MEMBERS PRESENT: Tom Acker, Barbara Borst, Jim Buckley, Mike Gizzi, Phil Kavanagh, Doug O'Roark, Eric Schruers, Gayla Jo Slauson, John Sluder, Cindy Thomas, Brian Udermann, Russ Walker, Carrie McVean Waring, Mary Zimmerer

GUESTS: Gabe DeGabriele, Mike Gallagher, Sam Gingerich, Bill Horstman, Bryan Howard, Paul Jones, Pat Schutz

The meeting was convened at 3:30 pm by Senate President Doug O'Roark.

Senate President Doug O'Roark reported that he contacted Representative Gayle Berry and invited her to attend the October 18 meeting of the Senate. She has not yet confirmed that she will come at that time. Doug hasn't succeeded in making contact with Representative Smith or Senator Teck.

A motion was made to approve the draft minutes of the September 6, 2001 Senate meeting (Udermann/Gizzi). The motion passed.

MSC President Mike Gallagher described the latest developments in our efforts to secure funding for additional buildings. As of June 2001, the new $13.2 million Business Technology building was the top priority on our campus and on the Trustees' list of state college construction projects. Since that time, however, Governor Owens became aware of a state budget shortfall of $200 million and revoked all funding for new capital construction projects this year.

Xcel Energy Services recently proposed to sell its 14-acre, 3-building site near UTEC to MSC, probably for $3.5 million or less. After discussions with legislators and others it was felt that there is now little hope of the Business Technology building being funded in the immediate future and that there may be a better chance of funding the smaller amount for the Xcel property. Accordingly, MSC and the Trustees re-designated the Xcel site as their new top priority for capital funding, with the Business Technology building falling to the Trustees' third priority. It is not clear at this time whether the state will be able to fund the Xcel purchase this fiscal year.

President Gallagher warned of the possibility of a budget rescission in the spring, in which state agencies would be required to return part of their budget. MSC administrators are beginning to plan how not to spend money now so as to ensure that we have enough funds left after a rescission to cover our highest priority expenses in the spring.

President Gallagher reminded the Senate that the Governor's Blue Ribbon Panel on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century may recommend changes to institutional roles and missions. MSC is required to submit to CCHE by October 5 draft information on: our history and vision for MSC; strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities; admission standards and access; student profile; region; programs of highest and lowest priority and centers of excellence; employment opportunities for graduates; market niche; and cost analysis and comparisons. Because of the short deadline for the draft information, the MSC administration will delay initiating campus-wide discussion until after October 5. However, the discussion will take place prior to MSC's formal presentation to CCHE on November 16.

Mike Gizzi, our representative to the Faculty Advisory Council to the Trustees (FACT), summarized his comments in the attached report. He also mentioned that enrollments at Western State College are flat or down slightly, while headcounts at Adams and Metro State Colleges are up by as much as 5%.

As a follow-up to earlier Senate discussions that touched on student advising, Doug O'Roark reported that students at Western are required to see their advisor in order to obtain the personal identification number that they need to register. Discussion ensued as to whether this might be appropriate here at Mesa. Vice President of Academic Affairs Sam Gingerich observed that 60% of MSC students are currently assigned to the Advising Center (which is staffed by only two people). These students are mostly freshmen, transfers, or students who have not declared a major.

Gayla Jo Slauson, our representative to the Colorado Faculty Advisory Council (CFAC), was elected to represent CFAC on the "General Education 25" committee that was formed by CCHE to implement the changes required by the King and Berry bills from the last legislative session. (Sam Gingerich also serves on this committee.) She understands that the committee's immediate tasks are to identify areas of the general education curricula across the state in which common competencies may be appropriate, and to determine whether to pursue the Illinois model or Florida model for transferability of general education courses. Faculty attending CCHE's upcoming Faculty-to-Faculty Conference will be asked to develop the actual common competencies. (Faculty may wish to view the common competencies developed by the community colleges at the Community Colleges of Colorado Web site.)

Slauson reported that CFAC is upset by the King bill and doesn't believe that a transferability problem exists. CFAC drafted a resolution opposing the "common core" for her to use at the upcoming General Education 25 meeting.

Mike Gizzi, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, provided the Senate with a written proposal to establish an advisory council to guide the Center in the development and implementation of its responsibilities. The council would be composed of two faculty members from each school (except for UTEC, which would have one representative) and two members of the administration. The Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Center's Director would be ex-officio members. ASG President Bryan Howard requested that a student representative be added to the council. A motion was made to approve the amended proposal (Gizzi/Zimmerer). The motion passed.

Academic Affairs recently issued a list of standard starting times for day and evening classes. Mary Zimmerer reported that the standard evening times create a problem for the business faculty, who are attempting to provide both the entire master's and bachelor's Business Administration programs at night. In order to minimize awkwardness in their teaching schedules (e.g., an evening class followed by a class first thing the next morning), the business faculty need to be able to schedule "block" classes (e.g., a three-hour class one evening per week). These block classes are in conflict with the new policy on starting times.

Sam Gingerich said that students are affected when courses held at non-standard times create scheduling conflicts with other courses. He asked that the Business Administration program work out a plan for offering both of their degrees in their entirety at night with minimal course conflicts, but without forcing faculty to have awkward teaching schedules. Paul Jones, Dean of Enrollment Management, noted that much of MSC's enrollment growth is attributable to our evening courses. He hopes that the Business Administration program can find a way for students to complete the bachelor's degree at night in a time frame of about 6 years. Bryan Howard offered to survey evening students about their views. Zimmerer asked to table further discussion pending possible resolution of the scheduling issue at the chair and program level.

Doug O'Roark reported that concern has been expressed about the academic integrity of SUPP 101 Introduction to Higher Education. This is a three-credit course that has been offered in a one-week concentrated format prior to the fall semester as part of the Freshman Year Initiative (FYI), with periodic followup sessions during the semester. Faculty present who had taught SUPP 101 felt that it can be a rigorous course in a semester-long format, but that the one-week format made it difficult to assign homework and achieve the desired depth. Paul Jones said that a proposal was under way to give the course variable credit, which would allow the amount of credit assigned to the one-week format to be reduced to two credits, if desired. Bill Horstmann added that Academic Services was going to try a second-module offering of the course, as well. Bryan Howard said that the one-week pre-fall semester offering was an intense experience for the students that successfully set the proper tone for the upcoming semester. O'Roark asked senators to consult with other faculty in their departments on their views.

A motion to adjourn was made at 5:00 (Walker/Slauson). The motion passed.