MINUTES
Governance Committee Meeting
30 September 2009
Present: Patricia Brennan, Gray Crouse, Yayoi Everett, Vialla Hartfield-Mendez, Peter
Hoeyng, Cora MacBeth, Donna Maney, Elissa Marder, Julia Kjelgaard, Mark Ravina,
Patricia Whitten, Eric Weeks, Holly York (Ex-officio University Senate Faculty Council
Representative)
Absent: Ex-officio: Robert A. Paul, Dean of Emory College
Guests: Joanne Brzinski, Sr. Associate Dean ECAS, Paula Stauf, Chair, Health and
Physical Education, Kate Bennett, ADA Health and Physical Education
Administrative support: Brenda Azzarelli-Crosby
Patricia Whitten called the meeting to order.
1. Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the September 2, 2009 meeting were approved.
2. Discussion with Paula Stauf regarding PE requirements in current GER
Paula Stauf provided an overview of the current requirement: 1 credit of Health 101, 1
credit from a group of classes called Physical Fitness and 2 credits of PE electives. She
explained that PE Health 101 is a lecture class. It provides an overview of health topics
such as alcohol and drug use, sexuality, medical literacy, depression, suicide, stress and
nutrition. It is a large lecture class (150-250) and includes subsequent discussion groups
led by Public Health TAs.
Patricia Brennan noted that there had been discussion of putting this class on-line and
asked for clarification of discussion groups and their size: which is 25-30 students,
noting that those are large groups for discussion. Paula Stauf noted that the discussions
varied widely, and for some students it is a very valuable experience, for others, perhaps
not. Eric Weeks asked about student evaluations, and PS responded that students
responded most favorably to peer experience visitors. She noted that there is a significant
survey of the student body underway, and that satisfaction with the course is generally
increasing.
Dean Brzinski noted that the course is not required in the first year, and one third of the
students are not freshmen. Although it is intended as a first year course, it is not
functioning as one currently. Paula Stauf noted that having mixtures of freshman with
other students, sometimes seniors, causes difficulties for Health 101. Discussion
followed about how Health 101 might be incorporated into an online format. For
example, the small discussion groups could possibly be incorporated into Pace activities.
Discussion followed about: whether students would consider the materials less important
in this context, how on-line required units function, and how units such as the peer guest
example could be incorporated. A survey of seniors was suggested, and there was
discussion about the current Public Health Teaching Assistants.
Paula Stauf then described the student reactions to 101, and went on to discuss the
Principles of Physical Fitness classes. These courses have both a lecture (25%) and
activities (75%) component. These courses contain lectures on nutrition with registered
dieticians, lifetime fitness information and, healthy living information. There is a
textbook and two quizzes during the semester. The two elective PE courses are the most
popular. PS described the variety of activities available to students within the PE
curriculum. PE is currently in conversation with Athletics to give PE credit for students
participating in organized athletics, and PS noted that there is a sense on the part of
students that they may not have participated in PE unless it was a requirement.
Holly York asked if there were a limit to PE credits, and Dean Brzinski noted that only
the four required credit hours are counted towards graduation. Discussion followed about
when students end up taking their required PE courses, and how a reduction in units
would affect the offerings. Eric Weeks noted that the committee was considering
reduction based on a conversation at an earlier GOVCOM (Sept 2) that suggested that the
Health unit might be put on line and then the 3 PE units reduced to 2. Paula Stauf
indicated that a reduction could be a reduction in variety of classes offered.
Cora MacBeth asked what the requirements are at peer institutions. Paula Stauf
responded that most AAU universities do not require PE. Of the ones that do, two
courses is the most common. Outside the AAU, many require 2 courses, an exception
being MIT, which requires four. She pointed out that Emory is a leader in this regard,
and that in an era of a national call for increased activity, it is particularly important.
Gray Crouse noted that the goal is not to depend upon PE courses to make students
active, but to stimulate students for the rest of their lives, and noted that the same thing
might be said about all the GER requirements. He noted that Emory is a leader in
facilities, but the mission of the GER is to get students started.
Dean Brzinski noted that before the 1960s, there were general PE requirements at most
universities. In the 60s and 70s, these were dropped and replaced with a focus on
athletics and PE lifelong learning and activities. Current problems occur for students,
such as those in the Business School, who take a ski weekend to fulfill the requirements.
Paula Stauf indicated that they are being flexible, teaching yoga in the BSchool, offering
new courses for endurance sports such as marathon training, and offering more classes
later in the day. They do have a conflict with Athletics, who has priority for use of the
building. Statistics for student use of the building outside of class time were requested,
and PS said she would try to pull these numbers for the GOVCOM.
Eric Weeks spoke to the task force perspective of reduction of the GER requirements. He
said that the motivation for reducing requirements was to enable students to have other
opportunities such as study abroad. He then noted that to his knowledge, PE classes were
not preventing students from any other opportunities, and thus did not need to be reduced.
Cora MacBeth noted that she had done some research and that there is a correlation
between PE classes taken, and lifetime physical fitness. There is a particularly high
correlation for women according to studies in the Journal of Physical Education.
Paula Stauf recounted that indeed there is a correlation between exercise as a senior in
college and five years later. She also noted the relationships between exercise and
cognition, exercise and depression, and other quality of life issues. She addressed the
full time load of PE faculty which is 11 courses per year, and that they have tried to
increase enrollment caps.
Peter Hoeyng expressed concern about the letter writing campaign to the GOVCOM. He
noted that a reduction in requirement would not prevent anyone from exercise, but also
noted that some variety may have to disappear. A clarification was asked for by the
GOVCOM about whether costs are part of the deliberations, and the answer was no.
Discussion followed about separating out the issues of the Health 101 class. Questions
were asked about whether it could be made a requirement in the first year, and the
procedures for that, which are the same procedures as required by any GER changes—
two votes by the faculty. Paula Stauf noted that PE is in the midst of a self-study, and
that it has been 15 years since a review. The viability of placing Health 101, which is
freshman oriented, within the orientation process, or enveloping it into the first year
PACE experience was discussed. It was decided that the GOVCOM would further
discuss these issues.
3. Setting the agenda for the upcoming faculty meeting.
Brenda Crosby reminded the GOVCOM that the Provost will be attending the November
faculty meeting and that he has requested questions in advance. Elissa Marder suggested
giving him the same questions we gave to the Graduate School Deans. Eric Weeks gave
a short report based on his participation in the Financial Advisory Committee. The recent
discussion with Dean Loudermilk focused on what could be cut in the budget.
Discussion points included returning more tenured faculty to the classroom, changing
enrollment and revisiting needs-blind enrollment. Meeting with the Provost and Mike
Mandel is on the table. Improving information sharing by going to faculty meetings and
talking directly to individual departments has been discussed. He suggested that a report
from the Faculty Advisory Committee be placed on the agenda for the next faculty
meeting. The difficulty of upcoming decisions was discussed. Dean Paul noted that in
the October 1 document from the College, the College was not able to produce a balanced
budget, in large part because of the uncontrollable and changing financial aid landscape.
He noted that the Provost is aware that the budget cannot be balanced. In discussion,
increasing enrollments was mentioned as was increasing international enrollments. Dean
Brzinski noted that international students are at 12% and there are few support systems in
place to support an increase. Brenda Crosby clarified that the meeting agenda would
include a Financial Advisory Committee report, as well as discussion and preparation of
questions for the Provost’s visit. She reminded the GOVCOM that the meeting is only
one hour in length.
Patricia Whitten adjourned the meeting.
Respectfully submitted, Julia Kjelgaard, Visual Arts Department