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March 18, 2005
2 PM, Library Board Room
Present: Dave Baggett, Derrick Boucher, Charles Brooks, Jim Dolhon, Howard Fedrick, Brian Pavlac, Margarita Rose, Barb Sauls (Chair), Laurie Sterling.
Invited guests: N. Holodick, T. Peck
Also in attendance: Marian Boscia, Joe Falchek, Mark Marchese, Barry Williams
Meeting was called to order at 2:05 PM
Discussion of policy for setting course caps with T. Peck and N. Holodick
Teresa and Nick explained the policy for changing course caps and answered various questions from Council. They affirmed that it’s the department Chairs and program director in consultation with faculty members who arrive at the caps. To accommodate specific requests, caps may be raised, and here Nick defers to Teresa, who’s responsible for coordinating the course schedule. In the event questions arise about any such changes, faculty can consult their Chairs, and Chairs, if need be, can consult either Nick or Teresa. Continuing concerns were expressed about overrides that take place in advising. This trend should be decreasing. Also, if a Chair agrees to a cap increase, he or she is expected to communicate this to the faculty responsible for the course.
Discussion of specific requirements in certain departments for accreditation maintenance
Joe, Marian, Mark, and Barry were in attendance, representing the business school, to express reservations about Council’s plan to include detailed reference to the specific strategies of the business school to meet AACSB guidelines for accreditation in the faculty handbook. Stressed was the need to distinguish (1) expectations from requirements, (2) individual from aggregate expectations, and (3) strategies to please AACSB standards versus requirements for tenure and promotion. Unless such expectations are quantified for all schools and departments to which special requirements attach – a contingency Council would rather not encourage – it is potentially unfair to single out the business school (even if the intention behind clearer articulation is informational and rooted in a collegial desire to dispel mystery about divisive issues) even though this statement for the handbook does not solely address the MSB. After quite a bit of spirited discussion, the following wording was suggested:
When external accreditation standards for particular academic programs place specific professional development expectations on members of the faculty, affected faculty members must be informed of those expectations in writing by the administration. The Office of Academic Affairs will make such expectations, and the accrediting bodies’ standards on which they are based, available to the faculty.
Report from standing committees & senior faculty review
C&T has approved a minor in Geography and has been considering a minor in "Math, with a concentration in statistics" (current working title) Its consideration of a molecular biology minor has raised a number of questions, such as what are the exact differences between minors and concentrations. The molecular biology minor is thus a long way from being approved, as it has raised such bigger issues that need to be addressed first. Succinctly, there are no current guidelines defining minors, concentrations, etc.
A&P is continuing to work on the student evaluation form issue. After his report, Brian agreed for A&P to take up the issue of senior faculty review. CELT had been working with N. Holodick on this issue and had already developed and collected several ideas on this. The guiding principle of any new initiative is to encourage faculty development with an eye to the future, not the past.
Plan for elections
With the new constitution, there is a need for new elections in order to start from scratch. Lists of relevant offices and those who qualify will soon be sent out. Short division meetings will be held before the end of the semester to elect division reps to committees.
The April 8 faculty meeting will feature the Board of Directors’ discussion with faculty. Tenure quotas and issues of governance will be discussed, and refreshments provided.
Meeting mercifully adjourned around 3:45 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Dave Baggett
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