WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE
MINUTES of the meeting: Monday, October 11, 2010


Members Present: Adler, Barut, Bennett, Bolin, Celestin, Decker, Hemans, Henry, Hershfield, Horn, Jeffres, Klunder, Matveyeva, Miller, Moore-Jansen, Mosack, Rillema, Rokosz, D. Russell, Skinner, Smith, Smith-Campbell, Soles, Strattman, Thompson, Yildirim

Members Absent: Baker, Bryant, Carruthers, deSilva, DiLollo, Kreinath, Ross, L. Russell, Taher

Members Excused: Anderson, Brooks, Close, D'Souza, Gibson, Yeager

Ex-Officio members present: Miller

Summary of Action:
1. Accepted the proposal to merge the Faculty Senate University Curriculum Committee with Academic Affairs Committee
2. Accepted the proposal to merge the University Admission & Advisory Committee with the Exceptions Committee.
3. Accepted the proposal to rename the Exceptions Committee the University Admissions and Exceptions Advisory Committee.


I. Call of the meeting to order: President Hemans called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.

II. Informal Statements and Proposals: none

III. Approval of the Minutes: The minutes of the meeting September 27, 2010, were accepted as presented.

IV. President's Report:

A. President Hemans offered an update on the activities of several Senate committees. The General Education study is currently considering issues related to student retention and success. The Senate Executive Committee is also considering several proposals related to retention that it shall bring to the Senate in the near future.
B. President Hemans summarized recent developments on the part of the Kansas Board of Regents. The Regents are expected to pass a measure reducing credit hour requirements for the Bachelors degree from 124 to 120. The Regents have produced new guidelines for Program Review, and these are currently under consideration by the Planning and Budget Committee. The Regents have also approved a proposal regarding distance education; information about this is available on the Senate website.
C. President Hemans indicated that the Ad Hoc General Education Committee continues to be active and is currently in the process of research.

V. Committee Reports: none

VI. Old Business: none

VII. New Business:

A. Senator Skinner, chair of the Rules Committee, presented a proposal to eliminate the University Curriculum Committee and transfer its charges to the Academic Affairs Committee. Senator Klunder moved (2nd, Moore-Jansen) to accept the proposal. The Senate approved the proposal.

B. Senator Skinner, chair of the Rules Committee, presented a proposal to eliminate the University Admissions and Advisory Committee, as its charges are already covered by the Exceptions Committee. The movement was made to amend the proposal so as to rename the remaining committee the University Admissions and Exceptions Advisory Committee. Senator Soles (2nd Hershfield) moved to accept the amendment and the proposal. The Senate approved the amendment. The Senate then approved the amended proposal.

C. President Hemans asked for discussion of a proposal brought forward by the Executive Committee, without endorsement, to assign a faculty mentor to each student at the time of admission. The Senate discussed the proposal.

D. President Hemans asked for discussion of a proposal brought forward by the Executive Committee, without endorsement, to require each student to declare a major at the time of admission. He explained that the two proposals were linked, as parts of a larger effort to improve student retention. The Senate discussed the proposal.

E. President Hemans indicated that in upcoming meetings he would ask for discussion of a proposal to reduce the number of credit hours within which students are required to complete coursework in basic skills and a proposal to add prerequisites to certain courses available for general education credit.

VIII. As May Arise: none

Respectfully submitted:
Daniel Russell, Secretary