Regular Meeting of the University Faculty Senate

December 2, 1991

Minutes

Steven Dentel, Robert Knecht, Richard Libera, Betty McGrath, Michelle Provost- Craig

Senators excused were:

Kenneth Biederman, Bernard Herman, Anne McCourt-Lewis, Jon Olson, David P. Roselle, William Saylor, Edward Schweizer, Janet Smith

1. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

   The Senate adopted the agenda as published.

2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

   The Senate approved the Minutes of the November 4 meeting as published.

3. REMARKS BY PROVOST PIPES

   Provost Pipes discussed Parallel Program expansion in Georgetown, the Middle States Accreditation visit, the progress of the Budget Council, admissions, changes in telephone service, the Longwood Foundation grant, research funding, and the plus/minus grading system. After noting that the University will share space with Delaware State and DelTech in the higher education building in Georgetown, Provost Pipes reaffirmed the University's commitment to providing higher education in southern Delaware. He also drew attention to the visit of the Middle State Accreditation team on February 23 through 26.

   Provost Pipes discussed the activities of the Budget Council, announcing that the budget must be reduced by $8.3 million for the next year which will include the loss of 76 positions, 40 of which are vacancies. Provost Pipes pointed out that of the budget reductions already made, 18.8% of the cuts have been in the administrative side, 14.4% in academic support, and 7.9% in academic units. He announced that programs still under discussion include Medical Technology, Interior Design, American Studies, Cognitive Sciences, and Neuroscience. He also announced that he had made a budgetary presentation before the Coordinating Committee on Education and the Committee on Budgetary and Space Priorities.

   Provost Pipes disclosed that admissions are up 10% and that the Admissions Office has initiated a new enrollment management committee whose primary objective is to include faculty in the admissions process. He reminded the Senate that the telephone numbers on campus will change on January 18th.

   Provost Pipes also announced that the University had received a major grant of $2.5 million from the Longwood Foundation for the development of the new chemistry, biochemistry, and marine studies building. In the area of research, Provost Pipes reported an increase in the number of proposals for sponsored programs to $37 million in proposals and that over $500,000 is being distributed within the University for faculty research.

   Provost Pipes ended by reaffirming that faculty have the authority and responsibility to measure student performance, that students have the right to uniformity and equity in grading systems, and that the Provost's Office will enforce policies that have been duly passed by the Faculty Senate.

4. ANNOUNCEMENTS

   Senate President Taggart announced that the Senate Office is receiving two new printers and a fax machine. He also reiterated the Senate attendance policy, reminding Senators that substitutes can attend and speak in Senate meetings, but they cannot vote unless they are permanent replacements elected by secret ballot. He announced the results of the 1992 apportionment which increases the number of Senators by one added to the number of Senators from the College of Agricultural Sciences. Finally, he reported that the Committee on Committees and Nominations' review of the Committee on Faculty Welfare and Privileges is close to completion.

   Announcements for Challenge: After amending the Bilingualism portion of the proposed revision of the B.A. in Educational Studies (attached), the Senate approved the proposal. The Senate also approved the change in the name of the Department of Sociology to the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice.

5. NEW BUSINESS

   1. A resolution brought by Senator Signorielli who agreed to a substitute resolution proposing a return to the grading system in effect through the 1990/1991 academic year as of September, 1992. After voting down an amendment that attempted to make the change immediate, and discussing issues of faculty prerogative, Senate intention, the Senate history of plus/minus, the reliability of catalogue information and the meaning of "optional," the Senate approved the following resolution substituted for the original substitute resolution:

      WHEREAS,

      the University Faculty Senate approved the establishment of a plus/minus grading system on May 6, 1985 by a vote of 29 to 25, and

      WHEREAS,

      the Senate renewed its analysis of the merits of a plus/minus grading system in an informational discussion (no motion presented) at its meeting of March 2, 1987, and

      WHEREAS,

      the Senate reaffirmed its support of a plus/minus grading system on November 13, 1989 by a vote of 32 to 22, and

      WHEREAS,

      in each of these three meetings there were explicit comments that the plus/minus system should only be approved if it were optional for each faculty member, and

      WHEREAS,

      due to delays relating to the installation of a new computer system for student records, the plus/minus grading system was implemented for the first time in the fall of 1991, with the result that many current faculty are at a considerable distance from the original discussion, and

      WHEREAS,

      the plus/minus grading system currently implemented is being interpreted as a non-optional grading policy, be it therefore

      RESOLVED,

      that the Senate reaffirms the existence of the 11-point grading system with the understanding that the faculty may use as many points as in their academic judgment are appropriate for the purposes of evaluating the students' academic achievement.

Respectfully submitted,

Judith Roof
Senate Secretary

rg