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SENATE
November 14, 2006, Volume 53, No. 12

The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Sue White, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943, or by e-mail at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.

 

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Approval of the Minutes: The minutes for the October SEC meeting were approved pending modifications.

Chair’s Report: Faculty Senate Chair Vincent Price presented all SEC members with a Faculty Senate Manual for 2006-07. Dr. Price updated SEC on the ongoing excellent work of the Senate Committees; they are all meeting regularly and working hard. Future SEC meeting topics were presented: December featuring Maureen Rush, Vice President of Public Safety, with updates from the President and Provost. Dr. Steven J. Fluharty, Vice Provost for Research, and Anne Papageorge, Vice President of Facilities and Real Estate Services, will possibly be visiting SEC in the spring. Dr. Price reminded faculty to support the Penn’s Way Campaign.

Past Chair’s Report: Faculty Senate Past Chair Neville Strumpf announced that she was out of town for the Academic Budget and Planning Committee meeting. Dr. Strumpf was told that the Academic Budget and Planning Committee looked at the “Just Cause” Procedures that SEC approved at the May meeting. Dr. Strumpf will report the results of this to SEC at the next meeting.

Faculty Information System: Phase 2 Update. Barney Lentz, Director of Institutional Research and Analysis updated the Executive Committee on the status of the Faculty Information System. Phase 1, completed on June 1, took existing faculty information collected manually and automated it. Phase 1 was only accessible by the Provost’s office. Phase 2, released in September, took that information and expanded access to representatives in all 12 schools.

Discussion and Overview from Associate Provost: Andy Binns, Associate Provost, led a discussion concerning top issues, in his new role, as he oversees graduate and undergraduate education. “Graduate Supervision”—guidelines for students, faculty and administrators at the University of Pennsylvania was distributed and discussed as a tool to promote good working relationships and “best practices.” A Handbook for Students concerning ethics and original research was distributed defining and promoting academic integrity. Interdisciplinary education, tuition issues, family friendly policies and online grading, were identified as important student concerns. Distinguished International Scholars, and Ideas in Action are interesting scholar programs that faculty might want to promote.

Senate Nominating Committee: SEC voted to select the members of the Nominating Committee.

Almanac - November 14, 2006, Volume 53, No. 12