Academic Senate Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio  44555

February 5, 2003

Note 1: Please submit agenda items and cover sheets for the March 5, 2003, Senate meeting to Bege Bowers in the Provost's Office by noon on Friday, February 21, at the latest.  Provide both a hard copy and a disk or electronic copy of your report and cover sheet in Word or rich text format.  A downloadable cover sheet is available at the Academic Senate web site:

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Major topics presented/discussed: 

Senate attendance; committee to review the Professional Conduct Policy passed in November; Ohio Faculty Council report on campus health insurance and the "Shared Commitment" document; policy on certification of general education courses; approved changes in academic programs/minors; comments on reconsideration of the Professional Conduct Policy passed in November; Student Government resolution on the University calendar and holiday closings; Student Government resolution on maximum credit hours.

• The following motion carried:  a motion that no course designed as intensive may be certified for all three [general education] intensive areas (writing, oral communication, critical thinking).

Tom Shipka, chair of the Academic Senate, called the meeting to order at 4:08 p.m.

Minutes of the 6 November 2002 and 4 December 2002 meetings were approved as posted.

To view the November minutes, click here; to view the December minutes, click here.  Click your “Back” button as necessary to return to the February minutes.

Senate Executive Committee (SEC) / Report from the Chair:  Tom Shipka, the new Senate chair, reported:

• The SEC has met to discuss several problems, including less-than-desirable Senate attendance.  Shipka e-mailed a memo to all members of the Senate urging them to attend the monthly Senate meetings.  He encourages those with ideas for increasing attendance to phone him at extension 3447 or e-mail him at tashipka@ysu.edu.  We need to achieve and hold a quorum to conduct business.

• President Sweet has appointed a review committee to examine the Professional Conduct Policy passed at the November Senate meeting, which is online at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/prof_conduct_policy_11-02.pdf>.  The committee will meet with appropriate parties who might wish to discuss and propose amendments:  representatives of the bargaining units, senators, and others.  Members of the review committee include Tom Maraffa, committee chair; Sandra Denman, University Counsel; Jim Morrison, former Senate chair; Bege Bowers, Senate secretary; and Shipka.  Morrison and Shipka have met with Bill Jenkins and Charles Singler to discuss points of objection to the Senate-approved document; Jenkins and Singler will be invited to discuss their suggestions with the review committee.

Ohio Faculty Council (OFC):   Shipka presented highlights from the OFC report attached to the agenda for the February 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/jan03_ofc.htm>.  He noted that attendance at the most recent OFC meeting was the best in several years.  As chair of the OFC, he will be to try to sustain and improve the turnout.  Ohio State University participated for the first time, as did the two medical schools.

Discussion at the January 17, 2003, OFC meeting focused on campus health insurance plans and a presentation by Jim McCollum, executive director of the IUC.  Shipka encouraged senators to read the "Shared Commitment" document that was appended to the February 5 Senate agenda at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/shared_commitment.pdf>.

Charter and Bylaws Committee, Elections and Balloting Committee:  No reports.

Academic Standards Committee (ASC):   Pete Beckett, chair of the committee, noted that the ASC had consulted with Bill Jenkins concerning the context for the proposed motion about certifying courses for general education, which was attached to the agenda for the February 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/feb03_asc.htm>.  The Senate had referred the matter to the ASC in September 2002. 

Beckett made the proposed motion: "That no course designed as intensive may be certified for all three [general education] intensive areas (writing, oral communication, critical thinking)."

The motion was seconded, and discussion followed.

Cynthia Hirtzel, dean of the Rayen College of Engineering and Technology, asked the rationale for the motion.

Beckett said that the amount and type of work stipulated for a course to meet certification in all three areas would make it difficult to meet the certification requirements and cover the standard subject matter in such a course.

A vote was taken, and the motion "That no course designed as intensive may be certified for all three [general education] intensive areas (writing, oral communication, critical thinking)" carried.

Academic Programs Committee (APC):  Ray Shaffer, chair of the committee, referred to the report that was attached to the agenda for the February 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/feb03_aprc.htm>; no action is required.  Seven additional program items are currently being circulated.

University Curriculum Committee; Academic Planning Committee, General Education Committee (GEC), Integrated Technologies Committee; University Outreach Committee, Library Committee, Academic Research Committee; Student Academic Affairs Committee; Student Academic Grievance Committee; Honors Committee, Academic Events Committee:  No reports.

New business:   

Proposed Professional Conduct Policy: 

Charles Singler, Geological and Environmental Sciences, distributed comments on reconsideration of the Professional Conduct Policy that was passed in November and discussed again at the December Senate meeting.  He requested that the comments be included in the February Senate minutes. They are appended to these minutes as Attachment 1 at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/reconsideration_conduct_policy.pdf>; “from the remarks” portions of Singler's document refer to remarks made at the December 4 meeting.

Student Government Resolution Concerning the University Calendar and Holiday Closings: 

Shivani Jindal, student senator-at-large, read a Student Government resolution concerning the University calendar and holiday closings.  The resolution is attached to these minutes as Attachment 2 at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/holiday_closings.pdf>.  Shipka noted that he will forward the resolution to the Academic Planning Committee; he will ask that committee to report back to the Senate by the April Senate meeting.

Student Government Resolution Concerning Maximum Credit Hours: 

Kinga Orban, student senator representing the College of Engineering and Technology, read a Student Government resolution concerning the relationships among the bulk tuition rate, the number of hours Engineering and Technology students must take each term, and general education requirements for Engineering and Technology students.  The resolution is attached to these minutes as Attachment 3 at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/maximum_credit_hours.pdf>.  Shipka noted that the Senate Executive Committee will forward the resolution to the appropriate standing committee and Terry Ondreyka; he would like for the appropriate committee to report back to the Senate by the April Senate meeting.

Adjournment:  The meeting adjourned at 4:32 p.m.