Northeastern State University

Minutes of Faculty Council Meeting

FRIDAY, November 5, 2010

 

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by President Denise Deason-Toyne at 3:08 p.m. in

Tahlequah (SCI 129).

Council members in attendance: Jennifer Edwards (COLA); Amy Aldridge Sanford (alternate

for Kristopher Copeland) (COLA); Dan Sisk (SHP); Tia Bennett (COE); John Diamantopoulos

(SHP); Brandon Oberg (Library); Susan Woitte (Library)

 

Council members in attendance in Broken Arrow: John Newhouse (B & T); Julia Kwok (B & T);

Buster Hall (COLA); Anita Ede (EDU)

 

Council members in attendance in Muskogee: Joyce Van Nostrand (SHP); Ryan Fenska

(Optometry)

 

Council Officers in attendance: Denise Deason-Toyne (President)

 

Guests: Tahlequah: Kippi Wyatt (Optometry)

 

Guests: Broken Arrow: Tom Rink (Library)

 

Invited Presentations (none provided)

[Council will set aside time at the first of each meeting to visit with Administrative Officers

should they be able to attend.]

 

A.  Committees and Standing Reports

     1. Review/Approval of Minutes of the 10/1/10 meeting

Minutes of the October meeting were reviewed.  It was noted that a correction needs to be

made under old business point #1.  The letter “d’ should be added to the word “eliminate.”

Bennett moved to approve the minutes and it was seconded by Sisk.

 

     2. Financial Report/Budget for 2010

-Funding was approved to send a delegate to the AAUP conference.  However, the

conference was sold out.  Faculty Council will consider other possibilities.

-Attendance at the November 20th Regents Faculty Advisory Council was discussed.  Deason-

Toyne will consider asking for reimbursement.

 

The list containing the names of committee members has been distributed.  The chairs for the

committees have been determined.  They are as follows:

Deason-Toyne – chair of Shared Governance Committee.

Newhouse will chair the By-laws Review Committee.

Woitte will chair the Circle of Excellence Committee.  Additional faculty will be

invited to participate on this committee.

Bennett will serve as the chair of the Faculty Welfare Committee.

Members of the CIRCUS Committee have been contacted and the chair is waiting for a

response. There was further discussion regarding committee membership.  Pamela is

currently out of the country so Faculty Council will focus on this in more depth next

spring.

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

A.  TENURE/PROMOTION POLICY PROCEDURE – Discussion on faculty comments.

Deason-Toyne discussed the faculty forums.  She indicated that there were good

discussions/feedback.  She encouraged faculty to check the website for reports

as this is a work in progress.

There was additional discussion regarding the tenure/promotion policy.  The

document will be re-worked and sent out again.  Some clarifications are needed

regarding the Boyer Model, specifically, what is expected from faculty.  Others suggested

that there needs to be consistency among departments and that departments should

establish criteria.

Kwok commented that it will be good to get everything resolved.

 

B. LOCATION FOR FACULTY GATHERING

Emails have been sent asking for assistance in locating a place for a faculty gathering

place.  McElroy indicated that he may be able to find some places to reserve. 

Negotiations will continue.  Jenlink and Foutch will consider certain locations in

Broken Arrow.  They are committed to finding a location.  There has been no word

from Foutch or Shelton regarding the Cedar Room.  Sodexho feels it is too burdensome

for them as it is not profitable.  There is support from Dr. Tadlock to help find funds.

Please share any ideas with Deason-Toyne.  There was some discussion regarding the

possibility of faculty taking their own food upstairs as well as looking into the possibility

of finding a place at the Seminary Suites.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

A. COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS

Is this the responsibility of Faculty Council or Dr. Bahr?  Faculty Council is to give names

to the President.  Dr. Bahr requests preferences and then makes referrals.  Should this

be the function of Faculty Council?  Ask the CIRCUS Committee and find a way for

Faculty Council to take back control.

 

Deason-Toyne discussed free parking.  No.

 

B. WRITING COMMITTEE

Writing across the curriculum was discussed.  There are serious problems regarding

students’ writing ability and the resources to help them are limited.  There was discussion

about requiring a writing component in every course across the university.  One suggested

that comp. instructors could be contacted and alerted about the problems.  Others discussed

the lack of critical thinking skills among students.  Does Faculty Council wish to endorse this

approach?  There was discussion about comp. faculty wanting to be involved in this and

perhaps an overhaul of the comp. I curriculum should be considered.  Ideas are welcome.

Many topics could apply to help engage students.  Fenska discussed incorporating more

power point presentations.  Van Nostrand discussed requiring one scholarly presentation

using power point in each class.  It was also discussed that transfer students possess

different levels of skills.  The possibility of a committee on best practices on things

incorporated into the classroom was discussed.  Van Nostrand will ask for volunteers.

All faculty could be involved.  Deason-Toyne suggested that we get conversations started

As students need this.  The majority of students struggle with writing and presentations.

Deason-Toyne suggested coordinating times and calendars.  Hall discussed the idea of

a capstone research project/presentation.  Fenska suggested that perhaps people in

Optometry could be involved.  Discussion concluded with the suggestion that Faculty

Council could develop an informal committee to start conversation related to this issue

and then develop something more formalized.  The students may whine, but they should

be pushed.

 

C. ANNOUNCEMENTS – None

 

D. ADJOURNMENT

 

The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

 

NEXT MEETING: December 3, 2010

 

ITEMS BEING MONITORED –

                        Location of the Circle of Excellence Bricks

                        Worker’s Comp. advocate/liaison

 

Submitted by Jennifer Edwards and Carolyn Cox, Temporary Secretaries/Treasurers

11/11/10