Skip to main content

October 18th, 2024

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY 

FACULTY SENATE MEETING 

October 18, 2024 

Reynolds 222

 

Attending: Ed Salo, Savannah Cormier, Jessica Curtis, Robert Williams, Robert Williams (Proxy for Ibrahim Duyar), Dwayne Powell, John Hershberger, Nicole Arnel (Proxy for Kim Vickrey), Matt Harmon (Proxy for Katie Camden), Mike Cooper (Proxy for Trinity Pullam) Sarah Scott, Jamie Pasmore, Julie King, Amanda Wheeler Gryffin (Proxy for Paul Finnicum), Toccara Carter, Rashele Wade, Alexandr Sokolov, Guolei Zhou, Stephanie Hoeckley, Scott Mangan, Karen Graham, Suzanne Melescue, Hao yang Teng, Kristen Sumler, Mark Lewis, Bert Greenwalt, Richard Segall, Shanon Brantley, Gary Edwards, Eric Dry, Khem Aryal, Veena Kulkarni, Rollin Tusalem, Day Day Robinson

 

Guests: Tom Moore, Calvin White, Will McLean, Alyssa Wells, Ian Buchanan.

 

Absent: Amanda Mohler (John Hershberger lead the meeting), Audrey Folsom (Ed Salo recorded minutes), Donna Caldwell, Zahid Hossain, Pradeep Mishra, Hung-Chi Su, LTC J. Morgan Weatherly

 

Vice President John Hershberger called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM.

Ed Salo moved to accept the order of the day. It was seconded by Sarah Scott and passed by voice vote.

Ed Salo moved to approve the minutes from the last meeting. Eric Dreyer, second, did the motion and they passed by voice vote.

 

Provost Q&A

  1. A list of faculty that have a greater than 25 percent DFW outcomes have been distributed to Deans and Chairs. Three related questions:
  2. Not all courses with higher than desired DFW rates reflect poor instruction. Although a DFW rate is an easy metric to compute, will there be a deeper evaluation of factors such as the mix of courses an instructor teaches and their respective student evaluations, how well students are being prepared in lower-level perquisite courses before entering upper-level courses, and student’s GPA and history of attendance when entering upper-level courses before punitive action, if any, is taken?
  3. If a certain DFW threshold results in punitive action, will this penalty be enforced at the course level, individual faculty level, department level, or college level?
  4. Please describe the level of new resources that the university is committed to providing to improve DFW rates and evidence that such resources at prior universities have yielded improved DFW rates.

 

Calvin White-

A list was sent out with all the DFW's that were between 50 and 20% to the deans and Chairs

We are not looking at the raw data but the data in the larger context.

Currently, we are not doing anything at the Provost office with the data. ACUE is recommended for those on the list. And chairs will be documenting the DFW rates in formal reviews. There is no punitive action now, but there might be in the future.

The Provost was surprised by the DFW in certain areas. In some areas it was not where you usually think it is. For the upcoming bonus, people with high DFW rates may not get the bonus.

The Provost office sends $50,000 to CETL for ACUE training, and CETL will become more visible with more pedagogical functions.

The Provost office will be getting data to the chairs and Deans more frequently, and the data should be used as a guide.

John Hershberger commented that we need to have a change of teaching culture.

 

Question 2

  1. Discussions about our equity process have been discussed. Since the policy has not changed yet, is it possible for faculty to resubmit for equity even if it has not been three years since they last applied? Those questioning are those who did not receive equity the last time they applied.

Calvin White- The Provost asked the HR and the lawyers to make sure that this was correct.

If you have received equity, you cannot apply. In three years. If you have been promoted, you have to wait. If you did not receive equity then you can apply again.

More people coming through the process. Money will be in smaller pots. We are still looking at teaching, research, and service as the grading process.

PRT does not have to send it up the chain (equity requests).  The request can stop at all different levels in the process. We can change the process, but we don't have $3,000,000 to solve the problem.

University College and CLAC have salaries are the ones that are out of whack.

 

Just because you apply every year does not mean you have a better chance of receiving it.

 

  1. The centralized advising model hinges on Degree Works being accurate. Who is responsible for making the changes/updates in Degree Works such as course grade requirements, pre-requisite courses, etc? If the chairs are responsible for making the changes, when will training be provided on how to update Degree Works so that it is correct and up-to-date?

 

Calvin White-  The faculty controls all our curriculum changes. Everything will still go through that process. And we'll continue to go through that process.

We need to give any changes in the curriculum to Chris Boothman and he will upload it into Degree Works. If we need training then it will be provided.

 

John Hersberger- what about the 15 hours per semester rule that came down from ADHE .

Will McClean explained that the change was from the state and we have no controll over that.

 

  1. There is policy for student infrastructure fees straight from the Treasurer's office website that states:

“Infrastructure Fee

Provides funding to assist in the enhancement of the student learning environment. This learning environment consists of, but is not limited to, classroom furnishings, student computer labs, teaching media, students software teaching tools, and highly mediated classrooms to name a few. The expenditure of these funds must go to visible improvements that students can see, touch, or use in their everyday learning environments. Consequently, students must have primary advice on how these funds will be invested.”

What is happening to FY25 infrastructure money. We usually have been able to order equipment by now or at least have information about when we can order things. Where is the money?

 

 

Calvin White- Money still is in the Provost office. There's $900,000. The Provost office will fund everything this year but will not next year. In the future, the money will not be divided equally. The Provost will ask the Deans what will be the most successful use of the money and it will be placed in the best places.

 

Ed Salo asked about the Journalism Department update.

Calvin White- They're coming up with new curriculum and hope for a break through soon.

Calvin White- The tenure track lines requests went out to the Deans this afternoon.

 

Ian Buchanan- Staff Senate President

The Staffs in IT is working on creating a culture of working together. With the faculty and other groups on campus, they're big three are a well informed community of employees. Campus unity and awareness. And retention of all employees.

They're doing this through an empowerment activity series. Receiving tickets to football game, period. Anonymous comment box for different groups. They are also working on a Zen den Modeled after Lyon College.

 

Committee Reports

Equity Committee meet and organized the committee.

 

Adjourned 3:49pm.

Meeting minutes prepared by Ed Salo, edited by Audrey Folsom and approved on 11/1/2024 (uploaded to KB 10/14/2025)

Back to top