Tuesday, January 29, 2007
Attendance: Robert Aiken (Pres.), Karen Turner (V. Pres.), Paul LaFollette (Sec’y.), Jon Clark (Tyl), Marge Devinney(CLA), Pauline Hurley-Kurtz (Ambl), Luke Kahlich(BCMD), Diane Maleson (Law), Joel Sheffield (CST), Roberta Sloan (SCT), Roy Stevens (Dent)
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM
Aiken welcomed Jon Clark who will be standing in for Terry Dolan while she is acting dean of Tyler.
Visit from Provost Lisa:
The Provost told us that the seed proposal project is well underway.
We have 80 applicants so far.
The study leave evaluation process is proceeding. The deadline was extended to yesterday. Sixty-one of 63 applications have been approved.
There were slots available for 96. She wants to make sure the process is well publicized next year.
The strategic planning effort is going well.
The search committee for a Dean of the Dental School is meeting.
The Law School search is well underway, they have already 5 or 6 candidates. The Tyler search is just beginning.
Because we have several strong internal candidates for the vice-provost for faculty affairs position, the Provost is considering not doing an external search.
The provost was deeply impressed by the undergraduate research projects that she saw recently at a Temple presentation in Harrisburg. She is concerned that we should perhaps be doing something to help our students prepare for exams such as the LSAT, MCAT, and similar exams. She plans to investigate what might be done.
She has learned that Peter Jones' office has been looking at the nature and use of the CATE forms. After they have finished their report, she wants the Faculty Senate to be involved in providing its input as well.
Guest: Sheri Stahler, Associate VP Computer Services, and Gail Gallo
Stahler made a detailed presentation of the various services that her office provides. She particularly discussed the ways in which they support technology in the classroom. There followed some discussion about how best to disseminate this information to the faculty. It was suggested that instead of concentrating on advertising solutions, it might be well to have a web presence where people could bring problems and available support solutions could be proposed.
President's Report (Aiken):
Following some discussion of the Provost's comments about the search for a vice provost for faculty affairs, Aiken said that he would talk to President Hart and Provost Lisa about how the search to date has been publicized and whether the publicity has been sufficient.
There was some discussion about President Hart's presentation at the recent Senate meeting about the issues surrounding the proposed chair of Islamic Studies. Aiken shared his further conversations with President Hart, and LaFollette, at the request of the vice-president of TAUP (Lindorff) shared some information about correspondence that Lindorff had exchanged with Hart.
The emerging consensus was that we are satisfied with the way in which this process was handled, and we thank President Hart for her willingness to come discuss it with us. We will remain mindful, however, that there are organizations which are potentially threatening to academic freedom, and we need to maintain vigilance.
Vice President's Report (Turner):
We need volunteers for the Student Awards Committee.
Letters to Collegial Assemblies soliciting nominations for the upcoming Senate elections will go out this week.
Old Business:
Kahlich asked if there was any update about the questions surrounding the role of the deans in collegial assemblies. No new information was forthcoming.
New Business:
None
Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 PM
Paul S. LaFollette, Jr.
Secretary
