A&S Faculty Assembly Minutes April 24 2000

College of Arts & Sciences

FACULTY ASSEMBLY MINUTES

April 24, 2000

Professor Albert Harris, Chair, called the meeting to order at 3:05 pm.

The minutes of the meeting of January 19, 2000, were approved as distributed.

The Chair recognized Assistant Dean Taylor who requested approval of the August and December 1999 graduates and the May 2000 candidates, pending their successful completion of all requirements. Approval was moved and seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

The Chair recognized Professor Richardson, Director of Honors, who moved, seconded by the Honors Advisory Committee, the approval of Jason Newkirk as the Woodcock Medalist for 2000. The motion was approved unanimously.

The Chair opened the floor for nominations for Chair of the Faculty Assembly for AY 2000-2001. Professor Pfeffer nominated Professor Harris. The nomination was seconded. It was moved, seconded, and carried that nominations cease. The Chair put the question and Professor Harris was re-elected.

The floor was then opened for nomination for Parliamentarian for AY 2000-2001. Professor Byers nominated Professor Billingsley. The nomination was seconded. It was moved, seconded, and carried that nominations cease. The Chair put the question and Professor Billingsley was re-elected.

Professor Pfeffer introduced a resolution thanking Professors Harris and Billingsley for their service to the Assembly during the past year. The resolution carried unanimously.

The Chair recognized Dean Willihnganz who spoke briefly about the document to be introduced on the floor and summarized the status of actions in the other units on the new general education program and the proposed university-wide committee.

The Chair recognized Associate Provost Howarth who stated his confidence that editorial changes to the document would be considered friendly by the other units.

At the Chair’s suggestion the assembly discussed the document informally before it was moved to the floor. Discussion included Professors Weissbach, Howarth, McCarthy, Segal, Stenger, T. Maloney, Wise, Cumbler, Pfeffer, Flodstrom, Billingsley, Huot, Dakan, Journet, and Laemmle.

Professor Howarth noted that “Transitional Studies” should be removed from the list of ex-officio members of the proposed committee.

Professor Dakan moved that the proposal for the Undergraduate Council Subcommittee be brought to the floor. The motion was seconded and the entire motion was now before the Assembly.

The Chair recognized Professor Byers who moved to change the title of the proposed body to “General Education Course Committee” wherever in the document it occurred. The motion was seconded.

Hearing no call for discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried.

The Chair again recognized Professor Byers who moved to amend by striking the text of the motion from the beginning of the text through the second sentence of paragraph three and revising the third sentence of paragraph three to read, “The General Education Course Committee’s responsibility is to determine whether general education courses proposed by unit curriculum committees meet the specified learning outcomes established by the faculty of the University.”

The Chair recognized Professor Weissbach who proposed to amend Professor Byers’ amendment by substituting “specified learning outcomes guidelines” for “specified learning outcomes.” The motion to amend was seconded.

Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question on Professor Weissbach’s amendment, and it carried.

The Chair announced that Professor Byers’ amendment, as amended, was now before the house. Discussion included Professors Cumbler, Chalmers, and Pfeffer.

Professor Pfeffer moved the previous question. Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question on the amendment itself and the motion carried.

At 4:10 pm the Chair recessed the Assembly for 5 minutes, during which he asked Professors Journet, Chalmers, and Howarth to draft language for a sunset clause for the document.

At 4:15 pm the Chair called the Assembly to order.

Professor Journet proposed the following motion to be placed at the end of the document:

This committee’s authority will expire at the end of AY 2000-2001. During AY 2000-2001, the Committee will develop and return to the faculty a process for the continuous assessment of the General Education Program.

The motion was seconded.

Discussion included Professors Weissbach, Journet, Stenger, Byers, Bosquet, Pfeffer, Willard, Segal, Hudson, Dakan, Huot, Ferre, McCarthy, Wise, and Williams.

Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the questions on Professor Journet’s motion and it carried. A division of the house was called, and the motion carried with 32 in favor and 9 opposed.

The Chair recognized Professor Weissbach, who announced that he had five motions to propose.

Professor Weissbach moved that the document be amended to provide for nine instead of seven members from A&S; on the committee. The motion was seconded.

Discussion included Professors Howarth, Wise, Chalmers, Huot, and Byers.

Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried.

Professor Weissbach moved and was seconded substitution of the following for the paragraph on ex-officio members:

Ex-officio, non-voting, members may be added to the General Education Course Committee by the committee chair. These may include one representative from each of the following: (present list, with deletion of Transitional Studies).

Hearing no call for discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried.

Professor Weissbach moved to strike the final paragraph of the document headed, “Review of Undergraduate Council.”

Professor McCarthy called for a quorum count. Announcing that the Assembly had lost a quorum, the Chair declared the meeting recessed at 4:55 pm.