MINUTES OF THE FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING

February 9, 2007

 

 

Present:  Gregory Bassham (Faculty Chair-Elect), Charles Brooks (Voting Group B Rep.), Joan Coffin (Voting Group A Rep.), Sheileen Corbett (at large), Howard Fedrick (Faculty Council Chair), Claire Gilmore (Voting Group D Rep.), Jayne Klenner-Moore (A&P Chair), Jennifer McClinton-Temple (C&T Chair), Brian Pavlac (C&T Chair-Elect), Regan Lance Reitsma (Voting Group C Rep.), Joyce Armstrong, Diane Easton, Ed Erdman (Director of Facilities), Jeremy Simington, Vanessa Bates (Student Rep.). 

 

The meeting was called to order at 2:05 PM in the Lipo Room.

 

·        Presentation—Ed Erdman, Director of Facilities

 

At Howard Fedrick’s request, Ed Erdman spoke to Faculty Council.  Ed discussed his desire to increase awareness, across campus, of the work done by his department and the services it offers the King’s community.  He has recently invented a vehicle for promulgating this information: the Facilities Newsletter, which will soon include employee profiles.  Work on Scandlon Gymnasium and renovations to Holy Cross Hall are nigh.  Ed acknowledged that there is a lime pit in Parente Hall, to the evident surprise of some members of Faculty Council. 

 

·        Report of the Chair

 

Howard indicated that the Faculty Governance Constitution has been approved by the board.  Unnamed people were congratulated for recent academic promotions that have not yet been made public.  (No backs were slapped.)  Howard clarified the present college smoking policy, which permits smoking in faculty offices, but not in the offices of administrators.  The general issue of whether to change the present policy (so that it forbids smoking in any building on campus), discussed briefly at the most recent Faculty Council meeting, is currently being considered by Human Resources.  Faculty Council agrees that it is sensible, for the time being, simply to wait and see how Human Resources, which is currently in discussion with King’s insurer, resolves the issue.  Information will soon be sent out regarding annual elections: indicating openings and soliciting candidates.

 

·        Standing Committee Reports

 

·        A & P

 

At our previous Faculty Council meeting, Brian Pavlac requested a (minor) change to the wording of the travel policy (see the minutes of the previous meeting).  Jayne Klenner-Moore, chair of A&P, announced that this change has been made and the document is finished.  Martha Handlon, Barb Sauls, and Jane recently met with Father Looney regarding the Academic Integrity Report and intend to meet again Thursday, February 15th.  As for the Tenure and Promotion Criteria Triad Survey, Jane reported that Dan Ghezzi has collected the reports and will begin to evaluate them.  Stay tuned.     

 

·        C & T

 

Jennifer McClinton-Temple indicated that she went before the Board of Directors to make a (very brief) progress report on February 2nd.  She indicated to the Board how frequently C&T has met and that it has conducted various faculty surveys and three faculty-wide meetings.  She also indicated C&T’s intention to give a completed proposal for a new core curriculum to the Faculty Council by the end of February.  Faculty Council will then discuss this proposal.  The idea is that once Faculty Council has discussed C&T’s final proposal and made whatever amendments (if any) are deemed best, a final version of the new core curriculum will be presented to the entire faculty, by March 30th.  A vote of the faculty as a  whole (regarding this final version) is scheduled for April, though the purpose of this vote is not yet determined.  Discussion of this matter is imminent. 

 

Jennifer mentioned several issues discussed at the C&T meeting of February 2nd, but made clear that the minutes of that meeting have not yet been approved.  It is uncontroversial to state, though, that Hamid Hosseini and Margarita Rose, both of the Economics Department, argued that the Microeconomics course (which is presently designated ‘Core 153’) belongs in the ‘American Studies’ category within C&T’s new core curriculum proposal.  There are questions about what to call the course, if Hamid and Margarita’s argument is accepted. 

 

The most recent C&T meeting also discussed the second philosophy core requirement.  C&T requested, from the faculty, opinions about whether there should be a second philosophy requirement in the new core.  They received five (signed) votes in favor, 2 (signed) votes against, 1 “suggestion,” 1 (anonymous) vote against, and 1 (signed) qualified vote against. (The qualified ‘no’ vote is a ‘no’ unless Business 287 were to count as a second philosophy course, in which case the ‘no’ is to be changed to a ‘yes’.  There is some reason to think this proviso is going to be met.)  After discussion of these votes, C&T continues to recommend that the new core include a second philosophy course.

 

Jennifer indicated that she, Brian Pavlac (Chair-Elect of C&T), Howard, Greg Bassham (Chair-Elect of Faculty Council), and Father Looney will meet February 15th to discuss the transition of the new core curriculm proposal from C&T to Faculty Council.  The desire was expressed that we have at least two Faculty Council meetings to discuss C&T’s proposal, the idea being that one meeting isn’t enough. 

 

The student representative, Vanessa Bates, requested that either Jennifer or Brian present a report to Student Government about the new core curriculum proposal.  Brian indicated he is willing to do so.  

 

·        Special Committee Reports

 

·        Special Announcements

 

The application deadline for Faculty Scholarship candidates is February 16th.  Applications should be sent to Kristi Concannon, Tom Drazdowski, Mark Marchese, or Gloria Galante. 

 

Many volunteers have come forward for the Faculty Celebration, scheduled for May 16th.  The celebration is likely to be held at Betzler Fields.  Several ideas have been discussed: a clam bake and/or athletic competitions.  There is also a proposal that some of the events be used as fundraisers for next year’s Faculty Scholarship. 

 

·        Old Business

 

A request was made that the minutes of Faculty Council meetings do not use shorthand designations for people—such as ‘JKM’ for Jayne Klenner-Moore—on the grounds that this practice is overly informal.  (Also, please don’t refer to Jennifer McClinton-Temple as ‘Jessica McClintock-Templeton’ on the grounds that this is not her name.)

 

The Decompression Session, held at the end of fall semester, has been declared, by Sheileen Corbett, a success.

 

·        New Business

 

Copies of the new Faculty Constitution were handed out to members of Faculty Council.  Two Roving Socials were announced: first, one sponsored by the Business School, March 1st; second, one sponsored by ATEP, in the gymnasium, at the end of March. 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 PM. 

 

Respectfully submitted by,

 

Regan Lance Reitsma