Minutes for Nov. 17th

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Opening & Reports

(No statements are direct quotes unless specified by quotation marks.)

President Holmes called the meeting to order at 5:07 p.m. by the Senate Clock.

Roll call

Guests:

• Dr. David Crockett, VP of Administrative Affairs and Dean of the College of Business and Industry

• Dr. Bette Midgarden, VP of Academic Affairs

• Carolyn Zehren, Director of Financial Aid

Proxies: 

• Katie Flock - Senator Deutz (1/2 meeting)

• Justin Lien - Senator Brown

• Nicole Nagel - Senator Maurina

• Jennifer Ohren - Senator Obach (1/2 meeting)

• Adrian Welle - Leigh Wilson Mattson

Approval of the Agenda

Changes in agenda

• No Al Bruer

• Appointment of Stephanie Morse

Unanimous Approval.

Approval of the Minutes

Minutes tabled until the next meeting.

Public Hearing

Holmes

We have three guests tonight- Vice Presidents Midgarden and Crockett, and Carolyn Zehren, director of Financial Aid.  Don't hold yourself to those questions from last week, please.

Crockett

I am the Vice President of Administrative Affairs and Interim Dean of the Business and Industry College.

Holmes

Are you now the full time dean?

Crockett

No, it hasn't changed. 

Holmes

With the Wellness Center being planned, what are some ideas for food service while Kise is under construction?

Crockett

I really believe that is under Vice President Warren Wiese.  Once a food service vendor is selected, plans will move quickly.

Holmes

Will the Wellness Center have the 80 spaces be available to it [by using the space between the Comstock Memorial Union and Lommen Hall]?  Where might the playground go?

Crockett

There will be more like 70 spots.  We'd do it this coming year.  We need a staging ground and this would be it.  We man do it next year.  It will be build no matter what.  This lot would come out of parking's budget.  One suggestion for the playground is between the library and Kise.  The Dean of Education and Human services is discussing moving around the early childhood department.

Holmes

Where might they swap space?

Crockett

Murray Commons.  They are just starting to discuss this.

Holmes

What other disruptions will be caused by the Wellness Center being built?

Crockett

We will need staging spaces, likely C or B lot.  We'll reconfigure those parking lots.  I am really concerned that we get one contractor for both projects, so they'll know the limitations on blocking the spine of campus [the main sidewalk through school].  The contractor will have to take that into account.

Holmes

What about Kivi Hall?

Crockett

We could put the playground around it.  Quite frankly, there is no reason for Kivi to be moved.  Some would like the playground to be in the middle of the Mall.  Some think that would be a good environment for the children, but maybe not for us.

Holmes

There is talk about closing off 14th street.  Is that still feasible?

Crockett

We've not given up on that.  The city's engineer is not supportive of it.  We may get it down to one lane with parallel parking on one side.  That wouldn't be until after the Wellness Center and the CMU renovation.  Earlier this summer the city seemed surprised that we were still talking about it.

Holmes

How would closing 14th street affect campus?

Crockett

The biggest is 11th St.  There are about 6800-7000 cars a day during the school year, and 3300-4000 during the summer.  The difference is from us.  One concern of the city is that if 14th would be closed is that 11th St. would become a two way street.  This would require widening the road.  The new construction curbs could be knocked out and placed back in.

Holmes

What factors would lend to the feasibility of a parking ramp?

Crockett

For Lot A, we studied the feasibility.  The city was opposed to it and filed in court a restraining order to stop the building.  The state has rights over cities, and this is state prosperity.  The state attorney's office told us this is the only challenge that they know of- where a city opposed a state college's plan.  The city filed this after it was known by the college that it would be too expensive to build this ramp.    It costs about $12,000-14,000 per spot, so the price would have to be $600-700 per year per permit.

