Academic 12-4-18

December 13, 2018

MEETING START TIME: 6:20PM

ATTENDANCE:

Committee: Chair Morabito, Vice Chair Nelson, Senator Leach, Senator D’Aguanno, Senator McGrath, Senator Menard, Senator Morris

Absent:

Non-Committee: Senator Baglini, President Wilding

DISCUSSION:

TOPIC 1: Menard’s Sakai Resolution

  • Resolution calling for student senate to be involved in any potential replacement of the sakai platform
  • IT strategic governance committee is a faculty senate committee that is already represented by senate via President Wilding being a representative
  • Menard still wants more than one voice of student senate on the committee regarding deciding the new platform
  • Online Learning Management system is a committee with one student representative, Ariana Lebutti, is the committee handling the decision for which new platform will be used
  • The CIO of the IT government is coming to public forum tomorrow
  • Tophat is not going to be used as a learning management system and will not replace sakai but it will help aid professors in taking attendance
  • Carliss can also answer questions on Tophat
  • IT gov has been trying to come to senate for over a year and has not showed up to the dates they signed up for
  • President wilding can get IT gov members to come to senate to discuss what platforms they are interested in
  • Good thing about this is that it’s vote next semester which will give IT gov time to look over this before it is voted on
  • Motion to have Academic Affairs Committee sponsor this bill (6-0-1)
  • Committee recognition (5-0-2)

TOPIC 2: Menard’s Wiley Plus Resolution

  • Resolution calling for the University of Rhode Island and Faculty Senate to reconsider their use of any John Wiley & Sons published  textbooks and software
  • Adriana suggested to go after McGraw Hill and Connect as well instead of just going after Wiley because they all have problems
  • Johnny says this may get push back from professors due to this restricting their academic freedom so this will be an “uphill battle”
  • Johnny is trying to plan a meeting with Academic Committee and the provost, which this might be a good time to bring this issue up
  • Motion for Academic to sponsor this resolution (6-0-1)

TOPIC 3: Final Exam Rights

  • Tomorrow booth is open from 1-5PM
  • Tomorrow the library is donating $100 worth of cookies from the dining hall
  • If anyone has any food allergies pleases let us know because the cookies may contain peanuts or treenuts

TOPIC 4:Future Plans of Academic Plans

  • More on the path of affordable course materials because we are making resolutions against Tophat and Wiley
  • Paul Whitney really wants affordable course materials because that means more students buy materials at the bookstore than on amazon
  • Examsoft might be coming soon to take online exams that turn on your webcams to assure you are the right person taking the exam
    • Everyone dislikes this as a violation of privacy
  • Work with OMBUD awareness
  • Limit the use of timed online quizzes and exams due to the limitations on people with learning disabilities

Extra:

Nelson motions to adjourn, seconded by Morabito (7-0-0)

MEETING ADJOURNMENT TIME: 7:15PM