Minutes of the Committee on Academic Planning
for October 22, 2004

 

Present: Jerry Greenfield, Susan Haller, Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz, Doris Nice, Xavier Solis, Scott Thomson, Evelyn Zepp

Absent: Judith Tucker-Snider

Guests: Dirk Baldwin (Business), Vera Kolb (Chemistry)

Minutes of 10/8/04 were approved with a minor change.

Brief report on guidelines for guests in an open meeting by Leeds-Hurwitz, in response to discussion with a student about the role of substitutes. Basically, guests are allowed in any open meeting (such as CAP), but are not invited to participate. Two new questions were asked, which will be put to the Secretary of the Faculty: Is it possible to recognize a substitute student as a guest, in order to ensure a student voice in the process? (some concern was expressed regarding a substitute not knowing the prior discussion) and Can the chair choose to recognize someone attending and permit a contribution if so desired?

A question had arisen at the first meeting about the participation of the Secretary of the Faculty. His response is that he participated last year as an elected member, and is not one this year. Recognizing that this committee operates best with knowledge of what some other committees are doing, he will come when possible in the role of guest.

The Business PAR with revisions had been circulated via email, and several questions had already been asked and answered by Dirk Baldwin, again via email. He had been invited to answer any further questions, and gave a brief discussion of the logic of the changes. The committee unanimously voted to approve the revisions in the Business PAR.

Chemistry had submitted a PAR for a lecturer, as a replacement for one who had left. As Gary Wood was unavailable, Vera Kolb was available to answer any questions. Questions included concern that it would be possible to find a PhD to take a lecturer position, and the appropriateness of the salary level, and we questioned the need to include salary in the job announcement. Instead, we suggested that mentioning the position will be renewable would help find candidates. The committee unanimously voted to approve Chemistry’s PAR for a lecturer.

Leeds-Hurwitz will convey the votes to the Chairs and Deans.

Institutional research has been asked for data comparable to that CAP received last year; it is currently unavailable due to the Peoplesoft conversion, but will be sent to us when it becomes available.

The structure of the program review is still being developed; it also will be sent to us when ready.

Greenfield presented the Provost’s request for a revision in the timeline followed last year for program appraisal frameworks, based on feedback from department chairs. The proposed new schedule is:

Feb 1, Faculty annual summaries due to chairs

Mar 1, PAFs due to the Provost’s office

Apr 1, PAFs provided to CAP

This would permit chairs to take the annual summaries into account in preparing the PAFs, but means new PAFs will not be available in time for consideration of mini-PARs in February. After discussion, the committee decided that this schedule would work, but that the Mar 1 deadline would have to be the real deadline (last year several departments were quite late). It will be more efficient for us to request updated data from institutional research for the entire campus, than to have each department preparing a mini-PAR to request information on itself. Leeds-Hurwitz will convey our decision to the Provost, and get the relevant figures from IR.

Political Science is sending material for review by CAP, so we will meet again on 11/5, at 11. Leeds-Hurwitz will reserve a room.

Respectfully submitted,

Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz