Faculty Senate

2008-2009

Faculty Senate Resolutions 2003-2004

Sept.15

Oct. 13

Nov. 10

Dec. 8

Jan. 12

Feb. 9

Mar. 15

Apr.19

---

SEPTEMBER 15, 2003

FS03-04/09-01- Resolution on teaching load (as amended)-
New Language
The normal teaching load shall be 9 hours per week and may include teaching assignments either on or off-campus. Every effort will be made to avoid situations requiring more than 9 hours, and anything less than 9 hours will be considered as a re-assignment within that total load. A classroom contact time of 18 hours a week is considered a maximum load in any area where lecture hour equivalents cannot be, or are not, set forth. All credits for teaching and re-assignments in loads are to be given the person(s) actually performing the work or services involved. Faculty members are expected to carry their share of student advising and committee work in addition to the 9-hour teaching assignment.

Change
Change the language in the Faculty Handbook, section 5.1.2 to establish a 9-hour teaching load as the standard.

Rationale
Changing the Handbook is necessary to reflect an increasing understanding among faculty and administration that ASU has evolved into more than a teaching institution. While teaching is still central to our mission, it is also the case that most faculty have research and other creative activity interests that must be accommodated in order for them to bring the latest information and innovations to the classroom. At present many faculty on the campus have a 9-hour load, but the distribution of that load is uneven both across the colleges and within colleges. This change reflects an understanding that all faculty need some time to pursue research and creative activities as part of their responsibilities within the university.

 

FS03-04/09-02-Resolution on admissions-
Resolution
The Faculty Senate calls on the Office of Admissions to minimize the requests for additional sections coming to the departments in the weeks before the start of the semester. Further, the Faculty Senate requests that all such demands go through the Office of Academic Affairs and that each new section added be accompanied by funding to hire new faculty or support the additional demands on faculty within the department.

Change
The goal is to change the practice of the Office of Admissions adding course sections.

Rationale
It is extremely disruptive to departments to have the Office of Admissions demanding that new sections of courses be added in the weeks before a semester starts. Department chairs are often then placed in the position of withdrawing reassigned time commitments made to faculty members, disrupting research and other plans made by the faculty.

FS03-04/09-03- Resolution on office hours-
New Language
Each faculty member will be required to keep office hours during the regular academic year, distributed so as to provide students ready access to the instructor for routine conferences. Notices of office hours must be posted. Other conference hours should be arranged for the mutual convenience of students and the faculty member. During the term of a summer session in which a faculty member teaches, faculty members will be required to hold office hours.

Change
Change the language in Handbook section 5.4 in order to remove the wording specifying the number of office hours while recognizing the need to keep a time for faculty and students to meet.

Rationale
Providing a specified time and place for students to meet is important to maintaining the contact between students and faculty outside the classroom. However, the current policy outlined in the handbook has several flaws that need to be addressed.
1. The current policy was written for a pre-internet campus culture. Today students and faculty have many forms of communication and much of the communication takes place via email.
2. The time specified by the policy is onerous given all the other demands placed on faculty. Faculty are expected to be active and productive in their disciplines as well as perform service on the campus.
3. The current policy is insulting to the professionalism of the faculty. It creates a climate of disrespect for the faculty, suggesting that they are not sufficiently mature to understand the needs of their students.

 

 

Motion from the Floor on Response to and Status of Resolutions-
The Office of Academic Affairs will make written responses to Faculty Senate motions/resolutions within 60 days of Senate action, and that Faculty Senate meeting agendas must contain lists of the ongoing status of Senate motions/resolutions.

Back to Top

---

OCTOBER 13, 2003

Motion to accept Faculty Handbook changes in #2 of the Faculty Handbook Committee report-

2. We recommend the following stylistic changes to the Faculty Handbook (bold denotes proposed substitutions for strike-through material or additions:
a. change Article II, Section 2 of the Faculty Constitution to read: “All members of the Faculty, excluding emeriti faculty, adjunct faculty, and part-time faculty teaching fewer less than six (6) hours per semester, have the right to hold faculty offices and to vote in faculty meetings and faculty elections and in departmental and college committees on which they serve except as noted in Article II, Section 3. [Will require faculty approval at the Fall 2003 General Faculty meeting.]
b. change 3.4.2.8.2 and 4.4.2.2. to read: “Fixed-term faculty appointments may be made Appointments may be made to fixed-term faculty ranks with the title designations including, but not limited to, ‘lecturer,’ ‘artist-in-residence,’....”
c. change 3.4.2.8.3 to read: “Appointments may be for a fixed term of a semester or one, two, three, four or five years.”
d. change 3.9.1.3 by adding the following sentence at the paragraph’s end: “For the Committee’s composition see 3.9.2.5.”

