February 7, 2024 Minutes

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Slide Presentation

Faculty Senate Meeting

SUB Ballroom C

February 7, 2024

3:15pm-4:30pm

I.            Call to Order

a.      Meeting was called to order at 3:15

II.            Approval of FS Minutes from January 24, 2024

a.      Eric Austin moves to approve. Michael Walach seconds. None opposed. One abstention. Minutes are approved.

III.            FYI Items

a.      Two committees are seeking members intended to manage the LMS transition from D2L to Canvas.

i.      Training and Education

ii.      Communication and Outreach

b.      Save the date: the grand opening of the student wellness center will be August 22, 2024

i.      April date has been pushed back.

c.       February 16th, Founders Day Awards

d.      IOE seeking advisors for discrimination and harassment hearings.

i.      Info in MSU Today

IV.            Information Updates

a.      Laura from the Mental Health Advisory Committee: Faculty Guide for Mental Health

i.      Please take some guides and distribute them to your constituents.

ii.      Bessy Asserson or Laura Thum if you want more guides.

b.      Kristin Blackler and Paul Edlund from the Office of Sustainability: STARS report

i.      See slide presentation

ii.      March 26th is next sustainability summit in SUB Ballrooms

iii.      Looking for two more students to present their sustainability research.

iv.      Questions:

1.      Top 3 ways we can incorporate sustainability in our classes

A.      Get to know the sustainability office

B.      Keep it local. Identify local issues relevant to the course.

C.      Start conversations with colleagues

2.      When is the next STARS report?

A.      In the next two or three years

3.      Do we have an annual goal?

A.      No. Northwestern Energy’s energy portfolio changed dramatically in the wrong direction.

i.      69% to 55%

ii.      Don’t have an annual goal YET.

iii.      As NEW customers, don’t we have leverage to get them to change?

1.      We are pushing every lever we have.

2.      Plans do take time to show results. It is a process.

c.       Lauren Davis and Sarah Pennington from the Department of Education will discuss the EDCI 515 course

i.      For K-12 educators

ii.      Offered to practicing educators who are working full time.

iii.      MED Curriculum and Instructions.

1.      Montana and Alaska teachers who are not in our area

2.      Keeps the dollars in Montana. They don’t go elsewhere.

3.      Have had international students in the program.

A.      Working through how we can meet their needs, even if we go outside of our department.

iv.      Meets Land Grant Mission.

v.      Questions:

1.      Can it be listed as blended?

A.      No, because online courses have different costs. Blended courses cost the same as in person.

B.      Need to be purposeful about who we admit into the program and make sure we can support them.

V.            Old Business

a.      Changes to the Graduate Catalog (Second Reading) 

i.      Master’s Thesis Credits 

ii.      Continuous Enrollment Policy

1.      Doug Downs moves to approve both policies. Maggie Thorsen seconds. None opposed. No abstentions. Both policies are approved. 

VI.            Undergraduate Courses and Programs

a.      Courses—First Reading

i.      ECIV 459 : Sustainable Transportation & Community Health

ii.      HSTR 369 : The Holocaust in Memory and Film

iii.      US 340 : Legal Educations and Careers

b.      Course Changes — First Reading 

i.      ECIV 499R : Capstone: Civil Eng Design

1.      The ECIV program is moving from a two-semester capstone sequence to one capstone course in the final semester of the program. ECIV 499R is being changed from 2 to 3 credits with one lab credit being added. ECIV 489R will be removed from the curriculum and will no longer serve as prerequisite for this course.

2.      Title change from ECIV 499R: Capstone: Civil Eng Design II

3.      Change of credits from 2 to 3

ii.      EELE 488R : Electrical Engineering Design I

1.      Credit change from 2 to 3

2.      Increasing credits to 3 to represent actual workload of course and removed a prerequisite

iii.      EENV 499R : Environmental Engineering Design 

1.      Title change from EENV 499R: Environmental Engineering Design II

2.      The ENVE program is moving from a two-semester capstone sequence to one capstone course in the final semester of the program. EENV 499R is being changed from 2 to 3 credits with one lab credit being added. EENV 489R will be removed from the curriculum and will no longer serve as prerequisite for this course.

iv.      FILM 122IA : Acting for Non-Majors

1.      Rubric change from THTR

2.      See explanation document

v.      FILM 304 : Live Production and Camera

1.      See explanation document

2.      Rubric change from THTR

3.      Title change from Theatre Production

vi.      MAS Courses-Credit change

1.      Change in credits from 2 to 3. Leadership Lab and Physical Training are mandatory practical military trainings for students pursuing a commission into the Air Force or Space Force. Physical Training is associated with Leadership Laboratory objectives so this change updates the objectives and course hours to include PT.

