THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE Faculty Senate Minutes March 22, 1979 The Faculty Senate met on Thursday, March 22, 1979, at 3:15 pm in RL1 with Dr. Browning, chairman, presiding. Senate Members present: Dr. Browning, Dr. Cole, Dr. Dorr, Dr. Gillum, Dr. Greenawalt, Dr. Hart, Dr. Otti, Dr. Reed, Dr. Seitz, Dr. Shoaf, Dr. Squibb, Dr. Stern, Dr. Stevens, Mr. Wengrow, Dr. Wilson. Members Absent: Dr. Boland, Dr. Remington. Visitors: Mrs. Cadle, Mrs. Cauble, Dr. Cochran, Mr. Coyle, Dr. Coyne, Mr. Daughton, Dr. Howard, Dr. Johnston, Dr. Kronus, Dr. Perry, Dr. Sulock, Dr. Walker, Dr. Weber, Samuel Kent, Lynn Smith, Michael Ochsenreiter. Speaking privileges were granted to visitors. Dr. Browning announced that Professors Remington, Seitz, and Walker were the three newly elected members to the Committee of the Tenured Faculty. The minutes of the February 26 Senate meeting were approved as published. 1. Report from the Academic Policies Committee - Dr. Stevens Dr. Stevens moved adoption of APC Document #24, concerning the International Studies program. The motion, seconded by Mr. Wengrow, passed unanimously. Dr. Stevens presented APC Document #25, a proposal which would change the basic system of the University of a semester system. He read the proposal as follows: "We take the position that the basic system of the University will be a semester system by January 1980. Exceptions to this to be presented by departments with justifications to the Academic Policies Committee." Dr. Stevens said APC had quite a bit of discussion on the matter and had received three reports (attached), one from administration, a student opinion survey, and a summary of a survey of department chairmen. Dr. Stevens moved adoption of APC Document #25. The motion was seconded by Dr. Stern. Dr. Browning declared the Senate a committee of the whole. He felt that before the motion was put to the Senate everyone should have a chance to express opinions and feelings regarding the matter. There was extensive discussion focusing on the following points: a. Why the conversion to a semester schedule? b. Is there sufficient data to justify either schedule? c. Where should the decision be made relative to the appropriate scheduling of a given course, in the academic department offering the course or in the Academic Policies Committee? d. What are the benefits and costs associated with the flexibility existing in the current combined system of terms and semesters? e. Will conversion effect FTE, retention, recruitment, and if so, how? f. Will we now consider a final exam week? g. Would the administrative difficulties now faced by the Registrar, the Business Office, and the Admissions Office be reduced if only two registrations were held, Terms 1 and 3 with no drop/add for Terms 2 and 4? h. Will students learn more efficiently on a semester or a term schedule? i. Will students have greater difficulty completing their academic program in four years with a semester system vs. a term system? j. Will the semester system cause certain departments to revise their curriculum due to current course sequencing which is dependent on a term schedule? k. Will faculty effectiveness be altered with four simultaneous preparations per semester under a semester system vs. two simultaneous preparations per term under a term system? (Not all departments will have the same conditions with respect to this point.) l. Due to the importance of the issue should the matter be discussed with the full faculty? Dr. Browning returned the Senate to a deliberative body. Dr. Seitz moved to table the motion on the floor. Dr. Otti seconded the motion and it failed: opposed - 9; in favor - 3; abstaining 2. Dr. Squibb proposed an amendment to the motion as follows: Delete the second sentence reading "Exceptions to this are to be presented by departments with justification to the Academic Policies Committee." and replace it with the following: "Ordinarily a department should offer not more than 30% of the total credit hours in that department during a given semester on a term basis without approval of the Academic Policies Committee." Dr. Cole seconded the motion. There was discussion and the following points were raised: What criteria will be used in approving credit hours for term scheduling which exceed the 30 percent quota per department; how will the 30 percent approved term credit hours be registered; will UNC-Asheville have four registrations per academic year; granted the 30 percent figure is arbitrary, how may it be changed and upon what basis? The motion passed: in favor - 9; opposed - 1; abstaining - 2. Dr. Gillum moved to strike the date "January 1980" from the motion and replace it with "August 1980." The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Dr. Otti proposed a substitute motion as follows: "We take the position that academic departments should undertake a re-evaluation of term and semester courses in their own curricula. Departments will present justification for their arrangements in terms of their departmental and/or course needs and goals to the Academc Policies Committee." Dr. Seitz seconded the motion. After discussion a vote was taken and the motion failed: opposed - 8; in favor - 3; abstaining - 2. After further discussion a vote was taken on the original motion as amended and it was passed: in favor - 8; opposed - 4. Dr. Browning said the results of the motion would be forwarded to Dr. Dorr and Chancellor Highsmith and unless further action was taken the new system would be in effect for the 1980-81 academic year. Due to the lateness of the hour the other items on the agenda were not discussed. These items are to be placed on the agenda for the April 6 Senate meeting. Mr. Coyle distributed copies of a report from the ad hoc Committee on Faculty Grievance. The meeting adjourned at 5:40 pm. APPROVED: Jack Wilson Jacquelyn Peterson Faculty Senate Secretary Secretary