Faculty Affairs Committee Meeting Minutes

 

February 17, 2006

 

 

Present:                                    Nashwan Younis, Margit Codispoti, Craig Hill, Hedayeh Samavati,

Carl Drummond, Charles Champion

 

Excused:                                   Max Montesino, Susan Hannah

 

 

Meeting Called to Order:            1:30 pm in ET 206

 

 

1.   Approval of the Minutes of January 20, 2006:  The minutes were approved as distributed.

 

 

2.   Associate Faculty Teaching Award:  The Committee was informed that funding for this award will be provided by Chancellor Wartell.

 

 

3.   Professor Hickey’s Letter

 

The letter submitted to the Committee by Professor Marilyn Hickey regarding professors submitting an Annual Faculty Review (AFR) was discussed.  While Indiana University regulations do not require an AFR to be submitted by professors, the management agreement between IPFW and Purdue University requires IPFW to follow Purdue University regulations, which require all faculty regardless of rank to submit an AFR.  Professor Drummond referred to Senate Document 97.8, which addresses this issue.

 

The Committee was concerned with the ability of Chairs and Deans to make fair merit decisions without the AFR.  Professor Younis will send an e-mail to Professor Hickey regarding the Committee discussion of this issue.

 

 

4.   Salary for Summer Teaching

 

Professor Hill presented concerns regarding salary reductions for Summer courses, which were discussed at the Arts & Sciences Faculty Assembly.  Salary reductions for faculty would be tied to course offerings with an enrollment of 5-10.  The VCAA has reduced graduate course minimum enrollments to 8.  Undergraduate classes with 5-10 enrolled may be offered if a salary reduction can be negotiated with the faculty member.  Salary reductions would not apply if course enrollment would decrease after the regular enrollment period.  If enrollment increases, there may be an option to increase salary.  Professor Drummond will check with the VCAA for clarification and verification.

 

Arts & Sciences would like each School to do the accounting for Summer courses.  Summer school budgets are controlled by the Deans.  Units which exceed enrollment expectations may petition for increased future section offerings and salaries.  Schools should set minimum standards for enrollment and enrollment numbers should be averaged for all sections offered, not judged on a per-section count.

 


 

5.   ETCS Promotion and Tenure Committee Procedures

 

The Committee discussed the Engineering and Computer Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee Procedures.  The Dean may serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the committee, although he/she may not Chair the committee.  The committee Chair will be elected by the committee members.

 

Candidates may withdraw cases at any time after the case has been submitted.

 

The Faculty Affairs Committee approved the document submitted for forwarding to the Senate for approval, with the stipulation that the last sentence under B-4 be removed.

 

 

6.   Ombudscommittee

 

An Ombudscommittee was approved by the Senate 97-28 in 1998.  This committee ceased to exist in Spring 2000.  The Faculty Affairs Committee reviewed the information provided by Professor Hill regarding the Arts & Sciences Ombudscommittee and will draft a new Ombudscommittee resolution for submission to the Senate.

 

 

7.   Draft of Exit Interview Process

 

Margit Codispoti submitted the Arts & Sciences exit interview questionnaire as an example and also provided suggestions for implementing the process.  This would include a request to the VCAA to provide an annual report to the Senate, which will identify actions taken by the university to address concerns and recommendations identified by the exit interview process.

 

Margit Codispoti will draft a resolution to the Senate, which will include a charge to the Faculty Affairs Committee to review and revise the document on an annual basis.

 

 

8.   External Review for Promotion and Tenure Cases

 

This item was moved to the first item on the agenda for the next meeting.

 

 

9.   Next Meeting

 

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 3, 2006 at noon in ET 206.

 

 

Meeting Adjourned:                   2:30 pm

 

 

Respectfully Submitted:              Charles A. Champion

 

 

 

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Faculty Affairs Committee Meeting

January 20, 2006

12:00 p. m.  ET 206

 

Present: Nash Younis, Charles Champion, Margit Codispoti, Craig Hill, Max Montesino, Hedayeh Samavati

 

  1. Approval of the minutes of November 11, 2005

The minutes were approved as distributed.

