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College of Arts
& Sciences
Faculty Meeting Minutes
April 19, 2000
1. Call to Order, 3:25 PM
2. President's Report
Clarification regarding Franciscan Renewal Center:
Harriett Corbett established a trust in the 1950's, which
should become our shortly, now valued at five million
dollars. We have an active interest in the property, and the
Sisters of Saint Francis (Philadelphia) have an interest in
us acquiring the property. We will know more by the
Fall.
Regarding some large-scale organizational and leadership
issues:
Our last substantial change was three years ago, when two
vice-presidencies (academic and student affairs) were
eliminated and three deanships were established.
Unwittingly, these changes have resulted in increased
distance between common services and CAS. There is a need to
restore the centrality of CAS within the institution. The
Graduate School and the Law School are more outward-looking,
with responsibilities to their professions, and require
considerable autonomy. Conversely, CAS students must be seen
as central to our mission and need close attention.
There has been a diffusion of responsibility within the
present structure, and a lack of involvement in decisions by
middle management, faculty, and students. The President's
role has often been that of chief operating officer rather
than chief executive officer, and we lack a person in the
chief operating officer role.
This situation has lead to a decision to institute an
office of Vice President and Provost. Integration is needed
not only functionally, but under a common set of values
which should be academic in nature. Admissions, information
technology, library, facilities, human resources, events
planning, and other functions will be pulled together under
that office.
Rather than relying on the present Executive Committee,
we need a variety of committees, task forces, and teams.
Alternative transportation is an example: our motives were
pure and we did produce cultural change, but the process
lacked lead time and broad involvement. The Provost will
engage in involvement processes up front and early on. By
collapsing Arts and Sciences and central operations budgets
into one, budget-making and resource allocation will be in
the Provost's hands. The responsibilities of the Dean of the
College will return to those specified in the bylaws.
Physical Education and Athletics need to return to the heart
of the college, along with academic awards, Pamplin Society,
etc.
The physical center for College operations will move to a
new center comprising a refurbished Albany Hall and a new
Bicentennial Hall. By relieving the Dean of operational
responsibilities we can foster greater faculty involvement,
getting beyond the "feeling of drift" expressed by some
faculty. We need to look at the forest rather than the
trees.
As announced previously, a presidential commission is
being established to develop a master plan for the next ten
years. This commission will include tenured faculty. It does
not usurp the usual functions of the academic committee
structure. A second commission, on teaching, is also being
established. The teaching commission will look at all forms
of teaching, including advising and technology. It will
include tenured and non-tenured faculty.
Regarding leadership positions:
- Jane Atkinson will become Vice-President and
Provost.
- Curtis Johnson will become Dean of the College.
- Gary Reiness will become Dean of Mathematical and
Natural Sciences.
- Harry Schleef will become Dean of Social
Sciences.
- Tom Schoeneman will chair the Commission on
Teaching.
- Jean Ward will continue as Director of Inventing
America.
President Mooney has decided to become a teaching
President, teaching a section of Inventing America in the
Spring 2001 term. He is proposing a section theme on U.S.
constitutional history. He concluded his report by asking
the faculty to join with the leadership group and "put your
shoulders to the wheel."
3. Dean's Report
Yesterday's meeting on classrooms produced a discussion
that was long overdue.
As Vice President and Provost, Dean Atkinson expects to
work more closely with Admissions on planning. Regarding the
Academic Council, "four heads are better than one" at
balancing institutional with local needs; the decision
process is slower but better. Dean Atkinson offers best
wishes to Curtis Johnson, to the Academic Council, and
welcomes new deans Gary Reiness and Harry Schleef.
Questions and Discussion:
Q: What is the logic for excluding non-tenured faculty
from the presidential planning commission? President Mooney:
Tenured faculty are in a special management position,
somewhat analogous to law firm partners.
Q: A faculty member expressed concerns, having heard from
a student who was visited in the dorm by police and
threatened with expulsion. Dean Atkinson: this incident
illustrates why organizational changes are important. We
need a central place to consider and respond to such
situations.
Q: A faculty member expressed concern about a letter to
students from the Director of Residence Life. Dean Atkinson:
There are multiple cultures coming into conflict in this
incident, wants to get processes underway so students feel
heard
Q: A faculty member expressed concern about faculty time
and resources for these new commission processes. Dean
Atkinson: These are not permanent committees, but instead
are task-oriented. President Mooney: These commissions can
be seen as periodic, once-in-a-decade activities.
4. Reports of Standing Committees
Committee on Promotion and Tenure (Richard
Rohrbaugh)
A letter was forwarded to the CPT by Dean Atkinson;
written by a faculty member unidentified to the CPT, the
letter expressed concern about uses of aggregate data from
student evaluations. Particular concern was expressed about
Inventing America scores being incorporated into aggregate
statistics and pulling these down. Dean Atkinson asked the
CPT to consider recommending action to the faculty.
Idea #1: Drop Inventing America from aggregate data.
Problem: What about other "service" courses?
Idea #2: Abandon all collection of aggregate data. CPT
does not use these data; no member could remember a single
incidence of their use by the group or by individual
members. Therefore, these data have no purpose. CPT members
who are expert on statistics say they are not statistically
valid. CPT was prepared to recommend abandoning the
collection of the statistics and brought that recommendation
to the Faculty Council. Some Faculty Council members said
they use the statistics in their own personal
interpretations of evaluation data. In sum, CPT needs to
know from faculty whether a recommendation should be framed.
Options are 1) no collection of aggregate data, 2) aggregate
data made available only to individuals, 3) no change to
present approach.
Discussion:
There are ways in which aggregate data might benefit
applicants for promotion and tenure. Prior to the
availability of aggregate data the CPT used "implicit
benchmarks." CPT focuses heavily on evaluation numbers,
which are seriously flawed. If we don't recognize this we
create "different sets of understandings." We've created a
culture of anxiety, which is as dangerous as some of the
other issues that have been mentioned.
* In the letter, the anxiety was focused on numbers.
* Q: What are the arguments against statistical
validity?
A: These are not statistics appropriate for inferential
use. These are population parameters. The question is, what
is meaningful difference? No technique exists to measure a
meaningful difference. Evaluation form doesn't use an
interval scale. Medians should be calculated, rather than
means. Samples are not random. Numbers are appropriate only
as a prompt for examining the open-ended questions. There
are apples/oranges problems. For example, how do we compare
an instructor who teaches perspectives courses with one who
doesn't?
There is a distinction between numerical scores and
statistically-significant scores. What data does the CPT
actually use?
The forms should fit that use.
The numbers provide a "shorthand" leading to the written
comments. CPT looks for patterns in those comments. Nobody
on CPT would make a judgment based on the numbers.
The data is calculated to two decimal points,
misleadingly. A culture of competition encourages concern
with the numbers.
- We could consider providing aggregate scores only to
the individual.
- The letter assumes Inventing America scores are
necessarily lower.
- There are concerns with the quality of the written
data, as well.
- Faculty have an opportunity to comment on evaluation
data in their own written narratives.
- We're far too dependent on these course evaluations,
and have handicapped the CPT.
Library Committee (Jim Grant)
Committee has recommended a new fair Use policy to Dean
Atkinson. The Executive Committee has adopted a new, more
relaxed policy. Procedures are underway for a review of the
total package by our lawyers. New policy is more liberal,
focuses on intent of fair use; if intent is good, penalties
are "minimal to zero."
Curriculum Committee (Steve Hunt)
The Honors subcommittee has chosen a recipient for the
Rena Ratte award, to be announced at the upcoming Honors
convocation.
The subcommittee on CAS summer school has made two
recommendations to the Curriculum Committee:
1. Summer courses should undergo the same approval
process as other courses, and should have departmental
sponsorship.
2. Summer program should be reviewed. This suggestion has
been forwarded to the Dean.
International Programs review will be completed in Summer
or in early Fall.
Students on the Committee have reviewed the senior
capstone experience on their own, full committee review is
underway.
Meeting Adjourned, 5:16 PM
Respectfully submitted,
William Kinsella, CAS Faculty Secretary
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