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Agenda of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Faculty Assembly

The Faculty Assembly will meet from 3:30 to 4:55 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17, 2001in the Senate Chamber of Old Capitol. Because of construction on Old Capitol, please use the west entrance to the building, which faces the river.

Please sign one of the attendance sheets available at the door.

1. Discussion/amendment/approval of the minutes of the September 2001 meeting of the Faculty Assembly.
   
   
2. Invited presentation by Dean Linda Maxson on how the CLAS will be expected to contribute to the budget de-appropriation.
   
   
3. Report of the Faculty Assembly Task Force on College Visibility and Renewal. This Task Force met on October 5 and brainstormed a bit about what might be general points to be considered in the impending budget cut decisions. The Task Force thought that the Assembly should consider whether it wants to and can agree on an official Assembly position on some of the issues. The idea here is that budget decisions should be guided by (constrained by) a set of overarching principles adopted a priori by the faculty. These principles are based on a premise that the basic core mission and values of the College are to be preserved. The Task Force would also like to hear other suggestions on principles from the floor. Please think of the following suggested guidelines as questions. Do we want to propose that...??? (Please remember that these are statements for discussion--and do not represent positions yet endorsed by the Task Force or the Assembly.)
   
   Thus, the Task Force proposes that the Assembly consider taking an official position on the following set of guidelines related to the impending budget cuts:
   
   
   • In times of scarcity, teaching must be preserved. We must protect the faculty and the teaching assistants that deliver the main product that our college has to offer: learning. Thus, all aspects of teaching and learning must take precedence over other services provided by the College (such as non-teaching student services).
   • Suspend the introduction of new programs (extra programs).
   • Tuition must be increased substantially to offset the loss of funding from the state.
   • Protect high enrollment courses and departments with the most student demand (i.e.serve the needs of the most possible students)
   • Identify disciplines that we view as the core of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and protect these rather than cutting evenly across all programs.

   
   In considering these issues, you may want to view University of Iowa President Mary Sue Coleman's principles that she has put forward to guide the UI as it develops plans to deal with a potential cut of $21.9 million from the current year's operating budget as recommended by the governor: http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2001/october/1009budget-principles.html

4. Revised motion from the Educational Policy Committee requesting approval for a new major in Multidisciplinary Studies. The EPC has submitted a revised proposal for a major in Multidisciplinary Studies in light of the Faculty Assembly's discussion last month of the Collegiate Studies proposal. The EPC has also submitted a response document that addresses some of the specific concerns expressed by Assembly members last month. The EPC's revised motion to the Faculty Assembly is:
   Resolved, that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly recommend that the Educational Policy Committee's proposal for a new major in Multidisciplinary Studies be approved.
   If this motion passes in the Assembly, the Dean will recommend the proposal to the Provost. If the Provost approves, he will then recommend the new degree program to the Regents.
   
   
5. (4:30) Motion from the Educational Policy Committee requesting approval for a new transcript/graduation notation, "Honors in Liberal Arts and Sciences." (Click on the link for the full proposal.) The EPC proposes that students completing the current requirements for "Honors Commendation" receive a more permanent and public recognition than the current certificate that is signed by the President of the University and by the director of the Honors Program. Registrar Jerald Dallam (or a member of his staff) will attend to address any record-keeping questions the proposal may entail.
   
   
6. (4:55) Adjournment.
   

Questions about Faculty Assembly can be directed to Cheryl Walsh (353-2639).