Faculty Senate Minutes - February 2026

Behrend Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
3:30 p.m. – 114 Reed

Call to Order
1. D. Dieteman, Faculty Senate Chairperson
Approval of minutes from August Faculty Senate Meeting
1. Motion J. Bennett and seconded by M. Ciszek
  1. Note D. Dieteman will leave for AI symposium early
  2. Note L. Nelson appeals for nominations due 2-16-26
Leadership Updates
1. Ralph Ford, Chancellor
  1. Key Elements
    1. Thank you to all who participated in AI competency programs.
      1. Strategic Plan
        Started working through plans last fall
        Penultimate draft (32 pages), streamlined, visionary version is being prepped for external constituencies.
      2. Open Laboratory Guarantee
        100% commitment to ensure that all graduating students will have open lab experience within 5 years.
      3. Research Distinction
        Continued growth in research pillars such as materials, business innovation, social science outreach (CORE), environmental science, and women’s health. These areas are vital for regional economic development and attracting University funding.
      4. AI Innovation Hub:
        A goal to establish the college as a regional AI innovation hub, spanning both teaching and research.
      5. Shared Principles
        The plan adopts principles beyond core values, focusing on return on investment, accountability, and building personalized experiences.
    2. Budget
      1. FY 27 shows a gap
      2. FY 28 is projected to be flat.
        However, the college has made significant strides in other units by focusing on enrollment and retention and our senators advocating for beneficial changes to budget model.
    3. Shout out to Faculty Showcase—Well done!
      1. Students have already expressed a desire to be involved in future iterations.
2. Greg Filbeck, Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
  1. APPR Process
    1. A committee comprising 50% of the faculty and 50% administration is reviewing the academic portfolio. Recommendations are due at the end of the month. The review focuses on creating more flexible interdisciplinary options rather than maintaining multiple degrees with fewer than 5 graduates annually. No significant personnel impacts are expected.
  2. COACHE Survey
    1. The college was the first unit to submit its plan addressing survey feedback. Beyond University-wide issues, the primary local concern identified is the need for better recognition of faculty work.
  3. NTL Renewals
    1. Addressing rumors, leadership clarified that non-tenure line renewals are following a “very typical” year with low single-digit non-renewals based strictly on demand and student credit-hour production. There are no performance-based non-renewals this cycle, and contracts will follow standard duration cycles, debunking the rumor of one-year-only renewals.
      1. Question: L. Urraro- Low single-digit number of non-renewals, process based on what?
      2. Answer: G. Filbeck- Performance-based issues (student hours, needs within programs.
      3. Statement: M. Swinarski- Presentation by K. Bieschke not unusual for cleaning house based on trends.
  4. Student Success:
    1. Data indicates that students most in need of tutoring (those with lower GPAs) are not utilizing the Center for Learning Excellence. Faculty referrals remain the strongest driver for student attendance at tutoring services
      1. Statement: A. Yang- Six-week initiative.
      2. Statement: R. Pflueger- Students who need to be going are not. 79% of students who are going go because of faculty suggestion.
3. Alicyn Rhoades, Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies
  1. Faculty Showcase
    1. 110 Participants
      1. Thank you to Staff that participated and helped.
    2. Survey coming soon, please fill it out.
      1. AI money, visits, interactions, controls center.
    3. Graduate School hosted lunch (Harrisburg and Behrend); our students did an excellent job of representing Behrend.
4. Amy Bridger, Assistant Dean for Innovation and Corporate Strategy
  1. Spring Career Fair, February 19
    1. Students and faculty are welcome
      1. Check majors online; there is a list.
      2. Welcome any and all suggestions
    2. Senior Sendoff April 28
Old Business – none
1. University Faculty Senate Update – M. Swinarski
  1. The University Faculty Senate representative reported on recent legislative and advisory actions.
    1. Key updates included a revision to Senate Policy 173-30 (Common Course Numbers), which now includes “cooperative education” alongside internships in the 195/295/395/495 series and removes the “Z” suffix for linked courses. Advisory
    2. Report AC 47 (General Standards of Professional Ethics) was updated to explicitly state that professors must avoid exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students and colleagues.
    3. Additionally, Policy 80-11 (Confidential Student Records) was revised to clarify “legitimate educational interest” as supporting student learning, advising, retention, or institutional planning.
  2. An informational report on University Libraries confirmed they remain well-resourced and unaffected by recent budget constraints.
  3. A concern was raised regarding the inconsistent labeling of honors courses in the scheduling system—some are marked with an ‘H’ suffix, while others are only identifiable by an 800-level section number. It was noted that this inconsistency likely stems from the need for flexibility in low-enrollment honors sections, but further discussion with registrars may be necessary to improve clarity for advising.
    1. Question: J. Bennett- Why do some have an ‘H’ next to them and others do not? Just curious?
    2. Answer: M. Swinarski- I do not know
    3. Statement: Elisha- We found that students would not take the ‘H’ classes.
    4. Statement: M. Ciszak- A question for Jane Brady?
    5. Question: Vice Chair (Joe): What variables are NTL renewals based on?
    6. Answer: G. Filbeck- Not a hard-lined list of variables, which varies year by year.
Updates/Announcements
1. Academic and Advising – E. Dick
  1. The committee is currently reviewing college-wide award nominees, with a deadline to finish reviews by Sunday and schedule interviews.
  2. They also relayed a request from Student Affairs for faculty nominations for “Integrity Advocates,” a group serving as peer mentors for academic integrity issues.
2. Undergraduate Curricular Affairs – M. Ford - Absent
3. Graduate Curricular Affairs – Z. He
  1. Question for the group: Is the form acceptable? If so, the report says it is appropriate.
4. Faculty Affairs – D. Hemphill
  1. Progress is being made on four charges:
    1. Developing a faculty retention website (a “one-stop shop” for resources), reviewing BCF policies based on survey feedback
    2. Aligning workload flexibility reviews with the University Senate to avoid redundancy
    3. Preparing a survey on professional development interests.
5. Research, Scholarship & Professional Development – J. Skomra
  1. Members actively promoted and presented at the Faculty Showcase.
    1. The committee is preparing to review student undergraduate research awards (nominations due February 13)
    2. Updated scoring criteria for the Council Fellows Research Award.
6. Campus Life – E. Kuttenberg
  1. The committee is addressing sports attendance and transfer student support.
    1. Initiatives include integrating sports event attendance into first-year seminars and encouraging schools to host specific “nights” (e.g., Engineering Soccer Night).
    2. Regarding transfer students, the committee is ensuring every school has a designated contact person to facilitate advising connections.
New Business – None
Adjournment
1. Adjournment motioned by M. Naber, seconded by M. Swinarski