23 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN

 

 

Motion to approve Faculty Handbook changes in text as written in #3 of the Faculty Handbook Committee report-

3. In response to a document prepared by the Council of Chairs and attached herewith entitled “Recommendations for Modifying the Periodic Reopening Procedure of the Departmental Chair Position - 4.5.4.4.2 Faculty Handbook,” the committee recommends Senate adoption of the following text to substitute fully for the present text in section 4.5.4.4.2:
4.5.4.4.2 At that designated time, the dean will inform the faculty and the departmental chair that the periodic reopening of the position is taking place. The faculty of the department shall assemble, without the departmental chair, to discuss the future of the department and its leadership. Before this meeting is adjourned and while a quorum exists, departmental faculty (as defined in Article II Section 3 of the Faculty Constitution) shall vote by secret ballot on whether to seek candidates for the position of departmental chair or to continue with the current departmental chair for an additional term of three years. A simple majority shall be required. The result of this vote (the number of yeas, nays, or abstentions) shall be communicated to the Dean of the College, and the dean will share the results with the departmental chair.
The Handbook Committee also recommends the following text to substitute for the existing text of 4.5.4.4.5:
“4.5.4.4.5. The department’s Equal Opportunity Associate (EOA) will convene and chair the meeting and conduct all balloting, prepare minutes of the meeting, and immediately inform the departmental faculty and the Dean of the College of the ballot results. Minutes of the meeting shall only record those faculty present and the ballot results and shall be sent to the Dean of the College. (If the EOA is absent, the faculty assembled will elect a temporary chair from among those assembled for the meeting.)”
The Handbook Committee is sympathetic with the Council of Chairs’ concern to enhance the personnel review process applying to departmental chairs. However, we think that the intent of the Senate when recommending this procedure was for it to be exclusively a faculty matter and not to be another aspect of a personnel review of a departmental chair, despite the realization that comments made at the meeting might well involve positive or negative evaluation of the departmental chair’s performance. The Faculty Handbook makes provision for regular and ongoing personnel review of departmental chairs by faculty and by deans (section 4.5.4.5.). The specific charge of this faculty meeting is to vote on whether the faculty desire the incumbent departmental chair to continue for another term. It is not to be a meeting where minutes are taken of what was said. The meeting minutes would only record those present and the results of the required secret ballot. It is a critical part of the process that makes periodic reopening of the chair position work.
The Handbook Committee believes that the Council of Chairs has made possible positive review of this procedure by Faculty Senate, and some clarifications recommended by the Council of Chairs have been incorporated into the substitute text, i.e. clarifying which faculty are eligible to vote, making sure the dean and departmental chairs are fully informed of the faculty action, and clarifying the nature of minutes of the meeting. In addition, the Handbook Committee is recommending that staff involvement in this procedure be eliminated (see existing texts of sections 4.5.4.4.2 and 4.5.4.4.5).

10 YES 4 NO 8 ABSTAIN

 

Motion to approve Faculty Handbook changes in #4 of the Faculty Handbook Committee report (as amended)

4. The Handbook Committee has received another communication from the Council of Chairs that requests expansion and clarification of the duties of the Council of Chairs in chapter 7 of the Faculty Handbook. The Handbook Committee has rewritten the document in narrative form to conform with the other descriptors of various councils in that chapter. The text recommended for approval is as follows ( in boldface):
7.5.7 Council of Chairs
The Council of Chairs is composed of all academic department chairpersons, the University Librarian, and the Assistant or Associate Dean of Music. The function of the council is to gather and exchange information on behalf of the chairs of the university and to report to and advise the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor on matters of concern to the council. The Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor must respond to the Council in a timely fashion. The Council shall have a Chairperson and a Secretary who shall be chosen in such manner and for such terms as specified by the Council. An Executive Committee of the Council of Chairs shall consist of the Chairperson and Secretary of the Council, representatives from each college, and from the Library and School of Music. The representatives shall be chosen in such manner and for such terms as specified by the Council. The Executive Committee shall meet prior to each Council meeting to set and publish the agenda. The council shall operate under the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.
Apparently, the Council of Chairs considers two items of considerable importance: 1. To properly identify members of the Council of Chairs and its basic operating procedures; 2. To require the Provost to respond to Council business with some explanation. In May, when this was originally written, even the Senate seldom got timely reports of administrative action on its recommendations. At our September 2003 meeting Senate passed a resolution that the Provost would respond to our business within 60 days. We hope the Acting Provost quickly accepts this resolution, and we hope this sets a precedent for the Council of Chairs.

21 YES 0 NO 1 ABSTAIN

 

 

Motion to approve Faculty Handbook language changes in Graduate Faculty Bylaws as written in 5. of the Faculty Handbook Committee report

5. The committee recommends to the Senate that it approve the text contained in the attachment “REVISED GRADUATE FACULTY FOR FACULTY HANDBOOK APPROVED BY GRADUATE COUNCIL 03-31-03” to substitute for the existing text in Article V of the Faculty Constitution. [*This will have to be submitted to the Spring term General Faculty meeting for the action of the faculty.*]

Explanation from Dean Domer:
“The Graduate Council unanimously approved the attached text at its March 31, 2003 meeting, and has requested the Faculty Senate review and approve it as well. The Graduate Council has noted the primary differences between the old and new versions to be: “1. Provision has been made for appointing administrators to the Graduate Faculty. 2. Provisions have been made for allowing clinical faculty to hold Associate Membership on the Graduate Faculty despite the fact that they may not be scholarly active. 3. The category ‘temporary membership’ has now been replaced with ‘Affiliate Membership,’ [and] it has been more fully defined, and provision has been made for appointments extending longer than a year. 4. The application process has been ‘streamlined’ to some extent to involve fewer written analyses as the applications proceed through the various levels for review.”
N.B. The changes in boldface have been made by the Handbook Committee and reviewed and accepted by Graduate Dean Judith Domer.

REVISED GRADUATE FACULTY FOR FACULTY HANDBOOK APPROVED BY GRADUATE COUNCIL 03-31-03
BYLAWS FOR ARTICLE V
Graduate Faculty

Graduate Faculty appointments at Appalachian State University are intended to signify active involvement in one or more graduate programs. Thus, only faculty with Graduate Faculty appointments may teach graduate courses, mentor students as they develop their theses, dissertations and products of learning, direct independent studies, and advise students in developing their programs of study. There are three types of appointment to the Graduate Faculty, viz., Full Membership, Associate Membership and Affiliate Membership. Full Membership is reserved for those Graduate Faculty who meet all the criteria listed below, including having a record of sustained scholarly/creative activity looked upon favorably by peers outside of Appalachian State University and the region. Associate Membership is intended for individuals who are just beginning to build their scholarly/creative reputations and for individuals who wish to be involved in graduate education but who, for one reason or another, are minimally active as scholars. Those appointed to Affiliate Membership are primarily non-tenure track faculty, part- or full-time, who offer service courses for graduate students or who supervise students in internships, practica or the development of products of learning, as well as for faculty from other institutions who may be invited to serve on thesis or dissertation committees at Appalachian State.
A. Full Membership
Full Membership on the Graduate Faculty may be granted to tenured or tenure-track faculty who will participate in graduate teaching, advising or mentoring and who meet the following criteria. Full Members must:
1. possess the terminal degree appropriate to the discipline.
2. be excellent to outstanding classroom instructors, capable of integrating, and applying, and imparting to students current knowledge/skills appropriate to one’s discipline.
3. provide active and sustained professional service to the university and to the regional and national/international organizations representing one’s discipline. Professional service includes participation on university committees, service on thesis/dissertation committees, taking leadership roles in professional organizations, providing service as manuscript reviewers for journal articles or professional books, accepting editorships, accepting requests for adjudications for performances or other creative activities, organizing and/or being asked to present or perform at regional/national/international venues, and service on boards or committees related to one’s professional discipline at the regional/national/international level.
4. be active and productive in scholarship/performance/creative endeavors with a sustained record of demonstrable creativity, integration and/or application of knowledge, methods and techniques in one’s discipline as evidenced by publications, adjudicated performances or other creative endeavors, and presentations to regional and national/international audiences of one’s professional peers. Peer-review at the regional and national/international level in the format appropriate to the discipline is crucial critical. Presentations at conferences are a critical component in the evaluation of scholarship but they are not sufficient as the sole evidence of peer-reviewed scholarly activity.
Full Membership may also be granted to individuals who become full-time administrators and whose backgrounds up to the time of administrative appointment would have qualified them for Full Membership. It is anticipated that administrators, because of their heavy administrative responsibilities will have minimal participation in graduate programs, but they could bring much needed expertise to selected courses or to thesis or dissertation committees.
Full Membership on the Graduate Faculty permits one to teach graduate courses, supervise independent and/or individual studies, serve on or chair thesis, dissertation, product-of-learning or capstone research committees, supervise internships or practica, and serve on the Graduate Council.
Full Membership on the Graduate Faculty is usually granted for a five-year renewable term. Renewal at the Full Membership level requires sustained peer-reviewed scholarly/creative activity during the five years preceding the request for renewal as well as continued active participation in the graduate program, e.g., teaching, serving or thesis/dissertation committees, or supervision of internships/practica. Renewal can be granted for three years at the Full Membership level to faculty whose scholarly agendas have not been sustained over the previous five years but whose work-in-progress would suggest revitalized efforts with respect to this criterion for membership.
B. Associate Membership
Associate Membership on the Graduate Faculty is granted primarily to tenure-track faculty at the Assistant Professor level who have not yet met all the criteria for appointment at the Full Membership level. Criteria that must be met for selection at the Associate Membership level include:
1. possession of the terminal degree for the discipline.
2. indications of ability to teach well at the graduate level.
3. a willingness to provide service to the university and profession.
4. evidence that the individual shows considerable promise to mature into and become an established scholar/performer/artist with a regional/national/international reputation gained through peer-reviewed activities appropriate to the discipline.
Associate Membership is granted as a three-year appointment. This appointment carries with it the expectation that the individual will develop credentials for Full Membership during those three years. Reappointment at the Associate Membership level is possible for the individual who continues to show promise but who has not fully developed the credentials for Full Membership. In selected instances, Associate Membership may also be granted to individuals who, for one reason or another, limit their scholarly activity while emphasizing teaching and service. Included within this latter group are clinical faculty, particularly in the Reich College of Education, who are instructors on multiple-year fixed-term contracts.
Associate Membership on the Graduate Faculty permits one to teach graduate courses, supervise independent and/or individual studies, serve on or chair thesis, product-of-learning or capstone research committees, supervise internships or practica, and serve on the Graduate Council. Associate members of the Graduate Faculty may serve on, but not chair, dissertation committees.
C. Affiliate Membership
Affiliate Membership is reserved for individuals who are not tenured or tenure-track but who may teach part-time or full-time in an adjunct capacity, who may serve as supervisors of internship or practica experiences outside the university, or who may be asked to serve on thesis, dissertation, or product-of-learning committees because of their expertise in a particular area within the discipline.
Minimal criteria for appointment to Affiliate Membership include:
1. a master’s degree or terminal degree appropriate to the discipline. The individual must have had a minimum of 18 hours of graduate credit at the master’s level in the discipline in order to teach a graduate level course in that discipline.
2. evidence that the individual remains active in the discipline by virtue of appropriate employment, service and professional activity, such as editorships, serving on appropriate professional boards, participation in professional workshops, etc.
Individuals who are faculty members at another institution with graduate programs and who hold a Graduate Faculty appointment at that institution, providing the institution is fully accredited by the appropriate accrediting body, may be granted affiliate membership reciprocity at Appalachian State University.
Affiliate Membership appointments may be requested for an appropriate interval ranging from one semester to three years, and are renewable upon application and the submission of appropriate documentation at the end of each appointment period. Three-year appointments would be appropriate for those individuals who serve as long-term adjuncts in selected programs, whereas one-semester appointments would be appropriate for individuals called upon to teach or supervise only occasionally.
D. Application Process
The application process for Full and Associate Membership on the Graduate Faculty involves the following steps:
1. a candidate for Full or Associate Membership completes the Graduate Faculty application form which can be found at http://www.graduate.appstate.edu/pdf/facappguidelines.pdf and submits the form along with a complete curriculum vitae to the departmental chair.
2. the departmental chair forwards the application to the Department Personnel Committee (DPC), which acts upon it and submits a decision to the departmental chair.
3. the departmental chair checks the appropriate line on the application form, signs the form, and attaches a short memo outlining briefly the reasons for her/his concurrence or disagreement with the DPC decision, then forwards the memo and the application packet to the Dean of the College/School in which the department resides.
4. the Dean of the College/School checks the appropriate line on the application form, signs the form, and submits the packet to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Additional information from the Dean of the College/School to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research is welcome but is necessary only in cases where the Dean in whose college/school the applicant resides does not concur with the recommendations of the DPC and departmental chair.
5. the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research reviews all documentation and recommendations and makes an appointment.
The application process for Affiliate Membership on the Graduate Faculty involves the following:
Requests for appointment to Affiliate Membership do not require DPC action, unless otherwise specified by a particular department or dean. They will usually be initiated by a departmental chair in consultation with the Dean of the College/School in which the department resides. A memo from the departmental chair countersigned by the Dean of the College/School in which the candidate’s responsibilities with respect to graduate education at Appalachian State University are outlined, along with a recent complete curriculum vitae, should then forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research for review and appointment.

