Time:          3:15 p.m.   

Place:         HMSU, Dede III

Officers:      Chair S. Lamb, Vice Chair B. Evans, Secretary C. Hoffman

Senators: S. Allen, C. Amlaner, E. Bermudez, K. Bolinger, E. Brown, J. Buffington, H. Chait, J. Conant, S. Davis, J. Fine, B. Frank, S. Ghosh, A. Halpern, T. Hawkins,

P. Hightower, J. Hughes, K. Liu, M. McLean, C. Mehrens, M. Miller, T. Mulkey,

L. O’Laughlin, S. Phillips, S. Pontius, J. Powers, R. Schneirov, T. Steiger,

C. Stemmans, D. Yaw, G. Zhang

                  Absent: D. Collins, G. Minty, S. Shure, G. Stuart, J. Wilson, S. Wolf, D. Worley

Ex-Officio:   Assoc.VP English

Visitors:      J. Gatrell, E. Kinley, R. Perrin, K. Schmid

I. Memorials

      Memorials were read and accepted by acclamation for Chester J. Carpenter and

            James A. Schellenberg.

II. Administrative Report: Associate VP English:

    1) A NSSE workshop will occur this week.

    2) The Seventh International Education Week is Nov. 13-18.

    3) Nominations for faculty awards are now being accepted.

    4) CAAC and Graduate Council have completed review of the Program Prioritization Report   

           and submitted their reports; a two-day conference (Dec.18-19), involving deans and 

           academic associate vice presidents, will consider the reports.

    5) A forthcoming global announcement will clarify insurance coverage for on-campus accidents. 

    6) Applications are available for the Experiential Learning and Service awards.

    7) Programs of Promise announcements will be forthcoming.

III. Chair Report:  Chair Lamb:

        "The 360 review is taking place. Forms have been sent out already to the 50 or so individuals asked to    

        participate. I was asked by Trustee Alley on Wednesday, November 1^st  to submit five faculty names, 

        including my own, by Friday, November 3rd, and have done so with the help of the other Senate

        officers. The four faculty selected are highly respected.

                                                                                                            UFS #4, 11/16/06, Page 2                    

        Chair Report – S. Lamb (continued):

        Trustee Alley has stated that the evaluation and comments will remain anonymous. The officers have 

        full confidence in that statement for solid researched reasons. The assessment form is returned directly  

        to Trustee Alley and will not be opened by anyone else. The completed assessment form will be

        viewed by Trustee Alley only, and will not be shared directly with the President. Trustee Alley will

        compile statistical results, along with applicable comments, to be presented in a Summary Report to

        the President and the Board of Trustees during an executive session.

        I am very pleased to report that at the most recent Board meeting Trustee Thyen approached me to

        ask about the nature of the Writing Center, which I had referenced in my comments.  After a brief

        discussion, Provost Maynard joined the conversation and informed Trustee Thyen that the Center  

        would receive funding, that it was a worthwhile entity, and that it impacted positively upon the education

        of our students.  At the last Executive Committee meeting he attended, Provost Maynard assured the 

        Committee that the Writing Center will receive funding.  We would appreciate hearing from those  

        involved that the funding has been delivered.

        Senator Buffington has raised concerns about declining international enrollments, and is encouraging

        SAC to investigate. He states that in 1985 international students comprised 9.4 per cent of the student

        body.  Today, that percentage is 4.2 percent.  If we had maintained the 9.4 percentage, we would

        today have 952 international students instead of 448.  Total enrollment at ISU would be 11,072 instead

        of the actual 10,568.  The decline in international undergraduate students is especially troubling. 

        In 1985, 9.1 percent of our undergraduates were international; in Fall 2006, only 1.6 percent of our

        undergraduates are.  Prof. Buffington argues that the numbers do not allow us to attribute this decline 

        solely to the events of 9/11 and to SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, both

        of which have been cited as causes.

        I am pleased that the administration heard the hue and cry concerning two issues:

          1)  The Study Abroad Program will not be moved back under the International Affairs Center.

        The Executive Committee, the Arts and Sciences Chairs Council, as well as scores of others, 

        throughout  the University, including Jim Buffington, had serious misgivings concerning that move.

        Study Abroad will remain positioned as it is, with the Coordinator, Janis Halpern, continuing to run

        an effective office.  I thank the Provost for receiving the input and reconsidering that issue.

          2 ) The one-time payment to temporary full-time faculty will be made. It would have been immoral not   

                to include these loyal people in this disbursement of funds.  I truly thank the Administration for 

                rethinking that issue.

        I am still quite saddened, however, by the following situation: Six full-time temporary faculty in the  

        English Department, who have been with that department between 6 and 20 years, were given

        "Lecturer" appointments this semester in order that they could be reduced to six-month contracts.  

        All were still teaching full-time loads.  It is my understanding that all are expected to be rehired full time   

        for the Spring 07 semester. In other words, the expectation was that they would serve full time for the

        full year. The Chair, however, was not given the necessary budget in Fall 07 to immediately grant full-

        time, full-year contracts. He felt he was being prudent by not committing funds he had not been  

        allocated. He was going to make the "need case" strongly to the Dean later. Of course the temporary

        full-time faculty, who had been serving the department loyally for up to 20 years, were hurt that they

        were cut to six-month employees, but said little. Now they are further penalized by being denied the

        one-time payment even though they will be renewed. I have heard that a similar situation exists in the