Present: R. Osgood, J. Brand, J. Swartz, B. Grey, D. Kaiser, K. Kamp, J. Mohan, M. Montgomery, J. Mutti, B.Voyles, H. Scott, P. Smith.

The meeting convened at 4:22 in the Nollen House conference room.

The minutes and excerpts of April 17 were approved.

The President was detained briefly at the beginning of the meeting with Board of Trustees business.

Dean's Remarks

The Dean updated Council on the status of faculty searches. He noted that the College has been able to make five tenure-track appointments so far this year and three of them are faculty of color. B. Grey asked where we are on the diversity initiative in terms of positions filled.

The President entered the meeting at 4:26. He responded to B. Grey's question by saying that there are arguably five diversity appointments. His sense is that the initiative should be brought to an end. From a budgetary point of view we are either done or have one more appointment to make.

The Dean noted that the Personnel Committee has finished its work and has made recommendations for promotions to the President who has accepted their recommendations.

Council Remarks

B. Grey reported that the Curriculum Committee met on April 23rd and examined the feedback that had been received from faculty members on the Mentored Advanced Projects documents that had been distributed the prior week. They have decided that the issues raised were not substantial and that they would move forward with bringing a motion to a vote of the faculty on April 29th.

J. Mohan asked that the charge to the taskforce appointed by Council to discuss convocations, academic speakers, their contribution to our educational goals and impact on a very crowded calendar, include an explicit statement recommending consultation with all interested parties on campus: divisions, departments and concentrations, and directors of special programs (Rosenfield, Noun, the several centers, etc.).

D. Kaiser asked what was to be done with regard to responding in a concrete way to the faculty request that Council create a mechanism and process for facilitating faculty input to facilities planning discussions and decision-making. There was no substantive response.

D. Kaiser asked what the estimated square footage of the new Campus Center would be. The President responded that the original plan included approximately 110,000 sq. ft. The committee has been asked to keep the plan to approximately 100,000 sq. ft. D. Kaiser then asked who would be making decisions on the use of space being vacated from existing locations on campus to move into the Campus Center. The President responded that there is a small interim space committee. There will need to be a new process involving faculty and others to consider future uses of the Forum, Quad, and Cowles. D. Kaiser asked if there is an updated campus map reflecting decisions made since the campus plan committee issued the first one in 1999. The President responded that there will be one produced soon. He also noted that there is a need to take a serious and fresh look at the Library. Finally, he noted the need for developing a firm plan for Carnegie and ARH.

The Dean stated that the Curriculum Committee looked at the faculty responses to the materials that had been distributed regarding the Mentored Advanced Projects. There was only one curricular comment and a number of compensation issues raised. They concluded that there was nothing that would change the motion before the faculty. P. Smith distributed a summary of responses. She asked what Council thought it's role would be at the faculty meeting on April 29th when the MAP program is brought to a vote. She noted that the questions surrounding impact on the curriculum would need to be worked out. There was substantial and difficult discussion.

J. Mohan left the meeting at 5:45 p.m. J. Brand left the meeting at 5:50 p.m.

The President stated that he has looked at how other schools are funding student-faculty research and none come close to the very generous situation that exists at Grinnell. He stated that he believes that this is one very good way to showcase the College in that we offer our students a way to have a substantial academic experience and we give credit for it.

B. Grey raised the issue of a very great deal of work left on the Council agenda between now and the end of the semester and asked for guidance on how to get it done. It was decided that the work of developing a mechanism and process for facilitating faculty input to decision-making in relation to facilities planning would be done by the faculty members of Council informally and outside of Council meetings.

B. Voyles asked about salary letters. The Dean responded that they are almost ready to be sent out.

The meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.

Secretary
Karen Wiese