NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting
Friday, March 28, 2008

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: Ernst Bekkering (Business & Technology), Denise Deason-Toyne (Business & Technology), Harriett Hobbs (Library), Rick Matzen (Science & Health Professions), Tom Salmon (Optometry), Amy Aldridge Sanford (Liberal Arts)

Council Members in attendance in Broken Arrow: Mayrene Bentley (BA), Vickie Foster (Education), Rhea Johnston (Education), Pamela Louderback (Library), Rick Williams (Education)
    Guest: Mike Wilds (Liberal Arts)

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

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

Guests: Dalton Bigbee (Academic VP), Kim Cherry (Interim President), Mark L. Giese (IR)

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.]

Interim President Cherry addressed the group.  She asked to group to discuss the weapons bill and consider a resolution in opposition to it.  Other RUSO councils and student governments have made resolutions.  She wanted to make sure faculty were aware of the state textbook legislation and university policy.  Faculty are not allowed to sell textbooks that they receive for review.  NSU faculty were on the committee that made the new policy.  The law is supposed to reduce costs of books for students.

Concerning the Presidential search, there is not public information on names being considered.  There will be interviews April 2nd.  The committee sent forward seven names, the board selected five names and three are being interviewed.

There was a question about tuition increase in light of OU's recent announcement.  She stated that the outlook is scary and we will have less money for next year.  Reductions must be made somewhere in our budget.

VP Bigbee addressed the group.  He explained a Voluntary System of Accountability measure that we will be participating in.  We are accountable to stakeholders and will be developing information that can be compared.  The visible result will be a college profile in the format recommended.  There will be five pages that anyone can use for reporting.  Our NCES information will be there and we will be required to add more assessment data over time, such as test outcomes. 

President Cherry commented that this will quantify our product and show how we are successful.  There was a question about the Faculty Council tuition waiver resolution.  It has been sent to Tim Foutch and Bill Nowlin.  The waiver will expand to spouses.  There is a 3 1/2% budget cap, and details have not been finalized, but there should be an announcement before faculty leave for the semester.

A. Committees and Standing Reports

    1. Minutes of  2/29/08 meeting

There was a correction to the minutes about attendance at the meeting. Sanford moved that the corrected minutes be approved, Hobbs seconded and the motion passed.

    2.  Spending Report

          $2212 remains in the budget.  Remaining spending will be for phones and the Circle of Excellence.

B . Old Business

    1.  General Education Task Force - Update (Sanford)

                The Task Force meets two times a month.  They are compiling a list of information students need to know when they graduate from NSU.  They will have progress information by the end of the semester.  This may be a two year commitment.

    2.  Circle of Excellence selection in process; Committee appointed

                No update.  Deadline for submission was March 26th.  There were over 100 nominated.

    3.  Judge for Research Day

                Clifford needs someone to take his place as a judge for Research Day, April 22.

    4.  HB2513 - Weapons on campus

<>                  The bill has passed the house and is in the Senate.  Student government has talked about the issue.  Some faculty have polled students about their opinion.  There was a motion made in opposition to the weapons bill, HB 2513 allowing concealed weapons on college campuses.  The motion was made by Bekkering and seconded by Deason-Toyne.  The motion was debated and passed with one abstention.
 
C.  New Business

    1.   Update on used book buying policy - Clifford

                 This measure passed the legislature last session.  It addresses affordability of higher education and guaranteed tuition.  Faculty cannot sell textbooks.  The NSU policy is dated December 5, 2007.  It is the same as state regulations.  Books can be donated to student book sales or the Library.

    2.  Underfunded Teacher Retirement System Resolution - Henshaw (Clifford)

                 Henshaw is putting together a formal resolution.  It was suggested that a strong way to show concern is to get with other and go to the legislature.  Clifford will talk with members of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the State Regents.

    3.  On-line RUSO survey - Cherry (Clifford)

                  Everyone should take the RUSO survey.

D. Other Business

    1.  Faculty Council Recommendations for Promotion and Continuing Employment

Copies were distributed to members  in Tahlequah.  Other copies will be sent out for feedback.  Clifford will solicit votes via email.  Thanks to the task force for their work on this project.  [FC  Recommendations for Promotion and Continuing Employment Across Campus]

    2. Academic Administrators Survey

            Yeutter has volunteered to administer the survey again this year.  There was a recommendation that it should be clearer where the data will go.  The instrument is scheduled to go to the IRB on April 8th.  It was moved by Matzen to recommend the survey, seconded by Bekkering and passed with on abstention.

    3.  Status on Summer Pay

            Clifford suggested that he talk with VP Bigbee and recommend a task force charged with investigating what we should do.

    4.  On-line evaluations

            There was a question about whether the on-line evaluations will be used this semester.

E.  Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m. Next meeting April 30, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Submitted by Linda West, Secretary-Treasurer
3/26/08