UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 26, Page 7
April 4, 1996
Senate delays reapportionment, tours new center

     At its April meeting, the University Faculty Senate voted to
postpone reapportionment of itself and clarified the requirements for
student teaching.
     Although the senate's constitution calls for reapportionment
every two years, senators delayed the recomputation of faculty
membership until next Feb. 1 in expectation that a movement toward
college reorganization will be resolved by then.
     In an unchallenged revision, grade point average (GPA)
requirements for 11 secondary education programs were established,
requiring students to meet specific grade standards in their majors
before they can enroll in the student teaching course, EDDV 400. For
example, English Education students in the College of Arts and Science
Teacher Education Program must have a GPA of 3.0 in their English
major and an overall GPA of 2.75 to student teach.
     Standards also were set for foreign language, music, science and
social studies teacher education.
     A change made in the Faculty Handbook regarding the University's
policy against sexual harassment prompted some discussion during the
meeting. According to David Colton, president of the University's
chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP),
the change only describes practices already in place, in which faculty
members are told to contact the AAUP if they believe they are being
subjected to sexual harassment or being accused of sexual harassment.
     "A number of faculty wanted to know what's actually done," Colton
said," and what type of protection they will receive from the AAUP."
     Sen. Linda Gottfredson suggested that the policy statement needed
more detailed procedures on how a complaint is handled, and Senate
President Harrison Hall asked that she provide a list of suggestions
to the senate's Committee on Welfare and Privileges.
     At the semiannual general faculty meeting, which followed the
senate meeting, James Sims, professor of plant and soil sciences, read
a memorial tribute to his colleague Leo Cotnoir, who died Sept. 28.
     Cotnoir, who received his doctoral degree in soil physics from
Purdue University, was a member of the University faculty from 1947
until his retirement in 1985. Sims noted that, during his four decades
at the University, Cotnoir taught "Introductory Soil Science" to
thousands of undergraduate students. "Even today, former students
visiting the college remark on the influence Leo Cotnoir had on their
undergraduate education and their preparations for careers in the
agricultural sciences," Sims said.
     Director of the University's soil testing program for more than
30 years, Cotnoir was a leader in promoting regional soil testing and
was among the first to advocate nutrient management practices to
control the environmental impact of fertilizers and other materials on
ground and surface water.
     "Under his supervision, the University's soil testing laboratory
grew from a few test tubes to a highly sophisticated, fully automated
operation that now processes tens of thousands of samples each year,"
Sims said.
     "Leo Cotnoir was not only an outstanding teacher and dedicated
soil scientist but a wonderful human being with a large and loving
family who gave unselfishly to his students and to his community,"
Sims concluded.
     After the eulogy, President David Roselle took the senators on a
tour of the new student center, scheduled to open later this month.