10 February, 2003 FPC Meeting Minutes
February 10, 2003
Room 158 Norman Hall
Members Present: Jim Archer, Phil Clark, Maureen Conroy, Vivian Correa, Lamont Flowers, Hazel Jones (for Paul Sindelar), Bridget Franks, Jane Townsend, Nancy Waldron, Buffy Bondy (for Elizabeth Yeager)
Members Absent: Silvia Echevarria-Doan
Others Present: Associate Dean Rod Webb, Associate Dean John Kranzler, Kay Hughes
Correa called the meeting to order at 2:06 p.m.
Agenda and Minutes
1. Approval of the agenda for February 10, 2003.
Clark made a motion to approve the agenda and Franks seconded the motion. The FPC unanimously approved the agenda.
2. Approval of the minutes of the January 27, 2003 Meeting.
Archer made a motion to approve the minutes. Sindelar seconded the motion, and the minutes were unanimously approved.
Reports from FPC Committees
· College Curriculum Committee.
Waldron stated that the CCC approved several new courses at its February 3rd meeting. The next CCC meeting is scheduled for March 3.
· Undergraduate Admissions/Petitions Committee.
This committee has not met since the last FPC meeting.
· Graduate Admissions/Petitions Committee.
There was only one petition for the February 7th meeting. Committee members reviewed the petition file individually instead of holding a meeting.
· Faculty Affairs Committee.
Committee members met with Dean Emihovich to discuss the issue of faculty loads. The Dean indicated that she did not see a need for a college policy addressing this issue. A second meeting for FAC to continue discussion of this issue will be scheduled.
Correa reported that she has received the final draft of the Tenure and Promotion guidelines from FAC. The document will be sent to FPC members for review and discussion at the next meeting. A question was raised about the relationship of the COE draft guidelines to the university guidelines on tenure and promotion that is presently being considered by the UF Faculty Senate.
· Research Advisory Committee.
Conroy reported that the next COE Research Advisory Committee meeting would be held on February 14. A faculty forum would be held on February 24 at 1 PM to address issues related to doctoral research requirements.
· Student Recruitment and Admissions Committee.
The committee will hold its next meeting on February 13.
· Long-Range Planning Committee.
Archer reported on the faculty forum that took place on February 3. He noted that one of the recommendations that resulted from the forum was that the COE increase its public information efforts. Hazel Jones has notified faculty of the next faculty forum.
Report from the Dean
- Webb reported that Dean Emihovich is receptive to the issue of reduced faculty load for new faculty members (e.g., a course reduction in the first or second year). She is also considering the possibility of making this assistance available to non-tenured faculty members who are beyond their first or second year at UF.
- Deam Emihovich will provide a budget report to FPC at the next scheduled meeting.
- Kranzler reported that Win Phillips, Dean of the Graduate School, has approved the COE proposal regarding minimum admission requirements for graduate students. Of particular importance is that Proteach students in the unified elementary education and early childhood education programs will be admitted to the graduate school if they have either a 1000 GRE or a 3.0 GPA. Also the college will continue to enroll post-baccalaureate students when they are interested in certification only programs or recertification. Phillips encouraged the College to continue to explore alternative testing options to the GRE.
The Graduate School has indicated that the Dean must approve any double exceptions for COE graduate admission. Specific information about the Graduate School decision will be posted on the COE website for the review of faculty members.
Kranzler noted that all COE departments and programs have the option of setting higher admission criteria than the minimum admission criteria permitted by the Graduate School and COE.
- Kranzler reported that he would present information at the next FPC meeting about a document that the College submits to the Provost’s Office every three years that provides UF-COE comparison data with colleges of education from nine other comparable public AAU universities.
