Faculty Senate elects officers for 2003-04

The Faculty Senate elected officers for the 2003-04 academic year during its May 14 meeting. Lou Pelton, associate professor of marketing and former senate vice chair, was elected chair; Frances Van Tassell, associate professor of teacher education and administration and former senate secretary, was elected vice chair; and Marcia Staff, professor of finance, insurance, real estate and law, was elected secretary. The new terms begin July 1.

In other business, Faculty Senate members:

• Accepted a report from the Committee on Committees regarding vacancies for Faculty Senate committees.
  
  
• Accepted a report from the Academic Affairs Committee about the undergraduate admissions review policy; the policy for awarding honorary degrees; compensation of UNT faculty who teach classes at the UNT Dallas Campus; a form to standardize documentation of incomplete course grades; and a proposal to adopt the online course catalog as UNT's official catalog.
  
  
• Accepted a written report from the Faculty Research Committee regarding faculty research grants, the small grants program, junior faculty summer research fellowships and indirect cost funds spent on research.
  
  
• Accepted a report from the Oversight Committee about the core curriculum and the process to assess core curriculum courses.
  
  
• Accepted a written report from the Visiting Lecture Seminar Series Committee regarding the activities of the committee during the 2002-03 academic year.
  
  
• Accepted a report from the University Curriculum Committee about requests for new courses.
  
  
• Accepted a report from the Charter and Bylaws Committee regarding recommendations to create a leadership council or expand the senate Executive Committee to play such a role; the committee's evaluation of how the creation of the College of Engineering will affect distribution of senate representation; and a review of the senate charter and bylaws for areas that require further examination. This final point led to the committee's recommendation to change the bylaws regarding the requirement for two nominations in order for a person to be able to serve on a committee. The change — to allow nominations to go through two rounds, then if there are no individuals with two nominations, to allow those with one nomination to be placed on the ballot in the third round — was read aloud for the first reading during the meeting.
  
  
• Heard a report from David Kesterson, provost and vice president for academic affairs, regarding the new dean of the College of Engineering and new vice president for research and technology transfer; May Mini-mester enrollment; the pending 2003-04 budget; and the search for a new provost and vice president for academic affairs. Kesterson will step down from his position to return to teaching in August.
  
  
• Heard a partial report from Pelton about faculty use of the Physical Education Building once the Student Recreation Center is completed; the University Review Committee; and the Committee on Faculty Participation in Governance. The remainder of Pelton's report was tabled until the June senate meeting because the meeting room was needed for another previously scheduled event.

The next meeting, which is the last Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year, is at 2 p.m. June 11 in Wooten Hall, Room 322

BY MICHELLE HALE mhale@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Regents change admissions policy, extend president's contract
• Million-dollar touring bus provides VIPs with star treatment
• Union Gallery welcomes staff arts and crafts show this month
• Hot news: Ideas to conserve energy and to dress to beat the heat this summer
• Staff Council representatives elected
• Making sure that Texas trees provide shade this summer
• Faculty recognized at Honors Day event
• Staff Council working to find more effective ways to communicate with staff

homepage