The University Senate was called to order at 3:30 p.m., in 111 Harrison Hall on Monday, February 20,
2023. Members absent: Jackson Abram, Helaine Alessio, Shelby Alford, Steve Bailey, Lee Biggerstaff,
Durrell Callier, Riley Crabtree, Eli Davies, Steven Elliott, Tyler Eyster, Dawn Fahner, Michael Gallo, Chip
Hahn, Patrick Houlihan, Kennedy Hughes, Spencer Izor, Martin Johnson, Young Lin, Patrick Lindsay, Kevin Messner, Peter Mkhatshwa, Carla Myers, Danelle Stein, Liz Wardle

1. Call to Order- Announcements and Remarks – Tom Poetter, Chair of University Senate Executive
   Committee
   1. Survey coming out for every member of faculty assembly regarding willingness to serve on
      Senate Subcommittees; There are parallel processes for both staff and students. It is important
      to encourage participation in shared governance. 
   2. Senate Executive Committee sets the Agenda for Senate. We are constantly taking input on
      what needs to come to Senate. We are constantly pushing policies ahead and other issues.
      Thank you to the student senators for being here. 
   3. Chair Poetter appreciates the openness regarding the budget and support the meetings that are
      still ongoing regarding the budget and all the issues that may impact us.
   4. Chair Poetter will be leaving at 4:30pm but Chair-elect Haynes, will be taking over facilitation.
2. Approval of University Senate Minutes 
   1. 01.23.2022 (42 - Yes, 0-No, 0-Abstain)
3. Consent Calendar The following items were received and accepted on the Consent Calendar:
   1. Curricular Items _02.01.2023
   2. Curricular Items_02.15.2023
   3. LEC Meeting Minutes_12.07.2022
   4. LEC Meeting Minutes_01.24.2023 
   5. LEC Meeting Minutes_01.31.2023 
   6. LEC Meeting Minutes_02.07.2023
   7. Graduate Meeting Minutes_01.26.2023
   8. Graduate Council Curriculum Only_02.14.2023
4. New Business
   1. Proposed Class Attendance Policy Revision, Carolyn Haynes
      1. Rationale: 
         (1) Students may not be aware of this policy unless it is in the syllabus, and two weeks
         seems to be a brief period to make this request.
         (2) Students who follow the Christian faith often do not have to ask for major holiday
         accommodations since those are already observed officially by the University.
      2. Process: Academic Policy Committee reviewed and changed wording to:
         (1) Require students to give a notice of the class to be missed due to religious holiday at least one week prior to the missed class.
         (2) Revised the wording to eliminate redundancies and disorganization of ideas
      3. During the process, the new H.B. 353 “Testing Your Faith” Bill was signed which required additional work to align with the new law, namely, requiring instructors clearly state on the syllabus the procedure for requesting the accommodation for missed class due to religious holiday, including a contact for more information and a grievance procedure which can be used. Syllabus boilerplate language which will be linked to the policy in Policy Library and
         sent to instructors prior to each semester/term.
      4. Proposed Policy Changes were summarized
      5. Suggested Boilerplate Syllabus Language is provided within the slide presentation. It is also noted that Instructors should also include in their syllabus specific information relating to absences and how they factor into the course grade.
      6. Senate Senator Questions and Comments
         (1) Senator asked if the Athletic policy was involved? (a) No, but we would welcome
         additional proposed changes. 
         (2) Senator: Drop policy included? (A) No, we did not alter the drop policy. It will stay as it is currently.
         (3) Senator: Is there a reason why it is military training and not Service (A) Because we have a separate policy for military service
         (4) Senator: Is the religious absence mandatory and do we ask for documentation? (A) Yes, it is mandatory as an excused absence and HB 335 that allows all requests to be approved, so you should not question a person’s faith.
         (5) Senator: How do we deal with students that have beliefs such as Atheist or something not listed in the law (A) No, but we would welcome additional proposed changes, but it was not listed in the law and we just concentrated on what was listed in the law for this around, but we would welcome additional proposed changes. 
