Meeting Minutes

Faculty Senate Honors and Awards Committee

Feb 13, 2009

8:45 – 10:00 am

Room 130 Hullihen Hall

 

Present: Ismat Shah, Mark Barteau, Jim Magee, Michael Gilbert, Mark Serva, Jordan Brown, Katherine Kerrane, Courtney Carson, Palniappa Krishnan, Fabrice Veron

Absent: Shelly Provost-Craig, Linda Gottfredson

Minutes taken by Meghan Schulz

 

1.      Approved minutes from December 5 meeting.

2.      Future meeting dates:

    * March 13 (NOTE: 8:30-10:00 a.m.)

    * March 20 (NOTE: 8:00-10:00 a.m.)

    * April 17 (NOTE: 8:30-10:00 a.m.)

    * May 15

3.      Brenda Misko came to demonstrate the new online nomination database.

    1. This system will not accept nominations this year; we will use the current system for students/faculty to submit nominations. Brenda’s team will then move the nominations into the new system on March 2. In future years everything will be combined into the new system.
    2. Brenda took us through the database. A handbook will be available for details of use. Below are comments made about the system.

                                                              i.      KK: Committee members should standardize how many years back we consider when evaluating nominees.

                                                            ii.      KK: Noticed one nominee is not permanent faculty – i.e. assistant dean with advising role.

-          IS: Committee members must be diligent. Check with HR to verify permanent faculty status.

                                                          iii.      Historical nomination count page: we suggest reversing the fields so it starts with recent years instead of 1950’s.

                                                          iv.      Survey page:

-          Mark S: Change “Survey Short Description” to longer description because we can’t deduce what they mean.

-          “Self” question on the survey is confusing. Does it mean someone nominated themselves, or they were self-motivated to nominate? Reword.

4.      Call for nominations

    1. Alumni office put an ad in their newsletter, and on their webpage: http://www.udconnection.com/faculty-awards
    2. IS sent out the email to all faculty, staff, and students. Also, he put up a facebook ad, targeting Delaware students, linking to the awards committee website.
    3.  KK emails honors students about it.
    4. Typically nothing happens during the first week, then nominations trickle in, and then lots come in during the last week.
    5. Possible issue: Mark S mentioned anecdote that some faculty perceive disadvantage if they teach their best courses in the fall.

                                                              i.      Is that really true? By March 1, spring classes have hardly begun.

                                                            ii.      At any rate, there is nothing to lose by sending out a call in December as well.

5.      Succession process

    1. There are no established rules of succession, and a new chair is often thrust in with little preparation.
    2. Suggestion from IS and LG: a “vice chair” who serves in some enhanced capacity the year before taking the chairmanship.
    3. Requirements: Our chair is suggested by this committee and approved by CoCAM. It must be a faculty member.
    4. IS nominated JM. He is willing, but possibly on sabbatical in the next two years.
    5. Mark S is another possibility, but will become associate director of ITUE next year.
    6. IS will remain Chair for 2009 – 2010. JM will be the vice Chair during that time and will become the Chair 2010 – 2011.

6.      New business

    1. The real hard work will start in the next meeting!

                                                              i.      Committee divided into teams, we discuss nominees and choose finalists together.

    1. March 1 this year is very fixed deadline. The database will shut off, and other nominations go to next year.

                                                              i.      There will be one more University-wide email reminder 4-5 days before the deadline.

    1. Rubric for each award is still on the old secure website.
    2. IS needs our employee ID numbers to enable access to the new system.

Meeting Adjourned: 9:45 am