Faculty Senate - November 2025 Minutes

*Proxy

Call to Order: 3:32 PM
Not Present: Mr. Rafael Powell, Dr. Stacey Machado, Dr. Lee Gagum

Special Guests: Dr. Jeremy Duff, Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs Accreditation and Planning

1. Update on the Selection of a New Tenure and Promotion / Credentialing Platform.
   • Dr. Slavens introduced our guest, Dr. Jeremy Duff, AVP, SACS-COC Accreditation Liaison, moved into AVP of Academic Affairs, Accreditation & Planning. One primary project is updating the platform for the Tenure & Promotion application and review process. Drs. Azzouz, Choudhury, and Yu joined the process to review Watermark and Interfolio. Everyone preferred Interfolio, so Drs. Brown Marsden & Duff began review and negotiations. Dr. Duff will provide a demonstration. Interfolio’s “Review, Promotion, & Tenure” program (RPT) in an online platform “for carrying out formal faculty reviews in a shared governance context…” Dossier is a tool in RPT to store & manage job, fellowship, and promotion or review documents in one place as a central archive (that is transferable across institutions). Enables recommendation letter requests & submissions and collections of related materials. Creation of a “Case” for review enables a user to tailor a collection to the case.
   • Dr. Lei asked if cases will be created by the university. Dr. Duff answered yes.
   • Dr. Stiles asked if this platform will be available from the time someone starts at MSU. Dr. Duff said yes, and that is the second part of my presentation.
   • Dr. Duff indicates that the Interfolio “Packet” will be generated to prompt the user to input each required document/materials for the case. As packets are completed and submitted, the notifications are automatically generated for the next stage of review. Reviewers will be prompted to review packets according to the narrative with a populated table of contents listing the required components.
   • The committee agreed that Interfolio’s demonstration of the Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR) would be beneficial for annual review procedures because it enables users to add materials throughout the year as they complete tasks, and those materials are automatically incorporated into the packets based on where they’re submitted. Profile forms & Activity forms, which will be designed to align with our sections for T & P guidelines, allow easy updating and alignment with accrediting standards. Vita templates allow for institutional formats & personal templates that are customizable and editable.
   • Dr. Stiles asked if these materials are portable, and Dr. Duff said that Dossiers are portable, but not all of the institutional components are portable. Materials can be saved though.
   • Dr. Duff explained that everything in FAR can be exported to RPT, and narratives can be written inside the system.
   • Dr. Duff said that this spring the Provost’s office will identify those who will go up in the Fall in order give them and their chairs early access to the platform.
   • Dr. Lei asked if the system will only be used for Tenure & Promotion. Dr. Duff said for now, yes. Dr. Lei asked if he foresees that the University might require full professors to be required to use this system. Dr. Duff said, not for now, but it is possible that it could be used for Annual Personnel Reports (APR), but at this point there is no plan to require it for that purpose.
   • Dr. Lei asked if T & P packets must be submitted electronically. Everyone in the room indicates that we have already eliminated the option of submitting hard copies.
   • Dr. Lei asked if there will be training for the system. Dr. Duff indicated that Interfolio provides ample training, and there is also a publicly available training module. The system and Dr. Duff will also provide customized, step-by-step instructions for what materials go where.
   • Dr. Lei asked what will be done if the University decides to stop paying for this system. Dr. Duff indicated that the contract is for 3 years, and the HEAF funds have already been budgeted for that period, with an option to extend it to 5 years.
   • Dr. Stiles expressed how much she would have appreciated this for her process.
   • Dr. Vandehey asked how long this company has been around and how widely it is used. Dr. Leimer indicated that this company has been in place for a long time and is used widely for job applications and searches by large institutions.
   • The contract is for $28,250 for the first year with a five percent increase for each year. Dr. Vandehey asked if there is a cap. Dr. Duff doesn’t know, but he will look into it.
   • Dr. Slavens asked if the customization and template building must be done by Interfolio personnel or if our staff will do it. Dr. Duff said that Interfolio will demonstrate how to do so as an example for our staff.
   • Dr. Duff explained that IT personnel have met with Interfolio, and they’ve agreed that the collaboration can work well. With the timing, we have to move forward ASAP if we want it ready for the next round.
   • Dr. Duff thanked Drs. Azzouz, Choudhury, and Yu for their input and work on the committee.

Housekeeping:

• Approval of Agenda – Dr. Vandehey motioned, and Dr. Stiles seconded. All approved.
• Approval of Minutes – Dr. Scales & Dr. Lei asked for corrections. Dr. Frazier motioned to approve with the corrections, and Dr. seconded. All approved.

