| AGENDA PACKET | ||
| 3:00 | Call to order Approval of Minutes - 5 January, 2004 |
Kevin Kesler |
| 3:05 | Information Items Mediation Program |
Rob Morrison Chris Fawson |
| Consent Agenda Athletic Council EPC Business |
Ken White | |
| 3:20 | Key Issues Grading Policy and Constraints |
Joyce Kinkead Heidi Beck |
| 3:50 | University Business |
Administration |
| 4:15 | New Business | |
| Adjourn | ||
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Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes for January 5th, 2004 Call to Order Kevin Kesler called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm. Minutes Karla Petty made a motion to accept the minutes of the October 6th meeting. The motion, seconded by Janis Boettinger was passed. Information Items Aggie Ecology Jack Payne presented the Aggie Ecology report. He gave a rundown of the task force committee and subcommittees responsible for sustainability on USU campus. Sustainability is defined as 'Meeting the present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. USU's efforts towards sustainability began in 1991 when the current president signed the Talloires Declaration which is a dedication to: 1. Increase Awareness of Environmentally Sustainable Development. 2. Create an Institutional Culture of Sustainability. 3. Educate for Environmentally Responsible Citizenship. 4. Foster Environmental Literacy for All. 5. Practice Institutional Ecology. He then discussed ways USU can promote sustainability, the goals that have been set, and the future of USU and Aggie Ecology. New University Website and Commercial John DeVilbiss displayed the most recent productions the Public Relations and Marketing department have been working on. They include the new USU website. Charles Thompson explained the new features, navigation, and reasoning behind the design. They also include promotional billboards/posters that are currently on display at the airport, and a TV commercial that emphasizes USU's space experiments. Student Government Update Stephanie Kukic, Karla Petty, and Duke Di Stefano, informed the FSEC of the new Student Government members, their current projects and responsibilities. The role of the ASUSU Executive Council is to enhance the quality of student life through: academics, activities, student concerns, public relations, service, athletics, clubs, organizations, cultural events, along with, direct college, extension, graduate, and student representation. The Executive Council is divided up between the Legislators, Senators, and Programmers. Several projects were discussed. There is a fund available for student presentations, competitions, or other scholarly activities. Service Learning certificates will be presented to students who complete service learning courses. The majority of students do not carry the University's health insurance plan, simply because of the high cost, and other alternatives for health insurance are being considered. The Robins awards nominate individuals, students and faculty for outstanding performance. ASUSU has joined the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology program. Faculty are welcome to attend the student executive council meetings. Consent Agenda Stephen Bialkowski moved to accept the Consent Agenda. The motion, seconded by Bruce Miller, passed. University Business President Kermit Hall and Provost Stan Albrecht presented the latest in University Business. Ron Godfrey was introduced as the new Vice President for Administrative Services, which is being renamed to Business and Finance. The tuition task force has been formed to look at the reasons behind tuition raises, and are searching for opportunities to allow all qualified individuals to be able to receive a quality education at USU, not just those who can afford it. Governor Walker is supporting an increase in salary. The Governor has also expressed her desire to combine the efforts of USU and UofU to strengthen the research foundation and economic development of the state. Inaugural lectures are beginning this month for newly promoted full professors. Negotiations for the Child Development Center is progressing. President Hall strongly encouraged the faculty senate to promote the State of the University address which will take place January 14th. Adjourn Kevin Kesler called for adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 4:04 pm. |
| The Mediation Process: An Overview Mediation is a voluntary, confidential, problem-solving process that promotes respectful and constructive communication for managing conflict between two or more individuals. Mediation seeks to re-establish communication, promote reconciliation, enable parties to find common ground, and produce the best possible settlement and understanding among the parties. Mediators are neutral and do not decide cases, but assist parties in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement.
