Faculty Senate President Marlin Priddy called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

I. Roll Call. Seventeen Faculty Senators were in attendance.

II. Minutes of the October 11, 2005, meeting were approved.

III. Treasurer’s Report. Treasurer’s Report: Secretary-Treasurer Malcolm L. Cross reported a balance of $4525.27, a decrease of $168.27 from the balance of $4693.79 reported at the Faculty Senate’s 10/11/08 meeting and reflecting the receipt of $57.00 at the Faculty Senate’s Fall Luncheon and the expenditure of $225.52 for travel on Faculty Senate business.

III. Announcements and Special Guest.

A. Special Guest: Marlin Priddy invited Dr. Wanda Mercer, Vice President for Student Services, to address the Faculty Senate on the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee (IAF) Referendum to be voted on by the students on 12/5 and 12/6. At issue was whether the students would vote adopt an IAF of $6.00/semester credit hour (SCH) (with a maximum of $42.00 per semester per student) and simultaneously cut the Student Services Fee (SSF) by $3.00/SCH. Dr. Mercer noted that currently 45% of the SSF is allocated to athletics while 55% is allocated to student services. Passage of the referendum would:
• Reduce the amount of money generated by the SSF going to athletics by $560,000;
• Reduce the percentage of money generated by the SSF going to athletics to 28%, with the remaining 72% to go to Student Services;
• Generate a net gain in funding for athletics of about $400,000;
• Generate a net gain in the Student Services budgets of about $100,000; and
• Generate a net gain in funds available for future scholarships of about $100,000.
In the ensuing discussion, some Faculty Senators expressed concern over the increase in fees, but Dr. Mercer said fee increases were necessary to cover rising costs since the State Legislature would not raise taxes to do so.

B. University Web Calendar: Marlin Priddy reminded the Faculty Senate that the University Web Calendar is at:
http://www.tarleton.edu./scripts/calendar/default.asp

V. University Committees.

A. Reports.

1. Academic Council. Marlin Priddy announced that the Academic Council had not met since his last report. Hoiwever, he noted that at the Academic Council’s November meeting, topics to be discuss would include revisions in Chapter 4 of the Faculty and Staff Handbook relevant to tenure and promotion criteria, and the possible split in the Department of Fine Arts and Communications, for which, according to Dr. Gary Peer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the groundwork has been laid.

2. Curriculum Committee. Richard Sale announced that the Curriculum Committee is continuing to handle issues before it smoothly and without contention.

3. Enrollment Management Advisory Council. No meeting or report.

4. EEOAA Committee. No meeting or report.

5. University Planning Council. No meeting or report.

6. Other Committee Reports:

a. Calendar Committee. Richard Sale discussed features in the draft of the 2006-07 academic calendar, which had been distributed to the Faculty Senate via email. Of special concern was the May-mester, which the Calendar Committee had standardized by requiring that:
• Classes would meet 5/11-5/25;
• Each class must meet that level by using at least three days a week in each of the three weeks available for the May-mester.
Other features of note included:
• The beginning of the Fall 2006 term at about the same time as the Fall 2005 term;
• The three week Christmas break;
• The earlier beginning of the spring term;
• The possible scheduling of the spring break eight weeks after the beginning of the spring term.

b. Academic Integrity Committee. Mark Holtorf announced that:
• He and David Weindorf had attended the national conference on academic integrity and were writing a policy statement which would include a discussion of honor codes and other possible measures; and
• The Student Government Association would administer the survey on academic integrity in January.
c. Ad hoc Faculty Senate Subcommittee for Faculty Development. Marlin Priddy announced that the draft report submitted to the Faculty Senate at its October Meeting had been sent to Dr. Peer, who expressed approval of its content and format. The Faculty Senate elected George Mollick was elected to head a new committee to help implement the report’s recommendations.

d. Environmental Study Committee. Marlin Priddy announced that the Environmental Study Committee met on 10/12 with President Dennis McCabe, who expressed support for environmentally friendly programs, including programs to explain Tarleton’s environmentally-friendly approach to landscaping with buffalo grass and designing the new Dining Hall.

e. Distance Education Advisory Committee. No meeting or report.

f. Diversity Committee. No meeting or report.

g. Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee. Marlin Priddy announced that the Faculty Salary and Benefits Committee had completed its work with the submission of a recommendation that its policy proposals be adopted. Kelli Styron said that a compensation specialist should come to the Faculty Senate during the first part of next year to report on this issue, and that thereafter the Senate should review this issue on an annual baiss.

h. Writing Intensive Curriculum: No report.

i. Texas Council of Faculty Senates: Marlin Priddy announced the availability of a Power Point Presentation on the Closing the Gap initiative.

j. Texas A&M University System Faculty Senate Advisory Committee: Materials and statements relevant to the liquidation of the Faculty Senate at Texas A&M—Kingsville were distributed for review.

k. Fall Luncheon: Kelli Styron announced that the Faculty Senate’s Fall Luncheon, featuring a presentation by Dr. Beth Rinard on her research concerning Hawaiian volcanoes, had elicited much favorable feedback.

V. Old or Unfinished Business.

A. Promotion and Tenure Revisions (Faculty Handbook—Chapter 4): Marlin Priddy recommended that Faculty Senators continue to solicit opinions on proposed changes from their colleagues and forward their comments to himself or Dr. Peer.

B. Piper Award: Faculty Senators cast votes for Tarleton’s nominee for the Piper Award. Because not all Senators were able to cast ballots at the 11/08 meeting, it was decided to postpone the announcement of the Piper Award nominee until later in the week, when all ballots could be collected and tabulated.

VIII. New Business.

A. Faculty Senate Logo for Web Page. Marlin Priddy circulated a copy of the proposed Faculty Senate Logo for the new web page.

B. Faculty—Staff Directory Printed Version. The issue of whether to resume the distribution of a printed version of the Faculty-Staff Directory was raised. The costs and the extent to which faculty would be interested in such a publication are to be researched.

VII. Adjournment. The Faculty Senate adjourned at 5:30 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Faculty Senate is scheduled for December 9, 2005, at 10:30 a. m., Room 208 of the Administration Building.