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DEANS COUNCIL

Extended Deans Council Meeting

B-120

October 10, 2012

 

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

 

Members:  Dave Caudill, Rich Cole, Tom Currin, Steve Hamrick, Ruston Hunt, Joyce Mills, Thomas Nelson, Jeff Orr, Nikki Palamiotis, Jeffrey Ray, Han Reichgelt, Becky Rutherfoord, Zvi Szafran

 

Members Absent:   Dave Caudill, Ruston Hunt, Joyce Mills, Jeff Ray, Han Reichgelt, Becky Rutherfoord

 

Guests:  Brichaya Shah for Dave Caudill, Amy Coughenour for Joyce Mills

 

Item 1. Updates

Dr. Szafran updated the Council on the following:

  • Budget transfers – a new form is now required to move money around within budgets.  Email requests will no longer be accepted.  When Zvi has more information, he will send it out.
  • Brichaya reported that the boot camps are going well. Dawn is preparing a report.  Desire to Learn will go live in January 2013.
  • Authors Fair is coming up soon.
  • Convocation went well.
  • Course input deadline is October 12th; registration begins October 15
  • Night security issues – Graduate assistants are having issues getting into labs with swipe card access unless their deans give them full access which the deans won’t allow.  Auxiliary Services won’t give them specialized access, only full access.  Zvi will talk to Bill Prigge about this to see what options might be available to give graduate assistants specialized card access to labs.
  • Other than the recently opened Georgia Gwinnett, SPSU claimed the number one spot in growth in the University System.
  • Graduate student applications are up over last spring.
  • Teacher of the Year – Deidra Hodges (Electrical and Mechatronics Engineering) has been named the Teacher of the Year
  • Adeel Khalid received a research grant
  • RETP – there will be a teleconference on this soon – Currin will have a draft to review.
  • Banned students – The Library asked to be informed when students have been banned from the campus.  Zvi will talk to John Bauer to find out how areas on campus should be notified when students have been banned from campus.
  • According to Szafran, Wolfram Alpha is a powerful website and popular with the Library because it contains citations.  Faculty should be aware that students are using it to cheat.
  • Learning Challenged Students – Szafran stated that we are required by law to provide services for students such as signers for students with hearing disabilities.  The cost can be as much a $35,000 to provide signers for two students per semester and he is looking more cost-effective alternatives.

 

Item 2. Moving Forward on Course Scheduling

Postposed due to the absence of Jeff Ray.  Szafran stated that the departments should be using the suggested time blocks as best they can until formally approved.

 

Item 3. International Programs

Szafran stated that with the upcoming retirement of Richard Bennett, it is time to restructure International Programs and will be done by forming a committee to recommend a new structure and be involved in the search for Rich’s replacement.  Admissions, both graduate and undergraduate need to be involved in the process because of issues regarding TOEFL scores, proof of undergraduate degrees, etc.  Tom Currin, Jeff Orr, Rich Cole, and Nikki Palamiotis agreed to serve the committee.  Zvi agreed to talk to Sam Conn about SPSU email accounts for ELS students because they are denied access to the Library without an email account.

 

Item 4. New IRB Policy

Russ Hunt was absent but sent the policy for review.  Dr. Szafran talked about the policy needed for Federal compliance.  Currently our P&P is out of compliance and he suggested we put forward an interim policy to Dr. Rossbacher until such time as an alternative policy can be submitted and approved.  The motion to forward an interim policy to Dr. Rossbacher was approved.

 

Item 5. Marketing of Academic Programs

Tom Currin stated that our marketing efforts need to be a more coordinated effort with a plan.  Dr. Szafran suggested making Jim Cooper aware of concerns and inviting him to an Extended Deans Council meeting to discuss them.  Nikki asked to sit on the Marketing Committee for input and stated it has only met once in two years.  Some of the issues from the Council:

  • Support for RETP relative to TCSG efforts
  • Marketing coordinator should communicate marketing strategy priorities with the University, and how we'll know if we’ve achieved goals, etc.
  • Issues with publication materials
  • Social media vs. billboards?
  • Students “chat” with the Library because they can’t find information on the website
  • What is the department/school responsibility?  Can departments advertise?
  • What about Graduate Studies?
  • How would these fit into the overall strategic plan?
  • Polychrome is an excellent (but expensive) resource for marketing Architecture – Does Marketing know about it, and should we be developing more publications of this sort?

 

Item 6. Review of Space Requests

  1. Rotunda – Amy Coughenour represented the Library’s request to convert the Rotunda to a wireless study area for students.  The cost would be minimal and would consist of power/data outlets.  The negative is that it would be difficult to schedule meetings in there but could be done with two weeks’ notice.  The Council discussed this and agreed to approve it for costing out and further discussion.
  2. G 205 – A request has been made by the Alternative Energy Center to add a sink to G 205.  It was suggested that this be coordinated with all of Arts & Sciences to see if other plumbing needs may exist.  Zvi will check to see what other plumbing projects may be needed in rooms surrounding G-205.
  3. G 205 – A request has been made by the Alternative Energy Center to add a 220V socket to G 205.  Zvi will check to see why a 220V socket is needed in G 205.
  4. Student Competition Building – Students replaced a broken fan and were told to remove it because no space request was submitted and the fan was installed by non-SPSU personnel.  This request was approved for an SPSU electrician to reinstall the fan.
  5. H 200-A – Was requested to be used as a storage room for ETCMA until M 138 becomes available.  This was approved for ETCMA to use H 200-A as a storage room only because there is no formal approval to allocate M 138 to their department.  Per Tom Nelson this has been approved.

Future agenda item – Building M space

 

 

Item 7. New Business

 

 

 

Action Items:

Zvi will talk to Bill Prigge about this to see what options might be available to give graduate assistants specialized card access to labs.

Zvi agreed to talk to Sam Conn about SPSU email accounts for ELS students because they are denied access to the Library without an email account.

Zvi will check to see what other plumbing projects may be needed in rooms surrounding G-205.

Zvi will check to see why a 220V socket is needed in G 205.

 

 

 

Future Agenda Items:

 

Building M space