The March 10, 2009, Faculty Senate meeting began with reports by Thomas Rowland for SAS and Anne Duginske for OSA.

Representative Duginske asked whether the faculty would support a complete smoking ban on campus if they initiated it.

Bill Wacholtz reported that both the Provost Staff and the U-Plan meetings were focused predominantly on budget issues. Besides the budget, Jim Simmons informed us that the Faculty Reps looked at a proposal for a workshop on successful academic program planning, the System’s proposal for early adoption of textbooks and the development of a three-year baccalaureate degree (UWO approve such a program in 1998).

Susan Nuernberg updated us on LERT activities. Almost all departments and/or colleges have had presentations on the student learning outcomes and the meta-rubrics. She described some of the comments received by various departments, which led to a general discussion on remediation problems and what can or should be done. President Wacholtz asked LERT to incorporate these concerns into their draft of the defining document to be used for evaluating general education courses.

The minutes of the Feb. 24 meeting were approved. Old Business included the Endorsement of FAC Memo to the Provost about the lack of faculty involvement in the Regents’ recent sabbatical guidelines. Linda Freed explained how the guidelines are used in the approval process and emphasized that the final decision on who receives sabbaticals lies with the Provost

New Business involved passing the Philosophy Department’s Bylaws. The meeting was adjourned.