Faculty Senate - September 2025 Minutes

Call to Order: 3:35 p.m.

Housekeeping:

• Approval of Agenda - Dr. Leimer motioned, and Dr. Fino seconded. All approved.
• Approval of Minutes - Dr. Vandehey motioned that they be approved with corrections, and Dr. Young seconded. All approved.

Current Business/Information Sharing:

1. Welcome & Introduction of SGA and Staff Senate Representatives
   • Dr. Slavens introduced SGA Rep Parwar Bin Hafiz, 2nd semester Radiology major from Bangladesh, and he will share what’s happening in SGA. Dr. Slavens hopes to hear from Ashley Hurst about who our Staff Senate rep is soon.
2. Address Lack of Roth Contribution Option in TSA Retirement Plans
   • Dr. Slavens explained that we plan to inquire with HR about Dr. Lei’s concerns regarding the exclusion of a post-tax Roth contribution option from the TSA Retirement plan. She summarized Dr. Lei’s concerns, which are provided in detail in an addendum. Dawn Fisher from HR indicated that the ORP and TSA plans are under review with TTU, and that there will be changes in the near future.
   • Dr. Lei said that he still wants to make faculty aware of the practical issue that for faculty and staff over 50 and over a certain income limit, the options to make catch-up contributions in TSA plans would be limited starting next year. Employees should look closely and discuss whether the options meet their needs.
3. Update on use of D2L for submitting T&P Applications
   • Dr. Slavens explained that Dr. Jeremy Duff, the new AVP for Assessment and Accreditation, will lead a committee to evaluate platforms that could facilitate the exchange and evaluation of Tenure and Promotion portfolios, that may also be used for accreditation and folio maintenance. They are seeking three volunteers to work with Dr. Duff to review those options. Dr. Meng Yu, Dr. Sanchari Choudhury, Dr. Mahmoud Elsharafi, Dr. Salim Azzouz volunteered to serve on this committee.
4. Early Interventions Initiative
   •  Dr. Slavens explained that the new Student Success Center, led by Ashley Hurst will expand success coaching and support services to all MSU students. Coaching will focus on academic goal setting, time management, and career counseling.The office is currently housed in Building 16, but it will move to the second floor of the Bridwell Activity Center in the spring.
5. Dean and Chair Evaluations
   • Dr. Slavens indicated the following timeline for current and upcoming Dean and Chair Evaluations, which is attached as an addendum.
   • Dr. Gaharan asked who evaluates. Dr. Coenen indicated that it is just supervisees.
   • Dr. Gagum asked what will be done with those evaluations and how small departments plan to ensure anonymity. Dr. Slavens indicated that we discussed that and that the deans and chairs will receive summaries and evaluations. Dr. Shawver asked whom deans and chairs will be accountable to. Dr. Coenen indicated that the Provost plans to talk with the Deans about their results, and the Deans will discuss results with chairs.
   • Dr. Scales asked if there will be public discussions of the results of those evaluations like we had with the president’s postmaster discussing her plans for improvement. Dr. Slavens doesn’t know with certainty how public results will be made.
6. Fall Course Evaluations
   • Dr. Slavens shared the Provost’s timeline for this semester’s electronic distribution of student course evaluations. The timeline is provided as an addendum. The evaluations will open to students from Friday, October 31st to Friday, December 5th, which is the 10th week to the 15th week of the course for 15-week courses. This timeline is set for the semester.

New Business:

1. Piper Award Timeline
   • Dr. Slavens explained that she has requested nominees for the Piper Award from each college. She is awaiting nominations from Fain, Gunn, and Dillard. Our final nominee must be given to the Provost by October 6th, and we need CVs and Teaching Philosophies available to review and voting for at least one week prior. Dr. Miller indicated that she would send an electronic ballot via email.
2. Faculty Award Nomination
   • Dr. Slavens indicated that she has emailed the Deans to ask for the college’s nominees for Faculty Award. Dr. Miller will send a separate email for the Faculty Award, and she hopes to include in the email a description of the criteria for the award.
3. Walking Pathways
   • Dr. Slavens explained that the executive committee discussed Dr. Azzouz’s concerns about the lack of shade in many areas of campus. Dr. Slavens emailed Kyle Owen about facilities plans for added shade on campus. Owen’s response indicated that they welcome suggestions for where to add tables with umbrellas, and that he would look into adding funds in the HEF budget. Ms. C Fulton suggested a coordinated effort with the American Chemical Society, which adopts two trees a year to care for, and they could focus their efforts on trees that can provide walkway shade. Dr. Shawver especially suggested that starting with covered/shaded bus stops would also benefit the student population. Dr. Azzouz indicated that shading a walking path is his primary concern. Dr. Scales explained that arbors could be an expeditious approach.
   • Dr. Leimer explained that the strategic planning element is important, and sustainability is an important value that we might emphasize.
   • Mr. Bin Hafiz indicated that students are also concerned about this, but that certain areas that students would like to use, like Legacy Hall, lack shade, which makes the outdoor spaces less usable.
   • Dr. Azzouz added that Sikes Lake with further investment and attention could be made really attractive.

