Academic Senate Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio  44555

March 5, 2003

Note 1: Please submit agenda items and cover sheets for the April 2, 2003, Senate meeting to Bege Bowers in the Provost’s Office by noon on Friday, March 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 Executive Committee report and update on committee to review the Professional Conduct Policy; Ohio Faculty Council report on higher education in Ohio, state funding, and legislative concerns; update on activities of the College of Fine and Performing Arts; possible change in policy on changing minors when students declare a new major.

• The following motion from the Academic Standards Committee was returned to committee for further discussion and consideration:  "Unless the minor is specified by the new major, a student who has been in continuous enrollment and changes majors can use the minor requirements under any catalog during which he or she has been in continuous attendance."

Tom Shipka, chair of the Academic Senate, called the meeting to order at 4:07 p.m.

Minutes of the 5 February 2003 meeting were approved as posted.

To view the February 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, chair of the Senate, reported:

• The SEC had a breakfast meeting today (March 5) with President David Sweet.  We were joined by Provost Atwater and Dr. Tom Maraffa, Special Assistant to the President.  The President gave a progress report on a variety of issues, and we had a good exchange.

• The committee appointed by the President to review the Professional Conduct Policy approved by the Senate (see <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/prof_conduct_policy_11-02.pdf>) held its first meeting Monday, March 3.  The second meeting is scheduled for March 10.  Members of this panel are Dr. Tom Maraffa, chair; Atty. Sandra Denman, Dr. Bege Bowers, Dr. James Morrison, and myself.  Our agenda includes working through suggestions of Drs. Singler and Jenkins and then meeting with them, meeting with the Graduate Dean, discussing suggestions by Atty. Denman, studying the relation between the new policy and existing University policies, and possibly having some discussion with campus labor unions.  We will issue a report to the President when we complete our work; presumably, he will recommend the amended document to the Board of Trustees for approval.

• Dr. Bege Bowers, Senate secretary, has set up a “referral log” on the Senate web site to track the status of items of Senate business that have been referred to committees. The log is available at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/committee_referral_log.htm>.

• Dr. Bowers has expressed her intention to step down from the position of Senate secretary if and when a suitable replacement can be identified.  Her responsibilities at YSU have grown appreciably in recent years, and I have been thinking about potential replacements to moderate her workload.  I am happy to report that, in a weak moment, Professor Robert Hogue has agreed to undertake the task of replacing Bege.  It is my intention to appoint him to this post with your approval.  The change will occur at the end of spring semester.

• President Sweet has convened a committee to investigate a possible violation of the University computer-use policy.  The committee will issue a report to the President, with findings of fact and recommendations.  The committee, which consists of three members, is chaired by Dr. James Morrison, long-time chair of the Psychology Department and former long-time chair of this body.  Dr. Sweet summoned me to the President’s office on February 21 to inform me of the creation of this committee.  

Meanwhile, further information about the case reached me from other University employees, prompting me to meet with a potential key witness to encourage his agreement to provide testimony to Dr. Morrison’s committee.  The witness did agree, and Dr. Morrison informs me that he is cooperating fully.  Based on all that I know up to this point, I believe Dr. Sweet has acted responsibly in the course of action that he has taken, and I applaud him on this count.  

I believe that Dr. Sweet has acted in the spirit of the Senate-approved Professional Conduct Policy.  I remember a time, not too many years ago, when a call by certain members of the campus community for an independent committee to investigate a charge of professional misconduct fell on deaf ears.  It appears, then, that there has been progress in this arena.  Word about this committee and the case that it is investigating has apparently reached the campus press, and you may be reading about it as soon as tomorrow.  I am confident that Dr. Morrison and his committee will conduct a fair, impartial, and thorough investigation.

Howard Mettee, Department of Chemistry: Who else is on the committee?

Shipka:  Darla Funk from the Dana School of Music, and retired faculty member George Letchworth, I believe.

Ohio Faculty Council (OFC):   Daryl Mincey, our elected representative to the OFC, presented highlights from the OFC report attached to these minutes as Attachment 1 at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/feb03_ofc.pdf>.  He noted that representatives from unionized campuses will update the OFC concerning conditions on their campuses at the next meeting; Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez will provide the update for YSU.

College of Fine and Performing Arts Update:   Shipka announced that the deans of the undergraduate colleges and the School of Graduate Studies will provide college/school updates over the next few meetings--one dean per Senate meeting. He introduced Dean George McCloud to present the update for the College of Fine and Performing Arts.

Dean McCloud highlighted the composition and quality of the College: 

• Composed of the Art Department, the Communication and Theater Department, and the Dana School of Music, the College is among the best of its type.  It is one of three in Ohio with accreditations in all three areas.

