Clerk’s Committee Meeting Minutes from November 16, 2017

by Dave Dobsonin Clerk's Committeeon Posted on

Clerk’s Committee Meeting Minutes

Thursday November 16, 2017 8:30 am

  1. Gathering and Moment of Silence 2 minutes

Present: Darryl Samsell, Kathryn Shields, Dave Dobson (Clerk), Donald Smith, Jill Peterfeso, Eva Lawrence, Alfonso Abad Mancheño (recording)

  1. Figuring out who’s doing the minutes: Alfonso 1 minute
  2. Approval of Minutes from 11/9: Approved 2 minutes
  3. Items for follow-up: Frank Boyd will follow up by email. 5 minutes
    • Status of study leaves for 2017-18
    • SACS report – announce access to faculty
    • ADO web page
  4. Idea for Budget Committee project 5 minutes

There were comments about budget allocation and information to the faculty. Department budgets have been in a slow decline. There is not enough information for departments to know how much money is in their budgets and how much it is left at any given point. It would be useful to have a clear idea so that departments do not go over their budgets.  That would be a good project for Budget Committee. Clerk’s Committee also commented on the possibility of having some kind of formula to give the process more transparency.

  1. Potential topics for November 29 Faculty Forum 20 minutes

From last time –

    • Improving faculty dialog – vision of shared future. The committee discussed the idea of promoting healthy dialogue and  a positive vision of a shared future. What are our commonalities Vs. our differences.
    • Another idea raised was to promote faculty development and share ideas for faculty who are having trouble to be engaging in their classrooms. What do we even mean by being engaging and successful as a teacher.
    • Seeking faculty-led new ideas with broad support. Seeking new ideas. The schedule change made it difficult to bring new ideas, but if there is a piece of the general curriculum that we can change, that would be engaging for the faculty. For instance, take one week of the schedule to focus on one issue, as a college, something to focus on (empowering for faculty and not too disruptive or expensive).
    • Another idea raised was the difficulties of operating under Quaker process.  
    • Finding a common reading that defines working together as faculty.
    • We can also brainstorm in a forum having sticky notes with ideas from faculty if we have good ideas to ask the faculty.
    • We will work on the format and the ideas fast. What do we have control over?
  • Potential proposal for expanded committee service requirement 20 minutes

What committees can we lay down? Budget is the only one that has been somehow dysfunctional. So it would be good to make it more efficient (not laid down). The rest of the committees are serving a good purpose.

We are working on a proposal with credits towards the faculty work on committees, chairs, etc. with changes to the Faculty Handbook. We need to work on this for the December meeting.

 

Close in silence

 

Remaining Wednesday Dates for Fall 2017:

November 29 – Faculty Forum
December 6 – Faculty Meeting