I.  General Agenda 

• Information Technology

--The question of laptops needed for the SACS team and how they would be used after the visit was discussed.  We will try to ascertain needs and preferences prior to visit and have the preferred mix of laptops and desktops available.  Existing laptops on campus may be loaned for the time the team is here.  New ones will be ordered, as well.  These will be allocated later to new off-campus faculty and/or to faculty who are due a new computer and who prefer a laptop set up to a desktop.

--SPSS has gone up in cost from about $90 to about $160, and the number of users has increased from 24 to 61.  The Council will discuss budgeting for this and other software needed for instruction or research at its January retreat, considering what should be budgeted to IT and what to the academic schools.

• Instructional Support Services and Distance Education

--It appears that UH and UHV will move forward together on WebCT’s Vista.  UHCL and UHD may participate in the System-wide license but retain the current version for another year.  The migration to Vista will take several months, once started.

--Cinco Ranch needs to know who will attend its scheduled open house.

II.  Specific Agenda 

• Student Appeals

--The Council approved a student request for admission despite dismissal from a previous institution.  The student had since achieved good standing at another institution and was arguably re-admissible to his prior one.

--The Council referred to Arts and Sciences the request of a student wanting to use elective credit over 10 years old in the MAIS program.

• Faculty Development Conference Presentation Requests and Reports

--Approved a request of Dr. Estella De Los Santos, for a travel grant ($223) to present at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Canadian Regional Conference, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, in October. 

--Approved a request of Dr. Colleen Logan, for a travel grant ($1,200) to present at the American Counseling Association Annual Convention, in Anaheim, CA, in March. 

--Approved a request of Dr. Barba Patton, for a travel grant ($1,100) to present at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Canadian Regional Conference, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, in October. 

--Approved a request of Dr. Jifu Wang, for a travel grant ($825) to present at the Asia Pacific Journal of Management Conference, in Bangkok, Thailand, in December. 

--Accepted a report on grant-funded travel from Dr. Carol Klages.

• Other

--The Council reviewed the tentative agenda for the January retreat.

--It also discussed whether at commencement the schools might name an outstanding undergraduate and an outstanding graduate student.  The decision was to leave it to each school whether to name one, two, or no outstanding students for the year.

• Guests

--The Council meeting adjourned to accommodate guests from the UH System, who talked with Council members and other institutional representatives about the implementation of PeopleSoft.

DNS/kw
11/19/02

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