Presiding: Dr. Cheng-Hsien Lin
In Attendance (In-person)
College of Arts and Sciences:
Jennifer Fowler, Ian Lian, Pat Heintzelman, Tina Kibbe, Sujing Wang, Mark Mengerink, Lynn Maurer, Sommer Shackelford, Raouth Kostandy, Melissa Riley, Raymond Doe, Cheng-Hsien Lin
College of Education and Human Development:
Daryl Borel, Eunjin Kwon, Donna Fong, Daniel Chilek
College of Business:
Gevorg Sargsyan, Vivek Natarajan, Tim McCoy
College of Fine Arts and Communication:
Andre Favors, Paul Eric McCluskey, Paul Hemenway, Lillian Felipe, Brielle Frost, Alan Brincks
College of Engineering:
Xuejun Fan, Xing Wu
Library:
Penny Clark
In Attendance (Online)
College of Arts and Sciences:
Matthew Hoch, Cengiz Sen, Wen Liu, Emma Morris, Sharon Joffe, Elia Hatfield, Perumalreddy Chandraskaran, Jim Armacost
College of Education and Human Development:
Shelly Allen, Mohamad (Khal) Hamza, James Laub
College of Business:
James Slaydon
College of Fine Arts and Communication:
Xenia Fedorchenko, Chelsea Lyles
College of Engineering:
John Gossage, Gleb Tcheslavski
Library:
Poornima Gunasekaran
Absent
College of Arts and Sciences:
Mark Broome, Jiangjiang (Jane) Liu
College of Education and Human Development:
College of Business:
Ashraf El-Houbi, Xiao "Jerry" Zhang, Minkyum Kim
College of Fine Arts and Communication:
Millicent Musyoka
College of Engineering:
Maryam Hamidi, Xian ChangLi
Library:
Call to order
3:32 PM
Provost Welch's comments
- Provost addressed concern for international students and the new deportation law. The State of Texas has a policy in place for students with academic visas.
- Year 2025 is the projected year for low enrollment due to the low birth rate percentage in 2007-2008.
- Library innovation to be completed September 2026.
- Second floor of Cherry Engineering building is undergoing renovation.
- Construction starting soon on former bookstore next to the credit union.
Ashley Dockens comments
- Artificial Intelligence usage, verbiage specified on syllabus for faculty courses so that students, faculty and institution is not liable for suit.
- A breach of privacy is performed when using the Microsoft AI software because 爱神传媒 technicians do not know where the information is stored or distributed.
- Faculty contact the CITL with all questions regarding AI verbiage to convey to the students or place on syllabi.
Dr. Dockens stated, FERPA guidelines must be followed pertaining to the law of privacy of all persons in meeting, class and student information. CITL will have a new position for design development soon.
Approval of Minutes
Motion to approve December minutes with minor corrections by Jennifer Fowler. Daryl Borel seconded the motion, motion carried and all approved.
Faculty Senate President's Report
- Suggestions for survey questionnaires for updates.
- Political climate: Senate Bill 17, faculty to be clear regarding the syllabus on critical ideas and other information. If you have any questions regarding the bill, please contact Dr. Lin.
- Un-document immigrants on campus concern: At this time the Provost is working with the state for a clear guideline to deal with this issue. Until faculty receive guidelines, please contact LUPD notifying Hector Flores. Most students have switched to AP programs to avoid the deportation arrest from ICE on campus; however, not all programs are offered online.
- Faculty wants a policy created from faculty senate for clear guidelines regarding intrusion of officers into their classrooms on campus. Dr. Jennifer Fowler made a motion to have a meeting about the immigration information to set guidelines to protect faculty, as Dr. Borel stated. VP Pat Heinzelman volunteered to head the committee.
- Until the committee is formed direct all questions to Hector Flores and Faculty Affairs immediately.
Committee Reports
Budget and Compensation Committee: Andre Favors, Chair
Committee meet and updated will be provided after next meeting on February 19th
Faculty Affairs: Melissa Riley, Chair
An email will be distributed to faculty on February 19th on updates.
