Faculty Senate Minutes (09/11/2019)

Call to Order

In attendance: Frouke de Quillettes, Dudley Snyder, Jeff Chaimpi, Albert Lozano, Megan Mac Gregor, Tim Sichler, Terry Clemente, Christyne Berzsenyi, Lynda Goldstein, Luciana Caporaletti, Margie Esopi, Jeremy Olson, Melisa (Naylor) Littleton, Jim Mcmonagle, Dimitrios Bolkas, Dale Jones, Frank Derby, Anson Carter, Ellen Gregorio, Fred Stefon, Violet Mager, Bill Bachman, Jackie Landre, Dan Blessner, Sal Marsico.

Approval of the previous meeting’s minutes

  • Amendments to some spelling in old minutes.
  • Motion to approve: Jeremy Olsen. Seconded; all in favor.

Announcements

  • Sal will be sending out notifications to people on committees to convene the first meetings.
  • Standing committee duties are listed in Article IV of the bylaws. In addition, the committee ex-officio may request to add “recommended action item(s)” to a standing committee by sending them to Sal Marsico. The recommended action item(s) will be transmitted to the Chair and considered by the Executive Committee.
  • Student Government Association needs to make amendments to their constitution so their appointment of students to the Wilkes-Barre Faculty Senate aligns with Faculty Senate’s constitutional requirements.
  • The role of Honors Program advisor, currently held by Bill Bachman, will be taken over by Ann Brennan since Bill is retiring in December 2019.

Communications of campus administrators

Chancellor/CAO (Dr. Jones)

  • Congratulations to Jeff Chiampi for receiving the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Award for Educator of the Year.
  • Currently we have 65 staff, 33 full-time faculty, and 35 part-time faculty.
  • Wanda Ochei, Ellen Gregorio, XXXXX are ex officio members on the faculty senate.
  • Important dates:
    • Aug 21: Campus Meeting
    • Aug. 23: Convocation
    • Sept 1: Advisory Board Meeting
    • Sept 18: Cabinet (formally known as Senior Leadership team) Retreat 
      • Consist of Chancellor Jones, Lynda Goldstein Chief Academic Officer, Ann Brennan Assistant to chief academic officer, Sue Gross administrative Assistant to the Chancellor.
      • Heather Paris, Academic Advising Manager, Patricia  Staskiel, Student Success Services,  Lorna Chin, Leaning Center, Christine Gerhardt, Administrative Support Assistant, and Margie Esopi, Registrar all meet with Ann Brennan.
      • The retreat will mainly focus on examining and reflecting on the strategic plan 2019, which has been extended to 2025.
  • Campus completed a search for the Director of Development and an offer has been made and accepted. New person should start Oct 1.
  • Search for Director of Business Services has failed. Two candidates were offered the position and both declined. Search will have to be repeated.
  • Merit-based salary increases will be coming in the September paychecks and include pay increase going back to June.
  • Dudley Snyder is head of the campus United Way Campaign, with the help of Karen Ford.
  • The idea of having a Faculty retreat similar to Cabinet retreat was recommended.

Scholarly Activities Committee (Lynda Goldstein)

  • PSU Undergraduate Research impressed with our campus’s numbers
  • Try to make future engagement public and planned
    • Plan them in advance so we know they are happening
    • Make sure they’re listed on public-facing calendar
    • Make sure Jennifer Henniges in Public Relations knows
    • Ask people who received money through the Scholarly Activities Fund to present on what they used the money for
    • Find faculty who work with undergraduates
    • Create a catchy name for lecture series such as PSU Fayette’s “Geek Speak”
    • Work with Celebration of Scholarship to see how it could assist

Reports

University Faculty Senators

  • No meeting as of yet

University College Faculty Council

  • Promotion & Tenure committees
    • Campus ones are disciplinary and University Park ones are equity committees. The representation of the discipline should be at the campus level.
    • There are systematic equity issues with the process for both tenure-track and teaching faculty.
      • Mentoring
      • Onboarding
  • Created an ad hoc committee to create uniform guidelines for workloads in the system, rather than current situation where it is based on division.
    • Albert Lozano provided discipline-based guidelines to Ann Brennan from when he was AD. He will provide them to the rest of the faculty.
  • Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRT)
    • Want to change when they are given to students
    • Want to change the number of questions from 50 to 10

Committee Reports

  • None

New business

Constitutional Committee

  • Albert will call the committee together

Admission Events (Ellen Gregorio)

  • Forthcoming, also on Upcoming Events list on agenda
  • Ellen Gregorio also provided a list of Advisory Board members’ interests and specialties so people can include them in their classes and events. To contact them go through Ellen Gregorio or Sal Marsico.

SGA Events (Wanda Ochei)

  • Constitution Day events handed out
  • Faculty are encouraged to incorporate privacy, the theme of this year’s Constitution Day, into their classes.
  • Faculty members are needed to serve on the Student Facilities Fee committee and the Student Activities Fund committee.

Career Services Events

  • see attached

Library Events (Megan Mac Gregor)

  • see attached

New Faculty Onboarding (Megan Mac Gregor)

  • Need for creation of orientation for new faculty in addition to onboarding process. Waiting to see what new HR onboarding process is, in order to provide feedback as a fac. Senate.
  • Would also be helpful for new faculty members to understand their role in the process.

