Minutes Provost's Office UHV

Academic Council Minutes, May 20, 2002

I.  General Agenda

  • PeopleSoft Training
--Liz Branch provided a report, with handouts, on PeopleSoft developments, including processing questions that will need to be answered sooner or later.  She also provided a handout on admissions statistics.
  • Information Technology
--Chari Norgard noted that there would be a PeopleSoft meeting on June 12 to look specifically at collaborative distance-education needs.

--She also reported that the CampusNet Online Workshop (COW) was very successful.  Four faculty from UHV attended.

--Revised policy on articulation/partnering of courses is in final draft and will be submitted to the Provosts' Council for approval.

--We have now migrated to the upgraded version of WebCT (version 3.7).
  • Fort Bend Issues and Updates
 --The Provost reported that a mid-summer move to the new building is still tentative, since the building has not yet been accepted.  Such a move would not involve ITV courses or possibly 10-week courses.  It was noted that duplicating and staff support could be a problem if courses are taught in both locations.

--Staff and faculty were surveyed about the need for auxiliary restroom facilities apart from the main building.  Reactions were mixed.  In either case persons would have to go outside.  The difference is the length of the walk and the nature of the facilities.
II.  Specific Agenda
  • Student Appeals
--Declined to consider an appeal in the absence of evidence other than that the student disagreed with the professor's evaluation.

--Approved an appeal for a student to complete a program under the requirements of an earlier catalog.
  • Faculty Development Grants
--Approved the request of Dr. Dan Hallock and Dr. Joe Szendi for a research grant ($1,700) to determine if specific personality profiles and learning styles, and other demographics are common and significant among practicing professional project managers.

--Approved early the request of Dr. Gayla Lawson for a research grant ($1,390) to conduct follow-up assessment on assistance to a school cohort in Costa Rica for school improvement and professional development.

--Approved early, pending receipt of acceptance of presentation, the request of Dr. Richard Gunasekera for a travel grant ($1,100) to present at the Post Genome Knowledge Discovery Conference, in Singapore, in May.

--Approved a request of Dr. Massoud Metghalchi for a travel grant ($600) to present at the Business and Economics Society International Conference, in Montreal Quebec, Canada, in July.

--Approved the requests of Dr. Ron Sardessai for travel grants ($1,000) to present at the Business and Economics Society International Conference, in Montreal Quebec, Canada, in July; and ($700) to present at the New England Business Administration Association, in New Haven, CT, in May.

--Accepted a report on grant-funded conference travel from Dr. Massoud Metghalchi.  Also, accepted a preliminary report on grant-funded research from Dr. Chun-Sheng Yu and Dr. June Lu.
  • Other
--The Council approved a procedural change in dealing with student grade appeals to allow for consideration without a hearing.  A hearing would still be held if the Council, student, or faculty member desired one.  The change was deemed not substantive and thus not in need of further review. 

--Categories desired on this fall's Student Satisfaction Survey in addition to standard instrument:
  • Undergraduate vs. Graduate
  • Location:
    • I.  On-Line
    II.  In-Person
    A.  Victoria
    1.  Day
    2.  Evening
    B.  Cinco Ranch
    C.  Sugar Land

    --The existing diploma replacement policy was reviewed and left as is.
DNS/kw
5/21/02