Faculty Senate Minutes, November 8, 2024

January 8, 2025

10:00 AM-12:00 PM: Westville – LSF 002

Minutes

Voting Members Present:
Ali Alavizadeh, Khair Al Shamaileh, Lee Artz, Shreya Bhandari, John Durocher, Rob Hallock, Wei He, Maria Hughes, Patrick Keegan, Hansung Kim, Dave Kozel, Roger Kraft, Robert Kramer, Amanda Kratovil-Mailhiot, Yun Liu, Patti Ludwig-Beymer, Amlan Mitra, Hassan Naji, Laurie Parpart, Ashok Vardhan Raja, Sheila Rezak, Pam Saylor, Diane Spoljoric, George Stefanik, Nicolae Tarfulea, Kathy Tobin, Donna Whitten, Cheng Zhang

Voting Members Absent:
Gokarna Aryal, Geoffrey Barrow, Frank Colucci, Jim Dolen, Masoud Fathizadeh, Shontrai Irving, Jessica Ivy

Non-Voting Members Present:
Tony Elmendorf, Alan McCafferty

Others Present:
Chris Holford, Marie Mora, Chloe Belford, Emily Hixon, Omar Sahmoudi, Stephen Turner, Sarah White, Jen Williams

Determination of quorum.
- Quorum determined at 9:59 AM
Call to order.
- Meeting called to order at 10:00 AM
Approval of the agenda.
- Motion for approval by P. Ludwig-Beymer
- Seconded by L. Artz
- Approved by voice vote
Approval of the minutes from October 11, 2024
- Motion for approval by R. Hallock
- Seconded by N. Tarfulea
- Approved by voice vote
Remarks by the Senate Chair
- The Chair encouraged faculty to stay updated on campus news with the Pioneer student newspaper.
- She encouraged holding food drives to support student needs.
Remarks by the Chancellor
- Chancellor Holford announced that Purdue Northwest has received the 2024-25 College of Distinction award in business, education, engineering, and nursing. The university was also recognized for its diverse student body and career development.
- The latest issue of Inside PNW is out now. It is our local version of Purdue Today.
  1. Acknowledged N. Parashar, who was recently named a fellow in physics.
- The Chancellor highlighted several recent notable visits and events on campus, including visits from former Surgeon General Antonia Novella, Joe Duty from Wilson Sporting Goods, Stephanie LaRue from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Alejandra Castillo from the U.S. Commerce Department, and Mach H2 Chief Information Officer Neil Van Wart gave a plenary address on utilizing hydrogen.
- Chancellor Holford mentioned that the university is having conversations about meeting student needs for commencement exercises, as they have seen a decrease in December commencement attendance but an increase in spring commencement attendance. A survey has been conducted to gather student feedback.
  1. Alumni were surveyed, and 76% used their tickets. 80% needed more tickets. Meeting with SGA members to discuss how to create commencement exercises.
- He also discussed a petition circulating to relaunch the Purdue Northwest license plate, which provides scholarship funds when purchased. Our version before COVID-19 was discontinued because we were 13 signatures short.
- The Chancellor briefly mentioned upcoming events on campus, including the sizeable external conference hosted by the Chicago Wilderness Alliance on November 15.
- Chancellor Holford concluded by encouraging faculty to participate in the current open enrollment period for benefits.
Remarks by the Provost/VCAA
- Provost Mora thanked the Senate for the opportunity to speak
- She reported that two former students, Casey Mitchell and Justyna Syska, won a total of five Emmy awards from the Midwest chapter. The Provost thanked Associate Professor Emeritus of Communication Mary Beth O’Connor for sharing.
- The Provost said the CES Dean search committee has been formed, the job announcement is out, and the search firm assisting us said there has been a lot of interest. The Provost encouraged Senators to circulate the announcement to build a robust applicant pool.
- She reiterated the Campus-wide announcement of A. Gregory’s resigning as CHESS Dean. Michael Lynn is serving as interim dean.
  1. A search committee launched this semester, talks with a search firm are in place, and they aim for a semi-final interview in early January. On-campus interviews are expected to take place in late January. Ideally, the candidate would be appointed and begin by this summer.
- Provost Mora thanked everyone involved with Strategic Planning and gave a special shout-out to Senate Vice-Chair D. Kozel. There has been significant participation so far. Groups are working on values and goals. The University leadership team has also approved the latest version of the mission and vision statements. These will be shared with faculty soon.
- She reported that the College of Technology had a successful accreditation visit with seven programs considered within three commissions of Abet. She thanked the faculty and staff for their work.
- She announced that Purdue West Lafayette’s Office of Research will recognize several faculty and staff with 2024 Seed for Success Acorn Awards.
