Minutes waiting to be approved by Faculty Senate

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Slide Presentaion

Faculty Senate Meeting

Harrison Hall 123

November 19, 2025

3:15pm-4:30pm

I.       Call to Order 

a.      Meeting called to order at 3:16pm.

II.       Approval of FS Minutes from November 5, 2025

a.      Chris Posbergh moves to approve. Tim McDermott seconds. None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

III.     FYI Items 

a.      Climate Week activities

b.      Fall Break 11/24-26, Thanksgiving 11/27-28

c.       Position opening:  Sustainability Office director

d.      Cat-Griz game on Saturday

e.      Norm Asbjornson Hall Student Art Wall competition info sessions Mon 1 Dec 12:30-1:30 p.m. and Thurs 4 Dec 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

IV.     Undergraduate Courses and Programs 

a.      New Courses-Second Read 

i.      PHSX 464 : Current Topics in Space Physics

b.      New Courses-First Read 

i.      TE 499 : Applied Technology Management Capstone

c.       Course Changes-Second Read 

i.      ECNS 490R : Undergraduate Research

1.      New learning outcomes

d.      Course Changes-First Read 

i.      BIOB 425 : Adv Cell & Molecular Biology

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

ii.      BIOH 423 : Human Developmental Biology

1.      Number change from 323

iii.      LSCI 121 :Library Research Skills

1.      Title change from Digital Information Literacy

iv.      LSCI 470 : Data Ethics and Privacy

1.      Title change from Ethics and Privacy in the Age of Big Data

v.      PHSX 261 : Laboratory Electronics I

1.      Change in credits from 3 to 4

2.      Changes to learning outcomes

e.      Course Inactivations-Second Read 11/19/25

i.      PSYX 263CS : The Psychology of Film

1.      Retired Fall 2025

ii.      PSYX 274 : Psychological Testing and Assessment

1.      Retired Fall 2025

iii.      PSYX 428 : Integrated Mental Health Practices

1.      Retired Fall 2025

iv.      PSYX 429 : Eating Disorders

1.      Retired Fall 2025

v.      PSYX 461 : Indust & Organiz Psych

1.      Retired Fall 2025

f.        Program Inactivations-First Read 

i.      TPHY-MINOR: Minor in Physics Teaching

1.      This minor is not attracting students and is no longer consistent with course offerings in Physics. 

V.      Graduate Courses and Programs

a.      Course Changes-First Read 

i.      BIOE 520 : Animal Biodiversity in GYE for Teachers

1.      Title change from Animal Biodiversity in GYE

ii.      BIOE 522 : Birds of Prey

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

iii.      BIOE 523 : Wildlife Ecology

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

iv.      BIOE 593 : Alpine Ecology for Teachers

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

v.      BIOE 599 : Winter Ecology in Yellowstone National Park

1.      Title change from Advanced Ecology for Teachers

vi.      CHMY 595 : Chemistry of the Environment for Teachers

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

vii.      CHMY 597 : Exploring Biochemistry for Teachers

1.      Title change from

2.      Exploring Biochemistry I for Teachers

3.      Changes to learning outcomes

viii.      GEO 521 : Dinosaur Paleontology I

1.      Title change from Dinosaur Paleontology 

ix.      LRES 582 : Streamside Science for Teachers

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

x.      LRES 584 : Principles of Soil Science for Teachers

1.      Title change from Soil Science for Middle and High School Teachers

xi.      MB 533 : Current Topics in Microbiology for Teachers

1.      Credit change from 3 to 1

2.      Changes to learning outcomes

xii.      MSSE 502 : Emerging Technology and the Science Classroom

1.      Changes to learning outcomes

b.      Course Inactivations-First Read 

i.      AGED 585 : Laboratory Management and Teaching in Agricultural Education

1.      Course never existed

c.       Program Changes-First Read 

i.      FMCS-MS : Human Development and Family Science

1.      Title change from Family and Consumer Sciences 

VI.    Information Updates 

a.      Practical aspects of the new Animals on Campus policy, MSU deputy Legal Counsel Jennifer Glad, Campus Civil Rights director Kyleen Breslin, Office of Disability Services director Wendy Guido, and Dean of Students Matt Caires.

i.       Questions

1.      Emotional support animal is allowed only with an approved accommodation. Service animal does not need the approved accommodation.

