Faculty Caucus Minutes

Thursday, October 23, 2014, #164 Kehoe

Liberal Arts, Education,Health SciencesBusiness, Industry & Technology

Professional & Public Services Cindy Cornell

Sara AuXTonya Stanger Lenny Eaken X

Stephanie Kreisher (adjunct) X

Dan McCool XAt Large – Lou Huff X

Deb McDaniel (adjunct) X

Margaret PuckettX

Tom Shields (Adjunct) X

Sam Wade X

  1. Minutes from– approve October 9, 2014 minutes: motion – Dan McCool. Lou seconded.
  2. Agenda additions-
  3. Old Business –
  • Grade scale –Dan handed out the ten point grading scale that includes basic points of discussion on the back. This will help facilitate discussion at the division meetings.
  • Retention data - cannot be used as an evaluation tool without mutual agreement (according to the contract): The NSCFA lawyer was not keen on the college using retention data as an evaluation tool. This may be in violation with the contract. Margaret provided a statement that she will be giving to Dr. Diab, Dr. Reed, Deans and Assistant Deans. Look at other ways to talk about retention without looking at individual numbers.

Suggestion from caucus member-get in front of the issue and rather than focus on how to use or not to use the data, we should focus more on what is the completion agenda. Can caucus get out in front of the completion agenda and put out recommendations? Rather than wait for the agenda to come from the administrators.

Next caucus meeting-look at completion agendas and success agendas and put together solutions and/or recommendations

  1. New Business –
  • Academic calendar for 2015-16 – review for errors and correctness. Due to Traci by Monday, October 27.
  • Academic major policy – review for errors, additions, etc.
  • Meta-major worksheets-shows how each current degree/major fits under the meta-major. Margaret also provided a sample curriculum worksheet for the Liberal Arts meta-major. This worksheet shows the first semester courses with the intent of a student filtering into a major at the start of the second semester. Will the 1 credit “FYE” course interfere with the minimum overall credit hours for each major/degree/program? How do these 1 credit classes interfere with the “intro” classes that are already in place with certain programs? Could these classes be part of some kind of orientation process such as when faculty met with students the Friday before the start of fall term and the faculty can give a 35-40 minute presentation regarding their specific field.
  • Milestone definitions handout-Milestone Plus: success is essential for completing the program. Milestone Delta: if unsuccessful in the milestone course(s), then it might be time to change programs/degrees. Both the plus and delta would require that a student talk to an advisor.
  • Attendance policy – review for definition of terms, likelihood of college-wide implementation, etc.If there are any suggestions/changes/additions for the policy, then let Margaret know. The next access committee meeting is Tuesday, October 28. This might be an issue since not all faculty keep attendance, how can this be monitored?
  • Student Examination Policy- There are many issues/questions/concerns with this policy. Many faculty do not have a traditional final exam, many have projects or research papers instead. What happens if worksheets and projects are worth more than the mid-term and/or final exam? The policy does say “or equivalent” which would indicate the freedom to use a project or other assessment tool instead of the traditional mid-term or final exam. There was a suggestion to change the wording under the Final Grade Reporting procedures since it indicates that faculty can use any scale they wish, but we are trying to move toward a standard scale for all faculty to use. Also, what does letter F mean exactly?

Student Withdrawal Policy- Do students already know the date to drop? Why is nothing written under item number 3?

