fsfaculty: Message from Dr Mark Goodman

["Delores Hudson" <dhudson@Senate.msstate.edu>]

September 14, 2004

To the Mississippi State University faculty:

A board of regents governs many universities. These boards, like IHL,
have
broad powers, but usually focus on setting general policies, tracking
the
general welfare of the universities, and establishing a positive
relationship between the board members and the university presidents.
In
this context, the IHL actions over the summer are extraordinary. These
three
actions include: 

1. Some members of IHL disregarded the recommendation of the MSU
president
and sought to make personnel decisions, specifically the termination
of
Larry Templeton;

2. IHL voted to change the university undergraduate degree requirements
without a full
discussion with the academic deans of the universities;

3. IHL is requiring a post-tenure review policy that includes a
procedure
for firing tenured faculty members.

Effective leadership by President Lee and Provost Rabideau blunted the
worst
of these efforts by IHL. Templeton received a new two-year contract.
Ultimately, the academic deans led by Rabideau convinced a majority of
IHL
members to settle for a degree reduction to 124 hours. Many Draconian
elements of the original plan were dropped.

Two immediate tasks face Faculty Senate.

Since May, representatives from Faculty Senate and the University
Courses
and Curriculum Committee have been seeking ways to meet the IHL degree
mandate while protecting the integrity of the curriculum and the
degree.

    Requiring a reduction in the hours of the majors would threaten
the
integrity of the programs.
    
    Requiring colleges to cut their requirements would weaken the
breath of
the education at Mississippi State.

We believe we can best protect the curriculum and the degree by
reducing the
core. The faculty plan you will consider today is the joint work of
UCCC and
the Academic Affairs Committee chaired by Lou D'Abramo. The plan moves
the
proficiency requirements in speaking, writing, and computing from the
core
to the departments. Each college and each department will have the
flexibility to view its curriculum and decide how best to meet the
speaking,
writing, and computing requirements. Most departments currently have
courses
that require some of these proficiencies.

Faculty Senate must act quickly on the 124-hour degree because all
degree
programs will need to explain to their college committees and UCCC how
they
will handle these changes. The paperwork will take time. Meanwhile,
all
other curriculum changes will probably be put on hold.

The Senate's second task will be post-tenure review. Randy Follett and
the
Faculty Affairs Committee will be assigned the task of bringing a
proposal
back to the Senate.

We will seek to keep the faculty informed about these important issues
and
others as they arise.  You may email me anytime with your suggestions
and
ideas.

Mark Goodman, 
President, 
Robert Holland Faculty Senate