Tuesday, October 25, 2016
2015-2016 Senators in Attendance: S. Anglin, M. Harris, M.L. Nemanic, N. Pyeatt, E. Seymour, R. Trumpbour, D. DiLeo, K. Mussett, D. Parry, W. White, W. Engelbret, S. Dillen, A. Plucinski, L. Jacobsen, K. Pearson, S. Corle, C. Bowman, C. Freire, L. Haefner, L. Lilienthal, K. Munly, K. Adu, T. Krainer, W. Dorabiala, J. Gil, M. Weiner, A. Zanin-Yost, C. Hapenny, J. Carnicella, D. Brinkel, G. Baird, J. O’Harrow
Excused: M. Comanescu
Senators Absent: Y. Agawu-Kakraba, S. Findley, D. Page, M. Agee, J. Vallejera, S. Anwar, H. Huang, M. Arter, K. Chick, A. M. Cramer, P. Basak, I. Basak, P. Das, L. Emili, X. Li, C. Oliver, N. Xu, Y. Zhu, C. Jackson, J. Lockard
Also in Attendance: University Faculty Senators:
V. Brundsen, N. Rowland, C. Mahan, E. Seymour Excused: H. Hayford
Ex-Officio:
L. Bechtel-Wherry, B. Wiens-Tuers, P. Hopsicker, J. Ryoo, D. Zimmerman
Visitors:
B. Baird, L. Dalby, R. Fowkes, A. Kurtz, A. Marvasti, P. Moran, L. Palmer, S. Mahasandana
Opening Business
Call to Order (12:12 pm) Roll Call (via sign-in sheet)
Review of Minutes of Preceding Meeting: N. Pyeatt stated that he had attended the meeting of September 13 and that his attendance status should therefore be changed to “present.” No further amendments suggested. Minutes approved provided the change of N. Pyeatt’s attendance status.
Announcements from the Chair
* Chairperson R. Trumpbour Introduced two current undergraduates, Rachel Fowkes and Andrew Kurtz as representatives of the University’s “All-In” initiative for celebration of diversity.
R. Fowkes spoke about her experience as an Alaskan, expressing a generally favorable experience at Penn State Altoona, but regretting that she was sometimes perceived too much as “the Alaskan.” She said, “I love where I’m from, but there’s so much more to me.”
A. Kurtz spoke of his experience as an adult student and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He said that his personal experience has been “phenomenal.” He was particularly appreciative of the College’s services for veterans. He stated that in the Marine Corps, he acquired habits of self- discipline and hard work that enabled to him to succeed as a student here. He stated that many of his fellow students do not work very hard at their studies.
K. Munley stated that she had attended an “All-In” event at University Park and said that it would have been better if there had been less music and less time spent on faculty speeches and more input from students.
* R. Trumpbour then introduced Sivahon Mahasandana, president of the International Students Organization.
S. Mahasandana said that he is a student from Thailand. He said that as president of the International Students Organization, his intent is to create “bridges between international and domestic students.” He said that at Penn State Altoona, he has not “experienced any bad things,” but stated that some of the Muslim students reported being subjected to “racist or anti-Muslim comments” and derisive comments about their religion.
V. Brunsden asked him what advice he would give to other international students.
S. Mahasandana replied that he advises international students to get out of their “comfort zone” in order to take full advantage of their time in the U.S. . He said that this means getting to know domestic students and not being afraid to ask questions in class.
Senate Business
* The Search for a permanent Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Chancellor and Dean L. Bechtel-Wherry reported that a search committee was being assembled. She stated that the composition of the committee would be “mostly faculty,” approximately eleven persons, diverse with respect to faculty rank, academic division, gender, and ethnicity.
She said that during their visits to the College, the top candidates for the position would meet with the Executive Committee of the College’s Faculty Senate and perhaps meet with an “open session.”
* The College’s resource concerns
R. Trumpbour reported that at the last meeting of the Executive Committee, V. Brunsden, E. Seymour, and N. Rowland had volunteered to compose a faculty survey for the purpose of documenting the ways that insufficient funding is preventing the College from delivering the quality of education that our students deserve. He stated that the survey might only be a first step in making our concerns known to persons at University Park with control over the College’s funding.
* AD 92 Political Campaign Activities
V. Brunsden reported that there is a new policy that restricts political campaign activities using university resources. He reported that the policy is vague.
M. Weiner asked if it applies to PSU email.
V. Brusden said that it wasn’t clear.
R. Trumbour advised faculty to use non-University email accounts for communications pertinent to political campaigns.
N. Rowland stated that the policy was placed on GURU with no University Senate input, and no clear lines of what was and was not permitted.
V. Brunsden stated that AD 92 prohibits PSU employees from making any endorsements. He stated that the policy has no limitation of scope by time or place, that it could be interpreted to prohibit endorsement of “any candidate at any time at any place.”
W. White said that “no reasonable person” would take the policy to be unlimited.
V. Brunsden replied that this was not a sufficient reassurance against overly broad application of the policy.
M. Weiner noted that First Amendment issues were implicated.
W. White moved that the Altoona College Faculty Senate make its reservations about AD 92 known the University Senate through a written document. The motion was seconded. It passed by acclamation.
Reports of the Chairs
* Academic Affairs
Chairperson M. Harris reported that the committee is looking closely at the college experience of student athletes. He said that the committee will be asking for faculty to serve as mentors for student athletes.
* Curricular Affairs.