  1. Associate faculty teaching award

The letter soliciting nominations was reviewed and approved. It will be sent out next week. There was concern expressed about the low number of nominees last year. We will ask Jeanette Clausen for history of number of nominees over past few years. Suggestion was made to have an email reminder go out a couple of weeks before the application due date.

 

There was discussion about the practice of soliciting money from full time faculty for the $500 award that is given. It was felt that faculty get asked to contribute to so many things and couldn’t the administration come up with $500 each year. The university has money to give bonuses. Maybe the $500 could come from there.  Nash Younis said he would bring this matter up when the faculty leaders meet with the Chancellor.

 

  1. Exit Interviews

A response was received from the ETCS. The Assembly has voted against establishing a procedure for conducting exit interviews and voted against joining the smaller units to conduct exit interviews.

 

The FAC members discussed the Exit interview process and the history of the project for the members who are new to the committee this year.  One concern raised by ETCS was that there is “little point in collecting data if it is not acted upon.” We decided that as FAC implements the Exit interview, we will build assessment and accountability into the process. Findings and recommendations from the interviews should be reported to the Senate and then a report back from the administration on what steps are taken as a result to improve identified problem areas. Margit and Charlie will draft a document for the FAC to work with to implement a campus Exit interview.

 

  1. Public Information Documents

There was discussion about what university business is public information and how to get information. Concerns are raised among the faculty about many issues and often the information needed to follow through on a problem is lacking.  Some concerns are not matters for a personal grievance but there seems to be no mechanism on campus to resolve the problems. There was suggestion that we look into forming an Ombudsman Committee to provide a place to deal with some faculty concerns.  Discussion on this idea will continue to next months agenda.

 

Next Month’s agenda items:

Ombudsman

Draft of Exit Interview Process

External Review for P&T cases

 

Next meeting was tentatively set for Feb. 17 at noon.

 

Recorded by Margit Codispoti

 


Faculty Affairs Committee Meeting

November 11, 2005

1:30 p.m. ET 206

 

Present:          Nash Younis, Charles Champion, Margit Codispoti, Susan Hannah, Craig Hill, Hedayeh Samavati.

 

Excused:        Max Montesino

 

1.         Approval of the minutes of October 21, 2005

 

The minutes were approved as distributed.

 

2.         Old Business

 

Deadlines for Annual Reports

 

The Committee examined the document entitled “ANNUAL FACULTY PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS.”  This document indicates the results of a survey conducted and compiled by OAA, dated September 2005.  The results indicate that some departments ask for productivity reports as early as November.  In addition, a variation in the due date for submission of productivity reports is observed across campus.

 

The Committee discussed whether there should be consistency in terms of submission deadlines and format for the productivity reports across the campus.  Dr. Hannah suggested that the faculty might want to consider a standard format for the productivity report for the University.  It is worth pursuing if a standard format/template can be created for the productivity reports that everyone can use.  A subcommittee of the Faculty Affairs Committee in cooperation with the VCAA will examine this issue in the Spring 2006.

 

Nash Younis made the following motion, seconded by C. Hill:

 

The productivity reports should be due to the department chairs after the first of the year, but no later than the first week of February.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

 

3.         New Business

 

            Upward Feedback Evaluations for 2004 - 2005

 

The Committee reviewed the memo indicating the results of Upward Feedback Evaluations for 2004-2005.  The results show the number of forms returned for each administrator from 2002 through 2005.  One comment was that it is useful if the summary results indicate percentage returned (number returned relative to total).

 

            Senate Document SD 97-23

 

Nash opened the discussion by posing this question:  “What is the correct interpretation of the Senate Document SD 97-23?”   Nash suggested that it might be appropriate for the FAC to receive and examine the results of the Upward Feedback questionnaires and then issue recommendations.  Pros and cons of this idea were discussed.  One suggestion was to collect data regarding the faculty’s perceptions of the “usefulness” of the data collected through Upward Feedback forms.  The Committee decided to come back to this issue at a later date.