Old business

  • None

Comments for the good of the order

  • If there are events in the community that our campus should be aware of, they should be sent to Sal Marsico.
  • Wanda Ochei and Lynda Goldstein are part of the Student Engagement Network
    • Discussed getting digital signage similar to UPark’s where events are listed on screens.
  • Early progress reports opened Monday. Please clean up your attendance rosters, whether it’s students who have never appeared who are listed on your roster or students who have appeared in classes who are not listed on the roster. Use Starfish or contact Margi Esopi.
  • Have students who are supposed to graduate in Dec.? Contact Margi Esopi.
  • Start thinking about what classes you plan to teach FA 2020
  • Christyne Berzsenyi is tutoring for writing in the Learning Center Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • $1000 donation has been given to the student food bank from the Alumni Association and a Masonic Temple.
  • For Committee reports, decide which you would like to use:
    • Informational report (written)
    • Legislative Report (written and spoken)
    • Advisory and Consultative Report (written)

Adjournment

First motion: Fred Stefon. Second motion: Bill Bachman; all in favor.
 

Charge to Faculty Senate Standing Committees

From Dale Jones, Ph.D., Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer (September 10, 2019)

As Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer, I charge the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Faculty Senate Standing Committees with the following for the 2019-2020 Academic Year:

1. Conduct Faculty Senate functions and committee business to ensure the academic well-being of the faculty and student body and do so in accordance with the Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws.

2. Conduct Faculty Senate functions and committee business in ways that support the achievement of campus enrollment growth and increase in retention.

3. Conduct Faculty Senate functions and committee business to fulfill the Strategic Plan: 2014-2019 mission and vision and support the attainment of strategic goals as stated below:

“Mission: Penn State Wilkes-Barre provides a student-centered educational environment whereby students of all ages, backgrounds and experiences can access the excellence of The Pennsylvania State University to become productive, responsible global citizens.”

“Vision: Penn State Wilkes-Barre aspires to be the premier educational institution of choice in the region by providing superior opportunities for students to excel in academic and co-curricular excellence leading to rewarding careers.”

  • Goal 1—Increase the number of students enrolled at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
  • Goal 2—Deliver programs of academic excellence at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.
  • Goal 3—Foster outreach.
  • Goal 4—Develop a culture of innovative operations and sustainability.

4. Conduct Faculty Senate functions and committee business in ways that support the campus theme of “Penn State Wilkes-Barre: On the Move.”

5. Conduct Faculty Senate functions and committee business in ways that advance the campus priorities, referred to as “Movements,” listed below, while recognizing that the Movements are consistent with the Penn State Wilkes-Barre 2014-2019 Strategic Plan:

  • Movement—Create Campus Teams
  • Movement—Generate Creative Thinking, Innovation, and Entrepreneurialism
  • Movement—Increase Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations
  • Movement—Grow Enrollment

Nesbitt Library Calendar of Events (Fall 2019)

Throughout the semester

  • Get It Done — Informal study hall with coffee, tea, & hot chocolate
  • Research and ideas help: one on one, or in a class

September

  • Libraries and the 1st Amendment and Banned Books Display
  • Banned Book reading with CMLIT 130–Banned Books: International and Comparative Perspective class, Thur. Sept 26 10:35am Student Commons

 October

  • Campus Clue lock box game
  • Students learn library skills while breaking into a box and winning 1 of 6 $50 Amazon gift cards
  • Future Business Leaders of America session on analysis
  • Fri Oct 11: Coming Out Day Panel, Noon
  • Presenting a poster at PA Library Association Conference
  • Dungeons and Dragons library campaign

 November

  • Needles at Noon (Wednesdays) — Learn basic knitting skills or bring your own needle or hook projects
  •  Homeless Stereotype Display
  •  Mid Atlantic LGBTQA conference at Bloomsburg University
  •  Celebration of Scholarship 101 — an introduction; prep for faculty interested in requiring COS for spring classes

 December

  • Needles at Noon (Wednesdays)
  •  Brain Boost for Finals

Upcoming Events in Career Services

Prep Workshops at University Park for Fall Career Days

  • Workshops are available to stream online from campus
  • Dates:
    • September 10th:  Career Fair Success, Résumvs for All Majors
    • September 11th:  Dress for Success, Career Fair Tips, Interviewing for All Majors
    • September 12th:  Disclosing Sensitive Information, Tips for International Students, Strengthening Your LinkedIn Profile, Navigating & Negotiating Offers
    • September 16th:  Résumé Review
  • Registration: https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/fairs/fall/student/before/workshops

Fall Career Days at University Park (Bryce Jordan Center, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm)

Career Fair Prep Workshop

  • September 30th:  Academic Commons-110, 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm

Fall Smeal Career Prep

  • For students planning to transfer to the Smeal School of Business at University Park
  • October 1st:  Struthers Family Career Services Center, 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm (Group Event)
  • Note:  Individual meetings with a Smeal Representative are available from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm on a first-come/first-served basis.

Walk-In Résumé Reviews

  • October 2nd:  Struthers Family Career Services Center, 9:00 am–3:00 pm

Slice & Advice!

  • October 4th:  Struthers Family Career Services Center, 12:00 pm–1:30 pm
  • Students can stop in for some a piece of pizza and get answers to their career-related questions.

Eastern Region Collegiate Internship & Career Expo

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Lending Closet

  • The lending closet is now available for students needing to borrow professional clothing for career and school events.