Members Represented by Proxy:  College of the Arts:  Cheryl Goggin (pr. Linda Goff), Shellie Nielsen (pr. Sherry Laughlin); College of Business Administration:  Ernest King (pr. Trellis Green); College of Education and Psychology:  Daniel Surry (pr. Marvin Lanmon); College of Health and Human Sciences:  Jan Drummond (pr. Michael Dearmey); College of Liberal Arts:  Charles Bolton (pr. Karen Thrash); College of Science and Technology:  Delia Anderson (pr. Karen Thrash), Mary Dayne Gregg (pr. Mary Lux); Institute of  Marine Sciences:  Steve Lohrenz (pr. Vernon Asper).

Members Absent:  College of Education and Psychology:  Jesse Palmer; College of Health and  Human Sciences:  Susan Graham-Kresge; College of Liberal Arts: Kim Herzinger, Stephen Mallory; College of Science and Technology:  Lawrence Mead.

FORUM:  Sue Pace, Continuing Education Programming, and Sandy McGowan, Distance Learning Instructional Design Manager.
Sue Pace:  Teaching an online course is an option for a faculty member at USM  It is also an option for a student to take such a course.  Students also have the option of taking such courses from classrooms, homes, or work sites on their lunch hours.  All online courses at USM are existing courses that have been reconfigured into an online format.  All have been approved by the IHL and the Southern Regional Electronic Campus, a unit of the Southern Regional Education Board, which monitors courses for 18 states.  At USM the academic department receives all student credit hours generated for online courses.  No out of state tuition is charged for these courses; many of these students will never come to this campus.  After much study last fall, Continuing Education, in cooperation with the Office of Technology Resources, purchased WEBCT for use in these online courses.  WEBCT has a template that makes it easy for you to take your existing course and reconfigure it for online.  We've had both intensive and overview training session for faculty and will do additional training sessions this summer and next fall.  Sandy McGowan and Carole Bullock work one on one with faculty members to teach them to use this software.  We now have a distance learning server that archives all online courses.
Sandy McGowan:  WEBCT provides brochures and if you come to see them about the software, you will be provided with one which describes the software and the tools that are available.  These tools can provide things like chat, newsgroups, bulletin boards, email, and change of password capabilities.  The software is password protected so that those who don't belong in the class can't get in.  The professor is given the class roster which the professor enters into the software and emails the students their passwords.
Question (Lillian Range):  Do you meet at a certain time?
Sandy McGowan:  It depends on how you design the course.  Some like to have a chat format and others like to have a bulletin board.  For example, you might schedule 2 to 3 o'clock on a certain day for a chat, so that is when the course meets.  The rest of the time might be up to the student to read the material and to get the assignments done.  Assignments are sent to the professor by email.  Bulletin boards can be set up for asynchronous communication.  You can also choose to meet face to face. The question of exams often comes up--how you make sure that whoever is taking the course is also taking the exams.  Sometimes you have this same problem with very large on-campus classes.  You can design your course so that you don't have a traditional exam, or you may choose to have a traditional exam at a test site where students will take the test under supervision.
Sue Pace:  This software gives you a great deal of control.  You can determine how many times the student has accessed the software or how many times they have posted to a bulletin board.
Alexandra Jaffe:  Are students and faculty in these courses dialing into a separate modem pool?  If not, this type of course isn't possible when faculty can't get online.
McGowan:  Yes, this is a problem, but we are hoping that as the network becomes more robust, this problem will go away.
Alexandra Jaffe:  Can we look at some existing courses that are already online to get an idea of what they look like?
McGowan:  Yes.  WEBCT has a web site that you can visit:  www.webct.com
Shahdad Nagshpour:  What support do you give for equipment?
McGowan:  The Office of Technology Resources supports the server; your department would supply your pc.  There is a computer loan program for facutly through OTR.  If you are completely without resources, you might talk to them.  Any faculty member can get an account for an online course and it can be in a hidden area in the software until you get your course figured out.  If you want to practice or try one out, we can give you an account and walk you through the software.  There are tutorials that will allow you to go through it at your pace.  Some faculty are using the software to put parts of their regular courses online.
Art Kaul:  How is the integrity of the online courses monitored?
Pace:  I asked one of the SACS board members about the issue of the number of minutes required for a course by IHL.  We are not concerned about the minutes of instruction; we are concerned that these courses provide the same academic content and quality as in the classroom setting.  The faculty member, the department head, and the dean monitor the quality.
Art Kaul:  But, how do you monitor the quality?  Normally courses that are modified have to be approved.
Pace:  The course has not been changed; the presentation has been reconfigured.
Bob Smith:  When I began teaching my online course, I gave Continuing Education a syllabus.  The course I am teaching is one I've taught for a long time.  I was initially concerned that any course I taught was being offered by my department and not by Continuing Education.
Question (Art Kaul):  Shouldn't these courses be approved by Academic Council?  It seems that we are in danger of having two types of courses--some that are being approved by Academic Council and some that are not.
McGowan:  Do IVN courses have to be approved by Academic Council?  No.  This is very similar.
Michael Dearmey:  This entire matter of online teaching needs to be removed from Continuing Education and OTR and the Academic Council needs to study the factors relating to these courses.  Is this an assault on the professoriate?  How do you know the person is not cheating or is participating?  What about monetary compensation for these classes?  Why should I go to the trouble of doing this beyond my normal teaching load when there is no additional compensation coming to me for this?  You don't even know who it is that you are talking to in those chat rooms.  I don't allow my students to use web sites.  Academic Council should review every bit of the curriculum.  I do not think this is good educational practice.
Sue Pace: These courses are optional for the faculty member.  They have been approved by Academic Council.
Michael Dearmey:  That is not true.  The course that has been approved is not the same as the online course.
Bob Smith:  The course that I teach has been approved and I teach it the same way as the course I teach in the classroom.
Michael Dearmey:  That is because you are a level-headed guy.
Bob Smith:  I think we need to take into account and document our competence in these courses.
Mary Lux:  I'm on Academic Council and we have been concerned about this.  Last year there was nothing to look at and all of a sudden this year all these courses exist and we've not been able to study them.
Sandy McGowan:  I think there needs to be an open discussion.
Bill Powell:  Once the course has been developed, taught, and archived, who retains the right of use?
Sue Pace:  The faculty member.
Alexandra Jaffe:  Do we ask for additional documentation in Academic Council for overseas study tours or for compressed classes?
Mary Lux:  You can modify your own course.  After we've passed the course in Academic Council, there is no further verification or assurance that the syllabus is followed.  Unless you change the number of the course, it is not monitored.
Shahdad Naghshpour:  Why are we doing this?  Other universities that have really gone online are regretting it.
Sue Pace:  I have a comparative analysis of 355 studies which shows no significant difference in the quality of the online course from that in the classroom.  Students from many states enroll in these courses; they have access to courses from many different universities and they choose to take them from us.
Sandy McGowan:  Technology allows us to put these things out for the world, but it is our responsibility to ensure that we are putting out a quality product.

