Minutes of the Faculty Senate December 5, 2006 Meeting
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
FACULTY SENATE
December 5, 2006
3 p.m. 222 J. C. Penney
The meeting was called to order promptly at 3 p.m. by Faculty Senate
Chairman Timothy Farmer.
There were no minutes to approve because the previous meeting was a joint
meeting of the Faculty Senate and University Assembly. Minutes from that
meeting will be considered for approval at the next joint meeting of the
two bodies, in February.
The Chair made note of the great tragedy of the student who was killed
in a fire at an off-campus fraternity house.
Report from the Chancellor – Chancellor
Thomas George
The Chancellor reported briefly on activities scheduled for the December
14-15 Board of Curators meeting in Columbia. He mentioned that Board members
are very interested in the higher education rankings by U.S. News and
World Report.
At the close of his report, Chancellor George recognized Provost Glen
Cope, who reported that within five minutes, the Bulletin would be live
on the Web.
Report from the Intercampus Faculty Council –
Dr. Teresa Thiel
(see attachment
to agenda)
Report from the Committee on Curriculum and Instruction – Dr. Edward Bennett for Dr. Mark Pope, committee chairperson, who
desired to enter into the discussion…
On behalf of the Committee Dr. Bennett presented a draft academic calendar
for 2007-08. Following a brief discussion Dr. Joseph Martinich inquired
as to the amount of flexibility we have in setting spring break. His concern
was that we accommodate as much as possible breaks by local school districts.
Provost Cope was encouraged to find out when Mizzou’s break is scheduled.
If it is not in accordance with the new policy, this information could
be used as leverage to persuade the System to look favorably on our position.
The Senate voted to approve the calendar as presented for the time being.
Dr. Bennett then offered the Committee’s recommendation that the
Senate approve a change to the Honors College Certificate and to the degree
requirements for the M.A. in History. Both were approved by the Senate
without discussion or dissent.
When Dr. Bennett presented a proposal for a new degree program, the Ph.D.
in Counseling Psychology, considerable debate ensued. Faculty Senate Chairman
Timothy Farmer asked if there were any objections to including non-senators
in the discussion. Chairperson Emeritus Paul Speck indicated his agreement
with this plan, provided that all senators who wished to were afforded
the opportunity to speak. Dr. Susan Kashubeck-West was invited by Dr.
Pope to begin.
Dr. Kashubeck-West reported that the APA affirms that we are talking about
two distinct disciplines. Both full-time and part-time students will graduate,
she said. The plan will add little cost but will boost us up in the ranking,
in terms of peer impressions. Traditionally, she explained, Education’s
students will work in college counseling programs.
Dr. Robert Calsyn, chair of the Psychology Department, commented that
this proposed new offering is duplication because the licensing board
in Missouri has one license to practice. He apologized to senators that
the problem wasn’t solved at an earlier point, but he noted that
our new C&I forms treat a sign-off only as an indication of receipt.
Dr. Ann Steffen, director of the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program,
expressed concern that approving the program would cause our clinical
students to have to compete with Education’s students for sparse
internship slots. She questioned the part-time feature of the proposal,
pointing out that Psychology’s students, who attend school full-time,
take six years to complete the degree.
Dr. R. Rocco Cottone favored the proposal as a way to deliver mental health
services to more people in the future. Many students are waiting, he said,
for their dissertation studies because they want this resolved.
Director of the School of Social Work Lois Pierce added her misgivings
about the apparent duplication, commenting that Missouri doesn’t
support mental health very well as things stand now. Jobs are just not
available.
Dr. Charles Schmitz, dean of the College of Education, reported that a
visit to the APA’s website indicates that Counseling programs coexist
with regular Psychology doctoral programs at many institutions in markets
smaller than
St. Louis. If, he questioned, they can coexist at UMKC and UMC, why can’t
they coexist at UMSL? Dean Schmitz reported that his college has been
working on these plans for five years and already has hired faculty in
anticipation of the program’s approval.
Dr. Calsyn remarked that he was not invited to C&I to discuss the
proposal there. Dr. Brian Vandenberg, a member of the Psychology department,
added his voice to the opposition.
Dr. Mark Pope conceded that there is some overlap but said the clinical
people approach mental health from a medical model. In contrast, students
in the Education program will go into community centers, colleges, and
universities.
Referring to the Psychology representatives, Dr. Pope cautioned that other
programs could be at risk if “they” are allowed to stop this
one.
Addressing the process, Dr. Pope asserted that the C&I Committee does
not regularly seek out people to come speak to the Committee about programs.
He noted that the proposal was approved by the Graduate Council before
it came to C&I.
Dr. Shirley Porterfield, of Social Work, questioned if Education will
be adequately staffed to make this go. Dr. Cottone reported that one additional
faculty member will be added to those already hired.
Dr. E. Terrence Jones zeroed in on procedural issues. Quoting from the
Bylaws, he reported that it is C&I’s job to examine proposals
for overlap and duplication and, in the absence of same, to report them
to the Senate. He suggested that it was perhaps too soon to bring this
to the Senate until this duplication issue has been resolved. Dr. Jones
moved to return the proposal to Committee for review of overlap and/or
duplication. The motion was seconded.
Dr. Jeanne Morgan Zarucchi opposed the motion, saying this is not duplication:
it is simply a matter of two existing routes to the same job. Dr. Matthew
Keefer, chairman of the Committee on Bylaws and Rules, agreed with Dr.
Zarucchi.
Dr. Mark Burkholder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, was appealed
to for his position. Dean Burkholder commented that this scenario reminded
him of the old “Role and Scope” exercise, where some existing
departments in Columbia tried to retain a monopoly of degree offerings.
He spoke in favor of the proposal.
Dr. Jones noted that by voting immediately on the proposal, the result
will be close. He asked the body to try one more time to see if some accommodation
could be made by voting at the January meeting instead. Dr. Pope was adamant
that the proposal be put to the vote without delay. Meetings have been
held at many levels, he reported, and the proposal has been in the works
for five years.
Dr. Donna Taliaferro called the question. Calling the question was approved.
The Jones motion to return the proposal to Committee was then defeated,
and discussion on the proposed new degree resumed.
Dr. Speck commented that Psychology and Counseling Education will be going
after a different market, and the cost for the new program would not appear
to be prohibitive.
Faculty Senate Chairman Timothy Farmer indicated that the vote would be
taken by secret ballot.
Dr. Jones sought clarification about the meaning of the sign-off in the
C&I process. Provost Cope offered a broad interpretation of the Bylaws,
but she agreed that they would be better fine-tuned. Dr. Keefer offered
to handle this through the Committee on Bylaws and Rules.
At the close of the discussion, the Faculty Senate decided by secret ballot
– by a vote of 18 in favor and 13 against – to endorse the
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.
Completing the business at hand, the meeting adjourned at 4:44 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fred Willman
Faculty Senate Secretary
(minutes written by
Ms. Joan M. Arban,
Executive Assistant to the Faculty Senate Chair)