September 1, 2021 Minutes

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes (SUB Ballroom B)

09/01/21

3:10pm – 4:30pm

Please wear a mask.

I.            Meeting was called to order at 3:10pm

II.            New Chair and Chair Elect

a.       Bradford Watson-Chair

b.       Michael Brody-Chair Elect

III.            Welcome from President Cruzado

a.       Welcome back, welcome to new Senators

i.      Faculty Senate will be an amazing experience

ii.      Learn the intricacies of a campus

iii.      Others who understand the stress we’ve all been through

b.       What a year it’s been.

c.       This last year MSU faculty reached 194 million dollars in research funding.

i.      Thanks to you, we have a vibrant university. Faculty who aren’t afraid of failure and want to learn to do new things.

ii.      More plans for all of us in the future

d.       This Fall we will keep you  busy

i.      New nursing funding will help us with our remote campuses all over the state

1.       Addressing rural health care

2.       Doesn’t work without our amazing faculty in Nursing

ii.      October, we will open the Bobcat Athletic Complex

iii.      Saturday, October 16th, 10am we will dedicate the American Indian Hall 

1.       Please join us

iv.      November 12th, we open Romney Hall

1.       Beautiful building, the heart of campus

e.       Thank you for all of your help with face masks in the classroom.

f.        You continue to inspire me every day.

g.       Questions

i.      Ed Schmidt

1.       We need faculty in our department, a huge gap in one Assistant Professor. Do we see a light at the end of the tunnel with the hiring moratorium?

a.       We have been able to get some waivers. Hope is on the way! The provost may be able to give you more information. 

IV.            Approval of FS Minutes from May 19, 2021

a.       Tomas Gedeon moves to approve. Seconded by Ed Schmidt. Approved. None opposed. No abstentions. 

V.            FYI items

a.       Updates from Provost https://www.montana.edu/provost/messages.html

i.      Sabbatical Applications due November 01

ii.      Faculty Guidelines on Facemask

iii.      Missing and Broken Chairs

iv.      Updated Textbook System

v.      Updates on Final Week of the Semester

vi.      Updated Faculty Handbook Policies

b.       Updated Add / Drop Process 

i.      https://www.montana.edu/registrar/adddropcourse.html

VI.            Information Updates: 

a.       The Charge and Structure of Faculty Senate

i.      Faculty Senate is the chief governance body of the faculty of Montana State University. Under the governance authority of the Montana University System, the Faculty Senate frames policies, procedures, and standards of the Faculty Handbook, oversees the curricula, evaluates new academic programs, and serves to enhance communication between MSU faculty, administration, and students.

1.       Foster a climate of academic freedom; 

2.       Promote consistency in tenure, promotion in academic rank, workload, and salary; 

3.       Uphold academic standards, as well as standards and procedures of accountability concerning faculty ethics and responsibilities. 

ii.      You are representing your constituencies. Bringing forward issues your department wants to discuss. 

1.       Not everything needs to be discussed at the meeting. We will address it in another way if it doesn’t need feedback are approval by the committee. 

2.       Report back those things that are most relevant. Meeting minutes are posted on the website as well. 

iii.      Chair and Chair Elect have weekly meetings with the provost. 

iv.      Many of the executive team members attend the meetings as well. 

v.      Updates

vi.      Courses and Programs, new and changes

vii.      New Business includes Senator Discussion

viii.      Public comment

ix.      None-curricular Items: Policies

1.       Procedures and standards of the Faculty Handbook, including RPT and workload policy

2.       Those pertaining to faculty development, quality of educational resources and optimal learning environments.

x.      Flow of Business

1.       Exceptions: Academic course proposals which don’t go beyond Faculty Senate

a.       Presented in Senate for First Reading

b.       Comments solicited to Faculty Senate Leadership

c.       Presented in Senate for Second Reading

d.       Discussion and vote by Faculty Senate Steering Committee on the following Tuesday

xi.      Main governing body for faculty

1.       JAGS: FS Chair and Chair Elect, Chair of Faculty Affairs, the Provost and Legal Counsel

2.       Curriculum and Programs Committee and University Graduate Council review items that come here for vote/approval.

xii.      Robert’s Rule of Order

1.       We can suspend the Order with a majority vote

a.       First and second readings

2.       We may invite someone to come and present their item. You would then take the info back to your constituencies and bring back feedback for discussion at the next meeting. Does not guarantee that we vote at that point, but, if possible, we will. Body motions to move items forward. If not ready, we can ask for more info/revisions, etc. It would come back in two weeks at the next meeting. 

xiii.      Academic Proposals: First and second reading. Those items are then reviewed by Steering (subcommittee) and, if no objections by the Senate, they will be approved. 

