Minutes
Faculty Advisory Council
HAL Hall of Honor
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Members
Present: Ms. Betty Chancellor, Library
Dr. Donna Jacobs, Education
Dr. Chan Roark, Education
Dr. Michael Woods, Arts & Sciences
Dr. Beverly Gibson, Arts & Sciences
Dr. Patrick Rossi, Arts & Sciences
Dr. Stephen Landers, Arts & Sciences
Ms. Diane Porter, Arts & Sciences
Dr. Catherine Allard, Communication & Fine Arts
Dr. Jim Vickrey, Communication & Fine Arts
Ms. Pam Allen, Communication & Fine Arts
Dr. Anthony Adcock, Health & Human Services
Dr. Edith Smith, Health & Human Services
Ms. Jean Pate, Health & Human Services
Dr. Jerome Bibbins, Business
Dr. Len Weld, Business
Dr. Kaye McClung, Business
Dr. Ben Mason, University College
Absent with
Notice: Dr. Dianne Gossett, Education
Dr. Kathryn Ness, Phenix City
Other
Attendees: Mr. Fred Davis, Provost
Mr. John Schmidt, Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. Dianne Barron, Dean, Graduate School
Mr. Dave Barron, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor
Dr. Angela Roling, Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness
1. Roll was called by the secretary.
2. Approval of the Minutes from the February 1, 2001 meeting.
§ On page 1 under “Other Attendees,” Dr. Dianne Barron, Dean, Graduate School, was in attendance. Mr. Dave Barron, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, was also in attendance.
§ On page 2, number 2. State of the Institution, line 9, Dr. Cam Martindale’s name was misspelled.
§ On page 3, paragraph 5, valorem was misspelled.
§ On page 4, paragraph 2, sentence 2 should read “…approval of the concept and to recommend….”
§ On page 6, paragraph 2, sentence 1 should read “To become a tenured instructor….”
§ On page 7, item B, sentence 2 should read “…Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes….”
Minutes were approved as amended.
3. Chancellor’s Report: Mr. Dave Barron
Enrollment outlook for fall is optimistic with acceptances up 23% over last year with a 12% increase in freshman applications and a 13% increase in transfer applications. Leadership Scholarship Day held March 2 had 200 students participating compared with 110 last year. Recruitment in the Birmingham and Mobile areas have been intensified. There have been 91 applications from Birmingham compared to 66 this time last year and 96 from Mobile compared to 88 last year.
In the area of Grants and Contracts, TSU has received $500,000 from the Daniel Foundation and Sister Schubert, who spoke recently at the College of Business Convocation, has given $300,000 for renovation of Bibb Graves Hall. The Montgomery Alumni Chapter gave $25,000 for Bibb Graves. The total grant update is about $4.4 million funded compared to the $5.1 million for all of last fiscal year.
The Softball-Tennis Complex is taking shape on Elm Street. This is a $1.2 million project. $330,000 has been raised for the enhancement of the quad. The new academic building at Phenix City was dedicated on February 28.
Personnel changes – Mr. Fred Davis has been named Provost and Mr. Ralph Ford has been named Director of Bands. The announcement of a Dean for Health and Human Services is pending.
The SACS reaffirmation of accreditation process has begun.
Nall Hollis, TSU’s Artist in Residence, is working with the Chancellor, alumni and friends of the university to raise money for a Fine Arts Scholarship.
The Higher Education Partnership rally and Troy State University Founders Day celebrations had good attendance. Service pins for university personnel were given for the first time at the Founders Day program.
Senior Preview Day held in conjunction with a St. Patrick’s celebration and an Alumni, Parents and Friends Weekend drew more than 400 potential applicants.
International Programs are reporting Spring enrollment up 14% with 52 nations represented. The International Students Cultural Organization festival was held March 10. An agreement was signed this week with a university in Viet Nam.
University College’s distance learning has been picked up as a PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Lap Top Army Program.
New programs for Fall include the Masters of Sports and Fitness Management and Masters of Public Administration.
Upcoming events include Honor’s Convocation April 23, “Hello, Dolly” April 21 and 23, Commencement May 11, another photo safari to Kenya May 19-June 1, and Girls State in June. Thirty-four of the young women from last year’s Girls State event applied to TSU.
Chancellor Hawkins and the other university chancellors and presidents have stood together in the State House in support of higher education’s position on proration and funding. Rumors about Chancellor Hawkins entering the political arena make the chancellor a larger target for criticism. The Chancellor is to be commended for his leadership in the fight to establish equitable funding for higher education in Alabama.
Mr. Barron distributed a copy of a summary on the case on proration.
