February 21, 2024

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Slide Presentation

Faculty Senate Meeting

SUB Ballroom D

February 21, 2024

3:15pm-4:30pm

I.            Call to Order

a.      Meeting was called to order at 3:15.

II.            Approval of FS Minutes from February 7, 2024

a.      Gary Caton moves to approve. Chris Posbergh seconds. None opposed. No abstentions. Minutes are approved.

III.            FYI Items

a.      VPRED announced a new ultra-low temperature freezer rebate program to incentivize the purchase of energy efficient ULT freezers. This provides between $500-$3000 for purchase of new and/or recycling of old ULT freezers.

i.      https://www.montana.edu/orc/sustainability/index.html

ii.      Contact: Mark DeWald: [email protected]

b.      Finalists for VP of student Success will be on campus soon. Rooms for meetings should be posted soon.

i.      Please go to the events if you can.

IV.            Information Updates

a.      Frank Kerins and Jeannette Grey Gilbert: Retirement Benefits

i.      Important Links:

1.       Pension and Retirement | Montana University System (mus.edu)

2.       457(b) Deferred Compensation (mt.gov) (enrollment can be done online)

3.       MUS 403b Salary Reduction Form 2024 (this is a form that needs to be printed, completed, and submitted to [email protected] or in person to HR)

ii.      Question: 

1.       Which supplemental account is better? 

A.       You can put money into both. 

B.       Not a huge difference between the two. Going to be very close.

2.       Roth option: are you limited to $7,000?

A.       Yes.

3.       Is everyone automatically signed up for both supplemental plans?

A.       No. They are both elective. 

B.       One found online through Empower.

C.       403b will require a form.

D.       Links are above. 

4.       What are the advantages of the two supplemental plans?

A.       They will have similar asset investment opportunities. 

B.       We have a TIAA rep that comes to campus often. You can meet with them and ask questions. 

5.       Who can we ask specific to us questions?

A.       Josh Frasier helps employees plan for retirement.

B.       Have two benefits employees you can email through [email protected].

6.       TRS unfunded liability mandate 4.71% is put into a fund for those on TRS. 

7.        Why did MSU choose to offer a defined plan with a limit to how much you can contribute?

A.       Back in 1993 the faculty made a choice by vote and went with the defined contribution plan. 

8.       20% total contribution, wherever you contribute, is more realistic for having enough money to retire. 

9.       If we move away from TIAA as our record keeper will we no longer have a TIAA rep to talk              to?

A.       Correct. Education would be a very important part of our decision making on where to move. 

B.       MUS Retirement Plan will be better off no matter who we go with-even if we stay                   with TIAA. We can negotiate with TIAA during RFP process.

10.   These things are decided on at the Legislative level. 

11.   We do an RFP for record keepers every seven or eight years. 

12.   What else can we do to move the needle, besides just putting more money into another                account? 

A.       This is a legislative issue. Do not know the process to get policy to change. 

13.   We are trying to get an increase in what MUS pays into our benefits package. 

b.      Carter Dorsett: Teaching & Learning Technology Studio

i.       Barnard 127 is available to use to create content

ii.      Faculty focus groups have given us feedback on what we could add to the room. 

iii.     Open House next Thursday 29th, 4-6pm. Snacks. Door prizes. 127 Barnard Hall.

1.      Demo podium

A.      Practice technology

2.      Conferencing area/hybrid classroom

A.      12 in the room

3.      Podcasting suite

4.      Light board

A.      Like a whiteboard, use neon markers

 I.      Can be recorded

5.      Green screen set up

c.       Catherine Dunlop: New graduate policies

i.      See slide with org chart

V.            The established time for the meeting came to an end. The Chair of Faculty Senate called for a motion to                     adjourn. 

a.      Chris Posbergh moves to adjourn. Gary Caton seconds. Meeting adjourned at 4:29pm. 

VI.            New Business

a.      Changes to the Graduate Catalog (First Reading) 

i.      Eligibility for Assistantships

ii.      Academic Standing

VII.            Undergraduate Courses and Programs 

a.      Courses – First Reading

i.        ANTY 358: The Archaeology of Ice and Snow

ii.       GDSN 266: Letterpress Research Trip

iii.      HSTA 129: Asian American History

iv.      ITS 221: Project Management

v.       ITS 279: Cloud Systems

b.      Course Changes – First Reading

i.      ETME 340: Mechanisms

1.      Credit change from 4 to 3

2.      The changes are associated with the bigger program level change that began          implementation in Fall 2023 (see attached explanation). MET faculty determined that a reduction of credits in Mechanisms and Machine Design to implement the newer technology (mechatronics) was the most prudent way to implement this change.

ii.      ETME 341: Machine Design

1.      Credit change from 4 to 3

2.      The changes are associated with the bigger program level change that began implementation in Fall 2023 (see attached explanation). MET faculty determined that a reduction of credits in Mechanisms and Machine Design to implement the newer technology (mechatronics) was the most prudent way to implement this change.

c.       Courses—Second Reading 

i.        ECIV 459: Sustainable Transportation & Community Health

ii.       HSTR 369: The Holocaust in Memory and Film

iii.      US 340: Legal Educations and Careers

d.      Course Changes — Second Reading 

i.      ECIV 499R: Capstone: Civil Eng Design

1.      The ECIV program is moving from a two-semester capstone sequence to one capstone course in the final                    semester of the program. ECIV 499R is being changed from 2 to 3 credits with one lab credit being added.                  ECIV 489R will be removed from the curriculum and will no longer serve as prerequisite for this course.

