THE
T H E S E N A T E R E C O R D
Volume 40 ----- January 30, 2007 ----- Number 4
The Senate Record is the official publication of the University Faculty Senate of The Pennsylvania State University, as provided for in Article I, Section 9 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, and contained in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules of the University Faculty Senate, The Pennsylvania State University, 2006-2007.
The publication is issued by the Senate Office, 101 Kern Graduate Building, University Park, PA 16802 (telephone 814-863-0221). The Senate Record is distributed to all University Libraries and is posted on the Web at http://www.senate.psu.edu under “Publications.” Copies are made available to faculty and other University personnel on request.
Except for items specified in the applicable Standing Rules, decisions on the responsibility for inclusion of matters in the publication are those of the Chair of the University Faculty Senate.
When existing communication channels seem inappropriate, Senators are encouraged to submit brief letters relevant to the Senate's function as a legislative, advisory/consultative, and forensic body for possible inclusion in The Senate Record.
Reports that have appeared in the Agenda for the meeting are not included in The Senate Record unless they have been changed substantially during the meeting or are considered to be of major importance. Remarks and discussions are abbreviated in most instances. A complete transcript and tape of the meeting is on file. Individuals with questions may contact Dr. Susan C. Youtz, Executive Secretary, University Faculty Senate.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Final Agenda for January 30, 2007
III. Appendices
A. Attendance
B. Undergraduate Education First-Year Seminar Door Handout
FINAL AGENDA FOR JANUARY 30, 2007
A. MINUTES OF THE PRECEDING MEETING
Minutes of the December 5, 2006, Meeting in The Senate Record 40:3
[www.senate.psu.edu/record/index.html]
B. COMMUNICATIONS TO THE SENATE
Senate Curriculum Report of January 16, 2007
[www.senate.psu.edu/curriculum_resources/bluesheet/bluex.html]
C. REPORT OF SENATE COUNCIL – Meeting of January 16, 2007
E. COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of
Implications
for
Presentation by Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney A. Erickson
Committees and
Rules
Revision to the Constitution, Article II, Section 5 (c) (3) (Student Representation)
Revision of Senate Council, Standing Rules, Article II, Section 3
Undergraduate Education
I. ADVISORY/CONSULTATIVE REPORTS
Faculty Affairs
Revision
of Policy HR-21 Definition of Academic Ranks (Report postponed until next Senate meeting
March 20, 2007)
Revision
of Administrative Guidelines for HR-23:
Admissions, Records, Scheduling, and Student Aid
Annual Report on the Reserved Spaces Program
Computing and Information Systems
Turnitin: A Tool to Assess Student Plagiarism
Elections Commission
University Faculty Census Report for 2007-2008
Faculty Benefits
2007 Yearly Costs of Healthcare Plans
Undergraduate Education
Summary of Petitions by College, Campus, and Unit 2005-2006
L. COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GOOD OF THE UNIVERSITY
The University Faculty Senate
Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at 1:30 p.m.
The University Faculty Senate met on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at 1:30 p.m. in room 112
MINUTES OF THE PRECEDING MEETING
Chair Floros: The December 5, 2006, Senate Record, providing a full transcription of the proceedings, was sent to all University Libraries and is posted on the Faculty Senate Web site. Are there any corrections or additions to this document?
Seeing none, may I hear a motion to accept?
Senators: So moved.
Chair Floros: Second?
Senators: Second.
Chair Floros: All in favor of accepting the minutes of December 5, 2006, please say aye.
Senators: Aye.
Chair Floros: Opposed say nay. Ayes have it, motion carried. The minutes of the December 5, 2006, meeting have been approved.
Senate Curriculum Report of January 16, 2007. This document is posted on the University Faculty Senate Web site.
Also included in the Communication to the Senate, Appendix A, is an update on the implementation of the Uniform Course Abbreviation legislation. Page two of the appendix is a status sheet giving an overview of where we stand consolidating disciplinary abbreviations. The Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs will accept proposals through spring 2007.
REPORT OF SENATE COUNCIL – Meeting of
January 16, 2007
At the end of the Senate agenda are the minutes from the January 16 meeting of Senate Council. Included in the minutes are topics that were discussed by the Faculty Advisory Committee to the President at the January 16 meeting.
Chair Floros: Out of courtesy to our presenters, please turn off your cell phones and pagers at this time. Thank you.
The Senate Officers will begin
visits to
I would like to encourage your
support of the annual dance marathon taking place at the
Nominations for Senate Officers and Special Committees are ongoing. Contact Jamie Myers, Deidre Jago, or your Caucus Chair with your nominations.