4 YES 15 NO 3 ABSTAIN

 

 

FS03-04/10-03-Resolution on Cooperation in Campus Planning (as amended)-
Academic departments have not had a productive relationship with the Office of Business Affairs. There have been repeated failures of communication and planning between these departments and Business Affairs. These failures have adversely and unnecessarily affected the academic mission.

The Faculty Senate requests that the Provost and Chancellor ensure that Business Affairs works effectively with the affected departments so that reasonable planning and coordination of all building and renovation activities can be assessed, and that those affected will know what is and will be happening at each stage of the building project. This requires that academic departments be involved directly in all decisions about space usage and available funds.

The Campus Planning Committee will provide active oversight and assessment of how well the coordination of Business Affairs and the affected departments are working and will report bi-monthly to the Faculty Senate.

Rationale
It is crucial that the incoming Chancellor have the legitimacy and trust that can be generated only through a process in which the faculty are engaged.

16 YES 0 NO 2 ABSTAIN

 

FS03-04/10-01-Motion Requesting an Open Chancellor Search-
The Faculty Senate requests that each constituent campus group -- the Dean's Council, the Council of Chairs, the Faculty Senate, the Student Government Association and the Staff Council -- have an opportunity to meet separately with each of the 5-8 semi-finalist candidates during their on-campus interviews prior to the Search Committee sending their final recommendations to the President.

We also request that there be a forum for each candidate to meet with all members of the academy and the public. We understand and respect the need for candidates' names to be confidential and not released outside the Search Committee prior to scheduling these meetings.