2.      Title change from ECIV 499R: Capstone: Civil Eng Design II

3.      Change of credits from 2 to 3

ii.      EELE 488R : Electrical Engineering Design I

1.      Credit change from 2 to 3

2.      Increasing credits to 3 to represent actual workload of course and removed a prerequisite

iii.      EENV 499R: Environmental Engineering Design 

1.      Title change from EENV 499R: Environmental Engineering Design II

2.      The ENVE program is moving from a two-semester capstone sequence to one capstone course in the final semester of the program. EENV 499R is being changed from 2 to 3 credits with one lab credit being added. EENV 489R will be removed from the curriculum and will no longer serve as prerequisite for this course.

iv.      FILM 122IA: Acting for Non-Majors

1.      Rubric change from THTR

2.      See explanation document

v.      FILM 304 : Live Production and Camera

1.      See explanation document

2.      Rubric change from THTR

3.      Title change from Theatre Production

vi.      MAS Courses-Credit change

1.      Change in credits from 2 to 3. Leadership Lab and Physical Training are mandatory practical military trainings for students pursuing a commission into the Air Force or Space Force. Physical Training is associated with Leadership Laboratory objectives so this change updates the objectives and course hours to include PT.

2.      Changes to titles are only to make everything congruent (lab vs laboratory) and to remove the course number from the title. 

A.      MAS 115 : Leadership Lab

B.      MAS 116 : Leadership Lab

C.       MAS 215 : Leadership Lab

D.      MAS 216 : Leadership Lab 

E.      MAS 315 : Leadership Lab

F.        MAS 316 : Leadership Lab

G.      MAS 415 : Leadership Lab

H.      MAS 416 : Leadership Lab

e.      Course Inactivations – Second Reading

i.      BIOE 435 : A Study of Local Ecosystems for Teachers

1.      BIOE 435 is co-offered as BIOE 536 A Study of Local Ecosystems for Teachers in the MSSE Program. MSSE has found that the dual offering is confusing, especially to undergraduates who self-enroll for the course, creating issues for our Academic Advisor and the instructor. We propose dropping the BIOE 435 as a dual offering with BIOE 535. Attached are approvals from Diane Debinski, the Department Chair of Ecology and Joe Bradshaw, course instructor.

ii.      BIOE 436 : Symbiosis for Teachers: Eat, Prey, Love

1.      BIOE 436 is co-taught as BIOE 536 A Study of Local Ecosystems for Teachers in the MSSE Program. MSSE has found that the dual offering is confusing, especially to undergraduates who self-enroll for the course, creating issues for our Academic Advisor and the instructor. We propose dropping the BIOE 436 as a dual offering with BIOE 536. Attached are approvals from Diane Debinski, the Department Chair of Ecology and Joe Bradshaw, course instructor.

iii.      THTR Courses:

We are changing the rubric of our remaining two active theatre classes to FILM and the one remaining TT prof who teaches "theatre" teaches all classes for film and can use these independent studies, internships, research projects under the FILM rubric instead.

1.      THTR 490R: Undergraduate Research

2.      THTR 492: Independent Study

3.      THTR 494: Seminar/Workshop

4.      THTR 498: Career Internship

VIII.            Graduate Courses and Programs 

a.      Courses – First Reading

i.      BFIN 530: Accounting and Finance for the Entrepreneur

ii.       BGEN 510: Innovation Sprint 1

iii.       BGEN 515 : Innovation Sprint 2

iv.      BGEN 520: Life Design and Career Development 1

v.       EENV 570: Montana Water Rights and Water Law

b.      Course Changes – First Reading

i.      FILM 504 : Film and Documentary Theory

1.      Credit change from 3 to 4

2.      We did this with FILM 505 and that is up in front of Faculty Senate right now. We should have done this with FILM 504 at the same time. The other benefit to doing this is that one faculty, not two, will be assigned to the class. In the past we have hired out the 1 credit offerings to NTTs and this way a TT faculty will do both. Also, the 4 credits give a clearer expectation of the workload involved with the class.

c.       Programs — Second Reading 

i.      ENGR-MENG-MENG: Masters of Engineering in Manufacturing Engineering

 IX.            Senators’ Open Conversation 

X.            Public Comment 

XI.            Adjourn 

a.      Chris Posbergh moves to adjourn. Gary Caton seconds. Meeting adjourned at 4:29pm.