  • Honors College – how is it going? A faculty member has spent a couple hours with a student who ended up dropping the class. Wasted time?
  1. Standing Reports
  2. President’s Cabinet (Margaret) –Next meeting on October 28.
  3. Safety Committee (Margaret)– Next meeting on Friday, October 31.
  4. Lights in the Kehoe parking lot seem to go off and on and seem to be off more often than they are on.
  5. Security hasn’t been answering the phone when faculty try to call.
  6. Fiscal and Physical Resources Committee (Jeff) – Next meeting is Oct. 28.
  • At the last meeting in late September, we heard a Foundation report. Balance for the Foundation acct is $4 million (I believe). Also was reported that there would be a 40th anniversary Rib Cook-off next summer, but after that, a committee will be put together to determine whether it should continue as it is very time intensive to get sponsors, weather-dependent, and the number of volunteers is shrinking.
  • Also heard a Grant report as to the number of grants the College has received this year and what they are being used for. Number of dollars from grants this year is about 9 million (I believe). Also heard a facilities report concerning how the "green energy" grants will be used to update the HVAC and its controls at Kehoe, what improvements in technology infrastructure will be done with the IT grant, etc.
  • Curriculum Committee (Margaret)–
  • Website:
  • Meeting October 17: Cindy announced she is leaving curriculum committee at the end of spring term and asked us to submit possible replacements; reviewed ELET 2070 and tabled the industrial engineering curriculum worksheet and paralegal syllabi: approved the change in hours for HSVM: discussed possibly dropping STAT1000 from all curriculum but OSU likes the course: several courses are making the drop in hours by dropping COMM1010.
  • Performance Appraisal Committee (Michelle) –Would still like to have the Performance Appraisal process to undergo Process Mapping. This committee will not meet unless there is a problem.
  1. Arts & Lecture (Margaret) –
  2. Website–
  3. The committee met on Wednesday, October 15. OSU has only one of the recommended three faculty members; however, it looks like the other two will be back in January. NCState has only one of three faculty members, and Beth Franz volunteered to be on the committee. The committee will partner with the Diversity committee in applying for an innovation grant to help with transportation costs, stipends for speakers, and possibly cookies and punch at events.
  4. Student Access and Strategic Enrollment Management (Margaret) –
  5. Enrollment: Fall: 24,347.5 credit hours Goal: 26,251; Summer: 5,113 Goal: 8,163

Enrollment is down 4.7% in credit hours and term FTE

  1. Dr. Diab sent out an attendance policy for review. Changes were suggested and the policy was discussed again. There are questions on how to define “excessive absence” for all faculty.
  1. In-Service Committee (Margaret)– Ideas for spring professional development? Let Margaret know. Possible idea is to have a discussion regarding business etiquette.
  2. Follow a similar format to the great teachers retreat? Teachers from all over the state were involved in the retreat and they discuss best practices. Can we do a similar presentation/workshop regarding best practices in retention?
  3. Institutional Service/Program Review Committee (Sara) –Meeting Friday, October 24. Human Resources department and College-Now engineering will be reviewed.
  4. Bookstore Advisory Committee (Sara)–Issues/concerns? Carla Butdorf, the bookstore manager, did encourage us to call her if/when an issue arises and as soon as it arises and she will assist us or answer our question(s): 419-747-5401.
  5. Student Success Committee (Margaret) – Discussed the academic Major policy
  6. Canvas/DL (Mike) – No new updates.
  7. eLi (Mike) - eLi Department has proposed to President's Staff an AQIP action project to Improve Student Success via Scholarship of Teaching & Learning from 2014-2017. The starting point is ChickeringGamson's "7 Best Practices." eLi presented these to adjunct & full-time faculty convocations and is launching a series of ongoing, coordinated training and development opportunities in various formats.

-To support the above, and provide another avenue for flexible and responsive support, the eLi department is developing an interactive social media presence: *Facebook - a closed NCSC Faculty Lounge Group has been setup. All NCSC faculty will be added as requested *Twitter - *Pinterest - *WordPress - All faculty feedback is welcome on how to make these spaces as helpful and useful of resources for NCSC faculty as possible.
-eLi Steering Committee has approved a faculty training plan based on the adjunct & fulltime convocations exercises over the 7 Best Practices for Student Success. Details (stipends et al) being finalized with the VP Learning office, but general details are as follows: * 7 Faculty Learning Communities (FLC) to be formed for 2014-15 (9/14 - 5/15):

-Classroom Community (faculty-Student & Student-Student) FLC

-Social Media for Student Success FLC

-Active Learning FLC

-Increasing Prompt Feedback FLC

-Emphasizing Time on Task FLC

-Communicating High Expectations FLC

-Supporting Diverse Talents/Ways of Learning FLC

* 3 Grant proposals (TBD internal innovation or external)

-Campus Community Spaces and Programming

-Guest Speakers Bureau (honorariums, tech, tip sheets, contacts etc.)