The work group charged with examining academic issues associated with on-line courses and programs has submitted its final report. The work group was co-chaired by Senate Chair-elect Dawn Blasko and ACUE Chair Dave Christiansen. A meeting was held on January 23 to review the report with Provost Erickson, Vice President Pangborn, Associate Vice President Jeremy Cohen, and Susan Youtz. At today’s Senate Committee meetings you all received copies of the final report. The report will also be posted to the Senate Web site. The Officers and I will be asking Senate Committees to discuss the report at the next Senate meeting and provide feedback to us on next steps. I also believe ACUE will be having similar discussions.
There
is a correction regarding a recent Senate Legislation. On January 24, 2007, an advertisement in the
Daily Collegian, Know your Rights,
claim that as a result of the Pennsylvania Academic Freedom hearings the
Faculty Senate at
COMMENTS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
Chair Floros: At this time I would like to invite President Spanier to come forward to make some remarks.
President Spanier: Thank you
very much. Because of the Senate agenda
today, time does not permit a long magic show.
There is a wonderful magic show that is taking place at 7:30 p.m.
tonight at the new State Theatre downtown.
I am going to be the warm-up act for a fabulous show by two recent
I want to mention to all of you
that
Many of you here are involved in that process. Jeremy Cohen is over-seeing that process for the University and if any of you have any questions please feel free to contact him. We have a wonderful team of people working on this project.
Next Tuesday is the day the
Governor will announce his budget recommendations for
Applications continue to roll into
We are in the process of searching
for three Deans and one of those has now been completed. We are very pleased to say that we have hired
a fabulous person to come to
Last night at the U.S. Congress,
Democratic leaders proposed some new measures that will affect higher education
in a very positive way. They are
proposing a six percent increase in the Pell Grant which will be the largest
increase that we have had in some time. That will be some very welcomed news
because the Pell Grant is the Federal Grant that goes to the neediest students
and our students have significant needs for student-aid. If this can make it
through the process it will be very welcomed.
There is a proposal for new dollars that would improve funding for the physical
sciences and biomedical research. That will also be welcomed news for
I am very please to have seen on the way in, a door handout about two different recommendations that will be discussed and coming before you today concerning FYS. I had mentioned my concern about this last time. There are two alternatives proposed and I’m very pleased to see that you are taking this up and will have some options. If I understand what the two communicate I personally am attracted to Substitute Recommendation 2, but we will see what the rest of you think.
Finally, let me reiterate what
Chair Floros: Are there any questions for President Spanier? Please stand and wait for the microphone before you give your name and unit.
Michael Chorney,
President Spanier: I think right now, on this campus, we are probably at our peak enrollment and everyone has a place to live. We would expect to begin to see the demand for student housing decrease slightly and every year there is more student housing being built. This gives students more options, and the more housing being built leads to more number of vacancies, which we hope will keep the cost of housing down. There is plenty of student housing and more are being built, all of our students have a place to live, so I don’t think there will be a housing crunch going forward. I don’t think the Borough’s action on that particular property was unreasonable because they are concerned about the density of housing, and the character of the downtown area in the Borough, the idea of taking something that now has a certain density and turning it into a huge apartment complex. The Borough is encouraging additional housing downtown that would bring professionals, faculty, staff, and others who are going to live there on a long-term basis. We talk to the Borough Council all the time and the lines of communication are wide open. I think they know what we are up to, and I think the directions are about right.
Chair Floros: Any other questions for President Spanier? Please stand and wait for the microphone before you give your name and unit.
Edward Bittner,
President Spanier: No more name changes this year, please.
Chair Floros: Any other questions for President Spanier? I don’t see any.
President Spanier: Thank you very much
Chair Floros: As we begin our discussion of reports, I remind you to please stand, wait for a microphone, and identify yourself and the unit you represent before addressing the Senate.
NONE
NONE
A
Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of
Executive Vice President and Provost Rodney Erickson presented this report.
Chair Floros: I invited Provost Erickson to make a presentation on the final report from the Commission on the Future of Higher Education (also known as the Spellings Commission report). Dr. Erickson gave a similar report to the Board of Trustees in November. The final report covers such topics as the value of higher education, student access to college, cost and affordability, and financial and institutional accountability.
Provost Erickson will also answer any questions you have on the budget and planning report from the October agenda.
Provost Erickson: Good
afternoon everyone. I want to thank our
Chair for providing me with the opportunity to present some brief comments
about the report, A Test of Leadership:
Charting the Future of
The slide presentation is posted on the Senate Web site at: http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/2006-2007/jan30-07agn/appb.pdf.
