Eastern Michigan University College of Arts and Sciences College Advisory Council Minutes Thursday, September 8, 2011 Scheduled Meeting Time: 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Room 219 Pray-­Harrold Present: Sacksteder (ART), Dieterle (HIST/PHIL), Behringer (PHY/ASTR), Clark (GEO/GEO), Hammill (CMTA), Ensor (SAC), Foster (MUS/DAN), Rice (ECON), Edwards (CHEM), Rescorla (MATH), Venner (CAS Dean), Winder (CAS), Tornquist (CAS), Nord (Sciences DH), Vosteen (FLABS), Beth (WGS), Monteiro-­‐Ferreira (AAS), Ramsey (ENGL), Ramsey (Arts DH) I. Call to order at 3:36 PM by CAC Chair Jill Dieterle II. Elections Chair: Dieterle re-­‐elected by acclamation Vice Chair: Sacksteder elected by acclamation Procedures Committee: Hamill elected by acclamation Secretary: Behringer elected by acclamation III. Acceptance of June, 2011 email vote Motion to approve (Clark, Hamill). Two abstentions, no nays. IV. Old Business A. CE Advisory Committee Please ask your departments for volunteers who would like to serve on the CE Advisory Council. It meets approximately six times/year. Issues for the committee to consider: exam security/conditions. How do peer institutions handle these issues? (Through proctored testing centers, which have reciprocity with other institutions?) We need to distinguish ourselves from for-­‐profit institutions without security. It is noted by Monteiro-­‐Ferreira, who has experience teaching at an open university in Europe, that testing centers were used. Clark volunteers to chair an ad hoc CAC committee on this issue. V. New Business A. Programs for Review (see attached memo) Provost Office memo for input on Program Elimination. Dean Venner notes that there were votes from particular Departments about the programs that are listed in the memo. The Dean has tried to obtain some guidance from the Provost’s office regarding this issue, but has not received any to date. Note that the deadline is October 13, but it is likely possible to obtain an extension. The procedure (i.e., two year window) may be too short-­‐term. VI. Dean’s remarks The Dean mentioned several items (some of which were mentioned at the CAS Fall Meeting). He has, or will: 1) Implement a communications plan. CAS lost the webmaster position and is looking for ways to maintain Department websites; some funding is available for this. 2) Start a series of Brown Bag Lunches with the Dean (a flyer was distributed with dates); the first one is next Thursday, Sep. 15, in 212 Pray-­‐Harrold (noon to 1 PM) 3) Plans to put out a newsletter (4X/year); open to volunteers for help (design and content, including fun things/links) 4) Continue Strategic Planning (flyer distributed). Claudia Petrescu continues to direct the effort in CAS. Vision, Mission, and Goals are listed. Opportunities for input are announced. Outcomes for Fall 2011 include (see pg. 3 of the flyer) continuation of the Dean’s Program Initiative for program development, and performing a program sustainability study. For example, the Dean addressed the advising issue raised in Strategic Area 2. Please share the Strategic Plan with your Departments. A Survey Monkey survey on Strategic Planning will be coming out next week. Dieterle will distribute the electronic version. 5) Program sustainability (The Provost’s Office memo). Last winter, this was done and it was based on “one data point” and on a too-­‐short time-­‐scale. CAS should perform a corresponding analysis for CAS purposes (not just because AA asks for it; i.e., we should be continuously reconsidering what we are doing). The Dean would like the CAC to have the responsibility to lead this process. 6) (After Winder; see below) Asked to cut 1 M$ out of the 2.5 M$ controllables budget, but actual cuts totaled 450 k$. The good news is that some revenue is coming back to the CAS and the budget picture is stabilizing. Winder: Committee with four DHs (Nord, Blakely, Hanna, Fleischman), how to look at programs for the purpose of growing, maintaining, or diminishing/eliminating a program. The admittedly difficult tasks are just starting, and more details will be forthcoming. Tornquist (after Dean Venner #6): The pre-­‐emptive CAS cut in the travel budget was more than restored. Lab and studio fees were restored (e.g., for consumables), so consumables in the controllables budget could be eliminated. Lab/studio fees will be saved across fiscal years. The Department sets a fee for a particular course. Fees go to a separate (not the Department General) fund. Department budgets will be done by the next full CAC meeting. If you notice items in Pray-­‐Harrold that are not finished, please mention it to your DH/DSecretary so that it goes onto a list and gets resolved. Please report these items! Please contact Tornquist regarding any room scheduling issues. VII. Chair’s remarks Dieterle will have a meeting with Rhonda Longworth about the BA/BS and dual degree issue, as well as about new forms for CAC course revisions/proposals. VIII. Faculty remarks Faculty described a few minor issues with the remodeled Pray-­‐Harrold building. Thanks were expressed to Wade for managing the Pray-­‐Harrold renovation. Vosteen and Ensor will continue as Arts Chair/secretary. IX. Meeting adjourned at 5:02 PM.