Arkansas Tech University took an initial step toward producing computer science teachers for Arkansas schools during its Board of Trustees meeting at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on Thursday.
Trustees approved a letter of intent concerning a new teacher licensure degree program in computer science education. The letter of intent, drafted by the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Computer and Information Science at Arkansas Tech, will be forwarded to the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The department will proceed with development of a program proposal for the new degree. That proposal is scheduled to come before the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees for review later this fall.
Within the same agenda item, trustees gave various levels of approval for other curriculum changes at Arkansas Tech.
The board voted in favor of: online delivery for the Master of Education degree in instructional technology; development of a stand-alone Master of Education degree in special education; a dyslexia endorsement that can be completed as part of teacher preparation for licensure purposes; splitting the current teacher licensure program in physical science into chemistry education and physics education; a letter of notification allowing for the creation of a stand-alone Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science; and the program proposal for a planned Bachelor of Arts degree in game and interactive media design.
Trustees also approved a new faculty office hours policy as presented in the Arkansas Tech Faculty Handbook. The new policy, which will go into effect during the spring 2016 semester, was brought forth and approved by the Arkansas Tech Faculty Senate.
The new policy states that “each faculty member is expected to schedule six office hours per week reserved specifically for consultation with students. The total and spacing of these office hours should be planned to permit adequate student contact. Office hours may be allocated proportionally to the type of classes being taught. For example, a faculty member with six credit hours of face-to-face classroom instruction and six credit hours of online instruction should be expected to schedule three in-office hours per week. Office hours should be included in the course syllabus and posted on the office door of the faculty member.”
In other business on Thursday, the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees approved:
*AMR Architects of Little Rock to design plans for two facilities — a new student recreation center and a new multipurpose athletics facility that would provide locker rooms and offices for the baseball program as well as indoor practice space that could be utilized by the baseball, softball, men’s golf and women’s golf programs;
*initiation of an architect selection process for a potential complete interior renovation of Witherspoon Hall;
*a 9.6 percent increase in medical insurance rates, with zero increase in dental, life and disability coverage rates, for Arkansas Tech employees through Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield during the 2016 calendar year;
*purchase of a 15,000-square foot warehouse at 1105 East 16th Street in Russellville at a cost of $595,000 to provide enhanced storage capacity for university property;
*purchase of a 1,885-square foot structure at 1019 North Arkansas Ave. in Russellville at a cost of $101,750;
*an even swap between Arkansas Tech and the City of Russellville of two 1.99-acre tracts of land on North Phoenix Avenue at no cost to either party;
*retaining AMR Architects of Little Rock and MAHG Architecture of Fort Smith as on-call architects for small and immediate project design on behalf of the university;
*a resolution authorizing the issuance of $2 million in bonds to fund the replacement of computer equipment;
*an amendment to the Arkansas Tech Staff Senate constitution that more clearly defines which employees are eligible to serve on the senate and vote in senate elections;
*upgrades to the sidewalks and walking trail at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus, with the needed $70,477 in funding coming from the Arkansas Tech Foundation;
*establishment of an administrative unit for the Associate of Applied Science degree in logistics management at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus;
*approval to expend up to $79,935 from the unappropriated education and general fund balance to purchase equipment needed for the new Health Sciences and Wellness Building at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus in the event that grant funding currently in the application phase is not received;
In personnel matters, trustees approved hiring the following full-time faculty members:
*Caroline S. Hackerott, assistant professor of emergency management, for the spring 2016 semester; and Deborah McClure, program chair and faculty in cosmetology at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus, effective Jan. 5, 2016.
The board approved employment of the following full-time staff members:
*Lindelle Fraser, institutional assistant in the Division of Student Services, effective Oct. 5, 2015; Patrick McConnell, director of learning resources in the Office of Information Systems, effective Sept. 21, 2015; Cody Parsons, programmer and analyst in the Office of Information Systems, effective Sept. 9, 2015; Adam Stanek, assistant director of athletic communications, effective Sept. 14, 2015; and William Titsworth, student conduct advisor in the Division of Student Services, effective Oct. 5, 2015.
Dr. Thomas Limperis was granted a change in assignment that will allow him to step down as head of the Department of Mathematics and return to full-time teaching as associate professor of mathematics as of June 30, 2016.
The board accepted the resignation of Daniel Knake, metal fabrication aide at Arkansas Tech Career Center, effective Oct. 22, 2015.
Trustees accepted the retirements of the following faculty members:
*Loyce Kennedy, assistant professor of nursing and member of the faculty since 1999, effective Aug. 6, 2016; Dr. V. Carolyn Neel, assistant professor of history and member of the faculty since 2011, effective Dec. 31, 2015; and Dr. Mona Chadwick Scott, associate professor of educational leadership and member of the faculty since 2010, effective May 7, 2016;
The board also accepted the retirement of Judith Stewart-Abernathy, director of the Arkansas Tech Museum. She will retire on Dec. 31, 2015, following 26 years of service to the university.
