Meeting Minutes of March 14, 2006
 Minutes taken by Valerie Hardcastle

Senators in attendance: Anderson, Balci, Berry, Brumberger, Carrig, Crone, Denton, Easterling, Ehrich, Erikssen, Evans, Grisso, Hagen, Hardcastle, Harris, Jenssen, Johnson, Kadlec, Larson, Lener, Mann, McMillan, McQuain, Mihalik, Nelson, Nichols-Richardson, Odendaal, Redican, Rinehart, Smith, Teulon, Vansberger. Vogelaar, Zahm, Zajac

Guests: Anne More (IDDL); Barbara Bekken (GEO); Michael Bliss

1. Susanna called the meeting at 7:00 PM.

2. The agenda was approved.

3. Discussion of what students are like today.

a. Ann Moore: Students today are sheltered, team-oriented, confident, achievement-oriented, conventional, like their parents, and are engaged with technology. Internet is a virtual and trusted friend, a textbook, a reference book, a guidance counselor, a locker, etc. They have gone beyond multi-tasking, and are in state of continuous partial attention. They stay in touch with their friends electronically all the time. They exhibit mild social panic. To be fluent in IT, students need basic skills. We are good at teaching those. They also need foundational skills. We are okay with those too. The challenges are with intellectual capabilities – we need to be able to communicate, critically assess, and problem-solve in context of IT. This means using the appropriate tools to do these things.

The good news for Tech: we just won the Educause 2005 Award: -- we did very good job of grass roots development, and articulating what IT means for teaching, research, and engagement. We have invested over $3 million to encourage thinking about how to integrate technology into curriculum. This means more teaching and learning and not less.

b. Discussion from Senate floor: Hybrid approaches to teaching seem to be most effective. Content aims don’t change; the tools to get content across change. Instructors need more help with day-to-day problems (controlling cheating, working with Blackboard, etc.)

Our job as teachers hasn’t changed: we teach problem solving, critical thinking, etc. The problem is that kids’ brains think differently now. There is a move toward individualized media, not mass media. We have very conventional students; they aren’t big risk takers. We can work with their tools to do same job better.

There is no way to be a “digital native” if not born to it. We can get there, but we should also use their skills to partner with them to both our advantages.

4. Barbara Bekken described the integrative studies program: Living in the 21st Century, and its expansion from 20 students to 75 for next year. We are not educating our students the way we should. The Living in the 21st Century initiative tries to provide a different option in the core curriculum in way we engage them; it aims to help them develop appropriate survival skills for 21st century. We use a four-semester interdisciplinary thematic core course structure that fulfills all areas of cores to do this. The goal is to provide a liberal education in old sense of the word through interdisciplinary study that provides for appropriate student development. We incorporate educational research on teaching and learning and provide a forum for learning for faculty. In addition, we can get funded to do all this. We have funding to support 75 students next year and are hoping to run with 150 in fall 07. For the coming fall, we can offer 3 faculty educational research and teaching sabbaticals with course buy-outs for 2 years; 3 GTAs who have or are participating in GEDI. If interested, please contact Barbara (bekken@vt.edu).

5. Michael Bliss discussed possible changed in the university’s smoking policy such that smokers must be at least 30 feet away from a building’s entrance. Suggestions from the Senate floor: only make some entrances non-smoking. Make true smoking areas. Use CRC-type cigarette ashtrays. Wallace Hall solved problem by posting no smoking signs on certain entrances.

6. Kerry Redican: CFA will meet on Friday, March 17th. There have been some slight modifications of the language regarding the Reconciliation Committee and Valid Issues for Grievances. It is anticipated that CFA will vote on these on Friday and move them on to University Council. CFA will also continue the discussion on the suggested revisions to Section 2.8.4.2 (College Evaluation). After CFA discussions, the revised policy will be distributed Faculty Senate listserv for input. Finally, the revisions to the Committee on Faculty Ethics forwarded from the Senate to CFA will be discussed at the March 17th CFA meeting.

7. Announcements:

a. Susanna: we need responses on Faculty Senate elections for next year; we have only heard from a few so far.

b. Sam Easterling: there are several open positions for committees and commissions. We want to fill the slates earlier than in past. He’s looking for nominations.

c. Ruth Grene (CEOD representative): CEOD is looking for faculty volunteers to serve in a roundtable discussion focused on how best to integrate the new policies related to tolerance and diversity at Tech to effect campus climate. If interested, please email Alicia Cohen in Multicultural Affairs (acohen@vt.edu).

d. Task force on faculty club: two volunteers so far to work on this project. The hope is that the place is up and running this fall in TOR museum.

8. The meeting was adjourned at 9:01 PM.

Faculty Senate, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
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