MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES October 29, 2003 Members Present: Gipp, Stringam for Weaver, Monaco, Leech, Taylor, Howard, Christopher, Jones, Becker, Bradley, Taper, Lansverk, Levy, Cherry, Kevane, Pratt, Neeley, Lynes-Hayes, Prawdzienski, Coon. Members Absent: Ag Econ, Giroux, Engel, Schmidt, Jackson, Kommers, Schlotzhauer, Seymour, Yoo, Conant, Chem, Ashley, Bond, Idzerda, Lynch, Knight, Hoffman. Others Present: Fedock, McCleod, Bandyopadhyay. The meeting was called to order at 4:10 PM by Chair Warren Jones. A quorum was present. The minutes of the October 22, 2003, meeting were approved as distributed. Chair's report - Warren Jones. - Chair Jones attended an October 23 Board of Regents (BOR) workshop in Helena. - A five-year plan for the BOR was discussed. - Regents' priorities and procedures during the next 12-18 months were outlined. - Participants toured the National Guard facility, where the workshop was held. - The presidents of the MSU and UM student bodies have been discussing "+" and "-" grades, which are not uniformly used at MSU. Scott McCarthy, ASMSU President, will attend Faculty Council later in the semester to discuss the issue. - The Short-term Professional Development Program has been announced. More than one submission date has been included, as requested during discussion by Faculty Council. - It is anticipated the administrative review will be available on-line within the next week or two. - At next week's Faculty Council meeting, discussion will continue regarding Faculty Council's role in new academic program review. - Promotion and tenure deadlines are also to be discussed further at next week's meeting, if there is opportunity. The Faculty Affairs Committee will make a recommendation regarding the deadlines. - Don Mathre, Chair of the MSU Benefits Committee, will attend University Governance Council November 12 to discuss benefits issues. - Richard Roehm a member of the Montana Board of Regents and a past Chair of the Regents, was introduced. He is known as an advocate for the university system, the students and the faculty. Discussion with Regent Richard Roehm. - In response to a question, Regent Roehm stated that one of the highest priorities of the Regents is to build communication bridges and partnerships with legislators, campus personnel, and the public. An understanding that the Montana University System (MUS) contributes to all citizens needs to be developed. The Regents are working with gubernatorial candidates, encouraging them to incorporate into their campaigns the message that the university system makes a huge contribution to the state, not only in educational endeavors but also in research and economic development. - The Regents want to get out the message that higher education in Montana is accessible and of high quality, and keeping the cost as low as possible is a priority. - Other current issues for the Regents include: - Improving the university-system budgeting process so Regents are involved earlier. - Making the 2-year higher education programs in the state function in a more cohesive, organized way. - Looking at nursing program issues. - Gathering and using data for discussion of curriculum and assessment issues within the system. - Increasing interaction between the Board of Regents and the Board of Education in areas of planning and budgeting. The MUS needs to work more closely with K-12 to develop a more comprehensive education plan in Montana. - The Regents are sensitive to rapidly-increasing tuition and the difficulties it presents in a poor state like Montana. Regent Roehm plans to call for a study of salaries on all campuses, with the intent of developing a coherent approach to salaries and bonuses. - During discussion, it was pointed out that MSU is developing its 5-year plan now, which appears to be ahead of the university system's 5-year plan. How will the plans mesh? - Montana's policy is that no qualified Montanan will be denied access to higher education, and the goal is for every Montanan to have at least two years of higher education. There need to be standards of "qualification". They may not necessarily be the same at every institution. - There are no longer role and scope statements for each campus, but campuses are allowed to move in new directions. Rather than being prescriptive, the BOR has moved toward setting broad goals for the system and allowing units to be responsive to constituencies. - The Board of Regents has asked Commissioner Stearns to organize a cohesive effort to meet with all legislators before the next legislative session. In response to a question about what Faculty Council can do to help get the word out that MSU offers a great education for the price, Regents Roehm replied that the time to talk with legislators is now, before the election and before the next legislative session begins. Regent Roehm was thanked for his willingness to meet with the Council. As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM. Joann Amend, Secretary Warren Jones, Chair