College of Liberal & Applied Arts
Chair Council Minutes
September 8, 2008
The meeting began at 3:02 in the afternoon in room 273D of the Ferguson Building. The people in attendance included
the following:
Dr. Rick Abel (Government)
Dr. Freddie Avant (Social Work)
Dr. Mark Barringer (Associate Dean)
Dr. Ray Darville (Communication)
Dr. Troy Davis (History)
Dr. Ann Doyle-Anderson (Modern Languages)
Ms. Dixie Groll (Dean’s Assistant)
Mr. Perry Moon (College Council)
Dr. Brian Murphy (Dean)
LTC Todd Reichert (Military Science)
Dr. Mark Sanders (English and Philosophy)
Dr. Kandy Stahl (Psychology)
Dean Brian Murphy opened the meeting by reviewing a summary of the chair retreat and asked if any modifications were
required. The chairs unanimously approved the document as presented. Dean Murphy next circulated copies of the
release time policy that was considered at the last chair meeting in the Spring. Two changes were recommended: (1) any
release time commitment should require dean’s approval and (2) reference to the word “program” should be sharpened to
reflect the College’s academic structure more precisely. Associate Dean Mark Barringer will revise the policy and bring it
before the chairs at their next meeting in October.
Ms. Jill Still, Director of Development, discussed the new fundraising process at SFA. Most important, two new gift officers
have been hired to work with the colleges while a prospect researcher will be hired shortly. In terms of fundraising
initiatives by individual departments, a form will soon be posted on the Development Office’s website that must be
completed prior to any contact with a potential donor.
Dean Murphy distributed information about a potential interdisciplinary research project open to all faculty in the college.
The project will be a pilot program in conjunction with KTRE TV in Lufkin/Nacogdoches. Brad Streit, Vice President and
General Manager of KLTV, will hold an information meeting on September 22 at 3:30. Chairs were requested to circulate
information to interested faculty. Room location will depend upon the size of the audience. To reserve a seat, faculty
should notify Ms. Dixie Groll by September 17.
Dean Murphy circulated a handout outlining the upcoming visit by Mr. Tom Winn. He will make a presentation on “The
Value of a Liberal Arts Degree” from the perspective of an alumnus of SFA. Chairs were requested to announce this
opportunity to their faculty and have them encourage students to attend. To determine an appropriate room, faculty should
notify Dixie Groll if an entire class will attend.
According to Dean Murphy, professional development funds will be allocated to departments on Friday, October 12.
Allocations will be apportioned on the basis of a department’s tenure and tenure-track faculty. Each department can
determine for itself how the money will be assigned to individual faculty. The monies can be used for any “professional”
activity, such as travel or scholarly books.
Dean Murphy announced that a committee will be constituted to consider revisions to College and departmental curricula
to align them better with student needs in a changing employment environment. The committee will also investigate
several issues that are currently creating problems. Each department will be represented, with the faculty assigned 6 slots
and chairs three. The College Council will select its representatives by mid-October and the remaining slots will be filled
by the appropriate chair. At a minimum, the committee will review input from focus groups that were conducted during the
summer, the results of an alumni survey, and relevant literature.
Dr. Kandy Stahl explained a departmental situation involving an assistant professor and the financial hardship caused by
the delay of a new hire’s initial paycheck. Specifically, the concern is that SFA currently lacks an assistance program for
faculty/staff that are in economic distress. Other chairs commented on the need for an overall support structure for new
faculty/staff, including mentorship and community orientation. Dr. Ann Doyle-Anderson volunteered to work with Dr. Stahl
to generate a proposal for the next Chair Council. As part of the assignment, they agreed to develop and circulate a
survey to faculty/staff to solicit their opinions on the topic.
Dean Murphy handed out a document outlining the changes scheduled for the Communication Department. A new
division (Division of Communication & Contemporary Culture) will be created. It will house two programs (Communication
Studies and Global Media & Contemporary Culture) as well as a research center. The Philosophy program will be shifted
into the new unit. The Provost and President have approved the changes but implementation will require approval by the
Board of Regents. Dean Murphy emphasized that students will not be impacted and will benefit from the strengthening of
the programs. Dr. Jerry Williams objected to the inclusion of the word “culture” in the name of the division.
Associate Dean Mark Barringer distributed the final version of the College’s tenure and promotion calendar. The changes
incorporate suggestions made by the College Council and reflect policy revisions adopted at the University level.
Drs. Kandy Stahl, Mark Sanders, and Jerry Williams opened a discussion on the format and the types of information that
should be utilized by chairs in the annual faculty evaluation. Dr. Stahl disseminated copies of how the Psychology
Department conducts peer evaluation of classroom instruction. After discussion on a range of topics, it was decided that
Drs. Stahl, Sanders, and Williams should take chair input into consideration and formulate a formal proposal for the next
Chair Council.
Dean Murphy noted that college and departmental mission statements must be brought into conformity with SFA’s newly
approved mission statement. The chairs agreed to allow the College Council to draft a proposal that will be available for
the November 3 meeting of the Chair Council. It was recommended that the mission statement should highlight the
distinctive character of the College and not be overly lengthy. Once a new College mission statement is adopted, each
department will review its own statement to ensure consistency.
Dean Murphy concluded the meeting with a series of announcements and reminders:
 Each department must select a student representative to the College’s Student Council by September 15;
 Revised departmental tenure policies should be completed by November 1;
 The College will launch an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program after inviting participation from all
campus units;
 The Dean’s Office will no longer process walk-through documents requiring signatures;
 Key access to classrooms will be handled at the departmental level;
 An advisor signature will be needed to shift any student to the 120 hour degree plan;
 A policy on adjuncts will be proposed by Drs. Freddie Avant and Troy Davis at the November 3 meeting of the
Chair Council.
The meeting adjourned at 5:12 pm.
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