Chancellor Michael Martin said he was determined to ensure the continuing quality and commitment to academic excellence despite the University’s current economic situation at this semester’s first Faculty Senate meeting. The Faculty Senate has done just that. The Senate tackled the issue of elective furlough plans in September. The state government asked the LSU community to propose an array of alternative plans for dealing with the current revenue shortfall while inflicting minimal damage on the state’s Flagship University.The University must provide at least three elective ways of handling the furlough — through payroll deductions to go to the University via the LSU Foundation, one-time donations via check or other payment instrument via the LSU Foundation or multiple smaller payments or deductions, according to Resolution 09-07, “Conditions and Procedures for Furlough Plans.”While Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said the resolution was a sufficient compromise, many senators were hesitant to agree to a resolution with so much uncertainty. The senators said the resolution lacked a defined language.The Senate will have a second reading and vote on the resolution at today’s meeting.Martin unveiled PS-36 in September, the University’s policy statements governing the appointment, evaluation, promotion, retention and tenure of faculty members.Cope said the committee spent five years working, laboring and negotiating over the documents, encountering every obstacle possible before succeeding.The Faculty Senate passed Resolution 09-06, “Inactive Course Policy,” which says a course will become inactive if it isn’t taught in five years. After 10 years without teaching the course, it will be dropped completely.Andrea Houston, information systems and decision sciences professor, said the current catalog is deceiving for students who try to plan their curriculum based on an inaccurate catalog.The Senate discussed pushing internationalization in October, the process of incorporating more international activity and foreign   education on campus, to the next level for the next flagship agenda.Li Li, interim chair of the International Education Committee, said the next Flagship Agenda, which will run through 2020, will include internationalization policies. “It is time for us to go the next step to have international activity being promoted and being actively participated in by faculties and administrations on a larger scale,” Li said. Li suggested organizing a center for international culture, education, language and activities on campus. Li also suggested international activity be placed in the quality enhancement plan as part of official business of the University.The senators agreed more emphasis should be placed on the importance of foreign languages starting at the high school level.The senate discussed scheduling spring break relative to final examinations at November’s meeting.Previously, spring break occurred the week of Good Friday, according to University Registrar Robert Doolos. Last year, the Faculty Senate and Student Government recommended the break always occur at this time.If this break remains the same, there would be four years between 2010 and 2020 when only one or two weeks would separate the end of spring break and beginning of final exams.”We usually tried to coordinate with East Baton Rouge Parish [School Board], but often they don’t set their calendars until much later,” Doolos said.Andrew Christie, accounting professor and Faculty Senate Executive Committee member, said he would prefer not to have his classes broken up only a week or two before the final exam.”In my class, everything is comprehensive,” Christie said. “Chopping it up absolutely destroys the continuity.”The senators proposed if the year has fewer than three weeks between the break and finals, an exception will be made, and the break will be moved to the week before the week of Good Friday.The senate will consider the resolution, entitled 09-11, “Timing of Spring Break, Adjustment Option,” at today’s meeting.
 
 
 
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