March 31, 2006

President Wilson convened the meeting at 8:00 am.    He reviewed the conversations he had initiated about plan implementation since the last SPBC meeting, including discussions with CUPP and Cabinet.    These groups advanced a number of alternative proposals for implementing the plan, particularly with regard to the Teaching and Learning goal.  As at the previous SPBC meeting, the group again agreed that any decisions on plan implementation in this area should await the appointment of the new Provost. All also agreed, however, that the campus community was eager to move as quickly as possible in the new academic year.

The group then discussed potential implementation responsibilities for the Financial Resources goal (leadership should rest primarily with the Vice Presidents for Business and Finance and Advancement and their staffs, with input from the SPBC); the Student Development goal (leadership should come from the Vice President for Student Affairs and her staff, with the potential for broad-based, ad hoc committees to address some strategies); and the Diversity goal (on which progress has already been measured on several fronts, but which awaits the possible future appointment of a new administrator responsible for implementation of this goal as a whole).  

The President then asked Acting Dean Griffiths to review several ideas for the Fall Faculty Conference, at which time the faculty could begin to talk about strategic curricular planning, which is one of the strategies under the Teaching and Learning goal.  Possibilities include an outside speaker with expertise in this area, with reaction from a faculty panel; consideration of different curricular models (e.g., new approaches to General Education); or an examination of how we are using our current resources, with particular attention to points of tension.  Dean Griffiths mentioned the possibility of a representative faculty planning group to work with the new Provost in developing one or more of these ideas over the summer.  SPBC members expressed interest in being kept informed as things progress.

The Committee agreed to meet again on Reading Day, April 21.  

Distributed to all faculty and staff: April 24, 2006