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The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Faculty Assembly

Minutes

January 24, 2007

Attending

Adrain, Jonathan (Geoscience); Barragon, Eloy (Dance); Blum, Cinzia (French and Italian); Cheatum, Christopher (Chemistry); Cole, Kelly (Integrative Physiology); Cox, Jeffrey, (History); Curtius, Anny (French & Italian); Denburg, Jeffrey (Biological Sciences); Ehrstine, Glenn (German); Glass, Loren (English); Holte, Lenore (Speech Pathology & Audiology); Hurley, Adrienne (Asian Languages and Literature); Hurtig, Richard (Speech Pathology & Audiology and Chair of the Assembly); Jeske, Diane (Philosophy); Ketterer, Rob (Classics); Khandelwal, Meena (Anthropology); Kimmich, John (Journalism and Mass Communication); Klein, Philip (Spanish and Portuguese); Kohen, Amnon (Chemistry); Lecuona, Réne (Music); Lenth, Russell (Statistics and Actuarial Science); McMurray, Robert (Psychology); Menninger, John (Biological Sciences); Miller, Franklin (Cinema and Comparative Literature); Mitchell, Sara (Political Science and Secretary of the Assembly); Mooney, Barbara (Art and Art History); Oliveira, Suely (Computer Science); Pryor, Craig (Physics and Astronomy); Pusack, Jim (German and Vice Chair of the Assembly); Redlawsk, David (Political Science); Roseman, Dennis (Mathematics); Saunders, Jeanne (Social Work); Schlütter, Morten (Religious Studies); Stewart, David (Mathematics); Varga, Steven (Microbiology).

Absent (Excused)

Bleher, Frauke (Mathematics); Singer, Jane (Journalism and Mass Communication); Sosale, Sujatha (Journalism and Mass Communication); Yablon, Nick (American Studies); Young, Vershawn (Rhetoric)

Absent

Azzimonti, Maria (Economics); Bennett, David (Geography); Boggess,Tom (Physics and Astronomy); Bork, Robert (Art and Art History); Borreca, Art (Theatre Arts); Charlton, Tom (Anthropology); Gavruseva, Elena (Linguistics); Gidal, Eric (English); Havens, Tim (Communication Studies); Kelley, Patricia (Emeritus Council); Kim, Jae-On (Sociology and Past Chair); Leicht, Kevin, (Sociology); Lovaglia, Michael (Sociology); McGannon, Kerry (Health and Sport Studies); Oesmann, Astrid (German); Orgren, Carl (Emeritus Council); Sessions, Jennifer (History); Snider, Alvin (English).

Guests

Helena Dettmer, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Services

Peter Hubbard, Associate Director, Academic Programs and Services

Linda Maxson, Dean of the College   

Jim Pusack, DEO, Department of German, and Vice Chair of the Assembly

1. Announcements

Richard Hurtig reminded members that nominations for the Assembly are now in progress. The nomination period closes on February 2, 4:00 p.m. The Assembly may also suggest names to the Dean for non-elected committees such as the General Education Curriculum Committee.

The Faculty Senate is soliciting names of faculty interested in serving on the Senate.

2. Minutes

The minutes from December 13 and November 29, 2006 were approved as written.

3. Proposal from the Departments in Foreign Languages and the Educational Policy Committee (EPC)

Helena Dettmer, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Services, summarized the proposal that was developed by the departments and programs in foreign languages and unanimously approved by EPC. The proposal makes minor adjustments to the Foreign Language Incentive Program. Under the new proposal, FLIP credit would be awarded for a student studying a second-semester FLIP 1 course in the same language as the first-semester FLIP 1 course. FLIP 2 credit would be awarded to students studying one or two foreign languages from the first elementary course in a foreign language sequence through the fourth-semester level course. The total hours of FLIP credit awarded would remain as it is now (8 s.h.). Professor Jim Pusack, DEO of the Department of German and Vice Chair of the Assembly, spoke in favor of the proposal, explaining that the changes would encourage students to continue the study of one language to a higher level of proficiency. Peter Hubbard, Associate Director of Programs and Services, clarified some aspects of the current FLIP program in response to questions from the Faculty Assembly and in support of the idea behind the proposal. A motion was made and seconded to approve the proposal. The proposal was approved unanimously by a voice vote.

4. Conversation with Linda Maxson, Dean of the College

The question of extending the tenure clock by up to two more years has been raised by Susan Johnson, Associate Provost for Faculty. It has been suggested that each college could select a 6, 7, or 8 year tenure clock; the CLAS Executive Committee is discussing the question. The CLAS Executive Committee is opposed to an eight-year clock, but there is a difference of opinion concerning the seven-year length, and more discussion is needed. Dean Maxson summarized some of the issues surrounding changing the length of the tenure clock.

There were a number of questions from the floor. It was clarified that all departments and programs within CLAS would have a tenure clock of the same length; only colleges might have a choice of tenure clocks of differing lengths. One member observed that outside funding is becoming harder to secure, especially for new faculty members, and that a longer tenure clock might be beneficial; book publication also has become a lengthy process. Other members stressed that an eight-year clock would pressure faculty to produce more even if the standards for tenure had not changed. Additionally, eight years is a lengthy time to wait for a tenure decision and consequently could hurt hiring. It was suggested that untenured faculty or recently tenured faculty could form a focus group to discuss the seven versus six-year tenure clock. Dean Maxson would like departments to start considering now some of the implications surrounding changing the length of the tenure clock.

Dean Maxson also advised the Faculty Assembly that the creation of a research-track faculty is now being discussed and at some point will come before the Faculty Senate. The CLAS Executive Committee is not in favor of creating a research-track faculty. There is concern that such a track would create second-class citizens and devalue the importance of tenure-track lines. Members of the Faculty Assembly concurred. The proposal to allow colleges to make their own decisions concerning research-tracks will be voted on by the Faculty Senate; Faculty Assembly members should discuss this with Faculty Senate members and with their departments before that vote is taken.

5. Presidential Search

Richard Hurtig reminded the Assembly of the questions that the officers of the Assembly had prepared for the Presidential Search Committee and asked for any additions to them.

Dean Maxson, a member of the Presidential Search Committee, updated the Assembly on the committee's activities. She reminded the Assembly that Dean Johnson is the spokesperson for the committee and that he is highly respected by the Regents and the University community. The committee will begin meeting soon on a weekly basis. Dean Maxson stressed that viable candidate nominations often come from colleagues and that the Presidential Search Committee would appreciate receiving nominations. They may be sent to Dean Maxson, Dean Johnson, or to any member of the committee. Dean Maxson also mentioned that Dean Johnson prefers on-campus interviews but that stellar candidates must not be lost as a result of this issue. More information on the Presidential Search Committee may be found at its website.

6. The Assembly was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Sara Mitchell

Secretary of the Faculty Assembly