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Academic Council
Meeting Minutes
March 18 2004
Present: Curtis
Johnson, Dean of the College; Stephanie Arnold, Dean of Arts
and Humanities; Gary Reiness, Dean of Mathematical and
Natural Sciences; Harry Schleef, Dean of Social Sciences;
Robert Nayer, Director of Operating and Capital Budgets; and
Terri Banasek, administrative assistant and recorder.
Guests: Dell Smith, Registrar; Kristi Williams, Coordinator
of Academic Advising; and Elaine Breedlove, administrative
specialist.
Agenda Items:
- Dell Smith distributed packets of information that is
sent to students in summer mailings. The objective is to
trim down the packet and to make it more consistent. Dr.
Smith and Kristi Williams are working toward a bound
packet that will be sent to students. The following
suggestions were made:
- Dean Arnold noted that what is most immediately
helpful to students are answers to common questions.
She suggested laying out a chart listing sequences and
prerequisites in the different majors as well as areas
that require placement exams.
- Dean Johnson noted that he does not think there
should be separate letters from each of the academic
divisions; instead, he suggested a cover letter from
the registrar.
- Regarding the advising questionnaire, Dr. Williams
noted that if the College changes the process to the
advising pilot model, this will not necessarily be
needed. However, it does give advisers additional
useful information.
- Dean Johnson suggested that a cover listing the
contents of the packet be included as well.
The Academic Council will review the packet before the
next meeting and send any suggestions to Dr. Smith and to
Kristi Williams.
- Dean Johnson announced that Michael Sestric will be
meeting with Academic Council on April 1 before a meeting
with the president and the Arts and Humanities Division
is held (if necessary).
- Dean Arnold and Dean Reiness reported enthusiastic
response from the chairs in their divisions concerning
alumni visits to classes on October 1. Dean Schleef has
not discussed it in his division. Dean Johnson will
advise David Fentin that Academic Council is making
progress.
- Academic Council continued the discussion of the
salary review process from the last meeting in view of
the draft guidelines that Dean Johnson prepared for
consideration. Dean Arnold noted that chairs in the Arts
and Humanities asked for a streamlined process. She
noted that Academic Council is asking for a fair amount
of writing with this draft. Academic Council agreed on
the following:
- Faculty should include a one-page summary of
scholarship. Actual publications should be included
in the file.
- The narrative on teaching is particularly
important.
- Instead of a written statement on scholarship and
service contribution, faculty could include an outline
summary that focuses on professional activity in the
last two years. Academic Council will ask for no more
than a page - faculty can include more, but it is not
expected.
- Service contributions can be included in the
summary statements of professional activity.
- Regarding the number of credit hours taught, it
was agreed to ask for a listing of classes taught and
the number of students in each class. Also included
should be a listing of student contact outside the
normal classroom time - teaching-related activities
(an example will be included in the salary review
process document). It should be explained that this
information provides a fuller profile for review; if
people are teaching an unusually heavy load, that will
be taken into account in their review.
- Critical self-appraisal of work as chair should be
included; it may help the Academic Council to draw up
some more defined expectations for chairs. Again,
this should be limited to one page.
- Add a sentence at the end of the guidelines for
high increases stating that outstanding teaching as
well as excellence in either scholarship or service
may qualify for a high merit increase. Dean Johnson
will draft the language for review.
- Robert Nayer distributed the final approved list of
capital equipment requests.
- Dean Reiness reported that Steve Tufte and Tom Olsen
thought they were getting computers this year and are not
on the list for replacements. Both bought new computers
with grant money and put the older computers in their
labs. This year, they were planning to put new computers
in offices and the grant-purchased computers in the labs.
Academic Council approved. Also, Liz Safran was not on
the list for a new computer; Dean Reiness will talk to IT
to resolve these discrepancies.
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