The Metropolitan State University of Denver Faculty Senate met for the first time of the 2023-24 academic year Wednesday, Aug. 23, led by Senate President Liz Goodnick, Ph.D., associate professor of Philosophy.
Guest speakers
To begin the meeting, the Senate welcomed a plethora of guests, including MSU Denver President Janine Davidson, Ph.D.; Marie Mora, Ph.D., interim provost; Cath Kleier, Ph.D., associate vice president of Faculty Affairs; Sam Jay, Ph.D., interim executive director of Online Learning and director of Faculty Affairs; Erica Buckland Anderson, director of Curriculum and Catalog; and Jim Carpenter, chief financial officer.
Universitywide updates
- The Course Count policy (also known as double- or infinite-dipping), which will become effective in fall 2024, allows students to use the same class to fulfill requirements for different programs.
- Faculty members were also recently notified that the removal of the minor requirement will go into effect for the 2024-25 academic year. While this is a Universitywide policy, individual departments retain autonomy and are still able to require a minor for specific degrees.
- Tuesday Talks With the Provost will return Sept. 12 in a monthly format.
- The Mandatory Participation Verification Policy is in effect, and the drop date is Sept. 6.
- Buckland Anderson outlined curriculum cycle changes.
Faculty Affairs updates
- Leadership Academy dates and topics.
- The School of Hospitality has been approved for five additional certificates.
- The search has also begun for the dean of the School of Hospitality. An announcement should be out soon.
- The Office of Faculty Affairs has an updated website. Kleier also updated the body on Faculty Employment Handbook amendments and the change process.
- Faculty Employment Handbook updates:
- Approved
- Chair sabbaticals
- Clarity on department guidelines
- Extension of Probationary Period
- Removal of merit-pay language
- Removal of Faculty Senate Complaint Committee language
- Recommended
- Changes to Faculty Employment Handbook Committee membership
- Not moving forward
- Banking policy
- Teaching policy by Faculty Diversity Taskforce
- Distinguished Professorship
- Faculty Category Nomenclature updates
Budget updates and priorities
Carpenter updated the body on the fiscal 2023-24 budget.
- Priorities:
- Investing in people
- Stuff That Works
- Sustaining momentum
- Meeting students where they are
- Building faculty capacity
- Focus on innovation and effectiveness
- Assumptions:
- Structurally balanced budget
- Transitional year focusing on general fund
- Fold one-time ongoing budgets into base
- Use one-time funds for one-time costs
- Set path to rebuild fund balance
- Single-phase budget
- Revenue levers:
- State funding
- Enrollment
- Tuition and fees
- Current recommendation:
- Increase tuition and fees by maximum allowable 5%, which would generate $1.8 million in additional revenue.
- Expenditure levers:
- Compensation
- Salary increases of 4% (5% for classified-staff members) after July 1 plus an $800 one-time stipend for all employees, excluding classified-staff members.
- Compensation
- MSU Denver is conducting an equity-pay study in 2023.
- Mandatory costs
- One-time ongoing costs
- Other budget increases
Announcements
- Applications for Presidential Faculty Fellowship are open.
- Every course at MSU Denver should explicitly address the use of generative artificial intelligence in the syllabus or other course information, Mora announced Aug. 1.
- The Auraria Higher Education Center will roll out an expanded building-access initiative campuswide this semester.
Once announcements were finished by Goodnick, Kelly Evans, Ph.D., assistant professor of Sport Management, reminded senators and attendees of expectations of senators, voting instructions, a review of meeting etiquette and Robert’s Rules. Then, the body voted on three items.
Votes
The only votes taken at the meeting were to ensure that quorum was met, approval of minutes from the May 5 meeting and the hyflex meeting format.
- Quorum was met.
- Meeting minutes were approved by 89% of the body.
- The hyflex meeting format was approved with 77 in favor, three in opposition and one senator abstaining.
Up next
The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 3:20 p.m.