 |
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE
UNIVERSITY
The University Faculty
Senate
AGENDA
Tuesday, December 4, 2001,
at 1:30 PM in
112 Kern Graduate Building
[In the case of severe weather
conditions or other emergencies, you may call the Senate Office
at (814) 863-0221 to inquire if a Senate meeting has been
postponed or canceled. This may be
done after normal office hours by
calling the same number and a voice mail announcement can
be heard concerning the status of
any meeting. You may also leave a
message at that time.]
A. MINUTES
OF THE PRECEDING MEETING -
Minutes
of the October 23, 2001, Meeting in The Senate Record 35:2
B.
COMMUNICATIONS
TO THE SENATE - Senate Curriculum Report (Blue Sheets)
of
November 20, 2001
C. REPORT OF SENATE COUNCIL - Meeting of November 13, 2001
D. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE CHAIR -
E. COMMENTS
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY -
F.
FORENSIC
BUSINESS –
G. UNFINISHED BUSINESS -
H.
LEGISLATIVE
REPORTS –
Committees
and Rules
Changes in Constitution, Article
II, Section 5; Standing Rules, Article II, Section
6(e)1;
and Standing Rules, Article II, Section 6(f)1
Undergraduate
Education
Revision of Senate Policy 47-20: Basis for
Grades
New
Senate Policy 43-00: Syllabus
I.
ADVISORY/CONSULTATIVE
REPORTS -
J.
INFORMATIONAL
REPORTS –
Admissions, Records,
Scheduling and Student Aid
Reserved Spaces Program
Undergraduate Education
Summary of Student Petitions
by College, Unit or Location
Major
Accomplishments of the Teaching and Learning Consortium (TLC)
First Two Years, John A.
Brighton, University Professor and Chair of the
Teaching and Learning
Consortium
University
Planning
Visual
Construction Report of Academic Buildings, William J. Anderson, Jr.,
Assistant Vice President of Physical Plant
Security
Briefing, Thomas R. Harmon, Director of Police Services
K.
NEW LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS -
L.
COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GOOD OF THE UNIVERSITY -
-----------------
Note:
The next regular meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held
on Tuesday,
January 29, 2002, at 1:30 PM in Room 112
Kern Building.
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
The University Faculty Senate
101 Kern Graduate Building
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-1202 – phone (814) 865-5789 – fax
Date: November 13, 2001
To: John S. Nichols, Chair, University Faculty Senate
From: Louis F. Geschwindner, Chair, Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs
The Senate Curriculum Report, dated November 20, 2001, has been
circulated throughout the University.
Objections to any of the items in the report must be submitted to the
University Curriculum Coordinator at the Senate Office, 101 Kern Graduate
Building, e-mail ID sfw2@psu.edu, on or
before December 20, 2001.
The Senate Curriculum Report is available on the web. It can be accessed via the Faculty Senate home page (URL http://www.psu.edu/ufs). Since the Report is available on the web, printed copies are not distributed to the University community. An electronic mailing list is used to notify individuals of its publication. Please contact the Curriculum Coordinator at the e-mail ID indicated above if you would like to be added to the notification list.
Publication of the 2002-2004 Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin
Work is currently
underway for the next paper publication of the Undergraduate Degree Programs
Bulletin. The cut-off date for changes to the Bulletin is February
15, 2002. Curricular changes that are to appear in the 2002-2004 Bulletin
must be through the approval process (academic and administrative) by February
15, 2002.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
Changes in Constitution, Article II, Section 5;
Standing Rules, Article II, Section 6 (e)1; and
Standing
Rules, Article II, Section 6(f)1
(Legislative)
(Implementation Date: Upon approval by the President)
Introduction
The Committee on Faculty Affairs report entitled “Recommendations for
Emeritus/Retired Faculty” was passed on January 30, 2001 (Appendix “E”) and
approved by the President. Recommendation #7 of the report reads as follows:
“The Senate Committee on Committees and Rules should propose the establishment of representation of emeritus faculty in the University Faculty Senate by having a voting member elected from and by emeritus faculty.”
Rationale and Recommendations
The recommendation from the Committee on Faculty Affairs suggested that one
(1) emeritus Senator be given membership on the University Faculty Senate.
After extensive discussion in the Committees on Committees and Rules, it was
decided that not one but rather two new members be included. It became
clear that both the Senate and the retired population would be better served if
there were a retired faculty Senator on the Committee on Faculty Affairs and
the Committee on Faculty Benefits. In both cases, there are agenda issues
addressed in these committees that have implications for retired faculty.
The decision to become more inclusive and have these new faculty Senators not
only from the emeritus faculty ranks but rather from all of the retired
population was based on the fact that there are many retired faculty who would
be very effective Senators but were never in a position to be granted emeritus
status.
Recommendation #1
Change Constitution, Article II, Section 5 as follows:
Section 5
(a) The following persons shall be ex officio members of the Senate: the President of the University; the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University; the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School; the Chair of the Academic Leadership Council; the Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education; the University Registrar; the Director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies; and any elected member of the Faculty Advisory Committee who is not an elected faculty Senator.
(b) The President may appoint other University personnel to membership in the Senate on an annual basis. The total number of appointed and ex officio members (not including any member of the Faculty Advisory Committee) shall not exceed a number equal to ten (10) percent of the elected faculty Senators.
(c) The full-time, degree-seeking students at the University shall be represented by elected student Senators as follows:
1. One undergraduate student from each of the ten (10) colleges at University Park.
2. One student from each of the following locations or units:
Penn State Abington
Penn State Altoona
Penn State Berks-Lehigh Valley
Penn State Erie-The Behrend College
Penn State Capital College
Penn State College of Medicine
Penn State Commonwealth College
The Dickinson School of Law of The Pennsylvania State University
The Division of Undergraduate Studies
The Graduate School
Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies
Whenever comparable units are added to the University or created through reorganization, each new unit shall elect one student Senator. The term of a student Senator shall be one (1) year.
(D) THE RETIRED FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY SHALL BE REPRESENTED BY TWO (2) ELECTED RETIRED FACULTY SENATORS.
Recommendation #2
Change Standing Rules, Article II, Section 6(e)1 as follows:
(e) Committee on Faculty
Affairs
1. Membership
(i) At least twenty (20) elected faculty Senators including at least one (1) faculty Senator from each college at University Park and one (1) faculty Senator from each of the following: Abington College, Altoona College, Penn State Erie-The Behrend College, Berks-Lehigh Valley College, Capital College, Commonwealth College, Dickinson School of Law, The College of Medicine, Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies, and University Libraries.
(ii) ONE RETIRED FACULTY SENATOR
Recommendation #3
Change in Standing Rules, Article II, Section 6(f)1 as follows:
(f) Committee on Faculty Benefits
1.
Membership
(i) At
least seven (7) elected faculty Senators
(ii) The Assistant Vice President for Human Resources
(iii)
ONE RETIRED FACULTY
SENATOR
Procedures
It is proposed that the following method for fulfilling these
recommendations be used:
1) The Senate Office will obtain, from the Office of Human Resources, a list of
retired faculty members from the last ten (10) years who are living in Pennsylvania
and the contiguous states,
2) This list will be cross-checked with the names of those who served on the Senate prior to retirement,
3) From this list of former Senators, the Committee on Committees and Rules
will establish a list of candidates and the Executive Secretary will then
contact the individuals and ask if they would stand for election to the Senate,
4) A ballot will be established with the individual former Senators (the order
of names on the ballot will be determined by lot) who have consented to serve,
5) This ballot will also have a line marked “Other” for write-in votes so that
other members of the retired population can be included in the voting,
6) The ballot will be made available to all retired faculty,
7) A simple plurality vote will determine the winners (the first year of the
election two retired faculty Senators will be elected). In the case of a tie the Committee on
Committees and Rules will determine a winner,
8) Two retired faculty members will be elected. The Senate Committee
on Committees and Rules will appoint one to serve on the Committee on Faculty
Affairs and one to serve on the Committee on Faculty Benefits,
9) The term of office will be four (4) years. In the first year of the
election, one Senator will be elected to a four (4) year term and one to a two
(2) year term,
10) If a retired Senator cannot fulfill his/her term, the alternate from the last election will be appointed to do so,
11) The elected retired faculty will be full voting members of the Senate.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
Joseph J. Cecere
Dwight Davis
Terry Engelder
Joanna Floros
Sabih I. Hayek
Deidre E. Jago
Arthur C. Miller
John W. Moore
John S. Nichols
Jean Landa Pytel, Chair
Cara-Lynne Schengrund
Stephen M. Smith
Valerie N. Stratton, Vice-Chair
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Revision of Senate Policy 47-20: Basis for Grades
(Legislative)
[Implementation Date: Spring 2002]
Background:
Senate Policy 47-20 establishes the instructor’s judgment of the student’s scholastic achievement as the basis for a student’s final grade in a course. Senate Policy 44-10, General Examination Policy, specifies that the instructor should provide written notification of the course final examination policy to students within the first ten calendar days of a semester or its equivalent. The current Senate Policy 47-20 on grading does not require written notification of course grading policy at the beginning of the semester.
Rationale:
Given that exam policy and grading policy are highly interrelated, it would clarify grading policy for students if written notification for both the course grading and exam policies were provided within the first ten calendar days of a semester or its equivalent. Such written notification, however, must not bind the instructor to a particular grading policy that might need revision during the semester in response to students’ learning needs and performances.
Recommendation:
Senate Policy 47-20 should be revised to read as follows:
Policy 47-20 Basis for Grades
Grades
shall be assigned to individual students on the basis of the instructor’s
judgment of the student’s scholastic achievement as set forth in Section
47-60. This specifically includes the
instructor’s judgment regarding an appropriate academic sanction for academic
dishonesty defined in Section 49-20.
THE INSTRUCTOR SHOULD PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF THE BASIS FOR
GRADES TO STUDENTS WITHIN THE FIRST TEN CALENDAR DAYS OF A SEMESTER OR ITS EQUIVALENT. ANY CHANGES IN THAT BASIS SHOULD LIKEWISE BE
PRESENTED TO STUDENTS IN WRITING.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Cheryl Achterberg
Rebecca L. Corwin
Richard I. Ammon
Theresa A. Balog
Dawn G. Blasko
Thomas E. Boothby
Richard J. Bord
James E. Brasfield
John J. Cahir
Paul F. Clark
Loren E. Filson
Peter D. Georgopulos
Gary L. Hile
Robert S. Hill
Richard Kennedy, Jr.
Laura L. Pauley, Chair
Robert D. Ricketts, Vice-Chair
David W. Russell
Dennis C. Scanlon
Thomas A. Seybert
Terry R. Shirley, Jr.
Reiko Tachibana
Eric R. White
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
New Senate Policy 43-00: Syllabus
(Legislative)
[Implementation Date: Spring 2002]
Background:
Official Senate Policies 44-10, 49-20, and, if adopted, revised Policy 47-20 require instructors to notify students in writing about course policies on examinations, academic integrity, and grading. While the course syllabus is most often the vehicle used to provide this written explanation, no Senate Policy exists that requires faculty to provide a course syllabus. The Faculty Handbook and information distributed historically by the University Office of Student Affairs makes reference to the syllabus distributed by faculty in each course. The Faculty Handbook outlines the many possible points of information that may be included on a syllabus, serving as a valuable resource for faculty in designing course syllabi.
Rationale:
While the practice of providing students with a syllabus is almost universal, the addition of a Senate Policy reaffirms the value in preparing such a document to envision and guide course activity. A syllabus distributed at the beginning of a class helps students to fully understand the course expectations, guide progress, and make decisions during the drop and add period.
Recommendation:
Senate Policy 43-00 should be added to the Academic Policies and Procedures for Undergraduate Students:
Policy 43-00 Course Syllabus
A written syllabus must be distributed to students in each course within the first ten calendar days of a semester or its equivalent. In addition to course content and expectations, the syllabus must include the course examination policy, basis for grades, and academic integrity policy for the course. Changes to the syllabus shall also be given to the student in writing.
Additional information can be found in the following Policies:
- General Examination Policy (Policy 44-10)
- Non-final Examinations, Evening Examinations (Policy 44-30)
- Basis for Grades (Policy 47-20) and
- Academic Integrity (Policy 49-20)
It is recommended that the syllabus also contain:
- Information for students with certified disabilities to seek necessary instructional support for their disability as described by the American for Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Student Guide to University Policies and Rules
- The principles for “Promoting a Vibrant Learning Culture” or a reference to the website.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Cheryl Achterberg
Richard I. Ammon
Theresa A. Balog
Dawn G. Blasko
Thomas E. Boothby
Richard J. Bord
James E. Brasfield
John J. Cahir
Paul F. Clark
Rebecca L. Corwin
Loren E. Filson
Peter D. Georgopulos
Gary L. Hile
Robert S. Hill
Richard Kennedy, Jr.
