Posts Tagged ‘Faculty Senate’
Faculty welcome new second VP
Written by Hannah Thomas
Thursday, 04 October 2012 16:30
No Comments

Faculty Senate President Kevin Rabas speaks about a KBOR faculty of the year award and asks committees for recommendations. Awards will go to one tenured and one non-tenured faculty member at each regent certified school.
Jordan Storrer/The Bulletin

The Faculty Senate welcomed Manjula Shinge, associate professor of English, to her new position as Second Vice President Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s a pleasure and honor to welcome Dr. Manjula Shinge to her new role,” said Kevin Rabas, associate professor of English, co-director of creative writing and Faculty Senate president. “Manjula asks good questions, and she is a good listener. She is an amiable, responsible leader, and I look forward to watching her grow into the eventual role of faculty president.”

Racheal Countryman, junior communication major, spoke on behalf of Associated Student Government and discussed their plans for this year’s “Can the Bods” campaign.

“Can the Bods started this week (and) we should start seeing some drop-off boxes all around campus,” Countryman said. “We’ve actually even moved out into the community. We should have some in grocery stores, places like that. You can also drop them off at the Center for Student Involvement.”

Countryman also said that Lyon County will host political forums this month. Next Tuesday, local candidates will meet on campus, and on the 16th state candidates met on campus. Further information on these events is forthcoming.

The senate discussed Bob Driewer, CEO of Newman Regional Health, who will visit campus to interview staff and faculty and get an outside perspective of ESU. The possibility of viewing the report he will write on the various departments’ needs and wants was also put forth as a suggestion.

Rabas asked each of the committees to put together a paragraph answering two questions relating to student success – what are faculty members doing, and what can they do in the classroom to ensure the success of students? These questions were put forth by the Kansas Board of Regents at their September meeting.

The senate debated having the Faculty of the Year Award at ESU, which recognizes both tenured and non-tenure track members but does not have any monetary reward. The tabled the discussion until the next meeting.

Zeni Colorado, assistant professor of instructional design and technology and chair of the Committee on Campus Governance, reported on the developments in creating a new logo for ESU that will be used for academic purposes, whereas the Power E logo is used more casually.

Tanja Steigner, associate professor of business and education and chair of the Faculty Affairs committee, reported on developing a resolution to commend Carol Russell, professor of early childhood development, for her work with the Tuition Assistance Program.

The next meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 16 in the Preston Family Room in the Memorial Union.

 
Faculty Senate approves intellectual property bill
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 05 April 2012 14:41
No Comments

Faculty Senate met Tuesday to vote on a bill that defines intellectual property policies on campus and a bill that makes adjustments to the school’s maximum physical education credit requirements for athletes. The senate also discussed the possibility of implementing a shared leave program for faculty members as early as this fall and addressed the recent major issues with internet access on campus.
The intellectual property bill was tabled during the last senate meeting, and an amendment to the bill was added that clarifies a section declaring intellectual property rights retained by instructors. The bill updates ESU’s policy, stating that “the University has no rights in any intellectual property that is created solely as a result of the employee’s own creative and intellectual effort, time, resources, and money.” The bill was sponsored by Marvin Harrell, professor of mathematics, computer science and economics.
The amendment to the bill states a faculty member retains exclusive intellectual property rights in his or her course material. Both the bill and the amendment were passed unanimously.
The second bill that was voted on was the modification of the maximum hours of physical education activity credit counted towards graduation. This was the second reading of the bill, and it was passed unanimously, effectively increasing the maximum hour limit of physical education activity hours to eight.
“It is up to president Shonrock to approve the bills passed,” said Kevin Johnson, Faculty Senate president and associate professor of business administration.
Johnson also said Shonrock had approved the senate constitution and bylaws bills that were passed during the last senate meeting.
A shared leave program that could be implemented this fall would allow faculty members to receive donations of sick leave or maternity leave hours donated from other faculty members if they would need to leave beyond the annual allotted amount of paid leave.
“What we are going to do is put together the ideas and reasons for this policy from our faculty,” Johnson said. “We will bring this to the next meeting in May. We will propose it to the Board of Regents as a beneficial policy idea that they have the authority to implement.”
The recent campus Internet outages were also addressed during the meeting. Kevin Rabas, vice president, associate professor of English and co-director of the Creative Writing program, said that the senate will ask the head of TCS to be present at the next meeting to discuss preventing another outage.

Steve Edwards

 
Final exams examined by Faculty Senate
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 08 March 2012 16:24
No Comments

James Waegelein, professor of accounting and information systems, and Deborah Gerish, associate professor of social sciences, vote on the Faculty Senate constitution. Lingzi Su/The Bulletin

Faculty Senate met on Tuesday to vote on four bills, including one that modifies Emporia State’s final exam policy.

Dwight Moore, associate professor of biological sciences, said that students can now be asked to find a proctor for rescheduled final exams at the instructor’s approval, according to the bill.

“Instructors do not have to follow this policy,” said James Waegelein, professor of accounting and information systems, “but the policy can be used as a service.”

Moore said that ESU documents on this policy do not agree.

“In some classes a final exam is not appropriate, therefore, a final is not required,” Moore said. “If no final is given, classes will not need to meet during final exam week, in the new bill.”

The bill was passed unanimously 24-0.

Another bill was the modification of the maximum hours of physical education activity credit counted towards graduation. This was the first full reading of the bill.

“Emporia State’s current maximum limit of physical education credits is four hours,” said Moore. “That number may be changed to a larger number. There are some schools that have unlimited hours that can be counted.”

Moore, who moved for the bill, said that ESU does not have to adapt the unlimited hour system. The bill was passed unanimously 24-0, increasing the maximum hour limit of physical education activity hours to eight.

A third bill that was voted on involved modification of the senate constitution. Paul Luebbers, assistant professor of health and physical education, said he wanted to fully explain the changes of language in the bill and the section that explains the duties of second vice president, which includes the mandatory attendance of every faculty senate meeting. This was the second full reading of the bill.

The bill passed unanimously, 24-0.

The final bill the voted on involved modification of the senate bylaws in accordance to the amendments to the constitution.

Changes to the bylaws were similar to the changes of the constitution in terms, language changes and second vice president duties. The bill passed unanimously, 24-0.

The only bill that was discussed but not voted on was the Intellectual Property Bill. The bill has been tabled until a motion is made and approved to bring it back into discussion for further action. Kevin Johnson, president of Faculty Senate, said that in a recent meeting with President Michael Shonrock, he “seemed amenable to the bill.”

The meeting on Tuesday was the last Faculty Senate meeting until after spring break.

Steve Edwards

 
Administrator evaluation bill canned for third time
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 23 February 2012 16:24
No Comments

James Waegelein, accounting and information systems professor, reads an email addressed to President Michael Shonrock during the Faculty Senate meeting held Tuesday afternoon in Webb Lecture Hall. The email was in regards to the administrator evaluation bill, which Shonrock did not sign. Julie Thephachan/The

James Waegelein, accounting and information systems professor, reads an email addressed to President Michael Shonrock during the Faculty Senate meeting held Tuesday afternoon in Webb Lecture Hall. The email was in regards to the administrator evaluation bill, which Shonrock did not sign. Julie Thephachan/The

Despite efforts of the Faculty Senate to provide more transparency in the administration since last spring, President Michael Shonrock became the third president to reject the Administrator Evaluation Bill last week.

“Unfortunately, I am unable to approve the policy as written because it would allow the release of confidential personnel information in manner which is not in conformity with current law and other University Policies,” Shonrock wrote in an email to the Faculty Senate.

The bill had been submitted to former President Michael Lane, and former interim President H. Edward Flentje last year, and both vetoed the bill.

Lane’s position on the bill was that it was self-contradictory. He said that evaluations were confidential employee records and this disclosure would violate the Kansas Open Records Act and state and university policy, according to a letter Lane disclosed to the Faculty Senate last spring.

When Flentje rejected the bill last October, Faculty Senate President Kevin Johnson said, “It appears the rejection was not so much an opposition to the policy, but the main thing he stressed was he just did not want to saddle the next president with the bill.”

The bill aims to review the professional performance of administrators and provide input to the reviewed administrator, his or her supervisor and the president of the university. It would make these evaluations available for Faculty Senate executive committee review and allow administrators the opportunity to share the results of their own, individual evaluations with the faculty. Administrators may also choose to make a summary of their own evaluations available for the entire faculty.

The bill states that the evaluations will “neither be made public nor available to any party outside of Emporia State University without the consent of the evaluated administrator, the University President, or as required by law.”

“President Shonrock feels that personal information could be revealed by the bill,” said James Waegelein, accounting and information systems professor, who emailed Shonrock urging him reconsider signing the bill. “(The bill) specifically said no personal information will be revealed.”

Waegelein worked at the University of Kansas for 20 years, and he was involved in reviews for three deans. He said in each case the chancellor came down and met with the faculty after each review.

“At Emporia State, I’ve been involved in two dean’s reviews, and there was no dialogue with president after the review,” Waegelain said. “I believe the faculty do not feel their views were listened to, and there was confusion about the process.”

Shonrock has offered to meet with the senate or a senate committee to further explain his decision.

Tianhai Jiang

 
Faculty discuss media, evaluations and salaries
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 09 February 2012 16:05
No Comments

A new radio show and the discovery of some additional funding for undergraduate research were among the topics discussed by the faculty senate Tuesday.

Jennifer Cheray, Associated Student Government vice president and senior marketing major, gave updates from ASG including discussing their time spent at the capitol for Higher Education Day.

“All of the regents universities sent students to the capitol to meet with legislators,” Cheray said. “ESU met with 26 legislators together, and our talking points were the economic return (for taxpayers) of higher education… we were opposing the conceal and carry bill and talked about student debt.”

Tes Mehring, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs and Student Life, said that President Michael Shonrock had found money to aid the new undergraduate research fund, which helps pay for students to travel to conferences and present their work nationally.

Funding for faculty to teach distance courses had also increased.

In addition to participating in a radio show two times a month, Shonrock will appear on a public television program and will write a monthly article for The Gazette to help increase awareness about ESU, said Kevin Johnson, president of faculty and associate professor of business. Johnson said that anyone who wished to contribute to these shows should contact the president’s office with their ideas.

“I think the key is that as long as it’s something that promotes what we’re doing at ESU, I don’t think (Shonrock) had a long list of what you could or couldn’t do,” Johnson said.

The committee on Academic Affairs worked on the final exam policy and discussed the number of physical education credit hours that count towards graduation, said Dwight Moore, associate professor of biology. The number of credits currently accepted is four, but the committee had not reached any consensus as to how to make a change.

Marian Riedy, associate professor of business, said that Shonrock would be attending the next faculty affairs meeting to discuss the intellectual property bill. The meeting is open and will start at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 14 in Science Hall 177. The group had also compiled the average administrator and faculty salaries for the Faculty Senate’s review. No further action was taken on the salaries at the meeting.

Johnson said that the administrator evaluation bill passed by the Faculty Senate last semester had been sent to Shonrock for approval. Johnson said Shonrock wished to discuss the bill with him and Kevin Rabas, vice president of Faculty Senate and co-director of creative writing, before announcing his decision to Faculty Senate.

The next faculty senate meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 21 in Webb Hall.

Charlie Heptas

 
Shonrock speaks are first Faculty Senate meeting
Written by Bulletin Staff
Friday, 20 January 2012 16:39
No Comments

Ìóâè 43 ôèëüì

Lynette Schreiner and Lori Mann vote on the plans pertaining to the intellectual property bill Tuesday afternoon in Webb Lecture Hall. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

Lynette Schreiner and Lori Mann vote on the plans pertaining to the intellectual property bill Tuesday afternoon in Webb Lecture Hall. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

President Michael Shonrock made his way around the circle of tables, personally introducing himself and leaving a trail of laughs behind him in preparation for his speech at Tuesday’s Faculty Senate meeting.

In his speech Shonrock adressed raising enrollment and focusing communication between faculty, students and administration.

“Enrollment of an institution has a great impact on the future and this is an opportunity to invest and reinvest in our future,” Shonrock said. “Every opportunity, I get I am going to recruit for Emporia State University. I have enjoyed the opportunity over the years to write personal letters and I am happy to make phone calls. These are the types of things that are important.”

After Shonrock’s speech, amendments to the intellectual property bill was the topic of discussion. Faculty members debated on whether to casually introduce the bill to Shonrock before sending it to him for approval.

“It is not a negotiation (and) it is not to propose another amendment of your own, we just want his thoughts about it,” said Kevin Johnson, faculty president. “He doesn’t have to say he will approve it or not, we just want his thoughts and concerns on it.”

The bill, which was left on the table until a new president was elected, aims to “foster the creation and dissemination of knowledge and to define the individual and institutional rights associated with the distribution of benefits that may be derived from the creation of intellectual property.”

The senate voted 26-1 to send the bill to Shonrock for evaluation before a final decision is made.

Rocky Robinson

Dress for less

Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, PA) March 13, 2008 | Catherine S. Molitoris Save money and find the gown of your dreams at Prom Dress Swap Prom fashion CATHERINE S. MOLITORIS It all starts with a dress. web site easrer dresses

Prom might be among the biggest nights in a girl’s life, and finding the perfect dress makes it even more special.

But affording a dress can be a problem for some teens, since prices for prom-worthy gowns can easily enter the three-figure range.

Kathy Cramer has a solution.

The youth-services coordinator at ELANCO Library, New Holland, will host a Prom Dress Swap, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Girls may bring in their prom dress for a chance to swap, rent or purchase a dress from another girl.

“Prom is such a big deal, and anyone who has lived through it knows that it usually comes with a big price,” Cramer says.

According to promspot.com, couples spend an average of $800 to attend their school’s event.

As a group, teens will spend $4 billion this year on prom- related items, including apparel, limos, dinners and after parties, the site estimates.

Just the dress alone can be a major expense. A survey on Seventeen.com shows 62 percent of girls expect to spend up to $200. A small percentage even say they’ll fork over up to $500.

That’s a lot of money to pay for a dress that will be worn for only a few hours, Cramer says.

Noting that it’s a fashion sin to wear the same dress more than once, she hopes the event will draw a wide range of participants.

“Many girls have used dresses sitting in their closets, taking up space, with no plans to ever use them again,” she says.

She expects the event to be girl-driven, with participants deciding if they want to exchange dresses, loan their dress to another girl or sell it for a low price.

“Whatever the agreement, it’s a win-win situation for both girls,” she says.

The Prom Dress Swap is actually the brainchild of former youth- services coordinator Pamela Rineer, who dreamed up the idea after reading about similar events at other libraries across the country.

Rineer also gained inspiration from organizations such as the Fairy Godmother Project, which offers affordable gowns for girls who may not be able to purchase a regularly priced dress.

She sees the event not only as a way for girls to save money but also as an entree into the arena of helping others.

“I am hoping teens see they can make a difference a little bit at a time,” she says. “I thought if they saw how they could help another classmate, it would encourage them to do even more.” When Rineer left her position at the library in November, it became Cramer’s responsibility to bring the swap idea to fruition. easrerdresses.info easrer dresses

The event is open to all county teens, and Cramer hopes to turn it into an annual activity, perhaps even expanding it to include outlets for accessories, makeup and other prom items.

Like Rineer, Cramer sees the event as more than just a way for girls to pick up an inexpensive dress.

“I think of this as an earth-friendly event,” she says. “It’s giving girls a chance to rescue stuff that’s out there taking up space, and reuse it.

“And of course, it’s a chance to save money.” CONTACT US: cmolitoris@LNPnews.com or 291-8758 FYI WHAT: Prom Dress Swap WHERE: ELANCO Library, 11 Chestnut Drive, New Holland WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday REGISTER: Call the library, 354-0525.

CUT PROM COSTS If prom expenses are putting a dent in your wallet, consider these cost-saving tips from promspot.com writer Jackie Fisherman:

BORROWED WHEELS: Snag a super-nice set of wheels from a parent or friend. Renting a limo is a huge expense, and if you can grab someone’s cool car to cart around your friends, you’ll save a ton.

P.S.: Don’t forget that the owner will probably be nervous about a group of kids cruising in their sweet (and expensive!) ride, so you’ll probably have to prove how responsible you are. It might be a nice thank you to offer them a free carwash post-prom.

CHEAP EATS: You don’t have to hit the fancy-schmanciest restaurant in town to have a memorable pre-prom meal. If you and your buds are all together (and dressed to the nines!), you’ll have a ball anywhere. Head to your usual neighborhood hangout, or order in takeout and chow down buffet-style at someone’s house.

DIY HAIR: Want a prom-perfect updo? Enlist your friend’s, sister’s (or even your mom’s) help. Find a style you like, then do a trial run-through a week or two before prom. You’ll work out any kinks then and save yourself a bundle later.

SNAP SAVVY: Formal prom portraits can make great keepsakes (Let’s face it, you’re not skipping these), but come on: Do you really need four 8-by-10 copies, plus 20 wallet-size photos? Check out the least- expensive option. Chances are it includes more than enough prints. Besides, between you and your friends, you’ll probably take a gazillion digi-pics, so you shouldn’t worry that no one will capture the big night!

SHOP AROUND: For (almost) all of the above! If there’s one part of prom you’re set on going all out on, go for it. Just be sure you’ve done your homework first – compare different dresses, accessories, limo companies, etc. – and you’ll get the kind of quality you’re paying the big bucks for.

Catherine S. Molitoris

 
Faculty challenge presidents’ salary hikes
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 17 November 2011 09:59
No Comments
The Faculty Senate votes on the resolution indicting the presidential pay raises. The vote passed 25-0. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

The Faculty Senate votes on the resolution indicting the presidential pay raises. The vote passed 25-0. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

The Faculty Senate passed a resolution, 25-0, Tuesday afternoon challenging the recent pay raise for Kansas Board of Regents university presidents. Last month KBOR approved salary raises for the heads of its six universities while also making sizeable adjustments for three presidents, according to the resolution.

“The feeling is… that even if these market adjustments were in line with what university presidents are making, in Kansas, right now, this is a spectacularly bad time to be doing this,” said Max McCoy, senator, assistant professor of journalism and adviser to The Bulletin. “The Resolution is not saying, nor is it intended to say, that these presidents aren’t worth the money. It is just saying an adjustment of this magnitude is ill-advised during this economic climate.”

All university presidents received a 1.8 percent cost of living increase for the coming year. But the presidents of Fort Hays State, Kansas State, and Pittsburg State each received raises ranging from 12.2-14.7 percent, including a $50,000 salary boost for Kirk Schulz, K-State president, according to the resolution.

The resolution also states that such large increases are “well above a reasonable cost of living adjustment, regardless of whether it is supported by private or public monies.”

“I think this reflects the consensus of the faculty that there is concern over presidential salaries,” McCoy said. “Particularly in times of economic hardship, this sends a message to the average Kansan that perhaps they could not or would not accept.”

A motion was passed unanimously to send the resolution to each individual member of KBOR. Kevin Johnson, associate professor of business administration and education and president of Faculty Senate, also suggested to send the resolution to other universities to see if they would like to follow suit.

The Intellectual Property Bill was also brought up during the meeting. The bill, which aims to “foster the creation and dissemination of knowledge and to define the individual and institutional rights associated with and the distribution of benefits that may be derived from the creation of intellectual property,” was left on the table until a new president is appointed by KBOR.

“We thought it was best if we would just leave it on the table until a new president is elected,” Marvin Harrell, professor of mathematics said. “It could keep president Flentje from acting on it and potentially rejecting it while allowing the senators and the departments to look at it more carefully.”

Rocky Robinson

 
Intellectual property bill stalls, some faculty wary of search methods
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 03 November 2011 09:51
No Comments

Michael Morales, associate professor of physical science, makes a proposal for the intellectual property bill during the Faculty Senate meeting in the Kanza room Tuesday afternoon. Morales pushed for this bill to pass, which would give the university’s professors recognition for their creative property. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

Michael Morales, associate professor of physical science, makes a proposal for the intellectual property bill during the Faculty Senate meeting in the Kanza room Tuesday afternoon. Morales pushed for this bill to pass, which would give the university’s professors recognition for their creative property. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin

The amendment of a Faculty Senate bill regarding the intellectual property policy was the focus of debate at the meeting on Tuesday in Webb 2 Lecture Hall.

“The reason I put (the amendment) together is because this doesn’t reflect a good balance between the university’s rights and the faculty member’s rights who might create it (an intellectual property),” said Michael Morales, associate professor of physical sciences department.

Morales said some of the original policies, like “the university shall have the right to revise (mediated courseware) and decide who will utilize the mediated courseware,” were fairly strong.

“What I tried to do then was to go through (the amendment) and make it more balanced,” Morales said. “For example, in most places where the university was deciding an issue, I thought that should be mutually agreed upon by the creator or creator’s courseware and the university.”

Marian Riedy, assistant professor of business administration and education, said she agreed with some of the amendment, but thought there was some confusion remaining about the meaning and intent of the proposed policy.

“I think the amendment was directed to the part of the policy dealing with delivery methodology,” Riedy said, “but I think the main concern, which is addressed in the proposed policy, is the ownership of course materials, which is in another part of the policy.”

She said she was also concerned that some parts of the amendment might conflict with the Kansas Board of Regents’ intellectual property policy.

Two motions were made. One passed 19-6 deciding that the amendment should be separated into four specific pieces. The other passed 20-6 that the amendment should be tabled until the next meeting on Nov. 15.

“A rush vote is too dangerous to me,” said Deborah Gerish, associate professor of social sciences department. “Take some time, let people understand what the amendment really means. My department tells me what they want me to vote. Then we are all good.”

The presidential search also brought to attention the lack of available candidate information and the limited time faculty and students have to provide feedback.

“The Board of Regents has a different view on the campus,” said Marvin Harrell, professor of mathematics and chair of Faculty Affairs. “If we are the sellers rather than the buyers…we really aren’t looking at them – they are looking at us. At least that’s the impression that’s been given, and it’s the problem we need to be thinking about and then we expect the senate might want to consider a resolution.”

The Phoenix Charity Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which exists to support the families of international students in emergency situations. It was founded and acquired its IRS certification within a week after the fire that killed two ESU students over fall break, by Sisi Huang, president of the Chinese Student Association and business manager for The Bulletin.

“What amazed me was that it’s a 501 (c)(3) registered organization, and she got it done in a week, which is unheard of,” said Kevin Johnson, Faculty Senate president. “I don’t know how she did it. It almost made me wish I had a company so I could offer her a job.”

Two other bills regarding credit hours for course and a time limit we on their second reading. Both were passed unanimously and forwarded on to interim President H. Edward Flentje for approval.

The next meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 15 in Webb 2 Lecture Hall.

Tianhai Jiang

Langerhans cell histiocytosis.(PAHTHOLOGY CLINIC)(Report)

Ear, Nose and Throat Journal March 1, 2010 | Camelo-Piragua, Sandra Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH; formerly histiocytosis X) is a neoplastic proliferation of Langerhans cells (antigen-presenting histiocytes). Involvement of osseous and extraosseous sites of the head and neck has been reported in as many as one-third of cases. Osseous LCH may involve the flat bones of the skull, the facial bones, the bones of the jaw and sinonasal tract, and the medial part of the external auditory meatus. Destructive bone lesions can manifest as headache, toothache, tooth loss, hearing loss, and otitis media. Involvement of the skull can also cause exophthalmos and diabetes insipidus.

