OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MINUTES
Minutes, February 7, 2012
Roll: (Absentees Underlined) President Daniel DiBiasio, Interim VP David Crago, Interim VP Roger Young, VP Ken
Block, VP Larry Lesick, VP Adriane Thompson-Bradshaw, Dean Catherine Albrecht, Dean Eric Baumgartner, Dean Jon
Sprague, Dean James Fenton, Interim Chaplain Rory Stauber, Dr. Jeffery Allison, Dr. Khalid Al-Olimat, Dr. Nathaniel
Bird, Dr. Bob Carrothers, Dr. Keith Durkin, Dr. Howard Fenton, Dr. Kevin Hill, Prof. Jennifer Kunkler, Dr. John Jay
Mager, Ms. Marsha McMunn, Dr. Michael Milks, Prof. Sue Montenery, Dr. Ronald Peterson, Mr. Clyde Pickett, Dr.
Harold Putt, Dr. Susan Schertzer, Dr. David Smith, Dr. Stephen Veltri, Dr. Jenny Walton, Dr. Rob Waters, Dr. Dexter
Woods, Dr. Sherry Young
Sherry Young, Chair of Council, called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in Dicke Hall 230.
I.
Minutes of December 6, 2011 meeting approved as distributed.
II.
Reports from Constitutional Committees
a.
Budget & Appropriations. Met with Board of Trustees Chair John Bishop, President DiBiasio, and VP
Crago to discuss various campus issues.
b.
Academic Affairs. Recommended three items set forth below under New Business.
c.
Student Activities. Approved Catalyst Indoor Color Guard as a student organization.
d.
Personnel. Met with Board of Trustees Chair John Bishop, President DiBiasio, and VP Crago to
discuss various campus issues. Discussed timing of sabbatical applications under semesters.
III.
Reports from Operational Committees
a.
Athletics. Did not meet.
b.
Information Technology. Scott Walthour appointed in January as Interim Director of Information
Technology. Communicate IT requests through him as usual. Director of IT opening will be posted
soon. All University wireless access points are functional, but additional points are needed for
complete coverage. Additional hot spots will be added as budget permits based on a priority list.
University bandwidth completely utilized from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Will negotiate with providers to
increase bandwidth within budget. Blackboard will no longer adequately support current Learning
Management System, WebCT. IT looking for new provider before summer so summer online courses
can proceed under new system. Moodlerooms representatives are visiting campus and faculty are being
surveyed for LMS needs.
c.
Cultural & Special Events. Met to allocate remaining funds, which will be used by the end of semester.
d.
International Affairs. Will meet with respect to the Shuhaibar International Student Scholarship.
e.
Religious Affairs. Interviewing for two chapel staff positions. Preaching this week is Ada First
Presbyterian Church Pastor Patrick Allen and next week United Methodist Church West Ohio
Conference Bishop Bruce Ough.
f.
General Education. Taskstream software loaded for 90% of courses for spring semester and
participants should receive email. Opportunity to build portfolios at no additional cost for students
currently covered by Taskstream.
VI.
Other Reports
a.
Vice-Presidents
i.
Academic Affairs. No further report.
ii.
Financial Affairs.
Board of Trustees Financial Affairs Committee discussed 4.2%
recommended increase, with discussion ranging from 3.5-4.2% increase. Committee settled on
3.8% increase in tuition, room, and board and the full Board of Trustees approved. $200000
difference between 4.2% increase and 3.8% increase is doable.
iii.
University Advancement. No report.
iv.
v.
b.
c.
d.
Admissions and Financial Aid. Bob Sevier, Senior Vice President - Strategy with Stamats, an
integrated marketing and communications company, with over 25 years of leadership
experience in strategic thinking and planning, integrated and brand marketing, market research
and student recruiting will be at the University on February 9 and have an opening session
from 8:30-11:00 a.m. in the McIntosh Ballroom.
Student Affairs. Thanks to Marsha McMunn for her service as President of Student Senate and
welcome to Eric Ambrose, president-elect, who will be inaugurated on February 12.
Deans
i.
Arts and Sciences. NCATE will review accreditation for education with previsit this week and
team visit in April. Discussions continue to further program in which some Bluffton students
enroll in ONU courses not available at Bluffton and vice versa.
ii.
Engineering. Spotts lecturer on February 13, 2012 will be Kevin Bennett, director of
engineering at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
iii.
Pharmacy. No report.
iv.
Business Administration. No report.
v.
Law. No report.
Student Senate. As indicated in the agenda report, Senate has had a busy spring. Marsha McMunn
introduced incoming Student Senate President Eric Ambose and expressed her thanks and enjoyment in
being able to work with Council.
Health Services Advisory Committee. No further report.
VII.
Announcements.
VIII.
President Comments/Questions. Board of Trustees met on campus. Many able to attend the inaugural Dicke
College Pinnacle Awards celebration. Rest of the weekend, Board action items included tuition, capital budget,
promotion and tenure recommendations, and honorary degree recipients. Commencement speaker will be Clay
Mathile who will have his 50th year reunion this year. Conversations with Financial Affairs and Development
regarding facilities issues. In particular, considered what would be appropriate going forward after the Moody’s
Report with respect to the student center and engineering building. Emerging consensus that the student center
not viable in near future if half of $30 million comes from financing. Instead consider enhancing existing
facilities such as McIntosh Center and/or the Sports Center to deal with issues that were driving the student
union (e.g., fitness facilities for general student use). Engineering discussion went well and recognized necessity
to raise funds for this capital priority. Reviewing sustainability/program review report and will meet with the
deans regarding it. Many recommendations are administrative and many are academic. Number of initiatives
for the future good for future strategic planning. Board Chair John Bishop has already begun to spend time with
other committees and faculty leaders in order to be accessible and transparent to everyone and collect ideas from
everyone. Search for VP for Financial Affairs is over with a positive announcement forthcoming on Thursday.
No questions for the President.
IX.
Unfinished Business. None.
X.
New Business
a.
Academic Affairs (Credit Articulation for Returning or Transfer Students)( Agenda Attachment A, Item
1). Currently students who return or transfer to ONU get credit for courses if equivalent courses are in
the current university catalog or if in the current articulation catalog. Proposal makes such credit
automatic only if not more than 6 years have elapsed since the student completed the course with a
grade of C or higher. Courses completed prior to 6 years are subject to review and approval of the dean
of the college that offers the course or course equivalent. Question about student who leaves for a year
and not getting credit for previous courses with an earned D grade. Committee does not intend that
result and will look at the language. Question about how many courses will have to be approved each
year. Not sure, but perhaps 10 or fewer per year.
b.
Academic Affairs (Summer Term Course Schedule for Undergraduate Students)(Agenda Attachment A,
Item 2). Specified dates, time slots, instruction days, and final examination days for the two five-week
summer sesssions. Probab
bly an adminisstrative functioon, but seekingg approval of University Coouncil.
Question wh
hether a class can still go overr the entire 10 weeks. Yes.
c.
X
XI.
Academic Affairs
A
and Geeneral Educatiion Committeees recommendd a theme of globalization as the
common theeme for the extrra-disciplinary
y seminar coursses required to be available fo
for students as ppart of
the general education
e
program.
Adjourrnment at 6:07.
R
Respectfully sub
bmitted,
D
Dexter Woods, Secretary
S