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

PRESENT: Alan Gabrielli, Steve Hamrick, Joyce Mills, Mike Murphy, Dawn Ramsey, Zvi Szafran

GUESTS: Nancy Reichert, Honors Program

Richard Bennett, International Programs

Item 1: Honors Program

Dr. Reichert briefly updated the Council on the Honors Program and stated that they have received 27 applications for the fall semester. Dr. Reichert distributed a flyer for an Honors open house they are planning for March. Reichert stated that she is working on ways to engage the honors students and keep them here at SPSU and would like to offer an Honors Hitchhikers Guide course for all honors students.

Item 2: International Programs

Dr. Bennett reported that three of the exchange students from North China University of Technology have begun the admissions process to convert to degree-seeking students. Bennett will be traveling to Spain, Cameroon and China over the next few months. Bennett also announced that he should know soon how many of the students from China will pass the TOEFL and actually qualify for acceptance next fall. Dean Murphy expressed a concern that the Chinese students don’t seem to be interacting with the other students. Bennett responded that in all his meetings with the exchange students he strongly encourages to mix with other students. He also encourages them to join the International Student Association and are assigned a host family which invites the students out once a month. Dean Ramsey suggested coordination with the ELS program, which has 50-80 international students on campus and also has programs to integrate students.

Item 3: Updates on B.A.S, Certificates, Non-Credit Courses, etc.

Dr. Szafran announced to the Council that he contacted the system office about our B.A.S. and was given permission to offer a B.A.S in General Engineering Technology. To offer a B.A.S. in specific departments we must submit curricula to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for approval and then send a memo to the Board of Regents for implementation. Hamrick is looking at ways to create a separate code to distinguish B.A.S degrees from B.A. and B.S. degrees.

Szafran asked the Council to remind faculty and search committees that we must ask permission to interview anyone employed in the University System of Georgia and that this is done via our president. A reminder will be sent to deans, chairs, and faculty.

Dean Ramsey reported that her committee will be meeting soon and will have a list of non-credit courses that may be used for credit. Dr. Szafran asked that she bring this list to the Council for review and to discuss option and issues such as how to assess fees/costs associated with these courses.

Item 4: Evaluations of Librarians and Administrators

The Council talked about the reappointment process for librarians that we currently use and since no P&P exists specifically for librarians, he asked Dr. Mills to prepare a policy on how librarians (who also hold faculty rank) should be evaluated as compared to our regular faculty. Szafran also distributed a draft P&P on the evaluation of administrators for review. He stated that for right now this P&P would apply to chairs, deans, the director of the Library, and the VPAA only and would call for a more intensive review every three years for chairs and every five years for the deans, the Library director, and the VPAA. He asked the Council to review the draft and send comments or suggestions to him. If approved by the Council and the President, it would go to the Faculty Senate for approval.

Item 5: Other Updates

Dean Ramsey announced that the tech fee list has been revised and modified and will be sent to the deans for review.

Dr. Szafran announced that our new mission statement is on the March agenda for the Board of Regents.

Meeting adjourned at 4:05.