ACADEMIC COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

September 25, 1997

The minutes of the September 18, 1997, meeting were approved as corrected.

1. Anne Price distributed class listings for spring 1998, identifying periods in which there is insufficient classroom space. The divisional deans will notify their department chairs and ask that some classes currently scheduled in periods 2, 3 and 6 be moved to 5, 7, 10 or 11, where more space is available. The registrar will also send a listing of course caps to divisional deans.

   The Council discussed two versions of the academic year calendar for 1998-99. These had been circulated to department chairs and the vast majority preferred the model with a starting date of September 1. Price will have further consultations regarding New Student Orientation before the October 1 faculty meeting, where Dean Atkinson will discuss the Council's findings.

2. Associate Dean June Jones & Joe Cooke, Director of Budgets, Trusts and Investments, joined the Council to begin conversations about this year's budget process. Cooke said he believes in a participatory process and wants to encourage budget managers to become acquainted with and involved in developing the budget for 98-99.

   Dean Savage said that departments were frustrated last year because budget print-outs included funds unavailable for department spending, e.g. the telecommunication line-item. The result was that departments could not discern their balance without additional information. Cooke said that he will work to change the print-outs to reflect only moneys available for department spending.

   Cooke said that after appropriate training and approval, budget managers are able to access current budget information on-line via the LC web page. There is also an opportunity for departmental line-item budgets to be adjusted on-line before amounts are frozen, prior to Board of Trustee approval in the spring, i.e. funds can be moved from line-item to line-item with no change in the bottom line. Dean Savage asked if restricted fund accounts might be accessible as well. Cooke will explore this possibility.

   Dean Keedy asked if anything could be done about the length of time in the summer that purchase orders are unavailable. Typically the Business Office closes access to POs during the audit, from spring through mid-summer. This action puts a hardship on the science faculty, in particular, as that is their heavy research and purchasing time. Cooke will look into the problem.

3. The Council discussed the faculty distress over the recent increase in college van charges. Heavy users of the vans are concerned at the lack of consultation and the timing of the announcement. No adjustments to budgets has been made for this year, putting programs like Forensics, Athletics and Biology in the position of altering their syllabi or looking for more funds. June Jones will look into it.