Present: President Osgood, Dean Swartz, Associate Deans H. Scott and P. Smith, Special Assistant to the President J. Brand, E. Dobbs, W. Ferguson, M. Pillado-Miller, T. Moore, D. Smith, and B. Voyles.

President Osgood called the meeting to order at 4:19 in Nollen House. The minutes of the meeting of September 8 were amended and approved.

D. Smith volunteered to serve as Secretary for this week.

The Dean remarked upon the difficulties in the way of the timely publication of the Faculty and Staff Directory. He stated that this Directory would soon be available. In the meantime, new members of the faculty have received copies of the 1998-99 Directory.

The Dean responded to a remark by D. Smith, previously circulated among the Council, expressing a colleague's worry about excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages by students. The Dean has brought this concern to the attention of Thomas Crady, Dean of Student Affairs. Crady has replied that a recent survey of students' perception of the consumption of alcohol by their fellows shows that students believe that such consumption has generally declined. "Binge" drinking is nevertheless a problem of which Crady's office is well aware and which it holds to be more worrisome than drinking in general.

The Dean reviewed his recent discussions with the Department of Education about the character of the Department's new position which in part reflects duties connected with a one-half position previously occupied by Ana Martinez Aleman, the establishment of which the Council recommended last spring and the description of which is now before the Council for approval.

Ferguson moved and Pillado-Miller seconded the approval of the description of the new tenure-eligible position to be filled in the Department of Education. After brief discussion and with advice to the Dean to negotiate with the Department a minor change in the wording of the description, the Council approved the motion unanimously.

Ferguson moved and Dobbs seconded that the Council endorse the recommendation of the Department of History that a tenure-eligible appointment in early American history similar to that hitherto held by Gary Hewitt be made. Discussion followed.

The question of whether the Council should consider only in April and May all requests involving the allocation of appointments to the faculty recurred and was again discussed.

The vote upon the motion being taken, the Council divided in its favor.

Dobbs moved and Ferguson seconded the approval of the description of the position in early American history as proposed by the Department of History. The Council approved the motion unanimously.

The Council adjourned at 6:18 p.m.

D. A. Smith
Secretary