A.  Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 3:15 p.m. by President Wickham.

Council Members in attendance: Grant Alexander (Business & Technology), Terri Baker (Arts & Letters), Dan Glasgow (Education),   Jeff Miller (Optometry), Latricia Pack (Optometry), Jackie Schumaker (Library), Lallie Scott (Social & Behavioral Sciences), and Debbie Smith (Education).

Council Officers in attendance:  Gary Wickham (President), Andrew Vassar (Vice President), and Chuck Ziehr (Secretary-Treasurer).
 

B. Committees and Standing Reports

1. Minutes of March 5, 2004 meeting

Grant Alexander made a motion and Lallie Scott seconded that the minutes as corrected for the March 5, 2004 meeting be approved.  The motion passed unanimously.

 2. Treasurer's Report

There was no treasurer's report this month, except to say that no expenditures had been made.

3. Faculty Welfare Committee Report

There was no Faculty Welfare Committee report this month.
 

C.  Old Business

1.  Resolution congratulating the NSU Nursing program

Terri Baker moved and Latricia Pack seconded the motion that the following resolution be passed congratulating the NSU Nursing Program on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its first graduating class.  The motion passed unanimously.

NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY ASSOCIATION

Resolution

A resolution by the Faculty Council congratulating the NSU Nursing Program on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its first graduating class.

Whereas:    The NSU Department of Nursing offers the premier RN-BSN program in Oklahoma,

Whereas:    The Nursing Program offers a truly flexible and innovative program for the working RN by providing nursing courses on the NSU Muskogee campus with interactive television (ITV) to various distance education sites, including NSU-Broken Arrow, Miami, Poteau, and Ponca City, and online via the Internet and

Whereas:    A career in the nursing field is both personally rewarding and essential to the health care delivery system for all citizens, thus making the need for high-quality nurses in today's society greater than ever.

Therefore, be it resolved that the Faculty Council extends its heartiest congratulations to the NSU Nursing faculty, staff, alumni, and students.  The Council further encourages all faculty, administrators, staff, students, and alumni to join in celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the first NSU students to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

In Witness Whereof, we, the Officers of the NSU Faculty Association, have hereunto affixed our signatures this 2nd day of April, 2004.

    b.  Circle of Excellence Comittee for 2003-2004 academic year
    About 15 were nominated for each category.  Many people who were nominated chose not to submit portfolios.  The committee will meet April 12 at 3:00 p.m. in Seminary Hall Conference Room to choose the three awardees.

Delegates expressed concern that the March 22 deadline for submitting packets for consideration was too soon.  They requested that at least one more week be allowed.  Wickham will discuss this possibility with the chair of the committee, Dana Eversole.

3.  Campus Parking Committee (enforcing cross walks)
President Wickham has not yet heard from Greg Combs, chair of the Campus Parking Committee.
 
[A number of issues have been addressed via exchange of e-mail among President Wickham and various campus officials.  It was decided that Dr. Wickham's original inquiries and the replies that he received (rather than brief summaries) should be included in the minutes in order to help disseminate this information accurately to the faculty.]

4.  Smoking policy
Gary Wickham e-mailed Tim Foutch who forwarded the message to Tere Feller, Assistant Director of Human Resources.  Her response on March 22, 2004 stated:

You [sic] message regarding implemenation of the current state laws was forwarded to me by Tim Foutch.  Please allow me to clarify a few points.

State law does not require that shelter be provided for smokers when a building is designated tobacco free.  Some employers are providing this type of accomodation as a concession to employees who smoke.  The University is looking into the feasability of having a small number of shelters located at different sites on campus for this purpose, but no decision has yet been made.  FYI:  All campus buildings are already designated smoke free, and have been for some time.  A committee is currently addressing compliance with the new laws designating 25 feet from each entrance as a tobacco-free zone.  A proposal is being developed to implement required signage.

The updated smoking policy has been submitted to the Faculty Handbook Committee for inclusion in the upcoming edition.  If you have any additional questions regarding this policy, please let me know.

