NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
Friday, September 6, 2002
Members in attendance: Kenny Paris, Alicia Casas, Julie Sawyer, Grant Alexander, Thom Wier,
Mayrene Bentley, Vanessa Hardbarger, Gary Wickham, John Milbauer, Lallie Scott, Bruce
Kotowich, Jackie Schumaker, Linda West, Dan Glasgow, Rick Matzen, Michele Bither
Substitute delegates:
Other faculty in attendance: Chuck Ziehr, John Yeutter, Steven Skattebo, Michael Rogers, Terri
Baker
A. Committees and Standing Reports
1. Minutes of May 3, 2002 meeting
The minutes of the May 3, 2002 meeting were approved with the following amendment:
move Dr. Pate's name from the list of "Other faculty in attendance" to the list of "Guests".
Motion: Scott, Second: Matzen
2. Treasurer's Report
Secretary-Treasurer Julie Sawyer reported that $366.43 was expended during the months
of May, June and July, leaving a balance from last year's budget of $3,307.31. The
amount of the rollover will not be known until later in the semester. The budget for this
year is $4,574.00 with $759.00 of that amount allotted for travel and an encumbrance of
$200.00 for telephones for the Faculty Council office. The balance as of August 10, 2002,
was $4,374.00. President Kenny Paris reported that he has approved payment of
$1,000.00 for faculty speaker Paul Westbrook and $78.40 for programs, both for
Freshman Convocation, as well as $45.00 for engraving of bricks for Circle of Excellence
Awards.
3. Welfare Committee Report
Vice President Alicia Casas stated that the Welfare Committee is still planning on doing
three on-line surveys dealing with NSU dining experiences, quality of life issues, and
ergonomics. Since Kent Byus left, she is seeking assistance with the surveys.
B. Old Business
1. Faculty Teaching Evaluation Instrument
President Kenny Paris reported that he had presented the recommendations from the
Evaluation Revision Committee to Vice President Pate and Associate Vice President Bahr.
Paris said that Pate and Bahr appeared receptive to the proposed revisions in the
evaluation instrument but not as receptive to the recommendation for voluntary
customized instruments in addition to the required one. Paris met with the Deans' Council
to present the revised form, and asked the deans to pass it along to the department chairs.
Paris will also solicit feedback from the faculty and is attempting to make contact with the
student government. Julie Sawyer was appointed as the new chair of the revision
committee due to the departure of the former chair, Ted Legatski. Thom Wier was
appointed as a new member of the committee.
2. Privacy Task Force
Paris asked John Yeutter, chair of the Privacy Task Force, for an update. Yeutter
reported that the task force has not yet met.
3. OTRS Executive Secretary
Paris stated that he has contacted Tom Beavers, Executive Secretary of OTRS, about
coming to NSU for a presentation per the Faculty Council's request last semester.
Beavers suggested two one hour sessions. Council members indicated that a morning
session and afternoon session on a Tuesday or Thursday would be preferred.
C. New Business
1. Faculty Status of Part-time Administrative Staff
Paris reported that John Yeutter had communicated with him via email expressing concern
about the faculty status of part-time administrative staff, composition of tenure
committees for departments of less than five, and departmental criteria for
tenure/promotion. The first issue was raised following the faculty meeting during the
NCA site visit which was attended by Paul Westbrook, Assistant Dean of Arts and
Letters, and Donna Wood, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. Yeutter
stated that these individuals are viewed more as administrators than faculty, and their
presence in the meeting may have inhibited frankness on the part of some faculty members.
Paris stated that he has discussed this issue with Dr. Pate, and Paris felt that Pate had not
been receptive to these concerns. Paris commented that the definition of faculty in the
Faculty Council constitution was clear about department chairs and below, but less clear
about persons holding positions above the level of chair. Discussion included such issues
as faculty perceptions of persons holding such titles, the effect with respect to personnel
issues, and the need for a clear definition of what constitutes "faculty". The council
requested that Paris discuss this issue further with Dr. Pate.
