Provosts’ Council Meeting, December 2, 2004, via Conference Call

1. Performance Targets

Susan Weeks discussed the OUS performance targets and provided an update regarding contacts with legislators. Several legislators are very interested/focused on performance measures. In general, they have been pleased with what the Board has been providing. OUS has 13 indicators that align with state benchmarks. Report will be presented to the Board in February as a written report only. Susan asked Provosts to take a final look at the draft report to make sure that the data are correct and that the text reflects what each institution wants to present.

2. Faculty Diversity Initiative Funds

New Faculty Diversity Initiatives in the Oregon State System of Higher Education, was approved by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education on February 17, 1995. Approximately $350K are available to OUS institutions for this initiative. The initiative has three objectives:

· To provide supplemental financial support to leverage campus efforts to recruit, nationally and statewide, promising ethnic minority group candidates to graduate degree programs and faculty appointments;

· To bring about campus and departmental climate changes that promote academic success for graduate students and the hiring (including the necessary support for career advancement) of faculty from ethnic minority groups; and

· To create incentives for campuses to participate effectively in national efforts to increase minority group representation in the higher education pipeline from the gradate level to faculty ranks.

As a result of implementing these programs, campuses will have improved their capacity to expand their existing and planned activities to attract, hire, develop, and promote faculty and professional/administrative staff from underrepresented ethnic minority groups.

3. Update on Excellence in Delivery and Productivity

Three topics were discussed: Oregon Transfer Module, Student Retention Information and Accelerated High School Courses. The Transfer Module was discussed and each institution provided an update on where they are with the process. Most reported substantial progress on review on each campus with intent to seek senate approvals in early 2005. IFS’ role in facilitating and leading this effort was acknowledged. Provosts acknowledged that this was a topic that needed to be faculty lead, and no action was required by the Provosts. It was suggested that IFS might consider informing the legislators of our efforts and approval if we do indeed approve it.

Student Retention Information was requested from each institution to serve as a means of informing legislators.

Accelerated High School Courses were discussed. Originally presented as a principal that OUS institutions should be offering more courses at HS level. However, the question has morphed into an effort to facilitate transfer of HS credits to OUS and community colleges. A lot of work still needs to be done on this. A primary barrier is the amount of funding for K-12. A second barrier is in attitude (believe that these courses are only for top-end students). Finally, OUS as told K-12 that teachers must have at least a MS degree to teach duel enrollment courses, but OUS does not necessarily follow those guidelines.

It was noted that the governor’s budget did not include any additional funds for these initiatives.

4. Statewide Degree Audit Proposal

A statewide degree audit for Business majors has been proposed as a pilot program. This would be an electronic system that analyzed a student’s transcripts and provided them with feedback as an assessment of where they are in progressing towards their degree. Biggest concern with this proposal was resources….where would the resources come from to do the required IT work.

5. Draft Admission Policy for 2006-07

The Interinstitutional Committee on Admission and Recruitment (ICAR) has begun significant discussion relating to recommended changes to University Admission Requirements for Fall 2006. Proposals for changes to the requirements for 2006 will go before the Oregon State Board of Higher Education for consideration at their February meeting. ICAR recommends the following changes to the 2006 Admission Requirements be submitted to the State Board of Higher Education for review and approval:

· Eliminate the requirement that students admitted with a second language admission deficiency fulfill this requirement prior to university graduation.

· Require submission of scores from a standardized writing examination for freshman admission consideration for students graduating spring 2006 or later.

· Change alternative requirements for Home Schooled students and nonaccredited high school graduates to reflect elimination of the SAT II Writing Exam.

· Eliminate the specification of the courses required to meet the Social Science course pattern requirement for freshman admission.

6. Recruitment Issues

Chancellor’s office will no longer be doing statewide high school visitations. ICAR will provide a summary of what has been done in the past, what is happening this year and recommendations for next year.

7. NCES/IPEDS Reporting

Because of the privacy (homeland security, FERPA, etc.) and data integrity concerns, the workload concerns, and so on there are issues with National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES)/ Integrated post-secondary Education System (IPEDS) reporting at OUS institutions. There are other issues including the fact that the data will not be available back to the campuses for research. NCES is taking the stance that once it has added value to the data it no longer belongs to the providers.

We are in the comment period, but Bob Kieran had the impression that comments weren't being taken too seriously by NCES, although Betsy and Andy pointed out this is the time to start working with appropriate legislators. ACE, unfortunately, has endorsed the concept, but it appears AAU, NASALGC and others will oppose. We need to be consistent in the national higher ed community response and perhaps can get ACE to modify their stance.

8. Update on Vice Chancellor Search

Search is down to list of finalists and interviews will take place this month. Provost’s Council will have a slot on the interview calendar. They will develop a list of questions to ask each candidate.

8. Other Updates

Governor’s budget proposed approximately 40% cut to funding to OHSU. If the cuts stand, there will probably be ramifications for statewide nursing programs.

Respectively submitted,

W. Daniel Edge