FACULTY SENATE MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
(Vol. xxix, No. 3)

The Faculty Senate agenda is posted weekly on the Web, at 2504 Buzzard, and at 315K Coleman.

1. Call to order by Bonnie Irwin at 2:05 p.m. (2504 Buzzard Building)

Present: J. Allison, R. Benedict, J. Best, J. Coons, C. Eberly, P. Fewell, B. Fischer, G. Foster, B. Irwin. G. Lockart, N. Marlow, J. Tidwell, L. Walker, B. Young. Excused: M. Toosi. Guests: T. Abebe, J. Maholy, S. Skala.

2. Approval of the minutes of August 31, 1999

Motion (Lockart/Walker) to approve the minutes of August 31, 1999.

Yes: Benedict, Best, Coons, Eberly, Fewell, Fischer, Foster, Irwin, Lockart, Marlow, Tidwell, Walker, Young.

3. Communications

1. E-mail (8/31/99) from A. Barharlou regarding senate reception. Dr. Baharlou sends his regrets for being unable to attend.
2. Memo from K. Kohanzo (8/27/99) regarding Student Conduct Code Review Committee. Requests a faculty member to serve on committee. Suggests Ann Brownson (Library).
3. Memo from K. Kohanzo (8/30/99) regarding rationale for Student Conduct Code Review. Conduct Code has not been revised since 1989. Committee requests input in September/October.
4. Summary of Student Disciplinary Referrals 1998-99. There were 1017 disciplinary referrals last year, lowest since 1993-94. 771 of these came from students housing, 192 from UPD, 52 from instructional faculty.
5. Panther Pack Student Handbook. See Student Conduct Code on pages 31-40.
6. Minutes of the Council on Academic Affairs, 26 August 1999. Review of general education distributed; discussion postponed awaiting feedback.
7. E-mail (9/1/99) from D. Carpenter regarding EIU-LakeLand Working Team. Dr. Carpenter asked to serve on the "Development of Academic Programs of Mutual Interest Team" and Dr. Abebe welcomed him aboard.
8. Memo (8/30/99) regarding VPAA Abebe’s participation in EIU 1999 Community College Articulation Conference–October 1. VPAA Abebe has been asked to speak at the Conference, which will deal with many issues concerning transfer students.
9. Copy of thank-you note sent to H. Lasky for his updating the Senate on the Honors Programs.
10. Copy of thank-you note sent to
11. VPAA Abebe for his updating the Senate on the EIU-LakeLand Accord.

4. Old Business

1. Committee Reports
1. Executive Committee. The Committee is still in communication with the President to come up with a meeting time. They will have regular meetings both with and without the President and Provost.
2. Nominations Committee. The Child Care Committee, which is voluntary, is in need of volunteers. Those who are interested in serving should contact Lankford Walker (Business) or Richard Wandling (Political Science).
3. Ad Hoc Drafting Committee. 137 surveys, just under 30 percent, have been returned. The deadline is Friday. It was suggested that each senator fill out a survey so that a separate run could be done with the Senate responses. This will let us see where we stand as a group and in comparison to the faculty at large. Those surveys are to be brought to the next meeting.
4. Assistant Director of Financial Aid Search Committee. This search was closed due to a lack of applications.
5. Presidential Inauguration Committee. Faculty will receive the schedule of symposia within the next two weeks. In addition different constituencies have been asked to take a part in the mural project. Sessions have been tentatively scheduled for the October 7 and 8. The full mural will be unveiled October 29 during the Inauguration.
2. Resolution regarding reappointment of Trustees. The suggested changes were made.

Motion (Foster/Fischer) to approve the Resolution and have it sent to the Governor.

Yes: Allison, Benedict, Best, Coons, Eberly, Fewell, Fischer, Foster, Irwin, Lockart, Marlow, Tidwell, Walker, Young.

3. The Library Advisory Board has asked the Senate to appoint an ex officio member to the Board. This would be a recurring one-year appointment.

Motion (Walker/Foster) to nominate Bailey Young to be the Senate’s liaison to the Library Advisory Board.

In the discussion that followed, it was noted that the Senate has not had a liaison in the past. Chair Irwin will ask Newton to clarify if this reflects a change in the bylaws. The vote on the motion was postponed.

4. Student members of Faculty Senate. A call went out last Wednesday at Student Senate. We will take as many–up to three–as we can get.
5. EIU-LakeLand Working Teams. B. Gage, D. Carpenter, and Y. Kathawala contacted VPAA Abebe with their interest in serving on teams. They have all been placed on the teams they requested. Faculty interested in being a part of the work teams should contact VPAA Abebe.
6. Revision of Student Conduct Code. In the communications folder K. Kohanzo has suggested a procedure for this. The Student-Faculty Relations Committee will examine the present code and bring issues and suggestions to the Senate. The Student Conduct Code Revision Committee will solicit input from various campus groups during September and October, and deal with that input during November. They will be holding campus-wide meetings. They will make their recommendations to the President.

4. New Business

1. Chair Irwin received a phone call from Carolyn Cooper. In the past different organizations have sponsored teas for international students. Typically, some community members, retired faculty, and international students have shown up for these. They are trying something different. Faculty Senate has been asked to sponsor something for international students in October.

Motion (Allison/Eberly) that Faculty Senate host an event for international students

Yes: Allison, Benedict, Best, Coons, Eberly, Fewell, Fischer, Foster, Irwin, Lockart, Marlow, Tidwell, Walker, Young.

Interested Senators and other interested faculty are invited to volunteer to serve on an Ad Hoc Committee for this purpose. Senators Young and Marlow expressed and interest. Senator Toosi was also recommended.

