Draft to be approved 9/05/12

The Metropolitan State University of Denver

 Faculty Senate

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

3:20pm – 4:50pm

Tivoli 320 A, B & C

 

MINUTES

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Attendees:  Badwan, Bagwell, Bahl, Balogh, Bisio, Bonham, Butler, Camp, Carnes, Collette, Cook, Davinroy, Davis, DelCastillo, Denn, Dormer, Duburguet, Dyhr, Evans, Flemon, Forgash, Gatlin, Gibson, Giordano, Glatz, Grady-Willis, Haga, Hagen, Hallam, Hasley, Hathorn, Hernandez-Julian, Hill, Holloway, Hutto, Izurieta, Jackson, Jacobs, Johnson, Karris, Kleinfeld, Klimek, Komodore, Krugman, Lamb, Liu, Lubinski, Malpass, Matthews, McKenna, McKenzie, Medina, Mowder, Odell, Ortiz, Pleis, Posey, Preuhs, Pytlinski, Quinn, Reid, Reimer, Rogers, Ropp, Rucki, Sahami, Saxe, Schatz, Seeley (sub for Hancock), Shopp, Sidelko, Simpson, Stephens, Svonkin, Szypulski, Tollefson, Wagner, Weber, Worster, Yeh, Zajdowicz, Zeiler, Zhu   Guests:  Ayesse, Chapman-Vigil, Golich, Paul

 

I.                     Call to Order

     

 President Sahami thanked the Provost for providing the Senate with refreshments.

 

II.                 Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes (at Senate Website), VOTE.

 

 Vote called.

 A = Approve 

 B = Oppose 

 C/D/E = Abstention

 

  Minutes were approved.

 

III.               Announcements/Updates

  - There are still some school Committee Vacancies which will be addressed by Caucus Chairs. If interested, please contact Grant Denn (LAS), Zsuzsa Balogh (SPS), or Letitia Pleis (BUS).

  - For the first time in the Senate there will be three Affiliate faculty and one Category II Senator this year. Elections will be run by the Elections Committee. The Senate is in the process of getting the full list of Category II and Affiliates so the Election can be announced to everyone.

  - +/- Grading is going into effect Fall 2012. President Sahami emphasized that faculty decide their grading criteria and using +/- grading may be used in additional to original grading options.

  - The Tenure Rights Task Force is still meeting with Administration and Union Reps. The taskforce plans to make an announcement in several months and the committee met several times over the summer.

 The main issue that is being discussed by the Task Force was the change to the Handbook under the Exigency Policy that faculty believed removed tenure at Metro State. There were two lawsuits by the faculty union to help restore tenure and the taskforce is looking at the judgments in the lawsuits and making sure that Metro policy and guidelines are in line with it.

 - President Sahami received several emails over the summer regarding irregularities in 2012 Summer Pay. Metro Faculty were paid the 25% rate for teaching up to 6 units and after 6 units they were paid at the affiliate rate. Questions have been asked about the money set aside for summer pay. The Senate Executive Committee has assigned this issue to the Budget Committee. The Provost instructed President Sahami to request summer pay budget information from Natalie Lutes. After the Budget Committee receives and reviews the information, they will report back to the Senate.

  - Metro now has a different CUPA group with 56 colleges and universities. What has happened is that the minimum salary for Metro faculty went from last year’s 90% to 85% for this year. There were some irregularities and this issue has been charged to the Senate Welfare Committee and they will report back to the Senate with actual data and information on how the salary decisions were made.

  - There is still one Senator needed for the General Studies Committee (EC appointment). If interested, please email President Sahami with a statement of why you would like to serve on General Studies.

  -One Senator is needed for a new college committee that will look at establishing guidelines for schools becoming colleges (EC appointment). If interested, please let the Senate Executive Committee know.

 

IV.               Committee Reports:

  -FS Curriculum Committee and PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION and VOTE: Proposed Catalog Descriptions for Health Professions and Engineering Technology – Sen R. Hernandez-Julian (http://www.mscd.edu/senate/assets/pdf/FSCC/2012/fscc-aug2212.pptx)

Senator Hernandez-Julian reported that there were two left over curriculum packets from last year which were critical to approve immediately. He reviewed the language that needed revising.

 This motion will make these changes effective immediately instead of eleven months away.

 

 Discussion called.

 

              Vote called to make the proposed changes in pkts SPS 1112-28 and SPS 1112-29 to 2012-13 catalogs.

 

 Motion passed.

 

  Curriculum’s report was approved with the passing of the above approved motion.

 

V.                  ELECTIONS : Vacant At-Large Seats-Elections Committee

  Senator Ropp, Chair, introduced her assistant, Senator Karris and her guest, Emilia Paul, Assoc VP, Student Life who will certify elections.

 

  Curriculum At-Large:

  Paul Sidelko has been nominated. A call was made for additional nominations from the floor. There were none.

  Paul Sidelko is elected by acclimation.

 

 Elections At-Large

 There were no nominations. A call was made for nominations from the floor.    Michael Jacobs, Chemistry, self-nominated.

  Michael Jacobs is elected by acclimation.

 

  Student Affairs At-Large

  Senator Ruski explained the primary responsibilities of the committee.

                    Joe Hasley self-nominated.         

                    It is Joe Hasley by acclimation.

 

  Elections were ended.

 

VI.               Adjournment

                   Vote called.  A call was made for a show of hands.

 Meeting was Adjourned.