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The Faculty Senate established a “Reimagining General Education” Task Force which is charged with the following responsibilities:

• Review the reports, feedback, and data collected by the Task Force on Attribute Assessment (2023-2024) and the Faculty Senate forums (2024-2025), the Task Force on Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs), and the university’s new strategic plan.
• Collaborate with the Associate Provost for Curriculum & Compliance and other stakeholders including, but not limited to, Registrar, and Academic Advising to collect additional data on curriculum requirements, graduation timelines, enrollment patterns in classes that meet general education requirements, graduation waivers, and assessment deficits in the current curricular system.
• Create opportunities to solicit feedback from university stakeholders (faculty, students, staff, and administrators) about potential ideas to solve the problems identified in the Task Force for Attribute Assessment and in this resolution.
• Integrate the values and best practices for strategizing about and creating general education reforms, as articulated by AAC&U.
• Ensure that any proposed models for curricular reform:
  • Embody ������’s commitment to the importance and interdisciplinary nature of general studies.
  • Maintain that 25% of courses for any major are offered in a separate “general studies” curriculum.
  • Incorporate existing voluntary and contractual commitments of faculty teaching the general education curriculum.
  • Incorporate a single set of university-wide learning outcomes for general education.
  • Be easy for students, faculty, staff, and administrators to understand relative to our current system.
  • Allow students more flexibility and agency in choosing their courses than is possible under our current system.
  • Have clear standards for assessment, specifically to comply with Middle States accreditation, while preserving the academic freedom of instructors to design and execute their courses as they see fit.
  • Employ a concise, consistent, and transparent process by which new General Studies or disciplinary program courses with general education learning outcomes can be proposed, revised, and approved.
• Develop potential proposals/models for curricular reform, which will be presented to the Faculty Senate in the May 2026 retreat.

 

The Faculty Senate created a “Mutual Academic Defense Task Force” to build upon the important, ongoing collaborative work between faculty and administration in support of the academic enterprise. This Task Force is charged with the following:

• Engage internal and external stakeholders to facilitate ongoing dialogue and information gathering into the rapidly evolving federal landscape affecting higher education
• Promote the development of interorganizational collaboration, including but not limited to faculty advocacy networks across universities and colleges
• Recommend mechanisms to foster faculty collaboration and the sharing of faculty expertise (including legal, communications, and advocacy) among university coalition members
• Leverage existing resources, including University Relations and Marketing, to produce and amplify faculty-generated scholarship, creative works, and work products to highlight the value proposition of higher education
• Make recommendations to the Senate and administration for further actions, if needed

 

������ has used the commercial IDEA System, hereafter called IDEA (https://stockton.edu/ctld/evaluation-of-teaching.html) for the student ratings of instruction since 2006. In the fall of 2016, a campus survey of teaching faculty sought feedback on the IDEA instrument and the ������-designed Small Class instrument (SCI) modeled on IDEA (see ). It is now time to review and evaluate the IDEA Student Rating of Instruction for future use of evaluating faculty performance in teaching.

Resolved that the Faculty Senate will work with the ������ Federation of Teachers, Librarians, and Professional Staff to establish a faculty-led task force to evaluate the current use and effectiveness of the IDEA instrument for student ratings of teaching. This task force will be charged with the following:

Determine the level of faculty satisfaction with the current student rating instrument.

Identify concerns and recommendations faculty have regarding the current student ratings instrument.

Collect information from faculty about the type of data and data analytics they would like from a student ratings instrument.

Review and compare how and which rating systems are used in tenure and evaluation processes across sister schools.

Identify the needs of accredited programs regarding student ratings of teaching.

Solicit student feedback about their perceptions of rating instruments and the motivating reasons for (not) completing them.

Provide recommendations to increase student participation.

Compare the current IDEA instrument with other possible student rating instruments.

Explore the possibility of attaching course assessment to the IDEA instrument or integrating course assessment with a new student ratings instrument.