The Higher Education Partnership recently received word from state officials that it would be audited. There are also requests coming into this campus from State offices for additional information on budgets.
Mr. Barron shared two recent articles from outside Alabama that highlight the educational funding woes afflicting our state. A copy of an article from a Tupelo, Mississippi newspaper was distributed which said “…We need look no farther than our neighbor to the east for a perfect example of …well, whatever the opposite of synergism might be. Pettiness, feuding, backbiting: Alabama, in recent months, has basically set the standards for all the above.”
The New York Times on the Web, in a March 20th article titled “Anxious in Alabama” stated, “…its tax receipts are plummeting, and its government is second to none in its inability to handle a crisis….This state, which once led the nation in its ability to pit white workers against black workers in the factories, is now turning third grade reading teachers against medieval history professors.”
Mr. Barron said the university needs the faculty to stay engaged in our fight for equitable funding. He encouraged the faculty to continue to send messages to state leaders indicating we are not willing to be treated as second class citizens. On April 3, the Chancellor will be giving testimony before the Ways and Means Committee about this coming fiscal year’s budget.
University Relations has just completed a brochure on the new Geomatics program at TSU. Dr. Barron said his office would like to help departments in brochure development. He said well-designed brochures can be very helpful in recruitment. The brochures will need to be paid for by the departments.
4. Old Business
A. Trojan Oaks Fees and the Movie “Traffic”: Mr. John Schmidt
During the transition of directors the announcement of the increase in fees was probably not handled appropriately, but in comparing TSU’s fees to the others in our area, our fees are reasonable. Golf course fees are $300/year for membership or $75/quarterly. Eighteen holes of golf costs $14.
Dr. Woods pointed out that in 1993, in lieu of a raise, golf membership was given to faculty and staff as well as free parking, but both were later taken away. Mr. Schmidt said he was not at TSU in 1993 and would stand by his decision that the fees are reasonable. Dr. Woods suggested that since the fees do not create that much income for the University then the administration might consider giving this service to the faculty.
The movie “Traffic” will be shown on Wednesday, April 11. Mr. Schmidt shared with council members a letter that is being sent to faculty concerning the movie and how it might be incorporated in class discussions.
B. Attendance Policy: Dr. Edith Smith
Last summer an initial proposal was made about an attendance policy. At that time a subcommittee was appointed to study the attendance policy issue.
The charge to the committee was to review what other universities are doing and try to develop an attendance policy that would work for TSU. Concerns expressed during the summer meeting included professors not using attendance as part of their requirements for the course, the effects of attendance and attendance records on the Financial Aid Office, and the belief that professors should have the individual freedom of counting attendance or not.
On completion of a state-wide survey of attendance policies, the sub-committee identified two issues:
1. Should there be a university wide attendance policy that every instructor is mandated to follow; and
2. How can an attendance policy be implemented so that the university is not asked at the end of the year to pay back financial aid money.
Of approximately 15 schools researched, only 3 had an attendance policy. For most, their attendance policy was determined by the college or the instructor. Many of the universities reviewed had a very strict sentence in their attendance policy about attendance on the first day or during the first week of classes. Also many of them had a strong veterans attendance policy.
The subcommittee would like to delete the second paragraph of current attendance policy and add the following:
Add: If a student does not attend class during the first week (first five instructional days) of the semester, and does not give prior notification to the instructor of reasons for absence and intent to attend the class, the student will be dropped from the course.
Add: A faculty member may excuse absences and the students allowed to make up work if the faculty member deems the absence legitimate. A faculty member is not expected to provide make-up opportunities for a student without a legitimate excuse. Official excuses are granted by the Office of the Provost for authorized university activities, verified personal illness, or illness or death in the immediate family.
Add: Students should understand that absences might jeopardize their grade. It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course or to withdraw from the university according to university policy.
Add: Students receiving Veterans’ benefits are required to attend classes according to the regulations of the Veterans Administration in addition to those regulations required for the course.
The sub-committee suggested adopting the new policy, including it in the Bulletin, Oracle and Faculty Handbook, advising Department Chairs and Deans as to their responsibilities for verifying accuracy of attendance, notifying faculty (including adjunct) of changes and required procedures for recording attendance, and developing a university attendance form/roster for first week attendance.
Mr. Davis noted that the best attendance policy the university has had was no policy. Students should be in class unless excused for a university activity.
There needs to be a statement to let students know that students receiving financial aid must be in class during the first week in order to avoid losing their financial aid.