• The College is also proud to be associated with the Beecher Center for Technology in the Arts, in partnership with the Butler Institute of American Art; SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts), an outreach program to schools in the area; the Performing Arts Series; and the McDonough Museum, a teaching museum that is asset to the College and the community.

Faculty, staff, and students in the College are exceptional.  Recent notable accomplishments (and associated faculty and staff) include the following, among others:

• Awards of over $900,000 in technology grants (Susan Russo).

• SMARTS' move downtown, with over $500,000 in capital and another $500,000 in operations.

• Jazz Downbeat performance of the year (Kent Englehardt), and a performance by the Dave Holland Quintet at the Leonardi Legacy Concert (soon thereafter, Holland received a Grammy).

• Recent musical Sideshow (Frank Castronovo, director), and other fine theater (Dennis Henneman, Jane Shanabarger, John Murphy, fine students).

• McDonough bequest of $300,000 and Swanston support for the Scholastic Art events (Leslie Brothers).

• $200,000 from the Bliss family; and $100,000 from the Cliffe family for the visiting artists series (which brought Aiden Quinn to campus and will bring the painter Feng Jiang).

• Telecommunications faculty (Fred Owens) producing football games and launching an academic game show.

• $100,000 dollars from an alum to care for pianos, and $28,000 raised this year alone to support the Performing Arts Series (Michele Lepore-Hagan).

• YSU Wind Ensemble (Steve Gage), Piano Week (Caroline Oltmanns), and Cleveland Duo premier (Jim Umble).

On the horizon are the following:

• A BFA and an MA in Art Education, an MA with emphasis in Jazz Studies, a BA in music recording technology.

• A new art wing in Bliss Hall; plus a new concert hall downtown by fall 2005 to serve as the performance home for the Dana School of Music.

• A national sculpture competition.

Toughest challenges include the following:

• As for all of us, the funding situation. The College is looking forward to participating in the Centennial Campaign and maintaining its current momentum.

• Managing a very complex environment in which collaboration is everything.

• Recruiting and retaining a superior student body.

• Facilitating the ambitions of exceptional faculty, staff, and students.

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

Academic Standards Committee (ASC):   Pete Beckett, chair of the committee, provided background and made the motion that was attached to the agenda for the March 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/mar03_asc.htm>:

"Unless the minor is specified by the new major, a student who has been in continuous enrollment and changes majors can use the minor requirements under any catalog during which he or she has been in continuous attendance."  

The motion was seconded, and discussion followed, focusing on the following:

• Would the proposed policy be too cumbersome and confusing?  Were the College advisors consulted? (No.)  Would the proposed policy make preparation of senior sheets and certifying students for graduation more difficult?

• On the contrary, wouldn’t the proposed policy simplify advising and provide more flexibility for students, especially those who have been here quite some time when they decide to change majors?

• With the switch to semesters, we implemented new policies/procedures for creating and declaring minors. Were differences between the old and new procedures considered?

• Should minors be treated like general education, with students having the option to choose between old and new requirements?

Becket said the ASC felt that students shouldn’t be discouraged from changing majors just because of the necessity of changing minors at the same time.  The committee would welcome a friendly amendment. 

There was considerable discussion, but no agreement about wording of a friendly amendment was reached.

Charles Singler, Geological and Environmental Sciences, moved that we return the motion to the Academic Standards Committee for further consideration and ask the committee to report back at the April Senate meeting.

Singler’s motion was seconded, a vote was taken, and the motion to return the original motion to the Academic Standards Committee  carried.

Academic Programs Committee (APC):  No additional report. Shipka noted the report that was attached to the agenda for the March 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/mar03_aprc.htm>; no action is required.

University Curriculum Committee:  No additional report. Shipka noted the report that was attached to the agenda for the March 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/mar03_ucc.htm>; no action is required.

Academic Planning Committee:  No report.

General Education Committee (GEC):  No additional report.  A list of newly certified courses was attached to the agenda for the March 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/mar03_gec.htm>.  No action is required.

Integrated Technologies Committee; University Outreach Committee:  No reports. 

Library Committee:  No additional report.  An informational report was attached to the agenda for the March 5 Senate meeting at <http://www.www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/mar03_lc.htm>.

Academic Research Committee; Student Academic Affairs Committee; Student Academic Grievance Committee; Honors Committee, Academic Events Committee:  No reports.

New business:  None.  Shipka noted that he expects the appointment of a new executive director for Maag Library to be announced soon.  He feels the search committee identified an extraordinarily strong candidate.

Adjournment:  The meeting adjourned at 4:46 p.m.