Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Attendance: Karen M. Turner (Pres.), Paul S. LaFollette (V. Pres.), Bonnie Averbach (Secy.), Robert M. Aiken (Past-Pres.), David Baron (Med), Z. Joan Delalic (Engr.), Marge Devinney (CLA), Michael Jackson (STHM), Luke Kahlich (BCMD), Stephanie Knopp (Tyl), Lois Millner (SSA), Mark C. Rahdert (Law), Joan P. Shapiro (Educ.), Joel B. Sheffield (CST), Jay Sinha (FSBM), Roy Stevens (Dent.), David Waldstreicher (Fac. Herald), Cheryl Mack (Coord)
1. Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 PM.
2. Approval of Minutes:
The Minutes of November 18, 2008 were amended and approved.
3. President’s Report – Karen M. Turner:
- Provost Lisa will give a PowerPoint presentation at the December 9th Steering Committee meeting at 1:30. This will be the committee’s last meeting of the semester.
- The guests for the December 12th University Senate meeting will be Timothy O’Rourke, Vice President for Computer and Information Services and Lynne Zullo, Project Enterprise Manager . They will give their presentation on Project Enterprise. Provost Lisa will not attend the University Senate meeting.
- Provost Lisa has offered the Provost’s Suite for the December 13th Temple-Tennessee Men’s Basketball Game to the FSSC members. There are 21 seats. If seats are still available, the chairs of senate committees will be invited.
- There will be a meeting on January 20th (the first day of classes) since our first monthly meeting is scheduled for the following Monday.
- Turner has contacted student government about forming the Ad-Hoc Student Faculty Liaison Committee; however there has not yet been a response.
- There will be a Board of Trustees meeting next Tuesday, December 9.
4. Vice President’s Report – Paul S. LaFollette:
The Committee reports are trickling in.
5. Guest: Peter R. Jones, Sr. Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
The main topic was the new Student Feedback Forms (SFFs) which are replacing the CATES. Jones gave us an overview of the project and how the changes came about.
- There are now five different forms: 1) Standard, 2) Multi-instructor, 3) Lecture, 4) Labs, break-out sections and recitation, and 5) Performance in studio courses (such as art).
- Schools and departments can add their own questions or can make changes to fit the needs for the types of classes they offer. The committee realizes that ‘one size does not fit all’.
- The mean scores will be rounded to one decimal place.
- For scoring purposes, there are three categories: These are based on the total percentage responses of ‘strongly agree and agree’: Upper= greater than a 50% total; Lower= less than a 20% total; and Middle= between a 20% and a 50%.total.
- SFF subcommittees have been working on this project and are looking into electronic responses to the forms. They are also looking to see if some questions are not needed and if some questions are correlated. In addition, the committees are looking to see what proportion of faculty fall into the Lower category. This group may have to attend teaching seminars.
Other topics that Jones mentioned are:
- The new advising center for student athletes: He mentioned that the athletes are outstanding.
- There is special advising for students are interested in pre-health, (which means ultimately attending Temple’s Medical School, Dental School, or Podiatry School). This year, about 15 excellent students are coming into pre-health with the idea of attending one of the above Schools.
- Jones gave us advanced notice of research funding for undergraduate students who have a research project. There will be 45 scholarships available and faculty mentoring these students will receive stipends.
- There are 420 new honors students. The average SAT is 1320. The new program is for students to take 10 honors courses in four years. There are 120 applicants for the Diamond Scholars Research Program.
6. Unfinished Business:
Vice President LaFollette mentioned that the ad hoc Committee for Student Government and FSSC has to be formed.
7. New Business:
None
8. Adjournment:
The Meeting was adjourned at 2:55 PM
Bonnie Averbach, Secretary.