Ad Hoc Grievance Policy Committee: Melissa Riley, Chair
Decided to modify intake procedures and align with other universities. Have concerns about HR not addressing faculty issues will be addressed when grievance policy completed.
Academic Issues: Sujing Wang
- National Senate for AI instructed on how to handle and use properly the software with guidelines. No policies are in place yet; however, faculty need to state in syllabus to use or not to use AI in courses.
- F2.08 - we are waiting on feedback on approvals with the chair and dean for watermark for this report.
- Faculty that will have tenure promotion must have the watermark used which is slightly different from the F2.08. Faculty is being asked on feedback and the committee will meet on February 19, 2025.
- The MAPPs will be discussed at that time as well.
Research and Creative Activity Committee: Xuejun Fan
- We have not received any notice from the Provost Office about the decision for FDL 2025-2026 Applications.
- We have not received any feedback from Provost Office about our comments on new FDL MAPP.
- New version of Internal Grant Review Process has been shared with Dr. Theodori and the subcommittee and will discuss during the February 19th meeting.
Faculty Evaluation Committee: Daryl Borel
Faculty Climate Survey Results - Emailed to all Faculty December 19, 2024
- N = 108
- 6 Themes
- University administrators' performance, engagement and impact
- Subthemes
- Diverse perspectives across different levels of administration
- Unknown/ unfamiliar administration
- Shared Governance and Transparency
- Communication
- Academic and administrative support received
- Advancements in computer resources
- Assistance for conference attendance
- Faculty Evaluations Tenure and Promotion
- Majority voiced dissatisfaction
- The implementation process for F2.08 annual evaluations
- The implementation process for tenure and promotion
- Chair observations and evaluation
- Student evaluations
- Course influence on students' evaluations
- Workload-related issues - lack of an explicit written work policy
- Faculty salary - most faculty indicated that their salaries were low compared to those at other universities or similar professions in the same field
- Perception of Faculty Senate
- Role and impact of the Faculty Senate
- Use of Faculty Senate meeting time
- Faculty Senate communication to the faculty
- Student Evaluation Question Set
- The committee reviewed all input received and reviewed each of the 25 questions. Make recommendations regarding each question.
- Presented our detailed report to Dr. Jator on December 3
- Dr. Jator's team took the committee feedback and made chagnes to the question set - reword questions, deleted those the committee wanted removed, and adjusted language so the questions better fir into the requisite sections - Course Evaluations, Demographics, and Instructor Evaluation
- The revised question set (15 questions) was implemented Spring 2025
- Contact the Faculty Senate office to request a copy of the committee's report and the revised question set.
- Thanks to everyone's input, especially the committee's hard work.
- Committee task for Spring 2025
- Faculty Climate Survey - based on last year's results and comments, I would like to focus this year's questions on the six themes and recommended solutions. The participants have identified issues, we now need faculty to recommend solutions. Please submit your questions to the Faculty Senate office no later than March 7. I want to distribute the survey by March 31.
- F2.08 process
- Next Meeting - Thursday, February 13th (Hybrid)
Senate Faculty Handbook Committee: Jennifer Fowler, Chair
The Faculty Handbook has not been updated since 2022 and 2019. Documents shared with senate on updates, double academic policies, vision and academic statement, Senate Bill 17 regarding Diversity, removed much of the substance change policy. Check codes on TX and HR will come speak with committee at the next meeting. Dr. Lin will share documents with all senators.
OLD BUSINESS
Election of Secretary : Daryl Borel
Nominees: Daryl Borel
Melissa moved to motion and second the motion, all approved, motion carried and approved.
Daryl Borel will begin the end of this year.
NEW BUSINESS
There are 3 tests for faculty to complete and you all have achieved a lot. Thank you for your work. Dr. Lin addressed the issues of not receiving feedback or comments on projects with Dr. Welch.
Adjourn
Motion to adjourn by Andre Favors. Seconded by Meliss Riley, motioned carried and approved. Meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.