February 8, 2023 Minutes

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Faculty Senate Meeting (Leon Johnson 346)

02.08.2023

3:15 pm – 4:30 pm

I.            Call to Order

a.       Meeting was called to order at 3:15pm

II.            Approval of FS Minutes from January 25, 2023

a.       Tomas Gedeon moves to approve. Dan Flory second. None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

III.            FYI items

a.       Congratulations to the recipients of the Spring 2023 Founders Day Faculty Award. Please plan on attending and promoting the recognition on Thursday, February 16, 2023, 8:30 am – 10:30 am in NAH, Inspiration Hall.

b.       Founders Day Awards for Student Excellence will also be on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 5:30 pm. $25 per ticket available from the Alumni Foundation

c.       Save the Date: 100th Day of Student Recognition May 5, 2023

d.       ORD Internal Funding Opportunities

i.      HASS Grant Program: Feb 13, 2023

ii.      Research Expansion Funds (REF): Feb 21, 2023

iii.      Scholarship and Creativity (S & C) Grant Program: Feb 21, 2023

iv.      Proposal Enhancement Grant (PEG): Rolling

e.       MSU Leadership Institute: A Conversation with Dmitry Muratov: Nobel Peace Prize Winner

February 22 at 7:30 pm 

https://tinyurl.com/DmitryMuratovTickets

IV.            Information Items

a.       Student Mental Health Update- Betsy Asserson – Director, University CPS

V.            New Business

a.       Mental Health Resolution-Betsy Asserson

i.      The Faculty Senate of Montana State University (MSU) recognizes that maintaining and improving mental health, and well-being are critical for faculty, staff, and students to achieve their goals and the mission of MSU. Montana currently ranks 3rd in suicide rate but has consistently ranked in the top 3 since 2014 (CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). Suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in Montana and has consistently been a top 10 leading cause of death since 2014 (CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). Suicide is also the 2nd leading cause of death for college-aged adults in Montana (CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). Faculty Senate supports MSU’s efforts to provide training to the MSU community to identify and refer colleagues and students who may be at risk of suicide or are otherwise in mental health distress. Therefore:

A.      We encourage faculty colleagues to take the free online suicide prevention programming, Kognito, to recognize distress in themselves, their students, and others and to enhance their knowledge of local and campus resources.

B.      We encourage faculty to participate in and share their knowledge of campus mental health resources with their colleagues and students to build on MSU’s culture of care.

C.      We encourage faculty to acknowledge the importance of mental health 

D.      by including campus mental health resources for students in their syllabi.

1.       Chris Posbergh moves to consider the resolution. Kevin McPhee. Seconds. 

·         Resolution looks like it is about suicide. That is not all mental health. 

o   Emphasizing the critical nature of the topic. It is not just suicide that we are talking about?

o   Suicide is a result of mental health “anxiety, depression, etc.” 

o   Mental illness vs. mental health. Mental illness requires a professional. 

o   We don’t want students to think all we are worried about is suicide prevention. Could be seen that we are more worried about how we appear from the outside. 

o   Bullet points look at broader issue. 

o   Can we modify the paragraph? Yes. Please take it back to your constituents and bring back feedback. Happy to make edits. 

·         Can we add language to our syllabi or hand out in class. 

·         Kevin McPhee moves to table the issue to give time for feedback. Chris Posbergh seconds. 

ii.      Questions: 

A.      EAP=Employee Assistance Program

B.      Are your resources still oversubscribed?

1.       Managing well. Have put in place more pathways for people to come to us. Help connect them in community. Still prioritizing access. 

C.      What order do we do things in, and when?

1.       Kognito first, then the MSU training. 

2.       The training is very important. Encourage you all do it. It’s an hour long. You could do it as a department. 

D.      Can submit a student care report. Takes a few minutes. 

1.       Works well with the other two trainings.

2.       If suicidal or exhibiting high risk, filling out a form isn’t helpful enough. 

E.       Having done the Kognito online training, can say it’s one of the best I’ve ever done. It is worth your time. Feel prepared now.

