I. Call to Order

Ms. Cantu called the July 23, 2004 meeting of the Academic Senate to order at 1:08 p.m. in the SETB 3^rd Floor Conference Room.

Members of the Senate in attendance included: Ms. Ethel Cantu (*), Mr. Domingo Molina (s), Dr. Charles Lackey, Dr. Charles Dameron, Dr. Hilda Silva, Ms. Cheryl Phelps (s), Ms. Mabel Hockaday (s), Dr. Rafael Otero (s), Mr. T. Jay Phillips, Dr. William C. Davis (s), Ms. Kim Morris-Garcia (s), Mr. Pat Wade (s), Dr. Ruth A. Ragland, Dr. Eldon Nelson, Dr. Jose Martin, Ms. Thelma Sullivan and Floyd Akers.

II. Review and Approval of the Minutes from the May 14, 2004 Academic Senate Meeting

Ms. Cantu called for review of the minutes from the May 14, 2004 Academic Senate meeting.

In the section on Appointments to the Grievance Panel, there should be an additional sentence that states that all the nominees were approved by the Academic Senate.

The minutes were approved with the above noted correction.

Ms. Cantu noted that the Smoke Free Workplace policy distributed with the minutes was an earlier version of the policy and not the one that the Academic Senate passed for a first reading at the May 14 meeting. The correct version was distributed to be used for today’s second reading of the policy.

III. Presentation and Discussion: UTB/TSC Bookstore Orders

Veronica Rocha, Manager and Vilma Godoy, Assistant Manager, addressed the Senate regarding processes involved in ordering text books.

A. Gathering of Adoptions: Ms. Rocha and Godoy suggested discontinuing use of the on-line requisition and returning to use of paper forms that would be faxed or hand delivered from the requesting department (secretary usually) to the bookstore. Mr. Akers stated that this method does not comply with the Texas open records requirement. Dr. Lackey suggested amending the current on-line system to meet the needs of the bookstore, faculty and staff and still allowing the UTB/TSC to meet the open records requirement. Mr. Akers will refer this issue to Rosemary Martinez and ask her to consider forming a problem solving group of department secretaries and bookstore staff.

B. Ordering Cycle: Barnes and Noble agreed to order books at the rate of 100% of expected enrollment for the first semester with the new bookstore. Approximately 70% of the texts ordered were returned due to lack of sales. Books will now be ordered based on sales history, expected enrollment and the knowledge and experience of the bookstore staff. If the bookstore sells out, books can be ordered 2^nd day and the bookstore can photocopy a chapter (limit 10%) of the book until the ordered books arrive.

C. Submitting Adoption Forms On-Time: The UTB/TSC bookstore can offer students 50% of the book price if they know we will use it again. They offer the students less if we will not reuse the book. If the bookstore has to ship out books that will not be reused or orders new books instead of keeping books to reuse, it increases the price students pay for books. If adoption forms are turned in on time, the bookstore can save money and pass the savings on to the students.

D. Discussion: BookBee is putting up a store on their own property adjacent to a UTB/TSC parking lot.

IV. Senate President’s Report

TSC Board Meeting

I attended the TSC Board meeting of May 24, 2004. The board met in executive session to discuss real estate (Jackson St. lots, Ft. Brown Villa Condominiums, and ITECC). When the board convened in open session, the board adopted resolutions and contracts for purchase of the Jackson St. lots and the condominiums. The board was briefed about the accomplishments of Terry Tomlin, teaching award recipient, and his Jazz Band, which recently gave concerts in Nashville and Washington, D.C. The board passed on second reading the change in SUJCD investment policy that removed the UTB/TSC president as an investing officer. Under the Business Affairs Partnership Committee, VPAPA John Ronnau recommended acceptance of substantial completion for BEDC space at ITECC and acceptance of highest bidder Long & Chilton for auditing services for SUJCD. The board passed both recommendations. The board then heard budget presentations for 2004-2005 for UTB/TSC and SUJCD. Highlighted in the presentation was the creation of 26 new faculty positions and 25 new staff positions, including 14 advisors. Trustee Oliveira asked about the number of faculty needed and was told that UTB/TSC needs over 200 new faculty in order to meet student needs and reduce faculty class load. The proposed budget for faculty salaries includes adjustments for the lowest paid faculty up to 85% of peers, by rank and department (up from 80% last year); adjustments by department to keep the average for each department at no less than 90% of their peers; funding replacement of “placeholder” lines by tenure-track at market; and increases of 1.5% merit, 5% exceptional merit, and 10% promotion and tenure. Under the Academic Affairs Partnership Committee, Provost Martin and Pat Wade presented the Historical Building Restoration Institutional Award program, which the board enthusiastically approved. In her report, President Garcia recognized faculty who had received grants, awards, and professor emeritus status. The last item on the agenda was the administration of the oath of office to elected TSC Board members Rosemary Breedlove, Eduardo Campirano, and Chester Gonzalez. The next meeting of the TSC Board of trustees will be June 24, 2004.

Grievance Panel Nominees

President Juliet Garcia has accepted the Academic Senate’s nominees to the Grievance Panel for the 2004-2006 term.

College of Liberal Arts: David Pearson, Terry Tomlin

College of Science, Math, & Technology: Blanca Lozano, Sessia Wyche

School of Business: Irma Jones

School of Education: James Telese

School of Health Sciences: Joe Lacher

Committee Structure Review

Provost Martin and I reviewed the report on committee structure and faculty representation that was distributed to the Academic Senate at the May 14 meeting. This fall efforts will be made by the Provost’s staff to compile a complete list of membership and term of office for the committees with faculty representation. The Provost plans to use the work done by the Futures Commission Task Forces as a foundation for reconstituting the long-range strategic planning committees.

