MSU FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
                           October 30, 2002
                                   
Members Present: Gipp, Morrill, Sherwood for Giroux, Engel, Kommers,
Schlotzhauer, Linker, Leech, Taylor, Stewart, Jones, Nehrir, Conant,
McMahon, Cloninger for Amend, Levy, Bogar, Bond, Jelinski, Idzerda,
Pratt, Fisher, Prawdzienski, Kempcke.

Members Absent: Young, White, Anderson, Howard, Chem Engr, Comp Sci,
Lefcort, Locke, Engl, Lynch, Lynes-Hayes, Knight, Hoffman.

Others Present: Faculty Affairs Chair Metz, Bandyopadhyay, Fedock.

The meeting was called to order by Chair Elect Warren Jones.  The
minutes of the October 16, 2002, Faculty Council meeting were approved
as distributed.

Chair's report - Warren Jones.
    - MSU held an all-day town hall meeting October 23.
    Representatives from the four MSU units, legislators, business
    representatives, and others were in attendance.
         - The support voiced for higher education by the business
         community leaders was encouraging.  The negative stance of
         some legislators was disappointing.
         - Some Faculty Council members were surprised by the emphasis
         put upon distance education by Commissioner Crofts.
         There was disappointment among those who attended at least
         part of the meeting that they didn't hear Gamble's early
         remarks; this was viewed as an opportunity for the president
         to make a clear presentation of MSU's vision and position.
    - The Montana Associated Students has distributed a Montana
    Student Voter Guide around campus.  It can be accessed at
    http://www.montana.edu/wwwasmsu/voter_guide.htm
    - Retention of students and the role faculty play in it is still
    on the agenda.  The Executive Summary of the Student Entrance and
    Transition Initiative (May 30, 2002) was distributed.  Warren will
    make the report available to those interested in it.
    - In response to a query about anticipated attendance at the
    November 27 Faculty Council meeting, it was agreed to cancel the
    meeting because of a probable lack of a quorum.
    - Clayton Marlow and Tom Wessel were invited to attend Faculty
    Council next week to discuss the Morrill Act.  Because of a class
    conflict, Dr. Wessel will not be able to attend, and Warren was
    unable to contact Dr. Marlow.  Instead, Provost Dooley and
    Director of Planning and Analysis Rimpau will be invited to
    discuss the UPBAC process and data-gathering support that can be
    offered by the Office of Planning and Analysis.

Faculty Affairs Committee report - Walter Metz.
    - The academic deans voiced concern about some sections of the
    post-tenure review proposal.  Dean Acord attended the October 24
    UGC Steering Committee meeting to share these concerns, and
    Faculty Affairs is addressing them.
    - An addition to Faculty Handbook Section 1312.00 (Conciliation
    and Grievance - Deadlines for Filing) was presented: If
    notification by the Provost and Vice President for Academic
    Affairs is made less than thirty (30) days before the end of a
    faculty member's contract period, the faculty member's right to
    file a complaint will be extended to October 1 of the following
    contract period.
         - The policy was approved as an interim policy by Faculty
         Council in April, 2001.  The change was deemed necessary in
         cases where a decision is made in May, and then having the
         summer months in between the decision and the possibility of
         a grievance hearing.
         - Jack Jelinski moved forwarding the policy to faculty, by
         means of the STAFF BULLETIN, for comment.  The motion was
         seconded and carried.

Liberal Studies degree program - Ralph Johnson, Abigail Dachs, Michael
Sexson, David Cherry.
    - The original idea for such a program came from discussions of
    CLS and other interested faculty.  There is no "committee" per se
    and there is no charge.  Administrative support is provided by the
    Provost's Office.
    - The group came together because faculty felt that the teaching
    and learning potential of the university could be used to greater
    advantage through such a program.
    - Two groups of students would most likely use the program:  those
    wanting to merge fields or disciplines and those interested in
    professional programs such as law, medicine, and architecture and
    seeking a classical course of study.
    - The "committee" looked at programs from other institutions but
    did not find one that fit MSU's goals.  The easy thing would have
    been to adopt someone else's program, but the choice was to
    develop a distinctive program which could be a model for other
    universities.
    - Goals of the program include a rigorous curriculum, an
    integrated curriculum, and a capstone element to demonstrate
    mastery of a course of studies.
    - Administrative considerations:  the current departmental
    structure will be used, current distributive education will be
    used while building on the new core's aspirations, and it is
    anticipated students will be attracted and retained.
    - The proposed program includes an orientation seminar,
    integrative studies requirements followed by quaternity or nature
    and culture studies tracks, and a capstone experience.  An
    important element alongside the course of study is student
    participation in seminars and keeping a journal.
    - One of the more controversial aspects of the program is the
    quaternity which seeks to deepen and contextualize knowledge
    through thinking, intuition, sensation, and feeling.  The
    quaternity is broken down in this way, because students don't
    necessarily know that all four are present in all disciplines.
    - The program will build upon existing courses.  The new courses
    will be the seminars.
    - The program will probably be modeled after Women's Studies, with
    faculty directing it.
    - Interdisciplinary Studies allows students to come up with an
    individualized course of study.  This program would not duplicate
    it.  Students involved in it would choose one of two "tracks".
    - The reason the nature and culture studies option is given is
    that some students are interested in this, not just the classical
    education provided through the quaternity.
    - A faculty forum on liberal studies will be held Thursday,
    October 31.
    - It is anticipated there will be some revisions to the proposal.
    A recommendation will be made to the Provost's Office for
    consideration.
    - From information gathered, it is thought there may be about 50
    students who will take advantage of this program at the end of
    their sophomore year.  Some students may be retained through this
    option.
    - Concern was expressed for the significant workload of monitoring
    and advising students.  A part-time to full- time administrator
    may be needed, whose primary job would be advising.
    - The quaternity are the most sought-after qualities of students
    after graduation.  Empirical data shows that these students are
    being sought by professional schools and many industries.
    - It was suggested the group return to Faculty Council for a final
    presentation of the proposal after further input is gathered.

As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:10 PM.


Joann Amend, Secretary               Warren Jones, Chair Elect