Appendix B

SENATE COUNCIL
Special Forensic Session
(Forensic)
Introduction

Following the October 28, 2003, Senate meeting, the Senate Officers heard many comments about the outcome of the Senate Self Study Committee’s recommendations. The major focus of the comments was, “What can be done to make the Senate more effective in performing its decision-making and consultative processes?” A second and equally important comment was, “How can the Senate become more proactive and engaged in facilitating communication across the University?”

With these two questions as a backdrop, the Senate Officers proposed to Senate Council at its meeting on November 25, 2003, that a forensic session be conducted at the December 9, 2003, Senate meeting to address these and other questions. The Senate Officers were in agreement that a forensic session should be forward-looking and unifying. Moreover, the Officers believe that the dialogue initiated with the two years of work by the Self-Study Committee provides momentum for continuing discussion on ways to strengthen the Senate.

Additional Discussion Questions

1. Is there a more effective way to reorganize the Senate committee structure for a more even distribution of workload and for Senate committees have stronger voices in governance?

2. How can the nominations process be improved to ensure that election slates are as strong as possible and representative of the entire faculty?

3a. What are strategies that could be adopted to improve communication within the Faculty Senate?

3b. How can more meaningful communication occur between the Senate and other constituencies across the University?

SENATE COUNCIL

NOTE: PLEASE TAKE TIME TO DISCUSS THESE QUESTIONS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES AND CAUCUS MEMBERS PRIOR TO THE MEETING ON DECEMBER 9. BE SURE TO BRING YOUR COPY OF THE 2003-2004 CONSTITUTION, BYLAWS, AND STANDING RULES OF THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE TO THE MEETING.

Appendix C

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNIVERSITY PLANNING
Status of Construction
(Informational)

The Committee on University Planning presents to the Senate informational reports on the status of University construction projects in both the Fall and Spring semesters. The Fall report addresses projects at the University Park campus and the Spring report focuses on the projects outside of University Park. Bill Anderson, Associate Vice President for Physical Plant, and Steve Maruszewski, Director of Design and Construction Services, will provide a photo report on various projects at University Park including:

• Information Science and Technologies
• Chemistry
• Life Sciences
• Business Administration
• East Parking Deck and Chilled water plant
• Eastview Terrace Housing
• School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
• Forest Resources

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNIVERSITY PLANNING
P. Richard Althouse
Edward W. Bittner
John P. Boehmer, Vice-Chair
Dan T. Brinker
M. Toni DuPont-Morales
David S. Gilmour
Daniel R. Hagen, Chair
Judith E. Hupcey
Kenneth B. Kephart
Rodney Kirsch
Sukyoung Lee
Joy M. Perrine
Scott Rhoads
Paula J. Romano
Louise E. Sandmeyer
Gary C. Schultz
Timothy W. Simpson
Edward C. Smith
John M. Stevens
Alexandra Sullivan
Paul J. Tikalsky
Brian B. Tormey
Stacy Wessel

MINUTES OF SENATE COUNCIL
Tuesday, November 25, 2003 – 1:30 p.m.
102 Kern Graduate Building

Members Present: C. Bise, R. Burgess, W. Curtis, P. Deines, R. Erickson, J. Esposito, D. Evensen, D. Gouran, P. Jurs, A. Leure-duPree, H. Manbeck, R. McCarty, L. Milakofsky, J. Landa Pytel, P. Rebane, H. Sachs, A. Scaroni, K. Sommese, J. Spychalski, K. Steiner, M. Su

Members Absent/Accounted For: C. D. Baggett, T. Glumac, J. Jacobs, J. Jones, H. Manbeck, J. Moore, J. Myers, J. Smith, G. Spanier

Guests/ Others: C. Brewer, D. Disney, G. Franz, P. Poorman, J. Romano, R. Secor, S. Youtz

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Christopher J. Bise called the meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25, in 102 Kern Graduate Building.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF OCTOBER 14, 2003

The minutes of the October 14, 2003, meeting were approved as presented.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMARKS

Announcements by Chair Bise

• The Faculty Advisory Committee to the President met on November 25. The following topics were discussed: Music Service, New Funding Initiatives, Campus Visits, Dickinson School of Law location, Circleville Farm property, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, Curricular Drift, Spam on Faculty Email.
• The next meeting of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the President is scheduled for January 20, 2004. Any items for discussion at FAC may be submitted to a Senate Officer or one of the three elected members: Wayne Curtis, Harvey Manbeck, and Peter Rebane.
• The Senate Officers have completed their campus visits. Visits to the University Park colleges will soon be scheduled for Spring 2004 and posted on the Senate website.
• The Senate Officers and the chair of CC&R will meet with student governance leaders soon to obtain their suggestions and input on student representation in the Senate beginning with the Spring 2005 election. Committees and Rules will initiate legislation and implementation guidelines for Constitutional revision on the faculty representation ratio.