A number of Student Organization sponsors asked their Faculty Council representatives to inquire about the food policies at NSU, especially as they apply to Sodhexo.  There seems to be a great deal of confusion about what student groups can and cannot do in terms of bringing food from off campus.  Some groups make and sell food products like soup, for instance, as a fund raising device.  Other groups have tried to have potluck events at the University Center that match NSU students with high school students in a mentor/recruiting sort of effort.  Other groups get donations from local merchants as a part of fund raising efforts that bring speakers to Tahlequah.  In any event, very few student groups have a budget sufficient to pay Sodhexo to cater an event.  The organization sponsors feel that the food policy keeps student groups from using University facilities.   Is it possible to look at the Sodhexo contract to see exactly what is and what is not allowed?  Who can define exactly what is and is not allowed?

Sodexho, NSU's food service provider, has been awarded an exclusive right to operate food service in NSU's food service facilities as well as the Jazz Lab, Shawnee Street Theater, Playhouse, NET Building, Alumni Center and other facilities as mutually agreed upon by both Sodexho and NSU.  Our contract requires that they be given the first option to provide food service (or first right of refusal) for any event or activity that takes place in these facilities.

Traditionally, student organizations have been allowed to sell non-Sodexho food for fund-raisers, as long as they are not in or immediately adjacent to one of the designated facilities.

This is not a new policy, but was in effect prior to our contracting with Sodexho.

If I can be of further assistance, please let me know.

6.  Weather Policy
Gary Wickham sent the following message to Dr. Pate with copies to President Williams and Neal Weaver:

The Faculty Council asked me to inquire about our weather policy?[sic]  At the time of the last North Central visit, we were instructed to include a statement about weather in our syllabi.  That policy  is as follows:
______________________________________________________________________________
INCLEMENT WEATHER/DISASTER POLICY:

The basic premises for the inclement weather policy at Northeastern State University are:

   1.  Classes are expected to be held if at all possible.
   2.  Each student is responsible for identifying correct information when weather is questionable.
   3.  Neither students nor faculty are expected to risk life and limb.
   4.  Faculty members are obligated to hold classes if the University is not closed unless the faculty member is physically unable to get to the site where the class is held.

Policy:    During times of inclement weather, decisions concerning day classes will be made by 6 AM in order for the media to be notified and for students to receive information before they leave home for the site where the class is held.  Decisions concerning night classes will be made by 3 PM.

   The following media will be notified regarding closing of the campus:

   Radio Stations                    Television Stations

   KRMG 740 AM    Tulsa                KJRH Channel 2    Tulsa
   KAYI 107 FM    Tulsa                KOTV Channel 6    Tulsa
   KTLQ 1350 AM    Tahlequah            KTUL Channel 8    Tulsa
   KEOK 101.7 FM    Tahlequah            KFSM Channel 5    Fort Smith
   KBIX 1490 AM    Muskogee            Cable Channel 96    Tahlequah
   KMMY 97 FM    Muskogee
   KVOO 1170 AM    Tulsa

The automated attendant message at 918-456-5511 will be modified to include information concerning campus operations during inclement weather.
________________________________________________________________________________

This policy seems out of context with those enforced this past winter.  Specifically, what constitutes a danger to life and limb?  The weather between Tahlequah and Tulsa can differ tremendously. A faculty member reported being unable to travel from Tahlequah to Broken Arrow and had his leave time docked as a result.  If a faculty member does try to travel against his/her better judgement and ends up stuck or in a ditch, will their leave time be docked then?

Thank you for responding to this question.

I have been talking with President Williams and Neal Weaver about the University's Inclement Weather/Disaster Policy, and we agree with you that the Policy needs to be updated. President Williams will respond directly to you about the concerns you raised.

