Faculty Senate - August 2025 Minutes

Call to Order: 3:33 PM

Housekeeping:

• Approval of Agenda - Dr. Darla Diltz motioned, and Dr. Jessica Fino seconded. All approved.
• Approval of Minutes - Dr. Bev Stiles motioned that they be approved, and Dr. Jessica Fino seconded. All approved.

Current Business/Information Sharing:

1. Welcome & Introduction of Senators (see Faculty Senate 2025-2026)
2. Introduction of Dr. Stacy Haynie, MSU President, and Mr. Barry Macha, MSU General Counsel.
   • Dr. Haynie discussed the policy changes to align with SB 37, including the Texas Tech System Regulation 07.20, OP 06.02 Faculty Senate Purpose, OP 06.03 Faculty Senate Constitution. Policy changes have been approved by Mr. Barry Macha as compliant with the new bill. Major changes include the requirement that the President appoint a designated senator from each college (annually for up to 6 years) and all officers. Other major requirements include public posting of agendas one week in advance and that all meetings with a quorum must be live-streamed online.
   • Dr. Haynie expressed her desire that the faculty senate remain a vital advisory body.
   • Mr. Barry Macha affirmed President Haynie’s statements and explained that he doesn’t believe these changes will substantively change how the faculty senate operates. We will ensure that our constitution, bylaws, and practices comply, but we don’t intend to miss a beat. Mr. Macha will continue to provide expertise and ensure that we’re in compliance.
   • Dr. Haynie informed faculty that Governor Abbott’s Executive Order (GA-48) prohibits faculty from representing MSU in the following countries: North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba. Mr. Macha reminds faculty that we must inform the institution if we travel to those countries for personal reasons both prior to travel and upon return.
   • Dr. Vandehey asked if reporting on faculty from those countries is required. Dr. Haynie indicated that reporting on those faculty in general is not currently required.
   • Dr. Vandehey asked if the live-streams need to be recorded and if anyone or the institution will be liable for what is posted or shared. Dr. Haynie said that the meetings need only be live-streamed, not recorded.
   • Dr. Slavens asked how we will live-stream.
   • Ms. Emma Brown will use MSU Texas’s YouTube and website. We will not need to use Zoom unless we want to. Mizhoni sets up all social media and links. The links will disappear after the meeting ends since recording is not needed.
   • Dr. Diltz asked if Closed Captioning is required. Ms. Brown said yes, and that is why we’re using YouTube.
   • Dr. Vandehey asked if the camera doesn’t work, will we have to cancel our meetings. Dr. Haynie said that meetings could proceed as long as no substantive votes are held.
   • Dr. Haynie shared her desire to respond to the feedback on her leadership survey that asked for more transparent communication. The budget was built to student credit hours (SCH), and we hit our goal. We need to stay vigilant about struggling students to ensure they get the support they need. We know the ones who are most at risk, but faculty are needed to provide updated info on those student groups.
     Graduate enrollment is down, and we have issues there, but we need to continue to invest resources in advertising and recruiting for graduate programs and to move them through the enrollment process.
   • Dr. Haynie announced that the reimbursement rate for travel was adjusted, using funds provided by the Deans of each college, to match the federal rate, based on a request made by last year’s executive committee.
   • Dr. Lei asked if graduate enrollment declines are across all colleges. Dr. Haynie said yes, but capacities vary. It’s not equally across all colleges or programs, but overall it’s about a 25% decline.
   • Dr. Candice Fulton asked if the decline is due to a failure to compete with stipends and compensation offered at other programs, and if housing might be a way to account for that difference. Dr. Haynie said that we can look into that, and we’re also working on targeted advertising and geo-fencing.
   • Dr. Choudhury asked if the decline is mostly due to decreases in international students. Dr. Haynie said that it’s an important population that is declining, but domestic student numbers are declining too.
   • Dr. Azzouz explained that recruitment in his program relies on filling out card forms, but he doesn’t know that anyone follows up on that because the flow of information moves differently than it used to. Dr. Haynie said that we need to work on systems for providing that information to the Admissions so that they can act on it.
   • Dr. Vandehey asked if Dr. Haynie will give us a five-year notice before she leaves. Dr. Haynie said, I don’t know that you’ll get a five-year notice, but I’m really excited about the work we have to do. She referenced both mall plans and an NIL contract company that she hopes will work toward collective gain and support for our students.

