Early Bird

Faculty Senate update

Budget update discussion, Course Count Policy vote, 2020 Teaching Excellence Awards winners announced.

By Cory Phare

December 7, 2020

Susan Schleble, Ph.D. (chemistry and biochemistry), provided an update from the Budget Committee and led a spirited discussion on the current state of affairs in the final Metropolitan State University of Denver Faculty Senate meeting of 2020.

“Faculty are the biggest line item, but we also are the ones bringing in the largest amount of total revenue,” she said. “We’re all working hard and are exhausted from bigger classes and the extra work moving to a virtual environment. We should be proud of what we’re doing.”

She underscored this point by highlighting the reduction in state support and comparing the 97% and 79.7% of total revenue brought in for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 years, respectively, compared with the faculty compensation cost of 40.1% of the University’s budget across both years. Additionally, 51% of the $2.98 million in furlough savings was borne by faculty members.

Those who would like more information should email Schleble, Faculty Senate President Katia Campbell, Ph.D. (communication studies), or Senate Vice President Liz Goodnick, Ph.D. (philosophy).

MSU Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., then addressed the assembly, discussing her focus on enrollment and mental health.

“The budget is a mess this year, but it is for everybody everywhere,” she said. “This is the time of year where people are already frazzled; you add in COVID and politics, and it puts everyone on edge. … But we’re positioned in the right way, and faculty have done a phenomenal job lifting us into the online space.”

“I genuinely believe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and am optimistic, but we’re focused on one week at a time,” she added. “The most important thing we can do is support each other right now.

Goodnick and Richard Russell, J.D. (accounting), led a second read of the Course Count Policy to bring MSU Denver into compliance with Colorado’s Student Bill of Rights, which states that core general-education courses (GT Pathways) need to be recognized at all public institutions.

The proposal involved modifying current catalog policies to do away with specific general-studies course requirements and allow courses to meet both degree-program and general-studies requirements (“double-dipping”).

The policy also requires students to take 33 credits outside of the most recurrent prefix in their major, with the rationale that students currently take this amount outside of their major in general studies. The proposed solution ensures that students receive a broad-based liberal-arts and science education and mitigates possible state-funding-request impact from noncompliance. Concern was raised on the impact this might have on enrollment in different areas; Goodnick assured the Senate that data collection by the Business Intelligence Unit will examine how this implementation affects students, departments and the General Studies Program.

The measure passed with 58 in favor, 20 opposed and six abstentions. The change will occur in the 2021-22 curriculum cycle and will first appear in the 2022-23 catalog.

Russell then led a first read of the proposed update to the Independent Study Policy, which would limit total hours to 12 for a bachelor’s degree and six for a master’s degree; he also led a first read of the Posthumous Degree Policy Update, which would change the approving body from the University president/Board of Trustees to the provost.

Campbell ended the meeting with appreciation of hard work and commitment to students.

“We’ve got a few more tough months ahead of us, but I wish everyone luck with grading and hope you all have a good break,” she said.

Other items of business:

• 2019-20 Teaching Excellence Award winners were announced:
• Ann Obermann, Ph.D. (social work), for tenure-track
• Meredith Jeffers, Ph.D. (modern languages), for tenured
• Sophia Cherry, Ph.D. (chemistry and biochemistry), for Category II
• Rebecca Bryan (biology) for affiliate
• Summer Trentin, Ph.D. (art), provided a Curriculum Committee update that highlighted seven new approved courses and programs, 18 course modifications and redesignations, four program modifications, three program discontinuations and four ownership transfers and name changes.