There is talk with the city officials and developers to get the block across from Hagen hall to get comm. Condos and a parking ramp built behind it along 7^th avenue by 10^th and 8^th street.  A developer has had a architect.  They put it along 11 St.  What extent it could fully develop depends on the commerciality of the project.  The discussion is there and I think it’ll continue.  The city wanted to swap that land with the pool on 20^th.  I wanted the land on 6^th and 9^th avenue.  It is not dead.  A lot of this goes together.  If Moorhead ever builds a swimming pool, then we want that.  It’ll happen some day.  The development talks continue.  The city realizes that rezoning will help us and Concordia.

Holmes

You talk about western development.  What is the university’s stake in a commercial cam town?

Crockett

We would like to have new additions like a wellness center and a dining hall.  We would like to round out some of the facilities of the university.  Our financial commitment is the land between 10 and 11^th street.  WE would like it to be private developers. 

Holmes

What are some of the major roadblocks?

Crockett

Neighborhood Association and this particular ward of the city council.  Other wards seem to be more helpful.  “I’ll leave it at that.”  Go to the polls.

Holmes

What action, if any, is the university taking to support this project?

Crockett

This is privately owned land.

Holmes

investment committee to allocate money to renovate McLean. 

Crockett

If bonding bill, then we’ll start it next summer.  It’ll take about 24 months.  It will be a very complex renovation process.

Holmes

Hagen hall is also a product of the bonding bill.  When will it be completed?

Crockett

This coming May, or June at the latest.  The first floor will be done by Dec. 31, for a total of 13 months.

Randhawa

3 questions

Area between 8^th St and 10^th St.  Have you ever considered what would happen to rental prices?  A lot of it now is being rented by students.  It is quite cheap because of the conditions of housing over there.

Crockett

How many apartment units could go in there?  200 students could live in a apartment complex in the same space as 12 students take up now.  If they can’t fit a lot of units in there, its not going to happened because of the expensive land cost.

Randhawa

Some buildings overlook the mall, but new buildings don’t.  Why?

Crockett

The architects have a real dilemma with our campus.  There are original buildings around the mall.  There is a historical significance of this type of layout.  Several universities in the Midwest have this feature.  That doesn’t fit into the buildings designed today.  Hagen has a different brick design than Science Lab.  The Science lab was designed to blend in with the buildings.

Randhawa

We often have complaints about lights in the parking lot.  We don’t have equip to change lights in the tall lights.  Why did we even get them in the first place?

Crockett

The difference in the lighting is a cost factor.  MPS is discussing this with us.  The renovation in the 5 block area has the new lighting system.  It will be replaced as we get money.  So we are trying to see if we can get MPS to help us to fund it.  (Lease concept)  Lights along 7^th avenue along the boulevard. 

Holmes

Any other questions?

Bard

When we had the candidate forum, so of the citizens seemed resentful of students.  Is there anything at a more macro level that can be done?

Crockett

Invite the council men from the ward.  The university can do a better job.  We had a successful meeting this summer about the water line. They couldn’t get into the driveways, but we told them that we didn’t have the appropriate water supply.  Perhaps a university newsletter. 

Schwegel

At what point do we need to make a major cut back in the academic programs?

Midgarden

We’ve made dramatic reductions, but we are still getting less.  It is difficult to say that we want to build this program, but use the old program’s resources.  Without financial Exigency, the ability to move around is limited to adjuncts and temporary sources.  We monitor the costs of departments all the time.  We have eliminated programs.  We are looking at the way we can modify the more expensive grad programs.  Some programs take more and more technology.  If the budget reduction leaves not enough money to keep up programs, we’ll be even more aggressive.  We look at credit hour s and we are discussing cutting certain programs. 

Randhawa

How is realistic is the accreditation of the Business program?  I am getting mixed signals.  Some say it won’t happen.

Crockett

You may suggest to your professor about his or her views.  The consultant agreed that our plan will be done this Spring.  We have a visit two years from this next spring.  I think we’ll be successful. 

Randhawa

Is it possible to relieve a tenured professor from his duties?  How do we go about it?  I just want to know what the process it.

