Members Present: Duane C. Anderson, Pamla Armstrong, Nicholas Cheper, Kurt Jackson, Kenneth Moore, Jack Paschall, Chuck Perry, Shirley Talley, Nancy Thomason, Alvin Turner, Bruce Weems

Members Absent: Ed Brackett, Bob Feighner, Linda Mitchusson

Others Present: Jim Waller, Marilyn Cole

Recorder: Sue Milner

I. CALL TO ORDER

At 9:00 a.m., Dr. Anderson called a regular meeting of the Academic Affairs Council to order.

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of January 6, 1998, were approved with a revision to the number of packets referred to under the paragraph of computer usage data. It should read "The trend shows an increase from 1994 of less than 10,000 kilo packets to more than 80,000 kilo packets per day."

III. AGENDA OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Calendar Dates

February 18 - Residual ACT administered

February 20 - Last day to drop first 8-week courses

February 23 - Distribution of Academic Administrator Evaluations

March 3 - Academic Affairs Council meeting

Recommendations for Rank Promotion due

March 6 - Last day to drop 16-week courses with guaranteed "W"

March 9-10 - Spring break - Offices open

March 11-13 - Spring break - Offices closed

March 18-19 - General Education Assessment, 8:30-12:00 noon

Spring Enrollment Report

This is the fourth straight semester of declining enrollment. However, there is a gain in beginning freshmen of 7.7% this semester. There continues to be a steady decline in transfer students.

Windows NT Installation and Backup Policy

Dr. Anderson distributed the policy for Windows NT. Data Processing will perform a backup every night for the network servers (H drive), whereas, personal hard drives must be backed up by the individual. Critical files should be stored on the server (H drive) rather than the C Drive.

Freshman Enrollment Responsibilities

Dr. Anderson distributed a memo outlining the persons involved and their responsibilities for the fall freshman enrollment. General supervisory responsibility is assigned to Dr. Shirley Talley.

Update on Relocations

The Student Union Ballroom is closed for asbestos clean up. The Hearing Impaired offices will move to the southwest basement of Education. On May 31, the ROTC program will be gone. The Graduate Office will move to the southwest corner of the old library immediately after spring break to room 104. Access will be through the south and west doors of the building. Plans are progressing on conversion of room 203 in the Administration building to become the third OneNet classroom with a minimum seating of forty-five.

Other

1. A representative will be available to demonstrate a wide range of projectors February 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the Administration building. This is a result of discussions with deans to establish one or two moveable multi-media carts. The library will also have its projector on display that was purchased from the same company. Council members are asked to come to the demonstration from 2:30 to 3:30. A decision will be made on what type of projector to buy.

2. There are three spring ECU Transfer Days at Eastern Oklahoma State College, Murray State College and Seminole State College. Mr. Todd Essary is taking a group on each of these days. Dr. Anderson requests that at least one person from each school attend. He believes it is helpful to have faculty at the junior colleges for recruitment.

3. Value Added Ideas: Dr. Anderson received only one idea from a department chair. He, again, asks for faculty members to send their thoughts on possible projects.

4. Dr. Anderson reminded deans of the Educators' Leadership Academy on June 8-12, which is also open to department chairs. Deans are to send one or two names to Dr. Anderson for possible attendance at this workshop.

V. AGENDA OF ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Interscholastic Meet

Dr. Talley reported the Meet was very successful. Test results were displayed on the large screen in the Estep Center as they became available. Eighty-three schools participated. West Moore High (Division I), Chouteau (Division II), and Stonewall (Division III) placed first in their division.

Multi-cultural Report

Dr. Talley sent a request to deans to collect data from units and forward to her by March 6. Units should report multi-cultural activities, events, etc. and how many participated, beginning April of 1997 through March 1998. Also, projected activities scheduled in March should be reported.

VI. UNIT REPORTS

Continuing Education and Community Services--Ms. Nancy Thomason

The Wellness Center is currently holding Health Awareness Week. An assessment of your health such as measurement of body fat, strength, etc. is available for $5.00.

The Reading Program is doing well with eleven classes starting the first week in March.

Libraries--Dr. Chuck Perry

The word of the month is "love."