F.       Where do we find the Kognito training?

1.       On suicide prevention website. Will send info to Jennifer.

G.      Do the training before you need it, it will save yourself time in the long run. 

b.       Sustainability in the Curriculum Initiative

i.      Definitions:

A.      Sustainability in the curriculum — Sustainability in the MSU Curriculum empowers students to become local and global citizens and live out the Land Grant mission by cultivating resilience for the natural environment, economic viability, and social welfare to meet the needs of our campus and urban, rural, and tribal communities. ​

B.      Sustainability-focused courses have a primary and explicit focus on empowering students to become local and global citizens and live out the Land Grant mission by cultivating resilience for the natural environment, economic viability, and social welfare to meet the needs of our campus and urban, rural, and tribal communities. 

1.       Sustainability in the course title or learning outcomes

C.      Sustainability-inclusive courses incorporate a unit or module on empowering students to become local and global citizens and live out the Land Grant mission by cultivating resilience for the natural environment, economic viability, and social welfare to meet the needs of our campus and urban, rural, and tribal communities. 

ii.      Each Senator is asked to consult with faculty in their departments and provide an assessment of the degree options offered by their Department, and input results into the tracking spreadsheet on the Faculty Senate Brightspace page (Example courses are provided in the spreadsheet and as a word document in the Brightspace folder).

A.      Courses within each degree program

B.      What is the timeline? Goal is 100% participation by the end of the semester.

C.      Sustainability and Climate Change are not the same thing. The resolution talks about climate change, but we are asking you to look 

D.      How does resilience have to do with sustainability? 

1.       There were many long discussions about this definition. This is what was agreed upon by the CSAC. 

·         Don’t think you are asking the right question in using resiliency in the definition. 

E.       May be hard for us to ask for input from our departments if we don’t understand the language being used. 

1.       That is why these definitions were put in place. They meet the requirements for what we are being asked to do. 

F.       You could add a short definition of resilience. 

1.       Kristin Blackler: Resilience is your ability to adapt to the changes as they come. 

G.      If this small group can’t wrap their heads around this definition, how is it going to be perceived by the entire faculty?

1.       Development is a problematic word in sustainability. Have had to go broader. 

2.       Would like to see it more specific. 

VI.            Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

a.       OTHER : Second Reading HHD Department Reorganization

Reorganization of the Dept. of Health and Human Development into three separate Departments. 

i.      The Department of Food Systems, Nutrition & Kinesiology will include the following academic programs: Kinesiology, Health Enhancement K-12, Food & Nutrition, Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems, Hospitality Management and 1 minor in coaching.  The nutrition and dietetics programs, both undergraduate and masters are accredited through the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The Health Enhancement K-12 program is a teacher education program and is accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The department will be supported by a .5 FTE Dept. Head, a team of 3 administrative assistants shared with the other 2 departments. 

ii.      The Department of Human Development and Community Health will include the following academic programs: Human Development and Family Science, Early Childhood P-3 and Community Health.  The Family Consumer Science and Early Childhood P-3 academic programs are accredited by CAEP. The department will be supported with a .4 FTE department head and 3 administrative assistants.  

iii.      The Department of Counseling includes academic programs in Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, and 2 graduate certificate programs in Addictions Counseling and Mental Health Support. All master's degree programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP accreditors expect to see counseling programs operating as independent academic departments due to the clinical nature of the degree. A .3 FTE Dept will support this department. Head and a team of 3 administrative assistants shared with the other 2 units.

b.       Additional Information - Faculty within programs worked together to determine which unit each program fit best in keeping in mind shared curriculum and accreditations. 

i.      Food Systems, Nutritional and Kinesiology (ACEND Accreditation & CAEP for HE) 15 Tenure Track and FTE Non-tenure track  

ii.      Human Development & Community Health (CAEP for HDFS & P3) 12 Tenure Track and FTE Non-tenure track  

iii.      Counseling (CACREP) 8 Tenure Track and FTE Non-tenure track  

c.       Role and Scope will be created, and their tenure home will be these new departments. 

d.       Question

i.      What will happen to their graduate students?

