Minutes for the Meeting of September 21, 2004

Present: Micheline Chalhoub-Deville (Chair), Peter Hlebowitsh, Nancy E. Jackson, Joyce Moore, and Chris Ogren. David Jepsen and Ellen Herman attended the last part of the meeting.

• The meeting was convened by Micheline Chalhoub-Deville as 2003-2004 FAC chair, pending selection of a new chair. She announced that the Dean had requested that the FAC chair become a member of the Administrative Council. Those present agreed that Michelene Chalhoub-Deville would continue to serve as chair through Fall Semester, to be replaced by Peter Hlebowitsh beginning in Spring Semester. [Note: Following the meeting, Micheline and Peter decided that it would be best for Peter to start immediately to serve as chair, for continuity in working on issues and liaising with the Dean and the DEOs; Micheline will advise and help him.] Chris Ogren was chosen as FAC secretary.

• The issue of coordination among existing courses in qualitative research methods had been raised at the end of 2003-2004. Chair Micheline-Chalhoub Deville proposed that she draft a memo, to be sent from the FAC and Dean Damico, to Ann DiPardo, Kathy Schuh, Liz Whitt, and Carolyn Wanat. These four faculty will be given the charge of meeting to create a plan for coordination of beginning courses and development of a course sequence, as suggested by the Curriculum Committee Task Force. Nancy Jackson will serve as FAC liaison with the qualitative research group. There was discussion of what role might be played by faculty who are somewhat involved in teaching qualitative methods, but in more specialized contexts. We decided that the letter would request that Katrina Sanders, Cynthia Lewis, Tom Rocklin, and perhaps Ernie Pascarella should be kept informed about the group's deliberations.

• The issue of duplication in other existing and new courses, as summarized in the May 11, 2003 FAC memo to Dean Damico, was revisited. Peter Hlebowitsh volunteered to create a form that could be used as a basis for discussion among faculty teaching course pairs identified by the Curriculum Task Force as possible duplicates. Last year, we decided that we should develop an addendum to the form for proposing new courses that would address issues of possible duplication with existing courses. We need to do this, but no specific action was taken. There also was discussion of last year's FAC decision to advocate for establishment of a standing curriculum committee, despite the Curriculum Committee Task Force opinion that this was not needed. Micheline and Peter were in favor of such a committee, but Joyce Moore and Nancy Jackson doubted whether it would be necessary. The issue was not resolved.

• Dean Damico joined the FAC in the middle of the meeting. She reported on a meeting she had had with Ann DiPardo, who is willing to take on the job of coordinating the qualitative methods courses. The faculty who teach qualitative methods want to invite everyone who teaches a methods course to get together to discuss issues such as college-wide course requirements. The FAC applauded this broad goal but decided to continue to urge the four faculty named above to address the duplication issue this semester, with a specific charge.

• Micheline Chalhoub-Deville quoted from Provost Hogan's statement to the Faculty Senate regarding the need for the University to focus on things it can do well in this time of limited resources. Dean Damico reported that program coordinators have been asked to submit reports on program accomplishments in the past five years and plans for the coming five years. She anticipates that some annual re-allocation of University resources will be required. She will ask the FAC to respond when these reports have been collected into reports from DEO's and submitted on October 29. There will be a faculty-wide meeting November 12 to discuss the reports. A focus on diversity is already part of the College strategic plan and will remain so.

• Dean Damico asked the FAC to respond to her draft of criteria for awarding Dean's Scholars awards to associate professors.

• Chair-elect Peter Hlebowitsh agreed to set up the next meeting.

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy E. Jackson
Acting Secretary