         (6) Senator mentioned this policy does not impact assignments, though due dates might need to be accommodated. (a) That is correct. You may need to alter the timing, but students do need to fulfill the requirements of the course.
         (7) Senator: Can a student ask to miss class for multiple holidays for different religions? (A) yes.
         (8) Senator: For some practices the specific date for holiday is not listed due to the lunar calendar; they may not be able to give us the week. (A) Yes, faculty should be aware that holidays are not always tied to specific dates or times year-over-year.
         (9) Senator: This was a student-proposed change. These changes are necessary, but this also works together with the drop policy.
         (10) Senator: I know why we are all concerned about abuse of this policy, but we don’t have many instances of this now. Also, for those students who have mainstream beliefs, we don’t see how often those students would require religious exemptions.
   2. Proposal to Revise Senate Bylaws for Function and Composition of the Undergraduate Research Committee, Joyce Fernandes, Professor of Biology and Director Undergraduate Research
      1. Rationale: The reporting line for the Office of Research for Undergraduates changed; and we needed to ensure better representation of all University divisions on the committee. 
      2. We clarified the role of the committee as an advisory committee, created a selection
         committee for undergraduate research awards, and advocated for undergraduate research across all Miami University Campuses. 
      3. Proposed Revisions were shared
      4. Senate Senator Questions and Comments
         1. Senator: The language about cognate areas seems redundant. Why is it there? (A) It’s possible that there would be underrepresentation of natural sciences if they didn’t have some guarantee of representation. This is a compromise and we agree it’s not perfect.
         2. Senator: This seems to pigeon-hole faculty too much. Can we change the combination of disciplines; alternatively I would suggest we expand this from 6 to add a couple more faculty members to help with the workload (A) A senator defended the current wording based on the desire to change the overall composition of research being done, but also the current dominance of natural science proposals.
         3. Senator: When we see this next time can we get the markup that is consistent?(A) I will double check that and make sure that they match up before the next meeting to discuss.
         4. Senator: At some point we are not going to be able to represent every type of research. 
         5. Senator: This implies that the CAS person will always be in the natural sciences; (A) Not always because CLAAS has natural sciences.
         6. Senator: Would it be possible to have some breakdown of undergraduate proposals and where they come from? (A) Absolutely. Our goal is to be able to increase submissions from all the areas.
         7. Senator: I wonder if there is any way that we can add 2 At Large representatives on this committee? (A) Absolutely. That is considered a friendly amendment. Governance concurs.
         8. Senator:  Does there need to be research qualifications to sit on this? (A) TCPL faculty are welcome to serve.
         9. Senator: Grants might come from multiple disciplines or be interdisciplinary which might not fit this model.
   3. ProposedTCPL Cap Change, John Weigand, Interim Dean & Professor of College of Creative Arts
      1. We  are requesting to bring the TCPL Cap in CCA from 20% to 29%.
      2. Rationale for Increase:
         (1) Several CCA programs benefit by including industry professionals who may or may not have a terminal degree (ETBD, Architecture, Music Performance, etc.)
         (2) The current 20% cap is at the low end compared to other divisions, and a 29% cap does not exceed that approved for FSB or CLAAS; and
         (3) A 29% cap simply provides flexibility as faculty debate the merits of defining a new position as TT or TCPL.
      3. Dean Weigand detailed the process and shared the results of their vote: The proposal to increase the CCA TCPL cap from 20% to 29% passed with 86% of the vote. Per governance, a quorum (64%) was reached, as required to validate the vote. 
      4. Senate Senator Questions and Comments
         (1) Senator: TCPLs Do support the teacher scholar models. Also, were TCPL included in the vote? (A) Yes.
         (2) Senator: As an observation we have amended the TCPL policy multiple times. I have had issues finding accurate numbers. Also, I would like to suggest that we revisit these decisions with data on cost savings so we can think of a budget perspective.  (A) The policy is as stated in the policy library. This is the third cap change that has been proposed (CAS, CLAAS were prior).
