November 10, 2021 Minutes

Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes (SUB Ballroom B)

11/10/21

3:10pm – 4:30pm

Please wear a mask.

I.            Call to Order

a.       Meeting was called to order at 3:10pm

 II.            Attendance Reminder

a.       Open and public meeting

b.       Discussion is for senators unless recognized

c.       Time at end of meeting for public comment

III.            Approval of FS Minutes from October 27, 2021

a.       Paul Gannon moves to approve. Tomas Gedeon seconds. None opposed. No abstentions. Approved. 

IV.            FYI items

a.       Student Early Alert Program 

i.      https://www3.montana.edu/classrolls/ 

ii.      November 17 “W” grade deadline

b.       Winter Traction Aid Program – Free Pair every Three Years

i.      https://www.montana.edu/srm/programs/icegrippers.html  

c.       Faculty Excellence Grants due Nov 15

i.      https://www.montana.edu/facultyexcellence/grantsawards/feg/  

d.       Box Migration, no longer available in March 2022

i.      https://www.montana.edu/uit/boxtransition/ 

ii.      Trainings Thursdays at noon - https://bit.ly/3BBdeKl

i.      Scholarship & Creativity Grants Program, due March 1, 2022 https://www.montana.edu/research/internal_awards/s_and_c_grants_fy2022.html  

ii.      Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Grant Program, due March 1, 2022 https://www.montana.edu/research/internal_awards/hass_rfp2022.html 

f.        Senator Hour, Monday 11-12, and Thursday 10:30-11:30 via WebEx

V.            Information Updates: 

a.       Learning Outcomes

i.      https://www.montana.edu/provost/assessment/developing_learning_outcomes.html 

A.                           

1.       Target Group: For student learning outcomes, the target group is “students” or “students who have successfully completed this course”.

2.       Action Verb: The action verb is typically selected from a Bloom’s taxonomy list. This is described in more detail below. For now, consider this very short list of possible action verbs:

a. Define

b. Identify

c.  Solve

d. Compare

e. Evaluate

3.       Object: The object of the learning outcome is the knowledge, skill, or behavior that the student should have acquired.

4.       Standard: The standard (when used) indicates a required level of achievement.

B.       Have been some inconsistencies in learning outcomes on proposals that come to the Curriculum and Programs Committee (CPC).

ii.      Part I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw6_JMsrvr4 

iii.      Part II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0XwAGz6NJQ 

b.       Honorary Degrees

i.      Will be discussed at December 01 meeting

ii.      Materials will be made available prior to the meeting

iii.      All information is to remain confidential

iv.      Discussion of Honorary Degrees will be held in Executive Session

c.       Interdisciplinary Scholarship –CFE Research Capacity Team Presentation, Nika Stoop

i.      The Charge: January 2020

A.      Strategic Plan GOAL 2.2: Expand interdisciplinary scholarship 

1.       Montana State University’s interdisciplinary expertise as a University of the Yellowstone ™ carries unique possibilities for interference, translation, and impact. Our research and creative activity throughout the university increasingly spans traditional disciplinary boundaries to solve the world’s pressing challenges. 

2.       Metrics and Actions

a. Montana State University will secure at least one new interdisciplinary training grant or center grand for each Grand Challenge area by 2024. 

b. Montana State University will increase the grant expenditures associated with investigators in multiple academic units by 25% by 2022. 

c. Montana State University will increase the number of scholarly products that are authored or created by faculty from two or more academic units by 10% each year. 

d. Montana State University will review current policies, resources and facilities that affect interdisciplinary scholarship and develop sustainable models for shared interdisciplinary resources by 2022. 

ii.      Recommendations prepared by a team of faculty

A.      Research Capacity Team: …advances research and scholarship at MSU. Comprised of representatives from each college that advise the Center for Faculty Excellence on its scholarship-focused offerings.

1.       Members

a. Dean Adams, Center for Faculty Excellence

b. Rollin Beamish, College of Arts & Architecture

c. Elizabeth Bird, College of Education, Health & Human Development

d. Jennifer Brown, Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering

e. Tracy Hellem, College of Nursing

f.  Jordy Hendrikx, Earth Sciences

g. Jennifer Lachowiec, College of Agriculture

h. Nick Lux, College of Education, Health & Human Development

i.   Doralyn Rossmann, MSU Library

j.   Liz Shanahan, College of Letters & Science, Research, Economic Development and Graduate Education

k. Nika Stoop, Center for Faculty Excellence

l.   Lisa Yang, Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship

m. Other collaborators were Chris Fastnow, Jason Clark, Kenning Arlitsch, Rob Maher, Joe Shaw, Kristen Intemann, and many others.

n. Past RCT members: Suzanne Held, Anne Camper, Jamie McEvoy, Michelle Flenniken

B.      Motivation and Approach

1.       RCT’s own interest in interdisciplinary scholarship-Starting in 2018

2.       MSU Faculty Survey-2019

3.       Review of previous MSU reports and data from other Universities-2020/2021

4.       Review of previous MSU reports and data from other Universities-2020/2021

C.      Interdisciplinary Scholarship Survey Results-2019

1.         

