Upload
utsa-college-of-sciences
View
506
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Citation preview
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
25 January 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, Judy Teale, Andy Tsin Center/Institute/Program Directors – Ravi Sandhu Director of Development – Kim Fischer Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Arulanandam – Mary Lou Spillers Representative for Dr. Yacaman – Rafael López‐Mobilia Guest Speakers – Karen Ivy, Kai Kamaka Summary Notes Department Faculty Forum Meetings Dr. Baird noted that he and Dr. Perry had attended some department meetings to discuss SACS‐related program effectiveness assessment with faculty. He requested those department chairs that have not included them on the agenda for an upcoming meeting do so. Annual Faculty Performance Appraisal for Merit Pay Consideration Dr. Baird referred to the copy of HOP 2.11, Annual Faculty Performance Appraisal for Merit Pay Consideration, which was revised in June 2009. He quoted section IID, "The Department Chair, in consultation with a faculty review committee whose membership shall be determined by Departmental policy or bylaws, shall complete a Performance Appraisal for each active faculty member in the Department." He mentioned that some departments have not involved a committee. He said this could be a pro forma process but there should be nominal representation of a committee that provides guidance to department chairs. Appointment of Academic Administrators: Deans and Department Chairs Dr. Baird mentioned that the copy of HOP 1.02, Appointment of Academic Administrators: Deans and Department Chairs, revised in December 2009, was being provided for informational purposes. President’s Distinguished Achievement Awards 2010 Dr. Baird mentioned that information about the nomination process has been sent to departments. The deadline for submitting electronic nominations to the Office of the Dean is 17 February 2010.
2
Promotion‐Tenure Reviews, 2010‐11 Dr. Baird stated that Dr. Frederick sent departments a memorandum, SUBJ: Electronic Promotion & Tenure, 15 January 2010. Promotion‐tenure reviews will be conducted electronically in 2010‐11. Information about the process is in the memorandum. Career Fair for College of Sciences Kai Kamaka, Events Manager and Karen Ivy, Career Counselor, Career Services, were present to talk about a Career Fair for the College of Sciences. Kai stated that he and Karen have been in discussions about the Fair. There is a proposed budget of $4,000 for the event. It will be held from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, 25 March 2010 in the BSE atrium. Following the event there will be a reception in the Kleberg Commons outdoor area for the employers and students which will provide a networking opportunity. Karen conveyed that three companies had confirmed their attendance ‐ IBM, USAA and Medtronic. Karen has 50 target contacts and she requested that department chairs send her contacts for employers who would hire in the sciences. Dr. Norman suggested school districts be invited. Karen mentioned that Career Services would have workshops on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday preceding the Career Fair to assist students with interviewing skills and resume preparation. She distributed a handout with information about the event and workshops that she would like announced in classes and she is available to speak to student organizations. Career Services will use swipe machines to follow up and do tracking with students who attended the Fair. Karen mentioned that she has e‐mail addresses of students and sends newsletters about opportunities to students. Kim Fisher commented that this is a great opportunity for donor contacts and to build relationships. She would like to receive information about skills offered in workshops. Kai suggested that a pin be made for APEX (At the Peck of Excellence) students. Employers would recognize them as academically high‐achieving students. Council of Graduate Schools Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants Dr. Teale referenced a copy of an e‐mail from the Graduate School about the "Renewal of the Council of Graduate Schools Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows Trainees and Assistants." It provides information about the resolution supported by the Council of Graduate Schools: <http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/CGS_Resolution.pdf> UTSA is a signatory. Institutions are being asked to include information in letters that offer graduate students financial assistance such as scholarships, fellowships, traineeships, and assistantships so that students understand their obligations if they accept financial assistance. This matter deals with financial aid and not admission. The resolution is intended to protect
3
students and universities. The Graduate School wants this information included in offer letters sent to students. Dr. Flannagan can assist with the text for letters. Requirements for Ethics Courses There are some ethics courses being taught at UTSA. NIH and NSF have recently announced specific requirements for ethics courses for graduate students who are performing research in funded laboratories. Dr. Teale will forward URLs to administrators with additional information. According to the new requirements, the course content need to include specific topics detailed in the URLs. In addition, the course cannot be given solely on‐line and at least eight hours of contact time are needed. A committee organized by the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) met once with Dr. Arulanandam representing the COS. Future meetings will be attended by Dr. Teale. Dr. Teale indicated that there are new courses being offered related to ethics. We need to comply with requisites and she was not sure departments are complying with them. Courses need to be designed to follow NIH guidelines. Dr. Teale will be sending out guidelines. She is going through courses in the catalog. Garry suggested that there be discussions with Dr. Arulanandam about instructional components to grants. [In the meantime, an eight‐hour workshop on ethics is being planned by the VPR’s office with details to follow so that UTSA will be in compliance in the near term.] NTT Faculty Workload/Compensation/Benefits Dr. Norman brought up the issue about inequities for the non tenure‐track (NTT) faculty. He commented on how a NTT faculty member can teach downtown with an enrollment of 12 students and another NTT faculty member can have an enrollment of 100 students on the main campus. He mentioned that the Department of Mathematics has four‐hour courses and NTT faculty have to teach four courses to meet the minimum workload requirement. He asked the other department chairs if this was a problem. Dr. Gorski responded that it was not a problem and he mentioned that the multiplier for courses for NTT faculty had been changed so they earn the same number of workload credits as the tenured/tenure‐track faculty. It was suggested that the issue of inequities be brought to the attention of Dr. Frederick at a future Department Chair Council meeting. Thirteen‐Week Summer Term Dr. Perry stated that there had been discussions about a thirteen‐week summer term. Input regarding a thirteen‐week summer term can be sent to Dr. Dan Gelo, Dean, College of Liberal and Fine Arts, by the end of January. He is chairing a task force about the summer term. San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI) Dr. Perry requested that department chairs inform faculty about the deadline of March 1 for proposal submissions. Dr. Andy Tsin is a point of contact.
4
Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Proposals and Workshop A copy of an e‐mail from Dr. Frederick was provided. Information about the workshop and proposal deadlines is in the e‐mail. Faculty Forum Meetings with Provost Frederick Dr. Frederick has scheduled faculty forum meetings to discuss Facilities and Administrative Recovery Revenue in February 2010. Information about the meeting dates was e‐mailed directly to departments. Scholarships Kim is trying to obtain additional information about scholarships in the college. She is aware of scholarships coordinated by the Office of the Dean. She requested department chairs send her copies of memorandums of understanding, thank you letters and any other related documents associated with scholarships coordinated by their offices. OIT Summer Splash 2010 Dr. Perry referenced the handout of positive key projects that Information Technology is expecting to deliver by mid‐August 2010. Administrators having issues with encryption of laptops should send e‐mail to Ken Pierce. If there is no data on a laptop computer, a form can be completed explaining why the computer should not be encrypted. ClickCommerce Dr. Perry reported that information about ClickCommerce (Conflict of Interest Electronic Disclosure System) will be sent soon by the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance. Cycle of Classes Patti Gonzalez reminded department chairs that Provost Frederick wanted each department to have information posted on websites and this is to include cycle of classes. Not all departments have this information posted and it is helpful to students. Patti will send reminders to those departments who have not posted the information. Welcome Back Program Diane Elizondo distributed information about the Welcome Back program. The program encourages students who left UTSA to return to campus to earn their undergraduate degree. She referenced the handout that has information about benefits, eligibility, program requirements, and the program's student data. There are over 100 students in the program. Students left UTSA for various reasons – money issues, classes not available and employment. Students do not have to be at UTSA to participate. Diane is working with students and the
5
program will continue each semester. She requested administrators send her the names of students who did not finish at UTSA. Budgets Garry conveyed that Governor Perry has requested plans for implementing a 5% budget reduction of all State Agency Heads. In turn, Chancellor Cigarroa sent to each university and Health Science Center President a target dollar reduction amount. For UTSA, the target reduction is approximately $9.8 M. Our college’s proportional share equates to approximately $920K, which is very significant. However, at the university level, other state dollars were identified prior to assigning a share to each VP area. The reduced target share also forces foregoing merit and strategic additions to our operations, such as new faculty and staff positions. The anticipated reduction for UTSA is 1.5%. Academic Affairs’ share of the target reduction was cut in half resulting in an amount of $717,000, across Academic Affairs areas, to meet the 1.5% budget reduction. The Provost has asked that we develop a two‐part reduction plan to show our initial 1.5% reduction (part 1) totaling $147,943 and part 2, as an additional reduction if needed, totaling $318,644. Total reductions, if at the 5% level, equate to $466,587 from state funds in our college.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
15 February 2010
Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Miguel Jose‐Yacaman, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Bernard Arulanandam, Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, George Negrete, Judy, Teale, Andy Tsin Center/Institute/Program Directors – Weldon Hammond, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu Director of Development – Kim Fischer Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Wilson – Greg Granados Guest Speakers – John DeLaHunt, Lisa Palacios, John Shaffer Summary Notes Graduate Recruitment, Retention Issues, and Hotcourses Dr. Perry introduced Lisa Palacios, Director of Recruitment and Retention, and John Shaffer, Assistant Director of Recruitment and Retention, from the Graduate School. He mentioned that recently the college has been asked to consider buying Hotcourses because of the number of international students who apply for programs in the college. The college is considering purchasing Hotcourses for Latin America at $2,500 and he wanted input from administrators. Lisa stated that the Graduate School has partnered with the College of Engineering and Undergraduate Admissions to buy Hotcourses for India and China at the undergraduate and graduate level. Lisa has talked with other schools that purchased Hotcourses and the reviews are favorable. Hotcourses are just hitting the American market, they are big in Europe. She stated there has been a dip in international applications but the overall graduate enrollment looks good. The amount spent for Hotcourses is minimal. Some individuals commented on keeping the focus domestic and not spending money on international programs. Dr. Yacaman stated that the focus should be for recruitment in Latin America. Dr. Perry questioned how well Hotcourses would work in Latin America. Dr. Yacaman commented that money spent for Hotcourses would be better spent for trips to Guadalajara for student recruitment. He felt the drop in international applications might be linked to graduate applications not being processed timely and good students are getting offers from other schools.
Dr. Teale commented that while she was not aware of budget limitations, we could choose a country and see how it works during the first year. Recruitment trips are effective but they require making personal contacts, organization and follow‐up efforts. Dr. Perry said we could check on other markets and there would be further discussions. John Schaffer distributed handouts related to the recruiting initiatives and retention initiatives in the Graduate School. The information includes data about retention trends by colleges and programs. He noted that another recruiter has been hired and they have a marketing communication plan. John stated that he shares information with department chairs and graduate advisors of record by e‐mail. The Graduate School offered 12 workshops last year in collaboration with departments and hopes to increase the number this year. The Graduate School publishes a newsletter. John commented that he has worked with the library specifically for graduate students for study. Two rooms have been reserved. John emphasized that the Graduate School is here to assist departments in recruiting new students. He noted that if departments would like to share information or include on‐campus events he can send out e‐mails or post information to website. Lisa mentioned that the website has been revamped and they changed the search engine. Equipment Insurance Dr. Perry introduced John DeLaHunt, Risk and Life Safety Manager from the Office of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management. He mentioned he has 18 years of experience working in environmental chemistry. With the university’s current insurance, the deductible is $250,000. With most incidents of damage, we are paying for the loss. In April 2009 discussions began for insurance coverage for equipment. The plans are to try to insure high‐value, unique and exposed assets. He wants to work with a committee in the college that will identify and prioritize equipment that needs to be insured. Department chairs and directors of centers/institutes were requested to send the name of a representative from their areas to John. Annual Faculty Performance Appraisals Dr. Perry commented that merit raises were unknown at this time. He requested department chairs send copies of department faculty merit guidelines to him. Per Chapter 2.11, Handbook of Operating Procedures, faculty are to be involved with the faculty appraisal review process. Appraisals for administrators will be scheduled. Garry commented that he was working with the compression exercise for merit‐eligible staff and letters would be sent soon. Budget Dr. Perry stated he and Garry had been meeting with department chairs multiple times and this issue was complex. Department chairs were asked to provide a report about how the 5%
2
budget cut would influence departmental operation and in particular the teaching mission. After the reports are received a meeting will be scheduled with the Provost. Teaching and Learning Center Dr. Perry mentioned that Dr. Frederick has indicated that only a small number of faculty are attending courses offered by the Teaching and Learning Center. Scholarships Dr. Jordan mentioned that Kim Fisher is looking for money for all departments as part of her job. She has previously requested memoranda of understanding. Dr. Jordan will contact department staff so we can retrieve photos, resumes, and thank you letters from scholarship recipients. This information is helpful to Kim when talking to donors who might consider financial donations to the college. College Honors Dr. Taylor, Assistant Program Director, MBRS‐RISE & MARC U*STAR, asked Dr. Jordan if MARC students could receive college honors by the time they complete the program. To qualify for COS honors requirements students need a 3.0 GPA and completion of two independent studies and a thesis. These requirements overlap with standards for good standing in MARC. Dr. Taylor is requesting a formal agreement between the program and the COS and she would also like to make it a component of the grant. Dr. Perry asked about recognition for students who graduated in four years or less. A proposal was submitted to Dr. Graham about this. Dr. Perry requested Diane to follow‐up. Spring Fling, 6 March 2010 Spring Fling is scheduled for Saturday, March 6, 2010. Historically there have been tables for advising and departments. Colleges/departments may host a 50 minute session to include questions and answers. Dr. Jordan plans to host the college session. Anyone who wants to participate should let him know. Conditional Graduate Students Dr. Jordan stated that conditionally accepted students generally must take specific courses but in the past it has not always been clear what the performance standard would be when the courses are undergraduate courses. He commented that his thinking has been an unconditionally accepted graduate student is expected to earn grades of "B" or better in graduate courses. If there is a question about whether a conditional student will be able to achieve that standard in graduate work, then he thought it appropriate that they should be required to receive that same grade in undergraduate courses taken as a postgraduate. If they
3
4
cannot achieve a grade of “B” or better in undergraduate courses, then it is questionable whether they will be able to receive grades of “B's” or better as graduate students. Dr. Jordan has been in discussions with two departments about the grade requirements for undergraduate courses and wonders if the grade of “B” or better standard in this situation should be continued in the college as a whole, or if individual departments want to have the latitude to manage it as they wish. After a discussion, it was decided that the policy would be handled at the department level rather than have a college policy. COS Research Conference 2010 Dr. Arulanandam stated the conference is scheduled for Friday, May 28. He requested that department representatives attend meetings as we need to identify session chairs and judges are needed. Dr. Arulanandam mentioned a request will be made to make UTSA the home of the Alamo Chapter of Sigma Xi. Texas State Technical College (TSTC) University Articulation Center Dr. Perry referenced the copy of the informational e‐mail about the proposal to establish a Multi‐Institutional Teaching Center (MITC) in Harlingen. On‐line Continuity Planning Tool, UC Berkeley Dr. Perry referenced the copy of the informational e‐mail about continuity planning at UC Berkeley. Julio Palmaz Award for Innovation in Healthcare and the Biosciences Dr. Perry noted a copy of an e‐mail about the above mentioned awards. Last year the award was given to Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway. The recipient of this year’s award is expected to be a local person. The nomination process is provided in the e‐mail. Dr. Gracy serves on the awards committee and he can be contacted for information. Provost’s Distinguished Lecture Dr. Perry informed the group that Francisco J. Ayala, Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, will be on campus on April 28 and 29, 2010 to present several talks on evolutionary biology.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
8 March 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Miguel Jose‐Yacaman, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Garry Castellanos, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, George Negrete, Judy Teale, Andy Tsin Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Weldon Hammond, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Arulananadam – Mary Lou Spillers Guest Speakers – Amanda Beck, Naomi Craven, Kai Kamaka, Kimberley Rolf Summary Notes COS Career Expo and Science Fair Support Kai Kamaka informed the group that the Career Expo will be held on 25 March 2010 in the Atrium of the BSE Building. Recruiters from a number of science industries will be present. He has been working with the Career Services staff to promote the event. The ExxonMobil Texas Science and Engineering Fair will be held from 9‐12 April 2010. The Science Review Committee (SRC) is reviewing paperwork for projects to ensure requirements are met. Administrators were requested to extend invitations to faculty to serve as judges and assist with display and safety for projects. Judging will occur on 11 April. Presently there are 30 registered judges. Last year there were 250 judges. Breakfast, lunch, and parking will be provided. Ph.D. students can serve as judges and master’s level students can judge junior high projects. Dr. Dutton asked about department promotional tables. Kai indicated that the best day for that would be 11 April, Sunday. There will be workshops on UTSA admissions, financial aid, scholarships, etc. Prior to judging, a projector will be playing in the West Registration of the Convention Center where vendors will be set up. Departments are welcome to send Kai any information they would like for him to display on the projector while the participants wait for the doors to open for judging. Kai distributed a folder of information about the Career Expo and the science fair and will send information about the fair electronically to department chairs. COS Brochure Amanda Beck indicated that the college needs a new brochure. The tri‐fold style brochure is being targeted for students and she has scheduled several focus group meetings. She circulated a pre‐focus version and commented that she needed input for research areas. She initially included information about research but students indicated they wanted to hear about student organizations. Amanda requested that each department send her the top three
2
research areas. Dr. Yacaman indicated that he was not comfortable with listing three areas of research and suggested that all topics be listed. Amanda mentioned that she did not want to choose the areas to list and needed input. Brochures will be distributed at the science fair, student orientations and Roadrunner Days. They will be sent to the UTSA Visitor Center and a supply will be kept in the Dean’s office. Garry suggested that the faculty listing be reformatted. There will be wording in the brochure directing individuals to the COS website. Dr. Perry suggested the brochure be sent to students who have been accepted to UTSA. Amanda will send electronic copies to departments for input. End of Semester Assignments A copy of a memorandum from Dr. Frederick, about “End of Semester Assignments” was provided. Some department chairs indicated that they had already received the memorandum. Staff Hiring from Grants and Centers/Institutes Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez indicated that he has to approve staff hiring from grants that are in centers/institutes. Garry responded that this is the way it is routed in STARS. Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez noted that this delays hiring. Dr. Tsin agreed that the routing needs to be reviewed as some appointments for Biology are routed through the Center for Research and Training in the Sciences (CRTS). After a discussion it was agreed that Dr. Perry and Garry will follow‐up with Human Resources on routing for appointments. NSF GK‐12 Grant Proposal Dr. Cassill conveyed that a NSF proposal will be submitted in June. It provides for graduate students to work with K‐12 education. The program is for Ph.D. students who have advanced to candidacy. They will work 15 hours a week during the school year and receive support of $30,000 per year. The grant will support about eight students. Dr. Cassill indicated that we need to come up with a theme and we need to know which departments want to participate. Interested departments should contact Dr. Cassill who is the tentative principal investigator. Dr. Cassill mentioned the recent “Expanding Your Horizon” event held on campus for 325 junior high female students. The goal is to get students interested in science careers. The event received financial support from the College of Sciences, the Department of Mathematics and HEB. Dr. Cassill stated that there was a remaining balance of $47 and Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez responded that the Department of Biology would cover the amount.
3
Workload Requirement for Visiting Faculty Dr. Norman mentioned that the Dean’s office had been informed recently that visiting faculty need to meet a minimum requirement of 24 WLCs for the academic year. The college had been operating under an 18 WLC workload requirement policy for visiting faculty. He stated it is difficult to expect a professor to teach 24 WLCs. After a discussion it was decided that the topic should be addressed at a future meeting of Chairs’ Council. Student Positions Dr. Teale indicated that the Graduate School is emphasizing that students employed in student positions need to be enrolled in the hours listed in the Handbook of Operating Procedures, Chapter 4.09, Student Employees: Graduate Assistants ‐ enrolled for at least six hours for each long session and a total of
three hours for summer sessions. Teaching Assistants ‐ enrolled in at least six hours for each long session or a total of
three hours during the summer session in which they teach. Per the doctoral funding guidelines from the Graduate School, students funded from doctoral stipend accounts must be enrolled in nine hours during the fall and spring and three hours for the summer semester. Dr. Teale commented that no more exceptions would be made. It was noted that it was difficult during the summer for students to meet the minimum enrollment. [Since the meeting, Dr. Teale has sent e‐mail (10 March 2010) to department chairs requesting they provide the appropriate justification or examples of why these rules are problematic as currently written. In addition, this issue is currently being discussed by the Faculty Senate.] New NTT Faculty Position Types Garry mentioned that there have been discussions about a new NTT faculty position – Professor of Practice. A working group came up with draft guidelines. These positions are intended for faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and who would be considered for entering a track. The proposed rank would be higher than Senior Lecturer. Recommendations for the title would be made by department chairs. Dr. Perry commented that he was not sure this rank would fit individuals in our college easily. The proposal is still in draft stage. Proposal for UTSA Undergraduate Research Award Competition There will a representative from each of the colleges to serve on the committee. Department chairs were requested to send the name of a faculty member to Dr. Perry.
