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The proposed agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1. Call to Order Meeting called to order 9:02 a.m. with quorum present.

2. Approval of Agenda [5 minute time limit] Agenda approved as presented.

3. Approve Meeting minutes from 9/18/2020 [5 minute time limit] A senator pointed out that Keeler was misspelled Keller. Deputy Provost Dr. Beverly Schneller pointed out that SACS wants to be known as SACS COC. Minutes were approved with these corrections.

4. Faculty Senate President Report [15 minute time limit]

a. Terminal Degree Policy (EC_20-21_02)

The Faculty Senate executive committee has drafted a policy for faculty hired without a terminal degree who get that degree during their employment at KSU. Proposed policy called for a pay increase of 5 percent of base pay or $5,000, whichever was more. A senator noted that the reward for getting the terminal degree is keeping one's job and getting tenured. Dr. Schneller pointed out that degree completion can be a condition of hiring or put in the appointment letter with a date. She also asked if there were a precedent for the proposed five percent base pay increase at other institutions. President Keeler said there are precedents the committee reviewed.

A senator asked what provoked the perceived need for this action. President Keeler explained that some current faculty were promised things when they were hired by administrators who are now gone, and those promises weren't honored by subsequent administrators.

Next there was extensive discussion of different formulae for the terminal degree pay raise. Concern was raised that the policy could exacerbate the existing salary compression problem. Eventually, a senator suggested that, instead of an increase to base pay, perhaps,

upon completion of the terminal degree, a faculty member should be given a one-time stipend. President Keeler suggested that the stipend could be set at five percent of median base pay for assistant professors (the median of all people in that rank at KSU in all colleges, schools and divisions).

Generally positive reaction was expressed by senators, and President Keeler said he would table the motion, edit it based on the ideas just expressed and bring it back in the future.

b. Spring Academic Calendar

President Keeler said that he had not seen a Spring 2021 calendar from the provost, and Dr. Schneller said she had not either. However, Dr. Tierra Freeman Taylor said she did have one, and forwarded it to President Keeler. This calendar showed classes beginning January 19 and commencement scheduled for May 7. It still has Presidents' Day and Good Friday as holidays. Wintermester remains the same as in past years. Discussion from senators focused on the problem of the Presidents' Day holiday working against our need to keep students from traveling and risking spread of the coronavirus. Senators also pointed out that the calendar created a gap between the end of Wintermester and the start of Spring semester, which would also needlessly force students to leave campus and return. President Keeler said he would take up both of these issues with the provost.

5. Updates from Academic Affairs and Assessment/IE activities [10 minute time limit]

a. COPLAC update

Dr. Schneller reported that the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) virtual site visit happened last Friday. The purpose was for COPLAC visitors to see how KSU could contribute to COPLAC. The visit and the briefing that followed went well. We should be getting a decision on our membership within two weeks. Benefit of COPLAC membership for KSU would be a new group of like-minded institutions to serve as peers for benchmarking as well as scholarship and publication opportunities for our students. There is also a COPLAC online consortium that would allow KSU

students to take courses at other member schools and to study abroad through the programs at other COPLAC institutions.

5. Academic Policy Committee report [15 minute time limit]

Chairman Gyawali reported that, at its last meeting, APC reviewed a document on faculty teaching internationally and in domestic exchange programs. The committee is collecting input from KSU faculty who currently work with international exchange programs. The committee is also collecting data for a possible resolution on implementing pass/fail again for the Fall 2020 semester. APC found that, in Spring 2020, 268 students used the pass/fail option. APC will have a resolution on this soon after further consultation with Academic Affairs and others. APC is also looking at the question of whether we should resume student evaluations of faculty this semester. Committee is looking at what other institutions are doing about this. For both of these issues, the question is how much are well still in an emergency situation. Regarding the Academic Integrity statement, Chair Gyawali reported that Dr. Schneller said that this issue was already covered by the human resources employee handbook and might not be needed in the Faculty Handbook.

6. Curriculum Committee report [15 minute time limit]

Chair Wang reported that the committee had some discussion about Faculty Senate forms and which curriculum forms needed a Dean's signature. Also, there was some concern on the committee about using Microsoft Teams for discussion since it keeps a permanent record. The curriculum committee also brought the following action items:

a. SPE to COM prefix proposal

A proposal to change the prefix on all speech (SPE) courses to COM, for communication. Dr. David Shabazz, chair of the division housing the current speech program told the senators that this change would bring us into line with the other state universities and community colleges. This was approved unanimously.

b. COM 233 Course Proposal

This proposal for a new course, African American Rhetoric, arose from moves to revitalize the Africana Studies program. It was also approved unanimously.

7. Professional Concerns Committee report [10 minute time limit]

According to Chair Valentine, at its last meeting, PCC discussed a possible policy for selection of deans and chairs. Work on a salary compression resolution was postponed by the arrival of new information from Academic Affairs. There was also discussion of the financial incentive for terminal degree attainment that was discussed today during the President's Report.

8. Budget and Academic Support Committee report [10 minute time limit] Chair Novelo reported that BASC discussed the issue of textbook availability for students with an Incomplete. Dr. Kashan is collecting input and drafting a policy on this. The question of a KSU chapter of AAUP discussed at a previous BASC meeting has been reassigned to PCC.

The committee also raised concerns about student access to technology in the current situation. Dr. Schneller spoke up to encourage all faculty to identify students who might have this problem, especially those who will have problems after campus closes November 20 so that the university will know how many students will be needing laptops and/or hot spots. She said that about a month in advance notice was needed for this. She also noted that there have been some recent connectivity problems in dorms related to utility work taking place on campus.

Regarding salary issues, both compression and cost-of-living--PCC and BASC will be holding a joint meeting to put together ideas on these issues.

9. Faculty ombudsman report [5 minute time limit]

Ombudsman Reilly was not present. He sent word for faculty to email him anytime with any problems.

10. Other Business [10 minute time limit]

Dr. Gyawali announced that he needed student applicants for a grant program in his area and asked all faculty to spread the word.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 10:43 a.m.

Dr. Monica Valentine Dr. Phillip Clay Fariba Bigdeli Fariba Kashan Gavin Washington Helen Smith Jennifer Ballard-Kang Keith McCutchen Leigh Whittinghill Nancy Capriles Noel Novelo Patti Marraccini Rene Desborde Sharon McGee

Senators Absent: Ibukun (Mike) Ogunade

Excused: Gary Stratton,

Guests Attending

Ban

Sheila Stuckey

Tierra Taylor

Margery Coulson-Clark

HK

Ken Andries

Kim Sipes

Kirk.Pomper

Lauren Graves

Rozina Johnson Mirta Rimolo Beverly Schneller David Shabazz Debbra Tate Mara.Merlino Frederick Williams Joe Moffett Fred Bebe Dr. Nkechi Amadife