Deans Council

Minutes of January 12, 2005 Meeting

UC 310

 

Present:  Bruce Speck, Houston Davis, Gerald Beavers, Stan Groppel, Charles Pinder, Harriett McQueen, Sheila Bryant, Sean Hogan, Jim Diehr, Tom Buttery, Deborah Fetch, Mike Gotcher, Gaines Hunt

 

1.         Job Description for Coordinator – Bruce Speck

            Jim Diehr (Chair), Tom Buttery, Gaines Hunt, Gerald Beavers, and Stan Groppel will draft a job description for coordinators and present it at the next Deans Council meeting.

 

2.                  Plan for Covering Offices for Week before Christmas – Bruce Speck

            APSU will no longer have forced leave during Christmas break.  Grades will be due Monday after commencement.  The dean/director of each college will coordinate their areas. 

 

3.         Five-Year Plan for New Programs – Bruce Speck

            Dr. Speck asked the Council to think about and discuss with the department chairs long-term plans for academic programs.  Future academic programs should be linked to the APSU strategic plan.  Dr. Davis will meet with deans and department representatives for brainstorming, but realistic goals.  Dr. Davis will send an email with research suggestions prior to meeting.  This report is due to Dr. Hoppe by March 1.

 

4.         Inventory of Academic Program Proposals – Houston Davis (Attachment A)

            Houston Davis will routinely provide the Deans Council an inventory of academic program proposals.

 

5.         Interactive Audio Conference for Department Chairs – Houston Davis (Attachment B)

            Dr. Speck asked the deans if they think this is audio conference could be beneficial to the chairs.  The deans agreed that this “audio” conference would not be effective.

 

6.         Not Coding Use of Blackboard as Web Enhanced Class

            After discussion of the complications involved with coding, a motion was made that we no longer use the designation of “E” for enhanced classes in the Schedule of Classes, beginning in the spring II, and provide a statement to students that in every class they may be using web, chat room, email, etc.  The motion was seconded.  All approved.

 

7.         Preliminary Report of Hybrid Classrooms – Mike Gotcher

            Mike Gotcher distributed a preliminary report of the hybrid classroom concept. The committee was assigned the task to explore the viability of developing and implementing Hybrid courses (combination on campus and online) to facilitate more efficient utilization of classroom space.

Issues involved:

1)   Limited availability of classrooms during peak times (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.);

2)   Increased enrollment creates a need for more courses;

3)   Expectation for continued enrollment increases without the creation of additional classrooms.  Possible solution: Hybrid courses would enable two different classes to use the same classroom during the same time period but on different days. 

Challenges:

1)      Requires the collaboration of 2 different courses per time period

2)      Faculty must develop at least 50% of their course for online delivery

3)      Faculty must be trained to effectively use BlackBoard

4)      Limited application across campus.

5)      Impact on TLC formula (apply on campus or online caps)

      Could lead to few courses being offered.

6)      Negative impact on SCH production (on campus courses traditionally have higher caps than online courses)

7)      Increased cost associated with each course (on campus capped at 96 with 4 adjuncts teaching the online component)

Proposed Action:

1)      Each college initiate a pilot program encouraging faculty to develop hybrid courses (2 year transition)

2)      Explore the possibility of creating online lectures for science courses with labs taught on campus

3)      Examine student and faculty response to hybrid courses

4)      Examine the impact on TLC and SCH

Immediate Action:

1)      Require at least 40% of all (upper and lower division) courses begin after the noon hour

2)      Require APSU 1000 courses to meet once per week which allows MWF classes to use only 1 classroom per 3 sections and 2 sections per classroom on Tu/Th.

A motion was made to accept this report as presented.  The motion was seconded.  All approved.   Deans were asked to get some hybrid courses for the fall and let department chairs know now about offering 40% of classes in the afternoon.

 

8.         Draft of Institutional Absence Policy – Tom Buttery and Charles Pinder

            The “University Excused Absences” proposal was distributed.  After suggested changes the         policy reads as follows:

 

                  When students are scheduled to participate in an institutionally (this is not an activity scheduled by one professor) scheduled activity (for instance, Athletic event, band concert, and/or military) class absences that fall during the sanctioned time (this time may include travel) shall be considered as excused absences.  While the students are excused from class it is their responsibility to check with the instructor to find out what work was missed.  Instructors need to make reasonable accommodations for students to make up all tests, quizzes, and other work administered during the excused absence.

            A motion was made to table this proposal until next week. The motion was seconded and            approved.

 

 

Other

 

Tom Buttery

  • Dr. Buttery suggested that APSU establish a standard office hour for faculty to be in their office to serve students.  It is difficult for students to find some advisors and advisement is a critical issue at APSU.  Faculty receive three hours of credit per semester for advisement, committee assignments, research, etc.  Faculty should be reminded that their office hours should be posted on their office door. 

 

Bruce Speck

  • Dr. Speck announced that new pay rates will include faculty who taught last semester and did not smooth in the spring.

 

 

Harriett McQueen

  • Distributed a handout regarding the summer Transitions program.

 

Gerald Beavers

  • Criminal Justice Homeland Security degree has started and 120 students are enrolled.
  • Enrollment is down and numbers are strictly due to the military deployments.  All classrooms are filled to capacity.

 

Stan Groppel

·         Currently reviewing resumes for e-faculty positions.

 

Charles Pinder

·         Some recommendations will be made to Graduate Council on January 19 regarding appropriation of graduate assistantships.

 

Sheila Bryant

·         Typically, 8-week classes that end in March have not done final grades, however, due to programs such as MSM, we will begin to collect those grades after the 8-week period.  Sheila will make sure that the timing does not conflict with mid-term grades.

·         Submission of final grades improved greatly this semester.

 

Jim Diehr

·         Dr. Lou Beasley will be the interim director of the African American Cultural Center for the 2005 spring semester.  She will be housed in Kimbrough 218.

·         Dr. Ted Jones will be the interim chair of the Department of Communication and Theatre.

·         Dr. Diehr noted that a call for TAF proposals has not been requested. Dr. Speck will check with Mitch Robinson.

 

Tom Buttery

·         Departments are asking about faculty searches.  Dr. Speck will check with Human Resources.  Dr. Speck will also distribute memo regarding the search process.  The Adjunct ad will be in Tennessean Jan. 12 & 16.