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Academic Deans Retreat – Jan 12, 2012
Attendees: B. Barnett, E. Daffron, Deans’ Nejad, Pettry, S. Rosenberg, E. Saiff, L.
Siecke, K. Norton representing L. Chakrin, and C. Romano.
Review of Unit Plans:
AIS
Goals
1. Improve teaching quality
2. Improve service to students
3. Enhance the intellectual environment of the community.
Results
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Have had positive teaching evals.
Reduced the incidence for appeals of grade changes for fall 2011
Had orientation for new adjuncts –
Implemented new writing programs.
Developed 2 new online courses.
In progress:
Looking to revise some programs and courses in response to assessment data, and
improve faculty productivity by 10%.
Faculty scholarship in progress.
Looking to accomplish: advising workshop for faculty.
Would like to have more faculty in FRC workshop.
Goals met: staff trained in customer service.
Joint faculty student research.
In Progress: Major alumni networking event coming up in April, provides opportunities
for students to interconnect with alumni.
Have not yet appointed a new writing coordinator.
Not Met: Joining NJ language consortium
Goal 3 : Enchance the intellectual Climate of the Community
Met – 15 campus-wide events including colloquia, film, writers, poets etc. Will try to
improve for next year.
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B. Barnett asked how the writing program will be evaluated.
There is a need to to access the reconfiguration of this program.
She asked for analysis of this past year.
B. Barnett mentioned articles on liberal arts that appeared in The Record newspaper and
The Chronicle, which are good for faculty to review. C. Romano will find the articles –
and circulate to faculty as they demonstrate a national trend.
B. Barnett – Governor Christie decreed colleges are not to be moving forward with
Career Development or sabbaticals.
The director of the honors program will be Peter Campbell - he will serve in that
capacity as of July 1.
E. Daffron mentioned that FRC workshops were not well attended by new faculty.
Continue to encourage new faculty to attend these workshops. E. Daffron will send data
on these workshops to all deans.
ASB –
Six goals and outcomes for the school.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Curriculum management
Assessment and assurance of learning
Student Support Services
Maintaining ASB Accreditation
Funding sources for college
Enrollment Management
Utilization of trading lab – aimed to use it to house 6 courses – 3 in fall and 3 in spring
Recently hired new Director of Trading lab with new ideas.
Spring 2012 – all sections of Corporate Finance I will participate in a Competition to be
held in the trading lab - this will satisfy CEC for those courses.
MBA program will start in fall of 2012. Interested students can seek out
M.DeBartolomeo, as associate director of graduate and adult admissions, or K. Norton or
the website.
Need to increase faculty student research without compromising faculty contributions.
Student Support Services – provide academic success information sessions to all
incoming freshmen and transfer students. Discussion on L. Chakrin’s powerpoint
presentation which advises students on how to achieve success. This will be forwarded
to other deans.
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ASB will hold fifth annual Alumni Networking Event to connect students to successful
alumni. Alumni reach out and invite other Alums to this event.
Students are not encouraged to bring resumes but they are allowed to bring a business
card to develop relationships. – Internships or job opportunities may be developed.
Mentoring program with KPMG. There is one on one student mentoring with a KPMG
employee can work with student on resume or interviewing skills. Will also expand
programs to work with EOF students.
Cahill /ASB Career Services – improve the effectiveness of career services as measured
by the metrics determined through the ASB Senior Survey.
Faculty lines - currently seeking 2 replacement lines. Search for MBA director and line
for that program also underway. MBA director is a full-time position with teaching
responsibility.
CA –
New minors in Art History and Art.
Art and Technology Major was adjusted – now working on something specifically geared
towards animation.
Cuba Study Abroad program – have not moved forward on this, but may develop
program in Argentina.
Implement revised school core.
Faculty lines -- currently searching for music industry position.
Will temp communication line in visual communication and design.
Proposing a new line in communication arts and communication and media.
Contract Major – Revisions are being made to the contract major, one addition is a 200
level course requirement with an emphasis in writing. Adding a capstone course
requirement and an internship requirement for all contract majors.
Review of the contemporary arts major.
Advisement training continues with special advisement for new faculty.
Facilities: Music Recording Studio – Renovate an existing storage room adjacent to the
Music Computer Lab/Studio to serve as a teaching studio.
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Discussion on replacing light board and how capital improvements and contingency fund
works.
Film festival – possibly develop film festival with local high school art students.
Library – Goal 1 – . Fostering in students an authentic intellectual curiosity and the
value of engaged inquiry.
New system librarian, can help find new ways of accessing the integrated library system,
and tracking subject specific, and library guides.
Have Facebook forum, looking at 10% increase in Library Facebook account.
Goal 2 - Preparing for changes in demographics, socioeconomic status and age of
students. Looking at curriculum and facilities that include a broader population. Will
maintain library hours of service on weekend and weekdays, will retain reference
services as well.
Use of chat and email reference services will increase by 10%. Enhance multicultural
understanding and disciplinary topics and how this will apply to purchases.
Will maintain in person reference and track the usage.
Started personal Potter library program used for transfer students. Invitation to transfer
students to have individual library working with them. No statistics on this yet.
Archives on hold right now. Updates on move but not specific timeline. Could be late
February or early March.
Library converted to Open Source program.
First floor of Library needs to be renovated. Will be added into capital improvement
request.
B. Barnett asked that D. Roberts, M. Krupin and D. Echols Tobe be invited to a future
deans meeting to dicuss how Ramapo is currently dealing with capital improvements and
equipment requests.
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SSHS –
Curricular management - there is only one major that exceeds 68 credits; this should be
adjusted soon.
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Currently the core is only three courses.