However, I do have a question about the faculty member who reported having "his leave time docked".  In discussing this matter with the six college deans yesterday, none of them knew of a case where a faculty member's personal leave was "docked" due to missing a class during the recent inclement winter weather.  If you will ask that faculty member to contact me, I will check into the matter and report back on the situation to President Williams and the Faculty Council.

In addition, I also think it is important to point out that the University awards personal leave (see Subsection 6.12 University Closing in the 2003 Faculty Handbook) to faculty to cover instances when "the University is not closed" but a faculty member "is physically unable to get to the site where the class is held" due to inclement weather, a flat tire, or some other incident or accident. Since the Office of Academic Affairs received several phone calls regarding the recent inclement weather (i.e., snow and possible hazardous road conditions), I am familiar with several instances where faculty canceled classes without notifying his/her dean or the appropriate branch campus administrator.  We also received a number of phone calls from students who were not notified about the canceled classes and drove to their classes over the same roads.

Thank you for communicating the Faculty Council's concern about the Inclement Weather/Disaster Policy.

The inclement weather policy to which you refer in your e-mail is now nearly ten years old and out of date with regard to both the current structure of the university and the most efficient methods for disseminating information to our students, faculty and staff. However, the basic premises for the policy remain accurate and the
responsibilities and expectations of the faculty are clear.

I take the responsibility for making decisions relating to adverse weather seriously, and attempt to balance the safety of our students and staff with the responsibility we have to provide a quality education. Before deciding, others are consulted, including the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the County Commissioners office, the chief administrators of our branch campuses, and meteorologists. We make every attempt to provide timely information regarding the status of our campuses, but
unfortunately, unexpected weather changes may force us occasionally to miss these parameters.

It is important for faculty to remember that if they choose to miss work for any reason, they have a responsibility to inform their dean in order for students to be notified of schedule changes. During times of inclement weather, this responsibility is heightened, because the possibility of personal injury, vehicle damage, or worse is increased.

I will ask Mr. Neal Weaver to update our policy with current information, including the phone numbers, university web pages and media outlets that can be referenced for information regarding the status of the University. We will also amend the policy to more accurately reflect the processes for notification at the Muskogee and Broken Arrow campuses.

I appreciate your attention to this policy and trust the pending revisions will eliminate any concerns the Faculty Council may have.

8.  Textbook and Workbook Sales Policy Committee Report
On March 9, 2004 President Wickham sent the following message to Dean Lyle Haskins:

As you requested, the Council is looking into the whole business surrounding the possible inappropriate acculumation [sic] of wealth by faculty from textbook or workbook sales. We established a committee that will look into the many aspects of this issue.  I have to tell you that this is one of those issues that is full of pitfalls and one in which the University must be careful not to contradict itself.

I don't think that anyone questions the difficulty of a situation in which a book publisher comes univited to a faculty member and proposes that adoption of a text will lead to cash in the faculty member's pocket. However, once we get by this situation, all bets are off.

The very foundation of the push for scholarly growth that we are making at NSU is underpinned by the concept of faculty members developing and/or reviewing specialty texts for their discipline that reflects their intellectual interpretation of the broader literature in a field. Were I a student at NSU, I would be much happier to use a text written by my teacher than by someone at "Joe's College" in a town of which I'd never heard.  If I used my professional skill as a faculty member to critically review a text done by a for profit publisher, I would expect payment.  If I reviewed a manuscript for a professional societry [sic] journal, I would not expect payment.

Most of us who develop speciality workbooks for use in our classes charge only enough to support the process of generating the book.  I don't know of anyone at NSU who makes wild profits off of their scholarly effort.  If there are such people, they likely are not in the mainstream of faculty life.

Finally, NSU faculty are not exactly paid top dollar.  So, if a colleague of mine nets a few bucks from his/her textbook or workbook, I'm not going to be that concerned.  The ethical issue comes when a faculty member subverts his/her scholarly and professional standards to, in essence, take a bribe.  If it occurs, I think that is rare on our campus.

