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why money couldn't be taken from elsewhere? She pointed out that the Baker / Hostetler report used a percentage. President Thompson answered that the report was from 2003. He agreed that we do need to evaluate our personnel, but right now we are operating at a fine line—we have no investment dollars, but we do have a balanced budget. Our spring enrollment looks better than it has in some time.
President Sipes noted that budget hearings are going to start so we need something to go forward. Past President Smith proposed again a friendly amendment for “increase incrementally” be put in place of specific percentages.
Time was extended five minutes. One was opposed, the rest in favor.
A senator suggested adding to the friendly amendment that incremental increase would occur over the course of the university's Strategic Plan.
A guest asked if the Baker / Hostetler report was still relevant. President Thompson responded it was but the percentages may not be accurate since the university looks slightly different now. Nevertheless, its outlook and suggestions are still appropriate.
The resolution, with friendly amendments, passed unanimously.
Chair Moffett presented an updated version of APC 16-17.02 Attendance Policy. At the previous Senate meeting there had been a request for the policy to make clear how students would obtain an official university excuse for class absences. APC borrowed language from the current Attendance Policy to offer this information. Discussion ensued that the added line “The Vice President for Student Affairs will inform faculty members BEFORE the student’s absence from class(es) in these cases” was ambiguous in terms of what would happen before the students’ absence. Chair Andries proposed a friendly amendment of placing “of the approval” prior to the “BEFORE” so that the policy was clear.
Chair Moffett accepted Chair Andries' amendment. Senate voted unanimously to approve the action item.
VP Jackson noted that the approval process has changed in that she now reviews all excused absences that come from Student Affairs.
Chair Moffett also reported that APC had been asked by Associate Provost Deneia Thomas to look into creating a course cancellation policy. She suggested the committee review the written policies of other state universities, although Chair Moffett did not find written policies on the university websites and so he contacted individuals at Morehead, EKU, WKU, and NKU to inquire about their unwritten policies. Each university had a certain set of guidelines for how many students needed to be enrolled for a course to “make,” but that number varied between institutions and depended on the philosophy of the currently-serving Dean or Provost. Dr. Thomas nevertheless asked the committee to proceed, and so Chair Moffett asked Senate to pass along insights, comments, or concerns about how a policy document could / should be written.