Academic Senate Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio  44555

November 6, 2002

Note 1: Please submit agenda items and cover sheets for the December 4, 2002, Senate meeting to Bege Bowers in the Provost's Office by noon on Wednesday, November 20, 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:

Note 2: If you want to read or print the pdf version of these minutes and don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you may download the program at the following link: <http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html>.

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Major topics presented/discussed: 

Election results and nomination for a second representative to the Ohio Faculty Council; Ohio Faculty Council report; approved changes in academic programs/minors; online academic programs/minors forms; motion on the reporting structure for the General Education Committee and the Academic Standards Committee in matters involving general education; Ad Hoc Ethics Committee's proposed professional conduct policy; Student Government report on undergraduate student advising.

• The following motion carried:  a motion that the General Education Committee's report on the conflict between the charges of the General Education Committee and the Academic Standards Committee--a report that was attached to the agenda for the November 6 Senate meeting as GEC Appendix II (see <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/nov02_gec.htm#appendix_2>)--be forwarded to the Charter and Bylaws Committee for review.
• The following motion failed:  a motion that we amend the proposed Professional Conduct Policy by replacing the number 7 with the number 9 in every reference to votes and implementation thereof.
• The following motion carried:  a motion to call the question (thus ending debate) on the proposed "Youngstown State University Professional Conduct Policy." 
• The following motion carried:  a motion that the Academic Senate approve the "Youngstown State University Professional Conduct Policy" as amended and submitted. 

Jim Morrison, chair of the Academic Senate, called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.  He recognized Louise Aurilio to give the Elections and Balloting Committee report since she needed to leave the meeting early.

Minutes of the 11 September 2002 meeting were approved as posted.

To view the September minutes, click here; click your “Back” button as necessary to return to the November minutes. (The Senate did not meet in October.)

Senate Executive Committee (SEC) / Report from the Chair:  Jim Morrison recognized Tom Shipka to present the Ohio Faculty Council report.

Ohio Faculty Council (OFC):   Tom Shipka, our elected representative to the OFC, presented the report that was attached to the agenda for the November 6 Senate meeting at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/nov02_ofc.htm>.  In an update, he noted that Bege Bowers, YSU's representative on the Ohio Board of Regents' Articulation and Transfer Policy Review Subcommittee, voted with that committee not to consider a proficiency test for general education credit (an issue that had been raised in conjunction with possible revisions to the state's transfer-module system).  However, the subcommittee acts in an advisory capacity to the Articulation and Transfer Committee and to the Chancellor, so the proficiency-test issue may be referred back to the subcommittee at some point.

Charter and Bylaws Committee and Academic Standards Committee (ASC):  No reports.

Academic Programs Committee (APC):  Ray Shaffer, the new chair of the committee, made the report that was attached to the agenda for the November 6 Senate meeting at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/nov02_aprc.htm>.  The Management Information Systems major and Pre-MBA minor were listed in the attachment for information purposes; no action is required.  Send programs/minors proposals to Shaffer in the Department of Accounting and Finance.  Forms may be downloaded at the programs/curriculum portion of the Academic Senate web site at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/curriculum_forms.htm> (one can type directly into the Word version of the forms).

University Curriculum Committee; Academic Planning Committee:  No reports.

General Education Committee (GEC):  Bill Jenkins, chair of the committee, reported:

• The inaugural Freshman Readers Dialogue was a success.  For information about related events, which will continue throughout the academic year, see the schedule posted at <http://www.ysu.edu/watkins/watkins3>.  The planning committee is brainstorming ideas for next year's program and encourages you to submit topics and/or books for consideration.  

• Jenkins then moved that the General Education Committee's report on the conflict between the charges of the General Education Committee and the Academic Standards Committee--a report that was attached to the agenda for the November 6 Senate meeting as Appendix GEC II (see <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/nov02_gec.htm#appendix_2>)--be forwarded to the Charter and Bylaws Committee for review.

The final paragraph of that report, focusing on the "reporting ability" of the GEC, reads as follows: 

"The conflict arises because the Academic Senate has chosen to refer proposals sent forward by the General Education Committee to the Academic Standards Committee for its review.  The Academic Standards Committee then becomes the presenter of a possibly revised resolution regarding the policy proposal originating from the General Education Committee.  Because the General Education Committee is partially elected and also composed of faculty who have much experience in dealing with general education, it is important that the Senate recognize that the Bylaws grant power to the General Education Committee to report directly to the Academic Senate.  It should not be the only Senate committee that must report through another committee."

Jenkins's motion was seconded, a vote was taken, and the motion carried.

• A list of newly certified general education courses was attached to the agenda as Appendix GEC I, at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/nov02_gec.htm#appendix_1>.

Integrated Technologies Committee; University Outreach Committee:  No reports.

