Minutes 10-26-12
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Assembly
October 26, 2012
Registering Attendance:
Anthropology: J. Zhao
Biology: D. Schultz
Classical & Modern Lang:W. Cunningham, M. Dalle, B. Fonseca-Greber, M. Groenewold, G. Hutcheson, D. LaLonde, A. Leidner, R. Luginbill, M. Makris, A. Mastri, W. Pfeffer, P. Sanchez, L. Wagner, W. Yoder
Communication: L. Della, J. Ferre, A. Futrell, J. Gregg, D. Seay, S. Smith
English: D. Anderson, M. Biberman, T. Byers, K. Chandler, A. Clukey, J. Dietrich, S. Griffin, P. Griner, K. Hadley, D. Hall, A. Jaffe, K. Kopelson, C. Petrosino, G. Ridley, S. Schneider, B. Williams, E. Wise, T. Yohannes
Fine Arts: S. Jarosi, J. Kim
Geography/Geosciences:C. Day, J. Hadizadeh, C. Hanchette, K. Mountain, W. Song, M. Walker
History: M. Taylor, D. Vivian, L.S. Weissbach
Humanities: P. Beattie, S. Bertacco, P. Pranke, T. Soldat-Jaffe, G. Sparks
Mathematics: C. Biro, L. Larson, T. Riedel, P. Sahoo, D. Swanson, D. Wildstrom, S. Young
Pan-African Studies: T. Rajack-Talley
Philosophy: A. Kolers, D. Owen
Physics: D. Brown, C. Jayanthi
Political Science: J. Abbott, J. Farrier, T. Gray, R. Payne, L. Rhodebeck
Sociology: J. Busch, C. Negrey
Theatre Arts: N. Burton, R. Vandenbroucke
Urban & Public Affairs: D. Simpson
Women’s & Gender St:C. Fosl, D. Heinecken, N. Theriot
Professor Byers, Chair, called the Assembly to order.
The minutes of the Assembly of September 28, 2012, were approved as distributed.
The Chair extended the Assembly’s thanks to Matt Elgin, a graduate student in Psychology, who had set up the program for the Assembly to use iClickers for voting.
The Chair stated that the business before the Assembly was the continued consideration of the motion to substitute Professor Heinecken’s proposal for a student course evaluation format, as amended by the Assembly in the meeting of September 28, for the evaluation currently in use.
The Chair asked if there were additional items in the proposal which the Assembly wished to discuss.
The Chair recognized Professor Kopelson, who moved the addition of a new question to replace the original question 10 “The grading in the course was fair” deleted at the September meeting: “The instructor followed the grading procedures that were outlined in the syllabus.”
Discussion included Professors Yoder, Kopelson, Hutcheson, and Heinecken.
Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried with 49 in favor, 12 opposed, and 2 abstaining.
The Chair recognized Professor Heinecken, who moved to change “course” to “instructor” in question 11: “I would recommend this course to others.” The motion was seconded. Following further discussion, Professor Heinecken accepted as a friendly amendment a proposal to create separate questions: “I would recommend this instructor to others” and “I would recommend this course to others.”
Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried with 57 in favor, 10 opposed, and 2 abstaining.
The Chair recognized Professor Pfeffer who moved the addition of a question “This course was useful for my studies.” The motion was seconded.
Discussion included Professors Hutcheson, Griffin, Pferrer, and Theriot.
Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion failed with 5 in favor, 47 opposed, and 6 abstaining.
The Chair recognized Professor Weissbach, who moved that the spaces for comments on instructor strengths and weaknesses at the end of the form be phrased: “Please comment on instructor and course strengths” and “Please comment on instructor and course weaknesses.” The motion was seconded.
Discussion included Professors Hutcheson, Pranke, and Heinecken.
A substitute motion to phrase the questions “Please comment on instructor strengths and weaknesses” and “Please comment on course strengths and weaknesses” was made and seconded.
The substitute motion carried with 45 in favor, 13 opposed, and 4 abstaining.
Professor Wise moved the deletion of the word “please” from the two questions. The motion was seconded. Discussion included Professors Kohlers, Griffin, and Heinecken.
The motion to delete carried with 33 in favor, 28 opposed, and 7 abstaining.
Professor Pfeffer moved amending the motion to have the direction read “Comment on instructor strengths and/or weaknesses” and “Comment on course strengths and/or weaknesses.” The motion was seconded.
Hearing no call for discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried.
The Chair recognized Professor Burton who moved replacing response 3 on the question rankings (neutral) with “neither agree nor disagree.” The motion was seconded. Hearing no call for discussion, the Chair put the question and the motion carried.
It was moved and seconded to delete the word “greatly” on questions 6 and 7. The motion to delete carried.
The Chair recognized Professor Jayanthi who moved the substitution of “assignments” for “assigned readings” in question 7, as more applicable to the variety of homework activities in different disciplines.
Discussion included Professors Kopelson, Griffin, Yoder, Gray, Wise, Gregg, Kohlers, Petrosino, Jaffe, Luginbill, Owens, Weissbach, Bertacco, and Jayanthi.
Three suggestions were made for substitute motions. The first would have replaced “assigned readings” with “course work (readings, exercises, and other such assignments)” ; the second would have replaced “assigned readings” with “assigned readings and/or other assignments;” the third would have replaced “assigned readings” with “course work and/or course materials.” None carried.
Hearing no call for further discussion, the Chair put the question on the motion to replace “assigned readings” with “assignments” in question 7. The motion carried.
The Chair recognized Professor Dietrich who moved that the vote on the entire document (1) include an affirmation that the questions regarding distance education courses and courses using REACH Supplemented Instruction or Learning Assistance as now in use be a part of the document and (2) specify that that the new evaluation form would go into use for Spring 2013
The Chair ruled that the distance education and SI/LA questions were not a part of the document and that their inclusion would have to be determined at a subsequent Assembly.
The Chair then put the question on the motion to accept the proposed student course evaluation format as amended. The motion carried.
PDF: Course Evaluation Proposal as Amended in Assembly of 10-26-12
PDF: Course Evaluation Proposal as Amended in Assembly of 10-26-12