Executive Committee of the University Senate

Call to Order 11:00 am

1. Approval of Agenda: Approved
2. Approval of Minutes: The most current draft of the minutes was not available. Therefore, the minutes from the March 4^th meeting will be approved at the March 18^th meeting.

Information Items

1. Committee Annual Reports: Ken projected on the screen and distributed a copy of the template for the University Senate committee annual report for all present to review and make comments. After some discussion, the template was accepted as circulated. The annual report for each committee (APC, CAPC, ECUS, FAPC, RPIPC, SAPC) is due to ECUS by April 22^nd. Ken will email the e-version of the annual report template to all committee chairs.

Committee Reports

1. Student Affairs Policy Committee (SAPC): A representative of the committee was unavailable; therefore, there was no report. 
2. Academic Policy Committee (APC): Amy Pinney reported for the Academic Policy Committee. APC has a motion that will be presented for consideration at the March 28th University Senate Meeting. Motion 1011.APC.002.P Class Attendance Policy

All present at the ECUS meeting discussed the language of the policy; however, everyone was reminded that the APC was charged to remove the language “to drop a student from a course” and not review the actual language of the policy. There was a consensus among ECUS meeting attendees that once the policy comes before the full senate that perhaps the committee will be charged with reviewing the policy including where the policy is archived electronically. The current motion text is to be changed in the online motion data base from see full policy to as outlined in the policy.

1. Faculty Affairs Policy Committee (FAPC): Craig Turner reported for FAPC. (see attached report).

·         FAPC has invited Susan Allen to attend another FAPC meeting on 1 Apr 2011 and continue its deliberation of the issue of summer and MayMester pay. There was a question asked whether MayMester could be considered an extension of the Spring Semester instead of summer for pay issues. Craig Turner stated he did bring the issue of MayMester Pay to Susan’s attention.

·         FAPC has sent the Provost an advisory motion about Student Opinion Surveys. The committee has reviewed the first draft of standardized language for syllabi regarding student opinion surveys and will review a second draft at its 1 April 2011 meeting. Ken McGill had a question about whether there is a mechanism for administering student opinion surveys to classes with fewer than ten students. Ken had previously contacted the person in charge of administering student opinion surveys and was informed that administering student opinion surveys is a policy issue and the issue needs to go before the Senate for discussion. However, the Student Opinion Survey policy does not specifically state that classes with fewer than ten students do not have to be surveyed. The questions to be answered are “Is it possible to survey classes with fewer than ten (10) students?” and “Is there a mechanism for surveying classes with fewer than ten (10) students?” Should the surveying of classes with fewer than ten (10) students come from the committee as policy or is it procedure? FAPC will continue to discuss recommendations on surveying classes with fewer than ten students. There was also a request for the term student opinion surveys to be defined as there was a concern that the term student opinion surveys might be interpreted as any student opinion survey such as a discipline specific opinion survey. The FAPC committee chair (Craig Turner) agreed to begin discussions concerning the definition of Student Opinion Surveys.

1. Curriculum and Assessment Policy Committee (CAPC): Cara Meade reported for CAPC. The committee will bring two motions before the university senate at its March 28th meeting. CAPC has approved the revisions to the BS in Outdoor Education and approved a name change for MEd in secondary education to MEd in curriculum and instruction. As these motions are not currently in the motion database, Matt Rogers agreed to help enter the two motions into the online motion database. 
2. Resources, Planning, and Institutional Policy Committee (RPIPC):  Catherine Whelan reported for RPIPC. The committee is beginning discussions about the shared leave policy. Catherine reported that Human Resources is looking at different policies across the state. Apparently Georgia College can keep the current policy but there has been a request from Staff Council to look at the official USG policy.

Unfinished Business

1. Bylaws Edits (Bylaws Work Group):

·         Craig Turner circulated a draft of the University Senate bylaws revisions proposed by the work group for consideration by the members of the Executive Committee. The work group drafted language that formalizes a mechanism for calling meetings of standing committees. All ECUS members endorsed the idea that ECUS sponsor the motion to adopt these bylaws revisions for consideration at the March / April senate meetings.. Ken will enter the proposed bylaws revision motion into the online motion database. The proposed bylaws revision motion will have its first reading at the March 28th Senate meeting and will be postponed for disposition by the University Senate at its April meeting.

·         A discussion about the election of presiding officers and senator term limits is being recommended for inclusion on the agenda of the 2011 governance retreat.

1. Governance Calendar: Tanya Goette drafted three versions of the 2011-2012 Governance calendars for review by ECUS. Tanya reported there are seven types of meetings [university senate, university senate standing committees, departments, colleges, chairs council, college committees, and professional development] that are to be scheduled to meet each month and these are spread out on Fridays during the common meeting time of 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm throughout the month. The dates for the academic faculty meetings for 2011-2012 have not yet been selected by the Provost but the President has identified a date for the university convocation. Ken McGill reported there was a consensus from the survey that survey respondents prefer a static time for meetings. After much discussion there was consensus among all present that Tanya will review draft B of the calendar for review at a future ECUS meeting.
2. Senate Election Results: Caroline Clements and Evan Karanovich are the 2011-2012 university senators from the Student Government Association (SGA). All the colleges and the library, SGA, and staff have reported their results. Ken projected the election review on the screen for all present to review.
3. Committee Preference Survey:-Christine Zuger is meeting with Web Enabled Resources (WER) and Christine will complete the committee preference survey to email to the elected faculty senators of the 2011-2012 University Senate. ECUS will identify the date(s) for the SubCommittee on Nominations to complete its work of preparing a slate of nominees for the 2011-2012 university senate committees.
4. At-Large Election: Dean Baker will send the announcement for nominations for the at-large Senate Election. The vote will begin the week after spring break. Dean will contact WER to assist with the electronic ballot for the voting process.

Actions

Committee Reports

1.   SAPC: No action needed.

2.   APC: Ken McGill to change motion text for Motion 1011.APC.002.P Class Attendance Policy from see full policy to as outlined in policy

3.   FAPC: Craig Turner to continue discussions with committee members concerning MayMester/Summer Pay and definition of Student Opinions Surveys.

4.   CAPC: Matthew Rogers to assist posting motions for CAPC.

5.   RPIPC: No action needed.

Unfinished Business

Actions

1.   Bylaws Edits: Ken McGill to post the bylaws change motion.

2.   Governance Calendar: Tanya Goette to revise version B of the 2011-2012 Governance Calendar.

3.   Senate Elections: No action needed.

4.   Committee Preference Survey: Christine Zuger to complete and email the committee preference survey to 2011-2012 elected faculty senators.

5.   At-large Election: Dean Baker to send email for nominations for at-large senate position and contact WER to assist in electronic ballot for the voting process.

Adjournment at 12:30

Calendar

1. ECUS March 18^th
2. Senate March 28^th