MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
November 28, 2001
PRESENT: Sherwood, Peed, Leech, Benham, Howard, Stewart, Larsen,
Jones, Ross, Nehrir, McMahon for Weaver, McClure, Lansverk,
Levy, Bogar, McKinsey for Pratt, Lynch, Lynes-Hayes,
Butterfield, Kempcke.
ABSENT: Young, Hatfield, Morrill, Engel, White, Anderson, Kommers,
Linker, Mooney, Lefcort, Locke, Henson, Jelinski, Idzerda,
Fisher, Griffith, Carlstrom.
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 PM by Chair John Sherwood. A
quorum was present. The minutes of the November 7, 2001, meeting were
approved with the following correction: Recruiting and Retention Task
Force Update, last bullet, second sentence - "The Carr Report
recommends that some of each tuition increase be used to fund
Athletics."
Chair's report - John Sherwood.
- Adele Pittendrigh is scheduled to attend Faculty Council next
week to discuss the new core. There will be a faculty forum,
"Moving Toward Diversity" November 29, from 4:00 - 5:00 PM at the
MSU Foundation. A faculty forum is also scheduled for December
13, 4:00 - 5:30 PM, at the MSU Foundation Great Room. The topic
will be cross-disciplinary teaching and learning.
- In response to an editorial in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the
administration has learned that the t-shirts thrown away after the
Bobcat-Grizzly game were not paid for by MSU but were printed,
paid for, and brought to the stadium by a Bozeman sporting goods
store.
- The Board of Regents met in Bozeman November 14-16.
- The 170 credit cap for undergraduates was rescinded.
- The 6-credit limit to meet the residency requirement was
not discussed due to lack of time but will be discussed at a
later date.
- Transfer of credit issues were discussed and that
discussion will continue at future BOR meetings.
- Several regents visited classes Wednesday and Friday
afternoons.
- Faculty Handbook Sections 602 (Review of Faculty - Definitions)
and 633 (Review of Faculty - Demonstration of Effectiveness and
Excellence) have been approved by the administration. The
Workload Policy (Section 480) was also accepted after the
administration approved the definition of "fairness".
- Two committees suggested this fall are a faculty development
committee and a faculty demographics committee. Because of the
heavy demand they will create on data gathering, they will begin
their work after a new director of institutional planning and
analysis is hired.
- University Governance Council Steering Committee met November 20
with Commissioner Crofts, Joyce Scott and Rod Sunsted. Discussion
centered around the elimination of the 170-credit cap and raises
at MSU. MSU faculty did not receive the 3% raise included in
university funding in FY01 because it was used for other purposes.
The intent is to provide adjustments over the next couple of years
to put this money into faculty base salaries.
- President Gamble is still in favor of faculty developing a pay
plan, preferably one based on peer institution salaries.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - Ron Larsen.
- The committee is developing a proposal to use an ombudsman for a
two-year trial period, if feasible. The ombudsman would replace
the current Conciliation Committee.
- Two members of Faculty Affairs are currently gathering
information to determine if the process is feasible at MSU.
Ombudsmen at other institutions are being contacted to ask if
they think there is a possibility of a low-budget plan
succeeding.
- MSU departments would then be contacted to determine if
they think the ombudsman process would be used.
Survey.
- Michael Peed, School of Art, distributed an informal survey to
ascertain how different departments determine what to pay faculty
for teaching a summer course through that particular department.
Surveys are to be returned to him.
Athletic Committee Nominations.
- The following faculty have been nominated for three positions on
the committee:
- Mary Bushing, Libraries - term ends 6/04
- Linda Simonsen, Math - term ends 6/04
- Vince Smith, Ag Econ/Econ - term ends 6/03
- Ron Larsen moved the nominations be forwarded to President
Gamble for approval. The motion was seconded and carried.
Update from the College of Business - Dean Richard Semenik.
- The College of Business (COB) has 1200 students, including 40
graduate students in accounting. The college has experienced the
largest increase in student credit hours during the past several
years of any college on campus.
- There are 22 tenured faculty, 5 full-time adjunct faculty, and
7-10 part-time adjuncts, depending upon the semester. A large
number (65 percent) of the tenured faculty have published in
refereed journals.
- The COB is accredited by AASCB, a distinction given to only 10%
of business colleges in the nation.
- The accounting program has been ranked among the top ten
colleges in the U.S. for the CPA pass rate 15 out of the past 19
years.
- The strategic plan for the college includes the following:
- Three minors will be added to the two that already exist as
part of the undergraduate program. All three will be
30-credit minors. They are:
- Information Technology (data base development and
management)
- International Business
- Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
- The Center for Entrepreneurship in the New West is housed
in Tech Ranch. Individuals receive help with start-up
through the Tech Ranch and from student assistants.
- In three to five years, a Master's Degree in
Entrepreneurship and Information Technology will be
developed.
- In response to a question, Dean Semenik stated the professional
development opportunities within the COB include college
sabbaticals (supported through MSU Foundation accounts), a
teaching circle giving faculty an opportunity to discuss pedagogy,
a summer research program which provides seed money for some
faculty through competitive proposals, seminars, and encouragement
of international faculty exchanges.
As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary John Sherwood, Chair