Rationale
It is crucial that the incoming Chancellor have the legitimacy and trust that can be generated only through a process in which the faculty are engaged.

18 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN

 

FS03-04/10-02-Resolution on the Academic Budget-
Academic Affairs has borne the brunt of budget cuts totaling 10.88% over the last several years, which have reached the point of negatively affecting the academic mission of the university. Since the academic mission is the central purpose of the university, it is important that other areas of the university that have been less affected by the budget cuts be called upon to provide more support for that mission.

Rationale
It is detrimental to the functioning of the university that academics suffer the lion's share of reductions in the state budget appropriation. Other campus units which are less dependent on state funds, and therefore hurt less by legislative cuts, should share the costs of fulfilling the academic mission of the university.

17 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN

 

FS03-04/10-04-Motion on a Joint Committee on DPC Reform-
The Council of Chairs has indicated an interest in forming a joint committee to work out policy on DPC reform. The Faculty Senate supports this plan and requests that the Chair appoint the Vice-Chair and one additional senator to this committee.

18 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN

 

 

FS03-04/10-05-Resolution on Computer Modem Pool-
The Faculty Senate calls on Academic Computing to maintain the modem pool for off-campus dial-up users at existing levels.

Rationale
The cost of modems is minimal, and maintenance of the pool at existing levels would not be costly in terms of either hardware or labor. If the stated policy of Academic Computing to not replace each of the small battery of modems as it fails goes into effect, access to dial-up service from off campus will slowly erode until it is no longer operational.

 

 

FS03-04/10-06 Motion regarding Patent & Copyright Committee/ Technology Transfer Committee

16 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN

 

Back to Top

---

NOVEMBER 10, 2003

FS03-04/11-01- Motion on Campus-based Tuition Increase-
The Faculty Senate believes that the proposed campus tuition increase and apportionment of those funds, while a step in the right direction, does not go far enough in addressing the immediate critical needs of this campus.
As a first step in alleviating the most serious results of recent reductions in the university's state appropriation, the Senate recommends the following:
1. Match the approach of at least two of our sister institutions and request a $300 increase in each of three years rather than two,
2. Dedicate the 21% portion now labeled "Other" to improving classroom instruction by funding and filling vacant faculty lines with new hires, including attracting the most qualified graduate assistants possible, and
3. Address Appalachian's chronic problem of low faculty salaries -- both in absolute and comparative terms -- by bringing the proportion of revenue dedicated to faculty salaries closer to that of at least two of our sister institutions. The current division is 35% faculty, 20% staff; the Senate recommends a division of 40% faculty, 15% staff.
Rationale:
1. Economic conditions still show no sign of improving. The Board of Governors has indicated that it will accept "multi-year" increase proposals. Chapel Hill, which has had a formal Tuition Task Force in place for several years, has reasonably read that to include three-year in proposals and has chosen that option, as has State. Passing up this opportunity will put us even further behind other UNC institutions. In 2002-03 we ranked 10th in the UNC System. Our 2003-04 tuition already ranks us 16th among the 17 institutions considered our peers.
2. Quality classroom instruction through manageable class size should be one of our top priorities. To achieve this, we must restore funding to faculty lines which have been lost. This requires dedication of resources at a level which will allow us to hire the most qualified faculty to teach the additional class sections which the continuing influx of new students has demanded.
3. Most faculty are not hired from the local population, meaning that Appalachian must compete nationally for faculty. If we are to reach the goal of a nationally known comprehensive university, we must attract and retain the most qualified faculty possible to North Carolina's third-highest housing market with a good salary and benefits package.

17 YES 5 NO 1 ABSTAIN

 

Motion from the floor that the Chancellor requests the North Carolina Legislature to raise its allocation to Appalachian State University by $300 per student for each of 3 years and that this motion is to be forwarded to the Board of Trustees and the UNC Board of Governors.

12 YES 8 NO 3 ABSTAIN

 

 

FS03-04/11-03- Motion on Faculty Committee Representation-
Faculty representatives for all College and University level committees are to be recruited and approved by the Faculty Senate, as the faculty's elected representative, unless representation is needed from a particular department. If representation is needed from particular University Departments then the department’s faculty (not the Chair) is to nominate and approve faculty members for committee service. These decisions, at both the senate and department level, can be handled through alternative communication procedures (e-mail, phone, etc.) if a scheduled meeting is not possible. However, even in these cases all members of the Faculty Senate or department faculty must be notified and provided the opportunity for feedback and voting on the decision.

Rationale:
"Representation" requires participation in the process for there to exist the perception of individual and collective authority. The idea "representation" only exists if the group being represented has formal
control of its own representation decisions. Even when faculty are on a committee (like the current university level search committee) the faculty selected may perceive their responsibility as being towards those that appointed them and not to the body that they are intended to represent. Thus, in the case of the current search committee, there is no perception of representation because there was no semblance of participation in the process of selecting those who would represent our interests.

19 YES 0 NO 1 ABSTAIN

 

Back to Top

---

DECEMBER 8, 2003

FS03-04/12-01-Require the Chair of the Academic Policy and Procedure committee (AP&P)
be a faculty member and not the Provost (or his/her designee)

Rationale:
Primary responsibility for the curriculum lies with the faculty. This is stated in The Code and The Faculty Handbook. Therefore, faculty, not administrators, should chair the university committee responsible for making curriculum decisions (AP&P.)

Committee chairs wield power by setting the agenda, conducting meetings, writing the minutes, etc. Therefore a faculty member, not an administrator, should chair the AP&P committee, which deals with this important faculty responsibility.

Like all standing committees, AP&P makes only recommendations to the administration. A check and balance of power between faculty and administration is achieved by having a faculty member serve as chair of that recommending body rather than the Provost (or his/her designee) to which the committee makes its recommendations. Removing the Provost (or his/her designee) from chairing the AP&P committee does not remove the Provost from the curriculum process. The Provost still has the final decision on all curriculum matters, since AP&P makes only recommendations to the Provost.

According to the Faculty Handbook (7.3.2.4), all other standing committees in the university are to select their chair each year.

According to the Faculty Constitution (Article VI, Section 2), it is the Faculty Senate’s responsibility to make this change. (“Standing committees of the University shall be established, modified and/or abolished as the Senate deems necessary. The constituent personnel, duties, and responsibilities of these committees shall be determined by the Faculty Senate.”)

19 YES 0 NO 0 ABSTAIN

 

FS03-04/12-02- Motion to Abolish Post-Tenure Review-
The Faculty Senate recommends that Post-Tenure Review be abolished at Appalachian State University.

Rationale
1. Post-Tenure Review amount to a re-opening of the tenure process for faculty who have already earned tenure after a comprehensive review of performance at all levels of the University.

2. Post-Tenure Review imposes a considerable additional time and paperwork burden on all tenured faculty at a time of reduced budgets and increased workload.

 

FS03-04/12-03- Establishment of ad-hoc Committee on Graduate Education-
The Faculty Senate recommends the establishment of an ad-hoc University Committee to undertake a comprehensive review and evaluation of graduate study at Appalachian.

Rationale
Graduate studies at Appalachian have not been reviewed thoroughly since the early 1990’s. It is time for a re-examination of the process of appointment to the Graduate Faculty, University efforts to attract top graduate students, oversight of graduate programs and other matters relating to graduate education.

16 YES 0 NO 2 ABSTAIN

FS03-04/12-04- Resolution in Defense of Academic Freedom and the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution (as amended)-

Resolution in Defense of Academic Freedoms and the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution

Whereas, Appalachian State University is proud of its tradition of protecting academic freedoms and the civil liberties of its students, faculty, and staff;
Whereas, the preservation of academic freedoms and civil liberties is essential to the well-being of a university and those who study and work there;
Whereas, federal, state, and local governments should protect the public from terrorist attacks such as those that occurred on September 11, 2001, but should do so in a rational and deliberative fashion to ensure that any new security measure enhances public safety without unnecessarily impairing academic freedoms or infringing on civil liberties;
Whereas, government security measures that undermine such fundamental rights do damage to the American institutions and values that the students, faculty, and staff of Appalachian State University hold dear;
Whereas, the Faculty Senate of Appalachian State University believes that there is no inherent conflict between national security and the preservation of liberty – Americans can be both safe and free;
Whereas, several laws recently enacted at the Federal level, including sections of the USA PATRIOT Act, now threaten academic freedoms and civil liberties1, such as:
* Freedom of speech, religion, assembly, privacy, and protection from unreasonable search and seizures of our students, faculty, and staff (by allowing government access to medical, financial, library, educational, and other personal records, government taps of phones and monitoring of Internet use, and government access to residences and personal property, all without probable cause of criminal activity), all guaranteed by the Constitution of the North Carolina, and the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights;
Whereas, there is already bi-partisan agreement in and out of Congress that some provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act threaten civil liberties2;
Whereas, more than 200 towns and counties have already passed resolutions reaffirming their commitment to civil liberties and against the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that threaten civil liberties3;
Whereas, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has recently held that the USA PATRIOT Act threatens academic freedoms and civil liberties and has encouraged university faculty to support measures in Congress that would mitigate the effects of the USA PATRIOT Act4; and
Whereas, the Student Government Association (SGA) of Appalachian State University has recently passed a resolution against the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that threaten civil liberties5;

Therefore, we the Faculty Senate of the Appalachian State University, acting in the spirit and history of our institution, do hereby request that:

1) Local and campus law enforcement agencies continue to preserve freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy, and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, even if requested or authorized to infringe upon these rights by federal law enforcement acting under new powers granted by the USA PATRIOT Act;

