Recap of University Senate's Feb. 16 meeting

Here is a recap of the University Senate's meeting held Feb. 16.

Faculty salaries discussed

Patricia Hart, Senate chair, opened the meeting with remarks about faculty salaries.

Hart noted that the 2012 COACHE survey -- which asked faculty members about their workplace experiences, job satisfaction and career development -- found that salary was faculty's top concern. The follow-up COACHE survey, now open through mid-April, will provide updated data about faculty's level of concern about salary, Hart said.

Hart requested that the Office of the Provost assemble detailed data that would allow the University to compare its faculty salaries to those of peers.

President Daniels agreed on the importance of the issue, since faculty salary data have not been updated since 2011. He expressed eagerness to work with faculty members on it, noting that he and Deba Dutta, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, will develop a plan to gather updated data.

Once the data are compiled, the conversation about faculty salaries will continue. Daniels also said that the University is currently in the process of determining possible pay increases for 2015-16.

Promotion and tenure documents

Dutta announced minor updates to the three draft documents related to Purdue's faculty promotion and tenure. The documents were discussed at January's Senate meeting.

The changes are a result of feedback the Office of the Provost has received from faculty members on all campuses.

The Office of the Provost will continue to receive faculty members' comments and will adjust to the documents as necessary, Dutta said.

Once the Office of the Provost finishes incorporating feedback into the documents, the Executive Policy Review Group and the University Policy Committee will review them. Then, the Board of Trustees will review and approve the documents before they go into effect.

The updated documents cover procedures for granting academic tenure and promotion, academic tenure, and criteria for recognition of academic achievement.

Scheduling of evening exams

The Senate unanimously passed a proposed revision to the University's examination scheduling regulation. The revision is intended to provide students with a clear path to advocate on their own behalf when faced with scheduling conflicts resulting from evening exams, said Senator Hal Kirkwood, associate professor of library science.

The approved document is available here.

Scholastic delinquencies and readmissions policy

The Senate unanimously passed changes to the policy governing the Committee on Scholastic Delinquencies and Readmissions.

The changes are intended to streamline the reapplication process for students initially approved for admission and to reduce the burden on faculty members who serve on the committee, Kirkwood said.

The approved document is available here.

Classroom improvement resolution

Michael Fosmire, professor of libraries, introduced a proposed resolution that would recommend that the University devote additional resources to the refurbishment of Purdue's West Lafayette classrooms, including providing new tables and chairs, to create more functional learning spaces.

Several Senators offered comments and suggestions related to the proposal.

During the discussion, Bill Sullivan, Purdue's treasurer and chief financial officer, said the University is gathering information about Purdue's spaces. He emphasized plans to work with faculty members to determine where money needs to be invested.

Sullivan said his office will continue gathering data and will return to the Senate to discuss possible next steps.

Student course evaluations

David Sanders, associate professor of biological sciences, introduced a proposal that would change the requirements tied to student course evaluations.

The proposal would eliminate mandatory year-end course evaluations and mandate midterm course evaluations that pose a range of questions to students. Questions would focus on specific items of learning and teaching rather than overall assessments of the course or instructor.

The proposed resolution is available here. The Senate is expected to vote on the matter in March.

Nominees for Senate vice chair

The Senate will elect a vice chair in March for the 2015-16 academic year, and Hart announced that Sanders is a nominee.

According to Senate bylaws, at least two nominees are required, Hart said. She encouraged senators to nominate one or more additional candidates before the next meeting. Nominations can also be accepted from the Senate floor next month before the vote.

Kirk Alter, associate professor of building construction management, is current vice chair. He will serve as Senate chair during 2015-16.

Senate term limits

Due to the length of this month's agenda, senators postponed further discussion of a proposed amendment to the Senate bylaws that would eliminate term limits.

The Senate is expected to continue discussion on the proposal in March and to vote on the matter in April.

The proposal can be found here.

Writer: Amanda Hamon Kunz, 49-61325, ahamon@purdue.edu