2 2. Composition of tenure committees for departments of less than 5
Paris stated that a situation concerning the issue of composition of a tenure committee for
a department with less than five tenured faculty had occurred last spring. He said that the
faculty member up for tenure was not told the identity of the committee members. Paris
reported that he discussed the situation with Vice President Pate. Paris said that Dr. Pate
did not intend for the membership to be kept secret, nor did he agree with the decision not
to reveal the names. Paris had been told that the decision was made at the department
chair level. Suggestions such as electing a tenure committee at the beginning of the
semester, letting the candidate know the composition of the committee prior to submitting
the professional file, and asking the vice president to select members from within the same
college were made. In addition, a suggestion was made that departments construct a list
of faculty with related knowledge and expertise from which the vice president would
select members of the tenure committee. The council requested that Paris revisit the issue
with Pate.
3. Departmental criteria for tenure/promotion (Handbook Sec. 3.361)
Paris stated that concern had also been expressed about people outside a candidate's
department serving on a tenure committee in departments which have not developed
discipline specific criteria for tenure and promotion. The handbook currently states that
departments "may" create discipline specific criteria; it was suggested that the word "may"
be changed to "shall". The council asked Paris to take the request to the vice president.
4. Faculty concerns related to memorandum regarding grade distribution for General
Education courses
Paris reported to the council that several faculty members in the College of Social and
Behavioral Sciences had expressed deep concern over a memo sent by Associate Vice
President of Academic Affairs Janet Bahr to the college deans regarding grade
distributions and average GPAs in general education classes. The memorandum included
an attachment with a three semester review of grade distributions and average GPAs. The
memo stated that average grades in these courses significantly decreased during the 2001-2002 academic year. Bahr expressed concern at this trend in relation to her assertion that
the overall quality of new students has "remained stable or even increased slightly". Bahr
asked that deans review the information with department chairs and that departments
review syllabi to ensure that different faculty teaching these courses have "similar course
requirements, expectations, and grading criteria".
Issues raised concerning the memo included a perceived threat to academic freedom,
assumptions about the cause of any decline, a perceived request to lower standards, the
use of only three semesters to indicate a trend, and the possible repercussions relative to
tenure and promotion for faculty who assign lower grades. Lallie Scott indicated that the
NSU Chapter of AAUP had written a response to the memo. The AAUP response stated
that Dr. Bahr's memo implies that faculty should lower standards to increase grades,
which they claim is unacceptable to faculty and against Regents' policy. The response
also addressed the issues of the quality of incoming student, efforts by faculty to better
assist student learning in survey courses, and factors contributing to decreasing GPAs
which are not under the instructor's control. Factors cited included the economy,
motivation and preparation of entering students, failure of students to take responsibility
for their education (absences, missed assignments, failure to seek additional help),
students' life responsibilities (employment, families), and larger class sizes.
Scott asked the council to endorse the AAUP response. Paris indicated that he did not
favor such an endorsement, as he felt the response misinterpreted and/or misrepresented
some of the statements, implications and intent of the memo. He also indicated that he
had seen Dr. Agnew's (chair of the History Department) response to the memo and did
not think faculty would hear any more about the issue. Paris stated that since the
appropriate parties had responded, he felt that no further action was necessary. Others in
attendance asked if anyone had communicated directly with Dr. Bahr about the memo.
The response was that one department head had talked to the college dean but not to
Bahr. Paris asked those in attendance if they would like him to talk to Bahr about these
concerns and they concurred.
5. Appointment of temporary Chair of Grievance Committee
Paris appointed Joseph Faulds, Department of English and Languages, as the temporary
Chair of the Grievance Committee.
D. Other Business
E. Adjournment
The next meeting of the Faculty Council will be held on Friday, October 4, 2002 at 3:00 p.m. in
the NET Tower Room.
Submitted by Julie Sawyer, Secretary-Treasurer
