Denoting online credits on student transcripts was one of several topics discussed at length during the Faculty Council meeting Thursday.
After a lengthy discussion, the council decided to forward two ideas, regarding online course credits and load credit legislation, to various Senate committees.
Associate professor of chemistry James Rybarczyk brought up the issue of explicitly noting which courses were taken online and on-campus during a Q-and-A session toward the end of the meeting. He said its becoming important for students in the chemistry department to identify which courses they've taken online because the type of instruction is very different than it is in the classroom. When students apply for programs after college, they're being asked to denote the difference.
Deborah Ceglowski, associate professor of elementary education, said there's a study by the U.S. Department of Education which says students in higher education courses online learn more than in a seated classroom.
"I think this idea is being touted," she said. "I don't know if I necessarily agree with it."
After some debate, the council decided to forward discussion of denoting online courses to the Admissions and Credits Committee for review.
Legislation about compensation and load credit was another major point of event.
The issue dealt with approving faculty to take on extra work beyond their regular course load, also known as load credit, including things like directing independent studies, master's theses, honor's theses and doctoral dissertations. Faculty Council's most recent proposal called for the appropriate dean and provost to approve faculty members to participate in these types of projects. Ball State University President Jo Ann Gora said in a written response to this submission that she would like the board of trustees to also play a role in this process.
The Salary and Benefits Committee, a branch of Faculty Council, approved the recommendation that only included the dean and provost.
Assistant professor of journalism Dustin Supa, a member of the committee, said he thought it would be appropriate to keep the board out of the process for reasons of consistency. The committee didn't want the Board of Trustees to have to re-evaluate load credits each year.
"Teaching challenges are not the same among colleges and departments," he said. "That's why we wanted a written statement by each department."
Despite some dissatisfaction, the council decided to approve the legislation to include approval from the board.
Topics of discussion-
Transcripts- The Admissions and Credits Committee will discuss noting which courses students have taken online verses on-campus
Compensation and load credit- A written statement to address load credit for teaching responsibilities will now be approved by the board of trustees, along with the appropriate college dean and the provost
Salary compression- The Salary and Benefits Committee is looking for a long-standing solution to save money
Budget- The Financial and Budgetary Affairs Committee met with University Treasurer Randy Howard Monday to discuss the 20 cost-cutting ideas being considered
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