I.  General Agenda 

• Fort Bend/UH System

--The provost briefed the Council on the recent meeting of the Provosts’ Council.  UHD proposed offering its MAT in Sugar Land.  The common calendar for the next two years was approved.  Issues resolved were that spring semester would start after MLK day, spring break would come later in March, summer school would start around June 1 (with a later start for Education if advisable), and the week between 5-week summer terms would be eliminated. 

--Joseph Ben-Ur indicated that UFEC, the System’s council of Faculty Senate chairs, which meets with the chancellor, had expressed interest in distance education concerns, including articulation of courses. 

• Technology

--Joe Ferguson discussed with members the comparative costs of flat screen and older-type monitors.  Some employees have complained about the 15” flat screens and would prefer 17” ones.  The latter are more expensive.  A 19” old type is about an inch larger than a 17” flat screen and cost less.  Thus it could be an option--though it takes up more desk space. 

--Chari Norgard proposed initiating a university account on WebCT that could be used to apprise all online students of important information affecting students, such as weather emergencies or deadline to pay fees or be dropped from their courses.  The deans would review such messages in advance to ensure that they represented an urgent communication need. 

• Data Collection

--Liz Branch reported that Mary Ann Rivera is working on zip code analyses, which should be ready in October or November.  She said Eric Mims had arranged web access to LaserFiche and needed the names of those who would have access. 

II.  Specific Agenda 

• Faculty Development Grants

* Some of these awards are pending receipt of previous year’s reports. 

--Approved the request of Dr. Yong Glasure for a publication fee ($600) to the Energy Economics.

--Approved the addendum to Dr. Carol Klages travel grant request to present at the 9^th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum, in Tulsa, OK, in October.  (Additional $475, making total award $685.) 

--Approved the request of Dr. June Lu for a travel grant ($912) to present at the 13^th International Information Management Association Annual Conference, in Savannah, GA, in October. 

--Approved the request of Dr. Marie Plemons for a travel grant ($699) to present at the Association for Childhood Education International Conference and Exhibition, in Phoenix, AZ, in April. 

--Approved the request of Dr. David Summers for a travel grant ($1,200) to present at the 44^th Annual Mountain Plains Management Conference, in Durango, CO, in October. 

--Approved the request of Dr. Chun-Sheng Yu for a travel grant ($700) to present at the 13^th International Information Management Association Annual Conference, in Savannah, GA, in October. 

--Accepted reports on grant-funded conference travel from Drs. Joseph Ben-Ur, Horace Fairlamb, Donald Loffredo, June Lu, Cindy Schnebly, and Andria Young. 

--Accepted reports on research grants from Drs. Vera Adamchik, Jane Fry, Gayla Lawson, Marie Plemons, and David Satava. 

DNS/kw
9/11/02

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