1 For a section-by-section analysis of the USA PATRIOT Act, see www.bordc.org/Repeal.pdf
2 For analyses of bi-partisan bills that would weaken the USA PATRIOT Act, see www.bordc.org/legislation.htm
3 For an alphabetical list of towns and counties by state, see www.bordc.org/Alphalist.pdfBM_4_
4 For the AAUP report, “Academic Freedom and National Security in a Time of Crisis,” see www.aaup.org/statements/REPORTS/911report.htm
5 For a copy of the SGA resolution, see www.sga.appstate.edu/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_printable&PAGE_id=280&lay_quiet=1

2) Federal and state law enforcement officials acting with the University work in accordance with the policies of the Appalachian State University Police Department, and in cooperation with the Department, by not engaging in racial or ethnic profiling in law enforcement;

3) The U.S. Attorney's Office, the Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and North Carolina state police agencies report to officials of the University regularly and publicly, to the degree permissible under law, the extent and manner in which they have acted under the USA PATRIOT Act, including disclosing the names of any university student, faculty, and staff detainees held in western North Carolina or any such individuals detained elsewhere; and

4) Our United States Congressman and Senators monitor the implementation of the Act and actively work for the repeal of the parts of that Act that violate fundamental freedoms and liberties as stated in the Constitutions of North Carolina and the United States;

5) The Secretary of the Faculty Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to appropriate University officials, Governor Easley, and appropriate members of the State Legislature, accompanied by a letter urging them to ensure that state anti-terrorism laws and policies be implemented in a manner that does not infringe on academic freedoms and civil liberties as described in this resolution; and be it

Resolved that the provisions of this Resolution shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this Resolution is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to the Constitution of the United States or of the State of North Carolina or the applicability thereof to any agency, person, or circumstances is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Resolution and the applicability thereof to any other agency, person or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

 

22 YES 1 NO 0 ABSTAIN

Faculty Senate Committee: Action Taken by Senate: Status: Agenda Committee Faculty Governance Passed Response Pending

 

Back to Top

---

JANUARY 12, 2004

No Resolutions

Back to Top

---

FEBRUARY 9, 2004

FS03-04/02-01- Motion on DPC Reform-

DPC Reform Recommendations

Recommendation for:	Considered & Recommended by:
Granting Tenure	A departmental recommendation for granting tenure will be determined by a vote of all tenured faculty in the department. An affirmative recommendation must be supported by a vote of at least 75% of the committee membership.
Promotion to Associate Professor	A departmental recommendation for promotion to Associate Professor will be determined by a vote of all Professors and Associate Professors in the department. An affirmative recommendation must be supported by a vote of at least 75% of the committee membership.
Promotion to Professor	A departmental recommendation for promotion to Professor will be determined by a vote of all Professors in the department. In cases of fewer than 4 Professors in the department, other member(s) will be solicited from related disciplines to serve on a standing “Committee for Promotion to Professor” for the respective department. Professors from outside the department will be appointed by the dean in consultation with the department chair. An affirmative recommendation must be supported by a vote of at least 75% of the committee membership.
Tenure-track Appointments	Searches for tenure-track positions will be carried out by a search committee, with the size and composition of the committee determined by the department. All tenured and tenure-track faculty will be eligible to serve. The search committee will meet with the department chair and formulate a short list of candidates to be considered for interviews. Following interviews, the search committee will make a recommendation to the departmental faculty regarding the appointment. Recommendations for appointments will be made by a majority vote of the department’s tenured and tenure-track faculty.
Temporary Appointments	Temporary appointments will be made by the department chair in consultation with a “Temporary and Probationary Faculty Appointment Committee” consisting of at least 4 tenured or tenure-track faculty. Departments may establish more rigorous search and appointment procedures for significant temporary hires as they deem appropriate.
Contract Renewal for Tenure-track faculty	A recommendation for contract renewal for tenure-track faculty will be made by the “Temporary and Probationary Faculty Appointment Committee.” An affirmative recommendation must be supported by a vote of at least 75% of the committee membership.
Graduate Faculty Membership	Recommendations for Graduate Faculty membership will be made by the department faculty with Graduate Faculty status.

18 YES 0 NO 2 ABSTAIN

 

Back to Top

---

MARCH 15, 2004

Resolution DPC Reform (as revised and amended)–
The Faculty Senate instructs that Handbook Committee to replace the current language in the Faculty Handbook on the composition of DPC’s to reflect the following structure:
1. The DPC will consist of all tenured faculty in a department plus one untenured faculty member. The untenured member of the DPC and one untenured alternate will be selected by a vote of the untenured members of the department. The term of service on the DPC for untenured members is one year.
2. The DPC may constitute subcommittees as needed in order to further departmental business.
3. The DPC and all subcommittees will operate under Robert’s Rules of Order.

