Minutes of the Faculty Senate Meeting

April 8, 1997

Agenda Items of Business

1. Approval of Minutes and Treasurer’s Report. President Bill Chandler called the April 8, 1997 meeting of the Tarleton State University Faculty Senate to order at 3:30. The minutes of the March 18, 1997 meeting were approved with spelling corrections to WSAFG and COFGO on page 2. Doyle Pittman attended for Pat Cude. Irma Harrington was absent

2. Discussion of Emeritus Status Policy. After a brief discussion about whether the senate wanted to change the current policy, what exactly the current policy is, and what sources Dan Hardin drew upon to compose the draft, a motion passed to table the discussion and determine exactly what the current policy is.

3. Report from Low and Modest Programs Committee. Bill Chandler stated that since the committee was put together by the President and Provost, no statements should be made concerning committee activity except by them. He did announce that low productivity masters programs would be studied in the fall.

4. The following announcements were made:

Reminder to encourage timely submissions of faculty committee requests. Bill Chandler reported that he had received about 80 faculty requests and was tabulating choices. The Executive Committee will meet on the 22^nd to start putting together recommendations.

Reminder to conduct appropriate senator elections. Economics, Accounting and Finance, and CIS have been combined. Pat Smith will complete her term as Pat Cude is serving her final year.

Reminder of the May election of president-elect.

Charles Howard, Malcolm Cross, and Bill Chandler attended the budget hearings. The Organized Research Committee will now get all the money listed in the budget, but there will be no extra funds. Cross was pleased to see the professionalism of the budget hearings. He complimented Dean Johanson and Vice-President Alexander. It was pointed out that budget hearings to which senators are invited shed no light on the larger budgetary issues. The senate decided that next year we should reinstitute the budget oversight subcommittee and request schedules of all hearings well in advance of those hearings.

5. New Business

Charles Howard stated that the Distance Learning Policy Committee was forwarding to VPAA Alexander a list of recommendations concerning distance learning that the committee thought should be kept separate from the policy. A motion to send the recommendations to the VPAA passed.

Several senators asked about the policy concerning mid-term grades. It was pointed out that the decision to post mid-term grades for freshman and sophomores was made in Academic Council in 1993.

Amy McKay expressed her concern about the transcript evaluation process coming in the semester of graduation rather than the semester prior to graduation.