Faculty Senate Minutes

February 28, 2006

1. Meeting called to order at 3:35 PM

   1. Call of roll: Senate members present: Kit Andrews, Robert Broeg (for Charles Anderson), Mary Bucy, Keller Coker, Kristina Frankenberger, Camila Gabaldón, Irja Galvan (for Sarah Boomer), Klay Kruzchek, Chloe Meyer, Peggy Pederson, Emily Plec, John Rector (president), Julia Smith, Jem Spectar, John Minahan

2. Minutes for previous meeting approved

3. Reports of Presidents

   1. President of Western Oregon University, John Minahan

      1. Overall enrollment down; need 1,000 new students to meet budget obligations.

      2. No change in contract negotiations.

      3. Question from Klay Kruzchek: Any news on ending the tuition freeze?

         1. President Minahan: This can’t happen until the next legislative session, which is next January, then it can’t take effect until the following fall term.

   2. President of ASWOU Senate, Justin Tomlin

      1. Incidental Fees Increase Proposals:

         1. Incidental Fee Committee has proposed a $6 fee increase per term

         2. Student Senate has decided a $9 increase will be necessary to fully fund all programs

         3. Student Senate has sent proposal back to IFC, and larger increase may pass by Wednesday, then it would be forwarded to President Minahan for approval.

         4. Hope to have budget resolved in a week or 10 days

         5. Question from Keller Coker: This has been a contentious year for the ASWOU budget process. How was the Senate meeting for this decision?

            • Justin Tomlin: The Senate voted overwhelmingly for the $9 increase. IFC voting can’t be anticipated. There was one recent resignation, which may change the previous decision.

4. Old Business

   1. Business Program Change

      1. Moved and passed unanimously to drop Business Management (BA 390D) and replace it with Business Ethics (BA 352)

      2. As decided in previous meeting, the issue of the proposed BA 243 course set aside for later review

5. New Business

   1. Rehabilitation Counseling Minor (RCM) Program Changes (presented by Julia Smith)

      1. Add 3 practicum courses (RC 209, 309, 409) to list of electives chosen from to complete degree:

         1. These courses will increase application possibilities for students and will not increase FTE.

         2. Question from Emily Plec: Will these added courses deter from enrollment in existing courses?

            • Julia Smith: The courses and the program is very popular, so that should not be a problem.

         3. Question from Klay Kruzchek: Any thought to requiring these courses?

            • Julia Smith: Yes.

   2. Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling Proposed Course Addition

      1. Add Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Illness in Rehabilitation Settings (RC 534M) as a required course and reduce required electives by 3 hours

         1. The accrediting body wants more taught in this area; this would give the previously taught 507 course in this area a precise designation.

         2. Comment from John Rector: This master’s program has more credits required than most on campus (78 total credits)

            • Julia Smith: The number is not unusual within the discipline.

   3. Biology Program Proposed Changes (presented by Karen Haberman)

      1. Create six emphases within the Biology program (students would be required to select one): General Biology, Botany, Ecology, Molecular/Cell, Pre-professional, and Zoology

         1. Emphases would accomodate traditional Biology majors as well as several pre-professional content areas now served.

         2. Undergraduates would have greater satisfaction in their respective emphases. This would help retention, since students now sometimes leave to pursue more specialized degrees elsewhere.

         3. Advising would become less confusing.

      2. A new Human Biology minor

         1. This would provide an opportunity for students interested in focusing on human systems, in particular serving Health majors.

      3. A new Physical Science minor

         1. This will complement the Molecular/Cell and Pre-professional Emphases.

      4. Deletion of the Natural Sciences Molecular Biology/Biochemistry option

         1. This will be subsumed as a new emphasis in the Biology major.

   4. Health Education Proposed Program Changes (presented by Peggy Pederson)

      1. Revised curriculum moves HE courses from 3 credit hours to 4.

      2. Changes in undergraduate major driven by national competencies for licensure programs.

      3. Courses put in a common core for clarity for both licensure and non-licensure programs, and to emphasize they need to be finished early as preparation for upper division work.

      4. New courses specifically address skills set for health educators.

      5. Some 400/500 courses moved to 300 level to accommodate transfer students bringing 300 level credits with them.

   5. Special Education Program and Course Changes (presented by Mary Scarlato)

      1. Proposed Course changes:

         1. Delete SpEd 506M Tools for Grad School

         2. Add SpEd 419/519 Inclusive Practices in Education (to meet needs of undergraduates) and SpEd 516 M Evaluating Special Education Research (to meet need for a more specific research course)

         3. Change Content Reading & Instructional Planning from undergraduate/graduate level to graduate only SpEd 520M

         4. Rename SpEd 522M Reading Remediation and SpEd 528M to Mathematics Remediation (more accurate for TSPC needed when student transcripts are reviewed)

6. IFS Report (Presented by Joel Alexander and Solveig Holmquist)

   1. Solveig Holmquist

      1. Charge for 2004 to define Oregon Transfer Module (OTM

      2. Academic quality

         1. As OUS board began to look at business model, faculty became nervous, and IFS brought up issue of defining academic quality

      3. IFS collecting material on problems of failed searches, retention of promising faculty, and inability to attract top candidates in search pools

   2. Joel Alexander

      1. OUS system at lower end of graduation rates, the problems are systemic

      2. Comparisons of WOU with other campuses produced varying images

         1. Some made us look better, others not

         2. Must be careful how we present our needs; need to avoid the image of “whining” and keep credibility

      3. Issue of criminal background checks being discussed, in particular how to deal with international scholars

7. Meeting adjourned