4
Fall 2009 Strategies for Academic Success Report
Kim mentioned that Blackboard is used. Students have to participate in some exercises so that
Korean Faculty Dr. Mimi Yu, East Asia Institute, sent Dr. Perry an e‐mail about the upcoming visit of the Consul General of Korea in April. She asked for the names of any Korean faculty and the names of any faculty members doing research on (or with) Korea. Dr. Perry indicated that he was only aware of one Korean faculty member, Dr. Han, Department of Chemistry. Faculty Greeters, Commencement Ceremony Dr. Norman mentioned that having faculty shake hands with graduating students was awkward. He asked the group if there would be a more personal experience, e.g., have students by departments, greeters by departments. Amanda responded that handshaking was not a part of commencement ceremonies at this time. Harlingen Multi‐Institutional Teaching Center (MITC) UTSA is being requested to consider offering educational programs in Harlingen. Information has been forwarded by Dr. Flannagan to the colleges and it was distributed to members of the Dean’s Executive Council. The programs would have to be located in Harlingen with faculty teaching there. It would take substantial effort to offer programs in Harlingen and The University of Texas, Brownsville is close by. It does not appear UTSA will pursue participation. Ricardo Romo Endowed Professorship, Honors College Dr. Perry indicated that a selection committee will be formed to consider applications/nominations for the Ricardo Romo Endowed Professorship. There will be a representative from each of the college. Dr. Perry requested that department chairs send him names of faculty members who might be able to serve on the committee. Strategies for Academic Success (SAS) Statistics Report and Celebration of Success Kim informed the group that she wanted to provide update information about some of the probation programs. She distributed copies of several reports with detailed information:
•
they learn about the GPA required by medical schools and reference letters. There are 300 students on probation with less than a 2.0 GPA. There are 20‐30 students with a GPA below 1.0. Some issues affecting student’s academic performance are outside employment, procrastination and financial situations. Most students are not showing up to meet with faculty who have been identified to work with low performing students. Only the chemistry sophomore students are meeting with Lydia Martinez‐Rivera. For students who stay in this
5
Spring 2010 Celebration of Success Report
The “Celebration of Success” event was held on 9 February 2010 and 157 students attended.
pplied Engineering and Technology (AET) Building Dedication
r. Perry mentioned that the AET building dedication was scheduled for 10 March 2010.
program and do all the steps, the GPA does rise although they may not get off probation. There are three advising staff members devoted to this program.
•
Funding for the event was provided through the “Provost Core Value Program.” The COS Undergraduate Advising Center believes that the high attendance at this event is indicative of both its success and value to students. A D
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
29 March 2010
Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Miguel Jose‐Yacaman, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Bernard Arulanandam, Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Craig Jordan, George Negrete, Judy Teale Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Weldon Hammond, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Wilson – Greg Granados Guest Speakers – Posie Aagaard, Krisellen Maloney Summary Notes Journal/Index Subscriptions Dr. Perry introduced Krisellen Maloney, Dean, Libraries and Posie Aagaard, Assistant Dean, Collections. Dr. Maloney stated the Library has become more active in managing their collections and is now directing attention to subscriptions. She distributed an information packet of spending for 2009 and the allocation for 2010. Funds were used for databases and journals. Dr. Maloney provided listings of databases, print journals and e‐journals related to areas in the College of Sciences. She mentioned they were reviewing funding and a university‐wide allocation of $100,000 has been set aside for subscriptions. Dr. Maloney requested that the group review the listing of subscriptions and let her know if anything is missing that they need or if they see anything on the list that they no longer use. She will be contacting department chairs and reviewing specific information about their areas. Posie Aagaard commented that of the $5.6M budget for the library, 20% was spent on the College of Sciences. Graduate Recruitment Dr. Perry commented that some departments had not been doing enough and next year we would return to doing something at the college level. He mentioned that he expected to have staffing for recruitment but efforts were also contingent with the budget. Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez responded that we should expect to see changes in 2011. Tuition will increase and this is the last year that the Department of Biology would be assisting with health insurance payments.
2
Dr. Yacaman mentioned that 16 offers had been made and some students accepted early. He mentioned we should be recruiting Latin American students in Chile, Brazil and Mexico. Dr. Perry remarked that there were no short‐term solutions and strategic planning was needed. COS Research Areas of Distinction Dr. Arulanandam stated that there have been some discussions about which areas represent research excellence in the College of Sciences. There needs to be internal discussions among administrators to determine the areas so that we are communicating the same message. Identifying areas will help with student recruitment, working with the budget in uncertain times and prioritizing faculty hires based on the strengths of the college. Dr. Arulanandam asked the group “how do we have an exercise involving departments, centers and institutes to determine the areas. What is the gauge? There are metrics available to assist with identifying areas of excellence. The College of Business has identified four areas. How do we do that in the College of Sciences?” The strategic plans for the university and college should be included in discussions. All departments should have strategic plans. Dr. Perry suggested a one‐day session with leadership of the Dean’s Executive Council. Dr. Arulanandam suggested that this could be an exercise department chairs might want to have with their faculty. This could be followed up with discussions of department chairs and directors of centers and institutes. Dr. Arulanandam will follow up with more specific information. COS Retention and Graduation Rates Diane Elizondo distributed several documents:
• Information Overview – Undergraduate Retention and Graduation for the College of Sciences 1998‐2008, 1 March 2010
• The CAP Effect – Changes to UTSA Retention and Graduation Rates Resulting from CAP Student Inclusion in the Cohort, 1 July 2009
She mentioned that the SACS re‐accreditation visit set back the Office of Institutional Research. Therefore, the Graduation Initiative was delayed in providing their annual retention and graduation report. She referenced page 3 of the Information Overview handout which provides information about the COS retention and graduation rates from 1998‐2008. The rate of retention for entering COS freshmen into their second year increased more than 13% from 55.9% to 68.8% from 1998 to 2008. COS needs to work on our six‐year graduation rate. It went up 1.8% from 29.0% to 30.8% from 2002 to 2003. This is 1% higher than the UTSA graduation rate for 2003, which was 29.8%.
3
Page 7 begins the table for retention and graduation rates by department. Using BIO in 2003 as an example:
• 353 students entered UTSA as a BIO major in 2003. • After the first year, 66.6% remained at UTSA; 56.7% after the second year; and 52.1%
after the third year. • After four years, 40 students graduated from UTSA; 48 after five years; and 31 in six
years. The overall total was 119 graduates in six years. This means graduated from UTSA and not necessarily with a BIO degree.
• The graduation rate for those starting with a BIO degree went up slightly from 30.8% to 33.7% from 2002 to 2003.
Diane also reviewed the tables for students who began in and graduated within the COS. Department tables were provided, but not reviewed. Diane informed the group that CAP students will now be included in our cohort retention and graduation rates. In 2008, UTSA enrolled the largest group of CAP students within the UT System at 1,196. UT‐Arlington enrolled the next largest group with 100 students. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s new retention and graduation metric will affect UTSA’s and COS’ rates. Dr. Norman commented that CAP students should not be able to declare a major. Late Intervention/Graduation Incentive Award Recruitment for the 2005 Cohort Diane is recruiting students to participate in this program, which provides support and a grant to encourage senior COS cohort students to graduate within six years. A total of 89 COS students initially qualified for the program. After a degree check review, two were not invited to participate in the program. Of the 87 COS students who were invited to the program, 33 agreed to participate as of March 29, 2010. Recruitment included a personalized letter, two phone calls, and three personalized emails. Diane forwarded a list of COS students to the Dean’s Executive Council to assist with recruitment. Diane informed the group that she would be happy to meet with interested individuals about the programs.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
19 April 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Miguel Jose‐Yacaman, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, George Negrete, Judy Teale, Andy Tsin Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Joe Lazor Director of Development – Kim Fischer Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez – Hans Heidner Representative for Dr. Bernard Arulanandam – Mary Lou Spillers Assistant Director of Fiscal Administration – Vince Castellanos Administrative Services Officer – Jan Schwarz Communications Specialist – Amanda Beck Summary Notes Promotion‐Tenure 2010 Reviews and College Faculty Review Advisory Committee (CFRAC) Appointments Dr. Baird informed the group that promotion‐tenure reviews were on the horizon and information had been provided by the Provost's office about the process for reviews in fall 2010. Department chairs should distribute information to faculty candidates. The library is providing training sessions for faculty on scanning files for uploading to RowdySpace. The process provides for 98% electronic submission of files. Some documents need to be provided in binders. Departments should assist faculty candidates with providing information for their files. The process for obtaining external review letters is the same as last year. The same external review letter format provided by the Provost's office last year should be used. Faculty candidates should receive decisions about reviews before the December holidays. The College Faculty Review Advisory Committee consists of two faculty members from each department ‐‐ one elected by the department and one appointed by the Dean. The Dean's office will be contacting department chairs for recommendations of faculty members to serve on the committee.