The library is introducing selected full-text periodical databases, which may now be accessed through networked workstations in the library. Emphasis is on recent, current information. Articles may be forwarded to campus e-mail accounts. The library will expand access to electronic services as they become more cost-effective, and hopes to be able to do this via cooperative efforts with other academic libraries in the state.

A proposal to drop American Library Association accreditation requirements for Oklahoma public library directors is under consideration by a House committee. (At this printing, the bill was defeated in committee later on this date, February 17.)

Registry--Ms. Pamla Armstrong

Ms. Armstrong gave a report of her trip to Corpus Christi for a meeting with SACRAO. It was a good session and she returned with a scholarship of $500 to help fund an OACRAO Oklahoma minority member to attend the regional conference the following year.

There is some confusion among students and faculty on when students graduating fall 1998 should apply for graduation. The Fall 1998 class will go through the commencement ceremonies in the spring of 1999.

Class schedules will be available March 10.

Data Processing--Mr. Bob Feighner

Mr. Jim Waller attended the Academic Affairs Council in Mr. Feighner's absence. He reports they are in the process of distributing a new anti-virus package.

School of Humanities and Social Sciences--Dr. Alvin Turner

Dr. Davis Joyce has a textbook published on CD-ROM and Dr. Turner has an article on the web page.

The School's Technology Committee was instrumental in purchasing similar programs that the Communication and Art departments may share, thus, freeing money for other items. Dr. Anderson congratulates the departments for their cooperation and hopes to see this concept adopted campus-wide.

Communication Week begins March 16.

School of Education and Psychology--Dr. Kenneth Moore

Dr. John Bedford has written a small grant which will provide the Education Department with a lot of software licences to train teachers.

Searches for a counseling applicant, two physical education positions, and a special education applicant are in progress.

Departments are doing good work on their folios.

School of Business--Dr. Linda Mitchusson

Dr. Talley reported for Dr. Mitchusson. The Ethics Seminar is February 21. A public lecture is set for 6:30 p.m. in the Estep Multimedia Center. All are invited to hear this excellent speaker.

Assessment and Institutional Research Center--Dr. Kurt Jackson

The enrollment demographics' report is finished. Dr. Jackson noted that for the first time foreign students have exceeded 1 percent of the student body. Out-of-state students total 3 percent.

Faculty Senate--Dr. Nicholas Cheper

The Senate has sent a recommendation to President Cole requesting that direct dialing for incoming calls be installed on ECU's telephone system. For security reasons, they believe faculty members should be accessible to family members. The system would be operational during the hours when the switchboard is closed.

VII. OLD BUSINESS

1998-99 Budget Meetings

Budgets are assembled for meetings in the first week of March. Dr. Anderson will schedule meetings with deans and unit heads. New money prospects do not look good. The Technology Fees budget is due March 4 and should be sent to deans before coming to the Academic Affairs office.

Strategic Plans

Although most plans submitted are acceptable, Dr. Anderson is in the process of typing up minor notes for those to be returned for a few revisions. Technology is the one theme that runs through all plans.

VIII. ADJOURN

The regular meeting adjourned at 10:45. Deans return at 11:00 to continue the meeting.

Duane C. Anderson

Vice President for Academic Affairs

IX. MEETING WITH DEANS

Four-year Graduation Plans

Dr. Anderson referred to the plan distributed last month. He asked each dean with undergraduate programs to review those programs and select those that are a legitimate eight-semester, four-year degree plans. Dr. Paschall suggested one advisor be selected for each program who would advise all students contracting for the four-year plan in that program. The discussion resumes on March 3 at 11:00 a.m. after the Academic Affairs Council meeting. Deans are to bring definite suggestions of programs to be included in the four-year plan.

Computer Skills Requirement

Dr. Anderson distributed a draft of Computer Skills Policy. Two changes in the Policy Statement on Admission to, Retention in, and Transfer Among Colleges and Universities of the State System impact the admission criteria of high school students. Students must demonstrate computer proficiency, which includes the competent use of a variety of software and networking applications. Discussion primarily centered on how students at ECU may fulfill this requirement. Four options are considered; however, Ms. Armstrong prefers the identification of courses to meet the requirements, thus, allowing automation in tracking students. Deans will discuss the requirement with departments. This will be an agenda item at the March 3 meeting.