February 3, 2021

Faculty Senate Meeting 

2/3/2021 

Held in Spindletop 8th floor library and via Teams due to Covid-19 

NOTE: Some images were captured from guest speakers and may be obtained in PDF format from Faculty Senate secretary, Ashley Dockens at adockens@lamar.edu or from administrative assistant Amy Jones at ajones165@lamar.edu. Please put "Faculty Senate February 2021 Minutes Request" as your subject heading.

Attending:  

Paul Hemenway entered after attendance check. Mohamad Hamza was also in attendance. (Added after email regarding missing attendance prior to March meeting). 

Recheck of attendees at 4:18 PM   

Ashley L. Dockens, Berna E. Tokgoz, Brad Harden, Cengiz Sen, Cheng-Hsien Len, Christopher B. Martin, Chun-Wei Yao, Cindy Cummings, Cristina Rios, Debbie Troxclair, Donna S. Azodi, Edgardo J. Pujols, Eric C. Shannon, Eunjin Kwon, James Nelson, James W. Armacost, Jennifer R. Fowler, Jeremy Shelton, Jing Zhang, John D. McCollough, John Gossage, Kelli M. White, Travis C. Prokop, Trina Nolen, Virginia K. Shelton, Vivek S. Natarajan, Wen Liu, Xenia Fedorchenko, Yasuko Sato, Yueqing Li, Kelly O. Weeks, Kenneth Young, Kimberly Wallet-Chalam..., Lawrence J. Osborne, LeAnn J. Chisholm, Matthew Hoch, Melissa A. Riley, Michael K. Saar (Guest), Mien Jao, Millicent M. Musyoka, Nancy M. Staub, Nicki L. Michalski, Pat Heintzelman, Paul Hemenway, Raymond Doe, Ricardo Colon, Robert Nicks, Ruhai Wang, Ruthie L. Robinson, S. Maryam Vasefi, Serdar Ilban, Sujing Wang, Tilisa N. Thibodeaux, Tim McCoy

Call to Order: 3:34 PM – some presentation/sound issues on the 8th floor prevented immediate start 

Recording began at 3:58 PM during guest, Bert Wagner’s discussion of COVID-19.  

Guest Speakers:  

Marco Borne, Athletic Director – Recently announced to join WAC (asked to leave current conference a year early). Thanks to Dr. Evans for his support and excited to join a conference with some prestigious institutions in the league. New division inclusions (see below). We are part of the SW division within Texas. Travel costs will not increase – may reduce since currently all in SW. Basketball and football may play Southern Utah and Dixie State. 

AR, UT, and TX are the fastest growing in population. All institutions increasing. Wanted to be committed to Division 1 athletics and be related to universities that are growing and forward thinking.  

One concern was why join financially – lots of revenue attached to the new league and greater branding, including more ESPN and related content/coverage. Football schedule for Fall is completely gone and is having to be remade.  

Bert Wagner – COVID-19 Update – other guests with R. Wagner: see list below. Terry Mena leaving on May 5 – Melinda in his office to take over when he leaves. Jeff Bell helps with ADA Covid-19 related requests.  

<<< Report provided 2/2/2021. LU aware of current situations. We understand the severity here and across the globe. Covid-19 (289 cases of students and 84 faculty/staff with Covid at LU) since March 2020.  

We follow CDC guidelines:  

Most questions on campus are easily addressed and related to exposure and time off and immediate steps and the like. Advocating testing for all individuals with even slight symptoms or close contact – within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more or having touch contact within a 24 hour period. We have been using social distancing to assist in keeping numbers down. Website has local testing centers listed and Curative testing does free testing in the Montagne Center North parking lot and make an appointment online or at the table set up there. Testing about 35 people a day. They do a PCR active virus test and 48 hour response window directly to the individual via cellphone or email – does not come to LU. Very few challenges for masking. Masks ARE required on campus. We use governor Abbot’s policy re: teaching and speaking – mask may be removed if at least 6 feet of distance between you and the listeners. David Martin can make and provide clear face shields. Some options re: quarantine 14 days if you are showing no symptoms – see link below.  

Congrats on the sudden shift to online teaching in March 2020. Much of this was supported by Provost Office and Distance Learning staff.   

LU covers this via the government mandate (the expanded time of paid leave). FFRCA expired 12/31/2020 but is being reviewed by Pres. Biden and may re-open this additional leave.  

Shawn Gray from Student Health Center:   

Telehealth is limited to students living in Texas because of lack of reciprocity of licensure of our clinicians. Marie, health educator, hosting Wellness Wednesdays, a virtual discussion with focus on wellness primarily on Covid-19 – today’s topic is re: social connections during a pandemic.  

Athletics getting screened more frequently to allow regular play. CampusWell contract virtual magazine customized to LU Students – app: allows for info to be shared with students on campus.  

x8470 facilities and cleaning/supplies dispatch 

Friday at noon in front of library – mask distribution  

Questions for Wagner:  

J.D. McCollough – what is the testing type and process? Wager – Cough 3 times and swab cheeks and put in sleeve and submit. Email or text results to the individual. JDM – Any vaccines in Jeff Co. yet? Shawn – Legacy Healthcare Center and Public Health have been allocated vaccines but may not be ready yet. All data goes into MTrax system. 