 

 

Proposal for IPFW Sabbatical Policy

 

 

The draft copy of (November 3, 2005) The Proposal for a Uniform IPFW Sabbatical Policy prepared by the Office of VCAA was introduced, discussed and unanimously approved.

 

4.         Next Meeting

 

The Committee agreed to meet again on December 2/05 at 1:30 p.m.  Among the new agenda items for the next meeting: discussion of “External Review Letters” solicited for the promotion and tenure process.

 

            The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted:  Hedayeh Samavati
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Faculty Affairs Committee Meeting

October 7, 2005

1:30 p.m. ET 206

 

Present:          Charles Champion, Margit Codispoti, Susan Hannah, Craig Hill, Max Montesino, Hedayeh Samavati, Nash Younis

 

1.         Approval of the minutes of September 9, 2005

 

The minutes were approved as distributed.

 

2.         Old Business

 

Exit Interview

 

Most schools elected to have exit interviews conducted by a campus‑wide committee.  It was therefore decided that such a campus committee should be established.

 

3.         Questions regarding library funds allocations

 

The following questions were sent via e‑mail to the committee:

 

1.         When and how did the Library decide to skim off the top of each dept’s library allocation to use that money for a second round of Special Needs Grants? I was told that this is what happened and why our allocation for books was reduced by about $200.

 

2.         Do we need so many special needs grants?

 

3.         Any why isn’t other money allocated to that instead of using dept. allocations?

 

The committee voted to refer the questions to the Library Subcommittee, because they made the decision to reserve a certain amount of money to build in‑depth holdings in specific areas. M. Codispoti addressed the issues briefly.  Information is published on the Library website about the second round of allocations.  Nov. 1 is the deadline for requests.  Allocation to specific areas is based on an involved formula taking into account such factors as credit hours and books published in a given area; allocation varies from year to year.  The Library receives a lot of requests for increasing holdings in specific areas, which is the reason for the decision to increase the money for this purpose.

 

The FAC recommended that the rationale for the reserved funds be publicized to remind faculty of its purpose.  N. Younis will send this to the Library Subcommittee.

 

4.         Questions regarding the use of classrooms for instruction

 

The following questions were sent via e‑mail to the committee:

 

1.         "... I would like to know why the classrooms in the Engineering buildings have not been completed with a installation of stationary computers for instructors?"

 

2.         "What are the brown cases for in the back of the rooms if the equipment they were intended to house is not permanently installed in the rooms?"

 

3.         "How many rooms do we have for instruction on campus? Most of the classrooms in Kettler have been cannibalized for various services [the only ones left are vanity lecture halls and fixed space labs]. The same has happened in Neff to a large extent."

 

"I ask the question because I was approached by two instructors this semester being asked to move my class the room assigned to me to another class. One of the requests was based on issues of pedagogy the second was due to a physical injury. Faculty should not have to beg other faculty to switch rooms. I think a discussion of classroom availability is in order."

 

Answers to the above questions:

 

"Note John Fitzgerald's answers to your questions, forwarded to me by Dr. Voland.  LRC has primary responsibility for classroom workstation and projector provision for instructional, and most other purposes. We work with LRC to establish workstation configurations, provide network drops in the room, etc."

 

Bob

 

"The wooden cabinets in the back of the ET classrooms were part of a Purdue design standard for classrooms dating back to the 1980s. The cabinets were intended to hold a couple slide projectors and some lighting controls. The cabinets are of no use for current instructional technology, such as LCD projectors and PCs.

 

Classrooms with installed workstations are added as funding is approved. ITPC approved funding for 7 additional classroom installations this year, and LRC funded 2 more classrooms, bringing the total to 33 classrooms with installed technology, (of the 80+ general classrooms across campus). More classrooms will be equipped with permanent workstations as funds are made available."

