Minutes waiting to be approved by Faculty Senate

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Slide Presentaion

Faculty Senate Meeting

Harrison Hall 123

April 22, 2026

3:15pm-4:30pm

I.                        Call to Order 

1.                  Meeting called to order at 3:16pm.

II.                        Approval of FS Minutes from April 8, 2026

1.                  Jack Jelinski moves to approve. Susanne Cowan seconds. None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

III.                        FYI Items 

1.                  Climate Week events, April 20-24

2.                  Law Day, April 23, 10:00AM, SUB Ballroom (State v. Hubber)

3.                  Student Research Celebration, May 1, 10AM and 1PM, SUB Ballroom

4.                  Commencement, May 8, 2026: faculty line-up in full regalia, North Tunnel, 9:20AM for morning session, 1:50PM for afternoon session.

IV.                        Registrar: faculty approval of list of graduates

1.                  Ryan Bodine

a.                Paul Lachapelle moves to approve. Hayes Goosey seconds. 

                                  i.               How many are there? ~2,700

b.                None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

V.                        Undergraduate Courses and Programs

1.                  New Courses-Second Read

a.                AGED 405 : Building Global Leaders in Agriculture

b.                ARCH 213 : Professional Practice I

c.                 HEE 361 : Youth Movement Science II

d.                HLD 401 : Intermediate Peer Mentorship

e.                HLD 403 : Advanced Peer Mentorship

f.                  LEG 498 : Internship

g.                HLD 403 : Advanced Peer Mentorship

h.                PSCI 442 : Environmental Policy and Politics

i.                  PSYX 483 : Psychology of Death and Dying

j.                  WRIT 495 : Writing Field Experience Practicum

2.                  New Courses-First Read

a.                BFIN 465 : Financial Analytics with Python

b.                EMEC 389 : Mechanical Systems Integration

c.                 EQUH 101 : Horsemanship 1

d.                LS 336 : Narrative Journeys in Film

3.                  Course Changes-Second Read

a.                FILM 112 :Film Production I

i.               Title change from Aesthetics of Film Production I

b.                FILM 212 :Film Production II

i.               Title change from Aesthetics of Film Production II

c.                 GEO 402 : Cellular and Molecular Paleontology

i.               Title change from Molecular Paleontology

d.                HLD 301 : Fundamentals of Peer Mentorship

i.               Rubric and number change from US 460 (US is not an approved rubric)

ii.               Title change from Peer Leadership

           iii.               New learning outcomes

4.                  Course Changes-First Read

a.                ARCH 253 : Architectural Design I

i.               New learning outcomes

b.                ARCH 262 : Architectural Graphics II

i.               Credit change from 3 to 2

ii.               Changes to learning outcomes

c.                 ARCH 363 : Architectural Graphics III

i.               Credit change from 3 to 2

ii.               New learning outcomes

d.                ARCH 413 : Professional Practice II

i.               Title changed to add the "II"

ii.               Credit change from 3 to 2

iii.               New learning outcomes

e.                EDU 270 : Integrating Technology into Education

i.               Number change from 370 to 270. (270 and 370 are equivalent in CCN) 

f.                  HORT 231 : Woody Landscape Plants

i.               Title change from Woody Ornamentals

ii.               Updated learning outcomes

g.                HTR 498 : Hospitality Management Internship II

i.               Credit change from 2-12 to 3

ii.               Updated learning outcomes

h.                KIN 498 : Internship

i.               New learning outcomes

i.                  MAS 111 : DAF Heritage and Values II

i.               Title change from Competition and Security

ii.               New learning outcomes

j.                  PHOT 360 : National Parks Digital

i.               Title change from Yellowstone Digital

ii.               Updated learning outcomes

k.                PSYX 110IS : Honors Intro to Psychology

i.               Credit change from 4 to 3

ii.               New learning outcomes

l.                  SOCI 358 : Crime and Inequality

i.               New learning outcomes

5.                  Course Inactivations-Second Read

a.                M 065 : Pre-Algebra

i.               M 065 and M 085 have been replaced with M063 and M 090.

b.                M 066 : Pre-Algebra Lab and Study

i.               This course has been replaced by M063.

c.                 M 108 : Business Mathematics

i.               This course is no longer a requirement for Gallatin College students. It has been                                replaced with M105Q.