 

Back to Top

---

FS03-04/04-01 - Motion on Computer Use Policy –
Regarding the Appalachian State University Policy on the Use of Computers and Data Communications (see http://www2.acs.appstate.edu/asucomputerpolicy.htm), the ASU Faculty Senate recommends that:
(1) ASU employees be alerted to any new changes in the policy, in advance of the amended policy’s enactment; and
(2) Special care be taken by policy makers to avoid any policy change that would adversely affect academic freedom, the ability to pursue one’s program of teaching and research responsibly and effectively, or students’ free expression and comfort with their instructors. In particular, employees should not be asked to waive their privacy rights in their computer files.
Reasoning:
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) demands that university employees be judicious about sharing information on their computers, as student information protected by FERPA is often saved on those computers.
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 prohibits the intentional interception of electronic communications, and it is the primary statute relied upon by employees to challenge invasive workplace monitoring.
The Fourth Amendment protects state employees from unreasonable searches and seizures, including of their electronic files at work.
The U.S. Department of Justice Guidelines for police investigations of cyber crimes indicate that computer seizures and searches by law enforcement officers require a search warrant or the existence of specific and extreme circumstances.

 

FS03-04/04-02- Motion from the floor in support of SGA action on campus-based domestic partner benefits-
The Faculty Senate supports the Student Government Association’s request for the establishment of definitive, written policies in relevant University documents that extend and include access for domestic partners and their dependents to university recreational facilities, and the university library and to allow faculty and staff to take sick leave in order to care for their domestic partner, and to extend access to group term life insurance policies to such domestic partners.

Rationale:
According to the Faculty Handbook, "Appalachian State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Appalachian also actively promotes diversity among students and employees." Despite this strong commitment to diversity, Appalachian State University does not offer Domestic Partner Benefits for faculty and staff.

Domestic partner benefits are generally defined as benefits that are granted to "members of same- or opposite- sex who are:
a.) sharing a residence,
b.) over the age of 18,
c.) emotionally interdependent,
d.) and intend to reside together indefinitely."

Additional requirements sometimes include demonstrable financial ties, such as a joint checking account, residing together for six months, and a signed affidavit attesting to the previously stated conditions (see Appendix A for sample affidavits).

At Appalachian State, domestic partners have access to counseling services through the Hubbard Center. They do not, however, have access to recreational facilities, library access, the ability to take sick leave to care for their spousal equivalent, and access to term life insurance policies.

Granting access to recreational facilities would be a relatively simple matter. Currently, to obtain access, domestic partners must receive permission to have an AppCard issued from Human Resources. Afterwards, they pay six dollars to have the card issued and then pay the required $48.00 a year for dependant use of university fitness facilities. This procedure has been followed on at least one occasion to date. This policy also applies to married, permanent part time and full time faculty and staff. Domestic partners, however, are allowed access on a case-by-case basis. A definitive, written policy that extends access to those defined as domestic partners would be more equitable and less arbitrary.

Library access follows the same procedure, but obtaining library access does not require payment, aside from AppCard costs. Like athletic facility access, there is no written policy. Similar steps should be made in extending access to spousal equivalents through a definitive, written policy as well.

Faculty and staff also lack the ability to take sick leave to care for a domestic partner. Dr. Wilber H. Ward III, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, is working on extending access for this purpose. As of this writing, he has the approval of the Dean’s Council and is taking the issue to the Council of Chairs in April. This extension would be a beneficial policy change for faculty and staff members of non-traditional marital status.
Other UNC schools also offer the hard benefit of term life insurance coverage, while Appalachian State University does not. UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Wilmington offer access to term life insurance policies for domestic partners. Chapel Hill established their policy by requesting that their life insurance provider include domestic partners. According to Karin Abel, UNC Director of Benefit Program Administration, many large employers already do this, so it should not be problematic if this University were to pursue this strategy.
Appalachian State University would benefit greatly by providing access to the aforementioned services. In recent years, ASU has undertaken many steps to become more diverse, in order to expose students to varying perspectives. This allows for a more comprehensive education. By providing Domestic Partner Benefits for both homosexual and heterosexual faculty and staff, Appalachian State University would be more able to foster heterogeneity on its campus by hiring and retaining more diverse faculty and staff.

Furthermore, by possessing a more accepting environment, Appalachian State University would be able to advance its academic reputation as a progressive institution. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham, both highly respected universities, have some form of domestic partner benefits. In fact, at least 198 colleges and universities across the country offer some form of these benefits.

Finally, offering these spousal equivalent benefits are essential for Appalachian State University to possess an equitable benefits program. As is stated in Appalachian State University’s Faculty Handbook, the institution is not to discriminate on the basis of “race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.” The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has accurately observed that, “Failing to provide equal benefits to employee’s partners, regardless of sexual orientation, violates the nature of [this policy].”

 

FS03-04/04-03- Motion on Religious Observance Attendance Policy –
Whereas, the student body at Appalachian State University has increased in regard to, among others, religious diversity,
and Whereas, the Faculty Handbook, encourages faculty to recognize students’ religious observances, and to allow students to make up assignments, exams, or other coursework without penalty,
Therefore, the Faculty Senate recommends faculty at Appalachian State University allow students of non-Christian backgrounds to be excused from class and to complete, within a reasonable time frame, course-related assignments or exams missed due to the religious observance. In addition, students will provide faculty members with appropriate advanced knowledge of said religious observance.

 

Back to Top