 

 John L Fitzgerald

Director, Learning Resource Center

 

Vice Chancellor Hannah noted that 30‑40% of classrooms have projectors and dedicated computers.  The goal is to obtain projectors and computers for 2/3 of classrooms.  EPC is developing principles for classroom use, considering such strategies as making noon on Mondays available for scheduling classes.  Continuing Education is investing in technology and making software purchases.  CELT has formed a committee to address issues related to the need for technology.

 

5.         Department visits by prospective students

 

The following questions were sent via e‑mail to the committee:

 

1.         "When was the decision made to hold dept. visits so many times during the year for, I guess, new students? We were sent a general notice that dept. visits would occur on many days during both semesters and at a specific time. I do not recall being consulted about this in any meeting of the faculty. There are 9 dates in the Fall term and 14 in the spring term. The dept. visit time is 11 and it may be very difficult to cover that time if a dept. such as mine has a small faculty."

 

2.         "At any rate, who decides these things and why isn't there some notice or at least input to the decision before the times and dates are mandated? Of course, my dept. will do it's best to accommodate students, but I am concerned that we are just told instead of offering when we could best serve the student(s)..."

 

The committee decided to send the questions to Carol Isaacs in Admissions.

 

6.         Issues presented by Vice Chancellor Hannah to be considered

 

a.         The call for applicants for the position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs

 

b.         Corrected school responses to her quick survey on annual faculty productivity reports

 

c.         The announcement on the Management of Study Abroad programs

 

d.         A summary of the bases for bonus nominations for Fall 2005

 

Items b and c are issues for future discussion, but were not discussed at this meeting.  The documents relevant to items b through d are attached to the minutes.

 

7.         Examples of Documenting and Evaluating Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavor

 

S. Hannah explained that the project was started because of feedback from the Ombudscommittee that some faculty do not know what to expect as they work toward tenure and promotion.  Some departments do not have specific criteria established in their policies, such that the draft document is intended to provide a resource for departments in developing their policies.  This is not intended as a formal policy document.

 

The committee considered statements from the History Department, the Psychology Department, and Elaine Blakemore expressing concerns about Examples Draft 1.8 document.  Suggestions for modifications were proposed by committee members.  However, the committee did not cover the entire document, and this task will continue at the next meeting.

 

8.         Scheduling the next two meetings

 

The meetings were scheduled for Friday, October 21 at 3 p.m. and November 11 at 1:30 p.m.

 

 

ANNUAL FACULTY PRODUCTIVITY REPORTS

Survey by School/Division

Compiled by OAA

September 2005

 

School

Name?

Standard

Template?

Due (to Dept) Date?

Copies Kept?

Dean’s role?

Arts and Sciences

Annual Activities Report

yes, by dept

set by dept (Nov 1, Dec 1, Jan 1 are common)

in department

receives compilation in dept annual reports

Business and Mmgt Sciences

Annual Productivity Reports

Yes

early February

in department

receives compilation in dept reports

Education

Annual Report (submitted in a binder with supporting docs)

No

2nd Friday in February

 returned to faculty member

reads during reappt & merit process

ETCS/OLS

Annual Faculty Reports (AFRs)

Yes

early‑February

in the School

reads during reappt & merit process

Health Sciences

Annual Faculty Report (AFR)

Yes

February

 in department

receives composite from dept chair

Library

Annual Review Form

Yes

January 1

Library (copy to IU)

 reads during reappt & merit process

PEA

Faculty Summary Report

Yes

3rd week in January

in Division (copy to IUB)

reads during reappt & merit process

VPA

Productivity Report

Yes 

January 31

in department & in School

reads during reappt & merit process

 

 

10/6/05

September 26, 2005

 

To:                   Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs

 

From:              Susan B. Hannah, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

 

Subject:          Management of Overseas Study Activities

 

Happily, more and more IPFW faculty are coming forward with ideas for overseas study activities.  To assure the integrity of study abroad programs, we are to the point that we need to develop university‑wide quality control policies that standardize our overseas academic programs, regularize the process of granting students credit for overseas study, provide fair compensation and professional support for faculty, and ensure the highest standards of safety and security for all participants.