We have four Legislative reports from the Senate Committee on Committees and Rules. The first report appears on today’s agenda as Appendix C, entitled Revision to the Constitution, Article II, Section 5 (c) (3) (Student Representation). Since this report proposes an amendment to the Constitution, it appeared in the December agenda and has been tabled until today. Committee Chair Deidre Jago will respond to questions.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
Revision to the Constitution, Article II, Section 5 (c) (3) (Student Representation)
Deidre E. Jago, Chair
Deidre Jago,
Chair Floros: This report has been brought to the floor by the committee and needs no second. Are we ready to vote? All those in favor of this report, please say aye.
Senators: Aye.
Chair Floros: Opposed nay. The ayes have it. The motion passes. This report will be sent to the President for his approval. Thank you, Deidre. The next report appears on today’s agenda as Appendix D, entitled Revision of Senate Council, Standing Rules, Article II, Section 3. Chair Jago will present this report.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
Revision of Senate Council, Standing Rules, Article II, Section 3
Deidre E. Jago, Committee Chair
Deidre Jago: This report is a little bit different. First of all I would like to thank Jean Landa Pytel for her hard work in putting this together and I think it explains what we are trying to do. It is a way to try to equalize the length of terms that people can serve and six years is what we are suggesting for Senate Council. Are there any questions?
Dennis Gouran, College of the Liberal Arts: If this passes when does the clock start ticking? That could have some implications for who gets elected to represent their voting units in Senate Council next year at least in some voting units.
Deidre Jago: It would be implemented in 2008-2009.
Dennis Gouran: If someone had six years now and this passes, does this mean that this person can go six more years because that is the effective operational date or that it is retro-active and six years up to that point indicates the person shouldn’t stand for election.
Deidre Jago: We have not talked about that particular part of it.
Dennis Gouran: Well it seems to me that the clock starts ticking when it’s passed and you ignore previous years of service in that capacity, but that should be clear.
Deidre Jago: It doesn’t affect a lot of people and what we are trying to do is look at the Senate Constitution to find out in terms of representation on different committees. We have limits on how long a person can serve on a given committee, how long they can serve as Chair. The committee thought by limiting the Senate Council term to six consecutive years, then it would give a greater impact for individuals who have been on Senate Council to serve in other capacities, perhaps with leadership positions.
Dennis Gouran: I understand what the legislation does, but that does not answer my question of when the clock starts ticking, and that should be made clear, so let me go on to the comment. When one looks at the Constitution Bylaws and Standing Rules, it comes across at least to me that Senate Council is a different kind of animal, in which it is not another standing committee. The functions and rules of the standing committees are particular and operate within limited domain, and Senate Council has a much broader mandate and cuts across domains of activity, so to treat it as if it were another standing committee seems to be inappropriate. It is the one body to which voting units have the right to send whom they wish, and if they wish to send someone for more than six consecutive years that right should be honored.
Deidre Jago: We did consider that, and if the body of the Senate feels that there should not be a term limit of six consecutive years for Senate Council they should vote against this legislation.
Chair Floros: Deidre, do you want to make a friendly amendment to the first question about having the clock ticking from the time that this is going to be put into effect.
Deidre Jago: Should we take it back to committee and then bring it back next month?
Jean Landa Pytel,
Chair Floros: To talk about implementation in the future and if it passes we can come back with further clarification.
Donald Rung, Retired Senator: When you say no more than six consecutive years, could you serve five, then get off a year and then come back and serve five more?
Deidre Jago: Yes, one year off and then come back on if your unit decides to elect you.
Donald Rung: So what is the point of the legislation if I can do that?
Deidre Jago: It is that way with any of the other committees. You can be on Curricular Affairs for five years, go off and then come back on. It was a way to add consistency.
Brian Tormey,
Jean Landa Pytel: The reason the Committee on Committees and Rules voted for this is because the nature of Senate Council is a little different; it is a leadership type of a group and therefore leadership should be perhaps encouraged to be shared. I have been on Senate Council myself and there are people on Senate Council who are contributing and who have been there for eons. The leadership or the knowledge that is gained by sitting on Senate Council should be shared among Committees as well, where the work of the Senate is being done. This is a way of encouraging people who have served on Senate Council to get out and get some grass-root experience, and create policies, reports that come to Senate Council for a vote. We would like to encourage people who do get on Senate Council to have that kind of experience, and if you have had that experience to share that, go back to the Committees and guide them. As far as being on for five years and then off one and back on again forces an individual to get other experience even it is for a year and heaven knows they might like it.
