Mont Alto Faculty Senate minutes, January 27, 2016
Meeting started at 2:01 pm by Chairman Somjit Barat. He covered a few quick items to start:
The mailroom door has been found open/ajar on several occasions. It may be that something is wrong with the locking mechanism. Anyone visiting the mailroom is reminded to be sure to pull the door completely shut when exiting the room.
The same situation applies to the copyroom door, which should remain closed at all times. The door should be locked because sensitive information can be found in the room that should only be available to authorized personnel.
A meeting with the Provost is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 2. Everyone is encouraged to attend at the designated times.
On behalf of Andrea Pritt, the 11th annual Academic Festival will be held Friday, April 22. If you know of a student with an eligible project, have them submit a proposal. The application is online and should be completed before spring break. Information can be found at: http://montalto.psu.edu/Academics/29824.htm
Next to speak was Shawn Albright, speaking on behalf of the IST Department. Faculty should register for the 2-factor authentication if they have not already done so. Faculty are encouraged to read an email relating to the process sent out by Peter Dendle earlier in the month.
Faculty are reminded to use a secure password. Picking the names of children, pets, “goLions” or simply adding an exclamation point at the end does not make your password secure.
2-factor authentication is not an end-all solution to the ongoing security issue, but it does give another barrier of protection. The self-service portal address is 2fa.psu.edu. You can add as many levels of authentication as you want. The more you have, the better it will be for you to access the system.
Several ways of using authentication, including phone, text and tokens, were demonstrated.
Kate Bryant from the Admission Office then spoke of the spring event scheduled for April 2, which combines the open house and reception for the same day. The Admissions Office appreciates the positive response from faculty to support the new approach. Faculty are asked to report to the MAC by 8:15 am for the morning event. It was pointed out that the open house crowd, which is most likely juniors just starting a college search, is expected to be a little different from the offered reception. The visitors may be some non-traditional students or those interested in attending college classes. In addition, everyone is encourage to say hello to any of the groups touring the campus throughout the semester.
Renee Borromeo spoke briefly about the latest UFS report. The two things that stood out were faculty benefits and fixed-term promotions.
It is unlikely that healthcare benefits will not be getting better. A survey revealed that people like having a choice between plans, but that may not last. It will probably become more beneficial for everyone to be on the same plan. Increases are expected on premiums and deductibles.
There may be possible changes for the fixed-term promotion process. The idea is to move toward a more systemic, merit-based approach. The Senate does not like the current practice of one promotion per year; it’s hoping to initiate a system that allows automatic qualification for long-term contracts.
Kendra Sites gave a brief update on the ASC:
Roxie Stuby is expected back in two weeks from maternity leave.
The center no longer has an academic skills coach and there is no current plan to fill the position.
The ASC follows the campus schedule regarding inclement weather.
Faculty should check and update their syllabi. Make sure all information is up to date, such as the director’s name and the new name of the department.
The ASC continues to reach out to athletes and provide whatever support is needed. The yellow forms faculty may see are for out-of-season sports and are helpful for contact information.
If there is a concern about any student, please fill out the early intervention report.
Robin Yaure provided an update on the Faculty Affairs Committee. There is almost $5870.50 still available for reimbursement and $567 left in the teaching support fund. Faculty are reminded to check all documentation when filing for reimbursement.
Ed Hipkiss provided a recap of the latest Athletic Committee Meeting:
- We currently have 200 student athletes on campus
- The athletics department is hosting sports-specific open houses, beginning on January 30 (baseball—15 recruits and families). Coaches, as well as representatives from admissions and faculty will be present.
- The university has hired a compliance officer to oversee athletics at the campuses.
- A concern was raised about students missing numerous classes for athletic makeups (specifically, a baseball player in an acting class), where the student’s performance is part of an overall group grade. A discussion was held and ideas included notes being sent to academic advisers regarding courses that are difficult to handle during sports seasons.
- A discussion was held regarding a request at the November MAFS meeting to look into software (specifically the “Grades First” software in use at UP) to better track academic progress of athletes. Marty stated that LionPATH representatives met with athletic directors from across the campuses and there are tools in that program to achieve this end.
- There is currently no Academic Skills Coach nor are there plans to hire one. The plan of the ASC is to continue serving student athletes through the current staff.
- Kendra is having 2 meetings this semester with student athletes that discuss the following points:
- Services provided by the ASC
- Dates to remember for Student Athletes (eLion/LionPATH specifically)
- Disseminating the Student-Athlete Faculty Notification and Class Excuse Forms—additional copies are available for students at the MAC should they not have them
- A brief discussion was held regarding students and coaches approaching faculty to request grade-changes for eligibility. This item was brought up more for informational purposes to prepare faculty should they encounter this situation.
Chair Barat then briefly addressed the issue of key allocation from Police Services. A meeting between Chief Wagner and a representative of the Executive Board was delayed due to the snowstorm and subsequent campus closing. However, a review of the key securement will be discussed at a later meeting. In the meeting, faculty are encouraged to share any issues/concerns about the key exchange process. Suggestions are welcome.
The meeting ended at 2:51 pm.