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College of Arts
& Sciences
Faculty Meeting Minutes
April 12, 2000
1. Call to Order, 3:29 PM
The group observed a moment of silence for John Andrew
(Andy) Hall 58, who taught mathematics at Lewis and Clark
for 15 years and died March 11, 2000, at the age of 92. Born
in Kansas City in 1907, Andy moved to Vancouver, WA, at the
age of 7. His daughter Betty Hall McFarlane 55, and his son
Drew Hall 55 encouraged him to pursue higher education. He
graduated summa cum laude with a degree in mathematics, and
stayed on teaching first-year math until his retirement in
1973.
2. Approval of February 2, 2000 Minutes
3. President's Report
Phi Beta Kappa will hold its ceremony at 5 PM today;
alumni membership will be awarded to ’49 alumna Alice
Asmar.
Decisions on leadership positions are still in
process.
Current average salary for Full Professors is $67,204;
College’s contribution to the retirement package is now
up to 10%.
Health care premiums are soaring; HMO plan is up 36%;
prescription drug rate increase is 185%. Fringe Benefits
Committee recommended dividing these increases equally
between the College and employees, but the decision has been
made for the College to absorb the full increases this
year.
Faculty housing: one more significant property may be
coming on the market soon, 3BR, west of College. Interested
parties should inquire. There are now four faculty and two
staff in the program, one more faculty member about to be
added.
We're in a new period of constructive change. In June the
Law School will begin doubling the size of its library, as
per first phase of master plan. In second phase the
classroom building will be replaced. Law School applications
are up this year and quality of students is on the rise. New
emphases are underway in small and emerging business law and
in intellectual property law.
New opportunities are emerging for MAT programs, ours
will increase emphasis on science teaching.
We are interested in acquiring the Franciscan Renewal
Center property. So is the Riverdale school system and they
have eminent domain rights. We have historic and community
connections to this property as well as a use need.
The cemetery property is a possible future site for
playing fields, possibly in cooperation with Portland Parks
and Recreation and/or Portland schools.
We've moved to acquire a site at the corner of Boone's
Ferry and Terwilliger; will tear down one building, keep
four, rent these to 25-30 law students.
Regarding the core of the main campus: investigated
taking down Zehntbauer swimming pavilion and moving pool to
other side of Pamplin, but cost prohibitive, project on
hold. Developing academic quadrangle, bicentennial project
consists of a new Social Science building and a
restored/expanded Albany Hall. The latter will be a faculty
and academic center including a new, smaller building,
Bicentennial Hall, where the greenhouse now is. Greenhouse
would probably move behind Olin. Expect entire complex done
by 2003.
This summer: Law School project begins in June. Street
improvements required by city of Portland include curbs,
sidewalks, bike lanes. A new water treatment system will be
installed. North road will be improved, leading to new
surface lot behind Pamplin. All cars will eventually be
moved to perimeter of campus. Fir Acres lot will be closed
during the coming summer. Some trees and bushes will come
down, but trust us, this is the first stage of a landscaping
project. Michael Sestric can respond to any questions.
4. Dean's Report
Motion to approve this year's degree candidates,
approved.
Ben Canada, Portland Superintendent of Schools, will be
our Commencement speaker.
Welcome to three new tenured faculty: Janet Davidson,
Matt Levinger, Erik Nilsen.
Student awards:
Jules Kopel-Bailey, Truman Scholarship (our fifth in four
years); Marie Spong, Simon Sponberg, Goldwater Scholarships
(10 in recent years); Carl Schreck 98 IREX (International
Research and Exchanges) Scholarship; Andy Holder, Phi Kappa
Phi Scholarship.
Classroom Committee wants input on design of new
classroom spaces, all faculty encouraged to attend meeting
April 18, 3:30 PM, Bodine 300. Dell Smith will take
suggestions.
Faculty technology showcase will be Friday, April 21,
noon - 3 PM, Watzek Studio Room 115.
Parental leave: CAS cannot develop policy independently,
but must coordinate with Graduate School and Law School.
It's agreed that we do need an official policy. Grad School
says they will follow the lead of CAS, but Law School has
concerns. Law faculty are very well compensated, and even a
single course release is costly. Deans will continue to work
on this issue during the summer.
Course evaluations: Concern has been expressed about
student conversations when faculty are absent from the room.
At suggestion of Academic Council the matter was referred to
the Honor Board. Honor Board chair Andy Holder has provided
a thoughtful reply. While its members are skeptical about
cultural change, the Board's suggestions include providing
briefings for all students at the beginning of their first
year, working more closely with student evaluation proctors,
using student media such as the Pioneer Log to address the
issue, and a single set of instructions (rather than the
current three, for faculty, students and proctor) to be read
by the faculty member. Dean Atkinson will implement the last
of these suggestions.
CAS elections: Ballots will be in tomorrow's mail,
including a nomination opportunity for a Social Science
representative to the Committee on Promotion and Tenure.
Please take note.
Pamplin nominations due to Angie McGinnis, soon.
Discussion: Regarding Academic Calendar, Portland Schools
have now set spring break a week later than we'd expected.
Can we change ours? Notice of our planned schedule has
already gone out via registration announcements and other
channels. If we change, some students may not find out.
Moving break later would also put it late in our semester.
Straw vote taken on moving break a week later: 23 favor
change, 20 opposed, some abstentions. Dell Smith will
examine situation further. It was recognized that we can
stay abreast of school spring break plans better by
contacting Oregon office of higher ed rather than Portland
schools, because schools follow the lead of the state higher
ed system.
5. Reports of Standing Committees
AAAS / Deborah Lycan
Barb Balko for Awards subcommittee:
Mary Stuart Rogers Scholarship, 58 applicants, 8 winners;
Ginger Beck, Fauna Doyle, Kara Fox, Margaret Krauss, Rebecca
Lothringer, Malia Parecki, Susan Rivera, Sadna Samaranayake.
Pamplin Corporation Scholarship, 12 applicants, 2 winners;
Andrew Zahler, Amanda Zielony. Freshman Cheney Foundation
Scholarship, 25 applicants, 5 winners; Amy Collinge, Casey
Fagre, Patricia Lee, Mollie Lemon, Adeline Rother. Junior
Cheney Foundation Scholarship, 11 applicants, 5 winners;
Kathleen Clarkson, Alysia Hayas, Allison Machlis, Nicole
Reynolds, Londi Tomaro.
Advising loads are unevenly distributed among faculty.
Committee suggests redistributing within departments with
goal of 25 students/faculty maximum, 20 students/faculty
preferred. Recommended we accomplish this by changing the
number of pre-major advisees to redistribute total loads.
This entails de-linking the new student advising system from
the pre-major system. During orientation week, new student
orientation system would operate, then those students would
be handed off to new advisors for the pre-major phase.
Discussion: Concerns expressed about AAAS approach and
"template" solution, and public display of advisor load
figures. Suggestion that we begin a larger discussion of
advising goals. Focusing on numbers may actually decrease
advising quality. Committee's proposal may increase
advisors' skills by exposing inexperienced advisors to more
students. Should this be a college-wide or a departmental
issue?
6. Meeting adjourned, 5 PM. Need to stop due to Phi Beta
Kappa reception. An additional meeting may be scheduled next
week to deal with unfinished business.
Respectfully submitted,
William Kinsella, CAS Faculty Secretary
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