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Academic Council
Held on: October 7, 2009,
2:00 p.m.
Held at: Plummer Conference Room 102
ACADEMIC COUNCIL
MINUTES
October 7, 2008
PRESENT: Daniel Bartlett, Richard Bothel, Catherine Cotton, Terri Davis, Michael Dobe, Kevin Dodson, Oney Fitzpatrick, Jack Hopper, Madeline Hunt, Tom Matthews, Cruse Melvin, Hollis Lowery-Moore, Frances Morris, Don Price, Jim Rush, Sherri Shoefstall, Kevin Smith, Jon Tritsch (for David Carroll), Henry Venta, Stephenie Yearwood, Victor Zaloom
Meeting called to order at 2:00 p.m. by Kevin Smith.
MINUTES
Upon motion and second, the August 12, 2008 minutes were approved with the following correction:
• Jack Hopper and Victor Zaloom were present.
Upon motion and second, the August 26, 2008 minutes were approved with the following corrections:
• New Business: BOR Meeting – The Systems issued $216 million in bonds and received a higher rating.
• Roundtable: Hunt – Also, she stressed the need to prompt our faculty to be conscious of the Early Alert notice that came out today, and asked that it be an initiative for the Faculty Senate to push. The faculty member is the first point of contact to recommend a student for Early Alert, and it was suggested that the student also get a notice about the CAS programs.
Upon motion and second, the September 9, 2008 minutes were approved as circulated.
EXECS & SECURITY
• The Texas House Appropriations Committee will visit November 12 (tentative date).
• The 5-year tuition and fee plan has been sent back to Finance for additional work.
• There are issues with the student evacuation process that need to be corrected/changed. The University is looking at the possibility of turning this over to the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. The President will meet with the county commissioner to see what arrangements can be made.
• The TCCAO and THECB Quarterly Meetings are in Austin, Texas – October 22-23, respectively.
• Distinguished Faculty Lecture will be – October 27, at 7:30 p.m., University Theatre.
• A local veterans group has contacted Lamar University about changing the name of the ROTC building since ROTC is no longer offered. Dr. Hunt will look into the matter.
• The Long Range Planning Committee will meet November 14.
• Lamar University’s capital projects are on hold, waiting on plans to be finalized by the architects and funding to materialize.
• President Simmons will be honored at the Distinguished Alumni Dinner on November 14.
• The upcoming TSUS BOR Meeting will be held at Sam Houston State University on November 20-21.
• Dr. Smith stated that the University would distribute half of the HEAF allocation until bond markets stabilize per Dr. Simmons.
• The Thanksgiving Holidays are November 27-28.
NEW BUSINESS
• October Open House – A list of prospective students with 1100 or better SAT scores was purchased from the College Board on September 12. However, the list was not received in time and therefore, invitations were not mailed until the University was operational following Hurricane Ike. Mr. Rush reported that they have been moving forward in the hopes of generating local interest but time is limited. Only three students have returned a RSVP for the October Open House. Dean Lowery-Moore suggested that the October Open House be cancelled and proceed with preparations for the November Open House. Dean Hopper recommended that a special effort be made to contact those students already invited and invite them to the November Open House. Consensus of the committee was that the October 18 Open House be cancelled and proceed with plans for November 15. Mr. Rush stated that the agenda would be similar to last year’s agenda. He will send the updated agenda to the colleges, contact prospective students by mail, contact local school counselors, as well as scheduling an orientation to verse student representatives on their roles.
• Graduate Programs Issues – Interim Dean Fitzpatrick reported on the following issues:
a. PG/PB Holds – Suggested verbiage for new policy regarding PG/PB holds is as follows:
“In order to better enforce the 6 hours of graduate credit limit for pre-graduate (PG) and post baccalaureate (PB) students, the graduate admissions staff will begin placing mandatory advisement holds on all new applications processed through the Graduate Admissions Office. These holds can only be removed by the dean of the student’s academic department after the student has been advised. The Graduate Admissions Office will monitor these students in the student information system.”
