Academic Council Minutes

December 11, 2003

Present: Faye Vowell, Linda Baldwin, Duane Elms, Julie Miller, Cynthia Bettison, Michelle Behr, Ed Hall, Gail Gruber, Gwen Cassel, Tony Macias, Lloyd Cowling, Donna Rees, Marcia Bourdette, Sherri Bays, Chris Casey, Junius Logan, Kathie Gilbert, Michael Metcalf, Jerry Harmon, Charlene Ashburn.

1. ERB Issue--Sherri Bays and Charlene Ashburn—There has been a change that affects any employee who elects the deferred payment option. The ERB (Educational Retirement Board) recently converted from manual to an electronic reporting system. Faculty will still pay out the same amount of money to ERB over a year, what will change is the timing of the payments. Sherri explained the handout of a Deferred Payment Example for Faculty Electing Deferred Payment Option.. Linda Baldwin also suggested that Chairs go back and inform their faculty. A memo or email will be sent to all faculty explaining the situation. The Chairs suggested that language be placed in the memo to emphasize that those who are not on deferred payments will not be affected. A separate communication will go to the affected faculty with an attached spreadsheet to allow them to calculate the impact on their pay. Dr. Vowell thanked Business Affairs for pre-paying the shortfall in deductions and allowing faculty to pay it back over a period of time. Sherri Bays will take comments back and draft memo for distribution to faculty tomorrow.

2. What issues should we consider in –coordinating Extended University offerings with departmental offerings-Ed Hall

· Everyone is aware of the growing pains in with the enrollment increase at Extended University sites. Extended University has done a very good job of checking with chairs and getting various credentials of adjuncts to chairs as well as additional material. Yet problems still exist: for example, one chair did not know three upper level courses were being offered at a site. Chairs need that kind of information to develop on-campus schedules for the current semester. We need to develop policy to coordinate offerings at distance sites with the main campus.

· An associated issue is that requests for upper level courses from Extended University haven't signed off because of the concern that if we begin offering upper level courses at sites like Deming and Lordsburg then we will be discouraging students coming to main campus to finish up major. This will disadvantage both sites.

· Currently NMSU is meeting with Luna County to discuss a stronger presence in Deming. The new formula funding has made the things that we have done in our distance campuses more attractive to other institutions. We have been approached by UNM; Highlands is taking a master's level program into Deming. The current president of NMSU has met with the County Manager in Deming and has indicated that by fall they want to offer graduate education classes, an education bachelor completion degree and a business completion degree. If we do not supply these upper level courses in Extended University sites, someone else will provide it. EU does not want to lose the upper level credit dollars. If we have NMSU in Deming, how many SC people will go to NMSU? It is critical for us to keep them out of Deming.

· Michelle Behr stated that her concern is that if we offer bachelors and master's programs based on adjuncts we are doing students a disservice. A program should not be built on adjuncts. Cowling stated that NMSU probably would use adjuncts to offer these programs. Vowell said that we have to have in place mechanisms to ensure quality and often if you have something that is totally taught by adjuncts you get less quality but it is possible to have relatively more adjuncts with more supervision--it is the quality we are after.

· SC people can teach in Deming as a part of load rather than an overload. The adjunct who would have taught in Deming teaches in SC when the faculty from SC goes to Deming. SOE faculty understand that they can teach part of their load in Deming. The paradigm is that SC/Deming is one delivery area. If a full-time faculty member can do a better job then we send them to Deming.

· Gwen Cassel said that we should look at Gallup and create a similar situation in Deming--we could develop faculty there. Also why could we not use alternative methods and broadcast to Silver and Deming simultaneously and use that model. Faculty will have to be willing to step outside of their typical teaching situation but then the issue of having quality faculty is addressed.

· If you ask someone to go to Deming, he or she should be reimbursed for travel. Donna Rees stated that that does occur. There should be some motivator or reward for doing that--a stipend, etc.

· Julie Miller asked about accreditation measures for those programs offered completely distance education.

· Barbara Taylor stated that NMSU is the land grant institution and they will send real faculty to teach at distance sites--maybe ITV or online.

· Michelle Behr stated that we need to think about our strengths; in what areas can we support a real four-year program and/or master's program. We should think about and focus on which areas we feel like we can contribute and contribute well.

· Donna Rees stated that we need to think about how we would market a program and create a rotation of courses. Students in a cohort must adhere to the rotation or go to SC.

· Michelle Behr wants us to have a long-term vision.

· Faye Vowell stated that there are lots of alumni in Deming from NMSU. We have to be better and be more responsive than State. Cynthia asked if it is already a lost market? Donna stated that we have met with County and NMSU and has communicated conversations and county does appreciate very much and recognizes that WNMU was the entity that came to the table and started putting in a lot of coursework for their students. If a student takes courses in Deming, he or she doesn’t need to transfer to SC.

· Mike Metcalf asked how the chairs would be impacted by an increased number of adjuncts? Vowell stated that this group would need to look at this.

· Jerry Harmon stated that we have not discussed T or C which is important to the market. T or C adjuncts are interchangeable with Deming adjuncts. Rees stated that we have ITV between Deming and T or C.

· Linda Baldwin asked that when faculty teach in Deming are the class sizes the same for the class to make? Donna Rees responded yes. Faye Vowell’s model is that classes should be larger because of the added expenses. EU classes have to show a profit.

· Gwen Cassel stated that if upper division courses don't make in Silver City, we can pull in Deming ITV and the class makes.

· Vowell suggested that a group who are passionate about this topic draft some of the guidelines and then bring back to the group? Donna Rees, Jerry Harmon, Ed Hall, Lloyd Cowling, Tony Macias, Michelle Behr volunteered. Donna Rees will call the group together. At the February Chairs meeting we discuss the working document. Faye Vowell asked that it be distributed ahead of time so Chairs can look at it.

· Vowell will send out to chairs a work product that resulted from the Distributed Education PMT that was shaped a bit the administrators who work with Dist. Ed issues. It is a checksheet has been devised of issues to think about when offering a course in a distributed manner--ITV, online, face to face, or mixed delivery. She will send this out and it will be discussed at the next Chairs meeting.

3. WIA issue--Junius Logan and Tony Macias—

· The group discussed the Handout "Ethical Issues in Responding to Government Investigations." This document was created as a response to a recent incident when someone from a state agency contacted a faculty member who did not know what to do to respond to an issue. Chairs were asked to share with appropriate faculty who may have WIA students in classes. .

· Junius Logan explained that a few years ago the federal government signed into law the Workforce Investment Act. Its purpose to enable the government to pay to help re-educate people if an industry failed in a local area. WIA is a block grant from the federal government to state. It pays for tuition, books, transportation, childcare, mileage, etc. Students must supply documentation to DOL to show that they are going to class and are successful. WIA/TAA students will bring a time sheet for signature. You might get a call to check on a particular student. But there are also federal laws that protect student information. To take the burden off of faculty, if anybody contacts you from one of these organizations contact your chair or Dean or VP and let them know. Read the handout. It is the policy of the University not to provide false or inaccurate information and cooperate. One thing to remember is that these individuals contact you, they may not act in an adversarial at all but information you provide might be presented in adversarial manner.

· Vowell stated that a situation has arisen that allegedly a student forged a faculty member's name on an attendance roster. The DOL views that as fraud. We are taking necessary precautions because of the large volume of WIA students we have.

· Faculty need to take either take attendance or know in another way if WIA people are in class and make sure that the faculty members themselves sign the attendance roster. Michelle Behr asked about taking roll--doesn't believe in taking roll. Faye Vowell stated that memory might not serve. Gwen Cassel stated that the issue of attendance has been a topic at the federal level and there have been several cases in which students said they were in class and attendance sheet indicated that they were not in class--useful as evidence.

· Faye Vowell said that her office would prepare a sheet that spells out the process to follow in dealing with WIA student issues. She said that taking attendance is not a university policy but that people can see the pitfalls and dangers if they choose not to do so.

· Michelle Behr asked to see copy of instructions given to WIA students by DOL. Tony Macias will get with DOL to get this information.

· Ken Ladner stated that students bring their attendance sheets up after class every class period for him to sign and that eliminates his taking roll.

· Faye Vowell also stated that the other issue is that if faculty get a call from someone who identifies themselves as a DOL representative, they should refer to the handout, speak with their chair or Dean, who should speak to the VPAA. If the caller asks for documents, they should be referred to Carmen Maynes, who is the WNMU records custodian.

· Please circulate the handout to all faculty.

4. Faculty positions--Faye Vowell--Charlene Ashburn asked that the Chronicle ads be placed electronically only since it would save money. Discussion ensued regarding desire to have hard copy ads. The issue will come down to if we go with only the electronic, then we will have more money to bring in people to interview. If we go with the hard copy, we will have less money for interview funds. The consensus of the council is that we want to go with the paper ads. We also talked about specialty advertisements—Charlene will send out the URLs of the electronic sites that you've asked for and advertise in the specialty sites that cost $500 or less. She will send us a list of those that are more costly and cannot be used to advertise.

5. Lloyd Cowling stated that final exam schedules are not in Spring 2004 schedule. Michelle Behr wants schedules in different colors because of the ease of distinguishing different schedule.

6. Systems Portfolio for AQIP: Kathie Gilbert—

· Kathie Gilbert shared a handout of a systems portfolio calendar. It is available on the Mustang Express.

· In January 2004 we are going to put QNM feedback on Mustang Express on 1/19.

· Dr. Counts is putting finishing touches on the system portfolio institutional overview. It will be put on Mustang Express on 1/5 with the idea that feedback will come back from the campus.

· Four forums are scheduled on Friday afternoons that will address the AQIP criteria. Sessions will run from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on January 15, February 17, and February 29. The names of two faculty representatives to attend each session are requested.

· The first draft of the systems portfolio (SP) will be completed end of March and sent to editors. SP draft posted on Mustang Express for feedback on April 8 for feedback.

· Kathie Gilbert discussed the handout entitled "Needed Information from Academic Departments/Schools/Units for Systems Portfolio. By 2/17/04 departments need to identify ten key processes used by the department on a regular basis—just the name of the process. Dr. Gilbert will send out a list of processes to choose from. Then the VPAA needs the major success stories from the unit with a brief description of each as appropriate--within the last two years. Also major areas of concern that the department will be addressing in the next two years with a brief description of each as appropriate.

· By 2/29 we need a brief description of the methods the department/unit/ school uses to evaluate its efforts in support of student learning and completion of the earlier request regarding Helping Students Learn--a copy of which is attached--for those units that did not respond last year. For those that did, please review to make sure your information is correct. Dr. Gilbert will call first week of January to see if there are questions about assignments. Vowell stated that this is our accreditation and all need to be involved.

Meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.