Department of Educational Studies
Faculty Meeting Minutes
January 19, 2007
8:00-11:00 a.m., Gooch 232
Present: Gene Annaratone, Frank Black, Linda Blanding, Jennifer Cook, Becky Cox, Betty Cox, Ann Duncan, Ginny Esch, Kathy Evans, Mary Lee Hall, Robert Hartshorn, Beverly Hearn, Patricia Hewitt, Robert Maniss, Suzanne Maniss, Sandy Murray, James Petty, Glenda Rakes, Michael Spaulding, Joyce Swan, Cherry Watts, Cris Whitlow, Jerry Woods
Call to order.
Dr Black called the meeting to order at 8:12 a.m.
Approval of minutes
Motion: To approve minutes from November 17 faculty meeting as distributed.
Move: Hewitt Second: Esch Vote: Carried
Follow ups
1. Search Committees - The search committee chairs gave updates on the various searches. There are few applicants for any of the searches in progress. Most of them will be re-advertised soon, somewhere other than the Chronicle, in order to get more applicants.
2. Registration - Hall, Crawford, Hahn, Hewitt, and S. Maniss
Dr. Hewitt reported that those listed met with Brandy Cartmell and Sandra Brackett from the Office of the Registrar and that we believe that all of the problems with prerequisites and registration have been worked out. Faculty might need to administratively drop students if they do not have prerequisites.
Old Business
1. Undergraduate Curriculum Committee – Hewitt
All curriculum proposals that have been sent forward had been approved through the Senate. Dr. Hewitt reiterated that advisors should be sure that substitution requests include a course description with the request, and should be sure to not violate the 30-hour rule. She handed out a copy of the dispositions rubric that is used.
2. Field Placement – Cook
Ms. Cook advised the faculty that 126 students had been placed in various schools for field experiences. After discussion regarding one of our student teachers having been convicted of a felony, Dr. Petty stated that the Standard I committee is addressing this matter. Dr. Hall stated that schools across the state are starting to do background checks.
Kindergarten Practicum students and TCED 302 students were to be placed in schools next. The Student Teaching Handbook and forms will all be online soon. Ms. Cook asked that the advisors please be sure portfolios are ready and approved before students apply for student teaching. It was stated that clarification is needed on policy regarding the portfolio being ready when students apply for student teaching.
3. Committee Reports
* Standard III – Cook
The Standard III committee will be meeting this semester and working on what the visitation team told them to work on.
* Graduate Committee – Murray
The graduate committee is working on the Bylaws. Dr. Murray also requested that advisors be sure substitutions and transfer credit requests have course descriptions included. Dr. Black stated that the committee needs to address how the comprehensive exam process can be improved.
* IRB - Esch
Becky Cox submitted a proposal which has been certified as exempt from review.
* Technology - Hartshorn
This committee will be surveying the faculty regarding technology needs; Dr. Hartshorn will report at the next meeting. It was noted that a projector was supposed to be installed in Gooch 207. Dr. Hartshorn said that he would check with Karl about this.
* Standard I – Petty
This committee is discussing background checks on teaching candidates, dispositions rubrics, and the committee review process for students with dispositional problems.
* Standard II – S. Maniss
The counseling lab and internships are used as checkpoints and assessment instruments.
* Standard IV – Hearn
The diversity committee will have a survey soon that faculty will be receiving.
4. Faculty Senate Report
Hewitt reported that one item currently discussed in senate is about accountability. UTM needs to come up with plan, such as an exit exam. Dr. Esch reported on the chancellor search. Dr. Duncan is on the Search Committee. If anyone has a nomination, Dr. Duncan has forms. Dr. Petty stated that we have been asked by the UK faculty to put the outstanding rating back on evaluations. We previously used it, but took it out.
A question was asked about any mention of raises, and Dr. Hall replied, not really, but that anything mentioned included merit.
New Business
1. Policy on Substitutions – Hewitt
This comes as motion and second from committee.
Motion: Undergraduate methods courses cannot be replaced with courses from other universities.
Vote: Carried
Motion: Workshop courses designed to replace gen ed courses must be seen and approved by the undergraduate curriculum committee.
Vote: Carried
A number of workshop courses have been used to substitute for gen ed courses. The committee is not opposed to this, but there needs to be accountability. Requests will be expedited, the committee just wants to be able to see what is being put out there to be sure it meets the state matrix for knowledge and skills.