2.       Barriers by importance

a. Time constraints

b. Credit for co-advising students across depts. and colleges

c. Indirect cost/F&A distribution 

d. Seed money for IDS project ideas

e. Obtaining grant funding

f.  Isolation

g. Finding grant finding sources

h. Finding potential collaborators

i.   Graduate student training in IDS

j.   RTP criteria

k. Do not know where to start

iii.      Key Considerations

A.      Increased recognition of interdisciplinary work is not intended to de-value disciplinary scholarship.

B.      Interdisciplinary work can be enhanced as part of high-impact teaching and learning practices that integrate teaching, scholarship, and service/outreach, contributing to student engagement (Goal 1.3).

C.      Interdisciplinary scholarship takes more time to develop and is often a high risk – high reward endeavor.

1.       Looking at how can we create space for those who want to take the time to do this.

D.      The VPREDGE has already taken steps to address the Indirect costs/F&A distribution barrier and has created the Office of Research Development (ORD).

1.       #3 Indirect cost/F&A distribution

2.       #5 & #7 finding and obtaining grant funding

3.       #8 finding potential collaborators

E.       These efforts should build on the existing successes of Centers, Institutes and University-Tribal Partnerships who have already developed processes that support interdisciplinary scholarship.

1.       Want to build on the current successes.

iv.      Recommendations

A.      Connecting Scholars Across Disciplines and Research Development

1.       Support for team assembly, launch and maturation

2.       Provide interdisciplinary seed grants

3.       Provide dedicated funding through the Undergraduate Scholars Program/ Graduate School 

4.       Increase MSU Library Author Fund so that a portion can be dedicated to publication of interdisciplinary scholarly works.

5.       Create IDS Faculty Fellows Program

B.      Developing Policies and Recognition for Interdisciplinary Scholarship

1.       Cluster hires and/or joint appointments 

a. Faculty from different depts. hired at the same time because they have an interdisciplinary interest

2.       Broaden the role and scope for departments

3.       Provide training on best practices for describing IDS activities in RTP dossiers

4.       Awards and monthly newsletter celebrating interdisciplinary team successes

C.      Optimizing Organizational Structure and Physical Space

1.       Grant Support Staff members in each college 

2.       Design a high profile, central physical and virtual location 

a. For support services

3.       Dedicate spaces for teams where interdisciplinary activities are prioritized.

4.       Ensure core facilities are centrally available and institutionally supported.

v.      Recommendations to Address Barriers to IDS

A.      Connecting Scholars Across Disciplines and Supporting Research Development

1.       Support for team assembly, launch and maturation

2.       Interdisciplinary seed grants 

3.       Dedicated funding through the Undergraduate Scholars Program/ Graduate School

4.       Funding dedicated to publication of IDS

5.       IDS Faculty Fellows

6.       Barriers addressed

a. #4 obtaining seed funding

b. #6 isolation

c. #5 & #7 finding and obtaining grant funding

d. #1 time constraints

e. #8 finding potential collaborators

vi.      Developing Policies and Recognition

A.      Cluster hires and/or joint appointments 

B.      Broaden the role and scope for departments

C.      Provide RTP best practices for describing IDS activities 

D.      Annual awards and monthly newsletter  

E.       Barriers addressed

1.       #1 time constraints

2.       #10 RTP criteria

3.       #2 credit for co-advising

4.       #6 isolation

vii.      Optimizing  Organizational  Structure and  Physical Space

A.      Grant Support Staff

B.      High profile, central physical and virtual location for services

C.      Dedicate spaces for teams 

D.      Core facilities

1.       #9 graduate student training in IDS

2.       #1 time constraints

3.       #6 isolation

4.       #11 not knowing where to start

viii.      Questions

A.      David McWethy: Running out of opportunities for funding for this type of thing, so this is great news. 

B.      Michael Brody: Sustainability program may be a good place for interdisciplinary

C.      Otto Stein: Also expand into interdisciplinary TEACHING. How could that relate to credit for role and scope?

D.      Tomas Gedeon: Interdisciplinary hires: problem of not having enough positions to get these hires. It’s been a problem for a long time. 

