Agenda Items of Business

1. Approval of Minutes and Treasurer’s Report President Howard called the December 9, 1997 meeting to order at 3:30 PM. The minutes of the November 11, 1997, meeting were approved. The secretary reported that the senate had $4332.80 in its account.

2. Awards Update. The schedule for the Arthur Award will be as follows: departments vote for their nominees in January, submit their nominees to Holly Lamb by February 27th, and the senate will vote on three nominees to submit to the selection committee in the March meeting. Holly Lamb also discussed Regent’s Award Process. Regent’s Professor Nomination forms should be distributed in the departments and due the 27^th February. She reported that 17 nominations for the Barry B. Thompson Award had been submitted from all over the campus. She also stated she was impressed with the quality of the nominees. The committee recommended three nominees to President McCabe who will announce the winner at December graduation. Bill Chandler pointed out that a correction needs to be made in the handbook concerning Merit Plus requirement of 5 years service. He also reported that Merit Plus nominees had been forwarded to VPAA/Provost

3. Selection of Regent’s Professor Nomination Committee:

• Committee Chair (President-Elect of Senate) Holly Lamb
• Faculty Senator (Educ. & Fine Arts) Linda Duncan
• Faculty Senator (COBA) Pat Smith
• Faculty Senator (Agri. & Tech.) Barbara Williams
• Faculty Senator (A & S) Art Low

4. Discussion of Selection Process for Regent’s Professor (attachment B): The Selection Process draft was adapted from materials from TAMUS. A motion passed to add the purpose statement and award amount to top of the draft.

5. Discussion of Bookstore Issues: Some senators expressed dissatisfaction with the bookstore. Wallace’s contract is up in July. Charles Howard asked the senate to poll departments concerning faculty opinions. Problems mentioned included ordering books with software, short orders, the early submission deadlines for orders. It was decided to invite Jerry Norris for the January meeting.

6. Discussion of the role of student workers. Issues discussed included unsupervised student workers going into faculty offices to work on computers, phones, etc., computer grading and other potential problem causing staff positions. Another concern was the hiring of students to the detriment of student’s academic requirements. For example, students working in the summer missing classes to work orientation and preregistration, and Duck Camp. Joe Cude and Art Lowe volunteered to draft a letter for February meeting for further discussion

7. Announcements. Charles Howard announced that at the last Academic Council the drop policy passed with some clarifications. The Academic Honesty Policy passed without senate recommendations. It was recommended that faculty keep documentation of what Student Services does with student offenders.

Joe Cude asked if the senate could purchase three ring notebooks for each senator? Charles Howard stated he would look into it.

8. New Business. Plans for a spring faculty luncheon were mentioned and the senate decided to change the time of its May meeting to Tuesday, 11:30 AM, May 12 Carl Chumney announced his impending retirement. Senators whose terms end in the spring are Nick Lilly, Pat Smith, Carl Chumney, Brian Whitecotton, and John Rhoades.