the 2001-03 biennium will have six themes, including one for additional state support for the preparation of teachers. She said that, despite Governor Thompson's call for zero-increase budget proposals from all agencies,
President Lyall and the Board of Regents were developing a request for a 3.7 percent increase in State funding each year as an investment in economic development. Second, Professor Gellott reported that a UW System working group has been formed to address two kinds of academic staff issues, those pertaining to titling and those pertaining to the integration of teaching academic staff into campus life. Our Professor Graffin has been appointed to that group. Third, she reported that the UW System Undergraduate Teaching Improvement Council has recently been renamed the Office of Professional & Instructional Development and that its programs are being expanded. Finally, she indicated that the UW System administration is very concerned about intellectual property issues that are associated with the development of web-based instruction and plans to engage interested parties in discussion on each campus this year. She offered web addresses of two sites that provide helpful information about faculty ownership of copyrights: <http://www.uwsa.edu/fadmin/gapp/gapp27.cfm> and <http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/ttt/facown.cfm>.

REPORT OF THE CHANCELLOR

Chancellor Keating began by joining the call for closer examination of the intellectual property issues associated with web-based instruction. He then turned to the UW System's economic development budget theme, pointing out that Wisconsin has not been able to maintain parity with neighboring states in generating the high-income job opportunities that foster immigration. Investment in the UW System represents the State's best hope for generation of such opportunities. Unlike the rest of the State, our service region is expected to experience significant growth in the number of high school graduates, adding to the need for better job opportunities. He said it is clear that UW-Parkside will have an increasingly important role to fill in this region.

Touching on a variety of other subjects, the Chancellor called for a continued overall emphasis on community engagement and for expansion of our computer science and teacher preparation programs in particular. He said he is especially pleased that UW-Parkside will receive one of the first two Diversity Awards given to State agencies by the Department of Employment Relations and the Council on Affirmative Action. He noted that we have achieved our enrollment target this Fall and will now be obliged
to increase our enrollment next Fall by fifty additional FTE. Finally, he welcomed Dr. Marwan Wafa and wished him success as the Dean of the School of Business & Technology.

The Chancellor then relinquished the floor to the Provost, John Ostheimer, who announced that he has decided to retire on June 30, 2001. Provost Ostheimer reminded Senators that his decision is in accord with his stated intention when he came here five years ago. He said he is gratified by the progress the institution has made recently and hopes that his early announcement will allow for an orderly transition. At the same time, he put Senators on notice that he has no intention of "retiring" before June 30. (The Senate expressed its appreciation of Provost Ostheimer and its recognition of his contribution to the University with a round of applause.)

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

The Annual Reports of the following Faculty Committees were accepted and filed: Academic Policies Committee; Committee on Academic Planning; Committee on Advising; Committee on Teaching and Learning; Course and Curriculum Committee; Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee; General Education Committee; Graduate Studies Committee; Lecture and Fine Arts Committee; and Personnel Review Committee.

Referring to the Annual Report of the General Education Committee, Professor Duetsch drew the attention of Senators to 1) data concerning the impact of the University Seminar program, 2) data concerning the objectives and methods of instructors of general education distribution courses, and 3) data concerning the availability of general education distribution courses in the evening. The first set of data suggest that Fall semester University Seminar students are somewhat more likely to be retained in the next year. The data more clearly indicate that the Fall semester GPA (performance) of students who enroll in University Seminar is higher than it is for those who don't enroll. Still, because a selection bias may be operating, the causal relationships in each instance remain unclear. The second set of data indicate that 9 out of 10 instructors of the general education distribution courses include a critical thinking component in their course and assess that component, most often through items on in-class exams. Approximately 3 out of 4 instructors of the distribution courses include a writing component and assess it, most often through assessment of the content. The third set of data indicate that in most of the general education distribution areas a somewhat restricted, yet adequate, array of evening courses has been offered during the past eight years. There appears to be some reason for concern about the relatively small number of natural science courses offered during this period (excluding area NF - Math/Comp Sci).

Chancellor Keating observed that the UW System is now trying to stress better service to returning students and would likely reward institutions that can substantiate a claim of doing that. Professor Saffioti-Hughes pointed out that women returning to school often take classes while their children are in school, i.e., during the day. Professor Gregory (Chemistry) noted that the data presented pertained to classes offered after 6pm and that her department has regularly offered distribution classes after 5pm.

Referring to the Annual Report of the Committee on Academic Planning, Professor Ross asked whether tenure-track positions that were approved contingent on funding would now be authorized. Associate Vice Chancellor Singer said that authorization remained contingent on the availablity of funds and that the situation would be reassessed as warranted.

NEW BUSINESS

REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO IMPLEMENT A NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAM

The Graduate Studies Committee recommended the following:

RESOLVED, that the request to implement a Master of Science program in Computer and Information Sciences is approved, as
described in agenda document 12.

Professor Khan introduced the motion, saying that the Graduate Studies Committee had asked the Computer Science Department to address relevant provisions of Plan 2008 and to explain how this graduate program will differ from their undergraduate program. Professor Ross underscored the need for clarification in regard to the provisions of Plan 2008. Professor Fossum called the particular attention of Senators to revised agenda document 12, section 4.11 (distributed at the door), saying that this additional information addressed these concerns. Professor Saffioti-Hughes expressed her support for the program on the basis of the attention given to the interests of women. Professor Mayer urged the department to give careful consideration to the distinctions made between graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in concurrent courses.

MOTION APPROVED unanimously on a voice vote.

The meeting adjourned at 4:30.