Program Assessments and Core Courses Dr. Baird mentioned that although UTSA passed Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) review, they want changes for the next cycle (which needs to be completed in five years or less). Specifically, they wish to see UTSA begin to use multiple measures to assess progress toward each goal in each degree plan. Completion of the cycle will involve (a) establishing multiple measures, (b) assessment with the new, augmented set, empirical, determination if we are making progress toward our goals, and (c) faculty devising and implementing ways of improving instructional success. He will be meeting with all department chairs and departmental/program representatives over the summer. He also mentioned the necessity for each department to establish policies and practices leading to better assessment of faculty teaching effectiveness. The goal is to have a draft plan to put before each departmental faculty by early fall term for their consideration, possible revision, and adoption, with implementation scheduled for calendar 2011. Finally, he advised everyone of a plan to begin to create some multi‐disciplinary topical core courses targeting non‐science‐majors, e.g., pandemics, natural disasters, and climate change. These would be begun under the 2014 undergraduate catalog. He will discuss these ideas with department chairs and faculty who might be interested in them with a goal of then setting up a meeting with Larry Williams and the Core Curriculum Committee. COS Research Conference Mary Lou Spillers informed the group that she was representing Dr. Bernard Arulanandam, Associate Dean of Research for Scientific Innovation, who was unable to attend the meeting. She reminded everyone about the COS Research Conference scheduled on Friday, 28 May 2010. There will be five sessions. Individuals have been registering and coordination is taking place for rooms, tables and food. A headcount will be finalized and registration closes on 2 May. Proposal for Retention of Cohort Students at UTSA Dr. Yacaman stated that he has been analyzing data for physics students provided in the Undergraduate Retention & Graduation for the College of Sciences 1998‐2008 report (1 March 2010) provided by Diane Elizondo. He has had discussion with the physics students. He mentioned that UTSA is the back door to UT Austin. We are not retaining students because they are going to UT Austin. With new admission standards, the rate of retention will be decreasing. We have to do something about closing the back door to UT Austin. Dr. Yacaman believes students will stay here if they can do research. UTSA could offer scholarships and students would be assigned to work with a faculty member. If a faculty member could work with three to four students, we could retain them. Dr. Yacaman has worked on both campus and he mentioned there is not much difference. Students can be convinced to remain at UTSA. Dr. Yacaman has worked with students on grants and that is a good way to integrate them. He
2
noted that if we do not do anything we will remain where we are. Dr. Yacaman believes if we could begin by working with 30 students that would be good. There are also declared majors in Computer Science who have never even take a CS course and we lose them at any stage. Dr. Psarris agrees that the better students leave to attend UT Austin and we retain the students who have come from community colleges. Garry Castellanos mentioned that when the Facilities and Administrative (F&A) model is re‐done, we could route funds into the program. Departments will receive resources and they can determine how they will use money. [Since the meeting Dr. Yacaman and Diane have met to discuss developing programming to encourage Coordinated Admission Program (CAP) students to stay at UTSA to complete their degrees.] College Committee on Developing Guidelines for Recruitment and Use of Discretionary Funds for Departmental Activities Dr. Perry indicated the use of funds for discretionary purposes needs to be reviewed. During the recent faculty recruitment effort there were instances where eight to nine faculty members hosted faculty candidates for dinner. Dr. Perry requested a committee composed of department chairs review this issue. Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez agreed to serve as Chair. The committee will review current university guidelines and provide clarification for the COS. Mathematica Training Session Dr. Norman noted that he had sent an e‐mail to department chairs about a “Mathematica” training session sponsored by CBI. He mentioned that this software is the standard and has computational and graphical capability. Dr. Norman requested that department chairs share the information with faculty. Provost’s Distinguished Lecture, Francisco J. Ayala Amanda Beck informed the group that Dr. Francisco Ayala, University of California, Irvine would be giving two lectures on April 28 and April 29. The lectures are based on his book "Darwin’s Gift to Science and Religion.” The April 28th lecture is open to the public and the April 29 is a technical lecture. Dr. Jordan distributed an abbreviated schedule. There will be a reception for invited guests. Dr. Jordan has gone through an extensive marketing effort to promote the event. Information has been sent to all superintendents, all universities and colleges, Southwest Research Institute, UT Health Science Center, and the mayor's office. The events will be publicized in press releases, on NPR, on billboards around town and in the Paisano. Dr. Jordan requested the group send him names of individuals who should be sent information about the event. The lecture will be held in Room 0.106 MB and will be broadcast into a spillover room.
3
Prerequisites (Summer and Fall) Patti Gonzalez reported that prerequisite checking were turned on for summer and then turned off. Prerequisites for fall were turned on and off and then turned on and off. The 2010‐12 catalog has not been approved. We are not able to publish what we expect to be the prerequisites because the catalog has not been approved. Dr. Perry mentioned that Dr. Pierce has indicated that the prerequisite checking is an overload and they cannot run the systems at the same time. Dr. Perry recommended that it be discussed at the Faculty Senate and Dr. Norman responded that discussions had taken place. Patti indicated that if students register without prerequisites they will get an e‐mail that they are being dropped. Some students become angered and complain that they were dropped by the advisors. In some cases, students do have prerequisites and they are dropped. Dr. Perry suggested more checking should be done with other schools. UT EL Paso used prerequisite checking and had it working. Dr. Perry noted that this issue will not be easily solved and he requested any recommendations be shared them with the appropriate individuals. Faculty Vitae , FAIR The deadline for faculty members to enter information for their vita on FAIR is 30 April. Dr. Psarris mentioned that his department was having problems with entering information for TA vitae on FAIR. Leadership UTSA Nominations Dr. Perry reminded the group about nominations for the UTSA pilot program for leadership development for faculty and staff. Nominations should be sent to the Dean's office by 21 April. Faculty Forums Hosted by Provost Frederick Copies of notices about the upcoming faculty forums on "Promotion and Tenure" and "Facilities & Administrative Distributions" were provided. Dr. Frederick will be presiding over the forums and Dr. Perry requested that department chairs share the information with their faculty. Faculty Salary Recovery Dr. Perry mentioned that the budget for the COS had been increased by $1M per year. Dr. Perry introduced Vince Castellanos, new Assistant Director of Fiscal Administration in the Dean's office. Dr. Perry noted that Vince will be helping us to refining our outlook for next year and creating a gold plate budget. From his experience in working in the Dean’s office, College of Engineering, Vince stated that the effort contributed to sponsored research to offset a portion of a course release should result in 50% of freed salary going to the principal investigator (PI), 25% to the department and 25% to the Dean's office. Funds would be given to the PI as "19" account funds not restricted to the scope of work of a grant. After a discussion it
4
5
was agreed that the departments in consultation with faculty would develop a policy for salary recovery on grants. Dr. Perry requested that department chairs have a report for the next meeting. Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Distribution Dr. Yacaman mentioned that his department has a reasonable amount of grants but he was not seeing F&A funds. He is aware that it will take the university two more years to pay for the Margaret Tobin building. Dr. Perry mentioned that Dr. Frederick has indicated it may take many years to achieve first‐tier status. He reminded Dr. Yacaman about the forum that Dr. Frederick was hosting with faculty to discuss F&A distribution. Nominations for Dean’s Fund for Excellence Two months ago at a meeting of the Dean’s Executive Council, it was announced that the Dean’s Fund for Excellence would make one award to an outstanding undergraduate student in each department. The departments would be responsible for nominating the student that it had identified to be the recipient of the award. If a department has not identified its recipient, Dr. Jordan requested they do so. Symposium, UT Dallas An information page was provided on the "Meeting Energy Demands of the Future" symposium hosted by the Energy Leadership Council, The University of Texas System on 19‐20 May 2010. Dr. Yacaman would like additional information on the Council. Dr. Perry mentioned that Les Shephard, Director, Institute for Conventional Alternate Renewable Energy, would be promoting interdisciplinary efforts. One of his charges is to work with collaboration research for energy in the environment.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
10 May 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Bernard Arulanandam, Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, George Negrete, Judy Teale Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Weldon Hammond, Joe Lazor Director of Development – Kim Fischer Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Yacaman – Rafael López‐Mobilia Guest Speaker – Cyndi McCowen Summary Notes Promotion‐Tenure 2010 Timeline Dr. Baird distributed the timeline for promotion‐tenure reviews for fall 2010. Submission of files will be electronic and all review levels will be able to review files on RowdySpace. Paper copies of some of the documents are to be placed in binders as part of the submission process. The Library will provide scanning services. The Department of Chemistry pioneered the electronic submission of files for promotion‐tenure reviews in 2009. Jump Start Diane Elizondo introduced Cyndi McCowen, Director of Tutoring Services. She will be coordinating the Jump Start Program for summer 2010. Jump Start is a one‐day intensive math refresher course to prepare Engineering and Sciences freshmen, who completed the New Calculus placement exam, but did not place into calculus for their retake exam. The goal of the program is to place students in the highest‐level math course as early as possible in their undergraduate career. This year the program is open to Coordinated Admission Program (CAP) students since they are now included in the university’s cohort retention and graduation rates. Funding for the program has been provided by the College of Engineering and the Office of Undergraduate Studies. COS did not have funds for the program this summer. In the 2009 Jump Start Program, 76% of the participants placed at least one or more course level higher after the second exam. A total of 85 students attended last summer. There are 50 students currently enrolled and there is room for 250 students. Math Boot Camp, which is for students who are eligible to complete the New Algebra placement exam, will be offered this summer. Diane encourages students to attend Jump Start before orientation. However, students who qualify for Jump Start do not think they need the program because of their high
school math course work. Since students self select to participate in Jump Start, one way to increase program enrollment is to speak to students after their first placement exam. Diane will attend the COS Meeting of College to recruit students. Dr. Perry recommended that we work to make the Jump Start Program a requirement. Scheduling of Summer Meetings After a discussion it was agreed that meetings during the summer would be scheduled monthly at 1:00 p.m. on Mondays. Mary Alice will follow up with scheduling meetings. Site Visit, July 2010, Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) Dr. Perry mentioned that an on‐site accreditation visit for our animal facilities, policies and protocols will take place on 13 and 14 July 2010. Departmental Salary Recovery Policy Dr. Perry reminded department chairs that they should develop a policy in consultation with faculty for salary recovery on grants. The Department of Computer Science has a policy. He noted that departments do not have to have the same policy. He requested department chairs provide a report at the next meeting of the Dean’s Executive Council. Parking, University Events Dr. Perry mentioned parking went well for the recent Provost’s lecture. He recognized Dr. Jordan for his efforts in coordinating the very successful visit of Dr. Francisco Ayala and he was applauded by the group. [Discussions about parking costs continued in next agenda topic.] Deans’ Council Highlights Garry Castellanos mentioned that Provost Frederick wants to create a pool of funds for boosting support for academic departments Maintenance and Operation (M&O) to help defray parking costs related to hosting events and activities on‐campus and assist with covering costs for base telephone rates. Provost Frederick is looking to set aside approximately $300K for assisting with covering the costs for academic departments, about $150K for parking off‐set and $150K for base level telephone service. There would be some prior notification and coordination (specifics to be determined) for organized activities and events that would require guests and participants to use the parking facilities in order to access the Provost set‐aside funds. The focus is to reduce the burden on academic units that wish to host on‐campus events and to stimulate more UTSA hosted events on campus and in our facilities that showcase our university. Provost Frederick desires to cover costs for academic units’ base telephone services in order to free funds to be used by the academic units for other needed supplies, services and materials that enhance the instructional mission.
2
3
Garry mentioned other discussions from the meeting. The recent 5% budget cut will be implemented and this will be a permanent reduction. Merit for staff and faculty will be distributed as a one‐time, lump sum merit allocation. Dr. Frederick is considering creating a chief diversity officer position at the level of the Provost’s office. He is also considering new admission criteria and implementing a holistic approach for incoming freshman. Colleges should look at academic qualifications and develop filters for students who enter as majors. Dr. Frederick asked Dr. Perry what efforts could be done at the college level. Dr. Perry noted that Dr. Cassill is working with the John Jay High School science partnerships. Travel Authorizations Dr. Baird mentioned that recently he had to approve travel for faculty close to the travel dates. He emphasized that the Dean’s office needs enough notice for approvals to be obtained. He reminded department chairs that faculty always need to process a request for travel authorization when traveling if classes are to be missed or university funds are involved. He also recommended that departments create some set of proposal for how much class time can be missed and who can substitute. A substitute should be qualified but cannot be a post‐doc appointed on a grant 100% time. If faculty travel does not entail missing classes or use of university funds, travel authorizations are not required but could conceivably come into play if faculty member were injured and needed to demonstrate that they were on university business in order to claim worker’s compensation. New Business Dr. Arulanandam will be sending a series of defined questions to departments and centers/ institutes to assist in developing research strengths. We will then be able to prioritize them. There will also be an educational component developed. Dr. Perry reported that there have been discussions about forming a new department called “Multidisciplinary Studies.” It might include Environmental Science. The COS offers a B.S. degree in Multidisciplinary Science. Dr. Yacamam asked about the curriculum and Dr. Perry responded that work needs to begin on the curriculum. Kim Fischer informed the group that congratulations were in order for Amanda Beck, Communications Specialist. She was the recipient of three Del Oro Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for:
Troyer’s Song article, Catalyst Magazine COS Facebook Fan Page COS Strategic Plan Booklet
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
14 June 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Waldek Gorski, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Garry Castellanos, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, Judy Teale, Andy Tsin Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Weldon Hammond, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu, Director of Development – Kim Fischer Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Dr. Yacaman – Rafael López‐Mobilia Assistant Director – Mary Lou Spillers Summary Notes Roadrunner Days Amanda Beck was scheduled to speak about Roadrunner Days college orientation but was unable to attend the meeting. Amanda and Brittanii Rogers will be working with the event and they will follow up with departments. A copy of an e‐mail from Amanda with information about the college’s orientation was provided. Nontenure‐track Recruitment and Human Resources Dr. Perry informed the group that Human Resources can assist departments in the nontenure‐track (NTT) recruitment process. West Campus Dr. Perry stated that we need to have a more concrete plan and programming for laboratories in the west campus. Other colleges have indicated they want the space. Dr. Gorski commented that it would require a major investment to have core facilities to make the west campus useable for chemistry. Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez remarked that we need more information on hiring to finalize a plan. Department Salary Recovery Policy Dr. Perry re‐emphasized that each department needs to develop a policy for salary recovery. He asked department chairs about the status of policies in their department. Their responses are shown below:
Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez (Biology): No policy at this time Waldek Gorski (Chemistry): Discussions have taken place, no policy developed Weldon Hammond, representing Dr. Dutton (Geological Sciences): No policy at this time
2
Rafael López‐Mobilia, representing Dr. Yacaman, (Physics and Astronomy): No policy at this time
Sandy Norman (Mathematics): There are so few opportunities to recover. Dr. Perry responded that information could be put in the policy.
The Department of Computer Science has a policy. Dr. Perry stated this will be a reoccurring discussion at meetings of the Dean’s Executive Council until all departments have a policy and there will be consequences for departments who do not have a policy. [Since the meeting, Dr. Perry has requested policies be developed by 1 August 2010.] UTSA Transcripts Dr. Perry mentioned that UTSA transcripts are free of charge for UTSA students and alumni and he wanted to make sure administrators were aware of this information. Discontinuance of Refreshments at Meetings An informational copy of an e‐mail from Diane Cordova, Provost’s office was provided. A section of the e‐mail reads “After recent review of our expenditures by UT System, and given the current economy, Dr. Romo has asked that all units review refreshment expenditures as it pertains to in‐house meetings and where possible cut back or discontinue the practice of ordering refreshments ....” Garry commented that a large amount has been spent on catering for meetings. COS Center George Perry informed the group that there have been discussions about having a center in COS to capture educational programs. It could be an incubator for a new department or house different types of programs. It could capture faculty who cross disciplines and include environmental science and mathematics education. There will be continued discussions and Dr. Baird will chair a working group. Satisfactory Academic Progress Dr. Teale conveyed to the group that she recently became aware that graduate geological sciences students were losing financial aid. If students enroll for “Master’s Thesis” and do not complete their thesis, they receive grades of “IP.” As a result they do not earn hours. If they lose one credit, they lose their financial aid. If this occurs, they have to appeal to reinstate financial aid. It would be better for students to enroll in “Directed Research” instead of enrolling in “Master’s Thesis” for more than one semester. Dr. Teale asked if other departments were having problems, and it did not appear to be an issue. After a discussion there was agreement that students working on thesis can enroll for “Directed Research.” They only need to enroll for “Master’s Thesis” one time. They will receive a grade for being enrolled in “Directed Research.” Dr. Teale will follow up with departments.
3
State‐mandated Syllabus Listing Dr. Jordan reminded departments of the legislative mandate that every instructor of record should have a syllabus posted on department homepages prior to registration for each class that an instructor teaches. Students should be able view a syllabus on a website and have information such as the coverage of the course, the number of exams, quizzes, and text book for each instructor teaching every course. It is not necessary to include dates, CRN numbers and the book edition/year. Once posted, the syllabi can remain on the webpage indefinitely. A syllabus should be changed if there is a significant change in the course. Dr. Jordan will send an e‐mail, together with a sample syllabus, to remind faculty to post the information. [Since the meeting, Dr. Jordan sent an e‐mail with additional information to departments on 15 June 2010.] A separate requirement is that in each semester that an instructor is teaching a course, at the beginning of the semester students must be provided with a hard copy or an electronic copy (on Blackboard or the instructor’s web site) of the syllabus for that semester. Generating Educational Excellence in Mathematics and Science (GE2MS) Program Dr. Lazor informed the group that Kim Fischer has been working with the Ewing Halsell Foundation. Last fall she began cultivation efforts and learned that the foundation was interested in retention of math and science teachers. Kim noted that throughout the months a letter of inquiry and proposal were written. Dr. Lazor was invited to a meeting and he spoke eloquently about the program. Tom Frost also assisted and there were meetings with trustees. UTSA was awarded $287,050 and this could be a multiple year award. Dr. Lazor gave a presentation using a flip chart and explained how the money would be used. Students who are doing their student teaching are not eligible for financial aid and they have expenses. Twenty seven students will be eligible next term to receive $3,500 for student teaching. Teachers can teach for dual credit with students receiving high school and college credit. This funding for the first time will provide for a part‐time person who will be able to follow up with the teachers. There will be funding for 25 teachers, two facilitators and funds to attend a state conference. The COS needs to work to create an identity for these teachers. Funding was awarded for two years and foundation representatives will visit the campus and meet with students. Degree plans have been redone in biology, chemistry and multidisciplinary sciences so that students can earn these degrees and be certified right away. UTSA Alvarez Research Excellence Match Opportunity Dr. Perry recognized Kim on completing her first year at UTSA and being among the top fund raisers of all UTSA’s colleges. This year, COS has far exceeded its annual fund‐raising goal. Kim Fischer provided an informational page on the “UTSA Alvarez Research Excellence Match Opportunity.” Carlos and Malu Alvarez gave $1.3M to fund opportunities for graduate research.
4
Carlos Alvarez is President of The Gambrinus Company, a privately held corporation in San Antonio. Gambrinus is best known as the owner and brewer of Shiner Beers and importer of Corona. The gift will enable UTSA to take advantage of matching funds. For a limited time (by October 1) we are able to match gifts 1:1 up to a total of $550,000. A donation of $50,000 becomes $100,000. She asked the group to help her identify individuals who might be potential donors. Funds are to be used for graduate research and can be used for master's, doctoral and post doctoral students. A gift can be paid over a five‐year period. A laboratory or classroom can be named after a donor. Dr. Perry requested that the names of possible contacts be sent to Kim. Kim also announced the $600,000 gift to COS from the Max and Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund to be used for recruitment of faculty in the areas of science related to finding cures for targeted diseases. The gift is being used in the recruitment of a medicinal chemist and a stem cell researcher. Institutional Memberships A copy of a memorandum from Kerry Kennedy, Vice President for Business Affairs, 25 May 2010 regarding “Institutional Memberships for FY 2011” was provided. It lists organizations that will and will not be renewed. Process/Status of Transfer Plans Patti Gonzalez informed the group that prerequisites were turned on for 2010‐12. She requested that department chairs inform faculty in case they want to drop students who do not have the proper prerequisites. Transfer plans have gone out except for geological sciences. New Business Dr. Perry reported that if any tuition revenue bonds become available UTSA has top priority. There are two requests from COS. One request is for a new education building that would include chemistry teaching and the Department of Mathematics. The second request is for renovation of the Science Building. Some piece of the library will be put in the Science Building. There will be a similar facility in the AET building. Scholarship Reception Dr. Jordan mentioned that the annual scholarship reception is scheduled for 27 October 2010. “Save the date” cards have been sent to students, faculty and administrators to provide for better attendance. A condition will be added to acceptance letters to recipients of scholarships requiring attendance at the reception.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
12 July 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez, Waldek Gorski, Sandy Norman Associate Deans – Bernard Arulanandam, Raymond Baird, Neal Guentzel, Craig Jordan, George Negrete, Judy Teale Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu Director of Development – Kim Fischer Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Assistant Director, Fiscal Administration – Vince Castellanos Assistant Director – Mary Lou Spillers Representative for Kleanthis Psarris – Thomas Bylander Representative for Miguel Jose‐Yacaman – Rafael López‐Mobilia Representative for Patti Gonzalez – Eve Christoffersen Summary Notes Teaching Assistants/Research Assistants with International Visas Dr. Teale distributed a handout about employment of international students. Eligible students who properly maintain their F‐1 status may engage in on‐campus employment at the institution that issued their I‐20 form for a maximum of 20 hours a week. The Graduate School will not approve international students working more than 20 hours. External Review Letters for Promotion‐Tenure Candidates Dr. Perry referenced the format letter sent to external reviewers for promotion review. The standard letter used in the past only requests the reviewer to address the category of research. We have instances involving possible promotion from associate to full professor where it may be appropriate to ask reviewers to consider the categories of teaching and service along with the individuals’ research accomplishments. Several draft versions of external review letters were provided as handouts. Dr. Baird mentioned these variations would allow reviewers to look at research in view of the candidates’ teaching and service and allow faculty in other career paths to have an appropriate review. Dr. Perry suggested that department chairs meet with candidates for promotion to full professor and determine which letter will be used. Dr. Gorski commented this may involve sending additional information to reviewers. Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez mentioned this issue had been discussed at a meeting of Chairs’ Council. Dr. Frederick has indicated that faculty who are contributing in extraordinary ways in teaching and service need to be recognized. Dr. Barea‐Rodriguez noted that another challenge for this kind of review will be to educate the Department Faculty Review Advisory Committees (DFRACs) as they attempt to follow the policy laid out in the UTSA Handbook of Operating Procedures. Department chairs indicated they were in agreement with the draft letters and Dr.
2
Perry stated they would be sent to Dr. Frederick for his review. [These drafts were subsequently approved by Dr. Frederick.] Super Nontenure‐track (NTT) Faculty Recruitment Dr. Perry informed the group that Dr. Dutton wanted to recruit a new nontenure‐track (NTT) faculty member. He asked other department chairs about their interest in having a national search for NTT faculty if there were enough funds. Dr. Norman commented that there are NTT faculty who have been employed for a long time and we could show supporting by extending a three‐year contract. Dr. Perry responded that would be possible. Salary Recovery Policy Dr. Perry reminded department chairs that he wants them to develop a policy this is equitable and one that faculty support. He noted that the Department of Computer Science has a policy. He asked department chairs about the status of their policies and their response are listed below:
Biology (Edwin Barea‐Rodriguez) – no policy, does not see how it will work Chemistry (Waldek Gorski) – policy was discussed at last faculty meeting Geological Sciences – no representative at meeting Mathematics (Sandy Norman) – there are so few buyouts. Dr. Perry recommended the department review the policy from Computer Science. Physics and Astronomy (Rafael López‐Mobilia) – department is still working on policy
New Business Standards for Science Education Dr. Lazor stated that the National Research Council has developed a working draft for the conceptual framework to guide the development of the next generation for science education. This draft will be open to public comment in the next two to three weeks. Comments will be used for revision of standards. The link to the site is: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Standards_Framework_Public_Draft_Cover_Letter.html Purchase of Microwaves/Refrigerators Vince Castellanos informed the group that if departments were going to purchase refrigerators and microwaves to do so before the end of the fiscal year. Under the new guidelines these kinds of items cannot be purchased from maintenance and operation funds. They can be purchased from an official occasions account and a business expense form needs to be processed. Dr. Perry requested that department chairs inform faculty.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
16 August 2010
Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Bernard Arulanandam, Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, George Negrete, Judy Teale, Andy Tsin Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu Director of Development – Kim Fischer Undergraduate Advising Director – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Diane Elizondo Representative for Edwin Barea –Rodriguez – Hans Heidner Director (CRTS) – Mary Lou Spillers Staff Member, Dean’s Office – Brittanii Rogers Summary Notes Commencement Ticket Distribution Dr. Perry informed the group that the colleges are moving to coordinating their own commencement ceremonies. He introduced Brittanii Rogers, staff member in the Office of the Dean, who will be assisting with commencement. The College of Sciences will be distributing their own tickets to graduating students. Each student will receive seven tickets. One issue is the best way to distribute the regular tickets and extra tickets. Brittanii mentioned ideas are being discussed and we may use the BSE atrium as the venue for distributing tickets and having later hours for graduate students. A raffle may be used for leftover tickets. Dr. Lazor mentioned that his staff could assist with the distribution of tickets. Scheduling of Fall 2010 Meetings After a discussion it was agreed that meetings of the Dean’s Executive Council would be scheduled as follows: Fall – 2 meetings Spring – 2 meetings Summer – 1 meeting College Policy, College Faculty Review Advisory Committee (CFRAC) Dr. Perry mentioned the college policy that CFRAC members could participate in discussions of candidates from their own departments but would not vote at the college level. After a discussion it was agreed that the policy would continue to be enforced. [Since the meeting, Provost Frederick reviewed the college policy and indicated it does not violate the HOP policy and it is within the college’s purview to specify at which level the FRAC member should vote.]
2
Student Employment Pilot Program Garry mentioned the student employment pilot program we started two years ago. We wanted to improve opportunities for cohort student to have on-campus employment. The program will continue and the Office of the Dean will help to locate resources. Offices in the colleges should work with Diane to help identify students. One request has been received. [Since the meeting, Diane Elizondo has resigned. Offices should contact Shannon Rios, COS Retention and Graduation Analyst]. GIT (Graduate Incremental Tuition) Accounts Garry mentioned that most of the academic departments have GIT accounts. Allocations were made to sustain activities in our units. Garry referenced the copy of the e-mail from Lynn Bishop in which she states “beginning this year the 14 GIT accounts will no longer roll forward but all unused funds in the 14 GIT accounts can be transferred to a sister 19-79 GIT account that will be designated to roll forward.” The e-mail was sent to all GIT holders and the transfers will be automatic. In addition, there will be more scrutiny of endowment, F&A and GIT accounts. Dr. Perry mentioned that the budgetary cut of 5% is implemented and permanently reflected in our budget. He is concerned there will be more cuts. Business Affairs absorbed some of the 5% reduction from centrally held funds resulting in the college needing to cut approximately $150,000 from the budget. Some of the funds reduced were from vacant staff lines and we identified $60,000 in one-time funds to defer part of the reduction until next year. We still need to find $90,000. The more positive news is that we saw an increase of $1M to our overall budget resulting from a Provost allocation to support delivery of instruction and those funds were allocated to five of our six departments as a permanent NTT allocation. Salary Recovery Policy Dr. Perry reminded department chairs again that he wants them to develop a salary recovery policy. Dr. Gorski reported his department was in the process of adopting one. Dr. Dutton indicated no progress had been made. Dr. Perry requested departments have a policy developed by September 30, 2010. Course Syllabi A copy of a memorandum from Dr. Frederick reminding faculty about the university’s policy on course syllabi was provided. Graduate Recruitment There will be a college wide effort to recruit graduate students.
3
New Business Lisa Firmin has been appointed Associate Provost for Faculty and Student Diversity. Dr. Tsin informed the group about a change in routing of grants/contracts in the College of Sciences. After a COS proposal has been approved by an administrative supervisor (department chair or director of center/institute), the proposal will be routed directly to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), without review/approval at the college level. However, if cost sharing and other resources (such as effort reduction) are to come from the College of Sciences, then this proposal will be routed to Garry Castellanos (bypassing the COS Associate Deans of Research). It will then route to OSP. Cost sharing information must be clearly indicated in the routing form in Cayuse. Dr. Baird mentioned the university’s orientation for new TT faculty. The College of Sciences will have a half day orientation. He mentioned that he would send administrators a document on class management, issues that faculty should be aware and what they ought to be thinking about. Diane Elizondo informed the group that she would be leaving her position on August 31 and be a full-time student for the next two years working on her doctorate. She expressed her gratitude to members of the Dean’s Executive Council. Shannon Rios has been hired to fill the position.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
11 October 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Miguel Jose-Yacaman, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Craig Jordan, Judy Teale Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Weldon Hammond, Ravi Sandhu, Andy Tsin Director of Development – Kim Fischer Director of Undergraduate Advising – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Shannon Rios Assistant Director, Fiscal Administration – Vincent Castellanos Director (CRTS) – Mary Lou Spillers Guest Speaker – Kai Kamaka Summary Notes Introduction of Shannon Rios, Retention and Graduation Analyst Dr. Perry introduced Shannon Rios, COS Retention and Graduation Analyst. Shannon has been at UTSA since July 2007. She gave a quick overview of the “Late Intervention” and “Welcome Back” programs. She reminded the group that the Retention and Graduation reports will be available mid December and that the Student Profile reports will be available in early spring. STEM College and Career Conference, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Kai Kamaka informed the group about the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) College and Career Fair hosted by the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on 27 and 28 October 2010 at the Convention Center downtown. In partnership with San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), the Chamber of Commerce will host more than 2,000 high school students and provide an agenda to motivate them to pursue academic training and careers in the fields of STEM. “Parent Night” is scheduled for 27 October and college seniors will be in attendance. Space has been reserved for COS at no cost. The College of Engineering and Career Services will participate. This is an opportunity to showcase sciences and departments are encouraged to set up displays. Departments and student organizations interested in participating should contact Kai with their needs. We hope to make this an annual event. Transcripts for Postdoctoral Fellows Dr. Perry informed the group that appointments of postdoctoral fellows are being reviewed more closely. After being appointed to post doc positions, some individuals are being re-appointed to research professor positions. The College of Sciences has the majority of post docs at UTSA. Garry commented that post docs are appointed 100% on external funds and would not have time to work on proposals. They could work on proposal after hours.
