Present:	Sukanya Banerjee, Karen Brucks, Eduardo Douglas, Glen Fredlund, Peter Geissinger, Joyce Kirk, Kris Ruggiero, Daad Saffarini
Guests:	Connie Jo, Kim Romenesko
Excused:	Pat Kissinger, Kathleen Wheatley

1. Call to Order -- The chair, Peter Geissinger, called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. in Holton 241.
2. Procedural Matters - A proposed spring meeting schedule will be sent via e-mail after all of the time grids are turned in.
3. Automatic Consent
   1. Approval of Minutes #3, 2007-2008 (November 6, 2007) - Kathleen Wheatley informed Kim via e-mail that in the last paragraph of section IV. it says "bodes will" instead of "bodes well." The minutes were amended to correct the typo and then approved as amended.
4. Old Business
   1. Spousal and Target-of-Opportunity Hiring - Peter said this may be a moot issue because, according to Dean Meadows, spousal and target-of-opportunity hires will not be done "automatically" this year. Joyce Kirk said that Africology was asked to consider a potential spousal hire last year but the department declined to hire the person because s/he did not fit departmental needs. Kris Ruggerio said that History has made a number of spousal and target-of-opportunity hires with whom they are pleased. The large multi-disciplinary nature of the department probably makes it easier to integrate these new hires into the department. Eduardo Douglas said that if an executive committee does not want to accommodate one of these hires because it feels that the hire would be disruptive (or ill-fitting), the department can say "no." Daad Saffarini said the department sometimes cannot easily say "no." Karen Brucks said the Math Department recently made a spousal hire with whom they are very happy. The person was considered on his/her merits and departmental need. Glen Fredlund said that Geography has made several spousal hires. The individuals are well qualified but departmental hiring priorities do get pushed back. Eduardo said that this problem is not going to go away. The academy has to catch up with reality: women no longer handle the babies and follow their husbands to their institutions. Glen wondered whether or not this committee could make a policy recommendation regarding the issue. Karen said she did not think a policy could cover everything because it affects individual departments uniquely. Eduardo said that some public universities set lines aside for spousal and target-of-opportunity hiring and the provost doles them out. Joyce said we need to see how other institutions deal with this issue. She volunteered Eduardo to look for articles on the topic to circulate to the committee. Eduardo said "no, no, no." After some discussion, they both agreed to look for information.

      Karen Brucks then brought up an issue that was not on the agenda. She said that proposals from research groups that are submitted for the DIN cluster hires are required to go through executive committees only on the back end of the process--not the front end. Proposals can go directly to the Provost. This is not a good process, especially for proposals with a multi-departmental focus. Other members voiced concern about how the proposal process seems too rushed and chaotic (…like a runaway stage coach), reminiscent of the Milwaukee Idea process. Peter offered to draft a general statement of concern to circulate to the committee.

   2. Distinguished Professors - Peter said that he e-mailed Jack Johnson to find out what was happening with the Distinguished Professor issue. Jack said that the University Committee (UC) still has the recommendation that came from the APGC. The UC is planning to invite current Distinguished Professors to a UC meeting to further discuss the criteria used to determine who is given this title.
5. New Business
   1. Additional Possible Faculty Meeting Dates for Spring: January 31, February 28, and May 8 - Connie told the committee that only one faculty meeting had been scheduled for fall because the Dean's schedule was largely full on Thursdays at 3:30. As a result, pressing issues were held up. To avoid this in the spring semester, Connie suggested that we schedule monthly meetings that could be chaired by an Associate Dean if Dean Meadows could not be there. (Dean Meadows said this was fine with him.) If a meeting was not needed, it would be cancelled. The committee approved the plan and the meeting dates given above. (A meeting on April 10 had been approved previously).

      Peter Geissinger raised several issues that were not on the agenda.

      He gave an update on the School of Freshwater Sciences: It is not yet clear where the Water Institute will fit in. The new School, which is in the planning/discussion phase, will be at the graduate level and focused on research. It will have a Dean and will offer a Ph.D program in freshwater sciences/engineering. Issues that have emerged include the possible conversion of research lines into faculty lines and a question about how a new Dean will affect the balance of things on campus. Peter said the planning process is moving quickly. In early spring, consultants will review the initial planning document.

      Peter asked whether a cost/benefit analysis of on-line instruction had been completed. Connie said that Pat Kissinger had been out on sick leave but that she would ask Pat to look at this once she has caught up on things. Peter also asked the committee how it wanted to proceed with the budget issues raised in earlier meetings. The committee suggested revisiting the list Peter had created ("APGC Budget Discussion-Talking Points" list) at the next meeting.

6. Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 11:17 a.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Kim Romenesko
Senior Administrative Program Specialist
Letters and Science Administration

Distribution: Dean G. Richard Meadows
Associate Deans Gajdardziska-Josifovska, O'Bryan, Schuster, Swain
Assistant Deans Weslow, Jo
Secretary of the University

Minutes #4, 2007-08.apgc