Business Meeting:
1.0      Call to Order  The business meeting was called to order at 3:00.
2.0      Approval of Agenda  The agenda was approved as distributed.
3.0      Approval of Minutes  The minutes were approved with one correction in the Athletic Committee's report.

4.0      Executive Committee Reports
4.1      President's Report:  President-Elect Art Kaul presided in the absence of President Jesse Palmer.
The University's Strategic Plan will be out next week.  Copies will be mailed to each faculty and staff member.  President Palmer will call a special meeting of the Faculty Senate to discuss the plan.  Feedback can be sent to the Strategic Planning Committee.
4.2      President-Elect's Report:  Art Kaul  No report.
4.3      Secretary's Report:  Sherry Laughlin  No report.
4.4      Secretary-Elect's Report:  In the absence of Shellie Nielsen, Sherry Laughlin read the proxies and distributed the attendance roster.

5.0      Committee Reports
5.1      Academic and Governance Committee  Karen Thrash  No report.
5.2      Administrative and Faculty Evaluations  Bill Powell
There has been a delay in the evaluation forms reaching the departments.  The new deadline for completion of the evaluations is April 9th.
Darlys Alford:  There is a question about which administrators we evaluate at Gulf Park.
Bill Powell:  That is to be decided by the Provost's office and I will remind him of this issue.
5.3      Athletic Liaison  Trellis Green  No report.
5.4      Awards  Linda Goff
Spring convocation is April 8th, and this is when the awards will be presented.  The committee is making decisions now.
5.5      Benefits and Work Environment  Mike Forster
Two resolutions regarding faculty/staff tuition benefits were passed out and will be voted on at the next meeting:

Resolution:  Restoration of Full Faculty/Staff Tuition Benefit
March 1999

The Faculty Senate of The University of Southern Mississippi requests that the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning restore full tuition benefits to USM faculty, staff, and their qualified dependents.