2
Dr. Perry conveyed that in some cases individuals represented themselves as having doctoral degrees during the appointment period. Later it was discovered that they only earned master’s degree equivalents. Dr. Perry asked the group if we should require transcripts or other documentation. He mentioned that in the past some individuals have been hired who did not have adequate qualifications and then the faculty wanted to end their appointments sooner. It can also become a more time consuming issue when Human Resources involves the department chair. Dr. Yacaman stated that post docs are admitted on their ability to do research and it is the responsibility of the faculty to check on qualifications. Dr. Baird stated that if these are advertised positions, individuals need to meet minimum qualifications. Dr. Perry asked if the individual departments should manage this process. Dr. Yacaman responded that each area needs to follow up on appointments of post docs. We do not need to create a rule to cover everyone. After the discussion, it was decided that we would have not have a college policy but would ask for recommendation letters. [Dr. Perry has asked the Legal Affairs office for comments but has not received a reply. We will pass along information when received.] Faculty Salary Recovery Policy Dr. Perry asked those department chairs about the status of their policies that had not been finalized. Their responses are shown below: Biology (Edwin Barea-Rodriguez) – actively working on it Chemistry (Waldek Gorski) – should be finalized in a few days Geological Sciences (Alan Dutton) – no policy yet Mathematics (Sandy Norman) – will adopt college policy UTSA Football Dr. Perry mentioned that some of the colleges have organized and are buying season tickets and he asked if there was any interest in our college doing the same. Kim Fischer commented that some donors who have been giving money for scholarships are quite excited about the football team and marching band. Potential donors could be taken to games. The Provost will have a reserved box that can be used for fund-raising purposes. Dr. Yacaman felt that it was important for the college to be present. Kim mentioned that meetings of the Advisory Council could be scheduled so that members could attend games after the meetings. This type of arrangement works well in the fund-raising world. Cayuse Routing of COS Proposals Garry indicated that routing of proposals can be cumbersome with multiple documents to complete. The College of Sciences has adopted a streamlined electronic process which routes to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) bypassing college review. Unless there is cost sharing or other fiscal or resource considerations (such as effort reduction), the proposal proceeds from the principal investigator (PI) to the department chair and then to OSP. Garry
3
referenced the memorandum provided to the group about Cayuse routing in COS. He requested that administrators share with PIs in their respective areas. Dr. Barea commented that staff in his department have been trained on grant administration and Cayuse by attending a series of classes offered by OSP. They received certificates of completion for “Introduction to Research Administration Training Series.” Dr. Barea-Rodriguez indicated that if the college is willing to provide funds, his staff could become a college resource and provide support to other departments. CRTS Support and F&A Allocation to CRTS There are a range of programs covered by the Center for Research and Training in the Sciences (CRTS) and the center could offer services to the research community with the level of sponsored project and program administration expertise existing in the center. Garry met with Dr. Tsin and Dr. Krakower to discuss a more effective way to coordinate guidance, processes for proposals, and identifying contacts to aid researchers with administrative aspects of their sponsored program or project. Dr. Tsin and Garry met with Dr. Kantor and Dr. Anderson who were unaware that services would be provided, are not avert to the provision of enhanced services, and did not want to expand fiscal support for CRTS. At a later meeting with Dr. Gracy, Dr. Woods, Dr. Kantor, Dr. Perry, Dr. Tsin and Garry the negative impact of excluding CRTS from the Facilities and Administrative (F&A) allocation to centers was discussed. Dr. Gracy indicated he would approach Dr. Frederick to discuss inclusion of CRTS for consideration of an allocation of fiscal resources to allow sustaining the services provided through the center. Externally sponsored programs administered through the center currently total approximately $8.5M and CRTS is the area with the largest cluster of sponsored projects and programs including research at UTSA. Travel Guidelines Mary Lou Spillers provided information about travel funds. The college has funds available to assist full-time faculty with travel expenses to attend academic meetings. The allocation of funds is distributed from the Provost’s office. [An amount of $22,837 has been provided for 2010-11.] Information and a form for applying for funds have been provided on the COS Faculty website (Resources). Requests will be reviewed by the College Academic Research Committee that consists of the six department chairs in the college. Approved funding will be transferred to the department of the faculty member. Department staff will assist the faculty member with the pre/post travel support. Mary Lou will e-mail information to departments. Faculty Joint Appointments Dr. Baird informed the group that UTSA has a policy on external joint appointments between our university and other institutions. Information is provided in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP) 2.09. A faculty member requesting a joint appointment has to provide requested information subject to a three-level review. Principal issues may be salary and description of duties to see if any are in conflict with discharge of UTSA duties. We need to
4
understand the benefit to UTSA. Our biggest challenge is determining which faculty have or anticipate having a joint appointment. Faculty should be informing the department chair and providing requested information. Dr. Baird will check HOP 2.09. He will get back with departments to determine if this applies to relationships between the University of Texas components. Faculty Award Nominations Dr. Jordan mentioned that the college was in the process of submitting nominations for the Piper Professor 2011 award. He indicated that there were two nominations and he was surprised that we did not have more nominations. Dr. Norman responded that the process requires a lot of work by faculty. Dr. Jordan suggested that it might help if we send out earlier announcements and require less paperwork. Dr. Perry informed the group that the proposal submitted by the COS Undergraduate Advising Center was one of the finalists for the STAR Award sponsored by the Coordinating Board. Increasing the Efficiency of Administrative Procedures in COS Dr. Yacaman mentioned that he is a member of the Research Advisory Council and that researchers need to devote more time to their research. He commented on the following at UTSA: Bombardment of e-mails – receiving the same e-mail multiple times. Human
Resources sends everything through department chairs. Multiple passwords and user IDs – there should be an effort to review passwords as
there are too many; at UT Austin the same password is used for everything. Mac versus PC – there are many technical problems. Upcoming “Development” Events and Dean’s Fund Kim mentioned some upcoming events and encouraged participation: Dr. Thyagarajan luncheon, 20 October 2010
UTSA will receive five gifts toward his endowment scholarship on that day. There will also be an unveiling of a portrait of Dr. Thyagarajan.
COS Scholarship reception, 27 October 2010 Donors will be in attendance that have been providing scholarships.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Reception, 15 November 2010 This event is to celebrate the relationship between UTSA and Southwest Research Institute and recognize alumni now employed at SwRI. Three of UTSA’s colleges will be highlighted – Business, Engineering and Sciences. SwRI alumni will be asked by President Romo to support UTSA in our journey to Tier I status by supporting our capital campaign.
5
COS Advisory Council Meeting, 19 November 2010 The meeting will be held on campus and we have invited select students to have lunch with our Advisory Council members. We are looking for articulate undergraduate and graduate students who can speak about their experience. Recommendations of students can be e-mailed to Kim.
Dr. Perry thanked administrators for working with Kim to meet 80% of our fund-raising goals. He requested that areas let Kim know their range of needs including equipment so that she will be in a better position to work with donors. Dean’s Fund Kim requested that individuals consider renewing gifts to the Dean’s Fund. We were able to give seven awards to the six departments (one department split). This fund allows us to provide for projects throughout the year. State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) Dr. Perry mentioned that it looks good for our college to be well represented. Equipment Areas that receive any equipment on loan made in another country need to check that it has been examined by the Safety office to assure it has been validated for safety, e.g., underwriter laboratory. Areas that are receiving in-kind gifts should inform Kim.
College of Sciences (COS) Meeting of Dean’s Executive Council
15 November 2010 Present: Dean – George Perry Department Chairs – Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Alan Dutton, Waldek Gorski, Sandy Norman, Kleanthis Psarris Associate Deans – Bernard Arulanandam, Raymond Baird, Garry Castellanos, Craig Jordan, Judy Teale Center/Institute/Program Directors – Aaron Cassill, Joe Lazor, Ravi Sandhu Director of Development – Kim Fischer Director of Undergraduate Advising – Patti Gonzalez Retention and Graduation Analyst – Shannon Rios Assistant Director (CRTS) – Mary Lou Spillers Representative for Dr. Wilson – Greg Granados Representative for Dr. Yacaman – Rafael López-Mobilia Guest Speakers – Nandini Kannan, Jason LeCoure Summary Notes Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) – Quantitative Literacy Course Development Program: Call for Proposals Dr. Perry introduced Dr. Nandini Kannan, QEP Project Director and Professor, Department of Management Science and Statistics. She informed the group that the QEP Program Committee has invited faculty members to submit proposals for the Quantitative Literacy Course Development Program. The Committee is looking for innovative proposals that incorporate best practices for teaching and learning of quantitative content in core courses from different disciplines and they encourage team submissions. Faculty members who are selected for the program will receive summer support in the amount of $7,500 for an individual proposal and $15,000 for team proposals. They will also be assigned a teaching assistant for the course. The proposal deadline is 14 January 2011 and the application is online. A summer workshop will be scheduled. They are looking for proposals in the core and in the areas of natural, social and behavioral sciences. Biology, chemistry and environmental science are also target areas. Dr. Swanson has been involved with a pilot course in geosciences. Quantitative (Q) courses will be offered in fall 2011. Students will be required to take Q-courses before they graduate. Since the QEP starts in the fall of 2011, there will be an addendum to the 2010-12 catalog that states all first-time, full-time students entering UTSA in 2011 must complete the Q-requirement. In the 2012-14 catalog there will be a requirement that states “Students must complete at least one course in the University Core Curriculum designated as a Q-course to satisfy the Quantitative Scholarship requirement.” Dr. Kannan is available to meet with faculty members or groups of faculty. Department chairs are requested to encourage faculty to submit proposals.
