Faculty Conference Minutes
Due to an insufficient number
of faculty to conduct business in the absence of a quorum, approval of
November’s meeting minutes was postponed until a sufficient number of faculty
(58) were present.
The Board of Trustees has
not met since the November 19th Conference. The Board will have a meeting and a retreat
next weekend. Faculty are asked to
contact Dr. Moore if they have any concerns they would like raised with the
Board.
President DiGiorgio updated
the faculty on numerous items. The
University is trying to eliminate conflicting delays and campus closings as
reported by the administration and the Governor’s office. The lottery is expected to be an upcoming
election issue. Discussions with the
Governor suggest that university enrollment would increase 20 to 30% as a
result of programs funded by a state lottery.
University administrators emphasize that additional state funding must
support any significant enrollment growth.
Lobbying efforts continue
for the additional $9 million required for Peabody renovations. The case was well received when presented
before the House Ways and Means Higher Education Sub-Committee. This is not true for the additional $2.5
million needed to complete the Sims renovation. At their next meeting, the Board will discuss issuing bonds to
make up for the shortfall. Renovation
plans currently require Sims to be vacated in May 2000. In fall 2001, classes will resume in the
renovated building. Dr. Betsy Brown
will be coordinating space assignments during the renovations.
President DiGiorgio is also
trying to obtain $1 million in emergency funds to replace the Rutledge Building
roof. A favorable response from the
Ways and Means Sub-Committee is expected.
State funds are also being pursued for vinyl windows for the nine oldest
buildings on campus. The energy efficient
and low-maintenance windows are expected to cost $1.2 million. Ten million of the requested $92 million of
new money is included in the Governor’s executive budget. The budget includes salary increases of 2%
for individuals with salaries exceeding $30,000 and 3% for those with salaries
over $3,000. Future Steps 2000 continues.
During the upcoming Board
retreat, plans will be developed for accommodating expected increases in
student population. The Breazeale
Building could be converted to academic space with an expected cost of $8
million. Aramark, the food service
vendor, is building a coffee shop at the back of Margaret Nance Hall. The University will receive a percentage of
coffee shop profits. Aramark will also
pay for the construction of new restrooms on McBryde Hall’s main floor. The mortgage note on the coliseum will be
refinanced to pay for athletic related improvements. The proceeds will be used to pay for coliseum renovations, a
baseball stadium, and improvements to the soccer and baseball fields. Tennis courts are needed to replace the
courts scheduled for demolition as part of the Peabody renovations. New courts may be located at the Farm.
The University will host the
SACS re-accreditation visit on March 19, 2001.
The AACSB re-accreditation team visited the College of Business
Administration in January and left with a favorable verbal report. This spring, the Interior Design Program in
the College of Visual and Performing Arts will receive a reaffirmation visit
from its accrediting body, FIDER. CHE
has added graduate counseling programs to their accreditation list. The College of Education’s Graduate
Counseling Program has submitted the required self-study report for
accreditation and expects a visit from CACREP this spring or next fall.
The capital campaign has
reached over $19 million of the $26 million goal. Recent contributions include $100,000 from Founders Federal
Credit Union. One of the seminar rooms
in Thurmond now bears the credit union’s name. Similar projects are in the works.
The success of the capital
campaign has generated additional revenue for research and curriculum
development funds administered through the Research Council. The state now matches a percentage of money
raised from the private sector. The
professional development and research grant program now has $25,000, a $10,000
increase. Two additional funds have
been created. The first is to fund
research projects in which students are co-investigators, and the second fund
of $20,000 is for curriculum enhancement.
Web-based on-line
registration program should be available during registration at the start of
the fall 2000 semester. Web-based
financial aid, admissions, and advising are also anticipated in the upcoming
year. Another favorable note for
Winthrop, the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission rated Winthrop as being
first among all South Carolina’s colleges and universities in meeting its
affirmative action and equal opportunity goals. In the past we have been among the top three.
Dr. Jo Koster Tarvers,
Parliamentarian, informed the Chair of the Faculty Conference that although a
full quorum was not reached, a sufficient number of faculty were in attendance
to permit the faculty to vote to conduct business in the absence of a
quorum. The motion to conduct business
in the absence of a quorum was made, seconded, and approved.
The minutes of the November
19, 1999 Faculty Conference were approved as distributed.
Dr. Wilson made comments on the College of Business Administration
accreditation visit. The relationship
between students and faculty, the quality of the students and faculty, the
working relationships among the different colleges, student body diversity, and
race relations impressed the team. A
surprise, students indicated that WRIT 465 was the Winthrop course that was the
most helpful to them.
The new research and curriculum development money
announced by the President can be used for salary support as well as equipment
and supplies. In addition, grants from
the new money are not limited to one budget year, so the grants will begin when
announced in April and run through June of the next calendar year.
V. Committee Reports
A. Academic Council - Dr. Janice Chism
Academic Council approved the GNED designator
requested by the General Education Committee.
The designator was approved by the Conference.
B. General Education Task Force Update – Dr.
Ray Dockery
Committees continue working on the general education
competencies. The competency committees are writing,
technology (chair – Dr. Will Thacker), quantitative reasoning (chair – Dr. Bill
Rogers), and oral communications. The
goal is to finish the competencies this summer. One or two courses will then be developed this summer and fall
with field-testing in spring 2001.
Additional two or three courses will be developed in spring and summer
2001 and field-tested in spring 2002.
Faculty interested in participating in the process should contact the
committee members or chairs.
VI. Old Business
There was no old
business.
Faculty have asked if there
will be opportunities to discuss the proposed web policy. A suggestion was made to have the Campus
Computing Committee review the proposal at a faculty conference. Dr. Moore will pass the suggestion on to the
appropriate individuals. Faculty also
expressed concern over the proposal’s impact on academic freedom. Future academic infringement concerns may be
avoided if faculty provide input on the proposal now.
VIII. Announcements
The Graduate Faculty meeting will follow the Faculty
Conference.
The Spring, 2000 Final Exam
Schedule is on the Registrar’s web page.
The schedule will also be sent to faculty by email.
IX. The meeting
adjourned at 3:02 p.m
Respectfully
submitted,
Michele
C. Henderson, Secretary