May 3, 2023 Minutes

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Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes (Leon Johnson 346)

05.03.2023

3:15 pm – 4:30 pm

I.            Call to Order

a.       Meeting called to order at 3:15

II.            Approval of FS Minutes from April 19, 2023

a.       Tomas Gedeon moves to approve. Susanne Cowan seconds. None opposed. Approved. 

III.            FYI items

a.       Safe and Inclusive Working Environments for Off-Campus & Off-Site Research

https://www.montana.edu/legalcounsel/compliance/Safeandinclusive.html

b.       Congrats to the 2023 Excellence in Service and Employees of the Year

https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/46529

c.       Annual Campus Clean Up- May 4 at 10:00 am

https://www.montana.edu/ufm/fs/campus-cleanup.html

IV.            Information Items-Leon Costello, Casey Fox, Jamie Rizutto

a.       Spring Athletics Update

b.       Questions

i.      Update on student rec center?

·         Not under Athletics, but is supposed to be open in January

V.            Conferral of Degrees- Registrar Tony Campeau

a.       Tomas Gedeon moves to approve. Chris Posbergh seconds. None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

VI.            Old Business -Proposed Amendment to Mental Health Resolution

a.       In addition, the Faculty Senate acknowledges the extent to which MSU faculty already contribute unacknowledged, uncompensated, and unsupported emotional labor as first contact with students’ mental health challenges. The Senate further acknowledges the intensive efforts and positive impacts of Counseling and Psychological Services, the MSU Mental Health Task Force, and many other MSU offices supporting mental health on campus. In support of these efforts, and to facilitate further prioritizing student, faculty, and staff mental health, the Senate, therefore, calls on the MSU administration to 

1. More clearly communicate to the MSU community the scope and scale of mental health challenges MSU is experiencing.

2. Regularly report to the MSU community the budgetary resources available to meet these difficulties, and efforts MSU is making to expand resources to meet student and faculty mental health needs; and

3. Commit additional resources to help faculty and staff negotiate supporting student mental health.

b.       Motion to approve is on the table. None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

VII.            Undergraduate Courses-New Courses- First Read

a.       AHMA 209 : Geriatric Care

b.       AVMT 190 : Wire Harnesses and Connectors

c.       CSTN 160 : Construction Concepts and Building Lab

d.       CSTN 171 : Site Prep, Foundations and Concrete Installation

e.       CSTN 220 : Interior Finish Lab

f.        CSTN 275 : Construction Trades Ethics

g.       HSTA 472 : American Built Environment

h.       HVC 255 : Advanced Controls

i.         MCH 248 : Tooling and Work Holding for Robotic Tending

j.         PHL 207 : Philosophy of Sport

VIII.            Undergraduate Courses-New Courses – Second Read

a.       AVMT 205 : Aircraft Communication Systems

b.       AVMT 210 : Aircraft Navigation Systems I

c.       AVMT 215 : Federal Aviation Administration Regulations

d.       ECIV 464 : Lightweight Concrete Engineering

e.       ETME 362 : Applied Electronics and Power for Mechanical Systems

f.        PSCI 445 : Political Psychology

g.       SOCI 334 : Gender, Crime, and Criminal-Legal System

IX.            Undergraduate Courses-Inactivations – Second Read

a.       EELE 461 : Digital System Design

i.      The course has not been offered recently due to a staffing shortage. To keep students better informed of what courses will be offered, EELE 461 is to be inactivated.

b.       HORT 485R : Horticulture Capstone I

i.      We are switching the capstone courses to a single 3 credit option in the spring instead of two capstone courses.

X.            Graduate Courses-New Courses – Second Read

a.       EDCI 543 : Introduction to Curriculum Design and Assessment

XI.            Updates

a.       Sustainability Initiative – Progress Report – 25% - Please try to turn it in by the end of May

XII.            Senators’ Open Conversation

a.       Thanks to Jennifer and Colter for getting us through this year. 

b.       Thanks to Keely.

c.       Paul Lachapelle

i.      My name is Paul Lachapelle, Professor in the Department of Political Science.  The few students and faculty who attended the Sustainability Summit poster presentation and who I interacted with were deeply disappointed with the lack of detail by the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee to provide their “annual, publicly-available evaluation of progress toward targets” (as per their mandate https://www.montana.edu/csac/).  I would like to request that Faculty Senate require the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee provide their “annual, publicly-available evaluation of progress toward targets” by Sept. 15 of each year to the Faculty Senate body in the form of both an in-person presentation and a detailed written progress report.  Thank you.

 XIII.            Public Comment

a.       Provost: Thanks to Jennifer, Colter and Keely for all of their hard work. Thanks to the Senators/Alternates as well. Have a good summer. 

XIV.            Adjourn

a.       Tomas Gedeon moves to approve. Susanne Cowan seconds. None opposed. Meeting is adjourned at 3:47pm.