Tennessee State University
Faculty Senate

Minutes of November 16, 2000

In Attendance: Ms. G. Alvin, Ms. W. Burrell, Dr. E. Dachowski, Dr. D. Dunbar, Dr. D. Edmondson, Dr. B. Fleming, Dr. W. Hayslett (represented by Dr. Sammy Comer), Ms. Pamela Foster, Dr. L. Laska, Dr. C. Lee, Dr. B. Mallard, Dr. A. McQueen, Dr. O. Miller, Dr. W. Perry, Dr. E. Phillips, Dr. J. Presley, Dr. M. Samuchin, Dr. C. Starks, Dr. B. Tucker

CHAIR’S REMARKS:

Dr. Miller indicated that the University Faculty plays an important role in the University Administration and, as its representative body, the Faculty Senate must act at all times in ways that are consistent with the University Faculty and the Faculty Senate’s stated purpose.

APPROVAL of MINUTES:

The minutes of the October 19, 2000 meeting were approved with the following corrections:

Under "In Attendance": Add the names of B. Fleming and P. Foster.

Under "Constitution and Bylaws": Ms. Elaine Phillips should be changed to Dr. Elaine Phillips.

• Dr. Miller stated that two items were unintentionally omitted from the agenda, Fall Break and Senate Web site, and should be added.

Fall Break Issue: Dr. A. McQueen stated that the current Fall semester is too short and does not meet TBR guidelines. He indicated that we would need to start teaching on August 21 and end on December 8 to meet TBR guidelines. Dr. McQueen further added that the Spring schedule is too long.

Several questions were raised pertaining to the Fall calendar. Is Academic Affairs aware of the fact that the Fall calendar is not in compliance with TBR guidelines? Should the Senate make appropriate recommendations to Academic Affairs to:

1. Bring the Fall calendar into compliance with TBR guidelines, and
2. Incorporate a Fall Break

Ms. Foster recommended that Dr. A. McQueen formulate and recommend two schedules (for Fall and Spring semester) for Senate review. The Fall schedule should include a Fall Break and bring the University into compliance with TBR guidelines. The Spring schedule should be reduced accordingly. Dr. A. McQueen accepted the charge.

Senate Web site: Dr. C. Lee reported that an email was earlier distributed to all Senators notifying them of the Senate’s Web site. A few Senators indicated that they did not receive such an email. The Web site address was given out (www.tnstate.edu/senate) and Senators were asked to provide feedback by Wednesday, November 22, 2000. Dr. Lee indicated that an email will be distributed to all faculty after Wednesday, November 22, 2000 to inform them about the Senate’s Web site.

University Faculty Meeting: Dr. Miller indicated that the Faculty Institute/Conference are not the Meetings of the University Faculty as called for by the Senate’s constitution. The Senate’s constitution calls for two official Faculty Meetings each year. Dr. Miller went on to state that this Fall semester the Senate will convene a Faculty Meeting after the Faculty Conference. Voting on the Faculty Handbook will be one of the main items on the agenda.

Dr. L. Laska asked if the Faculty Institute meeting could be moved up a week. A motion was made for the Faculty Institute meeting to be moved from December 18 to December 15. Dr. Miller indicated that he will talk to Dr. Bankhead about the possibility of moving the meeting to December 15.

Dr. B. Fleming asked why no vote had been taken to approve the Handbook at the last meeting called for this purpose. Dr. Miller indicated that this failure was linked to issues raised concerning the Handbook’s potential for interpretation as a contract. He felt that these issues had since been resolved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Library: Ms. Alvin asked why the Library Committee had been asked to examine the University Web site. Dr. Miller replied that, as the Committee did not yet have other concerns to consider, it seemed appropriate for it to address this one.

Academic I: Dr. Dunbar indicated that the Committee met during the preceding week to discuss the purpose and scope of the proposed instrument for the evaluation of administrators. The Committee considered what aspects of administrators’ performance faculty could accurately evaluate. The Committee drew up a list of potential areas, which the faculty would be competent to evaluate. The next meeting of Academic I will take place on December 7.

Dr. Miller remarked that the Senate as a whole will need to discuss and vote on the issues of the purpose and scope of the Evaluation Instrument.

Dr. Perry raised a question as to whether faculty should be evaluating administration as a process, rather than simply administrators as persons. Dr. Miller felt that other Senate committees were already examining questions concerning administration as a process, and he hoped that Academic I would focus on its discrete task, the evaluation of administrators.

Ms. Foster wondered who would look at evaluations of administrators once they were completed, and Dr. Dunbar suggested that these results should be included in administrators’ year-end evaluations. Dr. Fleming indicated that, when administrators seek tenure or promotion, faculty evaluations of their service should figure in their file.

In response to a question from Dr. Perry, Dr. Dunbar indicated that various evaluation instruments from other institutions had been collected.

Dr. Fleming wondered to what extent faculty members’ ability to evaluate administrators really was constrained by a lack of knowledge of administrators’ responsibilities. She suggested that, for instance, department heads could be evaluated by faculty in their department. Dr. Dunbar replied that she did not know all the responsibilities of her department head, and that her capacity to evaluate was consequently limited. Dr. Fleming remarked that certain aspects of administrators’ performance could surely be judged objectively, and Dr. Dachowski concurred. Dr. Tucker felt that, even if an evaluation were by nature only partial, we might still consider it valid.

Dr. Miller suggested that Academic I contact administrators to see how they evaluate those serving under them; the criteria so used might be integrated into the Senate’s instrument for the evaluation of administrators.

• There were no other committee reports.
• Dr. Miller informed the Senate that Dr. Yefru, President of the African Studies Association, has extended an invitation to Senators to attend various events held in conjunction with the African Studies Association Conference in Nashville (November 16 – 18, 2000).

• Dr. Miller expressed uncertainty regarding the intent of the "Faculty Bill of Rights" submitted in the October Senate meeting by Dr.Tucker on behalf of Dr. L. Miller. Drs. Miller and Tucker briefly discussed the question of faculty rights versus those responsibilities delineated by the Faculty Handbook. Dr. Tucker indicated he would communicate Dr. Miller’s questions to Dr. L. Miller, but suggested that Dr. Miller might also e-mail him.
• Dr. Laska, Chair of the Academic III committee, raised the matter of the assignment to committee of concerns distributed to the Senate by Dr. O’Connor at previous meetings. The Senate recognized that the Faculty Welfare/Relations Committee should examine the complaint "Student Abuse I", and that the complaint "Student Abuse II" should be examined by the Curriculum and Instruction Committee. Dr. Tucker wondered who the chair of the Faculty Welfare/Relations Committee was. Dr. Miller indicated that it was Dr. Richardson, although he was not sure that Dr. Richardson was willing to continue in this role.

There was general discussion as to whether Senate committees could appropriately examine Dr. O’Connor’s charges before they had followed the standard University process for complaints. Dr. Phillips remarked that O’Connor’s accusations were at first impression disturbing, and that the appropriate committees should review them in order to determine whether it were suitable for the Senate as a whole to address them.

• Dr. Laska proposed a motion: "The Senate should consider the issue of dropping required mid term grades." The motion was seconded, and it passed by a show of hands. Dr. Miller referred this question to the Academic III committee.
• Ms. Alvin moved for adjournment. The motion was seconded, and by common consent the meeting adjourned at 3:55 p.m.