- Evening courses scheduled in Westville:
  1. CIS
  2. ITS
  3. Physics
  4. Psychology
  5. English
  6. Business Analytics
  7. Communications
- Provost Mora discussed Purdue Northwest’s participation in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) conference and a reception for their newly opened Chicago offices. We plan to host a visit from HACU’s new Senior Vice President for State and Policy and Government Relations, Dr. Reyes González.
- She mentioned the submission of an NSF ADVANCE application focused on faculty gender equity in STEM. We will continue applying if we do not receive it this year.
- Study abroad and study away programs have 16 planned trips.
- Provost Mora concluded her remarks by clarifying that faculty can still upload PDFs in Interfolio for FAR.
VCFA S. Turner Presentation on IBBM
- VCFA Turner provided a report on the Incentive-Based Budget Model
  1. Background
    1. IBBM was implemented at Purdue Northwest 3 years ago, after a year of modeling and a “shadow year” with the previous incremental budget model. The transition to IBBM occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Comparison to Previous Budget Model
    1. The previous model was largely historic and incremental, with decisions made centrally. IBBM is focused on revenue allocation, with the billable credit hour as the unit of measure. IBBM provides more entrepreneurial incentives for colleges as they retain the benefits of revenue increases and efficiencies.
  3. Revenue Allocation
    1. Undergraduate and graduate tuition fees are split 50/50 between the college of instruction and the college of the student’s major. State appropriation and other revenue sources are also included in the allocation.
  4. Expense Allocation
    1. The presentation included a flow chart showing how revenue is allocated to the colleges and how overhead costs (service centers, indirect costs, etc.) are distributed. A subvention fund of 2.5% of available revenue is set aside for strategic initiatives.
  5. Next Steps
    1. VCFA Turner encouraged faculty to contact their college deans if they have questions about the IBBM details specific to their college. He also mentioned plans to offer open office hours with the Provost and himself to address IBBM-related questions.
  6. Sahmoudi said financial needs analysis (FNA) is calculated annually using the revenue collected in the prior year. Details are worked out in the grants office. Working with colleges and departments on how the calculation
  7. Chancellor Holford provided details on how FNA costs are distributed.
    1. Before the IBBM implementation, 70% of FNA costs were held centrally. In comparison, the colleges (like Engineering and Sciences) had a 10-10-10 model where 10% went to the college, 10% to the department, and 10% to the investigator. After the IBBM transition, the distribution was flipped, with 30% held centrally to support the sponsored research office and 70% distributed.
    2. The 70% distributed FNA funds are handled in two ways
      1. For regular faculty research, 70% goes to the college, and the dean/department chairs decide how to distribute it. For research conducted at the designated institutional centers (CIVS, Energy, Water Institute), the 70% goes directly to those centers.
    3. There is a fourth category where research is conducted off-site; in those cases, 70% of FNA goes to the institutional centers or off-site activities.
    4. The Chancellor clarified the rationale behind the 30/70 split, stating that the central 30% supports the staffing needs of the sponsored research office, which needs to scale up or down based on the overall research activity.

Presentation materials

Unfinished Business
- Interfolio for FAR
  1. Provost Mora clarified that faculty can still upload a PDF document for their annual review in Interfolio rather than having to use the specific Interfolio fields.
  2. Hallock from the Faculty Affairs Committee thanked Provost Mora for clarifying, as there was some confusion about using Interfolio.
  3. The Vice-Chair raised a concern that some department heads or deans may have pressured faculty to use Interfolio in a specific way, rather than allowing the PDF upload option.
  4. The Chair suggested that a reminder from upper administration about the flexibility in using Interfolio would help address this issue and ensure faculty are not being forced to use Interfolio in a particular manner.
  5. The consensus was that for promotion and tenure, Interfolio is required, but for the annual faculty review, faculty can choose to either use Interfolio or submit a PDF document.
  6. The Faculty Affairs Committee is also still looking into potential alternatives to Interfolio for the annual faculty review process, as some faculty have expressed concerns about the platform.