Xenia Fedorchenko – where is our covid dashboard? Kate Downing: LU return web – gray bar – covid-19 dashboard will be there – Jeff Co./health department/LU – info comes from Jeff Co. health dept. and B. Wagner on campus – forms are on that page to report to go to Wagner and Carolina Bryan (reporting will get you info on leave and on what to do to get healthy). Mental health telehealth only for students and EAP program will provide faculty counseling. Not sure how many sessions are covered. 

1. Harden – Can we get a copy sent to us? Wagner – yes
   

KO Weeks – how do we address medical exemptions?  - ask kindly and avoid by distancing – avoid blaming – Shawn: asking if have a condition that prevents wearing of mask is not a violation of HIPPA if they aren’t required to tell you the condition 

Cheng-Hsien Len – form is not a requirement if you test positive as faculty/staff – (noted where he got number of 84 faculty/staff) – requesting that Wagner is informed – number is from Wagner’s list 

Curative may stay longer if being used well. Are press releases out (Jennifer question) – yes, tv interviews with Wagner and Shelly Vitanza – 96 PIOs in community have been notified. Web, campus announcements, and social media announcements. The company also wants to PR it. Send ideas on where to share. They will let us know about posts so we can reshare.  

1. Hoch – concerns re: student groups refusing to wear masks even when faculty are asking them to do so – LUPD will not act on any call re: that – what can we do?Example: students wearing mask is inconsistent  

COVID-19 EVENT GUIDELINES ARE PUBLISHED: https://www.lamar.edu/_files/documents/finance-operations/administrative-services/event_guidelines_published-10-19-2020.pdf  

Harden: Gaiters are ineffective and cause issues greater – Wagner – LU distributed and Duke Univ released that it was not helpful – so we stopped distribution  

Dismissed guests at 4:35 PM. 

Approval of Minutes: A motion was made by Dorothy Sisk to accept the minutes of the last meeting. It was seconded by John McCullough and carried.   

President’s Report:  

• All full-time faculty are allowed to attend meetings except Chairs level or above. 
• As soon as search committee is finalized, President search lead from TSUS will meet with Faculty Senate. 
• Encourage use of Curative to keep on campus. 
• Chairs contacted to learn about 2nd and 4th year adding to virtual platform – may be able to add to tenure committee  
• What is our wishlist in what we want as faculty in a president? Contact Jennifer to volunteer ideas (Cheng-Hsien Lin – recommends each committee create some.)  

Committee reports: 

Academic Issues from Melissa:  

No meeting in January. No report. Will meet in February.  

Faculty Issues from Xenia:  

No meeting in January. Will meet in February. Did meet with B. Nichols in December re: promotion and tenure guidelines/timelines – met with faculty promotion review committee to straighten out some discrepancies – and have everything set to adhere to TSUS guidelines. Correcting to TSUS timelines 6+6. Up to 3 years can be awarded in negotiations for those seeking early tenure. Ombudsman? Course reduction position now than what was discussed.  

Budget and Compensation from Garrick: 

No meeting in January. No report. Will meet in February.  

Events Committee/Distinguish Faculty Lecture from Dorothy: 

No meeting in January. Will meet in February. March 31 at 3:30 PM – event center in the Reaud Building for Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. Please let DS know if you plan to attend in person. 

Research and Creative Activity from John:  

No meeting in January. Will meet in February. Waiting to hear back if FDL will be awarded this year.   

F2.08 Committee by Jim: 

Met in January. Still looking into automating and digital measure software to be used in both F2.08 and the tenure/promotion process – will send info to executive committee soon.  

Student success from Nicki: 

Survey will be distributed 2/4/2021. 

Faculty Handbook Committee from Matt: 

Separating Policy and Procedures. Policies will be Handbook ready. Process is super slow and tedious, especially the more complex topics, such as workload. There is a draft which focuses only on policies because procedures (MAPPs) is taking time. Nichols has mentioned that week of Feb.1 we would have a campus announcement re: update on reviewed policies. Joe Nordgren now directing MAPP committee – Dockens to co-direct and looking for new members. (Question from Matt – What is Nordgren’s status?) 

What are MAPPS? Manual of Administrative Policy and Procedure – this is the time for us to note issues and to get the procedures laid out as we hope. Please volunteer.  

OLD BUSINESS:  

The investigation ad hoc committee from Pat:  

Has not been successful in obtaining more information.  

NEW BUSINESS:  

Matt Hoch: Dept of Biology and CAS (College of Arts and Sciences) – and other various departments – Summer teaching offerings cut by 40% - without any faculty consultation, chairs are determining rotations (overload sections and adjunct faculty being hired are being blamed) – we have concerns about new programs losing out on this issue – LeAnn Chisholm: similar issues in Nursing, program director cuts and faculty load courses lessened, etc. – Education and COFAC also seeing similar cuts – How and why are summer cuts being made? Deferring to Budget Committee 

Adjournment: 

• The motion to adjourn was made by Dorothy Sisk. Seconded by Matt Hoch. Passed. Meeting adjourned at 5:08 PM. 

• Recording stop at 5:09 PM.