Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Present: 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), Pauline Hurley-Kurtz (Ambl), Michael Jackson (STHM), Luke Kahlich (BCMD), Stephanie Knopp (Tyl), Lois Millner (SSA), Mark C. Rahdert (Law), Charles Ruchalski (Pharm), Joan P. Shapiro (Educ.), Joel B. Sheffield (CST), Jay Sinha (FSBM), Roberta Sloan (SCT), David Waldstreicher (Fac. Herald), Cheryl Mack (Coord)
Absent: Roy Stevens (Dent)
1. Call to Order:
Karen Turner called the meeting to order at 1:00 PM.
2. Guest: President Ann Hart
The following are among the points that Hart discussed.
- President Hart reported that the fundraising goal of the university will probably be met by the end of December. Scholarships are of the most interest to donors. A number of the members of the Board of Trustees have made donations for scholarships for transfer students. People are interested in students.
Funding for buildings and infrastructure is off. However, the university is hiring security officers and trying to continue with faculty searches.
The University is shifting money into financial aid and Hart is recommending to the Board the smallest increase in tuition as possible for 2010. If a student’s family has fallen on hard times, send them to financial aid. The University is trying to self fund undergraduates when possible. Unfortunately, at this time there is no way to fund international students. Hart is hoping that there will be more money coming in from the state.
- The mission of the University has been to welcome transfer students. At this time there is a 13% decline in minority women transfer students. The University will be recruiting students from Community Colleges and helping them obtain financial aid. Hart wants to have the Board vote on the increase in tuition as soon as possible so that students can be aware of the tuition rates.
- There is now a decline in the number of students taking the GRE. Fewer students are applying to graduate school. The Provost is working with a consultant on a study of the graduate school and graduate education. The results should be out in April. Once the report is out, Hart and the Provost will do an overall review of research administration and graduate education, how they fit together including the funding needed. Shapiro mentioned that there are many options for graduate education in the College of Education, such as on line courses, weekend classes and more. She is concerned about marketing these programs.
- Tony Wagner and a consultant are working on a net tuition strategy which will involve more financial aid. The past goal was to become larger. The new goal is to redefine growth, enrich the quality of our programs, and work together with the Deans to save dollars. There were suggestions from the faculty about getting small donations from many donors, donations from alumni. Hart mentioned the importance of keeping in touch with our alumni. Alumni are now allowed to keep their Temple email address.
- Aiken brought up psychological care for students who are going through trauma at this time. In addition veterans from the Iraq war may be coming to Temple and some may need psychological counseling. Hart replied that there is talk within the CARE team about intervention in problem cases. There is some talk about having the Vets at Ambler.
- Hurley-Kurtz thanked Hart for coming to the Flower Show reception. Hart gave some information from the task force on Ambler. The faculty preferred a disciplined affiliation. Ambler could be the destination for adult students. There will be no academic Dean at Ambler and no student housing at the Ambler Campus. However an apartment complex may be built by an outside builder adjacent to the Campus where students could rent an apartment. The Arboretum would stay as well as the department of Horticulture.
- Turner asked about student involvement in making calls to alumni for donations. Hart replied that students are paid to call and thank alumni who have given donations. Hart mentioned that this year there will be no black tie gala for the donors.
- Hart was asked about the big challenges we will be facing in the next few years.
Some that were mentioned are: future of graduate education, complete the master plan of the facilities, learning about the resources in technology and how to uses them, establishing a night program and a summer program, engagement with the community, and global studies. Sloan mentioned that the Theater department has poor facilities and that she will have a repertory summer theater.
Jackson suggested that some of our athletic stars and coaches should be used to help get donations.
After much discussion on alumni, Hart mentioned that there is an Alumni group in Beijing China and one in Korea is being formed.
3. Approval of the Minutes:
The minutes of March 17 were accepted with corrections.
4. President’s Report: Karen M. Turner
Future FSSC Guests:
Michelle 0’Conner, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies,
Larry Alford, Library
Dick Englert, Interim Dean of the Graduate School
Jodie Levine-Laufgraben, Middlestates
John Bennett, Office of Disabilities
Terry Halbert (Gen Ed) will be at the last meeting.
5. Vice President’s Report: Paul LaFollette
Committees:
Two people are needed for the Personal Committee (must be tenured or tenure track)
Two are needed for the Study Leave Committee.
One person for the University Tenure and Promotion Advisory Committee (Tenured full Professor)
LaFollette made another plea for volunteers. This was followed by some discussion about possible reasons for the unwillingness of faculty to volunteer.
6. Report from the Faculty Herald: David Waldstreicher
The Herald will be out on Thursday. There are six letters – one from an NTT faculty member. There will be an interview with Joseph Schwartz.LaFollette praised Waldstreicher for having the Herald as a forum for discussion.
7. Guest: Roland Williams-Chair: Committee of Status of Faculty of Color (Standing Committee)
Williams stated that the Committee wants to encourage the development of a community of inclusive excellence. They do not want just diversity but diverse excellence. The Committee was involved in three projects.
- The Committee took a group of diverse students to New Orleans to help restore the city. The students had very little in common. The result was that they were all enriched.
An incident occurred when the students went to a nightclub. All were allowed to enter except one. A foreign student was turned away. This had a profound impact on all of them. But the students had a lesson on discrimination and how it works.
- The Committee wanted to see how students were thinking about Barack Obama. So the Committee formed a town meeting, “Race and the Race” Forum. This was before the election. Williams wanted to see how the 200 students were thinking about the election. They used the clipper technology to quickly get the responses. The session was video taped. The students learned a lot. The Committee also learned a lot, especially about the generational differences.
- The Committee started an ongoing program at the library called Chat in Stacks. They bring people in the library to talk about their work. There is an academic side to this program.
The Committee is now choosing projects for next year.
8. Unfinished Business:
None
9. New Business:
Paul LaFollette is concerned about certain issues being ignored. He feels that RPPC is being marginalized.
He is concerned that Peter Jones is not using SFF in his decision making process.
CATA has not been asked to meet over this year.
We will discuss this next week.
Baron: Northeastern Hospital will be closed. About 800 people will lose their jobs. The community is very upset.
10. Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 PM.
Bonnie Averbach, Secretary