V. Partnership Committee Reports

A. Academic Affairs

Ms. Cantu reported on the May 20 meeting of the AAPC. Pat Wade, WECM expert, presented information about a proposed Institutional Award program in Historical Building Restoration. This two semester program requires TSC Board approval, but not Coordinating Board approval. When enrollment in the program reaches sufficient numbers then Coordinating Board approval will be sought to establish a Level I Certificate Specialization within the Building Trades program. Pat Wade, as Chair of the Academic Senate’s Committee on Environmental Responsibility, presented his committee’s report and the resolution on the Naturally Sustainable Campus passed by the Academic Senate on May 14. Trustee Roberto Robles expressed his desire that this report be presented to the TSC Board. Dean Nelson of Health Sciences and Dean Dameron of Liberal Arts gave reports on grant activity in their school and college. Dean Nelson outlined the accreditation process and timeline for the nursing programs. The LVN, ADN, and BSN Completion programs are currently accredited by professional nursing associations; the MS in Public Health Nursing will seek professional accreditation in 2005. Margie Mancillas, Asst VP PreK-16 briefed the committee on the plans to create a Research Center for Teaching Excellence. Superintendents, administrators and faculty from valley school districts will be involved with faculty from the School of Education in shaping the goals and activities of that center.

B. Business Affairs

Mr. Otero reported that the committee reviewed proposals and awarded contracts for placement of 60 light posts between Tandy and Rusteberg (based on faculty, staff and student input) and resurfacing of several parking lots.

VI. Second Reading of Smoke-Free Workplace Policy

Discussion: It was noted that there are currently no officially designated smoking areas. The Senate request that the breezeway between North and South building be a non-smoking area will be forwarded to the Smoking Committee that will be appointed by the Provost. The Smoking Committee will designate smoking areas and post signs.

A motion to approve the Smoke-Free Workplace Policy was made by Mr. Bill Davis and seconded by Ms. Mabel Hockaday. The motion carried.

VII. New Business

There was no new business.

VIII. Provost’s Report

1) First, I would like to introduce two new persons with whom you may have opportunity to work:

a) Dr. Mrinal Mugdh, our new Director for Institutional Research and Planning. He comes to us from State University of New York-Empire State.

b) Ms. Betsy Price, our new Liaison for Part-time faculty. She will be

assisting our deans and chairs in coordinating part-time faculty. She was

director of part-time instructors at Westminster College in Utah before joining us. Her office is in Regiment House, where Institutional Advancement is housed.

c) Our new Dean of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Dr. Emir Macari, will begin work on August 1. He and his family are in the process of

moving from Louisiana, where he has been with Louisiana State.

2) We also will be welcoming almost 40 new faculty for the fall semester. We look

forward to introducing them to all the faculty during our Academic Affairs meeting before classes start.

3) The Academic Affairs meeting will be on Wednesday, August 18, from 9:00 to

10:30 a.m. in the SETB Lecture Hall. The school and college meetings will begin at 2:00 p.m. The President’s Reception and meeting for faculty will be on Friday, August 20, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

4) Classes begin Monday, August 23. We are expecting an “over-flow crowd” –

more than 11,000 students. Today is July 22 and Deans and Chairs already are opening new class sections.

5) Since the Academic Senate last met, the State Coordinating Board has approved

our new Bachelor of Arts in Communication, which has a Journalism/Mass Communication track and a Communication Studies track. The Coordinating Board also approved our revised Masters in Nursing Program. Students now can focus on Nursing Education, Nursing Administration, or Public Health Nursing. Still at the Coordinating Board are:

a) Master’s in Public Policy

b) Master’s in Mathematics

c) Master’s in Accounting

d) AAS in Web Page Design/Management

Also, the TSC Board recently approved our new Institutional Award for

Historical Building Restoration, which was presented to the Academic Affairs

Partnership Committee.

IX. Announcements

Ms. Cantu announced that the Fall Faculty Meeting will be held in the SETB Lecture Hall at 11 a.m. on Wednesday August 18, 2004. Discussion at this meeting will include the selection process for department chairs.

Ms. Cantu announced that the next Academic Senate meeting will be Friday August 20, 2004 at 1 p.m. in SETB 2.548

Ms. Cantu announced that the Academic Budget and Finance Review Committee will need three nominees to recommend to President Garcia to serve two-year terms from September 2004-06. These recommendations will be made at the August 20, 2004 meeting of the Academic Senate. There are five faculty representatives on this committee. Ed Hymson and Terry Tomlin will serve until September 2005. The three whose terms expire in September 2004 are Carol Collinsworth, David Pearson, and Sessia Wyche. Senators are asked to identify and contact prospective appointees and send their names to the Executive Committee c/o Ethel Cantu at least two weeks prior to the August 20 meeting. It is the responsibility of the VPBA to recommend the appointees to President Garcia after consultation with the Executive Committee and the Academic Senate.

Ms. Cantu announced that the Board of Regents meets on August 11, 2004 and is expected to approve budgets for the component institutions. Letters for personnel actions that are dependent on budget approval will be sent after the Regents approval of the budgets.

Mr. Pat Wade commended Ms. Cantu for her planning and direction of the Academic Senate.

X. Adjournment

The meeting stood adjourned at 2:50 p.m.