Video link of meeting: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/5d5544f3-87c5-410c-a9ca-1a9d0762b476/?autoplay=true&app=microsoftteams&showinfo=false&appPlatform=iOS&hostCorrelationId=77200D58-2DBB-42C2-813F-7A8A8DBBE834
Call to Order: 3:35 PM.
Approval of the Minutes: March minutes to be approved at May 2021 meeting as Ashley Dockens could not attend today.

Faculty Senate President’s Report:
SACSCOC: There were issues raised by SAC.
1. Faculty credentials to teach certain courses have been notified of the credential issues – predominately in COB.
2. Some Program Directors are not tenured and our handbook says they must be tenured.
3. Assessment issues. Are we using the outcomes to improve our programs. The assessment tool for Weave Report is outdated and rubrics and assessments should be updated.
4. Course such as core-curriculum and upper-level undergraduate, and graduate courses do not demonstrate rigor components. Upper level undergraduate and graduate courses are not clearly distinguished from the other, they should have some rigor in research components.
5. How can we indirectly measure graduate student success. Ideas included journaling but may not work for every department.
Promotion/Tenure Decisions:
1. Two out of 6 faculty who applied for promotion to full professor were awarded. Those who were declined were provided suggestions for the next application.
2. Two faculty up for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor were told to prepare for one-year extended clock and submit the application the next year. (feedback: Faculty should initiate if they prefer to extend for more time).
Open Campus: The administration announced to open campus in Fall 2021. There were about 400 students did not enroll in 2020 due to the majority of courses moved to online program. The administration follows most colleges/universities’ decision to resume on campus courses. Faculty who had health related issues that prevent them from teaching on campus should file a request to HR teaching online courses.
3. 80% of lower-level courses and 60% of upper-level courses will be delivered on campus
4. Instructors who have been serving at Lamar University will be eligible for the consideration of promotion if the instructor promotion policy is adopted. An ad hoc committee with Melissa Riley, Pat Heintzelman, and Charles Popp to join the committee. Criteria needs developed for promotion with pay raises beyond longevity (longevity can be included but not only metric).
5. Elections: FTE must be 100% to serve on Senate. College of Education will gain more at-large senator seat due to its growth in faculty body.
Honorary Doctorate Degree policy: Reviewing other TSUS school policies and will create a recommended policy.
Dr. Lin (VP) reports on Summer Course/Pay for itself – Garrick and Cheng-Hsien met with Provost and received standards but that COFAC may need lower numbers due to nature of their summer courses. Hope to get final information on second course enrollment requirements soon. Provost was suggesting potential numbers of 25-30 students. COE and COB have increased their FTE hours and may not have issues with securing funding for summers, but other Colleges may have issues. Please email Dr. Lin if you have any ideas. President Evans wanted it clear that some faculty who were denied promotion or who have been suggested to toll the tenure clock that this is not related to SSCI index is a requirement. Suggested that quality of journal is important.
Survey instrument: we will adopt the survey tools that has been adopted by SHSU for decades and revise it to fit Lamar’s circumstances. Further discussion will be done in the FS executive meeting.
Academic Issues Committee (Melissa Riley):
Virtual meeting. Measures for teaching assessment outside of student evaluations is under discussion. More meetings on this matter is expected.
Faculty Issues Committee (Xenia Fedorchenko):
Virtual meetings on the workload issues but more work to be completed before further report.
Budget/Compensation Committee (B. Garrick Harden):
Dr. Lin already reported on some information. Focused on Summer offerings and met with Brenda Nichols and looks like their may be possibility to offer more summer courses. Jeremy Alltop has provided a formula to look at how many students are needed for a course to “pay for itself”. Consideration of diminishing returns situation where you could agree to take lower compensation for lower number of students. No report back on that at this point. No updated administrative salary report provided by Jeremy Alltop yet. Jennifer suggested that could be provided from THECB.
Events/Distinguished Faculty Lecture Committee (Dorothy Sisk):
Presentation of FDL was great. Dr. Evans praised the presentation and a book signing activity followed the presentation. There were about 30 guests attended in person. Tremendous success.
Research & Creative Activity Committee (Christopher Martin for John Gossage):
- Approximately five faculty were awarded for developmental leave this round.
- The committee expects to clean up the application and review process for the future (let dept. chairs to approve applicants’ proposal later).
F2.08 Committee (Jim Armacost):
- Jennifer’s note for consideration: Does FS want an F2.08 committee going forward considering that changes have not been successfully made over the last few years.
- Software to be used for annual evaluation were prior presented and we recommend using software in the future, although some departments may not be able to use the standardized version and need to customize it before adoption and may not be able to make those changes
- Want to add a statement re: Covid considerations to evaluations for evaluators to have an understanding of the potential effects of covid to various areas of teaching, research/creative activity, and service.
- Suggest revising F2.08 form for the future and have it integrated into tenure-promotion process.
Student Success/Ad hoc investigative Committee (Pat Heintzelman chairing for Nikki Michalski):
Information from various universities are requiring COVID vaccines for return in fall.
Via the union, she has hired a lobbyist for legislation – the time to introduce new bills ended in March and would require an amendment instead, however then Abbott put in executive order prohibiting requirement in public places. The only university in Texas that was doing requirements was a private institution but they have taken that back since the executive order.
- Will COVID-19 vaccination be required for returning to campus in Fall 2021? Governor’s Abbott executive order prohibits vaccination requirements.
- Citation metrics is not available at Lamar University and committee will look into it. Faculty Issues will be looking into this. AAUP representative at University of Texas says they are not pushing a citation metrics evaluation of publications. Garrick Harden: R1 institution expectations as a teaching institution – this becomes a workload issue. Jeremy Shelton: Considerations must be made if R1 type responsibilities become required, then workload must reflect it. Will citation metrics be obtainable? If a low percentage acceptance is the indicator, it may set up faculty for failure. Christopher Martin: Agree and wanted to point out that in a grant application he completed, he received feedback that showed his teaching load was far too high to achieve the research expectation. Cheng-Hsien Lin and Garrick Harden: Similar comments on his grant applications. Dr. Lyons: Roles are often allocated at institution as more research or teaching heavy – maybe we consider this at LU.
Faculty Handbook Committee (LeeAnn Chisholm for Matt Hoch): – not met in April – waiting on University Handbook and MAPPs committees to meet
New Business:
Garrick Harden – faculty have asked if Mr. Hector Flores holds two positions – is there a conflict of interest to serve in both simultaneously.
Teaching evaluation comparisons between 2019 and 2020 for Covid concerns will be shared to senators once it is done. So far COB is showing improved student evaluations.
Concerns about the ex-employee with loaded fires arms and what is Lamar’s policy on the matter?
Old Health Science building have no locks and bought new ones. It is important that every building to be evaluated and updated of their security and safety.
Adjournment:
Motion to adjourn was made by Cynthia Pipkins. Seconded by Pat Heintzelman. Passed. Meeting adjourned at 4:12 PM.