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, Nikki Palamiotis, Dawn Ramsey, Zvi Szafran

ABSENT: Mike Murphy

GUEST: Jeff Orr, ATTIC

Dr. Szafran introduced the new Director of Graduate Studies, Nikki Palamiotis, and welcomed her to the Deans Council Meeting.

Item 1: ATTIC

Professor Orr updated the Council on items the ATTIC has either completed or is working on:

Regents’ Test Strategies Workshops – the ATTIC is offering workshops to help prepare students for the Regents Test and in addition working with students on an individual basis. Steve Hamrick mentioned to Professor Orr that as we recruit more students into our B.A.S. program from DTAE schools, most will not have taken the Regents and may need assistance from the ATTIC. Dr. Szafran and Dr. Rossbacher will be meeting with presidents of DTAE schools in an effort to establish articulation programs and to strongly encourage their students to apply to SPSU.

Student Safety Net Program – ATTIC is looking at offering the MAT online. Orr is looking at ways to track ATTIC tutoring usage and with assistance of PSLAMP developed a tutoring schedule that will be emailed to all students.

The Council discussed the possibility of offering Math 099 as a way to strengthen math skills; Dr. Szafran offered possible alternatives which included offering Math 099 in combination with SPSU 1001 or offering classes in math, physics, and chemistry (as examples) with supplemental instruction built in. The instructors involved would receive extra credit toward load for these courses and asked the Council for input and to look at their own departments for other courses that may benefit from supplemental instruction. We will also seek outside funding from the Board of Regents to fund the additional costs. Another suggestion offered is to perhaps offer more directed math courses for non-engineering majors on campus. Dr. Gabrielli will pursue these ideas with Joel Fowler, Chair of the Math Department. Dr. Szafran asked Dean Ramsey to think about the impact these would have on Extended University, if any.

China Workshop – Workshop on Linguistic Competence has taken place. ATTIC is awaiting TOEFL scores on the 40+ Chinese students seeking admittance in the Fall.

eCore Tutoring – Orr stated that the ATTIC is looking at ways to provide tutoring to eCore students and will be meeting to discuss this.

International Student Employment Workshop – the ATTIC is offering employment workshops for international students with help from the Career & Counseling Center.

Item 2: RPG

Dr. Szafran attended a RPG Meeting yesterday in Macon and talked about some of the practices shared on retention and advising from the institutions attending. Other institutions are interested in what we’re doing with our Early Warning System and the SPSU 1001 courses. The Council discussed implementing mid-term grades as an additional way of letting student know how well they are doing. After a brief discussion it was decided that the use of mid-term grades would begin Fall Semester, 2006, and would be officially entered in banner as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

The Council also talked about whether there is a need for establishing retention and advising committees. After discussion, the Council agreed that we should have a campus advising committee charged with implementing the current P&P on academic advising. Szafran reminded the Council of the portfolio model for advising he proposed in earlier Council meetings and asked Dr. Gabrielli to follow up with the writing faculty and Information Technology to see where we are on this. All agreed that this model would be a strong advising tool and beneficial for outcomes based assessment and would be a uniform method to implement advising while still allowing flexibility within the department. Dr. Szafran also suggested that it be announced that beginning next year, chairs, deans and the VPAA should look for evidence of academic advising in all promotion and tenure packages submitted.

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

Dr. Szafran announced that he has had several conversations with Frank Butler from the Board of Regents regarding our B.A.S. and while there is still some uncertainty about major codes associated with this degree Butler is continuing to work with us. Butler agrees that dual articulation with technical schools is a good idea. Unsell reported that his area is currently working on articulation programs that will hopefully lead to B.S. degrees.

Dawn Ramsey reported that the University turned down an offer last year to offer eCore to home schooled students and asked if we should pursue these students this year. It was also suggested that we should consider opening the campus to these students to take specific courses to satisfy high school and college requirements just as we do for joint enrollment students from local high schools. The Council agreed that we should be recruiting these students and Deans Ramsey and Gabrielli will work together to identify courses that might work and will also work with Jim Cooper in Recruitment. Szafran reported that he has received interest from Marietta City Schools to revitalize our joint enrollment program with them to possibly include sending our faculty to their campus to teach classes. Dean Gabrielli will meet with some of our faculty to discuss options.

Dean Ramsey distributed a copy of the Links catalog and a list of non-credit courses she would like the Council to consider offering for credit. The deans will take the list of courses to their departments to see if any are credit worthy. Hamrick will investigate how these courses could be set up to be used for credit, if they would be eligible for formula funding, if it is possible to give credit to students who have taken the courses for non-credit in the past, and see if it is possible to recapture formula funding if we can give retro-active credit.

Item 4: Evaluations of Librarians and Administrators

Dr. Szafran distributed his proposed Academic Administrator Evaluation updated to include comments from the Council for review and additional feedback. If approved, Szafran will forward to the faculty for approval.

Item 5: Other Updates

Dr. Szafran announced that we need clarification on the employment time limit for non-tenure track appointments.

Meeting adjourned at 4:25.