Chair Jago: And usually when we assign a Committee responsibility to an individual Senator we try to have that person on a Committee for at least two years. It shows less stagnation if we have people who have a variety of experiences on the Senate.
Robert Zambanini, Berks: A motion to send a resolution back to Committee supersedes the motion to vote, if so I would like to make a motion that we send this back to Committee pending the re-writing to include when the term limit begins.
Chair Floros: Is there a second for the motion? The Parliamentarian instructed that the debate is now over. The floor is now open for debate whether we should send it back to the Committee. Is there any discussion? No comments and no discussion. We are going to take a vote and if the vote is yes we send the report back to the Committee, and if the vote is no, then we will go back to the original report. Those in favor of sending the report back to the Committee say aye.
Senators: Aye.
Chair Floros: Opposed say Nay.
Senators: Nay.
Chair Floros: I think the Nays have it, but we have to get a count. The Ayes please raise one hand.
Deidre Jago: And it is my understanding it would be to establish a date on which the clock would start.
Chair Floros: The Nays please raise one hand.
Chair Floros: The Nays have it and now we are back to the original report.
Deidre Jago: We can ask CC&R when they would like to start the clock, if it starts in the next year or if we look at individuals who have already been there. Jamie, do you have a question?
Jamie Myers,
Tramble Turner, Abington: Did the Committee on Committee and Rules receive any information if particular units found it difficult to get more than one person to stand for election?
Deidre Jago: We did not ask whether it was difficult to find people to run, we were looking at the trend and most of the time the person is on Senate Council for about four to five years, and then they go off.
Rose Martin,
Deidre Jago: One or two individuals, it went back about ten years and it is a very limited number of people.
Chair Floros: Are there any other questions?
Michael Chorney,
Deidre Jago: Consistency with the other term limits on Committees.
Michael Chorney: I am the Counselor for the Penn State College of Medicine; this is my third or fourth year and I am just starting to get the hang of what to say, when to say it, and what this is all about. I think that somewhere in this document there is some sort of power thing going on and those counselors who have been there greater than six years wringing their hands as they basically behind the scenes direct the Senate activities. I think that is all wrong; they are put forth by their unit based on their service, their interests, and their contributions to deciding what goes onto the floor. I have a great relationship with my 21 Senators and graduate student and they would gladly put me forward, but I think it should be up to the units. Thank you.
Deidre Jago: We have had the same kind of discussion in Committee as Jamie said a few moments ago. It was a very close vote as to whether or not it should go forward but we thought this should be something to present to the full Senate for discussion.
Chair Floros: This report has been brought to the floor by Committee and needs no second. Are we ready to vote? All those in favor of this report please say aye.
Senators: Aye.
Chair Floros: Opposed say Nay. We will have to count again, will you please stand up if you are in favor of the motion.
Chair Floros: The Nays have it and the motion does not pass. Thank you, Deidre. The next report appears on today’s agenda as Appendix E, entitled Revision to Senate Committee on Student Life, Standing Rules, Article II, Section 6 (m) 1 (iv) and (v). Chair Jago will present this report.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
Revision to Senate Committee on Student Life, Standing Rules,
Article II, Section 6 (m) 1 (iv) and (v)
Deidre E. Jago, Committee Chair
Deidre Jago: Are there any questions about this report? It involves a change in the membership for the Committee on Student Life.
Chair Floros: This report has been brought to the floor by Committee and needs no second. Are we ready to vote? All those in favor of this report please say aye.
Senators: Aye.
Chair Floros: Opposed nay. The ayes have it. The motion passes. The Senate has approved this Legislative Report. The last report from CC&R appears on today’s agenda as Appendix F, entitled Revision of Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education, Standing Rules, Article II, Section 6 (n) 1 (iii). Chair Jago will present this report.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES AND RULES
Revision of Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education, Standing Rules
Article II, Section 6 (n) 1 (iii)
Deidre E Jago, Chair
Deidre Jago: Are there any questions? This is very similar to the last report, change in the Committee membership on Undergraduate Education.
Chair Floros: This report has been brought to the floor by Committee and needs no second. Are we ready to vote? All those in favor of this report please say aye.
Senators: Aye.
Chair Floros: Opposed nay. The ayes have it. The motion passes. The Senate has approved this Legislative Report. Thank you, Deidre.
We have a few more reports that
probably will have a little more discussion than what has been preceded, and
please note that I am wearing an olive branch.
This was made by an artist in commemoration of the 2004 Olympics which
took place in
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
First-Year Seminar, Appendix G
Gregory Ziegler, Chair
Gregory Ziegler,
that we agree on. <