2
Southwest Research Institute Reception Dr. Perry reminded the group about the reception at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scheduled from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on 15 November 2010. Kim Fischer encouraged attendance. The event is being hosted by Dan Bates, President, SwRI, and UTSA alumni at SwRI are invited. We want to excite people at SwRI about our activities and lay the ground work for support. Drs. Romo and Bates will speak at the event. Scheduling of Spring 2011 Dean’s Executive Council Meetings Two meetings will be scheduled in the spring. Meetings will continue to be held at 1:00 p.m. on Mondays. Mary Alice will follow up with scheduling. Plus/Minus Grading System Dr. Jordan informed the group that the Faculty Senate approved a plus/minus grading system for both graduate and undergraduate programs. In fall 2011 faculty will have the option to use plus/minus grading. Currently a 4.0 is an A, 3.0 is a B, 2.0 is a C and 1.0 or below is an F. Under the new grading policy, instructors will now have the option to further classify students by using 3.67 as an A-, 3.33 as B+, 2.67 as B-, 2.33 as C+, 1.67 as C-, 1.33 as D+ and .67 as D-. Under the new system, while a distinction is made, for example between a B-, B and B+, there is no similar distinction made among the A’s; there are A-‘s, A’s but no A+’s. The consequence will be that any student, who ever receives a score above 97 in a course, will have a lower cumulative GPA than under the existing system. In particular, high-performing students will accumulate lower GPA’s than under the current system diminishing the number graduating with Cum Laude recognition. Dr. Frederick favors adding the A+ to the new system. Dr. Jordan is also concerned that the new system may result in students being evaluated in an inequitable manner. If for example two faculty are teaching the same course and are using the same 100-point grading system, a student might perform the same in both but receive significantly different GPA results; a student may score an 80 and from one instructor receive a grade of “B” (valued at 3.0 GPA points) and from the other a “B-“ (2.67). Another issue with the proposed plus-minus system which needs addressing is the current requirement that students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 to remain in good academic standing and to graduate. On a traditional 100-point grading system, an average score of 70 or above satisfied both requirements. Unless modifications are made, an average score of 73 will be required. Again students evaluated under different systems will be treated dissimilarly. As a matter of fairness, one system or the other should be adopted. Dr. Dutton asked if we have the same prerequisites, will we accept a grade of C- for prerequisites. Dr. Perry asked if we liked the idea of having the optional grading policy. If we do not want that flexibility at the college level, do we prefer the old system? Whatever we choose, it should be the same. Dr. Jordan’s question to the Council was “does the Council, as a unit, want to make such a recommendation” that he can then take to the meeting of the associate deans and Dr. Larry Williams. Grades students receive are to be not only a reflection of their performance in a class but also provide
3
a measure of an individual’s performance relative to others. The proposed optional system does not comport with the latter. Dr. Barea felt that whatever policy we adopt should be at the college level. Dr. Norman commented that the policy was adopted by the Faculty Senate and he was not sure the college can create a policy. Dr. Gorski commented that he wants an opportunity to talk with his faculty. No final decision was made on a college-wide position. Last Day for Withdrawing from a Class with Automatic “W” Dr. Jordan mentioned that the dates for dropping a classes and receiving an automatic “W” have been moved back two weeks (Undergraduates – 1 December, Graduates – 28 October). He was not sure how much input was solicited before making the policy change nor the rationale for making this change. He cautioned that it might become problematic in the case of laboratory courses since those courses complete their activities prior to the new drop date. Students may be able to determine the grade they are to receive in a laboratory course prior to the drop date and not being satisfied with it may choose to drop. In that event, they will subsequently seek to reenroll in the laboratory. There is already competition to register for laboratories and this new policy may only make a difficult situation worse. He encouraged the departments to withhold publishing to students their laboratory grades until after the date when they can drop with an automatic “W.” Dr. Gorski commented that faculty in the Department of Chemistry had been sent an e-mail to not give out grades before 2 December. Course Evaluation Instrument Dr. Jordan informed the group that course evaluations have moved to an online process. As we did not have much lead time on determining questions to be used, we went with the required statements. Only two have to do with evaluating the course. In spring 2011 we will have more time to evaluate questions. Dr. Perry commented there are other ways of identifying effective teaching assessment techniques. Dr. Baird reminded the department chairs they were supposed to be developing department teaching assessment techniques for merit review and he hoped they would be in place soon enough that they will apply to merit assessment for calendar 2011. Graduate Student Recruitment Dr. Teale distributed a handout with information that was provided in a recruitment survey. She mentioned that she was waiting on information from Biology. Most programs are doing recruiting, presenting seminars and presentations about graduate programs. Dr. Barea-Rodriguez is working with Chemistry and Physics and Astronomy to develop a Sloan proposal for recruitment and support of minority Ph.D. students. The Sloan Foundation is offering $125K for funding of Ph.D. related activities, but it has to be matched. Dr. Perry thought that $125K could come from the Alvarez fund. However, Kim mentioned that the money has been committed. Dr. Teale indicated that direct department recruitment is more effective. She mentioned that the Graduate School will be providing $10,000 to bring in the most competitive students. She stated she was waiting to hear from department chairs to help with the selection of students.
4
COS Research Conference 2011 Dr. Arulanandam mentioned that the research conference sponsored by the College of Sciences at the end of the spring 2010 semester was a big success. Students from South Texas participated and we had a number of posters from the valley. Plans are being made for the next conference and a committee will be formed. We now have a template for the meeting and will be looking for a keynote speaker. Dr. Arulanandam will be working with Kim Fischer and the Office of the Vice President for Research. He will forward information on dates for the next conference. Research Advisory Council Update Dr. Arulanandam informed the group that Dr. Romo created the Research Advisory Council to streamline practices with the Vice President for Research. Some issues relate to faculty workloads. Information will be shared with department chairs and feedback from department chairs will be requested. Agenda topics will be solicited. The Provost will be in attendance at the next meeting and there will be a discussion about workloads to include capturing workload credits over the summer. Generating Educational Excellence in Mathematics and Science (GE2MS) Degree Plans Dr. Lazor informed the group that the three areas that revised their degree plans (Mathematics, Biology, and Multidisciplinary Science) to include certification are still on hold, awaiting final approval of the certification courses from the College of Education and Human Development (COEHD). Hopefully, that approval should be given in the very near future. He also announced that COEHD was looking for help in supporting an adjunct position in order to maintain two distinct sections of the methodology course -- one for science and one for mathematics. This course deals directly with the integration of content and pedagogy and is the final certification course just before student teaching. Due to lack of funds, it appears that COEHD will not be able to maintain those two sections, so there will only be one, and that means that the teaching of both mathematics and science will be studied together. Dr. Lazor asked for any suggestions or ways that COS could offer assistance to COEHD. Transfer Coursework Shannon mentioned that Kristi Meyer, Director of the Graduation Initiative, attended a Coordinating Board meeting and notes had been distributed. Shannon can answer questions about the notes. Shannon distributed a handout about “Students’ Transfer Work” which showed that compared to the entire graduating class, a very small number of students transfer in coursework during their semester of graduation. She complimented the COS Undergraduate Advising Center and the departments on their ability to keep students on their degree plans so that they are taking courses in the correct sequence and that the courses they need are available when they need them. This is a collaborative effort between the departments and the advising center that is obviously working well.
5
Access Policy Dr. Baird referenced a copy of HOP 8.04, Keys to University Facilities. Any comments can be directed to Heather Foster, Compliance Office. Joint Appointments Dr. Baird reminded department chairs to check on any faculty members who have external joint appointments. They require approval by the Provost’s office. Appointments at The University of Texas Health Science Center are not considered external joint appointments. APEX (At the Peak of Excellence) Program Jason LeCoure, COS Undergraduate Advising Center, distributed a handout about the APEX (At the Peak of Excellence) Program coordinated by the COS Undergraduate Advising Center. APEX students are undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Sciences who have completed 30 hours or more at UTSA and maintain 3.5 or higher GPA. The primary services of the program are to provide an APEX blackboard, provide faculty in departments a means to communicate information, increase retention and form a mini-community. We want to create excitement and offer students more online services. Jason noted statistics about student participation provided on page 2 of the handout. He stated this was a way for the different areas to communicate with this group of students. Dr. Perry indicated this could be a way to recruit graduate students and also have information about the scholarship/application process. Departments can send information to Jason. Dr. Dutton expressed concern about information being provided to a select group of students. Jason will forward APEX membership lists to departments. Faculty Salary Recovery Policy Dr. Perry asked those department chairs who had not finalized a policy to provide the status of it:
Biology (Edwin Barea-Rodriguez) – in process Geological Sciences (Alan Dutton) – trying to separate salary recovery policy from workload
policy Chemistry (Waldek Gorski) – completed Mathematics (Sandy Norman) – Dr. Norman asked if the college has a policy. Dr. Perry
responded that we have the workload policy
Faculty Development Leaves, 2011-12 Due to budget considerations, the University will not be awarding development leaves for the fall 2011 or spring 2012 semesters. A copy of a memorandum from Dr. Frederick to the Deans was provided.
6
UTSA Downtown Dr. Jordan mentioned that he had received e-mail from Dr. Zapata about an annual “state of the downtown campus” presentation. Dr. Zapata has requested departments to provide information about downtown accomplishments. Honor Societies Dr. Perry mentioned that UTSA has an office for chapters of honor societies on campus and they are working to expand the number of societies. Names of faculty who are members of honors societies have been sent to Dr. Frederick’s office.
3
Parking Lots 7 and 8 Dr. Gorski asked Dr. Perry if he had additional information about the renovation that will occur during the summer in Parking Lots 7 and 8. Dr. Perry responded that he had received an e‐mail but it did not have specific information about the work. [Since the meeting information has been sent via UTSA News that mentions construction will include repairs, resurfacing and adding concrete to the bus stop.] West Campus Dr. Perry mentioned the Departments of Biology and Physics and Astronomy provided information for space usage. The Department of Chemistry will be providing information. Daniel Sibley is reviewing square footage to make sure all the numbers are accurate. Scholarship Reception Dr. Jordan will send e‐mail to departments about the COS scholarship reception on 27 October 2010. Curriculum Committees Dr. Perry recommended that departments have their curriculum committees oversee curriculum alignment. Possible Site for Research Dr. Perry received an e‐mail from an individual who has a 300 acre ranch north of Uvalde and indicated he wanted to make it available for research to be conducted. Kim Fisher is contacting faculty about going with her on a trip to meet the individual and explore this opportunity. Kim reminded the group about the Alvarez match. We were able to double the Merck money with the Alvarez match. Under the Alvarez match faculty can donate to their own research. Pledges can be paid over five years and rooms and laboratories can be named after individuals.