I am forwarding this e-mail from Faculty Council President Wickham regarding one of the items that we requested the Council explore. By the tone of this, I doubt that the Council will take a stand concerning faculty personally profiting from adopting texts.  If  I receive additional material from Dr. Wickham I will pass them on.

GUIDELINES FOR FUNDS GENERATED FROM THE PRODUCTION AND USE OF TEXTBOOKS

Royalties
Funds received by a faculty member from the sale of any intellectual property owned by the faculty author or inventor, including textbooks authored by the faculty member, shall be allocated and expended as determined solely by the faculty author or inventor.

Funds received by the department, college, or university from the sale of intellectual property owned by the department, college, or university shall be allocated and expended as determined solely by the department, college, or university.

Funds received by the faculty member and the department, college, or university from the sale of intellectual property owned jointly by the faculty member and the department, college, or university shall be allocated and expended in accordance with a specific agreement negotiated by the parties in advance when the work is first undertaken.

In the event of multiple creators, the creators will determine the allocation of their individual shares when the work is first undertaken.

In the case where a faculty member requires self-authored material that is the intellectual property owned by the faculty author or inventor and that is printed locally or produced locally, exclusively for his or her class(es), and he or she receives profit from it, that faculty member shall accept  no more than 15% royalties (based on cost to the bookstore). The faculty member shall allocate any additional percentage of profit to the faculty member (above 15%) in a way that directly benefits students.

Honoraria
Faculty members have an academic right and obligation to review critically professional papers, monographs, and texts. Payment may be received for such a review. Receiving money should not be contingent upon that professor adopting the text. No text will be adopted automatically during or after a critical review; textbook adoptions should follow established department or college procedures.

The conditions stated herein as applying to the individual faculty member also apply to the departments, colleges, and university as a whole.

10.  The new student evalutions of faculty.
President Wickham received the following comment from Darryl Linde, Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science:  "I find that some students are confused on item #14. 'The instructor was easy to understand' is taken by some students to refer to spoken English.  Some students take it to refer to the quality of the instructor's explanations.  I suggest that when the evaluation instrument is revised that item #14 be made plainer."

Lallie Scott moved and Grant Alexander moved that the concern about item #14 be sent to Mark Giese.  The motion passed unanimously.  It was also recommended that "Not Applicable" on the evaluation form be separated from other alternatives so that it does not appear to be stronger than "Strongly Agree."  The "Not Applicable" response should not be summed as a value of 6 as seems to have been the case in some reports.
 

D. New Business

1 . Faculty Dining Room in the Cedar Room or some other facility
Grant Alexander moved and Lallie Scott seconded a motion to ask President Williams, Lynn Howard, and the Sodexho manager to provide a faculty dining room in the Cedar Room or some other facility where "real food" is served similarly to the former dining services in the Cedar Room.
 

E.  Other Business

1 .  Subsection 3.77 in 2003 Faculty Handbook
President Wickham was forwarded the following message from Vice President Pate, which was originally sent to Dean Lyle Haskins:

Subject: Re: Subsection 3.77 in 2003 Faculty Handbook
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 09:47:17 -0600
From: Jim Pate <patejp@nsuok.edu>
To: "V. Lyle Haskins" <haskins@nsuok.edu>
CC: Larry Williams <presidnt@cherokee.nsuok.edu>, Gary Wickham <wickham@nsuok.edu>

Dean Haskins,

During my phone conversation with Ms. Sheridan McCaffree yesterday, she pointed out that the last paragraph in subsection 3.77 of the 2003 Faculty Handbook should be deleted.  She says that the BOROC eliminated this "appeal" option two years ago when they made other changes that gave the BOROC Presidents' final authority over several matters.  However, I think this BOROC action actually occurred last year, and we failed to pick up this policy change when the Handbook Committee made its recommended revisions last year.   Thanks for your assistance with this matter.

Jim Pate

Faculty Council members from two colleges had colleagues ask them about whether or not we will have a paper contract in the future.  The faculty inquiring were concerned that the lack of a paper contract separated them from a basic definition of their rules of employment.  These same faculty members also wondered if the online Faculty Handbook will be changed with each policy change and, if so, will the faculty be advised (by email, I presume) that changes have been made.