Provost Erickson encouraged faculty to review the enrollment report given by Vice Provost John Romano at the November 14 Board of Trustees meeting. The report may be found at the following URL: http://www.psu.edu/dept/admissions/ema/JJR112003BdTr.pdf.

Dr. Erickson then commented on full-time faculty hires comparing Fall 1996 to Fall 2003. The report will be posted soon at http://www.budget.psu.edu/factbook/, then click on the link for Faculty & Staff. Some highlights of the report include: the University added 106 net faculty in fall 2003 and that 77 were tenure/tenure track faculty. Since 1996, there have been almost 800 new faculty added and that these positions are distributed equally between University Park and campus colleges. In the past year, the University has recorded a 9.5 percent increase in the number of African-American faculty and a 15 percent increase in Hispanic faculty. Overall, from 1996 to 2003, there has been a 55 percent increase in the number of minority faculty.

The Provost noted that he expects that background checks for faculty and staff job applicants will be implemented in mid-January 2004. A contract has been awarded by the CIC to a vendor to work with CIC institutions in conducting these checks. He acknowledged the important consultation from the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs in the process of implementing this new policy.

The social security number conversion project is well underway and the University is targeting the December 2004 semester break for implementation. Currently, units across the University are working with ITS staff to analyze impact and develop action plans. Many University academic and administrative offices use social security numbers as identifiers and Provost Erickson noted that significant resources are being directed to this conversion.

Dr. Erickson responded to two questions regarding the University’s tracking of students, faculty, and staff traveling abroad and a question about policies on international travel, field trips and class absences

REPORT OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL

The October 15 meeting of Graduate Council was cancelled. Peter Deines had no additional comments to make about the November 19, 2003, Graduate Council meeting.

AGENDA ITEMS FOR DECEMBER 9, 2003

Forensic Business

Chair Bise, presenting on behalf of the Senate Officers, asked Council members for their ideas and recommendations for a special forensic session that would consider some of the recommendations that were not fully discussed from the October 28 Self Study Report. Dr. Bise noted that the purpose of the forensic would be to build on the momentum from the work of the Self Study Committee and focus on specific questions related to the effectiveness of the Senate: internal and external communication mechanisms of the Senate; Senate decision-making; committee structure and function; and Senate Council responsibilities. A draft document was distributed to Council members and the following topics were discussed at the meeting:

• Concern was expressed about the necessity for focusing discussion with a carefully crafted document.
• Following the forensic, a councilor recommended that there needs to be an indication of follow-up strategies and “next steps,” e.g., Committees and Rules might draft legislation on issues for which there is consensus.
• Concern was expressed that a forensic session may be premature following the Self Study discussion. Some councilors observed that, “the Senate is not interested in reform.” Another councilor noted that the Senate is “more interested in representation than efficiency.”
• In response to the previous comment, some councilors observed that a forensic could be especially timely in “redirecting the energy” from the Self Study discussion to a more positive discussion on future directions for the Senate. The forensic could also be useful in assisting Committees and Rules in identifying issues for possible legislative change.
• Several councilors encouraged the Officers to limit the number of topics that would be discussed at the meeting. It was noted that the Senate did not vote for structural change and that to “re-visit” the reorganization of Senate Council or any further representation issues would be counter-productive.
• There was support among several councilors to schedule a forensic session at a Senate Council meeting during the spring to consider Senate Council reform including its membership and duties.
• Noting few Agenda items for the December 9 Senate meeting, a question was asked, “Are we having a meeting to fulfill a constitutional mandate?” A few councilors questioned the reason for having a meeting with only one agenda item.
• A Council member observed that “it would be inappropriate to not have a meeting, the future and purpose of the Senate is highly relevant for us to discuss.”
• Officers were urged to avoid any replication of the Self-Study debate and to focus discussion on two or three specific areas, such as, internal and external Senate communication, the structure, function and workload of Senate committees, and the consideration of a new nominations process.
• Another councilor urged renewed discussions with Graduate Council on promoting greater integration between the two bodies, asking why there are two University research committees.

Councilors requested that the draft document be revised to further focus the discussion on questions specific to three areas: committee structure, the nominations process, and internal and external communication. Councilors are encouraged to discuss these questions with their constituencies and all Senators will be asked to bring their copy of the Senate Constitution to the December 9 meeting.

On a Jurs/Pytel motion, this special forensic session was placed on the December 9, 2003, Senate Agenda.

Legislative Reports
none

Advisory and Consultative
none

Informational Reports

University Planning—Status of Construction. This report was placed on the December 9 agenda at the October 14 meeting of Senate Council. This ten minute Power Point presentation will be given by Bill Anderson, Associate Vice President for Physical Plant and Steve Maruszewski, Director of Design and Construction Services

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA FOR DECEMBER 9, 2003

The Agenda was approved on a Landa Pytel/ McCarty motion.

