Running head: Field Observation University Faculty Senate

Field Observation University Faculty Senate

April 20, 2015
Kirstie Harsha
Georgia Southern University
EDLD 7431-01F

Field Observation University Faculty Senate

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Introduction
For the field observation assignment, I chose to attend the March meeting of the Georgia
Southern University Faculty Senate held on March 10, 2015 from 4PM to 6PM in the Russell
Union Ballroom. I had never attended one of the University Faculty Senate meetings, and I
thought this would be a great experience both educationally and personally. During the meeting I
took detailed notes and obtained the minutes of the meeting from the University Faculty Senate
website (http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/facultysenate/) to make sure that I had all the
correct information for this assignment. Having the meeting minutes, allowed me to have the
exact quotes from those in attendance of the meeting.
Synopsis
The University Faculty Senate had 35 voting members present and 10 voting members
not in attendance for the meeting. Dr. Brooks Keel and each of the vice presidents are the
administrators for the University Faculty Senate. There were many visitors in attendance. At the
beginning of the meeting, the University Faculty Senate approved the minutes from the March 9th
meeting and the February 12th meeting unanimously.
After the approval of the minutes, Dr. Keel gave his president report. He gave updates on
three different subject matters. First, Dr. Keel explained the Governor of Georgias budget. The
proposed budget is for the $33.6 million academic classroom building and a $1 million for the
Advanced Manufacturing building. Dr. Keel said that he is cautiously optimistic that both the
Georgia Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives will pass the budget. Next, Dr. Keel
discussed the faculty and staff pay increase. He said We are expecting 2% pay increase for all
faculty and staff payroll, we will know for sure in a couple of months. It will be merit pay
exactly like we did last year. Lastly, Dr. Keel discussed service to the university. He thanked all
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the members of the University Faculty Senate for their service to the university. The work that
you do on the Faculty Senate is hugely important to this University, to the academy, and to our
ability to offer the best education for our students as possible. I know that. I respect that. I honor
that Dr. Brook Keel said to the entire room. Without those who participate on the Faculty
Senate, decisions would not be made for the University.
Jean Bartels, University Provost, gave her report. Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) will be on Georgia Southern Universitys campus
from March 31 to April 2, 2015. While the commissioners are on campus, they will be visiting
different departments to make sure that we (Georgia Southern University) are following their
guidelines and meet their standards. Over a year ago, Georgia Southern submitted all the
required paperwork and this is the final step in the accreditation process. We are currently
accredited under SACS, but this current accreditation will last for the next 10 years. Provost
Bartels then discussed QEP in minor detail and then the upcoming changes to the Course
Catalog. The changes to the Course Catalog will affect the whole campus. Provost Bartels told
the Senate We are in the process right now with the Registrars office in putting together a new
software package that will be our catalog, which will bring it up to this century and making it
much more effective and efficient for us to be adding things into the course catalog. The new
software will go into production during the summer term.
The Senate Executive Committee Report was given by Patricia Humphrey of the College
of Mathematics and Sciences. She said that this previous month had been a quiet month. The
April meeting will hold two elections, secretary and librarian, for the upcoming years executive
committee. With the University System Faculty Council having a meeting in Augusta, Georgia
on March 21st, Patricia Humphrey ask if anyone had any concerns that needed to be addressed
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during that meeting. Janice Steirn from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences had a
concern with CVS/Caremark. She said CVS/Caremark are trying to pass the information along,
but the overrides are not being written. So its a big problem. The concerns will be passed along
to the University System Faculty Council.
Next, there was a motion on the floor: GECC (General Education Core Curricula)
recommended changes to Core Course approval, review, and assessment. There was much
argument from Richard Flynn for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences on why the
core curriculum should stay in place. Well, I would argue against approving at lease that portion
of the document until such time as the outcomes are actually aligned with the courses that we
teach, because we can at best developing if that outcome remains as it is said Richard Flynn. He
gave several examples of why the core curriculum is important to his college. Even with these
concerns brought before the Faculty Senate, the motion passed 26 to 11. Richard Flynn and a few
others seemed to be unhappy with the results of the vote.
All new business was then discussed by the senate. Jim Harris from the College of
Engineering and Information Technology made a motion to move the Graduation Discussion to
the next meeting. This motion was seconded. Mark Hanna from the College of Business
Administration made a motion that will remain on the table. He motioned to have data gathered
from the Registrars office in terms of graduation rates and reasons why students did not
graduate. There were no announcements from the Vice Presidents or the floor. The University
Faculty Senate was then adjourned until the April meeting.

Critical Analysis
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From my attendance of the University Faculty Senate meeting, I learned that many issues
face higher education, especially at Georgia Southern University. I had no idea that the faculty
had so much power on the decisions being made for our university, students, faculty, and staff.
Although not every members opinion is approved, all opinions are heard by the entire Faculty
Senate, much like Robert Flynns concerns. He had valid concerns with the core curriculum
changes, but the other voting members did not see them as concerns for their college and voted
against his opinion. In regards to the decision making process, I think that the University Faculty
Senate does well to hear all the opinions and ideas from the voting members and the floor.
Having a discussion between those with concerns, the Vice Presidents, and President, gives a
sense of reassurance to all in attendance. If more information needs to be gathered or more
research conducted on a topic of discussion, much like the graduation rates, the Executive
Committee seems to be fair and motion to move the decision and vote to a further meeting date.
Also, if the Faculty Senate meeting lasts longer than the two hour allotment, the senate will readjourn the following day.
The University Faculty Senate is dedicated to finding solutions to the universitys
problems. Dr. Keel does his best to inform the University Faculty Senate during his discussion.
He keeps the senate up-to-date on all the changes being made in the state of Georgia. Having a
President that is passionate about Georgia Southern is very beneficial when it comes to the
Faculty Senate making decisions. Dr. Keel provides all the information he can during the senate
meetings. If he cannot answer all questions during the meeting, he revisits the discussion during
the next meeting. Although not all who are faculty and staff at Georgia Southern University have
a vote or attend the Faculty Senate meetings, those who are voting members are challenged with
the responsibility of making decisions for the whole institution. The voting members must
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always remember that they are elected by their respective colleges and are the voice and deciding
body for motions passed.
I think it is very important for each institution to have a Faculty Senate on its campus.
An academic senate is a governing body in some universities and colleges, and is typically the
supreme academic authority for the institution (Birnbaum, 1989). According to the Bylaws of the
Faculty Senate at Georgia Southern University, The Faculty Senate shall serve as the
representative and legislative agency of the faculty (Faculty Senate). Each institution with a
Faculty Senate will have similar bylaws to those of Georgia Southern Universitys. The senate
voting member(s) are elected by their respective colleges to represent the college in decision
making. The University Faculty Senate provides a voice for all faculty members much like the
Student Government Association does for all enrolled students.
Conclusion
From my experience with the University Faculty Senate at Georgia Southern University, I
can now honestly say that I believe the faculty, Vice Presidents, and President are putting their
best efforts into making decisions that will affect the entire university both now and in the future.
I hope to be able to attend a later meeting to stay up-to-date on what is happening at Georgia
Southern University, the State of Georgia, and higher education as a whole.

Resources

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Birnbaum, R. (1989). "The latent organizational functions of the academic senate: why senates
do not work but will not go away". The Journal of Higher Education, 423443.
Faculty Senate. (n.d.). Retrieved 04 10, 2015, from Georgia Southern University:
http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/facultysenate/.

K. Harsha