NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
Friday, February 6, 2009

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by President Craig Clifford in SL129.  There was ITV access at Muskogee, Broken Arrow and Tahlequah.

Council Members in attendance: Sarah Brick Archer (Library), Ernst Bekkering (Business & Technology), Ron Cambiano (Education), Denise Deason-Toyne (Business & Technology), John Diamantopoulos (Science & Health Professions), Chris Garland (Liberal Arts), Allen McKee (Optometry), Tom Salmon (Optometry), Amy Aldridge Sanford (Liberal Arts), Dan Savage (Liberal Arts), Dan Sisk (Science & Health Professions), Dennis Vachencho (For J. Edwards, Liberal Arts)

Council Members in attendance in Broken Arrow:   Buster Hall (BA), Rhea Johnston (Education), Pamela Louderback (Library).
Guest: Mike Wilds (Liberal Arts)

Council Members in attendance in Muskogee: 

Council Officers in attendance:  Craig Clifford (President), Lallie Scott, (Vice President), Linda West (Secretary/Treasurer).

Guests:  Jym Brittain (CTL)

Invited Presentations

[Council will set aside time at the first of each meeting to visit with President Betz, VP Academic Affairs Bigbee and/or VP Administration Cherry should they be able to attend.] - Minutes are listed in agenda order, topics were covered in a different order in the meeting.

A. Committees and Standing Reports

    1. Minutes of  1/23/09 meeting

         Sanford moved that the minutes be approved as corrected. The motion was seconded by Archer and the motion passed.

    2.  Spending Report

          There is no new report.  The telephone in the Administration building still needs to be addressed.

B . Old Business

    1.  General Education Task Force - Update (Sanford)

               The committee met and approved half of the courses to identified content areas.  The list will be circulated to the community including students.  The committee has also discussed new topics such as a common capstone experience for students.

<>    2.  Selection of Department Chairs - (Clifford/Bigbee)

          A comparison with the Faculty handbook has pointed out that there are a few changes from the recommendation made by Faculty Council.

    3. Circle of Excellence Committee appointments - (Clifford)

          The committee will be formed soon.  Craig will send an email to gather nominations.
         
    4.  Report on Faculty Forums - (Clifford)

          Summaries for the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow forums have been posted on the Faculty Council web site.  From faculty development ideas, Archer presented the Campus Read program.  One book would be read across campus.  Archer will follow-up on how to get books to campus.  Some people volunteered to help her.

    5.  Office Hour Proposal for Faculty Handbook - (Garland/Deason-Toyne)

            The working group (Garland, Lallie Scott, and Deason-Toyne), introduced some changes regarding virtual office hours.  They proposed a change to the handbook that would add one sentence.  It says that virtual hours may be used as appropriate for face to face hours.  There was a discussion of what ways faculty could legally communicate and be in compliance.  Some believed that only University owned communication methods could be used, i.e.. gmail, Blackboard.  The proposal will be circulated to delegates and will be discussed at the next meeting.

    6.  Department and College Restructuring Task Force - (Bigbee)

          According to the chair of the committee, the report was lost in the Presidential transition.  Clifford will talk with VP Bigbee and President Betz about whether to pursue the topic.

    7.  Inclement Weather Policy Task Force - (Clifford)

          There was discussion of how the current policy worked during the ice storm.  There are changes being discussed by the University.  One idea is to move toward a cell phone response system.  ITV policy could differ depending on send and receive sites.  Blackboard can be used as a backup system, but keep in mind that some students could be without power.  The decision factors and safety factors are currently being discussed.

    8.  Enrollment in online classes - (Clifford)

          There is no new information.  We will see what the outcome of this semester's test classes is.

    9.  Campus Cell Phone Policy Task Force - (Clifford)

          West will compile a list of examples used in NSU syllabi.

    10.  Study Days vs. dead week Task Force - (Clifford)

          Clifford has met with student government (Lawson and Alsup)  They have agreed with the dead week idea with details to be worked out - (i.e., no assignments during the dead week)  Clifford will talk to Bahr.  A joint proclamation will be well received.

C.  New Business

    1.   Transit plan

          There was a survey on bus needs.  Would this reduce costs by substituting for University vehicles?

    2.  President's Retreat - (Clifford)

           The group had a book to read about disfunctions of teams.  Main issues were communication and trust.  Discussions during the retreat centered around our competition, marketing plans, and unique programs.  Some outcomes of the retreat included: enrollment goals (7,000), a new mission statement to be developed, should we have a vision statement, retention rate goals, international student increases, 3-5 centers of excellence like the NSUCO, and connecting to the community we serve.  Thanks to Ron Cambiano for sharing his notes from the retreat.

       3.  Bookstore
      
            There are still problems with the bookstore.  There have been recent personnel changes.  Contact Foutch with problems.

       4.  Blackboard - (Brittain)

             There are problems with the new version, specifically the grade book function.  Let CTL know if you have other problems.

       5.   Legislative Focus meeting

             Handgun legislation is again on the agenda in OKC.

 

D. Other Business
  
      
<>Announcements:      

        Faculty Council pens are available.

E.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

Next meeting March 4, 2009, 3 p.m.

Submitted by Linda West, Secretary-Treasurer
2/28/2009