CALL TO ORDER
The second meeting of the 1997 Fall Semester was called to order at 3:15 p.m. by President Linda Ramsey in Room 206, Boling University Center. Present were 40 senators and officers, 3 substitutes and 11 visitors.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as distributed.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A listing of rules of order were previously distributed to the senators. President Ramsey has since gone through a book of Roberts' Rules of Order to verify the list, and the following changes should be made in the list distributed. Item number 7 should be deleted. The time limit should be changed to 10 minutes, not three minutes.

President Ramsey strongly encouraged the senators to share the information from the senate meetings with their academic units.

An AdHoc Technology Committee has been formed and will be dealing with a number of issues, including the question of long-range technology planning and the necessity of better communication with the faculty concerning the proper use of technology fees. Members of this committee are Glenn Everett, David McBeth, Doug Sterrett, David Loebbaka, Mike Abney, and Otha Britton. Senators were asked to provide input to this committee regarding the Technology Fee.

President Ramsey said that she is planning to appoint an ad hoc committee to investigate the possibility of adding the rank of Professor II. Members of this committee would need to be full professors. One senator asked if this would more properly be handled by the Personnel Policies Committee. President Ramsey stated that this had been considered, however, not all of the members of this committee are full professors. The ad hoc committee will only be investigating this matter.

BUDGET AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS
Robert Nanney had nothing from the committee for action. He did state that the committee will be discussing salary equity and would appreciate input from the faculty regarding merit, internal or external equity, and across the board raises. He also said that the senators were invited to a meeting of the BEC Committee on November 11. Neal Wormsley, Assistant Treasurer, will attend this meeting to address how we might encourage better local participation by dentists in the dental plans available.

UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL
Alice Catherine Carls brought the packet from the council as a motion and second, and asked that several corrections be made before voting on the packet. (These corrections were made on the original forms.)

Carls asked that proposals from Ag&HE be considered as one package. During discussion, one senator asked why so many changes were being made. Suzette Boehms (visitor) said that these changes were being made to correct problems with the exit exam and to add more electives. Another senator stated that the revisions for Soil and Conservation (page 63 in catalog), which included Biology 331, showed None under "Impact Statement." He stated that there might be an impact because these courses are full at present. Increasing the student enrollment might mean more staff needed in Biology. After further discussion, a motion was made and seconded that these two programs be returned to Undergraduate Council. (p. 62, Parks and Recreation and p. 61, Environmental Management) There was a call for the previous question. Motion to return these proposals to UG Council failed.

Motion made and seconded to amend the Soil and Conservation proposal Impact Statement to "May require additional staffing in Biological Sciences." Motion carried.

On the entire packet as amended -- motion carried.

On the proposals from Human Environmental Sciences -- motion carried.

On the proposals from Biological Sciences -- motion carried.

On the proposals from Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work and Criminal Justice -- motion carried.

Dr. Blanchard was given the floor. He wanted to officially commend the School of Agriculture and Human Environment on all their work on these proposals and the curriculum.

GRADUATE COUNCIL
Maurice Field brought the curriculum proposals from Agriculture and Human Environment as a motion and a second. Motion carried.

INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE
Dan McDonough brought the following as a motion and second from the committee, regarding enrollment in upper division courses:

To be eligible for upper division courses, students (transfers as well as those having previous attendance at the University) must have attained sophomore status unless approval is granted by the deans of their schools.

Motion carried.

McDonough also brought as a motion and second, the following proposed changes in the Academic Forgiveness Policy. The name would be changed to Academic Fresh Start and the proposal is as follows:

Undergraduate students who have not attended a college or university for a minimum of four consecutive calendar years may obtain entrance through the Academic Fresh Start Policy. The request must be submitted in writing to the Admission Office prior to the term for which the Academic Fresh Start is requested. Students who transfer directly to UTM after attending another college or university within the last four years will still be eligible if they were granted a "fresh start" from the transferring institution. The policy will apply to grades received prior to the fresh start granted by the transferring institution.

This policy means that any previous coursework in which the student received a grade below C will not be computed in subsequent calculations of grade point average. These grades will, however, remain on the student's transcript. Credit toward graduation will be disallowed for course grades not included in cumulative average, but this work will be included in calculations for consideration for honors graduation.

A student may be admitted under the policy only one time; this admission cannot be annulled. Anyone admitted under this policy may not graduate under a catalog in existence prior to the year in which an academic fresh start was granted.

Motion carried.

LIBRARY COMMITTEE
No report at this time.

PERSONNEL POLICIES
Roger Fisher brought the following proposal regarding the General Faculty Meeting as a motion and second from the committee. (Changes to the Faculty Handbook are made in bold print.)
 
 

2.10.1 GENERAL FACULTY MEETING

An official meeting of the faculty occurs annually before the opening of the fall semester. There shall be one additional regular meeting of the faculty in the fall semester and one in the spring semester, both to be scheduled in advance by the Executive Committee. The fall meeting will be scheduled to occur within the thirty (30) days prior to the Fall Break, with preference given to Thursdays at 3:15 p.m. The spring meeting will be scheduled to occur within the thirty (30) days prior to Spring Break, with preference given to Thursdays at 3:15 p.m. Notice of these meetings will be sent two weeks in advance by the Secretary of the Senate. The President of the Senate will preside at the meetings.

Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS
1. NCATE - November 1 - 5 -- Ramsey shared a brochure with the senators. She thanked everybody for all the help given to the School of Education while they have been working on the accreditation.
 
 

2. Reminder about the General Faculty Meeting, 3:15 p.m. on October 30 in Gooch 336.
 
 

3. The Chancellor's Search Committee has had a second meeting. There are 22 applications plus several possible candidates. November 1 was the planned deadline, but UT System President Joe Johnson can extend this if he chooses.
 

4. On November 12, a reception will be held from 2 - 4 p.m. in the Library to dedicate the Ned Ray McWherter Room.

ADJOURNMENT
Motion and second to adjourn 4:28 p.m.
 
 

Linda Ramsey, President

Steve Rogers, Secretary