ACADEMIC COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

September 18, 1997

The minutes of the September 11, 1997, meeting were approved as corrected.

Announcements:

Dean Keedy said that pre-med advising is a problem with the demise of Career Services. MNS is looking for a solution in consultation with the Student Development Center.

Agenda Items:

1. President Mooney joined the Council to discuss the issue of faculty voting rights. Last spring there was much discussion in the faculty about expanding the voting rights outside of the current tenured and tenure-track constituency. Any change that is made in voting rights must come as a recommendation from the faculty and be approved by the President. He feels strongly that voting is a privilege and should be reserved for on-going members of the faculty who will take ownership for decisions made through the voting process.

   Dean Savage suggested that voting rights might be tied to a group of faculty that fall within a newly defined category. The category (not yet named) is a distinct group different from tenure-track, visiting and adjunct, and falls within the definition of "Term Appointments/Contract Appointments" in the draft faculty handbook. The category serves three purposes: 1) acknowledges instructional positions (more than half-time) that support on-going parts of the College's programs and curriculum not staffed by tenure-track faculty, usually including some administrative responsibilities; 2) assures long-term continuity of instruction; and 3) provides a category of employment for a few people who have been members of the faculty for more than six years. These appointments usually begin as Lecturers on one-year contracts after which the incumbent is reviewed every other year and after 5 years becomes eligible for advancement to Senior Lecturer.

   The Council and the President, after lengthy discussion, identified some desirable qualities or principles one should use to identify potential voting faculty. Voting faculty should: 1) possess knowledge of and have dedication to the College, 2) have a c ontractual assignment that is central to the curriculum of the arts & sciences, and 3) have seniority--longevity at the College. In other words, a voting faculty member should be an individual who has a wide knowledge of the college curriculum, possibly directs students with their theses and works with students right through to their degree.

2. Dean of Admissions Michael Sexton joined the Council to provide background for discussions on planning. The group asked if Admissions targets students, such as potential Science majors. They said that the high quality of the students is being felt a nd appreciated by the faculty. Sexton said that they do attempt to target certain areas of interest/populations but compete with other schools for those students. In recent years, LC has raised admissions standards and has been successful in increasing applications and yields. An average student applies to 6 schools and is admitted to 4.9 of them. Whether or not that student decides to attend a particular school sometimes is determined by a simple phone call from a professor in the student's area of i nterest. The Council indicated the willingness of faculty to assist with recruitment. Sexton said that this year LC will send recruitment materials to all AP chemistry test takers, but feels that more recruitment should be done by departments after the students arrive. Students are often uncertain of their major and change their minds many times in their four years of undergraduate work, providing multiple opportunities for faculty to directly influence that decision.

   Dean Savage asked Sexton feastures of the College are most attractive to potential students. He indicated 1) the City of Portland is a desirable location--the great-outdoors experience is very sought after and 2) LC's international program is nationally known and a major draw.

   Dean Keedy asked about the timing of letters of acceptance, which appears to be later than other schools. Sexton said that that perception probably comes from schools with rolling admissions. LC has three admissions dates: 1) Early Decision, December 15 notification; 2) Early Action, January 15 notification; and 3) Regular Decision, April 1 notification. Sexton said that this year financial aid packages went out in record time--truly a benchmark year.

   Dean Sexton will be invited back to the Council in the coming weeks.

3. Position advertisements for Biology and Computer Science were reviewed by the Council.