Academic Council Minutes, January 17, 2007

 

 

I.  Guest

 

--Mrs. Elois Kraatz shared with the council information on the J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa process.  The council approved Mrs. Kraatz to take steps to be appointed an Alternate Responsible Officer (ARO) for the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program in collaboration with the UH-Main Campus.  Anita Gaines, Director of UH International Student and Scholar Services Office will request permission from the U.S. Department of State for approval. This collaboration will allow UHV to process J-1 visas for Exchange Visitor Program participants for our campus.  It will also allow us to determine whether UHV may proceed with application to the DOS in future for our own program apart from UH-Main Campus.   Ms. Gaines, Responsible Officer for the UH program will oversee J-1 compliance procedures that Elois will process for UHV participants.  The council members were presented information regarding departmental responsibilities for J-1 sponsorship, ensuring the visitors are engaged in cultural activities and properly supervised during their stay.

 

It was established that there are procedures and guidelines that the university must be adhered to and deadlines that must be met. 

 

II. General Agenda

 

 

 

--Mrs. Trudy Wortham updated the council that paid enrollment was 67 ahead of last year at this time with 2,463.

 

--Mrs. Chari Norgard reported that there has already been a meeting to discuss and follow-up on those students that had been zapped. 

 

 

--  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Mr. Joe Ferguson reported that three classrooms have been upgraded in the University West Victoria building and noted two IT monitors will be replaced with plasma screens.

 

 

--No report

 

 

--Council members discussed closing of campuses due to weather issues and decided to continue with the best judgment call.

 

 

--Mrs. Norgard briefly discussed the Golden Crescent Regional Transportation Study, noting it was a study to coordinate ways on improving transportation within the seven county areas.  She noted a consulting firm out of Houston was handling the 814 surveys that had been mailed concerning student transportation habits.

 

III. Specific Agenda

 

 

--Prospective student is denied admission at this time.  The student is encouraged to visit with a degree plan counselor and retake 12 hours of required courses at Victoria College.

--Appeal denied in that the student did not establish a cause for the grade change request. 

--A student request to be admitted despite three suspensions at previous institutions was approved—with probation, conditional on the students maintaining a 2.0 during the first 12 hours at UHV. 

--A student request to be admitted despite three suspensions at a previous institution was approved.  The student is currently enrolled and has earned good grades at VC. 

--Denied a request for readmission, suspension stands.

 

--  SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Denied an admission request for a J1 student, the student will be allowed to audit the course.                                                                                                                                                            

--Dr. Kay Kohlhaas was awarded $1,300.00 for the 2007 American Educational Research Association annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.

 

--Dr. Nagarajan Ramamoorthy was awarded $1,300.00 for a research grant to study the work values and attitudes of software professionals in Indian organizations in the Bangalore regions of India.

 

--When documentation of acceptance of presentation is submitted, Dr. Yun Wan will be awarded $1,300.00 for the Information Resource Management Association Annual conference, in Vancouver, Canada.

 

--Dr. Qi Zhu was awarded $750.00 for the 2007 Texas computer Education Association Symposium in Austin, TX.

 

--Accepted a grant funded conference travel report from Dr. David Summers.

 

As recorded by,

Kathy Walton

1/26/07