Library Committee:  Dorcas Fitzgerald reported that Maag Library has experienced a budget cut.  If journals to which departments have library subscriptions are available electronically/through OhioLINK, consider dropping the subscription.

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

Academic Events Committee:  Lowell Satre, chair of the committee, offered the following report:

The Academic Events Committee met last week.  I was elected chair for the year, and we reviewed last year's activities of the committee and talked about what we might focus on this year.  We noted that there were some notable improvements in academic events last year.  The Honors Convocation ran much more efficiently, as the awards were consolidated--that is, if a student received many awards, he or she received them all at one time--and the students were also much better assembled to receive their awards.  Summer commencement at Beeghly was much improved by the installation of a new sound system.

This past August 25, there was also an Outstanding Freshman Scholars Tribute to recognize incoming honors students, and that was well organized and received.  I believe the Provost intends to continue that event.

We would welcome any comments from Senators on how to improve our academic events, including how to gain greater student and faculty participation in the Honors Convocation.  Last year, Bob Hogue and Rick Shale, members of Senate, mailed me comments.  They were much appreciated.  I can be reached at ljsatre@ysu.edu, or call me at the History Department, extension 1608.

Ad Hoc Ethics Committee:  Proposed Professional Conduct Policy: 

J-C. Smith, chair of the committee, reviewed the history of the proposed policy:  The work of the committee began almost two years ago, when President Sweet called on the Senate to formulate an ethics policy in response to several problems that had arisen.  The committee brought a proposed policy to the Senate last spring, amendments were offered from the floor, we lost a quorum at the final Senate meeting last year, and the issue was tabled at the September 2002 Senate meeting.  The committee reviewed the matter again, endorsed some changes and amendments that had been suggested from the floor, changed language concerning plagiarism in response to debate on the floor, and posted a revised version to the agenda for the November 6 Senate meeting.  That version has been edited slightly and is available at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/prof_conduct_policy_11-02.pdf>. [If you get error messages when you go to the pdf link for the conduct policy, click "ok" and "yes."]

Smith moved that the Academic Senate approve the "Youngstown State University Professional Conduct Policy" as amended and submitted.  The motion was seconded.

Smith summarized changes and provided a list of policy highlights, which is available at <http://www.ysu.edu/acad-senate/professional_conduct_summary.pdf>.  He read the description of plagiarism at the top of page 2 of the full proposed policy, and discussion followed.

Tom Shipka, the administrative representative on the Ad Hoc Ethics Committee:  In my role on the committee, I researched policies in Ohio and at selected universities outside Ohio.  The committee reviewed considerable information, and I think the resulting document is a good one.  We addressed many of the concerns that had been raised, although we could not address them all.  The policy doesn't officially become the "law of the land" even if we approve it here. It will go to the President and the General Counsel for discussion of official Board of Trustees policy.  The President would presumably recommend this policy or a version of it to the Board of Trustees.  We would then need to send the policy to the Charter and Bylaws Committee to make necessary Charter and Bylaws changes, such as the addition of a standing Senate ethics committee.

Charles Singler, Geological and Environmental Sciences, raised questions about the number of people constituting a "majority" and a "quorum," whether language concerning a majority and a quorum is clear throughout the document, and whether decisions should require a vote of 9 rather than 7 individuals (i.e., should require more than a simple majority), since allegations and rulings of professional misconduct have potential serious consequences on one's professional career.  Considerable discussion ensued.

Singler moved that we amend the proposed Professional Conduct Policy by replacing the number 7 with the number 9 in every reference to votes and implementation thereof. The motion to amend was seconded, and discussion continued. 

Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Philosophy and Religious Studies, noted that the Supreme Court of the United States and bar association commissions "decide much graver matters on [the basis of] a simple majority."

Shipka called the question.

A vote on the amendment was taken, and the motion to amend the proposed policy by replacing 7 with 9 failed.

Discussion continued, with Rick Shale offering possible clarifications and Ray Beiersdorfer questioning the phrase "consisting in."  Smith noted that "consisting in" has been changed to "consisting of" in the edited version of the proposed policy.

Shipka moved the previous question.  His motion to call the previous question was seconded (and requires a 2/3 majority to pass).

A voice vote and then a hand vote were taken on the motion to call the question.  The motion to call the question carried, closing debate. 

A vote was taken on the main motion to approve the "Youngstown State University Professional Conduct Policy" as previously amended and submitted.  The motion carried.

New business:  Emily Eckman, a student senator and vice president of the Student Government Association, proposed a motion to send Student Government's report on undergraduate student advisement to the Student Academic Affairs Committee of the Academic Senate.  Jim Morrison noted that a motion to do so isn't necessary, and the report will be forwarded to the Student Academic Affairs Committee. 

Adjournment:  The meeting adjourned at 4:49 p.m.