The Faculty Senate bases this request on the following considerations:

1)    Full tuition benefits for USM faculty, staff, and their qualified dependents were available until July 1977 when the benefit was reduced to half tuition;
2)    Full tuition benefits would provide greater incentive for faculty, staff, and their dependents to pursue higher education and enhance the competence and quality of faculty and staff;
3)    Full tuition benefits for faculty/staff and their dependents would enhance the University's capacity to recruit highly-qualified employees in increasingly competitive academic and administrative marketplaces; and,
4)    Full tuition benefits would be of material assistance to USM's historically underpaid faculty and staff members and their dependents.

Resolution:  Portability of Faculty/Staff Tuition Benefit
March 1999

The Faculty Senate of The University of Southern Mississippi requests that the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning [College Board] allow tuition benefits to USM faculty, staff, and their qualified dependents to be used at any of the eight institutions under the governance of the College Board.

The Faculty Senate bases this request on the following considerations:

1)    USM faculty, staff, and especially, their dependents effectively lose the existing tuition benefit if a desired educational program is unavailable at USM, forcing them to pursue higher education elsewhere;
2)    Dependents of USM faculty and staff who cannot pursue their educational goals at USM may find appropriate programs of study at another state-supported Mississippi institution, thereby retaining these students in Mississippi institutions and forestalling their quest for higher education outside of Mississippi;
3)    The pursuit of higher education at other state-supported Mississippi institutions, for a variety of academic and non-academic reasons, may be more appropriate to students' aspirations, goals, and needs;
4)    Portability of tuition benefits to other state-supported Mississipp institutions for faculty, staff, and their dependents affords greater freedom of choice in their pursuit of higher education.

Mike Forster has a meeting with Sid Gonsoulin to discuss free access to the Payne Center for faculty.   Mary Ann Adams indicated that there is a survey that will be sent out across campus regarding interest in using the child care facility for research purposes.

5.6      Constitution and Bylaws Sherry Laughlin  No report.
5.7      Elections  Mary Dayne Gregg  No report.
5.8      Environment  Dick Conville
On December 7th, the committee met with Linda Gilbert and Royce Pierce to initiate a working relationship with VP Gilbert.  Dick Conville has been meeting with her to update her on our activities.  On January 27th, a landscape architect spent time with members of the committee and President Palmer pointing out problems related to the University's handling of the natural environment.  The committee has been lobbying for the hiring of a landscape architect for the University and VP Gilbert is in favor of this.  One project beginning this month is a campus tree survey.  Glen Matlach will have a group of his biology students record the species and condition of all mature trees on campus in order to provide a baseline for their management. There is an upcoming issue to be aware of:  the Athletic Department has been given approval to construct a small builidng on the south end of the football stadium.  Dr. Gilbert has given assurance that no more than one of the trees in this location will be removed.
Art Kaul:  What were the problem areas discussed in the January 27th meeting?
Dick Conville:  Some things discussed included the fact that students crossing Hardy Street at Elam Arms could be encouraged to cross at safer locations through the use of plantings.  All the trees behind the houses on 31st Avenue were removed in order to create parking lots and they didn't have to be removed.  Several oaks in that area will die because clay is packed around the roots.
5.9      Faculty Development  Norma Cuellar  No report.
5.10    Technology  Dan Surry No report.
5.11    University Club  Kim Herzinger  No report.
5.12     Transportation  Bill Scarborough, Faculty Senate Liaison to the Transportation Committee
Bill Scarborough reported the following actions of the Transportation Committee:  All fines will be placed on student accounts beginning this summer.  Now if they pay their tickets, their record is cleared.  From now on, after three violations, they will be towed whether the tickets are paid or not.  This policy still has to be approved by the President and by IHL.  The student plaza has been delayed.  Only one bid was received and it was too high.  Now the plans will be revisited and the project will be rebid.  The parking consultant has issued a preliminary report saying that there is currently adequate parking, but the spaces are located further from the center of campus than is desired.  Future growth will result in inadequate parking.  For special events such as football games, there has been a practice of putting numbers on handicapped parking spaces and assigning them to non-handicapped individuals.  This practice has been discontinued and those numbers will be removed.

6.0      Old Business  None
7.0      New Business  None
8.0      Announcements  None
9.0      Adjournment  The meeting was adjourned.