Call to Order
12:15 pm
Announcements
none
Minutes
Approved Minutes from December 1st 2015 meeting
Chancellor’s Report
State budget situation put programs/projects on hold; more information to come in the following meetings.
Penn State funded PHEAA Grants for our students, over 13 million
DAA’s Report
Mr. Rick Dierenfeldt has accepted our offer to join Penn State Wilkes-Barre as an Assistant Professor of Administration of Justice starting Fall 2016.
Instructor of Arts: On-campus interviews scheduled for the following days: Monday February 1st: Mr. Jonathan Ricci, Friday February 5: Ms. Lalaine Little,Monday February 8: Mr. Jonathan Pineno. Presentations for all candidates: 1:30 to 2:30 in AC-109
The University has authorized the following Penn State Campuses: Hazleton, Worthington Scranton, Schuylkill and Wilkes-Barre to investigate the feasibility of offering the BS degree in Program and Supply Chain Management (PCSM) as a shared program. Preliminary research indicates an increase in future demand for graduates with this knowledge. Service area for the four campuses has become a hub for logistics and distribution. The PCSM degree comes from the Business School at Penn State Behrend.
Need to continue balance teaching schedules especially for Spring semesters. Currently, T R do not have a single classroom available from 10 AM to 3 PM. New Common Schedule may force to move courses to M W F.
Senate decision on late drops – Limit on the maximum number of Late Drop credits will be removed. Implications: Students may sign up for more courses than now and late-drop some you may have students in your courses that don’t have any intention to finish them.
May hurt financial aid for some students (67 % of cumulative attempted credits must be satisfactory)
Regular Add / Drop period has been shortened from 10 days to 6 days
Minimal implications for Late Drop ( $ 6 fee for late drop)
Strong implications for Adding courses (first week of classes)
Wanda Ochei Invited Report
Follow through with reporting, Incident or behavioral
Follow your syllabus – Stick to it!
Teaching Generation Z – More internet based/technology based
Invited SGA Vice President Report
THON Weekend quickly approaching, Feb 19th
More events currently underway: Penny Wars, THON Pasta Dinner, Blood Drive, and Zumba-THON
Committee Reports:
Academic Affairs Committee
Discussion on the request from the Faculty Chair regarding Academic Programs Strengths, Viability and Current Issues. The following academic programs were represented by the members currently serving on the AAC this academic year: Administration of Justice, Business Administration, Corporate Communications, English, Information Sciences and Technology, Rehabilitation and Human Services and Surveying Engineering Most programs are reporting that past graduates are able to obtain full-time employment in the industries that make-up each academic program. In addition, many new and transfer students seem to be excited about the academic program they have chosen to pursue.
Student enrollment was a major topic of discussion. Most members reported that full-time student enrollments were either stagnant or dropping when compared to prior years. The committee members felt that more overall campus effort in recruitment needs to be put in place including directing additional financial support as well as human capital support. Perhaps the admissions department can restructure current marketing efforts. Members thought it would be beneficial for an ad-hoc committee to be created to work with the admissions department so a complete review can be completed to determine what marketing efforts are successful and which marketing efforts need to be changed/revamped. The ad-hoc committee can make recommendations to help admissions employ additional/new recruitment ideas. One suggestion made to help increase program viability is to publish all campus summer course offerings in all local papers like competing educational institutions do as part of their current marketing efforts.
Who is doing advising during NSO? If not faculty, are they being told about all the possible majors?
Members discussed the issue of current teaching loads and felt some faculty currently have excessive teaching loads. Discussion also centered on the issue that all faculty should be teaching subjects that are part of and/or closely related to their academic discipline. When a new and/or transfer student enrolls, the committee wondered, in addition to faculty, who is advising such individuals? Are these new students being informed of all available degree options? Discussion also centered on whether retiring tenure track faculty lines will be kept open and/or transferred to another discipline as opposed to just being closed. In addition, some members commented that some programs have reduced course offerings normally instructed by adjunct instructors.
Student Affairs Committee
No Report
Scholarly Activities
Scholarly Lecture Series Returns! Please attend the following dates:
- Wednesday, February 10, 2016 in AC 109 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
- Wednesday, February 10- AC 109 for during common hour
- Thursday, February 25- AC 109 for during common hour
- Tuesday, April 19- AC 109 for during common hour
- Friday, March 4-AC 109 for during common hour
As chair of the Scholarly Activities Committee I have decided to initiate a Faculty Writing Group. Unlike teaching and service, writing does not always have specified deadlines and can be pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. My goal in starting this group is to provide a forum for faculty to get feedback on their writing, if desired, and also to help faculty to set aside time designated for scholarly writing. This group is open to anyone who is working on writing, whether they are on the tenure-track or not. Since many of us are the sole representative of our departments or may feel disconnected from peers, this is an opportunity for us to work together and create an atmosphere conducive to scholarly activities.
Please join us on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. - noon and Wednesdays from 2 - 4 p.m. in 207 Nesbitt Library. Bring your laptop, writing implements, noise-cancelling headphones, and any other items you require for writing productivity. Let's work together to support scholarship on our campus
Faculty Affairs Committee
The feedback on Silo-free lunch will be topic on next meeting and discussion on whether or not to continue with another Silo-free lunch
New Topic: SRTEs
Library Committee
No Report
University Senators
No Report
University Faculty Council
No report
Election Committee
Nominations for 7 positions to begin in Fall 2016 and a University Faculty Senate Representative to begin immediately in Spring 2016
All written nominations are to be submitted to Mr. Marshall R. Davis ([email protected]) or Dr. Renee L. Rosier ([email protected]) by the end of the next Faculty Senate meeting on Monday, February 29, 2016. Anonymous, online elections will follow and close by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Winners of the election will be announced electronically through email and at the faculty senate.
Chair-elect, Two at-large members of the Executive committee, Ombudsman and Alternate Ombudsman, Adjunct Faculty Representative, and University Faculty Senate Representative
Old Business
Christyne Berzsenyi volunteers to be Faculty Chair for the Adult Honor Society for next year, partnering with John Barnes who is the Coordinator of Adult Students
New Business
none
Comments for the Good of the Order
Adult Learner Award nominations
Hayfield Award nominations
Green Dot Bystander –Feb. 4th workshop for faculty
Adjournment
12:56 PM