Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Council
May 12, 2008
Excerpts

Present: J. Cummins, B. Ferguson, K. Jacobson, J. Meehan, R. Osgood, S. Rebelsky, J. Swartz, E. Willis.

Paula Smith was in attendance in her role as the new Dean beginning in July, 2008. Mark Schneider was in attendance in his role as the new Chair of the Faculty beginning in August, 2008.

The meeting came to order at 1:00 p.m. in room 226 of the Rosenfield Student Center.

The minutes and excerpts of May 7, 2008 were approved.

President’s Remarks

The President thanked the members of the Executive Council for their diligence and hard work over the past year.

Dean’s Remarks

The Dean thanked the members of the Executive Council for their diligence and hard work over the past year, and thanked Eliza Willis for her extraordinary service as Chair of the Faculty.

He reviewed the status of term faculty searches.

Council Remarks

S. Rebelsky congratulated the students of SPARC for another set of outstanding student publications.

Rebelsky also thanked Carol Ahrens for her many years of service to the College and the Grinnell Science Project.

K. Jacobson extended her appreciation to Eliza Willis for her dedicated leadership of the Executive Council and to her outgoing Council colleagues Johanna Meehan and Sam Rebelsky.

E. Willis extended her gratitude to all her Council colleagues and wished those who continue on good service.

Office of Interdisciplinary Studies—Advisory Board

There was discussion of a list of faculty members who would be approached regarding their willingness to serve. E. Willis reminded Council that one member of the Executive Council should serve on the Advisory Board as Council liaison. B. Ferguson volunteered to serve on the Advisory Board as the Council liaison.

Position Proposals

The Executive Council received 22 proposals for replacement, partial expansion, or new regular or tenure track faculty positions or searches to occur in 2008-09. After a multi week discussion of those proposals the following searches or expansions were recommended:

Positions vacated to be retained:
Political Science (Constitutional/Judicial)
Economics (Macro)
English (Renaissance)
History (Modern European)
History (Russian)
Spanish (Peninsular)

Final approval of the proposal for a search in Education was deferred pending discussions of other staffing changes which occurred subsequent to the submission of this proposal.

New positions for which searches are approved:
History and Religious Studies/Islam
Economics and Political Science/Policy Studies (pending curriculum considerations)
Spanish

Partial expansions of existing positions:
Religious Studies (0.4 FTE)
Mathematics and Statistics (0.4 FTE)

The meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Secretary
Karen Wiese

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