Unfinished Business:

1. Committee Appointments & Vote
   • Dr. Miller shared the ballot for committee appointments and has tallied the votes.
   • 21 senators have voted. The results will be shared via email.
   • Dr. Miller asked for input regarding ties on the ADA Grievance and Academic Appeals committees, and the ties were settled based on college representation and senator’s suggestions.
     1. Athletics Council: Wes Cohoon (Sociology) and Sauyeh Zamani (Athletic Training & Exercise Physiology)
     2. Student Affairs and Enrollment Council: Beverly Stiles (Sociology)
     3. 504/ADA Grievance Committee: Dittika Gupta (Undergraduate Education), Linda Veazey (Political Science), and Mandy Sedden (Radiology)
     4. Academic Appeals Committee: Claudia Montoya (World Languages), Kirsten Lodge (English/Humanities), Patrice Dunn (Clinical Mental Health), Franklin Tillman (Marketing), and Stacey Machado (Nursing)
     5. Admissions Committee: Mary Draper (History) and Guy Bernard (Mathematics)
     6. Employee Health and Fitness Committee: Melissa Witherspoon (Nursing) and Chris Hansen (Chemistry)
     7. Faculty Forum Committee: Abigail Torres Rico (Marketing), Whitney Snow (History), and Lee Gagum (World Languages)
     8. Financial Aid Appeals Committee: Eduardo Colmenares (Computer Science) and Stacia Miller (Graduate Education)
     9. Pre-Law Scholarship Committee: Juehon Lee (Political Science)
     10. Student Allocations Committee: Michelle Hall (Nursing)
     11. Traffic Appeals Committee: Joel Schmitter (Mathematics) and Preet Sharma (Physics)
     12. University Celebration of Scholarship Committee: Rafael Powell (Music)
     13. University Data Standards/Sec Committee: Sarah Cobb (Mathematics)
     14. Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management Committee: Jill Young (Dental Hygiene)
2. Course Evaluation Resolution
   • Dr. Slavens asked if senators wish to revisit the course evaluation resolution that was drafted last semester.
   • Dr. Miller suggested that we move forward with the resolution and provide recommendations for how to increase response rates.
   • Dr. Leimer argued that the online evaluations seem entirely voluntary as opposed to the paper evaluations of the past.
   • Dr. Choudhury said that the summer results were even worse.
   • Dr. Machado asked if D2L can facilitate the electronic distribution, so that it provides a gateway or a requirement before viewing final grades or final modules.
   • Dr. Slavens said that we can bring this up once again.
   • Dr. Scales said that only courses that use modules like that could work. He also said that his whole department asked for paper evaluations.
   • Dr. Young said that she has required students to complete evaluations before a test.
   • Dr. Azzouz and Dr. Scales both said they have done similarly but that returns were still very low.
   • Dr. Crossland asked if we can collaborate with Student Government to investigate incentives or strategies for boosting response rates.
   • Dr. Diltz said that we should collect these suggestions and ideas to present to the administrators.
   • Dr. Machado said that students may also feel overwhelmed with the amount of evaluations and surveys they receive. Maybe we should inquire about schedules of surveys.
   • Dr. Slavens said that senators could coordinate to test a specific distribution strategy for boosting response rates, and then consider how those approaches impact senators’ response rates.
   • Mr. Bin Hafiz said that creating a station for completing evaluations.
   • Ms. C. Fulton asked how schools are succeeding in these efforts. Dr. Young said that schools that require evaluations to be completed before students view final grades have good returns.
   • Ms. C Fulton, during the committee reports segment, expressed concern that the Budget Oversight Committee has been eliminated. Dr. Coenen said that it was briefly discussed with faculty senate executive committee last year, and she indicated that she would review notes from last year’s meeting to identify how that committee has been re-organized.

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. Student Allocations Council - Dr. Sandy Shawver
   No report.
4. Athletics Council - Dr. Catharine Garahan
   No report.
5. Faculty Grievance Committee - TBD
   No report. Has not met.
6. Student Affairs & Enrollment Council - Dr. Bev Stiles
   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 4:42 PM. Dr. Young 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 Sept. 19, 2025 at 3 PM.
Agenda items for the next meeting should be submitted to Dr. Slavens by Noon on Sept. 26th.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be Sept. 30, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
The next Faculty Senate meeting will be Oct. 9, 2025 at 3:30 PM.