Laura L. Pauley, Chair
Robert D. Ricketts, Vice-Chair
David W. Russell
Thomas A. Seybert
Dennis C. Scanlon
Terry R. Shirley, Jr.
Reiko Tachibana
Eric R. White
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ADMISSIONS, RECORDS, SCHEDULING AND STUDENT AID
Reserved Spaces Program
(Informational Report)
“Reserved Spaces” represent spaces at the University Park Campus reserved for eligible freshmen with special needs that cannot be met at non-University Park locations. These spaces are generally for students whose predicted GPAs are below the cutoffs for regular fall admissions for University Park.
In nearly all cases, students admitted at the University Park Campus through the Reserved Spaces Program meet the basic admission standards of the University (categories 1 through 6 on the first of the attached tables/charts). In some instances, it is not possible to calculate a predicated GPA (there were seven such cases in 2001). This is sometimes the issue for an international student. Also, there are special circumstances that warrant dropping below the 2.00 minimum predicted GPA (there was one such case in 2001).
A large number of the reserved spaces (134 or 46 percent in 2001) are for specially talented students in such areas as athletics, the arts and the Blue Band. Most of these students contribute uniquely both to the educational and cultural life of the entire University Park community. Spaces are also reserved for veterans, those entering under the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and those entering the recently instituted College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). These three groups, along with Arts and Architecture talent admits, are Senate approved. Two other general classifications account for the remaining students admitted through the Reserved Spaces Program. “Other Academic” admissions involve students granted entrance by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions’ Admissions Review Committee, and students on ROTC scholarships. Administrative admissions include athletes, members of the Blue Band, and a few additional administrative spaces.
The first table indicates the distribution of admissions through the Reserved Spaces Program by predicted GPA for each general classification. About 28 percent of the 289 students admitted through the Reserved Spaces Program for the current academic year were at or near the University Park cutoffs.
The second table contains data giving a profile of admissions through the Reserved Spaces Program for six of the years since the program began in 1984. During this time, the approved maximum for the program has been reduced and the number actually admitted each year through the program has been below the approved limit. In 2001 about 5.64 percent of the entering fall semester freshman class at University Park was admitted through the Reserved Spaces Program, which is a substantial reduction from 1984, both in absolute number and percentage of new freshmen. These same data are displayed as histograms in the third attachment.
The last table displays the approved limits for Fall 2001 by specific category. These limits are the same as those for 1999 and 2000.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ADMISSIONS, RECORDS, SCHEDULING AND STUDENT AID
Deborah F. Atwater
Edward W. Bittner
Ingrid M. Blood
JoAnn Chirico, Chair
Peter Deines
Anna Griswold
Geoffrey J. Harford
Luen-Chau Li
Victor Nistor
Molly A. Powell
Ronald W. Propst
P. Peter Rebane
John J. Romano
Carol A. Smith, Vice-Chair
James Wager
|
TYPE |
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1984 |
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1985 |
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1998 |
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1999 |
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2000 |
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2001 |
|
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|
Limit |
Actual |
|
Limit |
Actual |
|
Limit |
Actual |
|
Limit |
Actual |
|
Limit |
Actual |
|
Limit |
Actual |
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SENATE
APPROVED |
240 |
222 |
|
225 |
183 |
|
115 |
91 |
|
110 |
105 |
|
110 |
91 |
|
110 |
114 |
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Arts & Arch Talent |
|
40 |
22 |
|
25 |
23 |
|
15 |
13 |
|
15 |
11 |
|
15 |
6 |
|
15 |
6 |
|
Educ Opp Prog/CAMP |
|
130 |
126 |
|
130 |
93 |
|
50 |
78 |
|
85 |
94 |
|
85 |
85 |
|
85 |
108 |
|
Veterans |
|
70 |
74 |
|
70 |
67 |
|
50 |
0 |
|
10 |
0 |
|
10 |
0 |
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10 |
0 |
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OTHER
ACADEMIC |
270 |
282 |
|
160 |
132 |
|
55 |
57 |
|
55 |
38 |
|
55 |
43 |
|
55 |
35 |
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ROTC Scholars |
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|
15 |
13 |
|
15 |
7 |
|
15 |
4 |
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15 |
11 |
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Adm Review Comm |
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|
40 |
44 |
|
40 |
31 |
|
40 |
39 |
|
40 |
24 |
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