FAC Meeting Minutes

Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 10 am to 11:30 am

Attending: Micheline Chalhoub-Deville, Ellie Herman, Nancy Jackson, David Jepsen, Scott McNabb, Joyce Moore, Rahima Wade

Dean Damico joined us for most of this meeting. She reported that at the recent administrative retreat they looked at the Curriculum Committee proposal and decided that we should have a task force this year to deal with college-wide curriculum concerns and then see if there is a need for a committee. FAC could appoint people to this task force or we could be task force members ourselves. The task force should consider if there are college-wide courses that should be cross-listed and/or be made available to students outside of a single department (for example, introductory course on research or qualitative research courses). The courses could have a 7X listing. How should they be funded?

Another topic of discussion at the administrative retreat was grant proposals. There has been a 41% increase in grant proposals going out of the college and a 24% increase in funds between 2000 and 2003. What kinds of incentives would further grant development? We discussed the situation with course buyouts as being potentially problematic for junior faculty ($10,000 per course rather than the former 10% of salary).
The extra funds accumulated through course buyouts are being distributed from the Dean's office in the following manner: one third to support the COE Grants office, one third to the department, and one third to the principal investigator.
We discussed how we can develop a unique theme for our college and what that theme might be. The Dean suggested technology and/or diversity. Rahima suggested "scholarship into practice." Nancy mentioned that we have many links with those outside the college, for example, the medical schools. Dave mentioned how we link our work with others on a personal level as well. The Dean feels that discussion about our uniqueness is especially timely given our focus on a new strategic plan next year. Micheline suggested that the Dean's office take the lead on coming up with a unique theme for the college by studying what is going on at other CIC institutions, forming a committee, and getting back to the FAC with some ideas.

We then discussed what is happening with the program coordinators. The DEOs decided that they do not want a college wide policy re: support for program coordinators. The Dean will ask the DEOs to work on this issue within their departments and report back to her on it.

We briefly discussed COE salaries. The Dean will send us the CIC salary data and the UI by college data. Dean Damico and two other deans met with President Skorton about salaries, particularly the lower salaries for women. President Skorton has agreed to examine the faculty salary issue.

We also discussed the situation with the COE graduate student who failed comps and then sued the college. We need to learn from this situation and keep written records of our meetings and exam feedback etc. with graduate students, especially in potentially problematic situations.

Joyce asked for nominations for chair and secretary. Rahima agreed to serve as secretary again this year and no one else was nominated. Rahima nominated Micheline as chair. This nomination was seconded by Dave and the vote was unanimous.

We scheduled the following meetings for the remainder of the fall semester: October 16, November 20, and December 11. (All are Thursdays from 10 am to 11:30 am in the Dean's Conference Room).