New Business:

1. Committee Appointments for AY 2025-26 (see Handout Faculty Senate Recommendations)
   • Dr. Slavens explained that we need to make recommendations for committee appointments. I sent a list out to all senators. We will need to seek nominees for these committee positions by next Friday, Aug. 29th. We need to vote by or before our September 11th Senate Meeting. Please reach out to faculty in your colleges, because we need wide representation on these college-wide committees and councils.
   • The Piper Award nominees also need to be selected, so each college may have one, but we need to select them soon because it takes work to get the packet ready.
2. 2025 MSU Texas Leadership Academy (see Handout for Cohort 1 Fall 2025)
   • Dr. Slavens explained that the Leadership Academy is available to all, and faculty should look into participating because this year’s schedule is more teaching friendly.
3. Faculty Senate priorities for AY 2025-26
   • Dr. Slavens explained that she would like to discuss the priorities that we’d like to focus on this year.
   • Dr. Slavens said that we could return to the conversation about Course Evaluations that we started last semester. Dr. Vandehey seconded the priority.
   • Dr. Fino said that it’s really hard to put together T & P Portfolios with no or few responses. Other faculty have also mentioned their concerns about this.
   • Dr. Yu said that using the T & P platform in D2L was really difficult to understand how reviewers will interact with it.
   • Dr. Coenen recommended that a small ad-hoc committee of reviewers, submitters, D2L office be constituted to make progress on guidance for T & P set up, instructions, and user experience.
   • Dr. Azzouz explained that the digital package was much more convenient to review than the old binder system. Dr. Elsharafi explained that putting the portfolio together was so much work, and adding the links and resources was painstaking. Submitters need more time with access to their D2L course shell. A training module may be needed. Dr. Choudhury said that the digital portfolio is much more convenient for the ease of sharing. It reduces labor for reviewers. Dr. Choudhury suggested that the faculty should get access to their D2L shell as soon as they are notified of their eligibility.

Unfinished Business:

1. Topics to be Added to Agenda
   • Dr. Slavens asked for suggested for topics to be added to the agenda for future meetings. Items should be submitted by noon on Friday two weeks before our meetings, the dates for which are listed on today’s meeting agenda.
   • Dr. Azzouz mentioned that campus is lacking shade in many areas of campus. Dr. Leimer agreed.

Announcements: None

Committee and Other Reports: No reports. Committee Appointments needed.

1. Academic Council - Dr. Darla Diltz
   No report.
2. Administrative Council - Dr. Dawn Slavens
   No report.
3. Allocation Advisory Council - Dr. Dawn Slavens
   No report.
4. Athletics Council - Dr. Catherine Gaharan
   No report.
5. Faculty Grievance Committee - TBD
   No report. Has not met.
6. Student Affairs Council - TBD
   No report. Has not met.
7. University Celebration of Scholarship - Dr. Darla Diltz
   No report. Has not met.
8. Emergency Management Committee - Dr. Kimberly Onstott
   No report. Has not met.
9. Other Committee Reports - None

Meeting adjourned at 4:43 PM. Dr. Stiles made a motion to adjourn, and Dr. Vandehey seconded.
The motion to adjourn passed unanimously.

Submitted,
Hillary Coenen, Faculty Senate Secretary
Dawn Slavens, Faculty Senate Presiding Officer

Meetings & Deadlines:
The next Executive Committee meeting with the President will be Aug. 22, 2025 at 3 PM.
Agenda items for the next meeting should be submitted to Dr. Slavens by Noon on Aug. 29th.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be Sept. 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
The next Faculty Senate meeting will be Sept. 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM.