Academic Council Minutes, April 5, 2006

I.  Minutes 

--Approved (corrected copy distributed at meeting) 

II. General Agenda 

• Data Collection

--No report 

• Instructional Technology/Online Issues and Updates

--No report 

• Fort Bend Issues and Updates

--The provost met with the AAS group on a proposed process and time table for addressing leadership, recruitment, and other issues related to the centers and will take to the Provosts’ Council.  He noted that the group was enthusiastic about trying 8-week sessions at the centers and felt it was critical to get a center going in the Cy-Fair area.  Chari Norgard added that the group will meet in Pearland for a retreat next month. 

III. Specific Agenda 

• Student Appeals

--The Council approved a student request to accept an A in an algebra course that she had later repeated and gotten an F in, owing to withdrawal.  The repetition was apparently owing to an institutional problem with record keeping.   

• Faculty Development Requests and Reports

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($200) for Dr. Mel Damodaran to present at the Knowledge Management International Conference and Exhibition ’06, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in June. 

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($1,000) for Dr. Yixi Ning to present at the 2006 Hawaii International Conference on Business, in Honolulu, HI, in May. 

--Approved a development grant for conference presentation ($200) for Dr. Marie Stern Plemons to present at the 2006 Association for Childhood Education International Annual Conference and Exhibition, in San Antonio, TX, in April. 

--Accepted a grant funded conference travel report from Dr. Massoud Metghalchi. 

• Other

--A question was raised about progress with regard to including a survey on program effectiveness when students are applying for graduation.  Provost will check with the registrar. 

--Elois Kraatz was present to discuss concerns about complying with Homeland Security regulations having to do with limitations that apply to international students taking online courses.  The federal entity charged with review has denied approval of the MS-CS program for students on F-1 visas.  Since several UHV programs are heavily online and F-1 students are relatively few, the Council did not see any workable solution to this problem at present.  The provost asked that OAR develop advisory language that can be shared with applicants for admission who are on F-1 visas, so that students may make an informed decision about whether they could complete a given program and remain in compliance.   Penalties for non-compliance can be severe.   

DNS/kw
4/7/06