Current Business/Information Sharing:

1. Local HB 229 Compliance
   • Dr. Slavens asked if guidance has been provided and how. Dr. Leimer said no, but Dr. Coenen explained that her program coordinator spoke with the Provost who indicated that the Provost has worked with system academic leadership to provide guidance that will help with planning for spring. Dr. Stiles said that she has also had similar conversations with the provost regarding spring planning. Dr. Frazier indicated that the College of Education has been proactive in making plans and adjustments for spring.
2. Gardner Institute Surveys
   • Dr. Slavens explained that MSU has begun collecting surveys as part of an improvement and retention initiative with the Gardner Institute under the leadership of Gardner Institute Vice President and MSU Alumnus Brandon Smith. This ongoing improvement project will provide a systematic approach to making data-informed action plans that incorporate input from representatives from across campus for an ongoing redesign and scaling. Initial surveys have been distributed. The MSU Leadership team includes Chief of Staff Megan Riedel, Provost/AVPAA Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, AVP for Academic Innovation and Success Dr. Kristen Garrison, AVP for Planning and Accreditation Dr. Jeremy Duff, and Director of Institutional Effectiveness Dr. Eboneigh Harris. MSU’s Gardner cohort includes the following institutions: Austin College (TX, private); Baker University (KS, private); Fairmont State University (WV, public); University of Houston-Main (TX, public), and University of Oregon (OR, public).
     Surveys include Institutional Transformation Assessment & Readiness, Willingness, and Ability. Selected faculty and staff will participate in sensemaking meetings on January 15th & 16th to examine data, review survey responses, and begin mapping critical systems that support student success. Day 2 focuses on detailed planning for a multi-year engagement. MSU’s team will discuss how to best order initiatives, what critical data to collect, and which team members and departments to collaborate with to yield optimal results. A multi-year action plan will aim to scaffold learning experiences, tools, and processes with the support of Relationship Manager, Brandon Smith.
3. Campus Climate on Mental Health & Support Systems Updates
   • Dr. Slavens explained that the Provost requested a delay in a campus-wide survey until the Gardner Institute results and goals are clarified in January.
4. President’s Feedback on Salary Questions
   • Dr. Slavens explained that Dr. Haynie indicated that the 3% raise caps were given to Deans as a maximum but that some raises could be less based on APRs. State statutes dictate that only merit and parity raises (based on CUPA data) are allowable for faculty.
   • Dr. Leimer asked if raise goals are contingent upon retention and enrollment numbers.
   • Dr. Stiles asked if Keith Lamb could come talk retention and student data.

New Business:

1. Assessment Platform Efficiency and Workload
   • Dr. Slavens explained the concerns shared from Radiological Sciences about the assessment platform efficiency and the workload it has placed on faculty. Specific areas of concern include redundancy and duplication of effort (especially for departments that have accreditation reporting requirements), an increased time and workload burden, and issues with the form design and its technical reliability. Dr. Slavens indicated that Dr. Eboneigh Harris created the system, and the system is acknowledged as a work in progress.
   • Dr. Leimer asked for feedback from colleagues who agreed with all points of concern and gave additional specific feedback, which Dr. Leimer shared and volunteered to forward those to Dr. Harris.
   • Dr. Leimer explained that much of the problem was not being able to view the questions in advance to know what was coming. Dr. Leimer also explained that one faculty felt that it required so much time that a course release was needed.
   • Dr. Young explained that in Health Sciences, they have to report these same data points in three different formats for accrediting bodies, SACS, and now the institution too.
   • Dr. Coenen asked for faculty to share their feedback with her and Dr. Slavens by December 1st so that she can generate a cumulative report of concerns and issues to share with Dr. Harris. Dr. Coenen also suggested that Dr. Duff be included in the conversation since many of the concerns relate to the duplication of efforts between accreditation and assessment.

Unfinished Business:

1. Course Evaluation Resolution
   • Dr. Slavens indicated that Course Evaluations have been distributed, and we’ll discuss a resolution if concerns arise.

Announcements: None

Committee and Other Reports:

1. Academic Council - Dr. Darla Diltz
   All submitted courses were approved.
2. Administrative Council - Dr. Dawn Slavens
   There was a policy to review and be approved. Effort reporting and certification for grants policy was updated. Electronic facilities access control policy was updated.
3. Student Allocations Council - Dr. Michelle Hall
   No report.
4. Athletics Council - Dr. Catherine Gaharan
   No report.
5. Student Affairs & Enrollment Council - Dr. Bev Stiles
   No report. Has not met.
6. University Celebration of Scholarship - Dr. Darla Diltz
   No report. Has not met.
7. Emergency Management Committee - Dr. Jill Young
   Did meet, but nothing new to report.
8. Leadership Advisory Council - Dr. Dawn Slavens
   No report.
9. Other Committee Reports -
   Dr. Phillis Bunch made three announcements:
   • Staff Senate will have a Hot Chocolate Social on Dec. 18th from 2-4 PM
   • TASP will host an open house on Nov. 21st from 11-2 PM w/ Caramel Apple Bar
   • Probation policy updates will go in a Postmaster to faculty advisors to indicate that students on probation must enroll in MWSU 1003 Skills for Success.

Meeting adjourned at 4:51 PM. Dr. Frazier made a motion to adjourn, and Dr. Young seconded.
The motion to adjourn passed unanimously.

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

Meetings & Deadlines:
The next Executive Committee meeting with the President will be Nov. 17th, 2025 at 3 PM.
Agenda items for the next meeting should be submitted to Dr. Slavens by Noon on Nov. 26th OR Dec. 1st.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be Dec. 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
The next Faculty Senate meeting will be Dec. 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM.