March

Faculty Senate update

Government relations information, transfer credit policy and Inclusive Leadership Summit among highlights.

By Cory Phare

March 5, 2018

Christine Staberg and Alejandra Perez-Urkoski from MSU Denver’s government relations team stopped by the Feb. 28 meeting of the Faculty Senate to provide a legislative update. Bills taking the lead role: expanding teaching preparation programs, a proposal to make it unlawful to sell academic assignments online (proposed by accounting Professor Greg Clifton), and operationalizing open education resrources that builds on findings from a council led by Emily Ragan (chemistry).

For more information or feedback on legislative priorities, contact Perez-Urkoski.

Matt Makley, Faculty Senate president, then issued a call for a representative to contact him if interested in serving on an advisory committee for the Roadways success program. He also recapped the recent Inclusive Leadership Summit, involving academic and administrative University representatives.

“President Davidson really wants to empower us, and this event was to help connect the pieces to do that,” said Makley. “Our mission is sound – and though we may disagree, we’re all on the same side, looking to better serve our students.”

Other business included:

• Jean-Francois Duclos noted the curriculum committee’s unanimous approval to award a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics regardless of whether a minor was in a non-science discipline.
• Roland Schendel reminded the group to submit Teaching Excellence Awards nominations in recognition of instructional dedication. The deadline has been extended to March 7. 
• Jessica Weiss detailed the Academic Policies Committee’s work clarifying with transfer services that a grade of C- would be accepted for credit, but not guaranteed to apply to specific major requirements, per individual department policy. After extensive work and systematic review, the committee was unable to make a recommendation, determining that further raising requirements would negatively impact students.
• Jo Bailey and Bill Cairns discussed the Faculty Senate’s work with the Access Center on the appeal process for ADA accommodation requests that would fundamentally alter learning standards of a course; a vote on the policy is slated for the next Faculty Senate meeting on March 14 at 3:20 in Tivoli 320.