[FIGURE OMITTED] Radiographically, bone lesions appear as sharp, punched-out radiolucencies. Sites of extraosseous involvement include the facial skin and scalp, the periorbital region, the gingiva, and the cervical lymph nodes. see here langerhans cell histiocytosis

Demographically, LCH occurs mainly in children (~1/200,000 annually), it is rare in blacks, and it has a predilection for males (male-to-female ratio 3.7:1).

It is important to remember that while LCH may present as a solitary lesion (known as an eosinophilic granuloma), it can also be multifocal and involve several systems (e.g., the liver, spleen, lung, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system). In Hand Schuller-Christian disease, there is multifocal involvement of a single tissue, usually bone. In Letterer-Siwe disease, there is multisystem involvement. Patients can also present with fever, rashes, and pancytopenia. The etiology of LCH is unknown.

On tissue biopsy, the histopathology of LCH is distinctive. Lesions are characterized by an accumulation of mononuclear and multinucleated Langerhans cells admixed with abundant mature eosinophils (figure, A), as well as some neutrophils and small lymphocytes. Eosinophilic abscesses can feature central necrosis. Langerhans cells have grooved, folded, indented, or lobulated vesicular nuclei (figure, B). They are typically positive for immunohistochemical stains against CDla (figure, C), langerin, S-100 protein, and CD68. The hallmark of Langerhans cells is the ultrastructural presence of cytoplasmic Birbeck granules, which are rod- or tennis-racket-shaped structures (figure, D). LCH must be distinguished from reactive histiocytosis, Hodgkin lymphoma, NK/T-cell lymphoma, ErdheimChester disease (a CD 1 a-negative histiocytic disorder), and Rosai-Dorfman disease.

Patients with treated unifocal LCH have an excellent prognosis, but the presence of multisystem in volvement is a poor prognostic sign. Unifocal disease progresses to multisystem disease in about 10% of patients. Spontaneous regression has occurred in rare cases. The choice of treatment depends on the number of sites involved. Solitary lesions, which frequently occur in the head and neck, can be conservatively resected with curettage or excision. Systemic chemotherapy is administered to patients with disseminated or multifocal disease and to those who do not respond to local treatment. website langerhans cell histiocytosis

Suggested reading Buchmann L, Emami A, Wei JL. Primary head and neck Langerhans cell histiocytosis in children. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006;135(2):312-17.

Davis SE, Rice DH. Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis: Current trends and the role of the head and neck surgeon. Ear Nose Throat J 2004;83(5):340, 342, 344 passim.

Quraishi MS, Blayney AW, Walker D, et al. Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis: Head and neck manifestations in children. Head Neck 1995;17(3):226-31.

From the Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Dr. Camelo-Piragua); the Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (Dr. Zambrano); and the Department of Pathology, Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Springfield, Mass. (Dr. Pantanowitz).

Camelo-Piragua, Sandra

 
Flentje sacks transparency bill
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 27 October 2011 16:35
No Comments
Faculty Senate President Kevin Johnson explains that interim President H. Edward Flentje decided not to sign the bill that would modify the current administrator evaluation policy. A motion is made that the bill should be held and submitted to the new president. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin

Faculty Senate President Kevin Johnson explains that interim President H. Edward Flentje decided not to sign the bill that would modify the current administrator evaluation policy. A motion is made that the bill should be held and submitted to the new president. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin

Despite efforts of the Faculty Senate to provide more transparency in the administration, interim President H. Edward Flentje opted last Tuesday not to sign a bill that would modify the current procedures for faculty and staff evaluations of administrators.

“Last week I met with President Flentje,” said Kevin Johnson, Faculty Senate president at last Tuesday’s meeting. “It appears the rejection was not so much an opposition to the policy but the main thing he stressed was he just did not want to saddle the next president with the bill.”

The bill would promote “an atmosphere of transparency and trust at Emporia State,” according to a letter sent to Flentje on the senate’s behalf by Max McCoy, senator, assistant professor of journalism and adviser to The Bulletin.

The bill aims to allow administrators the opportunity to share the results of their own, individual evaluations with the faculty. It also states that the evaluations will “neither be made public nor available to any party outside of Emporia State University without the consent of the evaluated administrator, the University President, or as required by law.”

But last spring, former President Michael Lane vetoed the bill because he believed it was “self-contradictory and inconsistent with (the Kansas Open Records Act),” according to McCoy’s letter.

Still, the bill recognizes that certain information found in administrator evaluations may be deemed confidential under KORA.  Last spring, Provost Tes Mehring made her own administrator evaluation available online.

A motion was made and passed 25-4 that the bill should be held and re-submitted as is to whomever is appointed as the next president of ESU.

Three other bills were also brought to the attention of the senate.

Marian Riedy, associate professor of business administration and education, said that the intellectual property bill was passed last April, but it was never sent to former President Lane for approval.

A bill addressing credit hours for different courses was also discussed. The Department of Education now requires institutions that enroll students receiving federal financial aid to define the amount of work needed to receive a credit hour.

“We are looking at a variety of things out on the internet and various other schools who have already dealt with this issue,” said Dwight Moore, associate professor of biology. “It defines a credit hour in face-to-face classes and accommodates distance learning in which the same amount of learning should occur to earn a credit hour.”

Another bill regarding the time limit for which a course can still be considered consistent with current academic standards was also addressed.

Moore said the issue was called to attention when a past student graduated with a 40-year-old course which “had gone stale.”

Drafts for these bills will be looked over at the next meeting at 3:30 p.m. next Tuesday in Webb 2 Lecture Hall.

Kenzie Templeton and Rocky Robinson

 
Senate pushes for transparent administration
Written by Bulletin Staff
Thursday, 06 October 2011 09:43
No Comments

An administrator evaluation bill that was passed last spring and left unsigned by Michael Lane, former president, was a topic of debate at the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The purpose of the administrator evaluation policy is to review the professional performance of administrators and provide input to the reviewed administrator, his or her supervisor and the president of the university.

The bill aims to make these evaluations available to for Faculty Senate executive committee review. Administrators may also choose to make a summary of their own evaluations available for the entire faculty.

Lane’s position on the bill was that it was self-contradictory. He said that evaluations were confidential employee records and this disclosure would violate the Kansas Open Records Act and state and university policy, according to a letter Lane disclosed to the Faculty Senate last spring.

The senate voted 26-1 to send the bill to current interim President H. Edward Flentje for approval.

“We felt greater transparency and trust was needed with the administration,” said Max McCoy, assistant professor of journalism and adviser to The Bulletin. “The consensus, as evidenced by the near unanimous vote of the senate, is that there needs to be a mechanism by which those participating in administrator evaluations have some feedback as to the results. This is important, we believe, in promoting an atmosphere of transparency and trust at Emporia State.”

Jim Williams, associate provost for enrollment management and vice president for strategic partnerships, discussed the transferrable core of credits, which he said the Kansas Board of Regents was “fast tracking.” Several university faculty across the state expressed some concern with quality control at the community college level but the community colleges and KBOR were in favor of the change, Williams said.

Also discussed was the definition of sexual harassment by federal regulations. Kevin Johnson, senate president and associate professor of business administration, said that the existing policy must be reviewed and must be updated in accordance with federal regulations.

Dwight Moore, associate professor of biology and chair of academic affairs for the senate, discussed a university policy that limits the amount of time a department can allow students to gain credit for classes after being away from campus for a certain period of time. Moore also furthered the discussion of the definition of a credit hour. The academic affairs committee is still working on this definition and looking for faculty input.

Marvin Harrell, professor of mathematics, discussed how to handle benefits for domestic partnerships. Harrell also discussed revising a portion of the Faculty Senate constitution by moving the patent policy to the intellectual property rights section of the constitution.

The next Faculty Senate meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 in Visser Hall 330.

Billy Garner