The second meeting of the University Faculty Senate for this academic year will take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2002 at 1:30 p.m. in 112 Kern Building. The Senate welcomes visitors to this plenary session.

Senate meetings usually begin with remarks from President Spanier followed by the opportunity to ask the President any questions that members care to ask. Regrettably, other obligations will cause the President to miss this coming meeting.

The agenda for October 22, 2002 will consist of two parts.

1) The Senate will honor Professor Lee Ann Newsom of the Department of Anthropology for being named a 2002 MacArthur Fellow and Professor Robert N. Proctor of the Department of History for being named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

2) The Senate will then discuss three issues:

a) Philip MacConnaughay, Dean of the Dickinson School of Law, will present a report on the place of Dickinson among Big Ten law schools and what plans Dickinson has for its future.

b) The Senate Committee on Faculty Benefits will discuss changes in health care plans, retirement investment plans, and other benefits changes.

c) Rodney A. Erickson, Executive Vice-President and Provost, will present a brief summary of the university's 2002-03 operating budget and will also summarize the university's budget plan and appropriation request to the Commonwealth for 2003-04.

3) Senate Council recently approved the following proposals. Each proposal has been sent to the Provost for his approval and implementation.

a) The Smeal College of Business Administration will phase out its majors in Insurance and Insurance and International Business and in Real Estate and Real Estate and International Business.

b) The Smeal College of Business Administration will merge the Department of Management Science and Information Systems and the Department of Business Logistics to form the Department of Supply Chain and Information Systems.

3) The College of Health and Human Development will change the name of the Department of Nutrition to the Department of Nutritional Sciences.

4) During this academic year, the Senate will begin its review of the General Education proposals passed in December 1997. The Undergraduate Education Committee has formed a subcommittee chaired by Julia Simon, Senator from the College of the Liberal Arts that will review the Intercultural and International Competence requirement. Her email address is JBS13@PSU.EDU.

The Senate will soon establish committees to review the First Year Seminar, the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements, and the Health and Physical Activity requirements.

5) The deadline for submitting proposals for the Recertification of General Education courses is November 1, 2002.

The University Faculty Senate functions as the voice of the faculty in the formulation of policy concerning the academic mission of the university. In addition, it exists to serve the needs of all Penn State faculty. Please let us hear from you about problems that need a solution or topics that you want to be discussed or brought to the attention of the President and Provost. Send any suggestions you may have to jwm2@psu.edu (John Moore).

John Moore, Chair
University Faculty Senate