Faculty Senate Meeting

December 5, 2001

Attendees: Kurt Anderson, Georges Belfort, Linnda Caporael, President, Stephen Derby, Don Drew, Mark Embrechts, Ron Gutmann, Linda Layne, Jonathan Newell, Ralph Noble, Mark Rea, Susan Sanderson, Mary Ann Staniszewski, Trina Sego, Don Steiner, Mary Anne Waltz, Bruce Watson.

Original Minutes of 12/5/2001

Agenda

Report from Standing Committees

Curriculum Committee

Promotion and Tenure

Planning and Resources

Ad Hoc Committee for Hartford

Faculty Handbook Update

Approval of the Minutes of 11/7/2001 and 11/28/2001

Motion for Formal Thank You to President Jackson

Request to Curtis Powell

Student Life Committee Report

Adjournment

Report from Standing Committees

Curriculum Committee

President Caporael brought the meeting to order, and asked for reports from the Standing Committees. Mary Ann Staniszewski, Chair of the Curriculum Committee, presented a handout of Section III of the Constitution of the Faculty Senate (attached) that suggested two title changes in the Constitution: “Dean of Undergraduate Education” and “Dean of Graduate Education”. The changes to the Constitution were unanimously approved.

Promotion and Tenure Committee

Don Drew, Chair of the Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Committee reported that three people were recommended for promotion to Associate Professor with tenure.

Planning and Resources Committee

Ralph Noble, Chair of the Planning and Resources Committee had nothing to report.

Ad Hoc Committee for Hartford

Susan Sanderson, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for Hartford, identified the new committee members and highlighted key issues for the committee. A report from the committee is due to the Faculty Senate at the end of the spring semester.

Faculty Handbook Update

Professor Ron Gutmann discussed updating the Faculty Handbook, particularly with respect to P&T. Discussion centered on rumors that Rensselaer is "raising the bar" for P&T. Gutmann felt that there were fewer P&T cases in the last year or two because of reductions in hiring, not because the standards had changed. Don Drew, Chair of P&T, concurred with this view. A suggestion was made that if there was in fact a "raising of the bar," this was probably occurring at the Dean and Department Chair levels, not in the P&T Committee. It was noted that not every faculty member was aware of the "Guidelines to Promotion and Tenure at Rensselaer by the Faculty Senate Committee on P&T, 1996" It was noted that this document and the Handbook are available on the web: www.rpi.edu/dept/provost/P&TGUIDE.pdf, www.rpi.edu/dept/provost/main.html. Jonathan Newell agreed to serve as Chair of a new Standing Committee to review the Faculty Handbook section on Promotion and Tenure.

Approval of the Minutes of 11/7/2001 and 11/28/2001

Minutes of the last Faculty Senate Meeting, November 7, 2001 and the General Faculty Meeting of November 28, 2001 were approved with minor revisions and can be viewed on the Faculty Senate home page: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/facsen/.

Motion for Formal Thank You to President Jackson

A motion was unanimously passed to have President Caporael, on behalf of the Faculty Senate, send a formal note thanking President Jackson for her succinct presentation and, as a consequence, providing ample time for faculty questions.

Request to Curtis Powell

President Caporael will also ask Curtis Powell, Vice President of Human Resources, to address the Faculty Senate regarding compensation pay for faculty.

Student Life Committee Report

Mark Rea presented a short report regarding the Student Life Committee. A report, from Eddie Knowles, Vice President of Student Life, is available for review.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 3:45 pm.