Unfinished Business
· Selection of Associate Dean Review Committee
The FPC Agenda committee has forwarded the names of the five faculty members that will be considered for membership on the review committee for Associate Dean Webb. The faculty members are:
- Elizabeth Yeager (STL)
- Diane Ryndak (Special Education)
- Art Sandeen (Leadership)
- Dave Miller (Education Psychology)
- James Pitts (Counselor Education)
The Dean is now responsible for appointing the committee, and has the discretion to determine its size and exact composition. It was noted that in addition to faculty, COE staff will also be selected for the committee.
- Results from February 3 Faculty Forum
The FPC discussed the faculty forum that was held on February 3. Approximately 25 faculty members attended the forum. The topics that were addressed included the following: (a) How to increase a sense of college identity; and (b) How to balance doctoral education and research with the demands for service and teacher preparation.
Archer reported that the discussion of College identity led to consideration of the visibility of the faculty members within the College and the University, as well as across the state and nation. Several strategies for increasing the COE visibility and improving its image were discussed. One of the recommendations that resulted from these discussions was that the COE increase its public relations efforts.
Kay Hughes, the COE Interim Director of Educational Outreach and Communications, attended the meeting and presented information about the services that she and her office could provide that would increase COE and faculty visibility. Specifically, she indicated that she plans to work closely with the faculty, staff and administration to provide a comprehensive public relations plan for the College of Education. Included in this plan are activities that are designed to disseminate information regarding the College and its faculty members, their research, COE programs, funded projects, and current and proposed collaborative initiatives.
Hazel Jones will send an e-mail summary report about the faculty forum to the faculty.
- Amendments to the Constitution
Faculty members will be asked to review the COE Constitution in the next few weeks in preparation for the Spring Faculty Meeting on April 14, at which a vote will be taken on proposed amendments to the Constitution. In accordance with the directives in the COE Constitution concerning amendments (see Article VI below), the FPC must provide any proposed revisions to faculty members at least one month prior to the meeting.
College of Education Constitution, ARTICLE VI – Amendments
These articles may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the faculty in tenure accruing ranks present at any regular or special meeting, provided that written notice and the text of the proposed amendments are sent to the faculty at least one month prior to the meeting at which such action is to be taken. Amendments shall be effective when written notice of the adopted changes is sent from the Chair of the Faculty Policy Council to all faculty. Such notice must be given within two weeks after the date the amendments have been adopted.
Proposed constitutional revisions must be submitted to the FPC by March 7. They will be incorporated into a draft document that will be posted on the FPC website for faculty review and sent to faculty as an e-mail attachment by March 14, which will allow one month for consideration before the Spring faculty meeting and vote takes place.
- Committee Structures
The FPC plans to propose several constitutional amendments that address recommended changes in the structure of and assignments to FPC committees.
Two handouts that address COE committee structure were distributed:
- College of Education Committee Structures (a document that lists committee names for the colleges of education at UF, USF, IU, and OSU); and
- A list of COE committees that are appointed/selected by administrators.
Previous FPC recommendations regarding possible changes in committee structure that might be presented for consideration as amendments to the COE Constitution were discussed.
Specific recommendations included combining the Undergraduate Admissions/Petitions Committee, the Graduate Admissions/Petitions Committee, and the Student Recruitment and Admissions Committee into one committee, possibly called the Student Recruitment, Admissions and Petitions Committee. FPC members have recommended eliminating the distinction between operating and standing committees, connecting the policy and operating functions of current committees by adding an operational role to standing committees, and eliminating the term “operating committees” altogether. There have also been recommendations regarding departmental elections for committee membership, and the advisability of creating new committees, such as the following:
- COE budget committee;
- COE technology committee;
- COE awards committee; and
- COE diversity and equity committee.
Correa and Waldron will review these recommendations and prepare a written report that summarizes the proposed new committees and their functions. This report will be reviewed and considered at the next FPC meeting.
- Spring Faculty Meeting – April 14, 2003 – 2-4 PM
Correa indicated that faculty members have been notified about the Spring Faculty Meeting, and that further updates would be provided as they become available.
Adjournment
Clark moved that the meeting be adjourned. Sindelar seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 3:59 p.m.
