Present: C. Hunter, E. Marzluff, J. Meehan, R. Osgood (arrived at 2:25), S. Rebelsky, T. Roberts, J. Swartz, E. Willis
Acting Secretary: Jon Chenette

The meeting came to order at 1:30 p.m. in the Nollen House second floor conference room. Approval of the minutes of December 6, 2006 was postponed until the next meeting. The President’s remarks were delayed, pending his arrival from the airport.

Jim Swartz, Dean of the College--remarks

Dining Services has made changes in Grinnell House breakfast services. A staff member is delivering items each morning. Marci Sortor is organizing a meeting to discuss coordination and responsibility for other Grinnell House services.

Term position requests are getting settled as leave situations become clear. The Dean has responded to all requests for full-time term positions.

Brad Bateman convened an initial meeting of the Athletic Director search committee. He hopes to have a position description drafted for Council to consider on Friday.

The EKI Advisory Board is working on a proposal about how faculty expansions can facilitate interdisciplinary teaching by continuing faculty members. Marci Sortor will attend the Council meeting on Friday, Dec 15, to introduce the proposal.

Council Members’ Remarks

E. Willis reported on a meeting with early career faculty. They advocate requiring departments to share their interim and complete review letters with faculty members under review rather than leaving that optional, as it is currently, and hope that Council will consider putting forward an amendment to the Faculty Handbook to enact that requirement. They also urge the College to look at what some perceive as a low per-class pay rate for part-time faculty members. Another concern is the strictness of tax procedures for paying visiting international performers, scholars, and faculty members. Finally, they urge attention to the issue of retention of faculty of color.

E. Marzluff inquired about a rumored reduction from 2 to 1 in the number of interdisciplinary courses taught by Interdisciplinary Fellows. S. Rebelsky suggested that the original proposal may have listed 1 or 2 ID courses as the number to be taught. E. Marzluff suggested that the occasion of appointing a new ID fellow next semester would be a good opportunity to clarify the expectations in terms of numbers of ID courses taught by the fellows.

E. Marzluff raised concern about the blocking of fire lanes at the Rosenfield Center because of construction vehicles parked there.
T. Roberts reported that the Humanities Division approved the Policy Studies Concentration at its Monday meeting.

C. Hunter reported that the Social Studies Division had a vigorous discussion of strategy 6 at its meeting Monday and is preparing a document that he will bring to Council on Friday.

J. Meehan indicated that the Diversity Steering Committee would like to see the word prompt scan reinstated at Convocations. Again, the Dean encouraged faculty members to take concerns directly to people who can do something about them, where appropriate. He is willing to be involved when necessary, but such direct communication can often be more effective at addressing a concern efficiently.

Proposed Position Descriptions for Term Appointment Searches

Council discussed personnel matters.

Consideration of Tenure Track Hiring Proposal

Council discussed personnel matters.

Russell Osgood, President of the College--remarks

The Trustee Buildings and Grounds Committee met by telephone and at the offices of Cesar Pelli to consider phase 2 Athletic Center plans. Construction could begin as early as the date at which the Science Building is completed, around April of 2008. The College is working with the City to secure necessary zoning approvals and it appears that so little of the practice field will be left that a change in the status of the Black Cultural Center will not be considered.

The Trustee Budget Committee has been updated on the College budget process, which is moving along and on track. Although the budget for FY08 is still approximately $1 million in deficit, that amount is typical for this stage of deliberation. Because of the large increase in tuition and fees scheduled for next year. The President intends to make this public soon. The President indicated that they will be posted on-line along with a variety of off-setting changes to financial aid packaging.

There will be a meeting tomorrow in Chicago with key Trustees, and including several Council members, to discuss implementation of the Strategic Plan.

The President will travel to Japan, China, and Korea in January with the central focus being to sign the College’s fourth five-year agreement with Nanjing University.

Consideration of council membership Strategic Planning metrics committees

Volunteers from Council are needed to serve on committees to develop metrics for the College’s progress in attracting the right students, attracting the best faculty to apply for positions, and enhancing the learning experience. Council members expressed their concern about particular metrics outlined in the draft document and questioned the wisdom of participating on committees set up to focus on measurements of little perceived value or direct connection with the Strategic Plan. The Dean and President suggested that it is best for the College if faculty members are engaged with developing appropriate metrics, as the alternative is for Trustees to determine metrics. Council members inquired about the timetable for producing such metrics and the nature of the document that will emerge from these discussions. The Dean replied that the Trustees would like to see progress by the time of their February meeting. With Marci Sortor present at some of Friday’s Council meeting, there will be opportunities to inquire about the timetable, the relationship of the metrics to the Strategic Plan, and the type of product the Trustees are looking for. (See next section for one additional comment on metrics.)

Continued discussion of interdisciplinary appointments and review procedures

E. Willis suggested that there be meetings with faculty early second semester to clarify the process for EKI proposals. T. Roberts suggested further that these meetings clarify review procedures for interdisciplinary hires, impact of EKI appointments on replacements for leaves in departments, and tutorial obligations of departments that take on EKI appointments. J. Meehan suggested that an example of a specific EKI position model would help to clarify the situation for departments. T. Roberts asked how many EKI proposals seem likely to emerge second semester. E. Marzluff replied that communications with the Advisory Board suggest the number could range from one or two to ten. T. Roberts described the Humanities Division’s difficulties in figuring out how to construct EKI position proposals in such a way as to free up faculty from a number of departments to engage in interdisciplinary teaching. S. Rebelsky suggested that the most pressing question is how to review people appointed in interdisciplinary areas.

There was a brief return to the topic of metrics (see above), with concern raised specifically about the use of the percentage of students completing MAPs and independent studies as a meaningful metric. T. Roberts questioned why MAPs and Independent Studies were the only forms of “academic work” emphasized as a distinct metric.

Returning to the topic of interdisciplinary appointments, E. Marzluff pointed to the need for a clear accounting procedure to define department obligations to interdisciplinary teaching efforts such as Tutorial, Humanities, Statistics, concentrations, and new interdisciplinary areas. Spelling out those accounting procedures could do much to allay departments’ concerns.

Strategy 6

Council clarified the nature of the report they would like to receive on comments regarding strategy 6. They would like to see all comments in full, with identities removed. J. Chenette will provide that in advance of Friday’s meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 3:35 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Jon Chenette, acting secretary