A.      Split is based on their accreditations. Graduate students would go into their appropriate program.

1.       Degrees received will not change.

2.       It’s a very clean split.

ii.      Not approving any new degrees?

A.      No. Everything is existing.

VII.            Undergraduate Courses – New Courses – First Reading

a.       AHMS 295 : Allied Health Externship Prep Seminar

b.       ECIV 231 : Introduction to Engineering Hydrology

c.       HSTR 316 : Ancient India: Text and Ritual

d.       ARTZ 309 : Unleashing Scientific Innovation through Visual Communication

VIII.            Undergraduate Courses- Course Changes – First Reading

a.       BIOB 260 : Cellular and Molecular Biology

i.      Credit change from 4 to 5

b.       NRSG 469 : Culturally Responsive Care in Nursing: The (Specific Culture) Experience

i.      Credit change from 2-6 to 1-6

c.       PHOT 113RA : The Magic of the Darkroom I

i.      Title change from Understanding Photography

d.       PHOT 213 : The Magic of the Darkroom II

i.      Title change from Intermediate Photography

e.       SPNS 323 : Advanced Spanish Grammar & Pronunciation

i.      Title change from Advanced Grammar

IX.            Undergraduate Course – Course Inactivations – First Reading

a.       ECIV 331 : Engineering Hydrology

b.       PHOT 303 : Early History of Photography

X.            Undergraduate Programs – New Programs/Certificates – First Reading

a.       05.0201-C : Africana Studies Certificate

b.       CNC-CTS : CNC Robotic Tending and Integration

i.      It was previously approved as a temporary program and now needs to go through a full workflow. 

XI.            Graduate Courses – Second Reading

a.       ARTH 538 : Constructions of Gender & Sexuality in Art

i.      To be co-convened with the existing course ARTH 437, Graduate students are expected to do additional work, including a longer paper, in-class mentoring and discussion, and supplementary readings.

VI.            Old Business

a.      Age of courses revision

i.            Sharon Neufeldt moves to un-table. Dough Down seconds. Un-tabled

A.      One model can’t fit everyone. How will this help Physics?

1.       Don’t feel the timing here is going to affect your students.

2.       Who decides which exam is the comprehensive exam? 

·         “Assures that the student has attained sufficient master of their discipline” 

B.      What do you consider a “year”?

1.       Calendar year

2.       When the student gets close to the window, they are reminded. 

C.      How does the 6 years or less compare to the national average? Will they be seen to have as much knowledge as their peers from other institutions? Will it hurt their job prospects?

1.       Our students are going out and getting jobs. 

2.       Policy is geared toward figuring out if students can get what they need before they leave. If they need to push it out a year, etc., that would be considered. 

ii.            Tomas Gedeon moves to table. Stephanie McCalla Seconds.

iii.              Tabled

b.      Time-related policies revision
 

VII.            Senators’ Open Conversation

a.       When will get info on the question about the Bookstore?

i.            Chair and Chair Elect have a meeting with them this week. 

ii.            Has become a bottle neck. Still can’t get the books we need. Feel the library is forgetting its main function. 

iii.            Maybe there could be two different departments? 

VIII.            Public Comment

a.       Provost: You will learn a lot from meeting with the Bookstore. 

i.            A lot going on next week. 

A.      International Food Bazar-February 15th, 4:30pm-7:30pm

B.      Founders Day-February 16th 

1.      Faculty Awards for Excellence- 8:30am-10:30am

2.      Extraordinary Ordinary Women- luncheon

3.      Founders Day Awards for Students-5:30pm-7:30pm

C.      Christine Foreman will do Provost Lecture on February 21st, at 7:00pm, MOR

IX.            Adjourn

a.       Gilbert Kalonde moves to adjourn. Tomas Gedeon seconds. 

i.            International Food Bazar. Students aren’t allowed to cook, so recipes are given to the kitchens to cook. The students have had a chance to taste and weigh in. 

ii.           Meeting was adjourned at 4:48pm.