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The Faculty Senate of Eastern Kentucky University met on Monday, February 2, 2004 in the South Room of the Keen Johnson Building. Senator Johnson called the sixth meeting of the academic year to order at 3:30 p.m.

The following members of the Senate were absent:

Paul Blanchard, Government Relations; Jim Conneely, Student Affairs; Norb Elbert, Management & Marketing Admin. Comm.; Allen Engle, Management & Marketing Admin. Comm.; Renee Everett, Communications; Ken Johnston, Finances; EJ Keeley, Institutional Research; Cassondra Kirby, The Eastern Progress; Bart Meyer, University Advancement; Kristina O'Brien, SGA; John Shafer, Athletics; Aaron Thompson, Enrollment Management; Virginia Underwood, Equal Opportunities; Elizabeth Wachtel, Academic Affairs; John Wade, Arts & Sciences; and Marc Whitt, Public Relations & Marketing.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:
The January 12, 2004 minutes were approved as written.

REPORT FROM THE PRESIDENT: Senator Glasser
Senator Glasser reported that Eastern's share of the higher education cut will be $4,483,500 or approximately a 6.4% reduction in state appropriations to be implemented prior to June 30th of this fiscal year. The good news is that this reduction will be achieved without employee layoffs or any cuts in academic programs.

The Strategic Planning Council and the Budget Council are jointly working on budget recommendations for the next biennium.

There is now a plan in place to update the University's electrical system. Bonds will be sold in June to help finance the renovation project. Senator Glasser expressed her appreciation to the campus community for their support during the recent electrical outages; and she commended Marc Whitt and Ron Yoder for their expediency in making updates available to the campus community through the web and the EKU hot line.

Senator Glasser shared several noteworthy faculty activities:

1. Seven graduate students will be presenting research projects and theses at the Kentucky Speech Language and Hearing Association State Conference in two weeks.
2. The Department of English and Theater has established a faculty mentoring program for publication of research. This semester Hal Blythe, Charlie Sweet and Barbara Szubinska have jointly written an article which was published. They have two more articles forthcoming. Also, Dr. Blythe and Dr. Sweet are writing their third book in the series, "It Works For Me."
3. Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is being offered again this spring as an online course. This is the only online GIs course offered in Kentucky and one of only a handful offered online in the nation.
4. Staci Wilson at Model Laboratory School has achieved the National Board Certification.
5. At Model Laboratory School, sixth grade students are participating in the filming of a KET program along with Dr. Marianne McAdams. The program addresses the integration of dance into the core content.
6. Continuing Education and Outreach is piloting a new concern response management system which will help us become more proactive in dealing with the concerns of nontraditional and off-campus students at Eastern.
7. Dr. Janna Vice was recently appointed to the Kentucky State Board of Education.
8. Dr. Judy Short from the Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing has been chosen as the Foundation Professor for 2004-2006. Dr. Short will be formally acknowledged and recognized at the spring commencement ceremony.
   

First Weekend will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week. Everyone is invited to the free midnight breakfast at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday evening.

February 10th at 5:00 p.m. there will be a student forum on academic integrity in the Food Court in the Powell Building.

February 28th is the annual President's Ball. Student Government sponsors the event.

The technology fee allocations applications are now available. Applications must include a letter of faculty support and a letter of student support. Deadline for applications is March 5.

Under the new structure, Student Government consists of Student Activities Council, Residence Life Council and the Student Senate. Each body will be attending conferences during this month to enhance their leadership abilities.

The Student Senate this past year passed a resolution concerning the cyber café that is being proposed in the library. Some of SGA's concerns include the noise factor as well as the relocation of the student computers.

Ms. O'Brien thanked the Senate for creating the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Integrity. She expressed her hopes that the Senate will consider creating Ad Hoc Committees to study the issues of advising and class attendance.

Ms. O'Brien reported that during spring break the new computer-generated, number system which will replace social security numbers will be implemented.

STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Budget Committee. Senator Siegel reported that the Budget Committee met on January 29 to continue discussion on changes in staffing of faculty and administrator positions at Eastern. Ken Johnston clarified a number of points about differences between restricted and nonrestricted lines. He also informed the Committee that he has instituted tracking processes in his office which should provide more useful data on position changes in the future.

The Budget Committee plans to invite the Director of Institutional Research to a future meeting.

The committee is finalizing plans for a late March Budget Forum which will be open to the entire campus. Panel members will include Lyle Cook and Ken Johnson. Additional information will be forthcoming.

Rules Committee. Senator M. Yoder reminded everyone that previously the Senate approved a list of titles that should receive faculty status for the purpose of the Faculty Regent election. If there are additional titles which should be included, please share those with the Rules Committee. An updated list will be presented at the March Senate meeting along with the revised election committee procedures for faculty.

Rights and Responsibilities Committee. Senator Dunston reported that the committee continues their involvement with the "Faculty Shared Governance Project." The instrument the committee plans to use is the "Evaluation of Shared Governance" provided by the AAUP. The committee continues to liaison with Senator McKenney, the President of the EKU Chapter of the AAUP.

The committee plans to work closely with Institutional Research to develop an online survey which will be distributed to all faculty. A time line will be established in the near future.

Elections Committee. Senator DeBolt reported that the deadline for Faculty Regent nominations has been extended until next Monday, February 9. The forums will be held on Monday February 23 and Tuesday February 24 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The nomination petition forms are available on the Faculty Senate home page along with the procedures.

An e-mail was recently distributed to those senators whose term expires at the end of the spring semester. The committee has asked that departments notify them by March with their new Senate representatives.

Welfare Committee. Senator G. Yoder reported that the Welfare Committee met briefly this month to outline the agenda for the remainder of the semester.