Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the General Education Committee (GEC) for a vote of the full senate on May 8, 2019.  A motion to simplify “double-dipping”rules for General Education courses.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on May 8, 2019 with 43 votes in support; 4 votes opposed; and 3 abstentions.

MOTION TO SIMPLIFY “DOUBLE-DIPPING” RULES FOR GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

WHEREAS, establishing breadth and foundational skills for our students’ liberal education is the primary goal of our Diversification and Foundations requirements, and a partial goal of H/SL requirements, and

WHEREAS, at the present time, students who attain one or more components of that breadth within their Major requirements (including Multiple Majors) are allowed to count those same courses toward satisfaction of their Diversification and Foundations requirements, and

WHEREAS, at the present time, students who attain one or more components of that breadth within their Minor/Certificate requirements are NOT allowed to count those same courses toward satisfaction of their Diversification and Foundations requirements, and

WHEREAS, this creates an arbitrary difference in the way students are able to utilize Gen Ed courses for their Major and Minor/Certificate courses, and

WHEREAS, this asymmetry can be corrected without reducing the breadth of our students’ liberal education or the development of their intellectual breadth and foundational-level skills while being more student-friendly, and

WHEREAS, the General Education H/SL requirement has been delegated to the Colleges, some of which can be fulfilled by culture substitution courses (to which this motion does not apply), and

WHEREAS, the Council of Academic Advisors supports the following proposal, therefore,

BE IT MOVED, that the University of Hawaii Mānoa Faculty Senate supports, starting AY2019-20, that General Education policies should permit:

• Diversification courses to also fulfill Minor/Certificate requirements
• Foundations courses to also fulfill Minor/Certificate requirements
• Hawaiian/Second Language courses (does not address the issue of culture substitution courses) to also fulfill Minor/Certificate requirements
• Hawaiian/Second Language courses (does not address the issue of culture substitution courses)  to also fulfill Major requirements

Supporting documents:

• Undergraduate Double-dip Chart with Proposed Changes

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Committee on Academic Policy & Planning (CAPP) for a vote of the full Senate on May 8, 2019, a resolution supporting change in minimum grade for courses counted toward graduate degrees.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on May 8, 2019 with 44 votes in support; 0 votes opposed; and 2 abstentions.

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING CHANGE IN MINIMUM GRADE
FOR COURSES COUNTED TOWARD GRADUATE DEGREES

WHEREAS, in the current graduate division policy, to be in good academic standing a graduate student is required to maintain a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.0 or above (http://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/content/required-gdgpa), and

WHEREAS, the current grade minimum for courses to count towards a graduate degree is C-  (http://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/content/required-grades), and

WHEREAS, the Graduate Council has voted to increase the minimum grade required for a course from C- to C, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, the Manoa Faculty Senate approves making C (and not C-)  the minimum grade required for a graduate course.

Supporting document:

• Memorandum from Graduate Division Dean Krystyna Aune dated February 11, 2019

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Committee on Administration and Budget (CAB) for a vote of the full Senate on May 8, 2019, a resolution to endorse with reservations the proposed reorganization for Shidler College of Business and the School of Travel Industry Management.  Resolution tabled to the Fall 2019 by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on May 8, 2019 with 35 votes in favor of support; 15 votes against; and 1 abstention.  Approved on August 21, 2019 by the Mānoa Faculty Senate during a special meeting with 42 votes in support; 8 votes opposing; and 2 abstentions.

