Present: Dean Swartz, Associate Dean Scott, Associate Dean Smith, E. Dobbs, B. Ferguson, T. Moore, M. Pillado-Miller, D. Smith, B. Voyles.

The meeting was called to order by Dean Swartz at 4:20 in the Nollen House Conference Room.

Dobbs moved that Karen Wiese be invited to be present at the meeting as Secretary, and Moore seconded. The motion passed with no discussion.

The minutes and excerpts of the meeting of September 15 were corrected and approved.

Remarks by the Dean

The Dean informed the Committee that the President would not be present at this meeting due to other commitments with regard to the Board of Trustees meeting on campus September 23-24. He announced that the main agenda items for the Trustees would be discussion of the Campus Master Plan and the dedication of the Mathew and Carolyn Swartz Bucksbaum Center for the Arts scheduled September 23-25. The Dean and Associate Deans, will be presenting a follow-up to Part 3 of the Self Study to inform the Board's Academic Affairs Committee of what actions have been taken to address issues identified at the time of the assessment. The faculty group (Chair of the Faculty, Members-At-Large of the Executive Council, and two invited faculty) created last year to meet with that Committee will also be present. Three faculty (J. Chenette, C. Sullivan, and B. Trish) were invited, since Member-At-Large, T. Moore, was unable to attend.

He informed Council that the Curriculum Committee has proposed changing deadlines for independent study and has asked Divisions to discuss this proposal.

The Dean handed out a Grinnell College organizational chart requested by Voyles. Committee members suggested that it be put on the Web page. He also handed out a copy of a Williams College report on teaching loads at 23 liberal arts colleges.

Religious Studies Replacement Position Announcement

The Dean noted that Ed Gilday will be taking a Harris Leave next year; he is being replaced with someone with a different specialization. It was suggested that all candidates who are interviewed should be asked to comment on the sufficiency of the Grinnell College Libraries collection in relation to the new curriculum to be offered by that person. The Religious Studies replacement position announcement was approved.

Dobbs Addendum to the "Faculty Allocation Procedure"

Dobbs moved and Ferguson seconded an addendum to the "Faculty Allocation Procedure" set out in the November 18, 1998 minutes (excerpted and full) of the Executive Council. The text of the addendum reads as follows:

In the event of a department's being unable to meet the April 1 deadline because of personnel considerations after March 15, that department may submit the statement outlined in the November 18, 1998 Executive Council minutes by two weeks before the beginning of classes for fall semester for consideration by the Council.

She led a discussion of her motion, providing the rationale for the amendment. Committee members discussed the addendum in the context of the original rationale for the development of the Faculty Allocation Procedure. D. Smith remarked that the Procedure and addendum were intended for Council's self-discipline and future Council's guidance, with no intent to bind. Any intent otherwise would require changes to the Faculty Handbook. The Dean argued for retaining some procedural flexibility, to avoid the situation of precluding a best solution to future situations. Moore asked Dobbs to present this to the full faculty at the next faculty meeting. Motion to include the addendum carried unanimously.

The Council intends that the sole reason for considerations in August be cases involving personnel matters which would have made it impossible for departments to meet the April 1 deadline, and that it will be quite firm about keeping to these deadlines.

Theatre Staffing Proposal

Pillado-Miller moved, and Ferguson seconded, approval of a proposal from the Theatre Department for a tenure-track position, similar to that previously occupied by Jan Czechowski. A lengthy discussion ensued.

The motion was defeated.

The Dean will talk with the Department.

Dobbs handed out a list of principles, excerpted from her Chair's report to the faculty (1998-99) that she claimed Council discussed before its decisions about faculty allocations. These will be discussed at a future meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.

Karen Wiese
Secretary