Minutes of the November 2007 Faculty Meeting


I. Call to Order

The President called the meeting to order at 11:30.

II. Opening Prayer

Pastor Benson began by acknowledging the recent tragic passing of Katherine Olson (’06) and by offering a reading from her funeral. The Pastor then offered a prayer on love and healing.

III. Approval of the Minutes of the October 2007 Faculty Meeting.

Approved.

IV. Remarks by the President

The President opened by citing numerous positive indicators that demonstrate confidence in the College. More people came to family and homecoming weekend (up by 25%). The Partners fund is up by 45% over last year at this same time. The number of alumni who have participated is up by 30% over last year. The number of application inquiries is 50% higher than last year at this time. Granting institutions are viewing the College positively as well. One example: the million dollar grant from the Department of Education for the McNair Foundation. The President is pleased and extended his congratulations to the faculty for their work to bring the College to this advantageous position.

V. Committee Reports

A. Curriculum Committee

David Booth reported that the CC met once since last meeting and does not have business to bring before the faculty. The reform of sub-committees continues.

Sub-Committee on Assessment. Booth announced that over the course of the year there will be a series of conversations hosted during Community Times by St. Olaf faculty who have been involved in CALL (Collaborative Assessment in Liberal Learning). The CALL initiative, funded by the Teagle foundation, concerns learning outcomes and students’ ways of learning at a consortium of colleges: Carleton, Macalester, Grinnell, and St. Olaf. The next CALL-sponsored discussions will take place on November 15, “Student Proficiency in Research and Writing: What are We Learning From the Research Practices Survey,” and on November 29, “Reasoning, Writing, and Problem Solving: What are We Learning from the Collegiate Learning Assessment.”  

Transfer Credit Policy. Booth explained that at the last faculty meeting, the faculty discussed and voted on language to amend the policy on transfer credit. However, the faculty actually was responding to a description of the policy, rather than the policy wording itself. Since the last meeting, Booth consulted with the Faculty Parliamentarian, Doug Casson, on how best to handle this situation. Rather than void the discussion or make a motion to reconsider, Booth explained, he and Casson believe it would be most efficient for the Registrar to revise the policy to reflect the amendment passed by the faculty at the last meeting.

[Addendum to Minutes. The Faculty Parliamentarian, Doug Casson, submitted the following:

“It was the parliamentarian's understanding that motion 07/08-02 as amended (which was passed was at the faculty meeting of October 11) was technically erroneous. An amendment to an executive summary does not provide the type of direction and clarity in regards to policy intended by those who voted for the amendment. Robert's Rules calls such an action an "improper motion." Improper motions are technically invalid. However, a remedy to this error would require bringing the entire motion back to the floor with the troubling possibility of arriving at a different outcome. The faculty has already made a determination on this matter. Raising it again at this point would be an abuse of parliamentary procedure that would compound the original error instead of resolve it. Faced with these considerations, David Booth decided to pass the flawed motion on to the registrar with the hope that it will be inserted into the actual policy under consideration. If the motion as amended proves unworkable, then the faculty will have the opportunity to address this policy again at a later date according to proper procedures.”]  

B. RPC

Dan Hofrenning reported on faculty governance and salary increase recommendation. Hofrenning offered the following “rough draft” of the committee restructuring. He anticipates that the Green sheet should be ready for faculty consideration in the spring.

1. The Faculty Life Committee would do the work of FDC and some functions of RPC such as salary and sabbatical recommendations. Committee would be expanded to 10 members.

2. Tenure and Promotion would be left as is. Although a nominal sub-committee to Faculty Life, T and P would have independent membership.

3. Faculty Governance Committee or Faculty Council would do the remaining work of RPC and serve as steward of Faculty Manual. The Regents Faculty Observer would be the Chair of the committee; Observer-Elect would be the vice-Chair. The Nominations committee would be part of this committee. RPC is also considering a change in how people are nominated to committees by making committee service “a little less voluntary” and more like jury duty, as Hofrenning put it.

Discussion followed. Faculty members raised the following questions: Do we want to force people to serve if they would rather not? Could RPC consider incentives to serve on large committees, such as course release? Could meeting times be planned to allow all faculty, including Music and Fine Arts faculty, the opportunity to participate in committees? Could the College add another Community Time slot on Tuesdays? It was also noted that it is sometimes difficult to find eligible faculty to serve on committees. Hofrenning said that RPC will consider all of these issues.

B. Fall faculty salary recommendations. Alan Norton recommended an increase of 5.25% to the faculty salary pool. RPC voted to confirm this recommendation.

VI. New Business

No new business.

VII. Remarks for the Good of the Order

Dean May reminded faculty to make use of the Continuous Reporting System. Part of the reason we have a strong retention rate is because faculty make intervention and help students along.

Dean May also raised the issue of turning off the bells in classrooms. Dean May explained that a junior, tenure-track member of the faculty expressed dismay that bells ring in the St. Olaf classrooms, much like a high school. Pete Sandburg noted that another benefit of eliminating bells would be felt in a small reduction in the construction costs of the New Science Center. President Anderson is also in favor, having won a “No Bell” peace prize at Luther.

It was asked by a faculty member whether a motion was in order. The Faculty Parliamentarian replied that this could be considered an executive decision, but that the faculty might vote to express support of the executive decision to eliminate the bells.

The motion to support the executive decision to turn off the bells carried.

Solveig Zempel announced International Education Day. Thursday November 15 th is dedicated to Fulbright Fellowships. Poster session during community time; key note speaker at 6:00; alumni panel at 7:00.

Katherine Tegtmeyer Pak announced that Asian Conversations will host Karen Wigen of Stanford University, who will give a talk entitled “Seeing like a Pilgrim: Alpine Imagery of Early Modern Japan.”

Mary Carlsen asked the faculty to consider whether we have drifted in our mid-term exam schedules; now mid-terms seem to last for a month, she explained.

Meeting adjourned at 12:10.

Minutes prepared by Anna Kuxhausen, Asst. Professor of History.

A sound recording of this meeting will be filed in the College’s Archive.