         (3) Senator: Is 29% enough? (A) I don’t know for sure. 
         (4) Senator: Is 29% a target or is that head room for changes that can take place (A) I think it would allow us some flexibility. 
         (5) Senator: I believe we need to discuss how to grow programs and then have further conversation after that to keep it going. How we can transfer people then to tenure track positions once a program is underway?
         (6) Senator: I am concerned about a 9% jump and then needing more because we have a cap and it seems like we just keep giving and giving. (A) Because we are such a small division, one person can really increase this number and change the balance.
         (7) The thing that hasn’t come up, when there is pressure to serve enrollment and we don’t increase TCPLs, then we see VAPs who are asked to do a lot of service. That’s not appropriate. We need people who are compensated for doing that work. If we control the number of TCPL as a way to maintain TT, it doesn’t actually do that until we add VAPs to this policy.
5. Special Report -- MUDEC update and discussion, Cheryl Young, Associate Vice President of Global Initiatives
   1. Bringing Internationalization into Focus
      1. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Lens
      2. Agility & Transformation Lens
      3. Data Informed Decision-Making Lens
   2. Focus for CIZ 3.0 @MiamiOH currently includes the following:
      1. Curriculum that represents the intersections of IZ and DEI
      2. Inclusive accessibility to mobility experiences
      3. Global Research - UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
   3. MUDEC Enrollments are projected to be up after a period of decline pre-COVID.
   4. We hope to increase those enrollments and boost MUDEC into the 21st Century by focusing on Leadership and Communication, Housing and space, opening up our curriculum for Cohorts/Partnerships (e.g., Lunex, EIDE, startups), and opening Discovery Tours.
   5. Housing Options are so expensive that families in Lux are cohabiting. The quality of home stays have dropped. Culture has shifted and students and their families are anxious about living with strangers. They remain an option, but we’ve added additional options.
      1.  Chaves Studios have 8 Studios - 11 beds and completely remodeled
      2. Rue de la poste - 7 minutes from Chateau
      3. Gravity: Co-living Project. Mixed use development around civic connections. The living space includes a day care center and options for all ages with “Co-living meeting spaces”
   6. Information was shared about the students who choose MUDEC by major, class level and other demographic information.
   7. Faculty Appointments: Options for faculty at MUDEC
      1.  Faculty led programs - General, Honors, and others
      2. Cohorts
      3. There are nice Research Accommodations, Access to UniLu library, and collaborations with research(ers) in EU (i.e., LIST)
      4. Year-Long appointments. Typically, we have 2 positions available. The Dean stepped down and currently holds one of those appointments. Recently, there’s a low number of applications that do not represent the diversity of our faculty. Courses are under-enrolled and duplicative; we are looking to change after 2023-2024 with the next call for proposals.
   8. Luxembourg - Miami presence beyond the Chateau
      1. TransAtlantic Dialogue - 2008-2022
         1. A cooperation between the University of Luxembourg and Miami University, won the Luxembourg Peace Prize 2020 for “Outstanding Peace Education” recognizing efforts for fostering a culture of peace.
         2. Explores the significance of culture and liberal education for fostering global citizenship from U.S. and European perspectives.
      2. Oxford - Differdange Sister City (25 years in Differdange)
      3. International School EIDE (7 years+)
      4. University of Luxembourg collaboration
      5. Luxembourg Institute Science & Technology (LIST) collaboration
      6. Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and LACC
         1. Professional development education and executive education
         2. Amazon, DuPont, Goodyear, KPMG, etc.
         3. Internship development opportunities
      7. Our capacity is growing and we hope to have the biggest cohort this fall. We think it’s the apartments.
      8. Senate Senator Questions and Comments (none)
6. Provost Update -- Provost Liz Mullenix, Chair of University Senate
   1. BOT is here next week: March 2-3
   2. State of Union Thursday, February 23 from 3-4 at Hall Auditorium
   3. Information about the ongoing negotiations between Anthem and Christ Hospital can be found at this website: anthem.com/tch/
   4. Climate Survey still open until March 1 (please urge students to participate)
   5. Thanks to all Faculty and Staff who participate in Make It Miami
   6. Lee and Rosemary Fisher Innovation College @ Elm opened last week and I encourage you to go check it out. It is open for Faculty and students to go use.