2. The Charleston/Mattoon room has been scheduled for a Fall Forum on November 9, 1999, during the Senate’s regular meeting time. Senators are encouraged to start thinking about an agenda for this. The survey results should provide some direction.

Motion (Tidwell/Eberly) to hold a Fall Forum on November 9, 1999.

Yes: Allison, Benedict, Best, Coons, Eberly, Fewell, Fischer, Foster, Irwin, Lockart, Marlow, Tidwell, Walker, Young.

3. Faculty Survey Results. Chair Irwin has been keying in the comments as the surveys come in. They will be distributed at next week’s meeting. The Ad Hoc Drafting Committee will get a summary of the responses to the Senate before the September 21 meeting. Barring problems with equipment, the Senate will discuss the results at that meeting.
4. President Surles speaks to the Senate on October 12. Chair Irwin would like to have a topic or a focus for her visit. Among topics suggested were:
• How does the Administration in general understand the role of the Faculty Senate?
• What is her concept of shared governance and our role in that process?
• More articulation on the approach for achieving her six goals. Does she envision a role for the faculty in that?
• Impressions and thoughts about the culture of alcohol on the campus.
• Where are we with planning?
• Discussion of how President Surles sees participation of faculty in the running of the University–not just shared governance but beyond as well.

The typical format is that the President speaks first and follows with questions/answers. We can refocus and narrow these suggestions down.

1. Senator Best drew the Senate’s attention to the breakdown of things that could get a student before the Judicial Board. Academic misconduct cases are a small percentage but are increasing (doubling) across the 90’s. Faculty initiates almost all of those. It was suggested that we invite Keith Kohanzo to make a presentation to the Senate about academic misconduct. It was also added that Dr. Doug Bower is an expert on academic dishonesty.
2. Discussion of memo in last week’s communications from K. Lasley (Physical Education). It was noted that offices and safety are both issues covered in the contract. The discussion included the following:
• Space on campus is at the point where it is unbelievable. Classroom availability has shrunk dramatically.
• In many of these situations, the faculty are not consulted–nor are the deans. They are told what will happen.
• What we as a body should deal with is how to deal with the no-space problem. Is there anything that we can do that is helpful and constructive? We could begin by creating a list of acute needs that relate to academic life. If the teacher-student relationship is central, what is it we need? Dishonoring the centrality of the teacher-student relationships costs the university, too. Are we ready to pay that cost?
• Perhaps a proactive way to assess needs would be as part of a fall forum
• We could bring the VPBA or the Director of the Physical Plant to discuss if we are going to be able to meet these space concerns over the next few years.
• This could be a question we put to the President as well. How do we use the resources that are there and go after more?
• We seem to be continuously in a crisis mode with our building remodeling. When Buzzard relocated the faculty had something to look forward to, but those in PE do not. This creates low morale.
• It is interesting that they did not think of building a reserve hall first–but it is expensive.
• Acute needs can lead to priorities. This leads to division, miscommunication, and failure to focus on the larger issues.
• S. Kaufman and Chair Irwin both visited McAfee. The Union will look at those things that are contractual.
• The Senate should follow up on Lasley’s memo because the faculty have come to us with a concern. It is interesting that with all the effort that went into the master plan, there seems to be nothing there for the interim.
• Listing acute needs does not necessarily mean a specific list of items but broad categories that are important to the mission of education. These should be expressed in a positive way to enhance the mission of the University. We solicited the input of faculty at two forums. If we want to continue we should try to bring to a forum something from us that could be modified. Otherwise the forum will turn into a repetition.
• There is no money to restore McAfee after the library leaves. This is the issue that has a direct impact on academics. If we get money for the next phase of the master plan where do we put those faculty who are displaced. In Buzzard there were no plans for the faculty. They had to carve out places for them. This has a direct impact on the academic life of our students. What plans have been made to accommodate our faculty and our students. It is not the library but the other activities that normally go on in McAfee that are no longer there.
• We do have experience with Buzzard, and the library could be used to anticipate the challenges with major changes on campus.
• In terms of priorities, we can allow some priorities. It has been going on for years. It does not have to be so specific that it damages the planning. We have seen in this discussion so far a major concern within the Senate about the planning process. The planners look toward the end result but not at how they get there. They do not look at the cost imposed on the faculty and students. In planning we should not look at just the end results. If we do, we have some serious problems.
• We have jumped to the conclusion that it is the facilities that keep us from doing what we are supposed to be doing. What we really need to do is not prioritize but ask the faculty what would foster that student-faculty relationship or foster the learning environment. Then we could go back and figure what the future holds. In some cases it is the building. How do we foster that relationship to create a lifelong learner?
• There was a structure to the forum. After such a forum this group needs to move forward to try to summarize a direction–something proactive. A forum will not do that. It is information gathering. It is the obligation of Faculty Senate to articulate that information.
• Some of these temporary events are windows of opportunity. In the residential area there is an entire residential hall floor that has been closed. It is possible that there may be a second floor closed. How about converting them to faculty offices
• The funding for academics comes from general revenue, for residential life from bond revenues. They are two different funding sources. This is where it gets difficult. We have rented space from residence halls. Again, was there money set aside to accommodate faculty members in these renovations?

VI. Adjourn at (Walker)

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy D. Marlow, Recorder

Faculty interested in serving on the Child Care Committee should contact Lankford Walker (Business) or Richard Wandling (Political Science).

Those interested in serving on Work Teams for the EIU-LakeLand Accord should contact VPAA Abebe.