After discussion, the Council decided to refer the proposal back to the sub-committee for rewording to reflect several issues raised by the council members. Dr. Smith agreed to take the suggestions made by the council and amend the sub-committee’s proposed policy. She will then forward the amended proposal to Mrs. Porter to send to members electronically for a vote on the amended proposal. After the council approves the amended proposal, Mrs. Porter will send to Mr. Davis for the inclusion in the new Bulletin.
5. New Business
A. Mission Statement: Dr. Dianne Barron, Dr. Angela Roling
The Mission Statement was emailed to everyone asking for input and also appeared in the Wednesday Report. It has gone to the Board of Trustees.
Dr. Roling requested that the council officially vote to approve the Mission Statement.
Dr. Adcock made a motion to accept and support the Mission Statement. The motion was seconded and unanimously accepted.
B. SACS Update: Dr. Angela Roling
On January 25-26 Dr. Jim Rogers, Executive Director, was on campus to kick off the SACS Review.
February 19-20 TSU had its institutional self-study training program with Margaret Sullivan.
Dr. Roling reported that the committees are formed and actively writing the various chapters.
Substantive changes have been a primary concern for University College over the last eight years. An average of 6-12 substantive change proposals have been sent through per year. These prospectuses are required for the sites if they have a new program or a new site with an old program moving to that site. Starting in July of this year there will be substantive change visits to this campus to look at distance learning and to University College Regions to begin looking at some of their substantive change sites. From mid-July up until October 15, visits are planned to substantive change sites for all regions except the Atlantic region. There are five regions: Atlantic, Southeast, Florida, Western and Pacific. The Distance Learning visit to Troy and Phenix City is planned for August 19-21, 2001. Dr. Cox is coordinating dates for these visits. A video tape is being developed that will show how the sites and college are related to the deans, departments and so forth on this campus. One of the major things that SACS will be looking for is that the Troy campus is in control.
The Strategic Plan for Troy should be completed in time to be sent out to the Board of Trustees on May 14. The Strategic Plan is needed prior to substantive change visits starting in July. The reaffirmation visits should begin in Fall 2002. In April 2003 the SACS team plans to visit this campus. There are 459 Must Statements which will have to be met.
The Institutional Self-Study visits start Fall 2002; however, the Self-Study reports are being worked on now with a target goal of having a first draft by December 2001.
A Self-Study room has been set up in 227 Adams Administration.
The 2001 Fact Book is nearly completed and a brochure of summary information is being put together. Answers to general questions such as “how many students are enrolled at TSU?” should be readily available to faculty, staff, or administrators.
Syllabi and documentation will be much more closely scrutinized during this SACS visit. Faculty personnel files will each be examined to verify that if a person is teaching undergraduate classes, he/she must have 18 hours of graduate work in that particular field. Mrs. Porter asked that Dr. Roling’s office prepare a checklist for departments to inform them of exactly what information and documents should be available in the departmental office for review by the visiting team.
C. Election of Chair and Vice Chair for 2001-2002: Diane Porter
Dr. Michael Woods nominated Dr. Catherine Allard. There being no other nominees, Dr. Allard was elected by acclamation.
Dr. Chan Roark and Dr. Michael Woods were nominated for Vice Chair. Dr. Woods was elected Vice Chair.
Mrs. Porter thanked all the council members for their dedication and effective work during the 2000-2001 year. She stated her job had been made much easier by the cooperation and hard work of all the council members.
Dr. Weld made a motion that the Council not have a regular summer meeting. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
Ms. Porter said, with the Council’s permission, she would choose dates for the 2001-2002 Faculty Advisory Council meetings in order to have them scheduled on the Master Calendar.
Mr. Davis commended Mrs. Moree and her students for a remarkable job on the sexual harassment seminar.
6. Reports
A. Academic Affairs Committee: Dr. Catherine Allard
The committee made three suggestions at the last meeting which included the elimination of getting out at noon on Friday for homecoming, extending the semester through Wednesday in order to pick up an extra day, and looking at coordinating the Monday Veterans Day holiday with the public schools.
B. Faculty Welfare Committee: Dr. Anthony Adcock
Since no issues have been brought to the committee, the committee has not met.
C. Athletic Advisory Committee: Dr. Michael Woods
No report since there has been no meeting.
D. Alabama Council University Faculty Presidents: Diane Porter
The annual meeting was held three weeks ago at the University of Alabama and Mrs. Porter attended. Other universities have become aware of the importance of the Higher Education Partnership. An effort was made to come up with ways to help support higher education issues. Two resolutions were passed that were sent to the legislators stating that proration should be applied equally to K-12 and Higher Education and urging the elected officials of Alabama to develop a real and long term solution to adequately and equitably fund all levels of education in the state of Alabama.
Meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.