d.                PSYX 443 : Collective Memory

i.               Retired Fall 2025

6.                  Program Changes-Second Read

a.                HEEN-BS : Bachelor of Science in Physical Education

i.               Title change from Bachelor of Science in Health Enhancement K-12 Broadfield-Health                     and Physical Education

b.                MBOA-BS : Bachelor of Science in Microbiology

i.               Title change from Bachelor of Science in Microbiology-Microbiology Option,                                       Microbiology Track

ii.               New learning outcomes

VI.                        Graduate Courses and Programs

1.                  New Courses-Second Read

a.                EMAN 515 : Industrial Internet of Things

b.                LRES 556 : Earth's Critical Zone

2.                  Course Changes-Second Read

a.                AGED 592 : Independent Study

i.               New learning outcomes

b.                AGED 594 : Graduate Seminar

i.               New learning outcomes

c.                 AGED 598 : Internship

i.               Change in range of credits from 2-12 to 2-8

ii.               New learning outcomes

d.                BIOB 525 : Adv. Cell & Molecular Biology

i.               New learning outcomes

e.                BIOE 585 : Exploring Biology for Teachers

i.               New learning outcomes

f.                  ENTO 510 : Insect Ecology

i.               New learning outcomes

g.                STAT 525 : Biostatistics

i.               New learning outcomes

h.                STAT 537 : Multivariate Analysis I

i.               New learning outcomes

i.                  STAT 598 : Internship

i.               Number change from 576

ii.               New learning outcomes

3.                  Course Changes-First Read

a.                EGEN 511 : Engineering Methods for Teachers

i.               Changes to learning outcomes

b.                PHSX 531 : Nonlinear Optics/Laser Spectroscopy

i.               New learning outcomes

VII.                        Public Comment

1.                  None

VIII.                        Information Updates

1.                  Student athletes’ academic progress (Dawn Tarabochia and Jamie Rizutto)

a.                Questions

i.               Are students getting a lot of support due to missing classes?

A.      They do get help on the road.

B.      They can study on the road.

C.      Online tutoring for missed tutoring sessions. 

D.     Students are good at communicating with professors

ii.               Do we have many graduate student athletes?

A.      We are having more and more. 

B.      New NCAA rules may change that. 

i.      Gives them five years

C.      The recruiting cycle doesn’t always fit with the graduate school application timeline. 

iii.               Student athletes do have to hit “marks” in academics to maintain their eligibility. 

2.                  Sabbatical process info and recommendations (Stephanie McCalla)

a.                Questions

i.               The new Strategic Plan may not be as easy to transfer to this rubric system. 

A.      Will use the current plan until it is replaced.

ii.               In addition to years of service, can you ask if they’ve applied before and been rejected? How many times?

A.      The committee is considering asking for this information.

i.      Think they should get some credit for years of service. 

B.      Don’t always get denied because you wrote a bad application. There can be other reasons. 

iii.               Why do applicants who applied for full year always get denied? They say it is a funding problem, but a full year sabbatical is only paid out at 70%. 

A.      Needs to be taken up with the new provost.

iv.               Are we getting closer to a place where a full year sabbatical WILL be funded at 100%?

A.      Would need to ask the provost. 

B.      There are cost issues we are not aware of. 

v.               What happened to those who were awarded sabbatical in 2020 that was then rescinded? 

A.      You would still have the tiers of service. 

B.      Will try to get more info on that. 

vi.               Number of applications/awards and how they compare to UofM?

A.      Last year, they funded 100% of their sabbaticals. 

vii.               Seems this benefits full professors over associate professors. 

A.      Don't see any reason a full professor who has already taken a sabbatical would score more points over an associate who hasn't. 

viii.               All notifications have gone out.

ix.               Is MSU transparent about their data? 

A.      We don’t have a website where we post that data. That would be a good recommendation. 

x.              Does the provost have the final approval?

A.      Faculty Affairs does the ranking, but the provost approves them. 

B.      The Committee has not received any info on how many, if any, on numbers approved/denied. 

i.      Has been requested roughly 1.5 months ago. 

ii.      Would like to reiterate the request for deeper transparency in the data we expose to the public. We are a public institution. 

xi.               Will these changes come back to us next semester?

A.      Yes. 

xii.              Can the committee ask for more funding to provide more sabbaticals?

A.      The lack of funding isn’t due to lack of asking. 

3.                  Council Updates (University Council, Grad Council, Research Council, ...)

a.                See slide presentation

IX.                        Voting: Chair-Elect nomination of Dr. Leila Sterman

1.                  Welcome.

2.                  Do you have any specific initiatives you plan to work on?

a.                A little premature but I am interested in looking into the health care plans/prices. 

b.                Leila is from the Library.

c.                 None opposed. No abstentions. Leila Sterman will become Chair-Elect next fall. 

X.                        Senators’ Open Conversation

1.                  Handbook for administrators. There isn’t one. 

a.                Every employee is under the HR handbook, including administrators. There is no specific handbook on ethical guidelines for administrators specifically. 

b.                Is there a mechanism to get more transparency out of administration?

i.               Issues with transparency throughout the hiring process. 

ii.               We are asked to be transparent, they should be too. 

iii.               This will be discussed more at the beginning of next year. 

2.                  Would like to see “shared governance” clearly defined. 

a.                Need to figure out how to work with, and not against administration, to work on these issues. 

b.                Why doesn’t administration want shared governance?

i.               We don't think the administration doesn't want shared governance at all.

ii.               We sometimes have different understandings of what shared governance involves and requires.

c.                 Thank you to Rob for your dedication serving as chair. 

XI.                        Adjourn

1.                  Michael Walach moves to adjourn. Susanne Cowan seconds. Meeting adjourned at 4:30.