Mediation helps approximately 50% of the parties who enter the mediation process. In most cases, the parties are able to move forward in their relationship and past the conflict in a constructive, mutually agreeable manner. Mediation at USU The Office of the Provost establishes the Faculty Mediation Services to provide a positive alternative to resolving disputes to facilitate faculty productivity, collegiality, and satisfaction with the work environment. The USU Board of Mediators is composed of USU faculty from each academic college, USU libraries and University Extension/Continuing Education. Each member of the Board has received 24 hours of structured mediation training. The Mediation Process
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Athletic Council Report For Period of January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003 Submitted to the Utah State University Faculty Senate By the USU Athletic Council Kenneth L. White (Chair 2003-2004), Faculty Athletics Representative Introduction: Committee Members: Kenneth White, Chair; Dee Von Bailey, Vice-Chair, Kermit Hall, Stan Albrecht, Fred Hunsaker, Juan Franco, Rance Pugmire, Mary Ellen Cloninger, Art Jones/Rich Gordin, Randy Watts, Duke Di Stefano, Tyler Olsen, Nate Putnam, Holly Anderson, Vicki Allen, Ronda Callister, Lynn Dudley, Lance Littlejohn, Julie Foust. Ex Officio Members: Brian Evans, Ken Peterson Mission: The Athletic Council advises the President with respect to the athletic program. The duties of the council are to: (a) help maintain an athletic program compatible with the best academic interests of the university; (b) assure compliance with the rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the university athletic code; (c) review and recommend to the President and the Board of Trustees all intercollegiate athletic budgets; and (d) recommend policies and procedures for all aspects of the intercollegiate programs. The annual report from the Athletics Council to Faculty Senate includes both future and current issues facing the Athletics Department. Each issue is reviewed by the athletics council to insure the Department of Athletics is operating within the guidelines of the NCAA and Utah State University. Monitoring the annual budget, identifying potential new revenue sources and efficiently managing expenses are always a priority. A long-term goal of the Athletics Department is to become increasingly self-funded. Key facts and discussion items for the current year include: USU's affiliation with the Sun Belt Conference, strong academic reforms from the NCAA, and the current status of the newly reinstated women's basketball program.
Future Goals and Objectives:
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Athletics Department Budget Report Fiscal Years 2002-03 and 2003-04 Net Funds Available
Expenses
Budget - Explanation of Budget Changes from FY 2002-03 to FY 2003-04
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| Introduction: Educational Policies Committee Report for Faculty Senate 1/26/2004 Joyce Kinkead-Chair, Stanley Allen-Agriculture, Duke DiStefano-ASUSU Pres., Todd Crowl-Natural Resources, Karla Petty,-ASUSU Acad VP, Richard Cutler-Science, Jan Roush-HASS, Stephanie Kukic-GSS, Scott Hunsaker-Education, David Olsen-Business, David Luthy-DEED chair, Weldon Sleight-Extension, Cheryl Walters-Library, Jeffrey Walters- ASC Chair, Paul Wheeler-Engineering Meeting Dates September 8, 2003, October 2, 2003, November 6, 2003, December 4, 2003, January 8, 2004, February 5, 2004, March 4, 2003, April 1, 2004. Curriculum Subcommittee In January meetings, the Curriculum Subcommittee approved the following program changes:
In December the Academic Standards Subcommittee met and the following item was considered: Review of No-test Days Policy: At the request of the EPC, the ASC reviewed the university's 'No-test Days' policy as defined in the USU General Catalog (p.18). There is an apparent discrepancy between the language of this policy, which states that "During No-test Days neither final examinations nor testing of any kind will be given . . .," and the wording of the Provost's memo on Semester Reminders, which states "Tests should not be scheduled during this period (i.e., No-test Days) except for regularly scheduled quizzes." The ASC engaged in considerable debate concerning the appropriate definitions of the terms "Examination," "Test," and "Quiz" and how consistently they might be interpreted by different persons. A motion was adopted which recommends the following revision of the language of the No-test Days policy: No-test Days. A five-day period designated as No-test Days precedes the five days of final examinations which are normally scheduled at the close of each academic semester. During No-test Days, [neither] no major examinations, including final examinations, [nor testing of any kind] will be given in order that students may concentrate [up]on classwork, the completion of special assignments, writing projects, and other preparation for duly scheduled final examinations. Karla Petty expressed two concerns on behalf of the students. The first was that students are often unaware of the policy or their means of redress if they believe the policy has been violated. The second was that students are likely to be inhibited about confronting course instructors or their administrators on issues related to this policy. It was suggested that students might seek redress through the Student Advocate, rather than in person, and that the No-test Days policy and the means for seeking redress of its perceived violation could be printed in the Schedule of Classes each semester. Motion carried. Recommendations EPC recommends approval of above changes by Faculty Senate. The following proposals were not approved:
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Grading Policy, Practices, and Processes FAQs for Faculty Senate 2 February 2004 Grading Policy: Grades for courses are to be submitted within 96 hours of the final examination for the course. Source: Academic Policies Manual http://www.usu.edu/policies/ When did the 96-hour grading policy originate? The 96-hour policy dates to the administration of President Stanford Cazier, when faculty still submitted grades by hand on paper and staff in the Registrar's office entered them into the system. The policy was re-affirmed in a memo of January 1999 by the Office of the Provost after it was discussed in Faculty Senate. With increasing administrative and student demands, the need to enforce the 96-hour policy is important. Why is it necessary to have a 96-hour grading policy? The policy represents a compromise among the needs of faculty, staff, and students. The faculty need time to grade exams. What are the reasons why grades need to be recorded so quickly?
96 hours is measured from the time of each final examination, not the final day of examinations. Saturday and Sunday are excluded from the 96 hours. Although the weekend is excluded from the policy, it was not excluded from the time of closing the system to students at the end of fall semester 2003; consequently, faculty who entered grades near the end of 96 hours from a Friday exam had difficulty with a slow system that was again open to students. Why can it be so difficult to input grades in the system? The current computer system features limited capacity, and the system can actually "crash" when too many users are trying to get access to grades. Because this was a severe problem in spring 2003 grading session, the office of the Registrar recommended that only faculty have access to the system during the peak grading time so they could enter grades unobstructed; unfortunately, this meant that students had no access during this window of time. The capacity issue should disappear with the implementation of Banner, the new system that provides more functionality and flexibility. Why can't the system remain open for a longer period of time so that faculty can enter grades or make changes to grades? At some point, the semester must be "closed out," which means data are "frozen" so official snapshots can be taken to meet state and federal reporting guidelines. The staff in the enrollment management units must continue to work on these closeouts after faculty have completed their work and submitted grades. The office of the Registrar tries to be as flexible as possible while still meeting the needs of students and academic integrity. For instance, the system is generally re-opened early in the following term so faculty can make corrections and change incomplete grades once they have received and reviewed the grade sheets. Once the grading cycle has been closed, the entry of grades is an "over-ride" function and must be done within SIS+ on a totally different screen (a student-specific screen rather than a class list). Again, the current student information system is not as flexible as Banner will be when it is implemented. One last concern is the possible breach of security when the system is left "open," making it easier for hackers to gain access. Why was the system so slow after the "closed" days? Students were once again on the system when it re-opened, searching for the outcome of their classes and registering for the next term's classes. Okay, I want my task of entering grades to be easier. Any hints? The best advice we can offer is to enter grades on the system as soon as the course is graded. Grade one course (if possible), enter the grades, and then move on to grading the next course. This spreads out the number of faculty trying to gain access to the system throughout the grading period. A review of grading patterns indicates that many faculty members enter the grades for ALL classes near the end of the grading period, which results in a system slow down. Doesn't the University care about pedagogy? About students' writing skills? I assign students written projects and examinations that take more time to grade. Yes, the University cares about pedagogy. There are multiple paths to accomplishing this goal of ensuring that students' communication skills are enhanced. Some faculty require writing projects at various points of the term with feedback provided to the students so that the final version is faster to read and grade. Other faculty members require submission of final writing assignments a week or so before the final examinations and then have