Faculty Senate - September 2026 Minutes

*Proxy for Dr. Jessica Fino
**Proxy for Dr. Dittika Gupta
***Proxy for Dr. Victoria Dillard

Senators Absent: Ms. Amar Spencer, Dr. Timothy Pegg, Ms. Elizabeth Redmill, Dr. Franklin Tillman
Guests: Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, Provost; Dr. Phillis Bunch, Staff Senate Representative

Housekeeping Items

• Dr. Draper called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM.
• Dr. Leimer moved to approve the agenda as presented. Dr. Onstott seconded and the motion carried.
• Dr. Cobb moved to approve the minutes from the August meeting and Dr. Miller seconded.
• Dr. Cobb noted a spelling correction to the minutes. There being no other comments, the motion passed to approve the minutes as corrected.

Faculty Senate Priorities
The discussion and voting in the last meeting of the faculty senate identified the top three issues to address this year as academic integrity and artificial intelligence, faculty wellbeing and retention, and academic freedom.

1. Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence
   • Provost Brown Marsden informed the senate that she is assembling an Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence Task Force to develop guidelines and an implementation plan for updating MSU’s academic integrity practices. The task force will consider the concerns of faculty, staff, and students, since representative bodies for all three expressed concerns last year. Since many current concerns around academic integrity are affected by artificial intelligence, the task force will consider the two together. The task force will be asked to submit its recommendations by March 2027, with the goal of implementation in the 2027-28 academic year. Dr. Brown Marsden asked the Faculty Senate to provide names of faculty representatives for the task force.
   • Dr. Brown Marsden stated that faculty retain the authority to set policies in their own courses, and that variation in practice will remain, since AI adoption varies by discipline and individual. She emphasized that the AI-accountable framework developed last year gives common language to communicate about specific course policy. She stated that part of the plan from the task force will include education of students.
   • Several senators mentioned specific ideas for the task force. These included software products with more robust AI detection; the importance of choosing knowledgeable faculty representatives to serve on the task force; a suggestion to include Distance Education personnel, and the need for legal consultation.
2. Faculty Wellbeing and Retention
   • Dr. Cobb stated that good data on faculty well-being and retention are needed in order for the senate to recommend a course of action. She stated that a faculty satisfaction survey was conducted by the 2017 faculty senate and that a similar survey could be done this year, incorporating some common questions to measure changes. She noted that questions would need to be added to address current stressors. A senator mentioned that such a survey had been considered last year, and that the faculty involved in that effort should be contacted to coordinate.
   • A senator asked about the existence of data on faculty departures, suggesting that the Provost’s Office, the Institutional Effectiveness Office, or Human Resources might be able to help collect that.
3. Academic Freedom
   • Dr. Draper acknowledged the high levels of concern around academic freedom, and asked for suggestions on how the senate could address this. One senator suggested looking at statements from the Texas Tech University faculty senate. Another senator suggested that a clear definition of academic freedom was needed, and a different senator suggested using the definition and other resources from the American Association of University Professors. Another senator suggested that it might be wiser for the faculty senate to take no explicit action on academic freedom unless there is a specific goal that can be accomplished. Dr. Bunch reminded the senate that some staff teach courses and that they should be included in any education or support around academic freedom.

Current Business/Information Sharing

1. Faculty Senate Orientation
   • Dr. Cobb shared a handout with information about the purview and responsibilities of faculty senate. She emphasized the role of senators in facilitating communication between faculty and administration.
2. Committee Appointments for AY 2026-2027
   • Dr. Draper informed the senators that recommendations have been submitted for all vacant committee positions and that the full committee list will be posted by the Provost’s Office soon.
3. Information Sharing
   • Dr. Draper reminded the senate of the Early Alert campaign and the September 14 deadline. She also shared the schedule for evaluations of deans and chairs. She informed the senate that student course evaluations for the fall semester will be open from October 30 to December 4 for the long semester. Dr. Draper also informed the senate that commencement ceremonies in December will include both graduate and undergraduate students, and that faculty will only be asked to attend one ceremony. She also stated that the campus master plan was presented in two meetings, and that a representative from Facilities Services will be asked to address the senate at a later meeting to explain the plan and answer questions.

New Business

• Dr. Draper stated that the faculty senate has been asked to recommend a faculty member as the university nominee for the Piper Award, given by the Piper Foundation to recognize excellence in college teaching in Texas. Information on the nominees from each college will be sent to the senate along with an electronic ballot to vote on the candidates.
• She stated that the senate will also administer the voting for the Faculty Award, chosen by a vote of all full-time MSU faculty. Dr. Draper is working on collecting nominee information from the colleges.

Committee and Other Reports

• It being too early in the academic year for most committees to have met, no reports were given.

The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
Dr. Sarah Cobb, Faculty Senate Secretary
Dr. Mary Draper, Faculty Senate Presiding Officer