A lengthy debate concerning faculty activity surveys topped Tuesday night’s faculty senate meeting and caused it to last longer than expected.

Ellen Rasmussen, assistant provost, headed up the discussion over the survey, which was distributed to faculty members and intended to measure the amount of time each professor spent on their core classes.

Much rebuttal was directed toward Rasmussen, who designed the new survey attempting to measure the professors’ schedules more accurately.

Many faculty members in attendance said it was virtually impossible to measure such a thing, since many aspects of their lives reflect back to their classes.

Grading papers, preparing lectures, reading books for personal benefit in their specific areas, and applying for grants were just a few of the chores faculty members deal with daily that many felt could not accurately be measured by this survey.

Jeanette Tate of the Student Athletic Services proposed a plan to involve faculty with student athletes.

The program would have members of the faculty senate spending time with student athletes — especially including new faculty, faculty of racial or ethnic minorities and faculty who aren’t familiar with the various sports.

“The goal of the program is to educate and inform the faculty of the needs of the college athlete,” Tate said.

The faculty senate misconduct policy was examined with a more structured process for misconduct complaints and investigations.

A flowchart was shown to explain the process and alternative rules for investigations were discussed.

“It is important to have the accused get a hearing by a committee to be sure due process is carried out,” Jack Girton, associate professor of zoology, said.

In other news:

Denise Vrchota, senate vice president and assistant journalism professor, brought forth a trial wellness program for the faculty senate.

The president approved the program and now a location is being sought.

Veronica Dark, associate professor of psychology, presented a resolution that will require an estimate of annual cost of future programs.

Vrchota questioned the use of at-large senators and was refuted by art and design professor Bruce Smith, who said that at-large senators are effective in that they keep the deans informed about the faculty senate.