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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> Faculty Senate Notes
Post Info TOPIC: Faculty Senate Notes
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Faculty Senate Notes
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From a Faculty Senator:

FYI - some faculty senate notes:


Your Faculty Senate met on Friday, September 5. Both President Saunders and Provost Lyman addressed the Senate. Here a few highlights of that meeting.
 
President Saunders reported (1) that there will be a workshop on writing grants for the NEH and NEA; interested faculty should contact Dr. Burges office. (2) Football ticket sales are at record highs. (3) Likewise enrollment is up 2% overall; 10% among freshmen; 5% among graduate students; and an astonishing +16% on the Gulf Coast. (4) A University Convocation on September 23 will reveal the newest developments in the Strategic Plan. (5) Finally, she addressed the recent hazing incident on campus, reiterating the institutions unwavering intolerance of such activity. The offending fraternity house has been closed and the guilty parties will be legally charged.
 
The Senate kept Provost Lyman busy for almost an hour. He spoke at length about increasing enrollment. (1) His office is studying a list of Akiller courses@ that may be deterring retention and what the institution can do to prepare our students better for such rigorous academic experiences. (2) He acknowledged the many problems with textbook prices and the perception by some faculty that Barnes and Noble is price-gouging. Considerable discussion ensued among the Senate about the bookstore. We plan to request the manager of the Barnes and Noble bookstore to address the Senate later this fall. (3) We need to study course fees, which are not intended to be a revenue-generating source for departmental budgets. (4) Three deans searches are underway: Education and Psychology again, Health, and USM Gulf Coast. The last should have its finalist within a month or so.
 
In other matters, the Senate considered proposals to (1) continue the process of revising the Faculty Handbook to reflect appropriate measures, (2) begin the use of the national Faculty Survey of Student Engagement in addition to the student survey already in use, and (3) study the creation of a University Club.
 
[addition contributed by Jennifer Brannock]  The library was mentioned on several occasions at the Friday faculty senate meeting.  One professor (Science/Tech prof) asked the Provost if it would be possible for the library to get more money for online journals b/c the library doesn't have adequate funding.  The Provost said that Dr. Kiehl wants to actually cut/move away from journals and put more money into the book collection.  There was a sigh or 2 in the room after this was announced.  Later another professor asked if there was any way that we could have consortium agreements with MSU and Ole Miss to get more journals.  I knew about Magnolia, but couldn't comment on the consortiums that the library participates in.  Dr. Kiehl will be will be asked to talk to the Faculty Senate in the next several months to discuss these and other library issues.

*  *  *
Your Faculty Senate meets on the first Friday of every month. The formal minutes of the meetings, and audiorecordings of the full sessions, are included on the Senates website:
 
 
You are always welcome to attend Senate meetings. We are honored to represent you.

Sincerely, 
Your Collegiate Senatorial Delegation

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ram


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Books or journals? Food or medicine? But damn, don't campus look nice? And how 'bout that new endzone seating?

I know, I know. The money comes from different sources, so it really doesn't say anything about very screwed up priorities.

One question: the "sigh or 2" adverted to above makes me think that faculty see the need for more journal subscriptions. How is the need to improve "the book collection" assessed?

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Anonymous

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In other matters, the Senate considered proposals to (1) continue the process of revising the Faculty Handbook to reflect appropriate measures,

What are these "appropriate measures"?  To whom are the "appropriate"?

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Toga

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You mean Car Dealer World?  The end zone suites? 



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Anonymous

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What are the "appropriate revisions" to the Handbook?

Shouldn't there be widespread discussion of any such changes?

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Jameela Lares


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Anonymous wrote:

What are the "appropriate revisions" to the Handbook?

Shouldn't there be widespread discussion of any such changes?


It is my understanding that these notes are early releases prior to the regular minutes.  See http://www.usm.edu/fsenate/minutes/index.html.  Your questions will probably be answered there in due time.

Jameela

 



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Curmudgeon


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It will be interesting to see further discussion of the concept "killer courses." It appears that there are actually a few courses on campus which involve some bad grades. Perhaps some praise is in order for departments and instructors that courageously attempt to maintain meaningful academic standards in the face of powerful headwinds in an era of rampant grade inflation.

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