2. " D" grades –- Black
Students are allowed to progress with D grades as long as they maintain the minimum GPA. Dr. Dr. Black stated that he has serious concerns about this but that he was just asking for discussion. If this is adopted we should spell out what courses would be involved. Dr. Hewitt asked that the faculty send to her what courses they want this applied to and she will take care of it in the curriculum committee.
3. Bylaws & Minutes – Black
Dr. Black asked the chairs of the various departmental committees to be sure to send copies of the committee minutes to Kristy and asked that Kristy remind the chairs at the end of each month. He did not ask that they go back and send minutes from meetings in the fall semester, but He also stated that any standing committees without written bylaws should create them and send them to the department.
4. Search committee for Chair – Black
Dr. Black advised the faculty that another member should be selected for the search committee for the chair. Dr. Patricia Hewitt was now a candidate for the position and must be replaced on the committee. He asked for nominations from the floor.
Nomination: Nominate Dr. Sandy Murray to the search committee for department chair
Motion: To close nominations
Move: Petty Second: Betty Cox Vote: Carried.
5. Criteria for Promotion and Tenure – Black
It was proposed that we have a Committee to address criteria for promotion and tenure. Specifically, the committee is asked to clarify what is expected and what weight is given or proposed for various types of performance evidence.
Motion: That we select two professors, two associate professors, and one assistant professor to study and propose standards related to publications, presentations, etc. for the purpose of P& T service.
Move: Petty Second: Hall Vote: Carried.
The committee selected was Hartshorn, Hewitt, Duncan, Evans, and Maniss. They were asked to have a proposal by the March faculty meeting. Dr. Hartshorn was asked to call the committee together to elect a chair.
Announcements.
Drs. Cris Whitlow and Suzanne Maniss were elected faculty senate representatives for the next academic year.
If faculty have items for the agenda for the next faculty meeting, please let Kristy know one week prior to the scheduled meeting.
7th Annual Civil Rights Conference -- Dr. Kathy Evans reminded the faculty of the Conference and asked that they remind their students to attend. This can be used in the portfolio under Diversity/Professional and Ethical Behavior.
The UTM student chapter of CEC will be sponsoring a workshop on Video Self-modeling intervention in March. The certificates from this can be used in student portfolios under Professional and Ethical Behavior/Technology.
Chairs Remarks -- Hall
Dr. Hall thanked Kathy Evans for serving on the committee for the Civil Rights Conference.
She stated that we were fortunate to have nine students graduate at Selmer in Education.
It was announced that Dr. Glenda Rakes has received the Distinguished Researcher Award and Dr. Ginny Esch had received the Scholar Researcher Award. They will receive a workload adjustment for this.
A $500,000 grant has been awarded to us. It is a transition grant for training math and science teachers, due to the shortage of teachers in those fields.
Dr. Watts, Cox, and Esch, and Ms. Cook, will attend and present at the Lifelines Conference on Saturday. This is sponsored by many of the colleges and universities in West Tennessee for area teachers.
Dr. Hall thanked Dr. Black for his help in getting things moving forward and for moderating the faculty meetings.
TEP Interviews are coming up and faculty were asked to help at any time they are available. Dr. Hall stated that local, non-university people may be coming to help.
Faculty members who did not have student evaluations done in the fall must have them done spring semester.
There will be a departmental “spring fling” at Dr. Patricia Hewitt’s farm. (May 2)
Mentors for the new faculty: A couple of the faculty have taken that responsibility on their own, and Dr. Hall thanked them, and officially assigned Dr. Cris Whitlow as mentor for Dr. Sandy Murray, and Dr. Ginny Esch for Dr. Betty Cox.
The ITC has asked that we remember to not use the computer lab without reserving it.
Each major is being asked to elect a student scholar (using their own criteria) who will be recognized at the spring banquet on April 16.
P&As – Dr. Hall asked the faculty to get the information to her before their meeting and that they show for each goal that they were met, not met, or were in progress
A request was made regarding the possibility of removing the one way window in Gooch 207 and filling in the wall. It is sometimes difficult to hear due to noise in the room on the other side. Dr. Hall said she would check on this.
Adjournment
Motion: Blanding Second: Hall Vote: Carried
Meeting adjourned at 11:04.
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