Clerk’s Committee Meeting Minutes for February 23, 2015

by Dave Dobsonin Clerk's Committeeon Posted on

Clerk’s Committee Meeting Minutes

February 23, 2015

Dean’s Conference Room

Attending: Zhihong Chen (Recording Clerk), Dave Dobson (Clerk), Sherry Giles (Business & Policy, and Sports Studies), Edwins Gwako (Social Sciences),        Adrienne Israel (Vice President for Academic Affairs & Academic Dean), Tim Lindeman (Arts), Lisa McLeod (Humanities), Steve Shapiro (Natural Sciences & Mathematics)

Not attending: Jeffrey Ray (SGA)

  1. The committee convened and began with a moment of silence.
  2. The committee approved minutes from February 16, 2015.
  3. The committee approved NSSE and retention as the topic for the faculty forum on February 25, 2015.
  4. The committee discussed the request from Drew Hayes, chair of the Curriculum Committee, for a clarification of the plans for the new GELO’s being included in syllabi and assessed. Adrienne will talk with the Assessment Committee to clarify the process for including GELO’s in syllabi. Dave will talk with the Assessment Committee about selecting a chair who is tenured.
  5. In response to a request from Barb Boyette, the committee discussed ways to involve more faculty in a revised opening Convocation that will be held on check-in day. We will share the following suggestions with Barb: that we ask the president to speak at Convocation; include faculty in planning for the event, with a representative from Clerk’s committee; invite families of first year students; and announce the plans for the new and improved Convocation at a faculty meeting in the spring.
  6. The committee discussed the letter from Eric Mortensen requesting articulation of a new, more equitable policy related to course release for department chairs. Adrienne will discuss the issue with division chairs at their meeting this coming Wednesday. She also will share information with Clerk’s about the current plan for allocating course releases. Clerk’s will schedule a time at a future meeting to discuss a new policy regarding course release.
  7. The committee agreed to give the following feedback to Rob Whitnell about the outcomes identified by the JTAC committee: overall, the outcomes look good, and Clerk’s appreciates JTAC’s work on them; it will be important to identify which outcomes are assessable, and which are simply goals, and to distinguish original goals from new goals that emerged during the first few J-Terms.
  8. The preliminary agenda for the faculty meeting on March 4th includes: Jane’s report from the Board of Trustees meeting; the proposed Committee Slate from Nominating Committee; and other business.
  9. The meeting closed with a moment of silence.

Respectfully submitted,

Sherry Giles