Resolution to Endorse with Reservations the Proposed Reorganization for Shidler College of Business
and the School of Travel Industry Management 

WHEREAS, Executive Policy A3.101 calls for the Mānoa Faculty Senate (MFS) to review any proposed reorganization; and

WHEREAS, the MFS has delegated to the MFS Committee on Administration and Budget (CAB) the duty to review reorganization proposals and, based on a Reorganization Proposal Consultation Review Checklist, to present their recommendations to the MFS Executive Committee; and

WHEREAS, the Dean of Shidler College of Business (Shidler) and the Interim Dean of Travel Industry Management (TIM) have proposed a reorganization of their units to result in a merger of TIM with Shidler; and

WHEREAS, the purpose of this merger is to advance the reputation and international presence of TIM within the larger structure and resources of Shidler; and,

WHEREAS, TIM would remain as a semi-independent school within Shidler College with its own associate dean, reporting to the Shidler dean, and newly-appointed department chair with TIM faculty authority over TIM programs and curricula; and,

WHEREAS, the proposed reorganization within Shidler College will have a School of Accountancy led by a Chair and a School of Travel Industry Management led by an Associate Dean, misidentified as a Dean in the proposal; and,

WHEREAS, the Shidler dean and TIM interim dean appear to have consulted with TIM faculty (11 FTE) and staff about the overall advantages to TIM of such a merger at this time, including access to Shidler faculty expertise and potential resource enhancement; and

WHEREAS, the central UH-Mānoa administration appears to be unwilling to invest significant new resources into TIM that might allow the school to remain independent; and,

WHEREAS, the TIM faculty seem largely resigned to the fact that the merger with Shidler is the only available path forward for the school; and,

WHEREAS, there would be no reduction in faculty or staff for TIM in this proclaimed revenue-neutral proposal, but some loss of TIM autonomy and most budgetary authority as well as loss of an independent dean; and,

WHEREAS, TIM has a considerable current budget surplus, while Shidler has a large budget deficit resulting in a fiscal windfall to Shidler, since there is no planned separate budget line item for TIM in the combined TIM/Shidler budget; and

WHEREAS, the advantages to the future of TIM’s degree programs, resources, and development appear to outweigh the disadvantages, if the unknown likelihood of overcoming the current stagnation of an independent TIM is considered an advantage; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate endorses with reservations the proposed merger of the School of Travel Industry Management with the Shidler College of Business.

Supporting documents:

• Reorganization Proposal for Shidler College of Business (SCB) and the School of Travel Industry Management (TIM)

• CAB Checklist for SCB and TIM Reorganization

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Committee on Administration and Budget (CAB) for a vote of the full Senate on May 8, 2019, a resolution to endorse with reservations the merger of Biology, Botany, and Microbiology in the College of Natural Sciences.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on May 8, 2019 with 50 votes in favor of support; 1 vote against; and 1 abstention.

Resolution to Endorse with Reservations the Merger of Biology, Botany, and Microbiology
in the College of Natural Sciences

WHEREAS, Executive Policy A3.101 calls for the Mānoa Faculty Senate (MFS) to review any proposed reorganization; and,

WHEREAS, the MFS has delegated to the MFS Committee on Administration and Budget (CAB) the duty to review reorganization proposals and, based on a Reorganization Proposal Consultation Review Checklist, to present their recommendations to the MFS Executive Committee; and,

WHEREAS, it has been proposed to merge the Departments of Biology, Botany and Microbiology, and incorporate the Hawai’i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit and Marine Option Program into a School of Life Sciences within the College of Natural Sciences, and,

WHEREAS, such a merger has been proposed on numerous occasions over the last fifteen years, and,

WHEREAS, a majority of faculty in the three departments have discussed this merger in depths and are in agreement, and,

WHEREAS, the proposed integration of course offerings and degree programs will give a much more focus instructional program removing duplication and overlap in course offering, and,

WHEREAS, the proposal is silent on how the Unit’s Personnel Committee for Faculty Contract Renewals, Tenure and Promotion will be handled, and,

WHEREAS, it is unclear in this proposal what policies are to be put in place for faculty hiring searches, faculty assignment and workload especially related to instruction, and,

WHEREAS, as the proposed School is primarily an academic unit, more commonly referred to as departments at Mānoa, and academic units are headed by Deans and Chairs and not by Directors, and,

WHEREAS, concerns have been raised by that the title “School of Life Sciences” is inappropriate because it does not include the life sciences faculty, courses, and research found in the John A. Burns School of Medicine, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; and,

WHEREAS, the faculty in John A. Burns School of Medicine, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, were not consulted on this proposed merger; and,

WHEREAS, the use of “School of Life Sciences” can be misleading to students expecting broad and comprehensive course and degree options and potentially negatively impact enrollments in other life sciences across campus; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate endorses with reservations the proposal to merge the Departments of Biology, Botany and Microbiology, and incorporate the Hawai’i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit and Marine Option Program within the College of Natural Sciences; and,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the faculty of the merged Units adopt a less misleading name for the new school; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the merged Unit adopt a leadership title in line with other academic units at Mānoa.

•  Reorganization and Merge Proposal for the Departments of Biology, Botany, and Biology to form the School of Life Sciences and Creation of the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit within the College of Natural Sciences  [DOC]

• CAB Checklist Natural Sciences Reorganization

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Committee on Administration and Budget (CAB) for a vote of the full Senate on May 8, 2019, a resolution opposing the proposed management reorganization of Outreach College.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on May 8, 2019 with 52 votes in favor of support; 2 votes against; and 1 abstention.

Resolution Opposing the Proposed Management Reorganization of Outreach College

WHEREAS, Executive Policy A3.101 calls for the Mānoa Faculty Senate (MFS) to review any proposed reorganization; and,

WHEREAS, the MFS has delegated to the MFS Committee on Administration and Budget (CAB) the duty to review reorganization proposals and, based on a Reorganization Proposal Consultation Review Checklist, to present their recommendations to the MFS Executive Committee; and,

WHEREAS, a Continuing Professional Programs Director, International Programs Director, and Summer Sessions Director have been proposed within Outreach College; and,

WHEREAS, the three proposed director positions are to be hired as APT positions, which has a minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s Degree; and,

WHEREAS, the three proposed APT positions are to supervise and direct Faculty Specialist positions, which has a minimum qualification of a Master’s Degree; and,

WHEREAS, Faculty Specialist positions are currently doing similar work to the proposed APT director positions across campus; including research, marketing, the development/coordination of programs/units, the evaluation of programs/colleagues, creating/maintaining customer relationships, and managing a budget, among others; and,

WHEREAS, Faculty Specialists are better qualified to fulfill the roles of director, and better qualified and able to supervise and evaluate other Faculty Specialist positions; and,

WHEREAS, the Outreach College reorganization proposal reflects a troubling trend across the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa campus towards prioritizing non-faculty positions over Faculty Specialists; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, the Mānoa Faculty Senate is opposed to the Outreach College reorganization; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Mānoa Faculty Senate would like clarification, assurances, and verifiable action from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Executive Management regarding the importance of Faculty Specialists, the commitment to hire Faculty Specialist positions in relevant and/or similar newly created positions, and a demonstrated commitment to filling vacated Faculty Specialist positions with Faculty Specialist hires.

Supporting documents:

• Reorganization Proposal for Outreach College 

• CAB Checklist for AH, LLL, & SPAS Reorganization 

• Outreach College Proposal – UHPA Response 
• Outreach College Proposal – APT Qualifications

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the General Education Committee (GEC) for a vote of the full Senate on March 13, 2019, a motion to assign focus designations to courses rather than instructors.  Motion to defer consideration of proposal until three conditions are met by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on March 13, 2019 with 31 votes in support; 19 votes opposed; and 2 abstentions.

The three conditions:
1) the need for this change is documented with systematic, and not anecdotal, data as to how the current system of focus courses has negatively affected students;
2) a clear plan and process for implementation is developed and attached to the proposal; and
3) department consultation takes place.

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the General Education Committee (GEC) for a vote of the full Senate on November 20, 2019, a motion to assign focus designations to courses rather than instructors.  Motion is not approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on November 20, 2019 with 18 votes in support; 21 votes opposed; and 4 abstentions.

MOTION TO ASSIGN FOCUS DESIGNATIONS TO COURSES RATHER THAN INSTRUCTORS

WHEREAS, UH course Catalog descriptions, and all General Education designations except Focus, are course-based; and

WHEREAS, course-based Focus designations contribute stability and simplicity for students planning their courses of study; and

WHEREAS, courses that are offered sometimes with, and sometimes without, a Focus designation have led to confusion and have hindered student success or increased time-to-degree; and

WHEREAS, the preparation of instructor-based Focus proposals and renewals by multiple instructors who teach the same course adds redundancy to the workload of faculty instructors and the faculty boards that review and approve proposals; and

WHEREAS, the External Review Team commissioned in AY2017-2018 by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) recommended strengthening General Education by moving to course-based Focus designations1; and

WHEREAS, the AY2017-2018 self-study of General Education at UHM raised the issue of using course-based Focus designations to simplify the curriculum proposal process2; and

WHEREAS, course-based Focus designations contribute consistency and clarity to the role of those courses in the General Education curricula and student learning objectives at all levels in UHM, and this benefits the design, practice, and assessment of curricula at all levels in UHM; therefore

BE IT MOVED, that the University of Hawaii Mānoa Faculty Senate supports the assigning of Focus designations to courses rather than instructors starting in AY2020-21.

BE IT FURTHER MOVED that the University of Hawaii at Manoa Faculty Senate supports that exceptions be made for Directed Reading/Research courses (typically numbered 399 or 499) and for “Topics” courses which cover a variety of different topics under the same course number. These courses may be eligible for instructor-based as well as course-based designations.

BE IT FURTHER MOVED that all current Focus designations, whether instructor or course-based, shall continue to have that designation until they come up for renewal.

References

1Filer, K., Moreno, J., Rhodes, T., and S. Shananhan.  University of Hawaii at Manoa General Education External Review Team Report.  Spring, 2018. p. 6 . https://manoa.hawaii.edu/gened/gov/pr/

2General Education Program Review Steering Committee, Findings from the Internal Review of General Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, AY 2017-2018, p. 27. https://manoa.hawaii.edu/gened/gov/pr/

Supporting Information 

Plan Draft Implementation Plan

Mānoa Faculty Senate voted to table resolution to the next senate meeting: 35 votes in support; 6 votes opposed; and 3 abstentions. The motion to table was approved.

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (CAPP) for a vote of the full Senate on March 13, 2019, a resolution supporting the proposal for an undergraduate certificate in earth and planetary exploration technology.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate with 42 votes in favor of support; 6 votes against; and 2 abstentions.

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PROPOSAL FOR AN UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE
IN EARTH AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY

WHEREAS, the global space industry is currently worth $335 billion and growing; and

WHEREAS, a general issue in space mission development projects is that engineers do not understand the fundamental science that underpins space missions, while scientists do not understand the technological constraints under which engineers must work to design a successful mission; and

WHEREAS, an undergraduate certificate program in Earth and Planetary Exploration Technology (EPET) will seek to close this gap by providing a coherent body of classes through which students majoring in the physical sciences and engineering disciplines can obtain a formal qualification in the science and technology that underpins the human exploration of the solar system via orbiting spacecraft, planetary landers, and planetary rovers; and

WHEREAS, this proposal supports the goal of the Hawaiʻi Innovation Initiative to create more high-quality jobs and diversify Hawaiʻi’s economy; and

WHEREAS, the faculty proposing this certificate have raised over $100 million in extramural funds to support their research in planetary science, primarily from NASA and the Department of Defense, have collectively served on 25 NASA instrument/mission science teams, regularly serve on NASA panels, and are at the forefront of research on planetary exploration; and

WHEREAS, this certificate will utilize only existing and approved resources present at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa; and

WHEREAS, there is demonstrated interest in this certificate from UH Mānoa undergraduate students and anticipated interest from professionals working in the community who wish to upgrade their knowledge and skills, desire a certificate only, and will not enroll in a degree program; and

WHEREAS, the proposed certificate will provide enhanced training not currently provided in the University of Hawaiʻi System; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate recommends approval of the proposal to establish an undergraduate certificate in Earth and Planetary Exploration Technology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Supporting document:

 SOEST Proposal for New Undergraduate Certificate in Earth and Planetary Exploration Technology

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Graduate Council for a vote of the full senate on February 20, 2019, a resolution supporting the proposal for a Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation in Educational Psychology in the College of Education.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on February 20, 2019 with 38 votes in support of approval; 1 vote against; and 2 abstentions.

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PROPOSAL FOR A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN PROGRAM EVALUATION
IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

WHEREAS, the purpose of a Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation in Educational Psychology in the College of Education (COE) is to develop expertise for Masters and Ph.D. students as well as working professionals serving the community to serve as a resource for assessment and evaluation of educational and research programs; and

WHEREAS, program evaluation is a growing field that is not currently served by the University of Hawai‘i System; and

WHEREAS, no new resources are required for the certificate as existing courses from the Dept. of Educational Psychology have been offered for decades and existing faculty will create two new courses to complete the certificate; and

WHEREAS, the certificate is intended for existing graduate students to expand their expertise with program evaluation and students in Psychology are required to complete a graduate certificate; and

WHEREAS, the Dept. of Educational Psychology facilitates the UH Strategic Directions by serving the Hawaiian community preparing educational researchers and evaluators that work in the Dept. of Education, other Universities, and businesses; and

WHEREAS, the certificate has been reviewed and endorsed by the Department of Educational Psychology, the COE Dean, the COE Committee for Curricular and Program Planning, the COE Senate, the Office of Graduate Education, the Graduate Council, and the Chancellor; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate approves the proposal to establish a Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation in Educational Psychology in the College of Education (COE).

Supporting document:

Proposal for Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation in Educational Psychology

Presented to the Mānoa Faculty Senate by the Graduate Council for a vote of the full senate on February 20, 2019, a resolution supporting the proposal for a Graduate Certificate in Measurement and Statistics in Educational Psychology in the College of Education.  Approved by the Mānoa Faculty Senate on February 20, 2019 with 32 votes in support of approval; 2 votes against; and 3 abstention.

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PROPOSAL FOR A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN MEASUREMENT AND STATISTICS IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

WHEREAS, the purpose of a graduate Certificate in Measurement and Statistics in Educational Psychology (GCERT MSEP) is to provide documented expertise in measurement and statistics for students from the College of Education (COE) and across campus; and

WHEREAS, the graduate certificate provides a detailed program in statistics applicable to psychometrics and other fields requiring advanced statistics; and

WHEREAS, the certificate requires a capstone project on the student’s own degree research that results in a scholarly paper; and

WHEREAS, the certificate is assembled from existing courses except for the capstone, no new resources are required to administer it, and 4–5 students are expected per year; and

WHEREAS, a pilot program of the certificate requirements has been in place for the past two years with five students having met the same requirements that the certificate demands and students from other programs have already been taking the courses from COE; and

WHEREAS, graduates obtaining the certificate will have verifiable evidence to show a proficiency in advanced statistics as applied to measurement and statistics for a variety of fields including testing offices, research units, and higher education offices; and

WHEREAS, the degree has been reviewed and endorsed by the Department of Curriculum Studies, the COE Dean, the COE Committee for Curricular and Program Planning, the COE Senate, the Office of Graduate Education, the Graduate Council, and the Chancellor; therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mānoa Faculty Senate approves the proposal to establish a Graduate Certificate in Measurement and Statistics Educational Psychology in the College of Education.

Supporting document:

Proposal for Graduate Certificate in Measurement and Statistics in Educational Psychology