PURDUE UNIVERSITY CALUMET

COUNCIL OF FACULTY DELEGATES

MINUTES

5th Meeting January 13, 1997

Present: Professors C. Chancey, R. Colon, S. Conners (Sergeant-at-Arms), A. Elmendorf, R. Evans, R. Foreman, J. Hack (Presiding Officer), J. Jennings, L. Mura, B. Pai, D. Pick, K. Pierce, L. Rittenmeyer, C. Sekhar, C. Stacy, S. Sil, , W. Ting, C. Torres-Robles, G. Wegner, L. Willer, Vice Chancellor S. Singer, Vice Chancellor L. Bryant, Vice Chancellor G. Newsom, Chancellor J. Yackel, M. Dakich (Parliamentarian), J. Mitchell (Student Government), J. Wermuth (Secretary),

Absent: Professors M. Dobberstein, R. Stankowski, S. Tickoo, J. Walker

I. The meeting was called to order by Professor Hack.

II. Professor Mura moved the approval of the minutes of the December 2, 1996, meeting of the Council of Faculty Delegates. Professor Chancey seconded the motion. Professor Pick noted that Student Government President J. Mitchell was listed as both present and absent, though he was absent. The motion to approve the minutes as amended passed.

III. Professor Ting moved the acceptance of the agenda for the January 13, 1997, meeting of the Council of Faculty Delegates. Professor Sekhar seconded the motion. The motion to accept the agenda passed.

IV. Chancellor's Report

Chancellor Yackel reminded the members of the Council that the Board of Trustees will be on campus on Thursday, February 27 and Friday, February 28. He said their agenda will include approval of the academic administrative reorganization. He reviewed the schedule for the day and a half visit, and said that the Board’s meeting on Friday in Founders Study will begin at 8:30 a.m. and is open to the public.

Chancellor Yackel said that the Indiana General Assembly is in session. He said that the State Budget Committee has recommended lower appropriations for the state universities than had the Commission for Higher Education. He said the capital budget recommendation includes appropriations for the asbestos abatement of Anderson and the completion of the classroom office building.

Chancellor Yackel said that Spring 1996 enrollments, including those in Lake County, look strong.

V. Special Business of the Day

Council Document 96-15 General Education Research and Educational Policy Committee For Action

Professor Mura introduced Council Document 96-15 and moved it to action. Professor Foreman seconded the motion.

Professor Mura reviewed the background of the document and the most recent revisions to it. She said that the document had been reviewed at the fall convocations of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Professional Studies. She said that input received at the convocations was considered for inclusion in the document.

Professor Ting moved to amend the last phrase of Item 2 Natural Sciences to read:...or appropriate inderdisciplinary natural science laboratory courses. Professor Foreman seconded the motion. Professor Chancey said that the Department of Chemistry and Physics is developing an Introduction to the Physical Sciences course which will be interdisciplinary. In response to a question from Professor Pick, Professor Chancey said the course will have a laboratory. Professor Willer asked whether similar changes in language should be made for Item 4 Humanities and Item 5 Social Sciences. In response to a question from Professor Wegner, Professor Mura said that the required natural science course must have a laboratory component. With no further discussion on the amendment, a vote was taken and the motion to amend passed.

Professor Pai referred to Item 1 and said that an additional 3 credit hour course which is writing intensive will impact negatively on the engineering curriculum. He asked whether three credits of accumulated intensive writing in other courses would suffice. Discussion followed. In response to a question from Professor Pai, Professor Mura agreed that the engineering senior design course could be adapted to provide a writing intensive experience. In response to a comment from Professor Sekhar on quality control in writing, Professor Pai said that currently the Department of Engineering has the Department of English review senior design course reports for writing quality.

Professor Rittenmeyer asked for a clarification of the intent of last paragraph of Council Document 96-15. Professor Mura said that the intent was that the faculty of disciplines responsible for presenting and administering programs will determine which courses meet general education requirements for the students majoring in those programs, and that the Council of Faculty Delegates will ensure that the requirements are met. Professor Evans offered alternative wording, and suggested that the paragraph be moved to the preamble of the document. Professors Pick, Stacy, and Jennings spoke against the proposed change on grounds that its wording seems to reverse the roles of the disciplines and the Council in ensuring satisfaction of general education requirements.