A.      They need to go to Disability Services to get the accommodation.

B.      ESAs may be approved for housing, but that doesn’t mean they are approved for the classroom.

C.      You will be notified of who in your class has an accommodation.

2.      What if you have a service animal and someone with an allergy?

A.      Refer them to Disability Services so that person with the allergy can get their own accommodation.

3.      What is stopping someone from putting a fake vest on a dog and claiming they ae a service animal?

A.      If someone’s ESA is sick, refer them to Disability Services.

4.      Are we going to have guidance on language we can put on our syllabi?

A.      Will talk to CFE.

5.      This is specific to MSU Bozeman.

6.      What if a service animal is disrupted?

A.      Is it impacting the learning environment?

i.       If so, talk to Disability Services.

B.      What if you are out in the field?

i.       Contact Disability Services.

C.      Document; keep in contact with Dept. Head.

7.      Have a student who is in the class but ties the dog up outside and it barks.

A.      If it is disrupting the class, that’s an issue.

B.      They aren’t supposed to be tied up alone on campus.

8.      Can you ask what service a SA provides?

A.      You can ask two questions

i.      Instructor asks: Is it a service animal?

1.      Can you follow up with a statement about the expectation that they not be disruptive?

a.      Yes.

ii.      Disability Services asks: Has it been trained to perform a task related to your disability?

B.      You are not required to ask.

9.      Students do need approval to bring a SA into a laboratory.

10.    What about faculty members who bring their animals into the office?

A.      The same rules apply.

B.      Those issues go to the supervisor and not ODS.

b.      Revised policy for Senate consideration: “Ethical and Professional Standards Policy” (second reading).

i.      Comments/Discussion/Questions:

1.      Should there be language regarding concerns about training for biosafety?

2.      What was the reason for making the change? What was wrong with it in the first place?

A.      Jennifer Gladd was tasked with looking at the policy. It was not because everyone was being unethical.

3.      Current policy is approachable. A lot is lost in the new language.

4.      Defining accountability. If you don’t define these things, it is harder to understand.

5.      Is there a similar policy for administration? What are they held accountable to?

A.      That was asked. Fair question. Should be a broader view.

6.      Because there are no definitions, it’s open to interpretation. Who decides?

A.      The policy does not state who decides.

7.      What are we waiting for? What are the next steps?

A.      Rob will report to JAGS (Joint Academic Governance Steering). Legal Counsel will work on it and then we will see it again. If we have to, we will form a Task Force to act on it.

c.       New policy for Senate consideration: “Regents Professor”

i.      Should set the “years at MSU” to five years.

1.      Could say “10 years of services with five of them at MSU”

2.      Must be a full professor.

3.      “Preference will be given to those with longer service history.”

ii.      One or two a year

iii.      Is this just a title? What does it come with?

1.      They would take on the obligation of scholarly leadership/mentorship on campus.

2.      Stipend: $15,000/year

d.      Council Updates (University Council, Grad Council, Research Council, ...)

i.      Research Council

1.      We heard an introduction about the Applied Quantum CORE (QCORE), which I think is coming to faculty senate at some point.

2.      We received updates from the “Research Alliance.”  This alliance is located on the third floor of the Renne Library, it is meant to be a one-stop support center for MSU faculty. If you need help with almost anything, you can find it there. Including help with:

A.      Teaching (Center for Faculty Excellence, CFE)

B.      Proposal development (Office of Research Development, ORD)

C.      Finding grant opportunities (ORD)

D.     Writing publications (CFE)

E.      Data storage and simulation (Research CyberInfrastructure, RCI)

F.       Data analysis (Research Optimization, Analytics and Data Services, ROADS)

G.     Mentoring (CFE and Undergraduate Scholars Program, USP)

More: Research Alliance

3.      State of Research Activity at MSU:

A.      MSU has submitted 312 proposals this FY ($163M total request)

B.      New award #’s are down 21% this FY (only down 8% in terms of new $’s).

C.      Research expenditures are up 27% this FY (because most of the pauses have ended)

D.     VPRED said she hopes to make “F&A investment decisions at the end of the current quarter” and this “might include restarting S&C grants and IRD at some level.”

4.      The revised Research Misconduct Policy has been approved. A few notes since last time:

A.      Dean of the Graduate School makes the decision on cases of possible graduate student research misconduct.

B.      Added an appeal process for the decision on any sanctions that result from research misconduct.

VII.            Senators’ Open Conversation

a.      Can we get the presentation and the minutes the day of or day after the meeting?

i.      I can send out the presentation. 

ii.      The minutes have to be reviewed and approved by Steering before being sent out. 

VIII.            Public Comment 

a.      None

IX.            Adjourn

a.      Maggie Thorsen moves to adjourn. Tim McDermott seconds. Meeting adjourned at 4:28pm.