Texas A&M University San Antonio

The Faculty Senate discussed administrative updates, including a proposed PhD in cyber security, legislative session priorities for STEM-H, and COVID-19 safety protocols. Old business included an update on the Diversity Office ad hoc committee and the establishment of a committee to draft a new faculty handbook. New business covered participation in the State Employee Charitable Campaign, the formation of an ad hoc committee for the evaluation of chairs and deans, and policies regarding athletic attendance and academic progress reporting for student athletes.

The meeting included remarks from the University Provost and President, covering updates on faculty evaluation surveys, budget outlooks, and upcoming campus ceremonies. Key discussion topics included poll results regarding grading systems and the use of the term polytechnic, the results of constitutional amendment voting, and the progress of the Library Committee resolution. The Senate also reviewed the Faculty Emeritus policy, approved a Faculty Merit Policy Statement, and endorsed a proposal for a Writing-Intentional Course program, including discussions on resource and space requirements. Additionally, the Senate discussed high-impact practice requirements and coordination for experiential learning programs.

The meeting featured a presidential update regarding campus safety guidelines, COVID-19 related policies, and faculty concerns regarding support from the administration. The Senate discussed and voted on several resolutions, including requests for faculty autonomy in choosing course delivery methods, the implementation of social distancing in classrooms, the initiation of mandatory testing protocols for the campus community, and a call for local institutional control over pandemic-related decision-making. The meeting concluded with announcements regarding the distribution of the passed resolutions to university leadership.

The Faculty Senate discussed several academic and administrative updates, including leadership transitions in various colleges, the status of tenure and promotion guidelines, and new admission standards. Old business covered amendments to the Faculty Senate Constitution, the development of guidelines for non-tenure track faculty, proposals for a National Student Honor Society, a spousal hire policy, and the adoption of the Digital Commons platform for an institutional repository. New business items addressed the removal of the Provost's list, revisions to dean's list criteria, review of workload and post-tenure policies, updates to event room booking processes, IT equipment delivery delays, campus free speech and visitor protocols, and the need for additional loading and unloading parking spaces.

The meeting included discussions on course enrollment caps for online and face-to-face classes, the potential implementation of a plus/minus grading system, the role of faculty in student advising, and the development of a system for faculty awards and recognition. Additionally, a demonstration of the Faculty Senate Intranet site was conducted.