Recap of University Senate’s Oct. 21 meeting

Here is a recap of the University Senate's meeting of Oct. 21. Minutes from the meeting will be posted on the Senate website closer to the next Senate meeting on Nov. 18.

Inclusion resolution. Purdue senators approved a resolution proposing that commercial entities on campus promote inclusivity and uphold the same values the University cites in its own policies. The resolution was presented by Audrey Ruple, chair of the Senate’s Equity and Diversity Committee and assistant professor of public health.

Graduate Student Bill of Rights. Matthew Conaway, member of the Student Affairs Committee (filling in for David Sanders, chair) and associate professor of bands, presented a resolution suggesting a revision of some of the language in the Purdue Graduate Student Bill of Rights. During the spring 2019 semester, a petition was circulated by Steven Landry, professor and acting head of industrial engineering, to Purdue senators. The petition asked senators to reconsider the document proposing the Purdue Graduate Student Bill of Rights that was approved by the University Senate in November 2018.

In the petition, Landry wrote that he was asking the document to be reconsidered because he believed supporting the bill of rights would be “highly detrimental to faculty and staff.”

James Mohler, associate dean of the Graduate School, wrote a rebuttal to Landry’s petition.

After Landry’s petition received the number of signatures needed to revisit the document, Conaway told senators at the Oct. 21 meeting that a solution to Landry’s concerns was to revise some of the language in the document. Senators voted to move the discussion of the proposed amended changes to the Nov.18 meeting.

Airport parking. Senators approved a resolution presented by Linda Prokopy, chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee and professor of forestry and natural resources, asking the University to rescind a decision to reimburse employees for airport parking only up to the rates charged in the economy lots. The resolution cited safety concerns, early morning departures, late-night arrivals, and mobility challenges. The university has partnered with FastPark & Relax, which provides covered parking and an on-demand shuttle service. The policy change aligns Purdue’s reimbursement policies with those at Indiana University.

Educational Policy Committee. Two senators were nominated to the Educational Policy Committee: Libby Richards, professor of nursing, and Eric Kvam, professor of materials engineering.

Course retake policy. Andrew Freed, chair of the Education Policy Committee and professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, presented a document proposing an amendment to the course retake policy. The proposed amendment to the policy would allow students to enroll in a non-repeatable course three times without needing approval of an academic advisor. The currently policy says that a student must receive consent from an academic advisor to repeat a course up to two times.

Health care plan changes. Senators approved a resolution presented by Prokopy asking the University to rescind the 2020 health care plan changes. The resolution says the 2020 health care plan changes were made without appropriately engaging the University Senate. Senators voted to suspend the rules so that they could vote on the matter during the meeting.

Local transportation options. Conaway presented a resolution to create an ad hoc committee that would help inform students of local transportation options and the rules that accompany them. Purdue Police Chief John Cox also spoke to senators about the proposed committee, saying that a committee would help educate students about the options, rules and regulations when it comes to transportation – such as skateboards, bicycles and scooters. The measure will be voted on at the Nov. 18 meeting.

Academic rigor. Kevin Mumford and Timothy Bond, both associate professors of economics, gave a report on academic rigor – focusing on grade inflation -- at Purdue after analyzing academic records over the last nine years. Mumford and Bond said Purdue remains a place where it’s harder to earn a high grade than our peers, but grades have climbed dramatically since 2009. About one-third of grade inflation was caused by better prepared students, another third was caused by students selecting courses and instructors who award higher grades, and the last third was unexplained. Mumford and Bond will continue presenting their findings and methodology to the Purdue community in the coming months. 

Athletic Affairs Committee report. Steven Scott, student affairs liaison for the Athletic Affairs Committee and associate professor of pharmacy practice, provided the annual report from the Athletic Affairs Committee. The report gave an overview of academic performance of athletes for the 2018-19 academic year, as well as GPA averages for each athletic team. Scott also highlighted some of the goals for the committee for the 2019-20 academic year, such as fostering better communication of academic successes and community involvement of student athletes.

Writer: Abbey Nickel, 765-496-1325, nickela@purdue.edu