Louisiana Tech University

Agenda for University Senate Meeting

May 12, 2008

4:00 p.m.

 

1. Call to Order - Aziz Saber
2. Roll Call - Marie Pipes
3. Adoption of Agenda
4. Approval of Minutes - March 17 and April 14, 2008
5. Announcements

Administrative and Planning Council
Faculty Advisory Council

6. FACHB 179 (see page 2)
7. Turnitin and SafeAssign(see page 3)
8. Treasurer's Report  - Ron Cathey
9. Elections - Officers
   • Vice President
   • Treasurer
   • Parliamentarian
10. Elections - Awards
    • Virgil Orr Junior Faculty Award - Nominees
      • Katie Evans
      • Richard Hutchinson
      • Larry Jarrell
      • Aleta Overby
      • David Szymanski
    • University Senate Chair Award - Nominees
      • Carrice Cummins
      • William Green
      • Karen Jacobs
      • Tom Roberts
      • Galen Turner

11. Voluntary Remarks
    • Volunteers are needed for the Peach Festival, interested:

12. Adjournment

 

 

THE FACULTY ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA SYSTEM

A RESOLUTION OPPOSING HOUSE BILL 179

 

WHEREAS the Faculty Advisory Council to the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System is comprised of representatives
from each of the eight system universities, and

WHEREAS sick leave is a benefit provided to higher education faculty, and

WHEREAS library faculty and other 12-month faculty also earn annual leave, and

WHEREAS since 1975 state law has mandated that sick leave and annual leave benefits be provided to higher education faculty, and

WHEREAS current state law explicitly states that unused sick leave and annual leave can be accrued without limitation, and

WHEREAS faculty members accepted their positions with the expectation of receiving sick leave and annual leave benefits as required by
current state law, and

WHEREAS House Bill 179 proposes an "alternative" leave program termed "paid time off" and "extended sick leave," and

WHEREAS replacing the current sick and annual leave benefits with "paid time off" and "extended sick leave" would significantly reduce
benefits provided to thousands of higher education faculty in Louisiana, and

WHEREAS the inadequate leave plans proposed in HB 179 would undermine colleges' and universities' attempts to hire and retain the
best-qualified faculty,

NOW BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Faculty Advisory Council to the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System strongly
oppose House Bill 179 and urge legislators to vote against it.

 

Enacted This 30^th Day of April, 2008

 

 

Mary Sue Ply, Ph.D.

Chair, Faculty Advisory Council

 

Grambling State University                              Northwestern State University

Louisiana Tech University                               Southeastern Louisiana University

McNeese State University                                University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Nicholls State University                                 University of Louisiana at Monroe

 

 

Turnitin and SafeAssign

Abstract

 

            This Ad hoc Committee of the Louisiana Tech University Senate was asked to investigate whether Turnitin or SafeAssign^TM[1] (by Blackboard) should be used at Louisiana Tech as a teaching tool.  The committee requested input from professors and performed a side-by-side comparison using Turnitin and SafeAssign^TM.  Secondary research was performed, and the final recommendation from the comparison is given. The conclusion is that Turnitin is clearly superior, and its use should be continued at Louisiana Tech University.

            Some reasons are:

• Vastly larger store of journal articles, magazine and newspaper titles, etc.
• Much larger database of student papers (approximately 50 million as opposed to 2 million) and will grow faster since inclusion in the database is mandatory
• More sophisticated search of Internet including not just the current web, but also archived images of Internet pages
• Already contains a substantial number of Louisiana Tech student papers
• Intuitive, well-designed user interface
• Well-structured, side-by-side, color-coded originality reports
• Exemplary teaching tool through use of draft submissions
• Has optional features that facilitate e-learning

Volunteer Coordinator Blair Walpole at 514-8206

 

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[1] SafeAssign^TM is a Trademark of Blackboard, Inc.