Chairperson D. Parry reported on two proposed P-3 transfers in Kinesiology. They are a B.S. in Movement Science, a transfer from University Park, and a B.S. in Exercise Science from Berks. He stated that the committee met twice to consider resource issues, and that the academic requirements were not considered because these are P-3 transfers. He noted that all the concerns were related to resources for the programs. He noted that space for the program has been provided through the expansion of Adler. D. Parry stated that the program will require four tenure-track faculty positions, two to be paid for by funds made available by the first iteration of the Voluntary Retirement Program, funds that are available only for new programs. One of the needed faculty positions will be funded from funds made available by anticipated enrollments, and one by funds made available through the second iteration of the Voluntary Retirement Program.
M. Weiner asked what the committee’s position was on the proposal.
D. Parry reported that the committee voted unanimously to support the proposal.
C. Mahan stated that there are not currently spaces in laboratory courses to accommodate additional students who will be required to take laboratory courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, as students in the proposed majors will be. She expressed concern about the plan of funding expansion of lab space from increased enrollments for the reason that such a plan had “an automatic lag,” in which new lab space would not be provided until after the time that it was needed.
M. Weiner stated that that with respect to obtaining sufficient funding, our college is “playing a game we can’t win” and that until we obtain sufficient funding, “we don’t have the money for students we already have because we have no say in our budget. M. Weiner urged a vote against the proposals in order to “send a message that we are under water.”
P. Hopsicker stated that this project has been in the works for many years. He stated that the Adler expansion will provide six classrooms, each with a capacity of 32 seats, and noted that the Kinesiology majors will not require all the classrooms during all the class periods, especially during the initial years of the programs. This is because the plan is to hire one faculty member per year. He stated that there would be also be additional office space as well as classroom space for other courses, such as those in Bio-Behavioral Health.
N. Rowland stated that it is significant that the space is being provided prior to the start of the programs.
P. Hopsicker stated that the space was provided because of pressure from University Park to provide the majors at other locations.
L. Bechtel–Wherry stated that the Adler expansion has been in the Master Plan for twenty years, and in the Capital Plan for twelve years. She stated that the Penn State Altoona Student Government Association decided to allocate a significant portion of its facilities fee to the Adler renovation and addition. She reported that when the proposals for P-3 transfers of the Kinesiology majors “bubbled up,” she stated that faculty lines and space would have to be provided. She noted that “we have been charged to grow” and that “we have made a case about the budget.”
M. Harris expressed concerns about the initial costs of special equipment and the costs of maintaining and replacing that equipment. He also expressed concern that University Park might “poach our majors.”*
P. Hopsicker responded to the latter concern, stating that the Kinesiology Department at University Park wants to have students shifted to other locations in order to reduce its teaching load.
W. White asked whether Curricular Affairs had considered the adequacy of available resources for the programs.
* In subsequent communication to the Secretary, M. Harris made it known that he did not oppose the proposal, that he raised the issue of equipment costs as merely a potential problem and that he was satisfied with P. Hopsicker’s response regarding the poaching issue.
D. Parry replied, “Yes, as far as possible.” He stated that the Committee had access to all the written concerns and responses to the resource issue, but also stated, “Who knows what they’ll do with the budget really?”
He then said that this was the first time that resources have been given to a resource-intensive program “in advance.” He stated that this was “one of the most fiscally responsible proposals we have seen, given that Penn State can’t control what the state government will do.”
J. Gil observed that the inadequacy of our College’s budget was an acute problem, noting that classes and plans to attend conferences have been cancelled due to budget constraints.
N. Rowland stated that claims that the College has been subjected to “bait and switch” tactics that have added responsibilities to our College and then failing to provide sufficient resources would be undermined if our College engaged in a “bait and switch” exercise of its own by accepting the space for the programs and then refusing to accept the programs.
K. Adu said the programs will require lab space that is not presently available.
R. Trumpbour noted that the meeting had already run past its scheduled ending time and asked whether a decision on the program could be put off until the next meeting and suggested a committee to look into the lab space issue.
P. Moran stated that In order to start offering the Kinesiology program in Fall 2017, the proposals must be approved by University Faculty Senate before the end of the 2016-17 academic year. He expressed a commitment to work with Division Heads and faculty from Biology, Physics, and Chemistry on solutions to potential lab space issues caused by the Kinesiology program. (P. Moran is chair of the Space Committee.)
T. Krainer moved that the members of the Senate vote on the P-3 transfers by secret online ballot.
K. Adu stated that a committee should be set up to work with administration to locate additional space for labs and make sure that they were close to the stockroom.
R. Trumpbour reminded the Senate that there was a motion on the floor.
T. Krainer restated the motion: that a vote on the P-3 transfers be by secret online vote. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.
W. White moved that there be a stronger written statement from Curricular Affairs about its deliberations regarding the P-3 transfers, including an evaluation of responses before the vote on the proposals.
The motion was seconded. Voice vote was divided. A vote by a show of hands tallied 17 opposed, 9 in favor.
N. Pyeatt proposed an amendment that was accepted as friendly to the motion for a secret online ballot. The amendment was that the vote take place after the informational budget meeting with
R. Hippo and that information “such as slides” from that meeting be posted along with the election ballot.
The amendment was accepted as friendly, seconded and passed by a vote of 22 in favor, 4 opposed.
* Faculty Affairs: No report.
* Committee on Campus Climate and Diversity: No report.
There was a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The meeting ended at 1:23pm.