1.       Has come up in other meetings. Harder to get it done than to put it on a list. Hope to make progress on that. 

E.       Paul Gannon: Would you have a guide on Chrome River? Time is a huge barrier. How can we be more efficient? 

F.       Michael Brody: There are good programs that have come out the last couple of years that are interdisciplinary. IDS work is highly valued. 

G.      Robert Carson: Provisions built into Role and Scope “valuing interdisciplinary and innovative ideas”. Dept. heads have discretionary authority to change the “assignment” for a period of time to facilitate more time to do this type of thing. There are ways to do it so the faculty are protected, with the recognition that it is a risk. MSSE program has been extremely successful. That kind of innovation does pay off. Good minds working together. 

H.      What would incentivize you to take the on these high risk-high reward activities in your department? (#1 time constraints)

I.         What things could you change in your department’s role & scope to reward these activities? (#10 RTP criteria)

ix.      Example Barrier in Role & Scope

A.      In computer science, results are often published in conference proceedings that are peer-reviewed.

B.      If a computer scientist and biologist collaborate on an interdisciplinary project, while the CS efforts would be counted towards the role and scope criteria, the biology efforts might not.

x.      Please discuss this with your colleagues. Do not want to devalue what we are doing now. We want to add to it. What are some good examples of how we are already doing this? What are your barriers?

VI.            Undergraduate Courses and Programs

a.       Courses – First Reading

i.      BIOH 454 : Microanatomy (Histology)-COURSE REACTIVATION (Spring 2022)

ii.      CHMY 402 : Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory (Spring 2022)

iii.      EENV 102 : Introduction to Environmental Engineering Design and Sustainability (Spring 2022)

iv.      GRMN 322 : Survey of German Cinema (Spring 2022)

b.       Courses – Second Reading

i.      ACT 243 : Avalanche 2 Training (Spring 2022)

ii.      ACT 244 : Advanced Rock Climbing (Spring 2022)

iii.      HLD 406 : Leading Adaptively in a Complex World (Spring 2022)

iv.      PSCI 348 : Multicultural Politics in the United States (Spring 2022)

v.      PSCI 452 : Politics of Community Development (Spring 2022)

c.       Programs – Second Reading

i.      ASHC-AS : Associate of Science Pre-Healthcare Option

VII.            Graduate Courses and Programs 

a.       Courses – First Reading

i.      KIN 690 : Dissertation

b.       Courses – Second Reading

i.      EMEC 555 : Current Topics in Orthopaedic Biomechanics

ii.      MSSE 511 : STEM Methods for Teachers

 iii.      NRSG 673 : Writing for Scholarly Projects

iv.      ACTG 522 : Accounting Analytics-TITLE CHANGED FROM ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS II

v.      University of Washington School of Medicine is undergoing curriculum changes effective summer of 2022

A.      MEDS 503 : Foundations of Clinical Medicine-TITLE CHANGE FROM CLINICAL REASONING, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 3 TO 4

B.      MEDS 510 : Fundamentals of Medical Science & Research-TITLE CHANGE FROM MOLECULAR & CELLULAR BASIS OF DISEASE

C.      MEDS 515 : Cancer, Hormones, & Blood-TITLE CHANGE FROM ECOLOGY OF HEALTH & MEDICINE-FOUNDATIONS I, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 1 TO 7

D.      MEDS 520 : Infections Invaders & Immunity-TITLE CHANGE FROM INVADERS & DEFENDERS, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 8 TO 7

E.       MEDS 530 : Muscles, Joints, Bones, & Skin-TITLE CHANGE FROM CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 13 TO 6

F.       MEDS 535 : Medicine, Health, and Society-TITLE CHANGE FROM ECOLOGY OF HEALTH & MEDICINE-FOUNDATIONS III, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 1 TO 2

G.      MEDS 540 : Cardiovascular System-TITLE CHANGE FROM BLOOD AND CANCER, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 4 TO 6

H.      MEDS 542 : Air, Fluids, & Salts, TITLE CHANGE FROM MUSCULOSKELETAL, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 2 TO 7

I.         MEDS 550 : Head, Neck, & Gut-TITLE CHANGE FROM ENERGETICS & HOMEOSTASIS, CREDIT CHANGE FROM 8 TO 6

J.        MEDS 525 : Introduction to Medicine, Health, and Society-TITLE CHANAGE TO ALIGN WITH UW

c.       Programs / Certificates – First Reading

i.      None at this time

d.       Programs – First Reading

i.      None at this time

e.       Programs Inactivation – Second Reading

i.      SEBM-CERT : Graduate Certificate in Science and Engineering Business Management-Low interest. No enrollment

ii.      SEPM-CERT : Graduate Certificate in Science and Engineering Project Management-Low interest, No enrollment

f.        Chem/Biochem Accelerated program proposals have been returned to the department for some updates. Shows that we are looking closely at everything. 

g.       Let Bradford and Michael know if you see any issues with any of these. 