 

To this end, we have begun discussions with faculty and staff who have been involved with study abroad programs in the past with the goal of developing a standard approval and management process.  We hope to have a plan in place by the end of the year under the aegis of the new Office of International Programs.

 

In the meantime, however, faculty are making plans for study abroad for summer 2006.   The Office of Academic Affairs has therefore developed an interim approval and management process in collaboration with the Indiana University Office of Overseas Study to be effective immediately.  The process outlined below requires that proposals are screened first on this campus, and then submitted to the IU Office of Overseas Study for approval.  Proposal format and deadlines are spelled out at  http://www.ipfw.edu/dcs/credit/overseas.shtml.                            

 

Note that the IU Office already manages study abroad programs for all of the IU regional campuses and is happy to include us in a process already in place.  Note also that IUPUI includes an on‑campus screening step similar to that we intend at IPFW.

 

1.         All proposals for academic study abroad programs at IPFW must be submitted to the Office of Credit Programs in Continuing Studies.  Proposals will be screened first on this campus by a committee composed of Nancy Virtue, IPFW Study Abroad Coordinator; Leslie Raymer, Director of Credit Programs in CS; and two IPFW faculty members with experience in study abroad programming.  Qualified proposals will then be forwarded to the IU Office of International Affairs for final approval.

 

2.         Faculty considering developing an overseas study proposal are encouraged to consult with staff at the IU Office of Overseas Study early in the process. Although proposals are reviewed as they are received throughout the year, advance planning is essential.  

 

3.         Faculty must work with Leslie Raymer here at as they construct a budget and marketing plan to include in a proposal.  No promotion or recruitment of students should precede approval in order to assure correct and complete information.

 

Please direct inquiries and proposals to Leslie Raymer in Continuing Studies (481‑6016).

 

 

 

 

 

BONUS AWARDS FOR FACULTY

Categorized by Strategic Plan Goal

Fall 2005

 

 

Academic Programs

           Leadership/significant contribution to accreditation success

           Effective program recruitment

           Innovative, community‑based learning/service project

           Modernization of introductory labs/external funds

           New degree/certificate program development/revision (at implementation)

 

Learning Environment

           Student support/orientation project

           Significant program activities on campus

 

Accomplishment

           Grants/contracts more than $100,000 (less if highly competitive)

           State/national professional leadership

           Significant (unfunded) awards

 

Community

           New community partnership

           Summer camp program for children

           Regional outreach activities

 

Operations

           Senate officers

 

 


Faculty Affairs Committee Meeting

September 9, 2005

1:30 p.m. ET 206

 

Present:            Margit Codispoti, Craig Hill, Hedayeh Samavati, Nash Younis

Guest:   Jeanette Clausen
  

Handouts:        

Draft letter of the Nominations for Bonus Opportunity

Draft of Examples for Documenting and Evaluating Faculty Rese arch, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavor

SD 91-20 (Extension of the Probationary Period for Justifiable Cause)

 

1.         Electing the Chair

            Nash Younis was elected to be the chair of the committee.

 

2.         Old Business:  Faculty Exit Interview

The Library and the Division of Public and Environmental Affairs decided to participate in the exit interview procedure with other departments/units.  The School of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science is willing to consider establishing a policy for doing an exit interview.  No responses have been received yet from other schools/units.

             

3.      Issues for Future Discussion

         The FAC members would  like to discuss:

senate document SD 97-23 (Upward Feedback: Review of Administrators)  

Public information documents

 

4.      Task Force

          Jeanette asked for a representative from the Faculty Affairs Committee to serve on the

          Task Force on Summer Compensation.  The main issue is classes with less than ten

          students.  Prof. Samavati is willing to serve if Professors Champion and Montesino do not

          serve.

 

5.      Bonus Opportunity

          Discussion and suggestions were made to the attached draft documents.  The main

          suggestion was deans would widely solicit nominations from the school. 

