Approved as corrected 6/1/99

Announcements:

Dean Savage reviewed the criteria distributed by the NCUR/Lancy Program which solicited proposals designed to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to do original work in close collaboration with faculty mentors. grants will be paid to 4-6 institutions, with a maximum award of $50,000. The grants are designed to support a cadre of faculty to supervise up to 10 undergraduates for a period of eight to ten weeks during the summer. All must be working on one collaborative project. The Council will forward the information to Environmental Studies Chair Evan Williams for a possible collaboration with the law school's ES program. Applications are due August 15^th for May 2000 grants.

Agenda Items:

1. Deans Atkinson and Jones met this week with Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Trinh Tran and Environmental Studies Program Chair Evan Williams to review a strategic planning document prepared by Williams for the ES program. It was generally thought that the document's first two development goals, hiring a tenure-line faculty member in ES and strengthening connections with the Law School's environmental program, were advisable. However, the deans indicated that a detailed staffing plan is necessary at this point for the purpose of resource planning. They also asked for discrete operating budgets for the symposium and program with justification by line-item. If agreeable with the Law School, the programmatic links will also be incorporated in the grant proposal to the Mellon Foundation. If successful, the grant would support a new tenure-track hire in geo-physics for two years. Dean Keedy said the position description should be written for an applied geophysicist, someone who could teach introductory courses.
2. The Council discussed a memo from Jane Hunter which expressed regret that the spring faculty committee elections went by relatively unnoticed because of the busy time of year. She suggested that since most faculty were otherwise disposed last month, another election should take place in September. Unfortunately, the timing of elections are mandated by the Faculty Bylaws, but Dean Atkinson said her point was well taken--the faculty need to be around and attentive for success participation. This issue will be referred to the Faculty Council in the fall for possible revision of the bylaws.
3. Leave Policy. The Council reviewed a new draft of the faculty leave policy authored by Deans Jones and Savage. They also read a letter from several faculty members who had reviewed the Council's draft and requested a more generous package for birthing mothers and primary care givers. Dean Jones reminded the deans that their generosity in one area will always impact the resources of another. There are outcomes currently being determined for faculty salaries and this policy impacts those decisions directly. More discussion will take place on Tuesday.
4. The New Faculty Orientation schedule was distributed. Letters will go to faculty soliciting their assistance with training workshops. The NFO will take place on August 18, 19 & 20^th. Invitations will go out to participants soon.
5. John Wish - A Modest Proposal. Discussion deferred until Fall.