NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
Friday, February 4, 2005
[Revised and Approved March 4, 2005]

I. Call to Order

1.  The meeting was called to order at 3:10 p.m. by President Wickham in the NET 614.

Council Members in attendance:  Terri Baker (Liberal Arts), Renee Cambiano (Education), Dan Glasgow (Education), Harriett Hobbs (Library), Peggy Kaney (Library), Andre Marquis (Education), Rick Matzen (Science & Health Professions), Jeff Miller (Optometry), Latricia Pack (Optometry),  Mike Rogers (substitute for Lallie Scott, Liberal Arts), David Scott (Liberal Arts), Jon Shapiro (Business & Technology), and John Yeutter (Business & Technology .

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

Guests in attendance:  James Pate and David Richards. 

II. NSU Administrative Officers 

[Beginning with this meeting the Council will set aside time at the first of each meeting to visit with President Williams, VP Academic Affairs Pate and/or VP Administration Cherry should they be able to attend.]

Vice President Pate was present for the meeting.  When given the floor he asked for questions from the delegates.  Rick Matzen noted that under the current eligibility rules for presenting at NSU's Undergraduate Research Day a student who may complete research in the spring but after that year's deadline for application are ineligible to present that year or the next.  He requested that eligibility be extended back a year from the time of Undergraduate Research Day.  Dr. Pate was sympathetic to the problem and requested that Dr. Matzen take the matter to the committee that oversees the event.  Rick Matzen then asked about the fact that at the Regional Universities Research Day at UCO some years awards are given and some years not.  Dr. Pate remarked that currently UCO gets considerable funding to host the event and that award amounts (if any) are their decision.  He favors a rotation of sites to host the event.  At a meeting of the advisory board for the event that meets in March he will volunteer the NSU-Broken Arrow campus as a site for a future Regional Universities Research Day.

Dr. Pate presented updates on several issues:
    a.  Task Force on Departmental Chairs  --  He is awaiting the Chairs Council and the Deans Council to submit their representatives for the task force.  He will then draft a memorandum to President Williams requesting that the task force be created and charged with its task.

    b.  University Mission Statement Task Force -- President Williams is in the process of appointing "a special task force to revise and rewrite the University's Mission Statement to reflect the role of Oklahoma's Premier Regional University in developing and delivering quality undergraduate and graduate education in the twenty-first century."  There will be 15 members: five appointed by Northeastern Student Government Association,  five appointed by the Faculty Council, five appointed from the staff and administration.  Dr. Janet Bahr will chair the task force and serving as ex-officio members will be Vice President Kim Cherry, Vice President Jim Pate, and Neal Weaver (Director of Institutional Advancement). 

    c.  Low Productivity Programs -- These are programs that do not meet the State Regents' standards for either the number of students graduated in a three-year period (an average of five per year) or minimum number of majors.  All low productivity programs on campus submit a report to Academic Affairs which develops an overall report that goes out from President Williams to the State Regents.  All such programs on campus this year were defended in the report and proposed for continuation.

    d.  Council on Instruction (chief academic officers of all higher education institutions in the state) -- Dr. Pate reported about a discussion of the proposed $500 million bond issue for higher education.  President Williams chaired the committee that developed the proposal for the bond issue.  Dr. Pate noted that about $22.9 million would be designated for NSU with about $7 million of that for the Science Building, $7 million for classroom building repairs and ADA compliance, $4 million to convert the old Industrial Arts Building into a one-stop enrollment center, and about $4 million for the Broken Arrow campus.

Dr. Pate responded to two additional questions, both from Chuck Ziehr.
    i.  A few years ago there was a lot of discussion about applying for a Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education.  What is the status of that application.  VP Pate noted that the time window for that grant was missed due to problems with grant writing contractors.  NSU will submit a proposal for a planning grant for 2006 which will focus on student retention of returning freshmen.

    ii.  Memo to Deans from Enrollment Management about Ds, Fs, and Ws -- Dr. Ziehr asked for guidance as to how to respond to the concern that was expressed over some classes having an excessive number of Ds, Fs, and Ws.  Dr. Pate noted that when the Noel-Levitz consultants were on campus a few years ago, they noted that when there are 40% or more Ds, Fs, and Ws in a class that this represents a significant problem for student success and retention.  He specifically recommended that new faculty members be provided with an experience faculty mentor to help new Ph.D.s make the adjustment from graduate school to teaching 18-year old freshmen.  He also noted that many of our students are first generation college students with little family support for their academic endeavors.