After further discussion, Professor Pick moved that the final paragraph should read (Additions to the original wording are indicated in bold type face.):

The faculty of the disciple shall decide for their majors which coursed fulfill general education requirements. The Council of Faculty Delegates will be responsible for ensuring that appropriate general education requirements have been identified and implemented. Professor Pai seconded the motion. The motion to amend passed.

Professor Ting moved to insert in Item 4 the word humanities between the words interdisciplinary and courses in the last phrase, and to insert in Item 5 the words social science between the words interdisciplinary and courses. Professor Rittenmeyer seconded the motion. There was general consensus that the insertions clarify the meaning of the statements by providing parallel construction in the document. The motion to amend passed.

With no response to a request by Professor Hack for further discussion on Council Document 96-15 as amended, Professor Hack called for the vote on the document. The motion to approve Council Document 96-15 as amended passed without dissent.

Council Document 97-01 Amendment to ByLaw 4.03 Agenda Committee For Discussion

Professor Mural introduced Council Document 97-01 for discussion. Professor Stacy said that it was his understanding the document was being presented in response to a particular situation, and moved the document to action. Professor Mura seconded the motion.

In response to a question from Professor Jennings as to the nature of the particular situation, Professor Hack said that the Bylaw 4.03 precludes the chair of a standing committee from chairing a subordinate committee that reports to the standing committing. She said that, on the other hand, the Agenda Committee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on changes to the Articles and the Bylaws. She said that, to that end, the Agenda Committee had moved to establish the Commission on Academic Reorganization as a subordinate committee of the Agenda Committee with the charge to review and make recommendations for a new constitution and bylaws in light of the academic reorganization that will take place shortly. She said the Agenda Committee had designated Professor Dobberstein chair of the Commission because of his role as chair of the Agenda Committee and his interest in carrying the work forward. She said that it was subsequently noted that there was a potential conflict based on an interpretation of Bylaw 4.03. She said it made sense to have Professor Dobberstein continue in both capacities (chair of the Agenda Committee and chair of the Commission on Academic Reorganization), and Council Document 97-01 was being offered for consideration to the Council for that reason. Professor Evans said that there was support in both the Agenda Committee and the Commission to have Professor Dobberstein continue in both capacities.

With no further discussion being offered, the motion to approve Council Document 97-01 passed without dissent.

VI. Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business.

VII. Reports of Committees

Agenda Committee: Professor Hack said the committee met in December to develop the day’s agenda; and should continue to meet on the third Monday of each month, with the exception of January. In response to a question from Professor Mura, Professor Hack said no date had been set for the January Agenda Committee meeting.

Faculty Affairs Committee: Professor Evans said the committee continues its work on promotion and tenure issues.

Nominating Committee: Professor Ting said the committee is finalizing the committee preference survey which will be distributed soon.

Research and Educational Policy Committee: Professor Mura said the committee had prepared the “final” general education document. Professor Mura noted that the Council will now have to develop a general education requirements implementation plan.

Resources and Planning Committee: Vice Chancellor Newsom said the committee had been asked by Student Government to consider adding a fall break to the academic calendar. He said the committee had requested that a straw poll be taken of the Council’s interest in adding a fall break. He reviewed the Purdue West Lafayette fall break, and noted that a fall break will require the university to begin classes sooner or to end later. Upon the request of the chair for a voice vote on pursuing the issue, it was agreed that the nays were in the majority.

Student Affairs Committee: Professor Rittenmeyer said the committee will meet soon.

Intercampus Faculty Council: There was no report as the Council has not met.

Student Government: Mr. Mitchell said Student Government was organizing itself for the semester and will meet on Sunday, January 19, at 4:00 p.m. Mr. Mitchell said a schedule change will require him to change his scheduled meetings with the Chancellor. In response to a question from Professor Sekhar, Mr. Mitchell said that a majority of the students who had been polled on the fall break issue prefer having a fall break.

VIII. Other New Business

There was no new business.

IX. Adjournment

With no further business before the Council, Professor Hack declared the meeting adjourned.

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