Date/Time/Location: Friday, April 22, 2022, 10:00 AM, Madison Hall President’s Conference Room/Zoom Webinar
Members Present (In-Person): Aaron Bloomfield, Tish Jennings (chair elect), Susan Kirk (chair), Carol Manning, Andy Pennock
Members Present (Zoom): Aniko Bodroghkozy, Bob Hirosky, Joel Hockensmith (past chair), Kathryn Laughon, Kevin Lehmann, Peter Norton, Rob Patterson, Eric Ramirez-Weaver, Jim Savage
Guests/Others Present (Zoom): Haley Gillilan, Brian Pusser (parliamentarian), Clare O’Reilly, Judith Thomas
Meeting Called to Order
10:02 AM
March 2022 EXCO Minutes
Susan Kirk shared minutes from March 2022 EXCO Meeting to review.
Motion to approve minutes: Joel Hockensmith
Second: Andy Pennock
For: 10 Against: 0 Abstain: 0
Motion Passes
Cost of Course Materials
Clare O'Reilly, Student Rep, Public Interest Research Group; Haley Gillilan, Library; Judith Thomas, Library
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Clare shared information on OERs: Open Education Resources: OERs help students save money on materials, allow for faculty to continually customize course content with active participation from students, can enhance the classroom experience by increasing representation in course materials.
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Aware of challenges of implementation: OERs are new and so content may not be available in all subject areas, ancillaries may not be available, course restructuring may be needed.
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Alternative to Inclusive Access: strategies that publishers use to distribute course materials, lock students/faculty into set of products, automatic billing for digital course materials, prices are variable and subject to change
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Goals
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Incentives for faculty implementation
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Hire OER student intern via Student Council
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Hire full-time OER coordinator
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Hoping to get a resolution passed through Faculty Senate at some point in support of OERs or low-cost course materials. Currently have faculty and student petitions in support of these efforts.
Discussion
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Graduate students may be well-positioned to work on OERs. Is that happening anywhere?
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Judith: We have projects where faculty and graduate students are working collaboratively. Nationally, focused more on faculty-creators and student-consumers; students helping with analysis and revision. That is a great idea to expand focus to include graduate students.
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Textbook is important for providing alternative views. Used textbooks can be quite inexpensive. Faculty are encouraged not to require latest addition.
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Has there been movement on utilizing inexpensive course materials? (We’re surveyed each year). Many instructors are doing low cost/no cost but that is not captured by the Registrar.
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Open access does not mean that we all must write our own textbooks. May want to think about that in the messaging to faculty.
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Will we continue to have all the online, ebook services available as we have had during Covid? Has research suggested that students like that?
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Hayley: Emergency access from covid has gone away (copyright rules). Students do prefer print materials for various reasons.
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Filling Mid-Year Vacancies to FS and EXCO
Susan Kirk, Chair
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Schools are responsible for their own election processes. Bylaws do discuss vacancies: person appointed to vacant position is appointed to fill remaining term (not for a new term).
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Apportionment is dictated by population, but we do not adjust school seats mid-term (even those schools may technically lose seats).
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Have a situation where a school has 1 new term (4 years) 1 term filling a vacancy (1 year remaining).
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School will need to determine who is filling the new seat, who is serving 1 year only.
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Bylaws do not allow for vacant seat to be extended for additional term.
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Public Posting of Faculty Senate Resolution
Susan Kirk, Chair
Practice in the past has been to post to the Faculty Senate website. Nothing in bylaws on how these actions are communicated.
Discussion
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Point of the initiative was to demonstrate solidarity, people who don’t have access are the ones who need to see it.
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I often send out such things to my constituents. Perhaps we could send a link to the senate members to distribute as desired to their constituents.
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Mindful that we had discussion about not sending out as many emails to faculty. Good for faculty to know what representatives are doing on their behalf. Not sure if senators would send out. This may be a case where we send out an email.
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Mass mail system is ideal way to communicate to full faculty. Senators may not have lists of their constituents. We have access to website editing through Provost (site is hosted through them).
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Susan: Not every item of business needs to be distributed to faculty but there are occasions where we feel that these should be distributed. Last week’s resolution does appear to be noteworthy. Recommend that after resolution/actions are taken next year there is follow-up to determine if something should be sent out.
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Susan will work with Faculty Senate Admin on the process for sending out communications to the full faculty.
Discussion of Faculty Senate Committees
Susan Kirk, Chair
Susan shared that there are committees that didn’t meet, have not been very active this year. Would like to discuss how might we optimize things going forward?
Aaron Bloomfield shared that AAC is very active because it a committee with authority. SCHEV requires that proposals be approved “by the faculty”. BOV has designated that to mean the Faculty Senate. Other committees are more advisory. How can committees have more authority? Would administration be willing to give that authority?
Discussion
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The things committees do have to be important to faculty members to make them willing to express views in a way that the Provost’s office will notice.
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Are there ways in which committees can have more impact without more authority? Are there ways to be proactive rather than reactive?
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Each committee has a link to someone in the President or Provost’s office. One thing that has helped with influence is the biweekly meeting the Faculty Senate Chair has with the Provost. Think about crafting a more explicit connection to improve communication.
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Eric Ramirez-Weaver offered options that worked well for DEI this year. Take advantage of hybrid format: record presentation from guests, share on Collab-archive of opportunities, requests from speakers, members can directly address opportunities for collaboration.
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Susan offered that, as outgoing chair, she would be willing to help forge connections between committees to leadership in those specific areas (DEI, finance, etc).
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Consider continuity of committees, difficulty of reconstituting committees each year, importance of knowledge transfer as committee chairs change.
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Opportunity to shape how chairs are elected/selected is a discussion that Exco could have.
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Proactively select chairs, chair-elect positions, things to conder (would have impact on bylaws).
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Q: How are end-of-year reports are shared from committees.
A: Bylaws dictate that chairs give a report at the end of the year (can be formal or informal). This is not necessarily required of the Faculty Senate chair but Susan shared she will try to report out at the next BOV meeting with a summary of the year’s events and activities.
Q: Is there process for handling those who do not attend committee or fs meetings?
A: Reluctant to force people to attend committees if there’s nothing happening. Want to ensure a positive, vibrant experience for all.
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May want to look at current committee requirements. Smaller schools have less opportunity for work on committees. May also want to consider required timeline for committee assembly.
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Brian Pusser shared some background on the history behind the current committee selection process. Shared there is no size requirement for committees in the bylaws (could have smaller committees).
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The group discussed the current timeline for committee selection.
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Mentioned the need to codify process for selecting representatives to outside organizations (AAC, Colonnade, etc.) and how they are required to report back.
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Chairs will send descriptions of mission, goals, expectations for meeting frequency to be included on committee selection poll.
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New Business
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Tish Jennings brought up the value of the role of the parliamentarian and how valuable Brian Pusser has been this year. Want to be sure we continue to explore options for the next year.
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Suggestion that senators reach out to faculty members who may be interested in this position.
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Meeting Adjourned
Motion to Adjourn: Tish Jennings
Second: Carol Manning
Meeting adjourned: 1:55 PM