Academic Council Minutes, September 8, 2003 

I.  General Agenda 

• Data Collection

--After discussion, the Council concluded that for data purposes only fully online courses need to be tracked.

--After considering whether laserfiche accounts should be selective on an as-needed basis, the Council concluded that the accounts should be set up automatically for faculty and academic staff, though not everyone would use them.   

--Enrollments were reported at 2327 paid to date, with an additional 216 registered but not yet paid. 

• Instructional Technology

--Chari Norgard noted upcoming training sessions in Houston for support staff on WebCT Vista.  Tools currently being used in WebCT are being identified to facilitate the migration to the Vista version.

--Joe Ferguson reported that all new and replacement faculty have computers.  Procedures for assigning new computers were discussed.  Basically, the process will be for IT to identify and order the number of new computers due each school and for the dean to assign them. 

--A question about wireless environments was raised; IT is investigating that prospect.

• Fort Bend Issues and Updates

--The Council considered a question of whether center schedules were needed or whether referring students to the institutions’ course schedules would suffice.  The conclusion was that, unless some effective mediating interface were put in place, students would have inordinate difficulty in selecting their courses in the absence of schedule of offerings for each center.

--The library will update ID cards at the convocation scheduled for Fort Bend next month.  However, it will not be able to accommodate new faculty, since it will not have the camera on hand. 

II.  Specific Agenda 

• Student Appeals

  --The Council denied the appeal of a student to have an F changed to a W.  The student was not passing at the time of withdrawal.

  --The Council also denied the appeal of a student to have a B changed to an A. 

• Faculty Development Conference Presentation and Research Requests

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($1,000) to Dr. Jeffrey Di Leo for the Modern Language Association Annual Conference, in San Diego, CA, in December.

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($1,000) to Dr. Xavier Garza-Gomez for the Annual Meeting of the Financial Management Association International, in Denver, CO, in October. 

--Approved a research grant ($1,000) to Dr. Donald Loffredo for “Quasi-Experimental Research on Substance Abuse Prevention,” pending receipt of outstanding reports.

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($900) to Dr. Massoud Metghalchi for the Business and Economics Research Conference, in Las Vegas, NV, in October.

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($1,000) to Dr. David Summers for the Mountain Plains Management Conference, in Moscow, ID, in October. 

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9/9/03