Administrative Council Meeting Minutes
August 15, 2011
Attendees: Mike Galyean, Norman Hopper, Cindy Akers, Leslie Thompson, Mark Wallace,
Eduardo Segarra, Steve Fraze, Alon Kvashny, Thayne Montague (for Richard Zartman), Jane
Piercy, and Norman Martin
1. Approval of July 18, 2011 minutes
Minutes of the July 18, 2011 meeting were approved.
2. Promotion and Tenure Guidelines
The revised promotion and tenure guidelines were presented to the Board of
Regents at the last meeting as an information item only. The Provost has advised us
that the same guidelines that were used last year will continue to be used at this
time. Discussion followed regarding the submission of the dossiers to the
departments and the dean’s office. Only the original dossiers for each candidate will
be submitted to the dean’s office. The dean’s office will be responsible for
submitting the dossiers to the Provost’s office in electronic format. Electronic
versions of the dossiers will be made available to the college Promotion and Tenure
Committee via the CASNR website.
3. Advisory Board Meeting/Homecoming
Discussion began regarding whether to have a CASNR Advisory Board meeting in
conjunction with Homecoming. The suggestion was made to have a half-day
meeting on Friday, preferably in the morning, before Homecoming, which is on
Saturday, October 15th. The general consensus was that we need to do a better job
of getting the Advisory Board engaged. Some basic ideas for a half-day meeting
include giving a college update, providing information on departmental curricula,
and discussing the APLU Soft Skills Survey. Advisory Board members would then be
tasked with evaluating the curriculum for their department with respect to whether
the curriculum and other departmental educational efforts (e.g., study abroad,
internships, etc.) are meeting the needs of potential employers, professional and
graduate schools, and so on. Department chairs would work with their two advisory
board members to schedule a follow-up on-campus meeting with them later in the
fall or sometime during the spring semester. Follow-up meetings with CASNR
Advisory Board members also could be scheduled to coincide with departmental
advisory board/council meetings.
4. Dean Search Brochure
A draft brochure and the job description were distributed to the members for
review and discussion. Everyone was pleased with the high-quality and visual
appeal of the brochure. A couple of minor changes were suggested for the job
description. This information will be forwarded to Dr. Schovanec, the chair of the
search committee.
5. Old Animal Science Building Update
During the Administrative Council meeting last month, concern was expressed
about the use of incorrect campus maps distributed to students. Donna checked
with several areas on campus. The campus map in the undergraduate and graduate
catalog is incorrect. The map will be corrected for the fall 2013 catalog. The
Physical Plant has official maps of the university. To make official changes to the
names of buildings the request must go to the Facility Allocation Council (FAC). If
the request is approved by the FAC, the request will go to the Board of Regents. Our
request to make changes to the official campus maps was included at the FAC
meeting held on Thursday, August 11th. Updates will be distributed as we receive
more information.
6. Other
Dr. Galyean reported that he received a list of individuals from Taylor Eighmy that
have not gone through the formal eCRT training. This training is mandatory and
must be completed as soon as possible. The notice will be forwarded to the
department chairs and faculty who are included in the list.
Jane reported the idea of having the Homecoming Breakfast at the Overton
Conference Center will not be possible because of parking issues. At this time, plans
are underway to have the event in the area adjacent to the Dairy Barn. There is
adequate parking near the area. A large tent will be rented for the event. This
location should bring attention to the need for a new roof on the Dairy Barn and
possibly provide an opportunity for donations for a new roof.
Jane reported that the Administrative Council needs to be aware of issues that may
arise with the HLSR and the SALE as a result of staff turnover.
Jane also reported that attendance at the Star of Texas Rodeo by her and Dr. Akers
was well received. They were very complimentary of the students who have been
awarded scholarships.
Dr. Akers distributed information on the Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center.
The information included the mission of the center, the personnel, on-campus
programs, off-campus programs, retention programs, career development
programs, and other projects.
Dr. Hopper reminded the council members of the deadline of September 2nd for
compliance with HB 2504.
Dr. Thompson reported that Dr. Kendra Nightingale, an AFS strategic hire in the area
of food microbiology, will be here this week.
Dr. Fraze reported the Doc @ Distance induction will take place this week.
Dr. Wallace gave a brief report on his recent meeting at the Junction campus.
Representatives for Arts and Sciences and University College were also in
attendance. The Junction campus has been primarily a teaching campus, but plans
are to expand use to include the location functioning as a research field station.
There will be future follow-up meetings.