New Business:
- Curriculum Documents Approval
  1. 23 documents up for approval.
    1. Motioned for approval by L. Artz
    2. Seconded by W. He
    3. Approved by voice vote
  2. For Action:
    - none
  3. Discussion Items:
    - none
  4. Reports from Senate Standing Committee Chairs
    - Curriculum (Lee Artz)
      1. Artz emphasized the importance of faculty reviewing the curriculum documents before voting on the proposals. He expressed concern that faculty may be approving proposals without actually reviewing the details.
      2. The committee has one outstanding proposal for approval. The committee will not meet today. As such, the proposal will be reviewed at their next meeting.
      3. Artz reminded the Faculty Senate that any proposals for program changes or new programs should be submitted to the Curriculum Committee by January for consideration. This is to ensure the Faculty Senate can approve the proposals in February, as required by the Registrar’s Office for inclusion in the academic catalog.
    - Faculty Affairs (Rob Hallock)
      1. Hallock said the committee thanks Provost Mora for working with them on Interfolio and FAR.
      2. The committee expects the policy on office hours to be passed before the end of the semester. It will be narrow in scope, as it was last month. It will only deal with the number of hours faculty should have for office hours, not an inclusive policy of office hours in general. The revised version will be provided at the next meeting.
      3. The Vice-Chair asked if the committee is still seeking an Interfolio alternative. R. Hallock confirmed that they are. The license for Interfolio will be renewed next year for a three-year term. This doesn’t include its use for various purposes. We know that PUWL uses a different system, but they haven’t used it long enough to provide feedback. The Vice-Chair said if the renewal is due next year, this would be the best time to seek alternatives to both FAR and P&T.
      4. Alavizadeh asked if the committee would like input from departments regarding office hours. R. Hallock mentioned that the committee is interested in whether departments oppose requiring full-time faculty to offer four weekly office hours.
    - Gen Ed & Assessment (Amlan Mitra)
      1. The Gen Ed Committee is working on a self-study report required by Becky’s office to be completed by the end of the semester.
      2. The committee has communicated with department chairs about missing assessment documents from the last 3 years and is asking Senators to follow up with their departments.
      3. The First Year Experience (FYE) subcommittee has proposed recommendations for instructors, curriculum, faculty engagement, enrollment limits, and course formats. The Gen Ed Committee will be reviewing and discussing these recommendations.
      4. The Experiential Learning (EXL) Subcommittee has identified courses that should be deleted due to not being offered in the last 5 years.
      5. There has been an issue with the automatic deletion process by the Registrar’s office.
      6. Maintaining accurate assessment data is crucial for the university’s Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation.
      7. The Gen Ed Committee still seeks a third member for the FYE subcommittee.
      8. Ludwig-Beymer asked if there is a list of those who need to provide reports. A. Mitra said yes, and it would be helpful for Senators to return to their departments and remind their department chairs.
    - Nominations, Elections, & Awards (John Durocher)
      1. Durocher said K. Burton is serving as the University Policy Committee (UPC) rep.
      2. Kim (CES) has agreed to serve on the PNW Website Advisory Committee
      3. Ludwig Beamer from the College of Nursing has agreed to serve on the Purdue Advisory Committee on Equity.
      4. Bhandari has agreed to serve on the CHESS Dean Search Committee.
      5. The Center for Faculty Excellence is emailing potential candidates from CHESS and the College of Business to fill the remaining position on the FYE subcommittee.
      6. The Nominations Committee, along with Roger and Patrick, has agreed to have a two-step process for the Outstanding Faculty Teaching, Engagement, and Scholarship Awards.
      7. The first step will be a nomination period through Qualtrics, and the second step will involve submissions through a different platform.
      8. Due to license limitations, the committee is exploring options like Microsoft Forms or Brightspace for the submissions.
      9. Durocher clarified that faculty on sabbatical can be nominated for awards and can serve on award committees if they choose. Still, they should check with their chair or dean to ensure it does not interfere with their sabbatical plans.
    - Ed Policy (Yun (Tom) Liu)
      1. Liu mentioned that the Ed Policy Committee discussed the Reverse Transfer Program, part of Senate Bill 8.
        
        The Reverse Transfer Program allows previous Ivy Tech students who transferred to a four-year institution to send their earned credits back to Ivy Tech to be evaluated for a possible associate degree.
        
        Liu stated that Purdue Northwest is already a partner in this program, so no immediate action is required on the university’s part.
      2. Academic reorganization proposal
        
        The committee is ready to review the proposal for consideration.

Student Affairs (Jessica Ivy)
1. Ivy was not in attendance but provided a report.
2. The Student Affairs Committee is seeking nominations for the November Student of the Month, with a deadline of November 15. Maya Bell was recognized as the October Student of the Month.
3. The Chair said some faculty were not receiving emails from the #PNW All Faculty mailing list. If you are not receiving emails from this distribution list, please submit a ticket to IS.
4. The Student Affairs Committee continues to examine student absence policies at the West Lafayette campus, as there are currently no comprehensive policies at Purdue Northwest.

West Lafayette Report (David Nalbone)

Purdue University Senate meeting notes, Oct. 21, 2024

Prepared by David Nalbone

President’s remarks: new research process (Purdue Excellence in Research Administration, PERA) in place; town hall regarding science facilities about a year ago à $160M new research facility (with Board approval), the Life Sciences Interdisciplinary Research Building, submitted to legislature as #1 priority, plus major renovations of 4 colleges and their departments; incentives currently provided for book publications, with other incentives coming; support for internal and external awards.

Consent agenda: nominees for committees approved.

SD 24-03: resolution for voting facilities and time on campus; approved.

VP remarks (on PERA and research): 2840 proposals submitted; $1.95B requested (42 > $5m each); total research portfolio = $3.1B (up 40% in past 5 years); of research funds, 69% is federal (19% DoD, 16% NSF, 15% HHS); many master agreements (= $184M); new tools coming (esp. AI tools).

VP remarks (on hiring and recruitment): building on previous remarks, 66 topics-based hires, 15 talent-based hires, and 88 clinical/professional hires; currently, there are 1,973 T/TT faculty and 360 clinical/professional faculty (85% and 15% of all faculty, from 89% and 11%, respectively, in 2019); concerns expressed over rise in C/P faculty ratio; salary equity study to see if gender bias exists; if concerns over gender bias exists, faculty should contact Assoc VP for Compliance; if equity study results indicate salary is outside the norm without adequate justification, adjustments will be made.

Senate Budget Subordinate Committee Report (Tom Roach)

Budget Committee Report 11/24

Tom Roach

The Senate Budget committee is taking a broader focus this year

And considering questions of budget priorities, here are four examples:

We have approximately half of the student enrollment of 10 years ago, have administrative salaries and support staff been scaled back proportionately?
Why haven’t we returned to full summer pay of 11 percent per class for faculty?
Are we devoting adequate resources for teaching? This one isn’t just a salary issue. For instance, the first floor of the classroom office building has been turned into a costly recreation area. Yet some of us are teaching in Gyte with students sitting in high school type chairs in rooms that are so overcrowded that there is barely enough space for the instructor to stand at the front and deliver a lecture.
Is the IBBM model incentivizing department chairs and deans to cut back on instruction expenses in favor of hiring more support staff and funding things like the expensive trip to Oman that was taken recently by the dean of CHESS?
Interfaculty Council Report (Geoffrey Barrow)
- No report, meeting on November 4
Student Government Association Report (Chloe Belford)
- Belford said SGA is working with the Chancellor to determine what students would like to see at the December commencement.
Open discussion (as time permits)
- The Chair mentioned that the cafeteria is conducting a feasibility study and is looking for volunteers to attend a meeting next Thursday from 8-9 am in the SU LB1 classroom. She asked if anyone who is already on the Hammond campus could volunteer for the one-hour meeting
- .L. Artz asked if placing the SGA report was possible.
- The Chair reminded everyone to sign in for the meeting, as it is essential to have faculty attendance recorded.
Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned at 11:45 AM