Clerk’s Committee Minutes – February 16, 2015 8:30 AM
Minutes taken by Edwins Gwako
Present: Adrienne Israel (Vice President and Academic Dean), Zhihong Chen (Recording Clerk), Dave Dobson (Clerk), Edwins Gwako (Social Sciences), Tim Lindeman (Arts), Lisa McLeod (Humanities), Jeffrey Ray (SGA Representative), Steven Shapiro (Natural Sciences & Mathematics).
Not present: Sherry Giles (BP&SS), Colin MacIntosh (Student Senate Representative).
1. The Committee convened and started with a moment of silence.
2. Clerk’s committee members were informed that Colin MaCIntosh will not continue to serve in Clerk’s and a replacement has been requested.
3. Approval: The committee approved minutes from February 2, 2015.
4. Approval: The committee approved minutes from February 9, 2015.
5. Review: Clerk’s reviewed faculty meeting minutes from December 3, 2014. Consensus was reached to abbreviate minutes of appreciation for faculty who were promoted to full professor (Karen Tinsley & Sherry Giles) and append actual statements prepared and read by Barbara Lawrence and David Hildreth.
6. Report: An update on VPs searches was provided. Nomination of faculty representatives has been done by Nominating Committee and names forwarded to the president for further action. The committee discussed and expressed satisfaction with Nominating Committee’s appointments of faculty representatives to the following:
a. VP Marketing search: Julie Winterich
b. VP Enrollment search: Eva Lawrence
c. Community Life additions: Jeremy Rinker and Robert Duncan.
The committee also discussed:
a. Recording Clerk nominees request and noted that our current Recording Clerk (Zhihong Chen) will be on sabbatical leave next year.
b. Budget Committee Issues/Concerns: The academic dean will have a conference with a faculty member about his budget committee service. The committee reviewed Clerk’s meeting with the president about tuition remission. Clerk informed the committee that Benefit Committee met and discussed this issue and forwarded a revised tuition remission proposal to the president. However, Jim was not part of the deliberation and crafting of the document. The president is yet to make a revised final policy statement on this matter. It was noted that budget cut deliberations are on-going and specifics about target areas remain unknown to clerk’s committee. The president is also trying to revitalize the Curriculum to enhance student recruitment (and retention?).
7. Forum Schedule: Clerk’s will consider the possibility of scheduling a faculty forum focusing on the proposed revised International Studies major.
8. The meeting closed with a moment of silence.