1. The regular meeting of the Faculty Senate was called to order at 3:03 p.m. in Cherry Auditorium, Chester Kirk Building, Chairperson Rollo-Koster presiding.

All members were present except Senators Anderson, Cohen, Deng, Dunn, Dunsworth, Hutt, Kaufman, Martin, Maynard, Meagher, Menden-Deuer, Pearson-Merkowitz, Roberts, Rynearson, Sama, Wang, and Zhang; ex officio members Vice President Gonzales, Vice President Valentino; Vice Provost Katz; Deans Bonn, Corliss, Ebrahimpour, Sullivan, and Wright.  Associate Dean Seitsinger represented Dean Ciccomascolo, Associate Dean Rhodes represented Dean Kirby, and Associate Dean Rusnock represented Dean Zawia.

2. Chairperson Rollo-Koster announced that the minutes of Faculty Senate meeting #6, February 18, 2016 had been posted with the agenda. She asked if there were any additions, corrections to or questions about the minutes. There were none. Chairperson Rollo-Koster ruled that, in the absence of any changes or corrections, the minutes were approved.

3. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. Announcements

1. Chairperson Rollo-Koster announced that the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Senate were again, for the 6^th year, sponsoring the Sheila Black Grubman Faculty Outstanding Service Award. She said that the award is made to a member of the URI Faculty who has made important contributions in the area of service.  She reminded faculty that deadline for submission of letters of nomination was the end of business on April 1.

2. Chairperson Rollo-Koster reported that the Administrative Evaluation Committees for Vice Provost Beauvais and Dean Kirby had completed their reports and would be meeting with the Provost in the next week to share their evaluations.

3. Chairperson Rollo-Koster reported that the Senate Executive Committee had issued an internal call for applications for the position of Director of General Education. She said that the position would be a half-time appointment of a current faculty member, similar to the Honors Program Director.  She informed faculty with an interest in the position to contact the search chair, Professor Ric Mcintyre, Senators Boudreaux-Bartels or Conley who were also serving on the search committee, or any member of the Executive Committee.

4. Chairperson Rollo-Koster reported that she was serving on the 125th Anniversary (of the University) Steering Committee. She said that many events were being planned.

5. Chairperson Rollo-Koster announced that at today’s meeting the Executive Committee would be recommending changes to sections of Chapter 8 of the University Manual intended to address classroom policies, use of syllabi, and exam scheduling conflicts.

6. Chairperson Rollo-Koster reported that the Constitution, By-Laws, and University Manual Committee would return a motion to the floor to amend By-Laws Section 2.2. At the February 18 Senate meeting, the Senate had approved of conducting a referendum of the General Faculty to amend language in the Constitution of the Faculty Senate. The referendum had passed.  Corollary changes in By-Laws 2.2 would be brought back today to clarify use of the term “part-time.”

7. Chairperson Rollo-Koster thanked Dean Ebrahimpour for graciously agreeing to sponsor a reception after today’s meeting at 95 Upper College Road (former UClub).

8. Chairperson Rollo-Koster reminded non-Senators to sign the Permission to Speak form and asked everyone to remember to wait to be recognized and to identify themselves before speaking.

B. Activities of the Executive Committee

Vice Chairperson Welters announced that the Minutes of 2015-16 Executive Committee meetings #22, #23, #24, and #25 were available on the Faculty Senate website. She asked if there were any questions.  There were none.

C. Recommendations of the Executive Committee

1. Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of the proposed schedule of Faculty Senate meetings for the 2016-2017 academic year:

September 22, 2016
October 20, 2016
November 17, 2016
December 8, 2016
January 26, 2017
February 23, 2017
March 23, 2017
April 20, 2017
May 4, 2017.

The motion passed.

2. Vice Chairperson Welters recommended that the Faculty Senate authorize the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to act on behalf of the Senate between May 5 and September 22, 2016 regarding the approval of courses and/or undergraduate curriculum changes pertaining to the implementation of the General Education Program. The motion was seconded and approved.

3. Vice Chairperson Welters presented proposed changes to University Manual Chapter 8.  She moved approval of changes to 8.27.10 [deletion of language is indicated by strikethrough; addition of language is indicated by bold text]:

8.27.10 Cheating and Plagiarism. Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. Cheating is the claiming of credit for work not done independently without giving credit for aid received, or any unauthorized communication during examinations.  related to the classroom, online, internships, co-ops, study abroad, independent studies, research projects, practica, or other experiential placements.

The motion was seconded.  Discussion followed.  The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.27.16:

8.27.16 Instructors shall have the responsibility of defining plagiarism and informing insuring that students about their expectations regarding the preparation e of all assignments with academic integrity. Instructors shall do all that is feasible to prevent plagiarism in term papers or other written work.

