The University Committee met on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 in Molinaro Hall room D135.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 3:40 p.m. by the Chair, Dennis Rome.  Also attending were committee members Herb Colston, Peggy James, and Farida Khan.  Chris Evans and Greg Mayer were excused. Gary Wood was present as Secretary of the Faculty. 

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the meeting of March 31 were approved as distributed. 

Announcements

 

Dennis reported on his meeting last week with Interim Chancellor Earns.  Among the items discussed were his decision to not seek the chancellor position and what advice he would give to the new chancellor.

University Committee members have been asked to meet with the Inclusive Excellence diversity consultants at 2:00 on April 14.  Peggy and Dennis will attend. 

Old Business

1.  Sabbatical Proposal Review Committee

Linda Crafton, Megan Mullen, George Li and Roby Rajan all agreed to serve on this committee.  David Holmes and Norm Cloutier both declined.  There are two openings which must cover the SS electoral division, the FA electoral division and the Committee on Research and Creative Activity (CRCA).  Ed Schmitt is on CRCA and in the SS division.  The other spot can be filled by anyone in the FA division.  Ed Schmitt, Skelly Warren, Mark Eichner and James Crowley will all be asked if they are willing to serve.

2.  Nominees for Faculty Committee Elections

Additional nominees were selected for the faculty committee ballot. 

 

3.  Strategic Planning

 

Dennis reported on the progress of the strategic planning process.  Breakout groups of the leadership team are preparing to seek advice from various constituencies.  Committee members expressed some concerns about the process.  Very little information has been posted on the web site.  Faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences seem to be underrepresented on the leadership team.  The trend of the discussions seems to indicate that the institution might move away from the liberal arts tradition to programs that are seen to be more marketable.  There were also questions about input from the broader campus community.  If the planning process is to end in June, when will the University Committee, department chairs and the entire campus community be able to offer input?  Will a formed plan be handed to the new Chancellor?  The committee agreed to add some of these questions to the agenda of the April 14 Faculty Senate meeting. 

New Business

1.  Report to the New Chancellor

 

Before going on summer hiatus, the University Committee should prepare a report for the incoming chancellor, outlining issues that should be given immediate attention.  Ideas included hiring a new provost, strategic planning, fundraising, new program planning (especially graduate programs), addressing structural concerns in some administrative units and establishing an identity for the institution.  On a related item, the committee should discuss what it wants to talk about with the chancellor candidates during their on-campus visits.

2.  Approval of Senate Agenda

The agenda of the April 14 Faculty Senate meeting was approved and will include questions about the strategic planning process, a resolution to approve the May graduates, a report from Faculty Athletic Representative Norm Cloutier, a discussion of the proposed revisions to UWPF 3 and a series of resolutions of appreciation for retiring faculty.

3.  Academic Achievement Assessment Committee

A proposal to revise the charge and membership of the Academic Achievement Assessment Committee was tabled for a later meeting. 

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

Submitted by,

Gary M. Wood,

Secretary of the Faculty