   7. Divisional Budget Meetings
      i) CAS - March 16, 4:15-5:15 pm
      ii) FSB - March 29, 4:15-5:15 pm
      iii) Library - April 4, 1:00-2:00 pm
      iv) CEC - April 4, 4:00-5:00 pm
      v) CCA - April 5, 4:00-5:00 pm
      vi) CLAAS - April 14, 2:00pm-3:00 pm
      vii) EHS - April 18, 9:30-10:30 am
      viii) Budget Symposium for Regionals- 200 Mosler, Hamilton campus on Thursday, March 30,
      3:00-4:30 pm
   8. Cornerstone Grants Recipients were announced
      i) Advanced Research Teams Grants - Awardee
      (1) Hui Wang - Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering
      (2) Elizabeth Kiel - Psychology
      (3) Ozge Surer - Information Systems and Analytics
      (4) Anna Weisling - Emerging Technology in Business and Design
      (5) Andrew Jones - Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering
      (6) Jennifer Kinney - Sociology & Gerontology
      (7) Helaine Alessio - Kinesiology, Nutrition and Health
      ii) Strategic Investment Fund Grants - Awardee
      (1) Rachael Morgan-Kiss - Microbiology
      (2) Haifei Shi - Biology
      (3) Dawn Blitz - Biology
      (4) Katia Del Rio-Tsonis - Biology
      (5) Dominik Konkolewicz - Chemistry & Biochemistry
      iii) Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Grants - Awardee
      (1) Nathan French - Comparative Religion
      (2) Hui Wang - Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering
      (3) Brady Nash - Teaching, Curriculum and Educational Inquiry
      (4) Nathaniel Bryan - Teaching, Curriculum and Educational Inquiry
      (5) Paul Urayama - Physics
      (6) Elizabeth Kiel - Psychology
      (7) Ran Zhang - Electrical and Computer Engineering
      (8) Joseph Ransdell - Biology
      (9) Lesley Knoll - Biology
      (10) Lena Lee - Teaching, Curriculum and Educational Inquiry
      (11) Karthik Vishwanath - Physics
      (12) Matt Omasta - Theatre
      (13) Murat Dinc - Engineering Technology
      (14) Jason Boock - Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering
      iv) Senior Research Staff Grants - Awardee
      (1) Katherine Abbott - Scripps Gerontology Center
      (2) Tereza Jezkova - Biology
      (3) Jeffrey Hunger - Psychology
      (4) Mark Krekeler - Mathematical & Physical Sciences and Geology & Environmental Earth Sciences
      v) Transformative Teaching Grant -- Awardees
      (1) Drs. Elizabeth Zwilling (NSG), Julia Guichard (THE), Christopher Howell (CAS), Anu
      Mathur (CAS), and Renee Gottliebson (SPA) for Development of a Standardized Patient
      Program for Miami University.
      (2) Drs. Kelly Abshire, Paul Flaspohler, Vaishali Raval (PSY), Michael Bailey-Van Kuren
      (ETBD), Michael Conger (ESP), Beth Miller (Emeritus), and Cameron Hay-Rollins (ATH) for
      Global Health Studies: Revisions for a Cutting-Edge Minor.
      (3) Drs. Kelsey Ellis (ATH), John Schaeffer (BIO), Katie Feilen (BIO), Jonathan Levy (IES) and Cameron Hay-Rollins (ATH) for Curricular Innovations in Anthropology to Better Serve
      Students Across the University.
   9. Senate Senator Questions and Comments
      1. Senator: When you come to CCA I know that one question that you will receive is: What is the strategy to generate revenue? (A) Thank you for that and I will have that information with me for the CCA meeting.
7. Executive Session
   1. Six (6) candidates for Honorary Degrees were approved to be forwarded to the Office of the
      President. 
8. Adjournment