UWM-L&S: Academic Planning Committee--092101m

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
College of Letters and Science

2001-2002
Academic Planning Committee
Meeting: Friday, September 21, 2001, 10:30 a.m.
Holton Hall 241

Minutes No. 1

Present:	Swarnjit Arora, Victor Greene, Thomas Holme, Renee Meyers, Stacey Oliker, David Schultz, Gabrielle Verdier
Excused:	Margaret Atherton, Gerald Bergtrom, Patricia Kissinger
Guests:	Connie Jo, Denise Mueller

Call to Order - The Chair, Renee Meyers, called the meeting to order at 10:36 a.m. in HLT 241.

Automatic Consent

Minutes #10 (July 5, 2001) were approved as submitted.
The 2000-2001 Annual Report was approved as submitted.

Procedural Matters

Election of Co-Chair - Gerald Bergtrom was elected as Co-Chair for 2001-2002.
Review of Committee's Charter - Following a general discussion of the Committee's charter, members concluded that the role of the Committee should be stated more explicitly. Discussion of the charter will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting. Members were asked to bring specific ideas for amending the charter.

Old Business - none

New Business

Nominations of Faculty Members to Review Sabbatical Proposals – The following were nominated to assist the associate deans in reviewing sabbatical proposals:

Humanities

Natural Science

Social Science

Science PhD Programs discussion item - Swarnjit Arora addressed the Committee about the crisis that exists within the graduate programs. He noted the Chemistry Department was able to recruit just one graduate student this year. Visa problems make it difficult to bring in foreign students, and we cannot compete for domestic students due to our very low stipends. This problem is especially pronounced in the natural sciences. In Chemistry, a significant number of faculty are investigating job possibilities elsewhere. A motion to drop the Chemistry PhD program was proposed within the department. Additionally, a motion to stop recruiting new faculty members also was written. It is critical that departments have graduate students to conduct research; we should not be bringing in new faculty members when we don't have students to support their work. We need an immediate allocation of funds to supplement TA stipends. The Committee members agreed Renee Meyers would draft a letter to the Dean, with a copy to the Provost, in which the Committee expresses its view that this is a crisis situation. She will circulate a draft to members via e-mail prior to sending a final version to the Dean.

Departmental Long-Range Plans - Swarnjit Arora recommended that departments be asked to develop long-range plans outlining their goals. He expressed concern that new monies will not be distributed to the departments that desperately need the resources. Thomas Holme proposed that the Committee ask departments to provide brief statements concerning how The Milwaukee Idea (TMI) action plans interface with liberal education and how TMI impacts the department's task of contributing to a liberal education. Committee members agreed that Renee Meyers should draft a letter to all department chairs requesting their thoughts on this topic. The departments will be asked to return their statements by October 8th. Members agreed to discuss department feedback at the next meeting.

Adjournment - The next meeting of the Committee was set for October 10, 2001 at 4:00 p.m. The meeting was adjourned at 11:40 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Connie Jo
Special Assistant to the Dean
Secretary to L&S Faculty

Distribution: Interim Dean G. Richard Meadows
Associate Deans Harris, Miller, O'Bryan, Schuster
Assistant Deans Horstman, Kissinger, Olfe
Special Assistant to the Dean Connie Jo
Secretary to the University

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