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The Arts and Sciences Council, February 18, 2016, 3:30-5:00, UMC 247

Meeting Minutes

Representatives present: Daniel Barth, PSYC; Paul Beale, PHYS; Giulia Bernardini, HUMN; Janice Brown, ALC; Kim Dickey, AAH; Erica Ellingson, APS; Robert Ferry, HIST; Holly Gayley, RLST; Gerardo Gutierrez, ANTH; Ruth Heisler, IPHY; Leslie Irvine, SOCY; Moonhawk Kim, PSCI; Carl Koval, CHEM; Lonni Pearce, PWR; Cora Randall, ATOC; Rob Rupert, PHIL; Neeraja Sadagopan, SLHS; David Stock, EBIO; Beverly Weber, GSLL

Representatives not present: Michela Ardizzoni, FRIT; Julio Baena, SPAN; Andrew Cain, CLAS; Cathy Comstock, RAPS; Vanja Dukic, APPM; Rebecca Flowers, GEOL; Mans Hulden, LING; Najeeb Jan, GEOG; Daniel Kaffine, ECON; E. Christian Kopff, HNRS; Catherine Labio, ENGL; Rolf Norgaard, PWR; Kelly Sears, FILM; Ted Stark, THDN; Angelica Lawson, ETHN; Ding Xue, MCDB

Also in attendance: Valerio Ferme, Janice Jeffryes

Robert Rupert called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM.

Dean’s report, Valerio Ferme, Associate Dean, Arts and Humanities

There are three finalists for the new position, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. Faculty will have an opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions later in the month.

Mary Kraus, the current Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences, has been appointed as the new Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education. Associate Dean Ferme asked the representatives to contact the dean’s office with any possible nominees for the Natural Sciences position.

Cindy White from the College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI) will be coming to the March Chairs and Directors meeting to talk about opportunities for departments in A&S to teach in the new college.

Dean Steve Leigh and Associate Dean Ferme are meeting with Sara Thompson of Continuing Education to discuss A&S core curriculum courses being taught online through Continuing Ed. Continuing Ed has recently requested removing the 30 unit limit on courses that can be completed online; A&S wants to make sure any of its core curriculum courses taken through Continuing Ed are reviewed with the same rigor as when taken in the college.

Honor code violations are on the rise; plagiarism has overtaken cheating as the most common violation. It appears to be tied to the rise in faculty reporting international student violations. The Honor Code Council is looking at this situation.

The Art Museum had a very successful re-opening event.

The system is conducting a random audit of department’s use of program fees to assure they are being used as intended and documented.

Chair’s report, Robert Rupert

The conversation on instructor titles is ongoing. The Vice Chancellor’s Office for Faculty Affairs has recommended against using professorial titles for instructors; the BFA has recommended for that use. Professor Rupert encouraged representatives to contact their BFA representative if they want to express an opinion.

The bylaws vote will go out prior to the next ASC meeting.

February 23, 25 and March 1 faculty will be able to meet with candidates for the new position of Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The BFA voted recently to retain the existing honors designations.

Motion from Curriculum Committee to approve proposed major in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC)

The Curriculum Committee is putting forward a motion to approve the new major in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; documents have been sent out including a letter from the Curriculum Committee. Professor Rupert read a comment from an ASC representative that was opposed to this new major for reasons of cost, limiting pre-professional degrees and an imbalance in departments favoring the STEM departments. Professor Randall mentioned they are asking for two new faculty members and an advisor over five years; they are anticipating 100 students in the major.

The new major in Atmospheric Oceanic Sciences was approved: Yes-15 No-0 Abstentions-2

Two motions from Executive Committee concerning the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee

 The Executive Committee is putting forth 2 motions concerning the AAAC:

1. It is moved that the following statement be conveyed to Michael Grant, Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, as the opinion of the ASC:

The Arts and Sciences Council (ASC) requests that the activities of the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee (AAAC) be made more transparent, in particular, that the body’s meeting schedule be announced publicly, that the terms of appointees be officially limited (to, for example, three years), and that, if at all practical, minutes of meetings be kept and archived publicly. In addition, because it currently appears that the views of Arts and Sciences faculty members on the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee are being treated, at the ��«����Ƶ campus level, as representative of the views of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the ASC requests that the functioning of such representatives be brought into accord with existing structures of shared governance. Specifically, the ASC requests that said members consult with the ASC concerning their contributions to the AAAC’s discussion of campus-wide policy initiatives affecting the College of Arts and Sciences. The ASC is the faculty governance body for the College of Arts and Sciences, and thus, if AAAC representatives are to contribute to the formation of that policy in a way that legitimately represents the perspective of the A&S faculty, they must do so in consultation with the ASC.

The motion passed Yes-16 No-0 Abstain-1

2. It is moved that the following statement be conveyed to Steven Leigh, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, as the opinion of the ASC:

It currently appears that the views of Arts and Sciences faculty members on the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee (AAAC) are being treated, at the ��«����Ƶ campus level, as representative of the views of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Thus, the Arts and Sciences Council (ASC) requests that the appointment of such representatives be brought into accord with existing structures of shared governance. Specifically, the ASC recommends that such representatives be nominated by the ASC, in consultation with the Dean of the College, and that they be asked to consult with the ASC on policy matters before the AAAC, when those matters affect the College of Arts and Sciences.

The motion passed Yes-16 No-0 Abstain-1

Dean Leigh’s performance review

Associate Dean Ferme left the meeting. The representatives discussed the dean’s review, the process and the dean’s response to faculty.

The ASC considered the possibility of an internal process for reviewing the dean in addition to the BFA review.

New business

Erica Ellingson, chair of the ASC Diversity Committee spoke on “Inclusive Excellence.” The departments, campus-wide have been tasked with forming task forces that initiate a dialogue among all the constituents in the department to define Inclusive Excellence and formulate a campus-wide plan. While approving of the goal of diversity, many departments have responded negatively, unsure of what is expected and unhappy with the short timeline to respond.

The Diversity Committees from the ASC and the BFA met recently with Alphonse Keasley, the Vice Chancellor in the Diversity Office to discuss faculty concerns. Two proposals were developed during this conversation:

1) The ASC requests that at least one member of the ASC Diversity Committee be added to the Diversity, Inclusion and Academic Excellence Steering Committee, to represent the faculty of A&S. The BFA is making a parallel request.

The proposal was accepted yes-17, No-0, Abstain-0

2) The ASC requests that the “Making Excellence Inclusive” documents currently being written by A&S departments also be made accessible to the ASC Diversity Committee. The committee will seek to identify common issues and innovations within the college, so that A&S units can learn from and collaborate with one another in making excellence inclusive. This report will be distributed on a short timescale to departments, the ASC and to the Diversity Steering Committee.

The proposal was accepted yes-17, No-0, Abstain-0

Professor Ellingson stressed the importance of getting the reports (which will be two pages long) quickly and send out a statement to let the departments know what all other departments are doing. These reports would then go to a task force that would more in depth process and plan specific to Arts and Sciences.

Concern was expressed that steering committees are being formed with administration level members and no faculty. Support for the idea of the Inclusive Excellence was shown but lack of time and faculty involvement is a concern to many representatives. The representatives were encouraged to express concerns beyond the initiative and request resources to help with programs that encourage diversity.

Cora Randall suggested partnering with other organizations and participating in existing programs.

There is a one year implementation period from August 2016 to August 2017.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:58PM.

Minutes submitted by Janice Jeffryes