Skip to main content
Scenes from Faculty Senate

Joint Strategic Planning Committee

Thursday, November 6, 2003

1:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

Green Hall Conference Room

Attendance: Robert L. Carothers, Beverly Swan, Bob Beagle, Tom Dougan, Linda Barrett, Judy Beckman, Mary Hollinshead, Faye Boudreaux-Bartels, Michael Rice, Bill Rosen, Ann Morrissey, Earle Degraphenried and Paul DePace.

Annoucements:

Vice President Dougan reported on efforts to follow-up on the hate incident that occurred in the dormitory earlier in the semester and thanked President Carothers, Senate Chair Beckman and Student Senate Chair Lopes for their prompt response to the incident with a letter to the Community. He said that he has put together a small group to plan programming designed to combat hate and promote tolerance on campus.

Senate Chairperson Beckman said that she had been working with Vice President Dougan during the interim and announced that the Executive Committee had agreed to invite a Senator to serve on this group.

President Carothers said that he was still getting positive feedback from people throughout the state for the letter.

Minutes: The Minutes of the September 18, 2003 meeting were approved as corrected. The Minutes of the October 2 2003 meeting were approved pending editorial corrections.

Discussion ensued on Interim Vice President Barrett's suggestion that notes be taken at meetings rather than official Minutes to avoid any confusion as to actions taken by the JSPC.

After discussion, it was agreed that the practice of taking and approving Minutes of meetings should continue. It was suggested that a disclaimer appear on the Minutes indicating the JSPC is advisory to the President and the Faculty Senate to avoid any confusion as to the committee's role.

Fiscal '06 Budget: Interim Vice President Barrett reviewed with the committee efforts to project a budget for fiscal '06 based on the requested '05 budget. She said that many of the items were best estimate projections based on previous costs for electricity, heating, insurance, postage etc. She also noted that the proposed budget would include the projected 8 new faculty positions, 8 additional graduate assistantships, the cost of phasing in the capital campaign, as well as projected increases in tuition and fees and resulting projected increases in the cost of scholarships.

Interim Vice President Barrett reminded the committee that there was a long process ahead before the Fiscal '06 budget is submitted next summer and an even longer process before it becomes official.

Deliberations on Academic Organization: The committee reviewed the report of the Deans Council on alternative organization models, including the possibility of reaffirming the present structure, which had been forwarded to them by the President. In the report, the Dean's Council had proposed the establishment of a task force to address the process questions, review the alternative models and report their findings to the President and the Provost.

President Carothers said that it was key to this process that it move quickly in order to end the ambiguity surrounding the academic organization.

It was agreed that the task force should review the proposals keeping enrollment, research and facilities in mind and recommend what the scope of any reorganization should include.

The Provost and the Executive Committee agreed to meet to discuss the composition of a task force, which would have broad faculty representation.

Capital Improvement Project Priorities/North Campus Planning: Mr. DePace reported on the status of short and longer-range plans for the area designated as the north campus. (This is the area between Plains Road and the Fine Arts Center, Flagg Road and Alumni Avenue.) He also responded to questions about existing and potential buildings.

Meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m.