 VIII.            Old Business

a.       Curriculum and Sustainability Framework

i.      Sustainability course offerings include "sustainability courses" and "courses that include sustainability":
A sustainability course is a course in which the primary and explicit focus is on sustainability and/or on understanding or solving one or more major sustainability challenge (e.g. the course contributes toward achieving principles outlined in the Earth Charter).
A course that includes sustainability is primarily focused on a topic other than sustainability, but incorporates a unit or module on sustainability or a sustainability challenge, includes one or more sustainability-focused activities, or integrates sustainability issues throughout the course.

b.       We know there are many issues we need to be looking at. Sustainability is one of those. 

c.       Two levels of sustainability curriculum

i.      Is sustainability a small part of your course?

ii.      Is the course content focused around sustainability?

d.       What have you heard from your colleagues? What are the issues?

e.       What do we see is the role of sustainability in our curriculum? Are there resources necessary? 

f.        Comments/Questions:

i.      Michael Brody: Example:

A.      EENV 102: Intro to Environmental engineering design and sustainability

1.       Sounds like it’s a fundamental sustainability course. 

2.       Otto Stein: NSF grant was received. Goal was to redefine the curriculum completely. Breaking down each course and repackaged so that students get the info sooner in their educational career. Want to bring it to the freshmen level. Project oriented course. Give them an engineering identity. Everything environmental engineers do. Program will be rolled out soon. Has been delayed a year to Fall 23.

3.       Students who progress through this course are developing an identity around sustainability. 

4.       Paul Gannon: Debate: To get students to think critically could be more important than sustainability thinking. If it’s a goal, how do we measure that? There are instruments available to measure sustainability literacy. 

a. Kristin Blaker: Do not have the system to measure sustainability literacy at this time. Working toward that. 

5.       Michael Brody: FS trying to stay in our lane but do what we can to help with the culture around sustainability. 

6.       Sarah Stoneback: Student in music took a sustainability course and discussion were had around how musical instruments could be made more sustainably. 

7.       Andy Hansen: Key issue is for us as a university is to education on alternative outcomes. Which approach will best optimize your objectives? Not one particular approach. Important to provide students the ability to study food systems, energy systems, etc. Important to have courses that teach that information. 

8.       Michael Brody: Work done is southern Asia. Sustainability of cultural and language systems. Get together indigenous people from there and from Montana. This is a different type of ask. Sit with the idea and see if you can come up with some ways for us to help capitalize on the opportunities coming up. 

9.       Paul Gannon: Sustainability is a learning outcome requirement for accrediting engineering programs. 

a. Data tracking. 

B.      Bradford Watson: Would like the Senate to identify who would be interested in working in a sub-group to get some ideas together. What are the possibilities? What are the objectives? What are the barriers? Are there places where the curriculum could overlap and partner with the Sustainability office? Important to note that Kristin Blaker is essentially ASMSU. We are engaging with the student side of the development of this. Broader question on critical thinking. 

1.       If interested in sub-group, let Bradford and Michael know. 

IX.            Senators’ Open Conversation

a.       Steve Stowers: Follow up on faculty salary discussion the last two years we’ve had 2% raises. Current inflation is at 6%. If we don’t get a pay increase, we are basically getting a pay cut. A 2% increase in a 6% inflation is a pay cut. 

i.      Provost Mokwa: Agree completely. Has been brought up with OCHE. We continue to push this matter with the commissioner’s office. Bozeman’s cost of living is considerably higher than other areas in Montana. We will continue to push this. 

ii.      Bradford Watson: Bradford and Michael and the MUSFAR group will talk about this discrepancy when they have their meeting with the Board of Regents. 

X.            Public Comment

a.       Provost Mokwa: Early Alert: AYCSS manage this. Data shows last year at the same time 1451 referrals on students. This year we’re at 2393. ~60% increase. 

i.      I appreciate the work of the faculty. The more the system is used, the more students we can help. We will continue to beef up these support systems. 

b.       Bradford Watson: We have assembled some good data on the successes of our faculty over the last year and half. 

i.      Michael Brody: Task force we put together last year. “Beyond 2020” small group meetings. Lab and large lecture instructors. Motivated by faculty. Large report will go to BOR. 

 XI.            Adjourn

a.       Paul Gannon moves to adjourn. None opposed. Meeting was adjourned at 4:12pm.

REMINDER: Next meeting is December 1, 2021 in SUB Ballroom D from 3:10pm-4:30pm.