Provide recommendations regarding the renewal of the IDEA instrument or adoption of a new instrument (which factors in the renewal timeline as laid out in the university’s contract with IDEA/Anthology).

The Senate authorizes the Senate Executive Committee to constitute the membership of the proposed task force. This task force will include membership of untenured and tenured faculty from each school, Academic Affairs, Center for Teaching & Learning Design, SFT Union, and representatives from Student Senate. The Task Force is charged with producing a report to the Faculty Senate no later than the May 2025 Senate Retreat.

Final Report

 

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence technology (AI) presents many challenges and opportunities that impact higher education across all disciplines. ������ has recently taken initial action with the Center for Teaching and Learning Design (CTLD) providing previsions in syllabi for possible use of AI within courses. Faculty have also voiced a need to examine how AI pertains to scholarship, pedagogy, and academic integrity during an SFT-sponsored workshop on August 31^st and again at the Fall Faculty Conference held on September 1, 2023.

Resolved that the Faculty Senate form a faculty-led task force that will engage the ������ campus community to consider how we can sustainably integrate AI technology into our work. Due to the complexities of AI and its application to many facets of higher education, this task force will be charged with:

Working with the Academic Policies Committee to review policies that define student expectations and academic integrity issues as they relate to AI.

Working with the Information Technology and Media Services committee to facilitate timely response to issues prior to completing the final report.

Identifying training and professional development opportunities for faculty and staff regarding the use of AI

Providing recommendations for utilizing AI-powered tools to assist teaching and enhance student learning.

Listing other potential operational or academic issues pertaining to incorporating AI across the campus.

The Senate authorizes the Senate Executive Committee to constitute the membership of the proposed task force following expressed interest of faculty-staff institution-wide. This task force will include membership from each school, Information Technology, CTLD, Academic Affairs, and any additional faculty with interest or expertise in this area. The Task Force is charged with producing a report to the Faculty Senate no later than the May 2024 Senate retreat.

Final Report

 

The faculty-led Task Force on Attributes Assessment (TFAA) will include membership from all relevant stakeholders including a representative for each attribute (current convenor or his/her designee from their committee), a representative from the General Studies Standing Committee and/or the G-Convener, a representative of APC, a Union representative, and at least one faculty member from each School not represented by the aforementioned individuals, plus at least one full-time staff from the Office of Academic Advising, and any additional faculty and professional staff with interest in attributes.

The Task Force, as part of their work:

will establish standards and procedures for determining:

the standard of content or types and significance of attribute-related coursework for a course to qualify for an attribute,

how courses with approved attributes are periodically reviewed according to course content and student learning assessment

the process for, and the role of shared governance in, revising attribute standards and procedures

the process for convenor selection

any other recommendations for strengthening attributes proposal, review and assessment processes moving forward

if considerations should be given to whether W, R, and Q attributes require attention and how their procedure and structure would align to those used for attributes.

will develop a system to track courses and maintain approved course attributes through periodic review can be conducted and the University community is clear on which courses carry which attributes.

will review and revise the AHVI attribute structure.

should identify the number of courses available for each subscript

should also review any evidence from the student appeals who are trying to graduate without the need to fulfill attributes

will review distinguishing features of the two sets of subscripts and if the AHVI needs to be looked upon by the union.

may consider any other attributes not mentioned in their charge as part of their comprehensive review.

The Task Force will produce recommendations for Faculty Senate consideration by the Fall 2023 semester with an update on initial steps planned provided by the May 2023 Senate Retreat.

The Senate authorizes the Senate Executive Committee to constitute the membership of the proposed task force following expressed interest of all stakeholders institution wide.

Final Report

Supporting documents: 

Background 

In the Spring Semester 2022, the Senate Committee on Administration and Finance (A&F) began to receive emails from faculty sharing concerns and barriers faculty were experiencing accessing funds. Some of the funds were existing grants, some were funds pre-approved from Dean’s or other funds. At May 2002 Faculty Senate retreat, the Senate exec. charged the A&F standing committee to review and provide recommendations to address the pertinent issues. 

