Minutes

Faculty Advisory Council

HAL Hall of Honor

Date:         September 5, 2001

Time:         1:30 p.m.

Members

Present:     Ms. Betty Chancellor, Library

                  Dr. Donna Jacobs, Education

                  Dr. Chan Roark, Education

                  Dr. Dianne Gossett, Education

                  Dr. Michael Woods, Arts & Sciences

                  Dr. Beverly Gibson, Arts & Sciences

                  Ms. Harriett Pullen, Arts & Sciences

                  Mr. Alvin Diamond for 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. Suzanne Stokes, Health & Human Services

                  Mr. John Anderson, Health & Human Services

                  Ms. Jean Pate, Health & Human Services

                  Dr. Jerome Bibbins, Business

                  Dr. Len Weld, Business

                  Dr. Jim Hoyt, Business

                  Dr. Ben Mason, University College

                  Dr. Kathryn Ness, Phenix City

Absent with

Notice:     

Other

Attendees: Dr. Doug Patterson, Vice Chancellor

                  Mr. Fred Davis, Provost

                  Mr. John Schmidt, Vice President for Student Affairs

1.   Roll was called by the secretary.

2.   Approval of the Minutes from the March 21, 2001, meeting.

      Michael Woods made a motion to approve the Minutes of the March 21, 2001, meeting; John Anderson seconded; Minutes were approved as recorded.

3.   State of the Institution:  Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr.

      Chancellor Hawkins made his remarks at the luncheon, which preceded today’s meeting, announcing that enrollment is up 5 percent over Fall 2000, new student enrollment is up 9 percent, and residence halls are at 97 percent capacity.

5.   Old Business

      B. Registration deadline causing problems:  Dr. Chan Roark

            Faculty are concerned about the number of times that students were given to register for Fall semester; three regular registrations and drop/add during the entire first week of the semester.

            Mr. Davis noted that many students chose not to pre-register for Fall semester because they feared increased tuition, which had been rumored at 40 percent. 

            Mr. Davis praised the departmental secretaries for their role in registration.

            TSU is going to on-line registration and to maximize the use of on-line registration students and advisors will need to be educated.

      A.  Update on Graduate Faculty Checksheet

            A Faculty Advisory Council committee worked for months on the details of how the forms would be approved for graduate faculty status, which was supposed to go into effect last year.  Since word did not get out to the faculty, Mr. Davis said he felt it would not be right to impose the five year time limit starting last year.  Anything the faculty did last year will count toward that.

6.   New Business

A.  Revision of Certification Forms for Faculty:  Mr. Fred Davis

                  Regarding the SACS visit, Mr. Davis distributed copies of new full-time and adjunct faculty certification forms and noted that the form would be used for faculty certification upon initial employment.  He also noted that after reviewing faculty files in preparation for the SACS visit, each current faculty may need to fill out this form for certification. 

B.    “A repository for inactive courses:” Dr. Michael Woods

                  The Bulletin has become cluttered with courses that are not being used at this time.  For example, Human Biology, which was offered for the College of Education, is not currently being used.  Dr. Woods explained that there should be a means of pulling from the Bulletin those courses that are not currently being used and place them into a “repository” where they could be put back into the Bulletin when they are needed without having to go through the entire process of proposing a new course and having it approved again.

                  Dr. Woods noted that when students see a course in the Bulletin they expect to be able to take the course.

                  Dr. Vickrey requested that the decision to place a course in any “repository” be one made by the department.  Absent such, a course would be left as it is.

                  Dr. Allard asked the Academic Affairs Committee to study this suggestion and report on it at the next meeting.

C.    Notification of students who have been administratively dropped: 

                  Dr. Pat Rossi

                  Concern was expressed over faculty members having to notify students that their registration has been voided because of nonpayment of fees.

                  Mr. Davis said he does not consider it an unfair imposition to ask faculty members to notify students in their classes that they have been voided. 

                  In the interest of getting word out quickly to the students, it is most expeditious to ask faculty to let students know that they have been dropped for non-payment of fees.  At the same time faculty would be able to help the students get back into the classes.  It will be easier to contact students when the university has email addresses for all students.

                  Students were asked to get their financial aid papers in by May 1, some waited until August.

D.   State of Technology in MSCX:  Dr. Chan Roark

                  Dr. Roark expressed concern that the former electronic classroom is now a shell.  There is still some equipment in the classroom, but it doesn’t have a computer or a VCR.  Can the room be upgraded back to the way it was.

                  Mr. Davis said it would not be put back as an electronic classroom because it would not be worth the expense when there is an electronic classroom in Wallace Hall.

                  Dr. Woods asked if Room 112 could be utilized as a classroom until new equipment is purchased noting that a blackboard and a screen are needed.  Mr. Davis said that those materials have been ordered and will be installed soon.

4.     Committee Reports and Assignment of New Faculty Advisory Council Members to a Committee

            Dr. Bibbins reported that the Athletic Committee had met and agreed on a schedule for Fall.  TSU Football received tremendous publicity from the Nebraska game.

            Dr. Allard erroneously reported on progress made in the contact hour inequity for MWF vs TTh classes in the Fall semester.  The Academic Affairs Committee will continue to pursue solutions to this problem.

                  Serving on the Academic Affairs Committee will be:

                        Dr. Chan Roark, chair pro tem

            Dr. Jerome Bibbins

            Dr. Beverly Gibson

            Ms. Pam Allen

            Ms. Harriett Pullen

            Dr. Suzanne Stokes

            Ms. Diane Porter

            Dr. Jim Hoyt

                        Mr. John Anderson

                  Serving on the Faculty Welfare Committee will be:

                        Ms. Betty Chancellor

                        Dr. Michael Woods, chair pro tem

                        Dr. Donna Jacobs

                        Dr. Dianne Gossett

                        Dr. Jim Vickrey

                        Ms. Jean Pate

                        Dr. Len Weld

                        Dr. Ben Mason

                        Dr. Kathryn Ness

                        Mr. Alvin Diamond, Fall 01, for Dr. Stephen Landers

      John Anderson noted that on the quarter system UPS hired many TSU students during the Christmas break.  He pointed out that many students need that money in order to return to school for spring.  He also noted that TSU lost 700 students between fall and spring graduation.

      Dr. Patterson said that the State Legislature mandated the semester system.  It would be extremely difficult for TSU to break with other universities.

      Dr. Allard asked the Academic Affairs Committee to study this and make a proposal.

The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, October 30, at 2:30 p.m.

Meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m.