-Proactive/Intrusive Learning Data Analytic Tools

  1. Diversity Social Justice Committee (Margaret) –
  2. For more information on upcoming events planned by the Diversity Council, visit
  3. Looking to complete a diversity plan for the College and is soliciting ideas on how that should look.
  4. Will meet on the fourth Monday of the month. Next meeting on October 27.
  5. VP of Academic Services (Margaret) – No new updates.
  6. Academic Council (Margaret) – No new updates.
  7. Adjunct Liaison (Stephanie)-
  8. Monthly Saturday morning training (dates to be confirmed):
  9. 11/1 Active learning-Tools, tips, techniques, best practices-Deb McDaniel.
  10. 1/17/15-Increasing prompt feedback-tools, tips, techniques, best practices
  11. 2/7-Emphasizing time on task-Tools, tips, techniques, best practices
  12. 3/7-Communicating High Expectations-Tools, tips, techniques, best practices
  13. 4/4- Designing Universal Instruction to Support all learners-Tools, tips, techniques, best practices
  14. 5/2- Faculty Learning Communities Innovation Showcase & 2015-16 planning
  15. NSCFA (Margaret)- Executive team meeting on third Thursday of the month.
  16. Any concerns?
  17. Discussed faculty issues, honors college, record keeping, and retention data
  18. Assessment (Anne)-
  19. Website:
  20. Cindy Freeman and Anne are meeting with Dr. Reed on October 29th. Anne will share the results of their meeting with faculty.
  21. Board of Trustees Meeting (Margaret) – Next meeting 10/29/14.
  22. The SGA rep, Mackayla Cox, asked for some computers for a community group in need of computers. She asked at the President’s Cabinet meeting and Dr. Diab said he would see what he could do. He mentioned it again at the Board meeting that we were going to get computers for this group.
  23. Reviewed current Foundation work. A)Raising money for the Bucyrus “Crawford Connection Center,” which is seeking to raise $2.5. There is a ground breaking ceremony on October 27 at 10:30 in Bucyrus. B) Emerald Club is beginning its campaign. C) Rock’nRibs is being reviewed for the option of a scaled down version.
  24. President’s report: a) looking at our diversity statement, b) looking to comply with HB 487 on college credit plus – a high school program, c) Title IX training on sexual harassment has been done on the state level with some members of the College and will be done for faculty and staff.
  25. The Board voted to approve the expenditures for IT upgrades as the College uses its grant dollars. The computers are here and being installed – faculty, then labs, then staff
  26. OSU report: a) OSU-M has 1231 students, which is slightly up, b) with the addition of Buckeye Village, OSU is seeking to create more of a campus feel – there is a meal plan available, and plans to create more student activity areas.
  27. The Board appointed a nomination committee because three Board members have their terms up – Pam Mowry, Elizabeth Morando, and Dr. Ressallat
  28. Employee appreciation event will be December 4 during division meeting time. It will have a similar format to last year.
  29. College Foundation (Betty)–
  30. Foundation Campaigning - Crawford Connections Center – We celebrated receiving a $250,000 check for a $500,000 pledge commitment from the Timken Foundation. This builds on an $850,000 state appropriation; $250,000 pledge from the Community Foundation for Crawford County and a $50,000 personal pledge from an area doctor (Joe Shadeed). Fundraising momentum is underway with an architect rendering and ribbon cutting planned for October (dba).
  31. Foundation Leadership - Betty is serving in an interim role as executive director of the Foundation through at least June 2015 and will work with Dorey for identifying and mentoring the permanent director to lead the Foundation.
  32. Next date for calendars:
  • Annual Scholarship Recipient and Donor Recognition Luncheon – Friday, November 7.

Move to adjourn- Dan motioned. Sam seconded. Adjourn at 4:59 pm.

Next Meeting: Thursday, November 13 @ ____3:30_____Location: 149 Fallerius

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