Upon due deliberations within the committee, multiple concerns were identified – ease of chrome river process; scenarios where the faculty were unable to spend funds in a timely manner and often faced with circumstances jeopardizing their grants. Faculty concerns included a significant increase in time required to navigate new controls or procedures that were being implemented, that created unusual burden on faculty resources of time. As part of the committee inquiry, it was learned from the CFO that the state has stringent guidelines for spending, a recent audit of our spending has potentially increased the scrutiny of requests.  

The Faculty Senate standing committee on Administration & Finance recommended a task force be formed for this review.  

Charge:

The Task Force on Faculty Funding Accessibility & Purchasing is charged to review the current process of accessing grants or other funds but not limited to, the following 

Potential issues/problems pertaining to grant accessibility, purchasing and/or reimbursements, and a more comprehensive understanding the totality of the issues among faculty, potentially through a faculty-wide survey 

A better and more efficient means of accessing funds and procedure for acquiring efficient administrative support 

Review policies and procedures relevant to faculty grant accessibility and provide updated recommendations, as necessary 

Providing training/support for grantees or other faculty and staff seeking to access funds. 

This review should be supplemented by examining the current procedures and supports. 

Faculty Senate proposes to create a faculty-led task force addressing these topics and assist the Senate in providing recommendations to ease faculty’s access to their grant funds. Such a task force will include membership from each school, from Information Technology, additional offices such as OSRP or the CFO’s team, and/or any additional faculty and professional staff with interest/experience. The Task Force is charged with producing a report to the Faculty Senate no later than the May 2023 meeting. 

The Senate authorizes the Senate Executive Committee to constitute the membership of the proposed task force following expressed interest of faculty-staff institution-wide. 

May 2023 Preliminary Report

 

Background

In January, 2014, the ������ Advising Council endorsed a document outlining a vision and mission for advising at ������ and ‘best practices in precepting.’ Precepting at ������ has been a lifelong tradition and has provided an environment for students and faculty to interact on multitude of topics outside classrooms including determining the course schedules and academic progress.

Over the years, with the growth of ������, there has been faculty concern pertaining to (but not limited to) the varied preceptee-faculty ratio and the method of its delivery. To address such concerns, the Faculty Senate held an open discussion and listening session at its April meeting. The variety of viewpoints expressed across the faculty, gave a compelling reason for us to examine this topic in a greater detail. 

Charge:

The Task Force on ������’s Approach to Precepting is charged to review the current model of precepting addressing, but not limited to, the following

Potential precepting issues/problems that might not yet be known (or recognized) among faculty, potentially through a faculty-wide survey

How students are experiencing precepting

Preceptee-faculty ratio across the programs/schools/divisions

The best methods and modalities of its delivery across the academic year

A better instrument and procedure for evaluating precepting

Providing training/support for preceptors

This review should be supplemented by examining the precepting models adopted at similar sized institutions across the country.

Faculty Senate proposes to create a faculty-led task force addressing these topics and assist the Senate in providing recommendations to ������’s approach to precepting. Such a task force will include membership from the Student Senate, professional staff from the Office of Academic Advising, professional staff from the Center for Teaching & Learning Design, at least one faculty from each school, and any additional faculty and professional staff with interest in academic advising.  The Task Force is charged with producing a report to the Faculty Senate no later than the May 2023 meeting.

The Senate authorizes the Senate Executive Committee to constitute the membership of the proposed task force following expressed interest of faculty-staff institution-wide.

Final Report

The essential learning outcomes were created a decade ago. In the current environment marked by social issues amplified by the pandemic and racial injustices, it is pertinent to review the current ELO’s and their role in synthesizing student learning and overall professional growth. Faculty Senate proposes to create a faculty-led task force to assess the current model of essential learning outcomes to determine if the current ELO’s meet the needs of our academic programs, students and community. Such a task force includes membership from the APP, General Studies committee, and other faculty with research backgrounds in subject matters related to the ELOs and general education.

May 2023 Final Report