Academic Affairs / Provost
Academic Council Minutes
ACADEMIC COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
UN 237A
APPROVALS OF MINUTES (4/10/12) – Minutes were approved as presented with no objections.
INTRODUCTORY ITEMS
Introductions as needed – Mick introduced Cheryl Riley the new Faculty Senate president.
Provost Update – George Wilson – Reports given below.
Vice-Provost Updates –
Enrollment Management – Rick Sluder reminded faculty to please ensure classes are being made available for students to enroll in for fall, and to continue to contact students and welcome them to campus.
Institutional Effectiveness/Assessment – Mike Grelle announced that they are still missing information for the HLC that was requested in January. Among the items requested were curricular evaluations, SLO’s, validations, policy statements (all courses have the same outcomes) and formative assessments.
Student Experience/Engagement – Not present.
Technology – Jim Graham announced that GroupWise is going away effective the end of May. Information from GW will no longer be accessible after that date. Training sessions are available should anyone need assistance in the migration process.
Networking equipment has been replaced at all 800 wireless access points across campus.
The Office of Technology currently has 550 requests from users across campus that are being worked through, they are trying to create a way to make those items visible to the end-users as well so they know where they are in the process.
Faculty computer upgrades are still on target to be completed in late summer. They are working on a plan to upgrade all workstations so that non-academic computers are also in the cycle to be upgraded. There will be a list coming out this summer of the targeted computers being upgraded.
INFORMATION ITEMS
Reduction in Revenue Share – George Wilson announced that there would be a reduction in the summer revenue share portion going to colleges and other participating academic units this year. The revenue share will go from a 70% (college/unit)/30% (general revenue) split to a 50%/50% split between colleges/units and general revenue. Extended Campus contributions to the General Fund will be increased.
Carry Forward Balances – According to George Wilson, there will not be an additional tax on either new or existing carry forward funds this year. If the 10% tax is applied, it would only apply to any changes in carry forward balances, not the total accumulated balances.
New Federal Guidelines for Repeating a Course – Federal Financial Aid can now only be used to retake a class once if a student previously had a passing grade in the class. A class they have failed can be repeated an indefinite number of times using Federal Financial Aid until they pass it.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Final Exam Scheduling Policy – Mike Grelle receives complaints from students each semester about faculty who give final exams early. As a matter of policy, faculty are directed to give finals as scheduled, however, those rules state “as deemed appropriate by instructor.” There does not seem to be any type of policy for online classes. Grelle asked if the members of Academic Council thought he should present the issue to the Personnel Policy Committee for review. Committee members felt that students should have some sort of uniformity and agreed that the issue should be brought to the committee for review.
It has been suggested that it would be helpful to have a one-week break between the end of spring and the beginning of summer semesters. The reasoning behind the current schedule was to get a three-week class in before the end of May for students who may have paid rent through May. The benefit of having a one-week break is that students may be unsure of what summer classes they should be enrolled in depending on spring academic performance. Also, students placed on academic probation after the spring semesters are allowed to enroll in summer classes before spring grades are posted. It was suggested that a work group be appointed to do an analysis and come up with a plan.
OTHER
Election of vice-chair for 2012-2013. Mick asked for volunteers to serve as vice-chair. Nicole Nickens volunteered for that position.
Selection of Executive Committee members for 2012-2013 are as followed: Fanson Kidwaro (Health, Science & Tech), Pat Antrim (College of Education), Eric Tenbus (CAHSS), Davie Davis (Library), Christine Wright (Harmon College etc.)
Academic Affairs Information Management Committee needs another member. Pat Antrim will continue on the committee and Betsy Kreisel volunteered to serve this year.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Demonstration of new audit software: Degree Works – Teri Bowman, Rick Sluder.
Next Academic Council Meeting June 12, 2012 at 3:30 pm, (to accommodate orientation day) WDE 2030.