ACTION ITEMS

1. Commonwealth College proposal to phase out the Baccalaureate Degree Program in Occupational Therapy (OCTCC) at Penn State Mont Alto. On a Jurs/Gouran motion, Senate Council took the following action:

In accordance with our duties as prescribed in the Bylaws, Article II, Section 1(d), it is the advice of Senate Council that:

The Commonwealth College proposal to phase out the Baccalaureate Degree Program in Occupational Therapy (OCTCC) at Penn State Mont Alto be implemented as described in the documents we have received.

2. Revision of the Graduate School Constitution. This request was withdrawn prior to the Senate Council meeting. The revised Graduate School Constitution will be resubmitted in Spring 2004.

3. Revision of the Penn State Mont Alto Constitution. Dennis Gouran provided a summary of changes to the Penn State Mont Alto Constitution. On a Spychalski/Milakofsky motion the constitutional amendments were ratified.

NEW BUSINESS

ADJOURNMENT

Senate Chair Bise thanked Council members for their attendance and participation and accepted a motion to adjourn the meeting at 2:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan C. Youtz
Executive Secretary

To: Senate Council Members

From: Peter Deines, Senate Liaison to the Graduate Council

The Graduate Council met on Wednesday, November 19 at 3:30 p.m. in Room 102 Kern Graduate Building, with Dean Eva Pell presiding.

1. Minutes of the September 17, 2003, meeting were approved.

2. Reports of Standing Committees

Committee on Academic Standards—Richard Ready
The committee is discussing the policies and procedures of appointing Ph.D. committees and will bring forward a formal report at the next Graduate Council Meeting.

Committee on Fellowships and Awards—Anil Kulkami
The committee has reviewed the reports of the colleges on the awarding of Graduate School Fellowships and is recommending a redistribution of the fellowships among colleges. The committee report has been forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School for review.

Committee on Graduate Research—Michael Verderame
No formal report was submitted; the committee is discussing the preparations for the next Graduate Student Exhibition.

Committee on Graduate Student and Faculty Issues—Leslie MacRae
No formal report was submitted; the committee is examining ways to improve communication with graduate students and welcomes suggestions by faculty and graduate students. The chair of the committee reported that the workshop on grant writing was a great success. A workshop on resume writing is planned for the Spring Semester.

Committee on Programs and Courses—Mark Wardell
A Proposal to offer the Dual-Title Degree program in Astrobiology sponsored by the Department of Geosciences was discussed by the Council and unanimously approved.

3. Reports of Special Committees—There were no reports.

4. Graduate Student Association
Graduate students are expressing increasing interest in the GSA. GSA is revising its committee structure and has appointed a new public relations officer. The GSA has updated its website and Departments are encouraged to provide links on the web pages to the GSA page http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/gradlife/gsa.html as a service to their graduate students. The GSA plans to resume its participation in the Dance Marathon next semester; it is also organizing a number of social functions for graduate students.

5. Special Reports
Report of the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School—Fall 2003 Graduate Enrollments and Research Activities. The full report may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School.

Dean Pell reported on Graduate enrollment trends. While the enrollment of Ph.D. students has increased, that of M.S. students has declined. The detailed reasons for the latter have not been established. A major concern is the declining enrolment of students from abroad. Applications of students from other countries are lagging significantly. This is a national trend. Also, the number of students taking GRE and TOFEL exams abroad has declined significantly, indicating that the attractiveness of the U.S. as a place for graduate studies is declining. In view of the fact that some programs have had traditionally a large fraction of international students in their graduate programs, these trends represent a significant challenge for them.

6. Unfinished Business: None

8. New Business: None

9. Comments and Recommendations for the Good of the Graduate Community

Dean Pell commented on new initiatives taken by the Graduate School. An experimental program: “Research Unplugged” has been initiated this semester. Research Unplugged attempts to create an informal forum to explore ideas and to foster public dialogue about issues that matter. The conversations are held on selected Wednesdays at noon in the gallery of the Penn State Downtown Theatre (http://www.rps.psu.edu/unplugged).

The dean also outlined plans for fundraising activities to increase the Graduate School Fellowships Endowment.

There being no further discussion, Graduate Council adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

Date: December 1, 2003

To: All Senators and Committee Members

From: Susan C. Youtz, Executive Secretary

Please note the scheduled time and location of your committee. If you are unable to attend, notify the Senate Office prior to Senate Day, if possible.

Monday, December 8, 2003

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

Date: December 1, 2003

To: Commonwealth Caucus Senators (This includes all elected Senators from campuses,
colleges, and locations other than University Park)

From: Thomas E. Glumac and Tramble T. Turner

MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2003 – 8:30 p.m.
PENN STATE ROOM
NITTANY LION INN
Guest: Janis Jacobs, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education & International Programs
Topic: International Programs and How Campuses Can Tie In

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2003 – 11:15 a.m.
BALLROOM D/E
NITTANY LION INN
A buffet luncheon will be served in the Alumni Lobby at 12:15 p.m.

The Agenda includes:

I. Call to Order

II. Announcements and Reports from Co-chairs of the Caucus

III. Reports from Committee Chairs

IV. Other Items of Concern/New Business

V. Adjournment and Lunch