Penn State Live - Faculty Senate alters minor requirement, hears strategic plan update

Faculty Senate alters minor requirement, hears strategic plan update

Thursday, October 21, 2010

University Park, Pa. — Penn State's University Faculty Senate on Tuesday (Oct. 19) passed a revision to the policy for minor requirements to allow students to complete a minor even if their campus assignment does not offer that minor. The Senate also received a special report on the University budget and progress on the implementation of the University's five-year strategic plan.

The revision to requirements for completing a minor amends the Senate policy to allow a minor to be completed by taking courses at any campus location offering the specified courses for the minor. With a recent realignment of University-wide curriculum, courses are no longer owned by a specific location and any campus with the resources and desire to do so may offer any course. It is now possible for students to complete requirements for a minor without attending the campus responsible for a minor.

In his report to the Senate on budget and strategic plan, Rodney Erickson, executive vice president and provost, reviewed the University's budget for 2010-11, noting that cost savings measures resulted in a 1.4 percent, or $200 per student avoidance in tuition increase. He also explained the University's state appropriation request for 2011-12, which asks the Commonwealth to match the $347 million Penn State received in appropriations, stimulus funds and medical assistance funds, plus 5 percent. He added that the University recognizes a number of factors that could impact appropriations, including the end of federal stimulus funds, the state's structural deficit and increases in mandated expenditures.

Erickson also recounted the progress made in the first year of Penn State's five-year strategic plan, Priorities for Excellence. Complete details of the strategic plan with reports on progress in each goal during the first year can be found online at http://www.psu.edu/president/pia/progress/index.htm.

For Erickson's full report, got to http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/2010-2011/oct2010/appb_slides.pdf.

In other legislative reports, the Senate passed revisions to standing rules for the faculty athletic representative. The description of the faculty athletic representative was written in 1984, and since then the responsibilities of the position have evolved. The changes to the standing rules can be viewed at http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/2010-2011/oct2010/appd.pdf.

The Senate also received several informational reports:

• A joint Faculty Senate and administrative committee reported on its examination of issues related to textbooks and course materials. The report looks at the rise of textbook costs at a rate twice that of inflation. It considers recent federal and state legislation designed to promote affordability and accountability in textbook selection; emerging practices such as textbook rentals and texts in digital formats; a review of Penn State policies related to ethical practices of textbook selection; and several identified best practices. For the full report, go to http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/2010-2011/oct2010/appg.pdf.

• Henry C. Foley, senior vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School, presented an update on research at Penn State, which reached nearly $800 million in expenditures for the past year. Foley explained that the keys to success include interdisciplinary research, ambitious faculty and talented graduate students, visionary leadership and investments in infrastructure. Foley noted next steps in managing and growing research efforts and major projects on the horizon. For Foley's report, go to http://senate.psu.edu/agenda/2010-2011/oct2010/appi_slides.pdf

• Angela Linse, executive director of the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and associate dean for teaching excellence, reported on the exclusively Penn State Faculty Communities professional networking website to aid faculty-related tasks such as collaboration or uniformity of courses. Faculty and staff are encouraged to visit http://facultycommunities.psu.edu to read the frequently asked questions and learn more.

• Senators also received a report on Faculty Senate Scholarships awarded to undergraduates. For 2009-10, 229 Penn State undergraduates received $225,331 in Faculty Senate Scholarship awards, with an average award value of $984. Scholarships were awarded to students at each undergraduate campus, and the median GPA of recipients was 3.83. Pennsylvania resident students received 94 percent of the awards. For additional information, review the report at http://www.senate.psu.edu/agenda/2010-2011/oct2010/appc.pdf.

The next meeting of the University Faculty Senate will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7 in Room 112 Kern Graduate Building.