1.       New Programs (minimum of three AY semesters in advance)

2.       Program Changes

3.       Academic centers

4.       Academic Policies – e.g., Internship Policy

5.       New courses (minimum of two AY semesters in advance)

6.       Honorary and posthumous degrees

7.       Conferral of degrees each semester

xiv.      Will continually update the D2L Shell for Faculty Senate

1.       Policies up for review

a.       Go through JAGS, possibly a subcommittee

b.       All comes back to JAGS

c.       Once we are comfortable bringing it forward, it would go to Academic Council and Faculty Senate until they are ready to vote and advance it. Goes through Provost and President. Go into effect July 1st the following year. 

xv.      Courses/Programs are proposed by the primary unit. Then goes to dept. curriculum committee, dept head, then college curriculum committee and dean, then either CPC (undergrad Curriculum and Programs Committee) or UGC (graduate committee). Then comes to Faculty Senate. Then goes to BOR and NWCCU if appropriate. 

b.       Governance Bodies and Faculty Representation

i.      Budget Council

ii.      Planning Council

iii.      Graduate Council

iv.      University Council

v.      Research Council

vi.      Academic Council (Formerly Deans Council)

c.       Committees

i.      Senate Executive Steering

1.       Comprised of current senators appointed by Chair and Chair Elect, and past Chair. 

a.       Jennifer Thomson –Chair Faculty Affairs

b.       Andrew Hill

c.       Colter Ellis

d.       Matt Herman

2.       If interested in Steering, let Bradford or Michael know.

3.       Meet weekly

4.       Opportunity to work with your peers in a different setting. Closed meeting. Opportunity to speak your mind. Great deal of support from the group. Have what is best interest for Faculty at heart.

ii.      Grievance Chair recommendations

1.       Seeking Recommendations for Chair of Grievance Hearing Committee

2.       Qualifications

a.       Full Professor

b.       Previously served on a Grievance Hearing Committee

c.       Or has relevant experience to the position

3.       3 Year Term

a.       Committees are assembled as needed per grievance

4.       See Faculty Handbook for complete scope

5.       Send recommendations to Bradford and Michael

iii.      University Athletic Committee

1.       Seeking a faculty member to serve on this committee

2.       Kate Fuller – serves on that committee

iv.      Montana University System Faculty Association Representatives (MUSFAR)

1.       Chair moves between U of M and MSU. Bradford Watson is this year’s chair. 

2.       Discussion with OCHE has been done through this committee

a.       Meets semi-regularly. No standing meeting. In constant communication.

b.       Meeting Provost from both campuses next Wed. afternoon. Will be discussing a regular meeting. 

i.      Want to look long term how we can work to benefit the system, advocate for our faculty.

3.       House Bill 102 will not apply to our campuses until hearing is complete.

4.       BOR meeting is the 15th and 16th of Sept. You can make public comment. If emailed, it is printed out and given to the BOR.

d.       Will continue to do Senators Discussion via webex. Happy to meet one on one as well. Drop into any of those sessions. Links will be sent out prior to the meeting.

i.      Monday 11-12

ii.      Thursday 10:30-11:30

iii.      Via WebEx

1.       Links in D2L Faculty Senate shell

e.       Provost Mokwa

i.      Bradford and Michael are hard workers. They work hours and hours a day to represent the faculty. Thirst for understanding university policy and state policy. 

ii.      Thank you, for your work as faculty members, and senators, and for serving on other committees. 

1.       Want to express my gratitude. Have heard more from parents and students than I ever had. You understand the pressure the pandemic has put on our students. Our work has never been more important than it is now. 

2.       Like how you opened the meeting up with the Charge. Important that we have a senate that can get things done. I listen to what you have to say when you review items. Strong robust discussion with good questions. 

iii.      Our accreditors look at how involved our faculty is. They are always impressed with our faculty. 

iv.      There is a link on the provost web page that has old messages/emails that have been sent out, in case you miss something. 

v.      Questions

1.       Ed Schmidt: Hiring Moratorium?

a.       About every two weeks I put forth a packet of requests to the commissioner, after the President has approved them. Generally, yes, or no. 30 packets, in general about 18-25 requests per packet. The commissioner’s office has been generous with MSU. We are on solid financial ground. We’ve been putting forward requests and trying to make a good case for each of them. 

b.       Whittling away at vacancies. 

c.       You’re right, there are holes we need to fill.

d.       Your deans are prioritizing requests and putting them forward. 

e.       MBC needs some young folks. Faculty are aging and retiring. 

2.       Jack Brookshire: 

a.       Lift on international travel for research?

i.      Healthy Task Force has met. Restrictions on travel to level 4 countries. Petition process through Office of International Education. 