This procedure will allow better control of the number of graduate hours a student can take before being admitted to a master’s or doctorate program. It will also prevent students from taking more than 6 hours as a PG/PB student. No action was taken. Tabled until the next meeting.
b. Full/Reduced Loads – Per federal regulations a revised “Request for Reduced Course Load” (RCL) form has been developed to be used for all international students requesting a reduced load. This form was not approved and was tabled until the next meeting.
c. Thesis courses – Tabled until the next meeting.
d. Grade Changes – Tabled until the next meeting.
• Recommendations of the Core Curriculum Assessment Committee – Dr. Matthews provided a summary of action items from CCAC (2008-09). There was discussion regarding action items for Core Work Groups (Outcome Based, Faculty Development, and Established Assessment). He reported that students are not doing quiet as well as we would like. Dr. Smith recommended that this information be conveyed to Dr. Doblin.
• Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) – Dr. Hunt introduced Dr. Sherri Shoefstall, the chair of QEP Committee. Dr. Shoefstall shared information regarding the QEP pilot program. The goals are to increase Freshman Success by infusing the Freshman curriculum and experience with active and collaborative learning strategies. Developmental Reading, Philosophy, History and Sociology Departments were invited to participate. The pilot program will include Sociology and Developmental Reading because those classes are connected. Dr. Shoefstall stated that they hope to find the QEP will help the students remain in high enrollment classes.
• SACS – We are finished!! Dr. Yearwood reported that the compliance certification document was submitted between Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. It was submitted electronically, as well as in notebook form to SACS. The web-based digital version contains narrative and 1400 supporting documents. All documents are available through myLamar. The process of gathering new faculty members into the database has been difficult, but Dr. Yearwood believes it is now complete. Faculty is encouraged to go online and post their resume and syllabi. She encouraged the Deans to have faculty contact her if they are unable to post.
Institutional Effectiveness Plans were due October 1. Each program should email the IEP to Dr. Yearwood or Dr. Mathews to upload for you.
Faculty should check their uploaded degree plans and report any errors to Ms. Hodge at extension 7143, to make the corrections.
A discussion regarding the university catalog ensued. Some of the issues discussed were:
o A complete revision of the Undergraduate Catalog needs to be under taken.
o Will there be a printed catalog?
o Are we going strictly to online catalog?
o Should course descriptions be excluded?
o Give students the option of CD, electronic or paper
o SACS requires that a course must indicate the rotation in which it is taught, although it can be as general or as specific as we want. More care and scrutiny will be required from the departments to make sure all submissions are correct.
Dean Venta commented on the Sedona Software that the College of Business uses for posting faculty information. The College of Business resume formatting is required to be different for Business accreditation.
ROUNDTABLE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dean Venta: Congratulations to the MBA Program on being included in the 2009 edition of Princeton Review’s Best Business Schools. We will have two Lamar University presentations at the Gulf Coast Technology Showcase in Houston on November 18. This is a first time experience. Two LU companies will be exhibiting -Natural Gas from Beaumont Landfill and Radiance Corporation – Huntsville.
Dean Hopper: $4.25 million was received from Congressional Appropriations; $3 million for the Fuel Cell Lab and $1.25 million to the Composite Center.
Michael Dobe: The University has retained Enthink, a RedDot partner, to work directly with deans and directors in an effort to scope the re-deployment engagement. ITS is working with deans and directors to schedule a two-day Enthink visit, which will provide the input to define the scope of the RedDot re-deployment.
Dr. Melvin: The College of Arts and Science received a four year grant for $800,000 grant from NSF for STAIRSTEP (Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program). STAIRSTEP is designed to increase the number of talented at risk undergraduate students receiving baccalaureate degrees in Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Geology, Earth Science and Chemistry. Drs. Doerschuk, Bahrim, Daniel, Kruger and Martin will each be leading a team of STAIRSTEP undergraduate students in research and outreach functions. Dr. Mann will be conducting a formal assessment of the program. If the program is successful during the four-year period, an additional $200,000 can be awarded in the fifth year.
Terri Davis: Faculty has expressed concern because they have not received FY ‘09 contracts and the FY ‘09 budget has not been posted.
Meeting was adjourned 3:25 p.m.
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