Thank you for responding to these questions.

In response to your query regarding revisions to the online version of the Faculty Handbook (unless President Williams directs otherwise), all policy changes, corrections and additions to the Faculty Handbook (i.e., hard copy and online) are made effective each July 1.  As you know, the Office of Academic Affairs distributes new hard copies of the Faculty Handbook to all faculty via campus mail every July.  Changes to the online version of the Handbook will be made at the same time each July.

Exceptions to the above timeline for effective policy changes may be made by the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges.  Although BOROC policy changes are made throughout the calendar year, those changes are not reflected in Northeastern's Faculty Handbook until Faculty Handbook Revision Committee incorporates them into the Faculty Handbook during their review of the Handbook.

Since you are a member of the Revision Committee, please feel free to express your concerns regarding this matter to your colleagues on the Committee.  If you have other questions, let me know.

3.  Faculty Council financial support for Research Day
President Wickham sent the following message to Vice President Pate:

For the past few years, the NSU Faculty Council provided material support for the NSU Undergraduate Research Day.  Certainly, the Council is enthusiastic about about [sic] this event and asked me to write you with the request that the NSU Faculty Council be recognized as a sponsor of the Day.  Thanks.

The second Undergraduate Research Day is scheduled for April 22.  I am certain the Undergraduate Research Committee appreciates the support it has received from the Faculty Council for the first two years and will provide recognition in its program and activities.  The Committee is made up of faculty, and I believe Dr. Julia Sawyer, Dr. Ben Kracht and Dr. Paul Westbrook are currently serving as the "steering committee" or "program committee" for Undergraduate Research Day.  Please extend my thanks to the Faculty Council for their support of our undergraduate students.

At it's [sic] last meeting, the Faculty Council asked me to ask you about the status of the national searches for the Deans of Business and Technology and of the Graduate College.  Some faculty wondered if the lead time between advertising these positions and the July 1 start date was short.  Please let me know if there is progress in these searches so I can advise the Council.  There also was a question asking if the interim Dean position in Arts and Letters was a permanent assignment.

Thanks for letting me know about these searches.

The Search Committee for the Dean of Business and Technology has selected three candidates to interview on campus on April 7-8, 12-13, and 20-21.  They also selected a fourth candidate as an alternative, but they have not scheduled him/her for an interview.  Dean Lyle Haskins is chairing this search.

The Search Committee for the Dean of the Graduate College selected 6-7 finalist, but they may have lost two or more (?) because of the salary we are offering.  I have not been given the interview schedule, but I am assuming we will interview candidates during the next three weeks.  Dr. Janet Bahr is chairing this search.

Both committees will be involved in the on campus interviews along with Deans' Council, faculty in CBT, graduate faculty, and others.  President Williams will make the final decision on both positions and the appointments.

On the question of the Arts & Letters Dean's position, we are still considering reorganizaiton or restructuring options that could save approximately $100,000.  I am certain President Williams will make an announcement regarding this matter within the next 30-45 days.  I will be happy to attend a Faculty Council meeting to respond to the Council members directly on these issues.

If you have other questions, please let me know.

I've had several questions from faculty asking if they have access to their TIAA-CREF funds contributed  by the University prior to last Fall Semester.  Can you tell me if they do or if those funds are available only at retirement?  Thanks.

There are questions regarding whether or not the plan is specific to each university or a board plan.  We are working through several advisors and board counsel to determine what options are available.  Once it is determined that it is a University decision, as soon as possible, NSU will send the appropriate information to TIAA-CREF to release the funds.  Until that is completed, the funds are still only available upon retirement.  There should be information available soon, June at the latest.  As soon as we hear anything, we will let everyone know.

F.  Adjournment

Grant Alexander moved for adjournment; the motion was seconded by Dan Glasgow.  The meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m.