1.       Some countries have health programs that are struggling. Many won’t see you if you can’t pay cash.

2.       Committee to look at request to go to level 3 countries. 

3.       Dan Flory

a.       Where do we stand on Equity and Inclusion hiring? 

i.      We will have funding available when the time comes. Big decision and can impact any area across campus. 

f.        Chris Kearns and Jim Mitchell and Matt Caires

i.      Have been trying to encourage vaccinations in a few ways

1.       Campaign last spring

2.       Making it easy to do

3.       MSU Debut

4.       Vaccination incentive program

5.       Don’t have the rates that we want. Want to reach out to those who may be persuaded. 

a.       Give them immediate gratification. Use the power of crowds. 

i.      Can enter a sweepstakes

1.       Ongoing series, about $500

2.       Drawing at noon every day for a prize. Using that to get people excited. 

3.       3, 723 students have signed up

ii.      You can refer a friend to enter sweepstakes. That gives you another chance to win. ASMSU senate leadership came up with this idea 

b.       Percentage of students who are vaccinated? We don’t know. Students scattered at the end of spring semester, and they got shots from all over the country. Laws make it hard for us to find out. 

i.      We are working on getting better data. 

ii.      Question: 

1.       Why are we not challenging the ban on mask mandates?

a.       Do not know.

b.       Michael Brody: It is on our list for next week. 

c.       House Bill 702 Says we can’t mandate anything that is not FDA approved. Now that it is approved, that will change. 

2.       Ed Schmidt

a.       Special situations where it would be reasonable to mandate vaccinations for subsets of folks taking part in certain activities. 

b.       Haven’t heard any discussion about any subgroups

c.       HB 702: We now can’t ask anyone to quarantine if unvaccinated They are STRONGLY recommending it but cannot require. 

3.       Matt Herman

a.       105 students this semester. Have heard from several that they have COVID and are quarantining. 

b.       Health services: students are testing positive at 17%.

c.       Gallatin County is running behind in positive tests. 

6.       Jim Mitchell

a.       How many have we done on campus? As of yesterday 5,058 doses. Most students, about 300 faculty/staff.

b.       Last week we set up next to Swingle and had a few over 100 who came and got vaccinated.

c.       We are in a place where those who wanted it to have gotten vaccinated. It’s hard to combat some of the ideas people have, like worm medicine for horses. 

d.       Pfizer has been fully approved by the FDA. That could get some people on board. Hopefully that will push more to get it. 

ii.      Matt Caires

1.       Faculty are asking students to wear masks and are disciplining those who are refusing

2.       Sarah Stoneback: Mask for instructional spaces, what about dorms and other areas?

a.       President moved us up one level. If we see more, she can move the dial up, so it’s still possible. 

 VII.            Undergraduate Courses and Programs-Michael Brody sits on this committee

a.       Before you come to Senate, look at the agenda/website and review those proposals up for approval. If it is from your department, please familiarize yourself with the information. Make sure that any overlap has been negotiated between the departments.

b.       Courses

i.      None at this time.

c.       Programs

i.      None at this time.

VIII.            Graduate Courses and Programs-Michael Brody sits on this committee

a.       Courses

i.      None at this time

b.       Programs (will have First Reading at next Senate Meeting)

i.       001-MENG:    Master of Engineering Civil Engineering

ii.      001-MENG: Master of Engineering Environmental Engineering

iii.      PACC-M:    Master of Professional Accountancy (accelerated version of an existing program)

iv.      PUBL-M: Master of Public Administration-(accelerated version of an existing program)

v.       RGSE-CERT:   Regulatory Science Graduate Certificate

c.       Policies at UGC

i.      Managing graduate level committees by non-tenure track faculty

ii.      Co-convened courses. Want to ensure graduate level content in graduate courses co-convened with undergrad courses. 

 IX.            Senators’ Open Conversation     

a.       None

X.            Public Comment

a.       Sarah Rushing: 

i.      Are you a new MSU faculty member who doesn’t know many other faculty yet?

Have you been around for a while (maybe it feels like forever?), but Covid     left you feeling like you never saw your faculty friends? 

Are you pressed for time, but still wanting to connect with folks?

Then come to the Weekly Wednesdays Faculty Friends Fifteen (or so… 12:50 – 1:10)! 

What is that, you ask?

It’s just 15(ish) minutes once a week to drop by Romney Oval lawn and see faculty friends (old, or yet to be made). Say hi, share some good news, vent about the turkeys who are getting you down, stare at your shoes, stare at the sky, breathe air for a few minutes and feel a little fellowship. Stay for 15 minutes, or for 5. This is a very freeform situation!

I’ll be there, starting next week (9/8/21 at 12:50). I look like this: 

                                       OR         

I hope everyone’s semester is off to a great start! 

All my best,        

Sara Rushing 

XI.            Adjourn

a.       Meeting was adjourned at 4:29.

REMINDER:

                Next meeting is September 15th, from 3:10-4:30 in SUB Ballroom