Deans' Council and Directors Minutes
June 5, 2007

Attendance: Dr. Mary Hendrix , Dr. Sharon Chambers , Dr. Allan Headley , Dr. Hal Langford , Dr. James Klein , Dr. James Vornberg , Dr. Yvette Murph , Anna Lennon , Dr. Charlotte Larkin , Courtney Manskey , Dolly Lasater , Dr. Bill Humbert , Dr. Bill Thompson, Lisa Rhoades , Noi Prapan , Paige Bussell , Rick Miller , Robert Dotson , Shanna Hoskison , Sharon Fulkerson , Stephen Garretson , and Tim Willett .

Vision and Operating Procedures for Academic and Student Affairs – As Interim Provost, Dr. Hendrix expressed her vision for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs. The vision is that the division, working as a team, will achieve the highest levels of quality—in teaching, research and service—so that the strategic plan goals and objectives can be achieved. The focus for the Office of the Provost will be to provide service, assist others in solving problems, and communicating information so that administrators, faculty, staff and students achieve the goals. Dr. Hendrix stressed the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect and that she values honesty, trust, and integrity. She feels these qualities are essential to improving communication at all levels. Dr. Hendrix also stressed the importance of accountability. She stressed that we cannot improve if we are not honest about the problems that exist as well as the possible causes. Dr. Hendrix's goal is to bridge any existing gaps that may exist between academics, student affairs, enrollment management and/or other divisions on campus.

In order to maximize time and achieve a higher level of efficiency, Dr. Hendrix requested individuals adhere to the following requests:

•  Please move through the “chain of command” prior to requesting a meeting with the Provost. It maybe helpful to provide the Provost Office with an email outlining the issue to facilitate a more effective dialogue.

•  Please respond to requests for information by the due date requested;

•  When out of the office, individuals are asked to please use the “out of office” feature to notify others of their availability;

•  When unable to attend scheduled meetings, please notify the Provost Office of situations preventing attendance. (i.e. Deans Council/Directors meetings);

•  Please feel free to share information with all interested parties.

•  Direct reports should notify the Provost Office of scheduled vacation time or sick leave.

Dr. Hendrix stressed the importance of providing adequate training for all faculty and staff regarding policies and procedures. She would like to see the university provide leadership training and asked Council members to be thinking about the various types of trainings that need to be provided.

Legislature Update – A bill was passed limiting the number of course drops to six (6). We will be waiting for the Coordinating Board to develop rules regarding this legislation before changing our procedures. This new legislation goes into effect for the fall 2007 entering class. We will receive approximately $900,000 additional funding for each year of the biennium. President McFarland will be making a decision regarding tuition rates in the next week. The FY 2008 budget has been based on an increase of at least 250 new students. Our focus is to make certain we meet this budgetary goal.

Special item funding for the construction engineering program was not received; however, other funding sources for the program will be explored by the university.

Strategic Plan – The Strategic Planning Committee meets on a regular basis. The President will be providing the committee with guidelines for the upcoming year.

Dr. Hendrix indicated it would be beneficial if Colleges have retreats scheduled this month to focus on increasing enrollment for the fall, as well as making plans to maximize funding for the next base period.

Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes – Registrar, Paige Bussell , suggested a review be conducted of the current CIP codes. By June 11, Ms. Bussell will provide a complete list of the codes so deans and assistant deans can review. The College of Education and Human Services is planning a retreat later next week at which time they can discuss the CIP codes for their departments.

Students Services – Discussion was held regarding how students need to be aware of all available student services on campus. (i.e. financial aid services; career services; etc.)

Enrollment Management - Dr. Murph reviewed enrollment figures as they relate to admitted and enrolled students. Dr. Murph stated enrollment for Summer I 2007 was higher than figures in Summer I 2006.

Institutional Plan – A meeting was held recently with Region VIII Education Service center representatives and University representatives, Dr. Sharon Chambers and

Dr. Charlotte Larkin . The focus of the meeting was to see what the university could do to facilitate implementation of House Bill (HB) 1 requiring public schools to offer 12 hours of college-level coursework by Fall 2008. School districts have asked for assistance in making certain their teachers have master's degrees and 18 hours in the discipline so they could teach dual-credit courses. Discussion was held regarding the development of more online, hybrid and video courses. Dr. Chambers indicated Region VIII superintendents are requesting more online classes.

Student Financial Aid – A retreat was held on May 17 for Student Financial Aid and Loan Office staff. As a result, a checklist will be developed to assist students, faculty and staff in determining if all steps have been completed in the financial aid process.

According to Dr. Bill Humbert , Director of the Navarro Campus, and Stephen Garretson , Coordinator of the Midlothian Campus, students have experienced difficulty trying to obtain answers to financial questions and assistance in applying for financial aid.

Dr. Hendrix asked if names could be provided to her office as examples so these type issues can be reviewed and resolved. The Director of Student Financial Aid, Dolly Lasater , announced that a decision was made recently to designate one of the current Student Financial Aid Advisors to assist with off campus sites such as Navarro and Midlothian .

Institutional Report for Distance Learning and Off-Campus Instruction – Advances and rapid growth in the distance education field have prompted the Coordinating Board (CB) to require submission of Institutional Reports (formerly called Institutional Plans), on a five-year cycle. The completed report is scheduled to be submitted to the Coordinating Board in July 2007. The deans approved the plan unanimously.

Student Orientation – As the new Coordinator of Orientation & Retention, Luis Franco presented a schedule for up-coming orientations. He reported there are currently 146 individuals registered for the June 15 orientation session.

2007 Summer Orientation Sessions

DIVISION UPDATES

Registrar Office – The new online graduation application became available via MyLeo on June 4, 2007. Twenty five (25) applications have already been received. The application filing deadline for summer 2007 graduating students is Friday, June 15, 2007. The summer commencement ceremony is Saturday, August 11, 2007.

Memorial Student Center (MSC) – The new MSC is on schedule, and the concrete is being poured.

Student Financial Aid (SFA) – SFA Director reported that to date 1,849 students have been awarded financial aid compared to 721 students this time last year. As discussed earlier, SFA has dedicated a knowledgeable, financial aid advisor to serve Navarro and Midlothian students.

TRIO Program – The University did not receive the Upward Bound grant this year. This is the first time in 30 years we have not been granted this funding. The University will review and re-evaluation the situation.

First Year Success Seminar – The first year success classes have been changed from a three-hour elective course to a one-hour mandatory course. There will be 30 sections offered in the fall semester and 15 sections offered in the spring semester. All department heads and faculty need to be aware of the first year success requirement. Faculty interested in teaching first year success classes need to contact Dr. Thompson.

Mayo College – Mayo College scholarships are available. Faculty and staff are requested to encourage students who may not have been accepted into the Honors College to apply for Mayo College admission. There are special sections of university studies classes for Mayo College students. During orientation if students express an interest in Mayo College , please refer them to Dr. Thompson. Dr. Thompson plans to attend all orientation sessions for new students.

Morris Recreational Center (MRC) – Faculty and staff can join the MRC during the summer at a reduced rate of $75.00.

International Student Services – The Director of International Student Services, Noi Prapan , reported Summer I orientation was conducted on May 31. There were a total of 13 new international students for Summer I. The total enrollment for 2007 Summer I have increased from last year's enrollment figures.