NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
Friday, January 25, 2008

A.  Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by President Craig Clifford in SH204.  There was ITV access at Muskogee, Broken Arrow and Tahlequah.

Council Members in attendance: Ron Cambiano (Education), Denise Deason-Toyne (Business & Technology), Jennifer Edwards (Liberal Arts), Harriett Hobbs, (Library), Rick Matzen (Science & Health Professions), Alan McKee (Optometry),  Dan Savage (Liberal Arts), Dan Sisk (Science & Health Professions),

Council Members in attendance in Broken Arrow: Mayrene Bentley (BA), Vickie Foster (Science & Health Professions), Pamela Louderback (Library)

 Council Members in attendance in Muskogee: Sandy Edwards (Muskogee)

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

Guests:  Terri Baker (Liberal Arts), Tom Jackson (Graduate Dean), Julie Sawyer (Coordinator, Instructional Analysis), Martin Venneman (Dean Science & Health Professions), Joan Williams (Business & Technology)

Invited Presentations

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

A. Committees and Standing Reports

    1. Minutes of  12/9/07 meeting

        Minutes of the November and December meetings were approved without changes.

    2.  Spending Report

          Engraving of brikcs has been ordered and plaques are being updated for the Circle of Excellence.

B . Old Business
    1.  Committees being formed to make recommendations to VP Bigbee on promotion and continuing employment and Faculty Handbook review - Update
                No one from Faculty Council is on the handbook committee.  They are open for input from indiv

   2.   Administrative Restructuring Review - Update (Clifford)
                The Committee has been formed and is in process.

   3.    Resolutions sent on SS# use and Class Sizes (Clifford)
                Regarding the use of SS#, the University is making an effort to remove these whenever possible.  Please inform them of forms with unnecessary uses of SS#.  A letter from VP Bigbee was received addressing class sizes.  (VP Letter attached)

   4.     General Education Task Force - Update (Sanford)
                Dean Jackson reported that the survey is available and 312 responses have been received so far.

   5.     On-Line Evaluation Tool - Jym Brittain
                 The tool developed by Faculty Council will be in place for this semester.  The Distance Learning Committee has also looked at the evaluation tool.

C.  New Business

    1.   Request from Julie Sawyer and Joan Williams for FC support for Undergraduate Research Day
                 It was suggested that Faculty Council provide the same support as last year, $1,600.  The motion was made by Deason-Toyne and seconded by Hobbs.  The motion passed.  There was a request that Sawyer come give a review of Undergraduate Research Day after the event.  She agreed.  Clifford was asked to judge posters.

    2.    Updates on campus initiatives from Tom Jackson
                Oklahoma Research Day will be hosted for the next two years at NSU.  A committee is being formed to oversee the event.  This will be hosted on the BA campus.

                 Emergency Operations Overview:  There is a core Safety team of five individuals who have received training.  Building Coordinators will receive training soon.  There is a brief one page summary that will be given to all faculty of the new procedures.  In the next six months there will be procedures developed for all units on campus.  The core group is trained and ready to handle a variety of emergencies.

     3.  Call for Circle of Excellence Awards nominations and appointment of awards committee
                 Clifford will announce the committee soon.  He will send out a call for nominations, also.

    4.  Modifications to timing and venue for Circle of Excellence Awards
                  There was a desire to group the various award ceremonies at the end of the year for scheduling purposes.

    5.   Absence of the VP Lallie Scott for 3 months of this semester
                  Scott will be teaching in China.  Clifford will ask Yeutter to step in to help with the Faculty Welfare committee.

    6.    Concern expressed regarding lack of communication regarding searches for and appointments of administrators - John Yeutter
                   Yeutter was not present at the meeting.  There was concern expressed over the transitions of Laura Boren, Tim Foutch, etc.  The information was in the paper before faculty were aware of the changes. It was also recommended that names of search committee members be shared.

D. Other Business

      1.  Library Program Review for Computer Science and Mathematics.

Matzen raised concerns about the list of publications in the report and the total cost of some titles that were not needed for the program. A number of Faculty Council members recomended that he talk with his Library Resource Coordinator about the program review.

       2.  Indian Symposium changes

            Baker reported that there will be a Reader's Theater and silent auction to raise money this year. She also encouraged faculty to attend the Saturday night pow wow.

E.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m. Next meeting February 29, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Submitted by Linda West, Secretary-Treasurer
2/28/08, approved 2/28/08 with corrections