Minutes of the University Committee
for February 7, 2000

The Committee met at 2:05 in 262 CART. Members present were Walter Feldt, Laura Gellott, Fran Kavenik, James Kinchen, and Carol Saffioti-Hughes. Also present was Larry Duetsch.

The Committee discussed aspects of a proposal to create a Winterim session. This proposal has emerged from the Provost's Committee on Alternative Delivery and Programming and has been presented to the Chancellor's Enrollment Management Team. Concern was expressed about the very limited faculty involvement in the development of this proposal, since aspects of the proposal present issues that will need to be examined by standing faculty committees such as the Academic Policies Committee, the Course and Curriculum Committee, and the Committee on Academic Planning.

The Committee also discussed aspects of a draft proposal to create a position for an Assistant Chancellor for Enrollment Management Services - a person who would be responsible for the first-year experience of new students, the Advising Center, and Educational Support Services, among other things. This proposal has been under discussion by the members of the Chancellor's Enrollment Management Team. Members of the Committee were greatly concerned that the three aforementioned units - especially the Advising Center - would be reporting to someone other than the Provost, our chief academic affairs officer. It was agreed that this proposal raises important academic affairs issues that need to be considered by the faculty.

With a regular meeting of the Faculty Senate scheduled for February 15, the Committee agreed that the meeting should be used as an opportunity to inform Senators more fully about initiatives that are under consideration in four administrative committees that have been created this year. The Committee agreed that the Senate agenda should consist of informational reports to the Senate by faculty members who have been participating in: 1) the Enrollment Management Team; 2) the Committee on Alternative Delivery and Programming; 3) the Task Force on Prior Learning; and 4) the Distance Education Development Group. It was hoped that greater knowledge about the initiatives that are under consideration will make it more likely that appropriate voices are heard as proposals are developed.

The meeting adjourned at 3:20.