III. Committees and Standing Reports

1.  Minutes of the November 5, 2004; December 3, 2004; and January 7, 2005 Faculty Council meetings were unanimously approved as presented.

2.  Treasurers Report -- none.

3.  Faculty Welfare Committee Report -- none.

IV.  Old Business

1.  Letter to Dr. Pate RE: Motion about Electing Department Chairs
This matter was discussed during Dr. Pate's presentation (see II. a. above).

2.  Circle of Excellence
     a.  Plaque in Library
          The plaque is now on display near the Honor Program office in the "Hall of Presidents" on the first floor of the library.

3.  Award for Previous Faculty Presidents -- no report or action.

4.  Faculty Dining Room in the Cedar Room
Discussions are still on-going.  Anne Davey noted that a group of faculty meet most morning from 8-9 a.m. in the UC cafeteria for breakfast and invited any other faculty to join them.

5.  Plagiarism -- draft statement -- no report or action.
    a.  New Plagiarism Detection Software
It was announced that the Center for Teaching and Learning has licensed the software for faculty use.  Anyone interested in using the software should contact the Center.

6.  HEAC Function -- no report or action.

7.  Faculty Association Constitution
President Wickham had circulated a draft of revisions to the constitution to Council delegates.  These revisions were motivated by the administrative re-organization of the university last year.  While making required revisions it seemed like a good time to take a look at the entire document and the focus of the organization.  It was noted that faculty interest in the Council peaks only in the face of crises -- such as the budget crisis. There was considerable discussion about faculty apathy toward the Council.  In the course of this discussion it was noted that we need to recruit candidates for the Council officers for elections in April.  No specific action was taken at this time.

8.  Getting Assessment of Previous Motions Passed by Faculty Council  -- no report or action.

9.  FAC Meeting, Thursday, February 3, 2005
President Wickham serves on the Faculty Advisory Council to the State Regents.  He will send an e-mail to delegates regarding matters discussed at the Feb. 3, 2005 FAC meeting.

V. New Business

1.  Support for Higher Education Bond Issue
President Wickham will send draft letters of support by e-mail for the possible use by delegates in contacting their state legislators.

2.  Circle of Excellence
      a.  Response This Year
There were over 80 nominations this year.

       b.  Criteria
John Yeutter moved and Terri Baker seconded that the Circle of Excellence Award be a once in a life-time award (in any category--so there would be no repeat winners in the future).  The motion passed unanimously.
 

VI.  Other Business

1.  Faculty grievance
It was noted that the Faculty Grievance Committee had been convened to hear a grievance. Dr. Nimesh Patel (Optometry) is chairing the committee.

2.  Alternative to Blackboard
Donna Wood contacted President Wickham and asked if the Council knew of on-going considerations of alternatives to the Blackboard course management software.  It had been reported to her that perhaps such considerations were taking place.  No one knew of such.  The opinion was expressed by Council members that Dr. Wood's office (Center for Teaching and Learning) should certainly be a part of such considerations from the very earliest discussions.

3.  Taxpayers Bill of Rights
Terri Baker noted an article in the Feb. 4, 2005 Tulsa World.  Hearings will be held in Oklahoma City next week.  She encouraged the faculty to find out about this issue.

4.  Jeanette McQuitty suffers stroke 
Harriett Hobbs reported that Jeanette McQuitty, retired library faculty member, has suffered a stroke earlier in the week.  She was still in St. John's hospital in Tulsa, but would be moving to the Muskogee Regional Medical Center rehabilitation unit next week. The Council expressed its best wishes for a speedy recovery.


VII.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Submitted by Chuck Ziehr, Secretary-Treasurer, March 3, 2005.