Recap of University Senate's April 20 meeting

Here is a recap of the University Senate's meeting of April 20.

English Language Center

The Senate approved a resolution on a proposal from the Student Affairs Committee to develop an English Language Center. The main purpose of the center would be to help international students who meet English language requirements for admission but would benefit from additional English language instruction. The center would support the development of language skills that would allow international students not only to graduate in a timely manner, but graduate with the English language skills that would enhance opportunities after graduation. Core center courses would focus on students with TOEFL iBT scores between 80 and 100. The vote was 52 yes, 4 no, 1 abstaining.

Nominees for faculty committees

These new members of the University Grade Appeals Committee were approved to serve terms through the end of summer session 2018: Roy Dejoie, management; Jan Lugowski, mechanical engineering technology; and Krishnamurthy Sriramesh, communication.

These new members of the University Censure and Dismissal Procedures Committee were approved to serve terms through May 31, 2018: Peter Hirst, horticulture and landscape architecture, regular member; Fabrice Baudoin, mathematics, alternate member; Paul Brown, forestry and natural resources, alternate member; Christopher Eckhardt, psychological sciences, alternate member; Michael Gunderson, agricultural economics, alternate member; Michael Johnston, English, alternate member; Jan Lugowski, mechanical engineering technology, alternate member; and Melanie Schoffner, English, alternate member.

The vote was 58 yes, 0 no, 0 abstaining.

Embedded outcomes in the undergraduate core curriculum

The Senate approved a proposal to revise the makeup of the embedded outcomes list, reducing it from 11 to three by synthesizing the existing list. The three would be 1) communication, 2) ways of thinking, and 3) interpersonal skills and intercultural knowledge. The concept is to make the embedded outcomes more malleable at the departmental level without raising or lowering standards. The vote was 55 yes, 2 no, 2 abstaining.

Term limits for senators

The Senate defeated a proposal to amend Senate bylaws to allow a three-term limit for senators. The proposal stated that the current two-term limit bars experienced members from Senate service, potentially reducing the Senate's effectiveness and influence in the University, and reduces the influence of legislative chambers in relation to other institutions.

Discussion of the proposal included a presentation by Senator Michael Hill, who opposed the amendment. Hill explained that the Senate had no term limits before April 2012, when the group voted in favor of adopting the current two-year term limit. The two-year limit was meant to help diversify the Senate and its committees, increase faculty participation and prevent stagnation with the introduction of new members' ideas, concerns and viewpoints.

Hill also said that Senate bylaws allow any committee to recruit ex-officio advisers, which gives committees the chance to work with experienced former senators. Hill said the Senate needed to allow time for the 2012 change to be fully assessed.

The vote was 18 yes, 39 no, 2 abstaining.

Term limits for chair and vice chair

This proposal would change the terms of the chair and vice chair from the current one year to two years. The Senate postponed the vote until September to allow for further discussion.

Resolution regarding State Enrolled Act 101, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act

The Senate voted in favor of a resolution reaffirming its commitment to the University’s nondiscrimination policy and opposing State Enrolled Act 101, The Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The resolution also strongly urged Gov. Mike Pence and state legislators to repeal the act. The vote was 52 yes, 4 no, 2 abstaining.

Report on Provost's Research Design Team

Kirk Alter, Senate vice chair, presented a report on the Provost's Research Design Team, assembled in February by Provost Deba Dutta to develop a research plan for assessing student growth at Purdue. Team members are Matthew Ohland, professor of engineering education; John Greene, professor of communication; and Ala Samarapungavan, professor and head of the Department of Educational Studies. The team is focusing on two key research questions: "What is critical thinking?" and "What purposes does or should a measure of critical thinking growth serve?"

Alter said two scopes of work were being considered for approval:

* The Provost's Research Design Team and Student Growth Task Force Oversight Committee will develop and execute a survey of Purdue stakeholders to build a consensus on the definition of critical thinking. They also will identify an instrument to measure critical thinking and design an experimental plan for a longitudinal study of student growth at Purdue using the measurement instrument.

* The President's Office and the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Effectiveness will select and administer a standardized test to 360 incoming freshmen in Fall 2015.

Alter encouraged faculty who have suggestions or are interested in being part of the design team to contact him at alterk@purdue.edu. Alter's presentation is available here.

Intercollegiate Athletics report

Morgan Burke, vice president-director of intercollegiate athletics, briefly discussed the Athletics' annual report. Burke also answered questions submitted by senators on head injuries and concussions; medical coverage for student-athletes; unions for college athletes; Athletics as a self-sustaining program; academic fraud at the University of North Carolina; and travel to Maryland and Rutgers.

Update on Canvas LMS pilot

Stephen Beaudoin, chair of the CANVAS pilot steering committee and interim associate vice provost, presented an update on the yearlong pilot of the Canvas Learning Management System, a potential alternative to Blackboard. Feedback from pilot participants will help inform the recommendation of the Canvas pilot steering committee, composed of faculty, staff and students from each school and all regional campuses, to either adopt Canvas or renew Purdue's contract with Blackboard, which is set to expire in the fall of 2017. The committee is expected to make a recommendation this summer. Instructors who would like to try out CANVAS can get a "sandbox" account by contacting tlt-consulting@purdue.edu.

Guidelines for enhancing Purdue's equity and diversity web presence

Alberto Rodriguez, chair of the Senate's Equity and Diversity Committee, discussed the committee's work on guidelines to enhance Purdue's equity and diversity Web presence. The committee created the guidelines, which include suggestions on content, image selection and placement of diversity-related links, following a review of campus websites. Rodriguez asked senators to help distribute the guidelines across colleges and departments. The committee plans another review of websites next year.