NOTE: At times, issues of confidentiality may require that some items discussed in meetings be excluded from these minutes.

PRESENT: Bill Barnes, Alan Gabrielli, Steve Hamrick, Joyce Mills, Mike Murphy, Dawn Ramsey, Zvi Szafran, and Wayne Unsell.

GUESTS: Ken Rainey, HTC

Jeff Orr, ATTIC

John Mills and Burt Matthews, Facilities

Item 1: ACE Wise Women and Inroads

Ken Rainey visited the meeting today to share information about two programs he has been asked to be part of and to seek input from the Council about whether the university should pursue relationships with these programs or not.

The first program is headed by Paula Washington, a consultant and founder of an organization called Wise Women. This non-profit organization recruits at risk and low income middle and high school students (only women at this time) and trains them to start and operate successful businesses. Ms. Washington is also a Partner in Education with Osborne High School as is Dr. Rainey. Ms. Washington is also associated with ACE Mentor Program, which helps students prepare for careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. Washington is currently working with Architectural Design Company and 30 women from Osborne high school to design a shopping mall.

Dr. Rainey was also contacted by INROADS to coordinate mentoring opportunities for college students. Both of these programs have or will have boards of directors, on which Dr. Rainey has agreed to serve. Dr. Rainey asked the Council’s opinion on whether SPSU should pursue working with these two programs and the Council agreed that it would be beneficial for our University. Dr. Rainey will be retiring at the end of spring semester and solicited a replacement liaison for Osborne High School and Hightower Middle School.

Item 2: ATTIC Update

Jeff Orr spoke briefly on the collaboration efforts taking place in the ATTIC. Tara Evans and Professor Orr have submitted a tech fee proposal to help provide additional academic support for students in the ATTIC. The proposal included computers to help provide skills enhancement. Orr also reported that the ATTIC will be offering more support for students who are preparing to take the Regents exam for the first time and for students who have attempted and failed one or both parts of the exam. A workshop for repeat Regents exam takers will be on February 22 and a workshop for strategies for passing the Regents exam for first timers will be on February 27. The ATTIC also received a grant to provide tutors in the sciences and math.

Dr. Szafran updated the Council on the status of SPSU 1001 for this semester. He announced that 75 students are interested in taking the course and that sessions will begin in week five of the semester and will continue until the end of the semester. He also announced that this course is being used in a creative way by the Honors Program. Students who have been dropped because of academic reasons are being encouraged to take SPSU 1001 as a positive step in the process to be readmitted into the Honors Program. Dr. Szafran also reminded the Council that all deferred suspension students are required to take this course.

Item 3: Campus Facilities Update

John Mills and Burt Matthews updated the Council on campus projects including an update on Building J, which is almost complete. The fire marshal is expected this week and Mills stated that facilities would follow up on several unfinished areas in Building J brought to his attention by the Council. An architect has been hired to renovate the space in the basement of Building J and Mills asked the Council to think about how the space should be used. Dr. Szafran suggested a subcommittee of deans and chairs in Building J be formed to discuss the possibilities. Dr. Gabrielli agreed to chair the subcommittee and will meet with the group by the end of February.

Mills also talked about the Gateway Project for our front entrance and stated that plans are moving forward on the project and that Facilities has been meeting with the City of Marietta and the DOT. Mills stated that it will be at least six months or so before any construction begins and that most of the trees will be preserved. Another issue that will have to be addressed by Facilities is the replacement of the failing pipes in Building E.

Item 4: Bachelor of Applied Science and “Comprehensive”

Dr. Szafran distributed a handout on our proposed programs and asked the Council to review it and let him know of any omissions. Szafran will talk to the faculty at the next faculty meeting regarding the proposed programs and will solicit their support.

Szafran also talked about our existing Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) and how it could be revitalized and used to draw in more students. Currently only the Management Department is participating in this program. The Council had concerns about the structure and requirements of the BAS and agreed that there are many issues that would need to be addressed. Dr. Szafran also agreed that clear language would be needed to describe the BAS. He asked the Council if he should present his ideas to the departments and it was suggested that this could be an agenda item for the next ALC meeting (February 8).

Meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.