Clerk’s Committee Minutes – November 10th, 2015

by Dave Dobsonin Clerk's Committeeon Posted on

Clerk’s Committee Meeting Minutes

November 10, 2015

10:05 – 11:30 AM

Academic Dean’s Conference Room, King 101

Attending: Dave Dobson (Clerk), Sarah Estow (Social Sciences), Bill Grubbs (Business, Policy, and Sports Studies), Sadie Hunter (Community Senate), Lisa McLeod (Humanities), Alex Ricks (Student Government Association), Beth Rushing (Vice President for Academic Affairs & Academic Dean), Steve Shapiro (Natural Sciences & Mathematics) and recorder for this meeting, Kathryn Shields (Arts).  Not attending: Gwen Erickson (Recording Clerk).

  1. The Committee convened and began with a moment of silence.
  2. The Committee reviewed the minutes from November 3, 2015 and suggested some minor changes. The recorder of those minutes will make the recommended changes.
  3. Beth Rushing informed the Committee of some upcoming changes:
    1. Jan Prillaman will be retiring. Her last day will be on November 25, 2015.  She does not want a party in her honor.  She will not be replaced at this time.  Jan’s budget and HR responsibilities will be reallocated.
    2. In January, the Academic Dean’s office will move to Founders Hall (co-located with the Office for Student Affairs). Tracey Fisher will be the executive assistant for both the office for Student Affairs and the Academic Dean’s office.
    3. Experiential learning offices or representatives will move to the first floor of King Hall. Some details are in the process of being determined.
  4. Review of Faculty Meeting November 4, 2015.
    1. Mixed feedback on the exercise where faculty separated into large groups and identified words that described the Guilford educational experience. Some faculty felt that this activity was not a good use of faculty meeting time (nor was the space conducive to such large group discussion).  Maybe we could hold breakout meetings in a different space.  Poll Everywhere is a tool that could be used to include more people in discussions.
    2. Some committee members reported that younger faculty members appeared to be excited about the same sort of things that more senior faculty members had been excited about when they had first come to Guilford (e.g., community, support from colleagues).
    3. The Committee discussed the possibility of holding Faculty Meeting at another location (e.g., Gilmer room (poles in the way, would seem like one was attending a wedding), Community Center (poor acoustics), Joseph M. Bryan, Jr. Auditorium (poor acoustics, fixed seating), Choir room in Dana (large step onto the stage)).
  5. Beth will check with Norma Middleton (Registrar) about the next steps required in the approval / implementation of the (November 4, 2015) faculty-approved Cyber Security major.
  6. The Committee discussed the conversation that the Clerk had with a faculty member who had indicated prior to the faculty meeting that they planned to “stand in the way” of approval of the Cyber Security major because of concerns about departmental staffing policies / inequities. The Clerk will follow up with this faculty member. The committee continued the discussion about the process that the committee used in first reviewing the proposal for the Cyber Security major given the concerns about its design.
  7. Review of Minutes for Faculty Meetings on October 7 and November .
    1. October 7, 2015. The Committee made no suggestions.
    2. November 4, 2015. Kathryn will find out whether the faculty member whose husband recently died would like to be identified in these minutes and how, if at all, the faculty member would like to be “held in the light” by the community.
  8. For approval: Institutional Review Board committee language.
    1. After additional minor editing, the Committee approved the Institutional Review Board committee language.
    2. This section will be placed in Chapter 1 of the Faculty Handbook.
    3. The Committee will bring this proposal to the Faculty at the December 2, 2015 Faculty Meeting.
  9. Faculty Meeting Preparation
    1. Because there is no Faculty Meeting in January, the Nominating Committee will solicit nominations for the next Clerk beginning with a public announcement at the December Faculty Meeting. The ballot (if necessary) will be in February.
    2. Requests for committee preferences will be solicited early next year, perhaps in January.
  10. For initial evaluation: Research funds request (early for Feb. deadline).
    1. The proposal considered is eligible for the Dean’s Research Funds.  The Committee will review all applications at the same time after the February deadline.
  11. For discussion: Faculty Forum topic for November 18.
    1. Liberal Arts General Education Revision will use the Faculty Forum time.
  12. Continued discussion of committee and academic administrative structures.
    1. The Committee discussed preliminary results from the Faculty Service Survey.
  13. The meeting closed with a moment of silence at 11:30 AM.