November 2010

FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY MEETING
November 12, 2010

Attendance: Peg Bacon, David Moon, Pam Carter, Suzanne Cook, Tabatha Farney, Morgan Shepherd, Peggy Beranek, Katie Kaukinen, Don Morley, Tom Huber, Amanda Sinclair, David Weiss, Rita Hug, Bob Durham, Rebecca Webb, Rory Lewis, Trellis Moore, Eddie Portillos, Tom Napierkowski, Daniel Worden, Barbara Frye, Ron Fitz

Call to Order / Approval of Minutes:

Motion to approve the minutes from October 8, 2010 meeting by Rita Hug
Seconded by Trellis Moore
Motion passed unanimously

Reports of Visitors:

Peg Bacon:
The Chancellor is currently on her way to CSU-Pueblo to attend a meeting with the Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium regarding the $750,000 Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant.  With this grant of federal funds, the consortium, which is a group of public southern Colorado colleges and universities, will work cooperatively to increase the number of southern Colorado residents who attend college.  With the grant dollars, the two-and four-year colleges and universities will develop multiple outreach efforts to more than 300 southern Colorado middle and high schools.  A partnership with Cisco Technologies Inc., will be developed to connect schools and individuals by using Cisco’s widely advertised Telepresence system, which is being used to connect students from around the globe in high-definition, real-time television. The consortium will explore using the company’s technology to connect rural middle and high schools with a regional college to deliver advanced science and math courses as well as presentations about obtaining financial assistance for college or the value of a college education.
The General Education Task Force has submitted the UCCS General Education Goals to EPUS for review and those goals are being presented today to the Faculty Assembly for their endorsement.  Once approved, the next phase will be curriculum alignment, which will start in January.
There are also some new interdisciplinary research initiatives focusing on health which are taking place on campus.  We are looking into creating a center on our campus which is connected to the Colorado Initiative on Molecular Biotechnology (CIMB) in Boulder.  In addition, there are discussions taking place with the Center on Innovations in Wellness Task Force regarding aging and possible partnership with the NANA Corporation in Alaska, which will concentrate on wellness initiatives.  And there is a community-based initiative which we are very much involved with to bring a branch of the CU medical school to Colorado Springs.

Based on feedback received, the Scheduling Alternatives Task Force has realized that although most campus groups like the idea of 15 minutes between classes, no one wants to start classes earlier or end classes later in order to accommodate this scheduling change.  However, there are other alternatives that are being investigated.  One of them is Weekend University, which is designed for larger classes which in turn will pay for itself based on revenue-generating enrollment.  The pilot for this program is starting this next semester on Saturdays – there will be 8 or 9 classes offered.  In addition, Dean Reddy is the chair of the Online Task Force, whose goal is to develop undergrad programs and increase offerings by next fall of at least 3 undergrad programs.  The current online program has focused mainly on grad level courses.

The Masters of Criminal Justice program is moving forward and the College of Business is working on an undergraduate online program as well.

David Moon:
An online grading demonstration was presented to the assembly since all grading this semester will be done this way.  There will be two training sessions offered on this topic – one on November 17th and one on November 19th.  Further information on those training sessions will be sent via e-mail notices.  The grade rosters will open in the ISIS system on November 29th.  Freshman Seminar grade rosters will open earlier and those faculty will pilot the system.

Officer Reports:

President’s Report
Report attached

Vice-President’s Report
No report

Past President’s Report
No report

Reports of FRA Executive Council:

Don Morley:
The Chancellor’s Task Force on E-mail Civility met on October 28th with seven out of ten task force members present.  Jenny Watson, the university legal counsel, briefed the group on legal issues concerning business e-mail.  She stated that employers do have the right to prohibit individuals from using a company e-mail list.  It was determined that administrators who use the faculty-l list e-mail would continue to use it as they do now, however, when faculty use the faculty-l e-mail list, they will be directed to a website outlining the proper usage rules and consequences of violations.  A special committee would convene if necessary when someone complains and requests an investigation.  Bob Durham stated that this committee should be a Faculty Assembly committee.

Tom Napierkowski:
Each CU campus has a Privilege and Tenure Chair and Tom is the UCCS P&T Chair.  They are proposing five changes to the University Administrative Council:  1) P&T should have the ability to make recommendations based on fairness matters in addition to procedural matters, 2) all cases should go through a mandated stage of mediation by participants with credentials in that area, 3) in order to expedite the process, two panel members should be able to investigate a case, 4) P&T committee judgments would be binding with an appeal option by the Board of Regents, and 5) allow Administration to participate in the P&T process instead of just being a witness.  There has been an overall reduction in grievances system-wide, especially at UCCS.

Reports from Standing Committees:

EPUS Report:
Action items are listed under New Business; Student Academic Ethics Code will be reviewed by Deans Council at their next meeting; review of Promotion &Tenure policies are mandated every 5 years and there may be some possible revisions

Personnel & Benefits:
UBAB met with President Benson on November 5th regarding several health issues; there has been a cost savings of $2 million on dependent eligibility as a result of the dependent eligibility verification survey done last year

Faculty Advisory Committee on the Budget:
Report Attached February is the first expected budget presentation by the state due to change in state governance

Minority Affairs Committee:
Report attached

Women’s Committee:
Final work survey to be distributed to faculty at all levels regarding work issues; Primary Investigator training must be completed before the survey is distributed, so we are now looking at late December/ early January for distribution; the subcommittee on mini-grants will soon announce the winners of the fall RFP

Non-Tenure Track Faculty:
Report attached

Academic Computing:
Report attached

Library:
No report

Intercollegiate Athletics:
No one present – no report

Sustainability:
Books suggested for all-campus read are being reviewed by the committee and should be announced next week; climate change commitment procedures are continuing to progress

PRIDE:
No one present – no report

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

(See Motions)

MOTIONS

1. The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends endorsement of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs General Education Goals as presented by the General Education Task Force (document attached).  (motion passed unanimously to support EPUS recommendation)

a. Motion to send to all faculty vote also passed unanimously

i. President Catherine Kelly to coordinate with Robyn Marschke on process for all-faculty vote

b. Phase II of curriculum alignment will start January 2011

1. The Educational Policy and University Standards Committee of the Faculty Representative Assembly recommends approval of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Faculty Report of Professional Activities (FRPA) (document attached).  (motion passed unanimously to postpone till December meeting)

a. President Catherine Kelly to send out to faculty for review

b. EPUS will enter Professional Practice

c. Deans Council will also review

d. This will not be effective in current year

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn the Faculty Assembly Meeting by Don Morley
Seconded by Rebecca Webb
Motion passed unanimously

Meeting adjourned at 1:42 p.m.