The motion was seconded.  Discussion followed.  Faculty expressed concern that a standard, widely accepted definition of plagiarism was needed.  It was noted that an explanation of academic integrity was covered in the Student Handbook.  A motion to amend the statement by removing “defining plagiarism and” was seconded and approved.  Vice Chairperson Welters returned to discussion of the main motion.  The vote was called. The motion, as amended, was approved.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.27.17.  Associate Dean Seitsinger said that the new name of the College of Continuing Education had not been finalized.  The motion to approve changes to 8.27.17 was withdrawn.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of a new section, 8.27.22:

8.27.22. Course content and outlines, exams, and assignments created by instructors shall be considered the instructors’ intellectual property. Course materials shall not be distributed, shared in any public domain or third party website, or sold without prior written consent of the instructor.

The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of a new section, 8.50.30:

8.50.30 Course Syllabi.  All instructors shall make available a syllabus in the first week of class, or first day of class for fully-online accelerated programs (8.51.24), to students enrolled in each of their courses.  Syllabi components should clearly communicate classroom policies, essential aspects of the course, and expectations of student participation. 

The motion was seconded.  Discussion followed.  Faculty debated the need for including a policy statement on syllabi regarding academic honesty.  The motion was approved.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.11:

8.51.11 Students who plan to be absent from classes or examinations for religious holy days that traditionally preclude secular activity (see 6.20.11 for how such information is made available) shall discuss this with the appropriate instructor(s) in advance of the holy day. The instructor(s) shall then make one of the following options available:

a. the same quiz, test, or examination to be administered either before or after the normally scheduled time;
b. a comparable alternative quiz, test, or examination to be administered either before or after the scheduled time;
c. an alternative weighting of the remaining evaluative components of the course which is the prerogative of the mutually acceptable to the student and instructor(s).

The motion was seconded.  Discussion followed.  Discussion included consideration of the circumstances noted in section 8.51.13.  A motion was made to amend item c. of the section by removing “which is the prerogative of the mutually acceptable to the student and instructor(s).”  The motion was seconded and discussion ensued.  The motion to amend was approved.  Vice Chairperson Welters returned to discussion of the main motion.  The vote was called. The motion, as amended, was approved.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.14:

8.51.14 Requests for make-up of examinations or other work, no matter what for reasons other than those in 8.51.11 and/or 8.51.13, is offered for the absence, must be made within 7 days of before the end of the semester in which the absence(s) occur. The provisions of 8.51.11 – 8.51.143 are not meant to affect instructors’ prerogative to honor or not honor the request. rights to give or not to give an Incomplete grade if the circumstances warrant such action (see sections 8.53.20 – 8.53.21).

The motion was seconded.  Discussion followed.  A motion was made to amend the statement to include “calendar” to qualify the 7 days.  The amendment was approved.  Vice Chairperson Welters returned to the main motion.  The vote was called. The motion, as amended, was approved.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.15:

8.51.15 Examinations given during the semester (not final examinations) may be administered at a time other than the regularly scheduled class hours provided students are notified in advance by the instructor in the Schedule of Courses and in the course syllabus. Examinations given at a time other than the regularly scheduled class hours may not be scheduled to begin earlier than 6:00 p.m. and may not occur on Saturday or Sunday. (See 8.39.10)

The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.16:

8.51.16 Final examinations are not required by the university, but any final examination, with the exception of take-home examinations, must be administered according to the final examination schedule prepared by the Office of Enrollment Services. Any change must be approved by the Office of Enrollment Services. Take-home examinations may be turned in, by mutual agreement, as early as the first day of finals, but students shall have up to the date and time identified in the final exam schedule. Faculty members cannot administer an examination during the last five days classes are in session in lieu of a final examination, but must instead postpone such an examination to be administered according to the final examination schedule. Given university time and space constraints, the Office of Enrollment Services needs to know when a course section will not need a scheduled examination room. Faculty must notify their chairperson or academic supervisor about sections in which they will either administer a take-home examination or no final examination. The department chairperson or academic supervisor must then notify the Office of Enrollment Services of all sections that will not require final examination rooms. #10-11–23

The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.21:

8.51.21 A minimum of 7 calendar days shall be allowed for each final examination period. Exam periods shall be scheduled for a maximum of 3 hours (See 8.70.23). #01-02–27

The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.26:

8.51.26 A student scheduled for two final examinations at the same hour shall report the conflict to the instructors as soon as possible after the schedule of exams has been posted but not later than 2 weeks before the last scheduled class day.  The instructors who shall, in turn, report to the Scheduling Officer. If conflicts are not resolved by the Scheduling Officer, the student shall take examinations in the order in which the classes meet in the regular class schedule.

The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.51.27:

8.51.27 A student scheduled for three final examinations in one day shall report the conflict to the instructors as soon as the Common Examination schedule is posted.  On the day of the examinations, the student shall take on that day the two examinations in the order in which these classes occur in the week of the student’s class schedule (Lecture has priority over Recitation and Laboratory) for the two courses that met first and second in the week during the semester.  It is the responsibility of the student to arrange a time with the instructor of the third class not later than 7 days prior to the last class day to take the final examination at a time that would not result in the student taking three finals examinations in one day.  The instructor of the class occurring third shall make reasonable accommodation for the student to take the examination in a timely fashion even should it result in the student having two examinations on another day during finals.

The motion passed.