Midgarden

The process is disciplinary.  Article 23 of the contract.  The first step is oral, then written rep.  The third step is suspension by pay.  That can only be done by the pres.  The others can be done by dean or Vice President.  The fourth step is term, but can only be done by the pres.

Randhawa

In line with my previous question: since students don’t know what class they’ll be taking, and since you, Cr, decide who’ll be teaching a class.  If a student doesn’t’ feel comfy with a particular professor, what can a student do?

Midgarden

A dept puts together a proposed schedule.  That gets forwarded to the dean, who may make modifications.  Sometimes a dean will get a complaint about a faculty member.  If the faculty. Has the expertise and is teaching content, that does not mean that the deans don’t speak or even use the disciplinary process when a faculty member isn’t treating a student fairly.  If faculty is teaching the content, there is nothing we can do.  What is most important to us in academic affairs is that students who have concerns talk to the dean.  Deans do look into student complaints.

Randhawa

If a student brings up a concern, does a student get a follow up?

Midgarden

Yes, the dean should report some results.  There may be some issues with privacy.  We have over 420 faculty.  The number that we have problems with is a small minority.  Most are very caring and work very hard to work for students. 

Cailao

Are there class or programs that help freshman understand fin aid?

Zehren      

MDS 109, FYE, money management, etc.  We get positive feedback from this.  We have had offered money mange but there was no participation.

Cailao

Is that always a part of FYE?

Zehren

The professor can defer to us.

Holmes

You said you have some information to bring to us.  We have some Board of Trustees changes that are going to take effect.  This is dealing with changes in fall of 2006.  Due date, fee payment.  In the last two weeks, we recovered money.  We will have to drop student from class if they don’t make arrangements to pay their bill.

Zehren

One of the arrangements to have it covered, if you file a FAFSA, that is a way that students not to get dropped.  Approx. 85% get something thru the FAFSA.  There are other payment plans. 

Cailao

One concern is military vets.  It affects the financial aid, but the payments are received over the year, so this policy won’t affect them?

Zehren

No, esp. if you have a FAFSA.  The Board of Trustees has been very liberal about this.  If you file

Mihal

Say a student had a hold on his or her record because he or she owed the university money.  If next semester’s financial aid would more than cover that, what should the student do?

Zehren

That is more of a matter for the Business office

Randhawa

Last question.  How do I go about getting a problem with a student professor the problem fixed without repercussion to me or the student with the problem?

Midgarden

In order to do something about it, the student really needs to go see the dean.  Students found Dean Crockett addressed the problems right away.  That applies to the other deans, as well.  I find it frustrating when there is a lot of hearsay.  We can’t promise to keep the student’s identity secret, but it isn’t always possible.  Many times we can look into the complaint after a student has completed the class.  Complaints are taken seriously, but the student needs to see the dean.  The student can bring a friend to help them. 

Holmes

What does the reaccreditations mean to students?

Midgarden

Fed fin aid depends on it.  WE will be reaccredited.  Fin are sound, academic is fine.  They may find items that we need to look at.  In terms of student involvement, the chairs of the five areas are trying to get student involvement.  If the evaluators are good, they’ll talk with students, senate, and have an open forum.  They’ll ask about all aspects of student life.  Teaching is the most important, but other areas matter. 

Holmes

What does accreditation mean?

Midgarden

It is a regional, so this is university wide.  There are programmatic, like business and nursing.

Oni

Would the payment plan apply to int’l students as well?

Zehren

Yes, but it also depends on his or her past.  There is already a 10 month payment plan.  If they have a bill that is in arrears, then a payment plan is possible.

Bard

What are the proposal about LS?

Midgarden

Wouldn’t affect you, it’d affect entering students.  There will be correspondence between the old and new system.  The new system will use the transfer circ.  We are proposing a 3 tiered system.  This would give a coherent study program.  First tier is the freshman level.  One change is the English 101 to a 3 credit class with a more emphasis.  Math would be more useful.  In the freshman year, there would be more courses.  The middle cluster would get in there if it is in the disciplines.  The second tier should build on the first tier.  The 3^rd is the capstone- global perspective, ethics, etc.  This should also build on the program.  There should be 2 writing intensive courses as well as one in your major.  I think its actually going to be quite wonderful.  If you are interesting in finding out more about it, go to liberal studies taskforce website. 

Haken

Will this affect class sizes at all?

Midgarden

Some will be smaller than they’ve been.  Tier one class will have to be bigger to pay for the capstone class.  We are trying to encourage dept to offer larger sections. 

Midgarden

Dr. Wallart is the sixth faculty, and this is more than any institution in most of the Midwest.  We shouldn’t forgot celebrate the great talent we have.

Holmes

Advising is always a hot topic.  It is free of contract, right?

Midgarden

No, it is part of the contract.  They teach 24 credits, research, write, and advise.  We use mass advising to advising in a professional sections since student don’t have a lot of selection.  We’ve talked about advising every year at meet and Discuss.  I want to know about some proactive advising.  One thing that can be done when some faculty aren’t good advisors.  We don’t want the students to have them.  Some faculty might be good at scholastics instead of advising.  The way to think about this is as a departmental university.

Holmes

Very good point.  We are not all good at everything.  I’ll be the first to admit that.  One of the biggest complaints I have is that my advisor (Dell) I feel that she is overwhelmed.  Sometimes I might not even get my full 20 minutes.  When I go go to visit, a advisor direct a students into a career.

Crockett

We have is to have an advisor that is an advisor only.  Some have faculty only do it.  We can’t split adv across the majors evenly.  So we’ve taken Dells position to be mostly freshmen and sophomores.  WE expect career advising to be done by faculty.  We are looking at a pre-business course for incoming freshmen.  WE expect that to move forward.  This would give us more contact with the freshmen. 

Holmes

One year or one credit course?

Crockett

One credit

Mihal

Advice to students during orientation

Midgarden

It should happen about in orientation

Wiese

Most of that information would come from the peer advisors.  They are supposed to talk about that with the incoming freshman

Midgarden

Would it be helpful if senate had a discussion about what I wish I knew then that I know now.  Students are responsible for their ed, but the advisor should still be there for the student.  Career job, resume, take a stretching course.  Advising is not easy, and sometimes we get a faculty that is straight out of grad school.  Sara lee has developed program to develop advising. 

Zehren

Janet Haark Aarness emphases the 16 credits for each in students.  The message is early. 

Holmes

Are mandatory FYE classes feasible?

Midgarden

Yes, a number of ins are going to them.  A substance abuse course.  It would have to become a graduation requirement.  WW and I were with others in a con in the north part of the state.  An online alcohol course is now available online.  The u of M is on its way to making its students take 3 out of 6 new modules online (1 credit) . I would argue against our current FYE being mandated.

Holmes

Why not the current?”

Midgarden

Not a benefit to all of students.  It is a good exp for some students, but may not be an interested or need to all students.

Holmes

You mentioned Alcohol course.  Do you think the course will be well received?

Midgarden

Even the students who find it valuable learn something from it.  It has been well received after the students have completed it.

Holmes

Warren, maybe you could speak about the course.

Wiese

I don’t know the true statistics off the top of my head.  Most college campus programs are ineffective in the long run.  This sucks people in the first four to six week, making it more effective.

Midgarden

this needs to be sustained over a reasonable period of time.

Holmes

Has considered ways to make stronger ed. Partnerships?

Midgarden

It really depends on those that we hire and tenure.  The most important commitment anyone can make.

Holmes

Can you tell us about fin aid in general, Zehren?

Zehren

When students come to our office, it is about money.  Any higher ed institution is highly regulated: Fed, state, MnSCU, university.  We work within that.  Typical concerns are that my parents wont’ help me but I have to give them my parents financial information>  One thing we do is having a session.  WE work with families to have them know that this is a collaboration.  There are many choices that affect student’s cost.  It is under $11k for a year.  The university is very limited.  We advise families on how to make this happen.

Cost- resources = fin aid.  Families that are under prepared can take out alternative loans.  The student should look at many factors like career plans.  Other concerns are students under academic suspension.  Students must have at 67% completion rate.  They must complete their degree and credits in a timely manner.  We have the expectation that students will complete the degree.  We act as an push for students to complete their degree.  Sometimes student have issues.  When I started fin aid, I didn’t expect to do so many referrals to the counseling office.  Sometimes students have to stop school for a while.  We are empowered to refer to other resources within the university. 

Holmes

Memories of fin aid is most vivid.

Midgarden

President Barden is going to write a letter to Holmes to see if he and other can participate in a student success seminar this summer.  To try to come up with additional strategies to help students transition, graduate, and etc.  When you get that letter, I hope you consider accepting the invitation.

Holmes

Thanks for coming in tonight.  Feel free to drop by anytime. 

Braddock

I asked the building man to asked to turn up the heat, but Layne Anderson turned the master heat too low.  Sometimes subs ‘n’ Sweets will have employees walking around and not serving customers.

Oni

With the Advocate totally misquoted me with the residents.  I don’t think they should be misquoting so much.  There was also the story about the SL about the 1% to artwork.

Reports

Advisor Wiese

Tuition info has come before you for review.  The pres is going to recommend 9.5% to the Board of Trustees.  We have to deal with this by Dec. 1.  This shortfall will leave us with some difficult situations.  As we try to be frugal with money.

Attendance in some comm. Has been poor.  I bring it up because Students tech fee didn’t meet again.  We can’t allocate the computers and other things like that.  One meeting left this semester, that leaves us with one meeting to do all this business. 

Student Fee Schedules need to be in from the students.

We a legal institute this weekend.  I have to spiff out for that.  We gave them such a great reception last year, that we get to hold the conference this year.

Questions/discussion on the report:

Obach

Are you aware that any could get appointed to this committee. “How does one Spiff?”

Braddock

Motion about blue light phones- did you get the minutes.  Can you check?

Wiese

I suggest the recommendation of one more to match the UPBC recommendation.  We can pick to do more right away. 

Moved to 5 minute recess without objection

Justin Schwegel (Treasurer)

Budget sits at $2,996.99.  I attended SABC.    Please pay for your t-shirts.

Questions/discussion on the report:

Holmes

Our next meeting could you give us a detailed acount of last year’s budget?

Schwegel

I forgot to mention we had a $550 carry forward pass through SABC.

Braddock

Do  you find it funny that half of senate sits on SABC?

Schwegel

It was a standard request.

James Cailao (Vice President)

• Ads placed for Secretary. The search continues.

• Attended the Alcohol Planning Committee on Wed. at the NDSU Downtown building. The student president for NDSU and Concordia were also there, with Dr. Williams chairing the meeting. We decided that the F/M Higher Education Student Summit to draft a Shared Values Statement regarding Alcohol Misuse will meet following the Governor George Sinner Public Policy Symposium. Each University will delegate 5 representative students from various backgrounds (i.e. Residence Life, Athletics) to come together and formulate a shared vision of values and policy.

No questions on the Report

Billy Holmes (President)

• 1 UPBC tuition recommendation and consultation

• SABC

• Orientation Review Board

• Sign up for MSUSA.  I will pick the five that get to go.

• I appoint Senator Elkin to TFOC.

Questions/discussion on the report:

Elkin

I have never attended TFOC, so I would like any advice. 

Randhawa

At UPBC was the other member present?

Holmes

Yes

Emilie Mihal (*Temporary* Secretary), (S.P.A.M.), (Election Chair)

• Did minutes

• Took minutes for cabinet

• Did attendance

• Had elections.  The (uncertified)  results are as follows: