Faculty Senate
Faculty Senate holds first meeting of spring semester
Editor's note: For more detailed information, including meeting minutes, visit the Faculty Senate website.
10:14 a.m., Feb. 13, 2015--The University of Delaware Faculty Senate held its first meeting of the spring semester on Monday, Feb. 9, in Gore Hall.
Senators heard reports from Provost Domenico Grasso concerning Title IX compliance and from Nancy Targett, dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, on the work of the Committee on Administrative Searches.
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They also learned about programs and projects in the Institute for Global Studies and the Office of University Development.
During the regular agenda portion of the meeting, senators approved requests to grant two-year extensions of the permanent status program review of the master in science and the master in professional science degrees in bioinformatics and computational biology with a concentration in computational sciences and a concentration in life sciences.
Senators also approved a motion to modify the Faculty Senate bylaws and regulations regarding the manner in which votes are taken. Current senate bylaws have decisions made by the votes of those “present.” Robert’s Rules states that such requirements of those “present” are generally undesirable because an abstention in such cases has the same affect as a negative vote and denies those abstaining the right to maintain a neutral position. By amending the Faculty Senate bylaws to conform with Robert's Rules, votes in the Faculty Senate will now be decided on the basis of those voting yes or no, thereby ensuring the neutrality of those choosing to abstain.
A motion dealing with revising Section 3.1.4 of the Faculty Handbook, Examinations and Tests, regarding conflicts arising when students have a lab and a common exam scheduled at the same time, was referred back to the Faculty Senate Undergraduate Studies Committee for further discussion.
Provost’s report
In the provost’s report, Grasso noted that work proceeds on the issue of Title IX compliance regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment on the UD campus.
“During the past year a lot of great work has been done by the Faculty Senate Commission on Sexual Harassment and Assault,” Grasso said. “A communication is being sent to members of the UD community identifying the responsibilities of everyone on campus with regard to Title IX and the tools that are available to help with this particular issue.”
Grasso said that during the spring semester the commission will be conducting a campus climate survey regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment, and that a similar survey for faculty and staff will be conducted during the fall semester.
A committee has been established to search for a new director of admissions to replace Jose Aviles, who is leaving May 1 to accept another position, Grasso said. David Wilson, associate dean of the College of Art and Sciences, and Melissa Stone, director of Student Financial Services, are co-chairing the search committee.
“We also have engaged the national search firm of William Spellman Executive Search, which specializes in recruiting high quality diverse pools for administrative positions in higher education,” Grasso said. “Doug Zander, associate director of admissions, will take over as interim director on May. 1.”
Grasso also noted that that the strategic planning initiative is proceeding on schedule with a report to be released in March.
“Last week there was a visioning retreat that proposed many great ideas,” Grasso said. “Each group at the retreat came back separately with virtually the same vision that UD will be a learner-centered engaged research university.”
Additional reports
Targett reported on the recommendations of the Committee on Administrative Searches.
“Our charge was that we shall develop and recommend a policy that provides for a meaningful representation of faculty in searches of academic administrators, including provost and deans, to ensure a broad range of views,” Targett said. “While confidentiality might be desired in the early stages of the process, the outcome of the process is that final short-listed candidates should be interviewed in an open and transparent manner that maximizes their engagement with the UD community.”
Targett added that in the rare instances when a completely confidential search may be considered, members of the UD community should be engaged in developing the context and criteria for such a search, and that transparency should be maintained in the process.
Amy Johnson, deputy director of the Institute for Global Studies (IGS), updated the senate on several initiatives, including global internship opportunities, the growing list of alternate break programs and IGS-Globex funding opportunities that are replacing scholars and travel awards.
Johnson also noted that Martha Buell, professor of human development and family studies, and Rena Hallam, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, have been invited as Salzburg Fellows to participate in “Designing a Social Compact for the 21st Century: Early Childhood Development and Education.”
Salzburg Fellows also include Barret Michalec, assistant professor of sociology, in “Developing a Shared Culture of Health: Enriching and Charting the Patient-Clinician Relationship,” and Michael O’Neal, associate professor of geological sciences, in “The Search for New Balance: America’s Changing Role in the World.”
Robin Wray, campaign director in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, spoke about the University’s upcoming public phase of its comprehensive fundraising campaign.
“The University’s new strategic plan, ‘Delaware Will Shine,’ will roll out this spring,” Wray said. “The upcoming comprehensive campaign will enable the vision of this strategic plan.”
Senate actions
Senators approved several items during the consent agenda portion of the meeting, including requests to revise the bachelor of arts degree in religious studies, interpersonal communication and the mass communication concentration.
Requests to revise the bachelor of arts in the three language concentrations, linguistics, minors in French and Italian and the bachelor of fine arts and visual communication majors also were approved.
Also passed were requests to revise bachelor of science majors in accounting, the concentration in cell and molecular biology and genetics, and the concentration in pharmaceutical sciences.
Senators also gave the green light to change the master’s degree in urban affairs and public policy, music composition, instrumental (non-keyboard) performance, and concentrations in performance/voice, teaching, conducting and keyboard performance.
Recommendations for requests for the reduction and change of required courses for the thesis and non-thesis master of science degree in materials science and engineering were approved. Senators also gave the go-ahead for a request to reduce the number of required courses for the program’s doctoral degree.
Requests to revise the doctorate in linguistics and the curriculum and program policy for the doctorate in applied physiology also were approved.
The senate also approved a request to amend the graduate admission policy of the master of civil engineering degree for Tong Ji University students participating in the international education program in environmental engineering program with UD.
Fred Hofstetter, president of the UD Faculty Senate and professor of education, said that an open hearing on the University’s General Education Initiative is being planned for 4 p.m., Monday, March 23, in 104 Gore Hall.
An open hearing for members of the UD community to discuss issues and possible solutions on the University’s sexual assault and sexual harassment policies will be held at 4 p.m., Monday, March 9, in 104 Gore Hall, Hofstetter said.
The next meeting of the UD Faculty Senate will be held at 4 p.m., Monday, March 2, in 104 Gore Hall. Preceding the regular meeting will be a general faculty meeting to be held at 3:30 p.m. at the same location.