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.53.20:

8.53.20 Incomplete. A student shall receive a report of “Incomplete” in any course in which the course work has been passing up until the time of a documented precipitating incident or condition, but has not been completed because of illness or another reason which in the opinion of the instructor justifies the report. An instructor who issues a grade of “Incomplete” may shall forward a written explanation to the student’s academic dean.

The motion passed.

Senator Kirschenbaum asked if the Executive Committee had considered any changes to 8.53.10. Grades. He explained that he has been required to post a grade of NW (Enrolled – No work submitted) in late-drop circumstances in which No Work does not accurately reflect the student’s effort.  Mr. Humphrey, Senior Associate Director of Enrollment Services, responded that NW is an administrative placeholder.  In approved situations, the student’s record ultimately reflects a “W” (Withdrawal).

Vice Chairperson Welters moved approval of changes to 8.54.10:

8.54.10 Reporting of Records. All grades shall be reported to the Office of Enrollment Services on the prescribed form in the student information system no later than 48 hours after the end of the final examination period, with the provision that an extension of time may be allowed in individual cases by approval of the dean of the college on written request of the instructor. No instructor shall submit grades later than 96 hours after the end of the final examination in the course concerned, except that the time limits shall be 72 hours when the examination is given on the next to the last day of the examination period and 48 hours when the examination is given on the last day. If the final examination period ends within 48 hours of December 25, the deadline for submitting grades shall be extended at least one working day after December 25. In the computation of time limits, Sundays and Holidays shall be excluded.

The motion passed.

4. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

The President announced that he planned to increase the faculty travel (development) funds from $30,000 to $60,000 next year. He also informed faculty that there would be a second round of travel support funds from the Carnegie Corporation this summer for international travel intended to develop or expand international partnerships.  The President announced that he would be hosting an Open Forum discussion on April 7, at 12:00 PM, in the Memorial Union Ballroom.  He invited all to attend and hear about the many initiatives that have been ongoing over the past several months.

5. REPORTS OF STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES

A. Professor Gindy presented the Report of the Academic Standards and Calendar Committee #2015-16-3, changes to Section 8.15.12 of the University Manual relating to the college level examination program (CLEP). She explained that the changes were needed to align course codes with the new general education outcome designations and she moved approval. The motion passed.

B. Associate Dean Rusnock presented Curricular Report No. 2015-16-4 from the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate. Three course changes were approved.

C. Professor Owens presented the Five Hundred and Thirty First Report of the Curricular Affairs Committee. She said that Section I was Informational and asked if there were any questions. There were none.  She reported that Section II required Senate approval. Professor Owens moved approval of three new courses. The motion passed.  She moved approval of three course changes.  The motion passed.  She moved approval of “portfolio” as a method of instruction.  The motion was seconded and discussion followed.  The motion failed.  Professor Owens moved approval of a new course code, SAF, from the College of the Environment and Life Sciences for use with the new undergraduate major in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems.  The motion passed.

D. Professor Kinnie presented General Education Committee Report 2015-16-10. He presented a list of 35 existing courses that had been approved for offering in the new general education program including 3 Grand Challenge courses.   He moved approval of 4 new courses for the new program including 2 new Grand Challenge courses. The motion passed.  Professor Kinnie presented and moved approval of 3 courses that had been approved for offering in the new general education program with course changes.  The motion passed.

E. Professor Nassersharif presented the first report of the Committee on Information Technologies, Infrastructure, Computing, Communications, and Networking (CITICCN), initiated in 2015-2016. CITICCN has aligned its work with the newly created presidential committee, the IT Governance Steering Committee (ITgov). CITICCN recommended that ITgov include representation from the Graduate School of Oceanography and the Providence campus, and that the Chief Information Officer be included as an ex-officio member.  In collaboration with ITgov, CITICCN has been engaged with strategic planning, which has been contracted to the consulting firm, BerryDunn.  CITICCN members will participate in strategic planning workshop sessions scheduled in the month of April.  CITICCN has also created a detailed survey to be distributed to all faculty to collect information about all aspects of IT at URI: IT services, infrastructure, computing, networking, and communications.  Professor Nassersharif said that the survey would be released in April.

F. Senator Sullivan deferred presentation of the Report of the Joint Classroom Steering Committee to next month’s meeting.

6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Professor Wenisch was called on to present Report 2015-16 #3 of the Constitution, By-laws, and University Manual Committee.  He returned a motion to the floor to change Section 2.2 of the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate, clarifying use of the term “part-time.”  He explained that, at the February 18 Senate meeting, the Senate had approved conducting a referendum of the General Faculty to change language in the Constitution of the Faculty Senate. The referendum had passed.  Changes to Section 2.2 of the By-Laws, contingent on approval of the changes to the Constitution, had been moved, seconded, and discussed at the February 18 meeting. Professor Wenisch asked if there were any further discussion.  There was none.  The motion to approve changes to Section 2.2 passed.  Professor Wenisch said that the changes to Section 4.11.10 of the University Manual were editorial unless someone were to object.  No one objected.

7. NEW BUSINESS

Chairperson Rollo-Koster asked if there were any New Business. There was none.

8. A motion was made to adjourn. The motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 4:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Neff