only the exam to grade during the 96-hour grading period. There is no one right method to meeting the grading deadlines and providing good pedagogy. Tell us about grading and timelines for Spring Semester 2004. Will there be different rules so that diplomas can be printed and distributed during Commencement? Yes. As you probably have noticed, there is a brief lull in the end of final examinations (11:20 a.m. on Wednesday, April 28) and Commencement (Saturday, May 1). This reflects the change in university policy that diplomas will be distributed at Commencement. Faculty will be asked to submit grades for graduating seniors by noon on the Friday before Commencement. This may mean, for some faculty, a shortened time to submit grades. How can faculty members deal with this shortened time frame? One way to deal with this shortened grading period is to grade the work of graduating seniors first. How will I know who is a graduating senior? The Commencement Committee, in cooperation with the Office of the Registrar, is working on the final details. All faculty members will receive a class list on March 1 (mid-terms) indicating who in each class is scheduled to graduate. Another list will be distributed the week prior to finals (approximately April15). Ultimately, graduating seniors will be identified on the Web for Faculty grading system. How can the Registrar's office print all of those diplomas in such a short time? The staff of the Registrar's office will have the diplomas printed for all students who are scheduled to graduate. Beginning on the afternoon of the day before Commencement (and probably extending quite late into the evening), the staff members will pull diplomas from packets of those students whose grades have not been submitted or who do not meet graduation requirements; a letter from the Registrar explaining that the diploma could not be processed will replace the diploma. To try to minimize the number of diplomas pulled for otherwise deserving graduates, the Registrar's office will send Missing Grade reports to the deans, associate deans, and department heads beginning 96 hours after the first day of finals. Before removing anyone's diploma, the Registrar's staff will communicate with the college contact. Do other universities hand out diplomas at Commencement? Yes. When the concept of handing out diplomas on the big day was being explored, a team of faculty and staff visited Ohio State University to see how they manage the process. The team found that with proper organization and campus cooperation, diplomas can be successfully and accurately awarded at Commencement. They also found that the awarding of diplomas at Commencement contributed to a meaningful celebration of student accomplishment at the ceremony. By incorporating what Ohio State has learned, Utah State has not had to reinvent the wheel to accomplish the awarding of diplomas. What is the December graduation ceremony I'm hearing about? This is a recent development in response to students who finish their degrees at the end of fall term, leave the area, and cannot return for the May ceremony. This is especially true for international students. A committee of faculty, staff, and students will study the possibility of a December ceremony and make recommendations. For 2003, about 900 students qualified to graduate at the end of fall term. If a ceremony is approved, it is most likely to be at a reduced cost and size from the formal May Commencement. How about graduate students? Must we get their grades in at the same time as graduating seniors? Because of the complex requirements of a graduate degree--theses and dissertations--graduate students will not receive diplomas at Graduate Commencement and Hooding on the Friday before Undergraduate Commencement. However, grades for graduate students are still subject to the 96-hour rule. Aren't there problems with getting grades submitted for students who are in Continuing Education courses? At the moment, CE courses and grade submission may not be on the same schedule as the main campus. This is an area at which the Registrar's office and Continuing Education must continue to work. The Registrar's Office and Continuing Education are continuing to work on how to best meet the needs of the students within the situations unique to CE. Graduation ceremonies at the various Continuing Education Centers around the state usually take place before the main campus ceremony; students at CE Centers may attend both sites if they so choose. Certificates of commencement will be given to students attending Continuing Education ceremonies. Whom do I call if I have questions about grading? If your question is related to Web For Faculty (WFF) please call the Help Desk at 7-7095. If your question is about deadlines or policy please call Heidi Beck, Associate Registrar at 7-3734. Reminder: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the public displaying of grades and/or assignments. Instructors must avoid publicly posting grades in any format and with any student indicator (social security number or otherwise). For more information on FERPA, visit the FERPA tutorial at: http://www.usu.edu/registrar/ferpa/ferpa_files/frame.htm. |