ASB is designating Social Issues as an alternative and SSHS will have to increase the
number of Social Issues courses offered for next fall. One related issue – adjunct budget
will exceed allotted amount. That will be the case next year if additional course sections
are needed.
Social Science contract major is now close to 100 students; in order to run program there
is a need to have adjuncts. These students require a great deal of advisement. It has
provided a great alternative to students in business, nursing etc, who may need an
alternative educational path.
Changes have been made to the Sociology program. The major is divided into 2 tracks:
Public Sociology – for those who are civically engaged and working in community etc. ,
other track is Criminology – very attractive – for many students who want to be in law
enforcement, and the major has grown. Would like to have a certificate in Criminology
in the future.
Some changes were made to Law and Society and Environmental Studies Major. S.
Rosenberg intends to work with faculty involved in Environmental Studies so it could
keep pace with current national interest.
E. Daffron recommended that S. Rosenberg take a good look at assessment of
Environmental Studies program.
Faculty development has been very successful with participation in Faculty Resources
Network and other NYU programs.
Feb 23, SSHS is having an alumni event and will invite students and reps from different
programs to talk about their experience at Ramapo and beyond.
To have successful events there is a lot of planning. Advancement helps a little but S.
Rosenberg has not seen the benefits for SSHS. These alumni events are not always well
attended.
Facilities management met with stake holders, and finished with the 2nd floor of G
Building. Teacher Education has to move before the fall. Those plans have been
accelerated in the last month.
Graduate Program - MSET has been functioning well. There had been problems in the
past with late registrations. B. Barnett noted that college is now instituting a continuing
graduate student late registration fee.
Masters in Sustainability – now in 2nd year of existence. Original plan was to have 16
students and they do have that. Also have first 9 potential graduates in the program. This
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program needs to be reenergized. Curriculum and program needs updating. Students not
sure what to do with the major.
Also exploring possibility of 5 year program, which would also cater to undergraduates in
environmental science or studies. Discussion would have to take place in graduate
council as well as other committees.
Masters in Special Education – led by J. Norflus Goode. Proposal recently sent out to the
state for approval -- would like to launch program by the fall.
By 2013-14 would like to start discussions about a masters degree in social work. There
is much outside interest in the program. The Undergrad program now has approximately
200 students.
Adult learners program being launched in the fall – will be 7 weeks. It is a Social
Science Contract major: theme is Justice. This will focus on more than just legal
understanding will also incorporate social and environmental Justice, while the
curriculum will address race, gender and social class. All courses will be hybrid. Winter
and summer courses will be online. These courses are strictly for adult learners.
Comments on Oil Spill and bullying conference. Will do a stop the violence on children
conference this spring. Two key note speakers. One is director of state agency and
director of law/education non government organization who will provide interpretation of
the new law in NJ. This will provide professional development credits for teachers and
law enforcement personnel.
A. Urbiel is leaving his position as assistant dean of teacher education and moving back
into a faculty position. The search is going on now for a new assistant dean of teacher
education (TE). Going through accreditation study this summer. After the study will
undergo process of reviewing the curriculum.
Nationwide there has been a move to eliminate teacher education programs. The thinking
behind this is they are not necessary. There was discussion on the future of the program.
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TAS – Is in good shape with assessment.
New Cell Research Suite – 4th floor NSF Lab – work is ongoing and it will not be
available till the project is completed. Hoping to be made available in two years.
Plant Science Research - faculty and students are utilizing Greenhouse facilities for
classes. Various professors making use of the facilities. Classroom primarily used by
environmental scientists.
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Student Research – continues at a good rate though may decrease slightly because of
construction project.
Publishing by faculty continues.
Advisement training sessions are set up to accommodate all schedules, training is
mandatory.
Convener group annual reports – faculty think new annual reporting system is well
received.
There is a research website in TAS and A. Stuart is the webmaster.
Approximately 100% of course syllabi are in electronic format.
Data decision making – All TAS programs submit student learning assessment plans and
reports and annual reports.
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Enrollment Management –
Stabilize enrollment of first year students at 900
Reduce the college’s dependency on traditional transfer study by enrolling a fewer
number of traditional transfer students in the fall and spring – shift to adult transfer
students.
Diversify revenue streams through an emphasis on non-traditional and graduate student
enrollments and generate more revenue on traditional student populations.
Three new positions are being searched. One is for Assistant Director for marketing.
Requirements for this position include experience supervising other staff members,
including on the web. Education in a master’s degree in a related field, including five
years experience in marketing.
Second, director of student success replaying cafye position.
Build recruiting marketing budgets for new programs.
Revise enrollment revenue plan for CIPL.
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And retitling, John Yao is now full time academic advisor.
Holistic admissions process.
Have a very high yield for this size college.
Will have mandatory advising for all first year students.
Academic Plans – Priorities: International Education
CEC and experiential education
Adult learners on the graduate and undergraduate levels.
May bring in a graduate assistant to help B. Levy with Study Abroad.
Student engagement now focusing on sophomore year.
Need more key points of engagement for first year class.
Missing piece – how to track progress, student engagement portfolio, passport etc.
Approximately 30 individuals working on sophomore year.
Has to include both academic and student affairs. Try to build college pride.
Will build some events for student to increase buy in.
Want to recruit 16 new adult learners for the program.
Goal 2G – Online evaluations – end result will depend on acceptance of faculty.
Interdislciplinary courses – need to work on final product.
Should be able to get data on coops and internships at least for this year.
Graduate Education Plan – Goal 1 – Did review the criteria. Needs to add something that
speaks to professional experience. Might add five years of experience gained post
master’s degree.
Closed with 2 more things on graduate plan – strategic plan and graduate director job
description.
C. Romano will bring graduate figures to first deans; council meeting in February.