2.      Changes to titles are only to make everything congruent (lab vs laboratory) and to remove the course number from the title. 

A.      MAS 115 : Leadership Lab

B.      MAS 116 : Leadership Lab

C.      MAS 215 : Leadership Lab

D.     MAS 216 : Leadership Lab 

E.      MAS 315 : Leadership Lab

F.       MAS 316 : Leadership Lab

G.     MAS 415 : Leadership Lab

H.     MAS 416 : Leadership Lab

c.       Courses—Second Reading 

i.      ECIV 360 : Estimating & Bidding Fundamentals

ii.      ECIV 460 : Advanced Estimating & Bidding

d.      Course Inactivations – First Reading

i.      BIOE 435 : A Study of Local Ecosystems for Teachers

1.      BIOE 435 is co-offered as BIOE 536 A Study of Local Ecosystems for Teachers in the MSSE Program. MSSE has found that the dual offering is confusing, especially to undergraduates who self-enroll for the course, creating issues for our Academic Advisor and the instructor. We propose dropping the BIOE 435 as a dual offering with BIOE 535. Attached are approvals from Diane Debinski, the Department Chair of Ecology and Joe Bradshaw, course instructor.

ii.      BIOE 436 : Symbiosis for Teachers: Eat, Prey, Love

1.      BIOE 436 is co-taught as BIOE 536 A Study of Local Ecosystems for Teachers in the MSSE Program. MSSE has found that the dual offering is confusing, especially to undergraduates who self-enroll for the course, creating issues for our Academic Advisor and the instructor. We propose dropping the BIOE 436 as a dual offering with BIOE 536. Attached are approvals from Diane Debinski, the Department Chair of Ecology and Joe Bradshaw, course instructor.

iii.      THTR Courses:

We are changing the rubric of our remaining two active theatre classes to FILM and the one remaining TT prof who teaches "theatre" teaches all classes for film and can use these independent studies, internships, research projects under the FILM rubric instead.

1.      THTR 490R : Undergraduate Research

2.      THTR 492 : Independent Study

3.      THTR 494 : Seminar/Workshop

4.      THTR 498 : Career Internship

VII.            Graduate Courses and Programs 

a.      Programs — First Reading 

i.      ENGR-MENG-MENG : Masters of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering

b.      Courses—Second Reading 

i.      EDCI 515 : Strategies for Trauma-Responsive Classrooms and Schools

c.       Course Changes — Second Reading 

i.      MEDS 570: Reproduction & Development

1.      Title changed from Lifecycles & Reproduction

ii.      NRSG 604 : Evidence Based Practice I

1.      Credit change from 4 to 3

2.      The one lecture credit change in this course along with minor changes to the course learning outcomes are made to support upcoming national certification requirements for both DNP Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery options.

iii.      NRSG 614 : Vulnerability and Health Care in Diverse Communities

1.      Credit change from 4 to 3

2.      The one lab credit change in this course along with minor changes to the course learning outcomes are made to support upcoming national certification requirements for both DNP Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery options.

iv.      PSPP 549 : Botany of Spices & Medicinal Plants for Teachers

1.      Title change from Plants, People, Health for Teachers

2.      The botany of spices and medicinal plants is a topic that is fast becoming popular among students and their families. This revised course will modernize and enhance the K-12 sciences. Botanical products sold in the cosmetic, food, and botanical supplement market can be applied to science curriculums to make these subjects more relevant.

d.      Program Inactivation: Second Reading

i.      IGERT-PHD : Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training

1.      Inactive program that was connected to an NSF grant

ii.      NEUA-PHD : Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience

1.      No Neuroscience faculty.

VIII.            Senators’ Open Conversation 

a.      Rob Maher: Opening on classroom committee for faculty.

b.      500 level vs 600 level courses? 

i.      600 level courses are usually for PhD students.

IX.            Public Comment 

a.      Tracy Dougher: LMS Steering Committee and Faculty Advisor Committee. 

i.      Faculty Advisor Committee is looking for representation. 

ii.      June 30th, 2025, our other license is up. 

X.            Adjourn 

a.      Chris Posbergh moves to adjourn. Kevin McPhee seconds. Meeting adjourned at 4:07.