Academic Support Planning Committee Meeting Notes

Date:  December 5, 2000

Time: 1:00 – 3:00

Location:  McHenry Library – Room 481

 

1.  Welcome

Members Present:  Francisco Hernandez, Tom Vani, Karen Eckert, Lynda Goff, Lan     Dyson, Kathy Jefferds; Barry Bowman; John Tamkun

Staff Present:  Betty Rush, Ernie Hudson

Guests:  None

 

2.  Agenda

     Discussion of Narrative Evaluation System – Presented by Lynda Goff

    

Discussion of the Report on the Colleges – Presented by Lynda Goff

 

3.  Narrative Evaluation System

Lynda Goff discussed the progress related to the possible purchase of a software package that might be helpful to faculty in the delivery of narrative evaluations.  Barbara Rogoff and Lynda Goff are working with the Toronto based company that produces the software “Gradebook” in order to see if the software can be modified to accommodate text to support the campus’ Narrative Evaluation System.  Faculty may be enlisted to do a Beta test this Spring.  The development cost for the new system is $90,000 and $13,000 is for annual maintenance.  The system is PC, MAC and Web enabled.

 

There was much discussion about the proposed new Narrative Evaluation System “Gradebook” including: how to promote and publicize the new system; how to train faculty/staff to use the new system; who should be responsible for the training; what department/division should be responsible for maintaining the new system; how much will the new system cost; who will pay for the new system; will “Gradebook” become an additional option for submitting narratives or the only option; how will narratives entered via “Gradbook” be included in the campus database; does “Gradebook” raise questions regarding securities, permissions and access?.

 

There were also requests from the committee for information about the current narrative evaluation system:  what support mechanisms are currently available; what is the cost for the current narrative evaluation system; speculation of current faculty time spent on narratives; etc.  The Registrar’s Office conducted a study on Narrative Evaluations a few years ago that will be reviewed by the Committee.

 

The Academic Support Planning Committee will continue discussions of the Narrative Evaluation Process at future meetings in order to present recommendations to the Campus Provost.

 

4.  Colleges – Discussion of the Report of the Advisory Committee on Colleges– Fall 2000

Lynda Goff presented the Report of the Colleges Advisory Committee.  In July 2000, Campus Provost Simpson convened an advisory group to examine the present state of the UCSC Colleges and to make recommendations to guide their future development as the campus grows to 15,000 students.

 

The report has gone to the Campus Provost, CAOs, and the Academic Senate for review and suggestions.  While the recommendations of the College Advisory Committee are displayed below, the Academic Support Planning Advisory Committee (ASPAC) discussed its possible role/roles in determining the future for the Colleges and felt that it will have a great deal of input.  Terry Korett will attend a future meeting of the ASPAC to discuss the complete report.

 

Report recommendations:

College Teams 

          1.  Explain the college system to the campus and reaffirm the commitment to organize UG student life in collegiate units.

          2.  Set enrollment targets for the Ninth and Tenth Colleges that will allow the current colleges to limit enrollment to 1500 students.

          3.  Determine how many additional UG colleges must be built on the northwest campus site currently designated for Colleges Eleven and Twelve.

          4.  Develop guidelines for assigning entering students to colleges so that current colleges can be limited to 1500 students and the size of their entering cohorts capped at a manageable size for college facilities.

          5.  Review college staff positions and budgets to insure that they reflect the required FTE and support funds to serve affiliate populations of 1500 students.

          6.  College academic affairs staff should continue to provide advising for undeclared students and monitor the academic standing of all affiliated students.

          7.  While taking the model of one CAO and one college provost per 1500-student college as the desirable default, thoroughly investigate the consequences of suggestions that CAOs or College Provosts might supervise more than one college team in some cases.

     College Faculties

          8.  Clarify the college affiliations of faculty.  Convene college faculties to gauge interest in reviewing current college requirements and course offerings.

          9.  The Committee on Educational Policy should review current core courses.

   10.  Develop alternative models for serving students who have not passed the Subject A requirement at admission.    

   11.  Allow the current formula funding for college core courses to be used by Provosts for alternative models developed with college faculties.

   12.  Clarify expectations of the role of faculty in mentoring undeclared and pre-major students.

   13.  Re-examine the job description and procedure for evaluation of college provosts in light of current administrative arrangements and anticipated changes in college programs.

Other Conclusions of the Committee

   14.  Endorsement of the creation of some sort of graduate college to support community among graduate students.

        15.  Space for academic administration and classrooms should be provided in new colleges but future faculty offices and research space should not be incorporated into them.

   16.  Existing Colleges should collaborate with Divisions but not be subsumed by them.  Residential communities should not become divisionally homogeneous.

   17.  Long-term financing of the maintenance of college houses should be resolved.

   18.  Consider expanding length of first-year orientation and enhancing its academic character.

   19.  Searches for future college provosts should be conducted in light of these

recommendations.

 

Lynda Goff also reported that there has been reporting restructuring in the colleges regarding the Provosts.  The College Provosts will now report to Lynda Goff instead of to the Deans.

 

4.  Next meeting January 16, 2001.  Agenda to be announced.

          (Meetings scheduled for December 19 and January 2 were cancelled).