 

6.      VCAA List

            The following will be discussed in future meetings:

Examples for Documenting and Evaluating Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavor

Senate Document SD 91-20 (Extension of the Probationary Period for Justifiable Cause)

Merit increment process

Faculty recognition

Report of the Higher Education Research Institute

 

The next meeting will be on Friday, October 7 at 1:30.
 

 

D R A F T # 3,   September 7, 2005

 

 

 

To:                   AOC

 

From:               Susan Hannah, VCAA

 

Subj:                Nominations for Bonus Opportunity

 

Deans and directors are invited to nominate individuals (or groups of individuals) for one-time bonus awards intended to recognize extraordinary contributions to the strategic plan goals of the university.  The award will recognize leadership or significant contribution to an important department, school, or campus project or initiative completed during fiscal year 2004-05.

 

Eligibility:  Regularly appointed clerical/service, administrative, and faculty.  Awards may go to individuals or to every individual on a team.  

                                                            

Amount of award:  Awards are anticipated to be at three award levels, depending upon the scope and impact of the project and the contribution of the individual.

 

Nomination process:    Deans will submit names of faculty, administrators, and clerical/service staff to the VCAA by September 26, 2005, following the attached format.  Each nomination should be typewritten and no more than one page in length. Awards are to be conferred on November 30, 2005.

 

Purpose:    In general, the intent is to recognize leadership of and success with projects or initiatives that go beyond the employee’s ongoing responsibilities and that advance the goals of the IPFW strategic plan.  The project or initiative should have been completed during the past year, not as part of an ongoing program or initiative.

 

Criteria:   In preparing nominations, deans/directors should consider the following criteria:

In what sense has the individual or team gone “above and beyond” their ongoing responsibilities?

What is extraordinary about the accomplishment?

How does the initiative or project advance one or more of the IPFW Strategic Plan goals?

What is the evidence for effective leadership?

What is the scope, outcome or impact, and how is it documented?

 

Examples:       The following are examples of activities that were completed in 2003-04 and rewarded in fall 2004.  The examples are not intended to be prescriptive, but simply to indicate some of the kinds of contributions that have been and could be rewarded through the bonus program. 

 

Criterion:        Leader or team member of successful one-time major effort or high-stakes effort

building design or redesign/renovation               

opening of new facility (student housing, Warsaw Center, arts gallery)

implementation of new advising effort (CAPP, e-mentoring)

design of mastodon statue

exceptional contributions to high-stakes assignment       

led successful (re-)accreditation review

led/oversaw  NCAA certification

 

Criterion:        Leadership to implement a new initiative, degree program, or service on behalf of student  recruitment and/or retention          

FYE launch

new degree program proposal approved

led transition from WebCT to WebCT/Vista

creation of new outreach programs (Math/Science, ETCS, and VPA camps)

development of course/curriculum for alternative delivery

 

Criterion:        Leader or team member of an effort that significantly advanced or expanded an existing program/initiative

IIFE team (Library)

LRC theft prevention team

reorganization of Science Fair procedures

significant revision of departmental or school advising system

significant improvement of departmental or school record-keeping

major redesign/improvement of department or program web site

 

Criterion:        New projects/initiatives with community partners

BHFS Institute

SBMS Business Forum

Cole entrepreneurship

 

Criterion:        Exceptional accomplishment reflecting disciplinary expertise

authored a successful grant proposal for $100,000 or more

named as editor of a leading or flagship journal

exceptional teaching accomplishment

national award for research or teaching

 

Criterion:        Exceptional service to the university, community, or profession

accomplishments as Senate leaders

organize successful public teach-in, exhibit, performance, or other event

digitize perishable materials (e.g., slides, archival materials) to preserve them

            

The bonus is separate from the annual merit increment, i.e., it does not change an individual’s base salary or affect the annual merit increment.  Depending on scope, outcome, and impact, the recommendation may be at one of three levels, as indicated on the attached nomination form.