OUS Provosts’ Council Meeting
The OUS Provosts’ Council met at the Eola Viticulture Center of Chemeketa Community College, Salem on February 3, 2005 from 10:00 AM – 12:45 PM.
Attendees: Lorraine Davis, Chair, UO; Sam Connell, OHSU: Lesley Hallick, OHSU; John Miller, EOU; John Moseley, UO; Earl Potter, SOU; Sabah Randhawa, OSU; Michael Reardon, PSU; Jem Spectar, WOU; Dave Woodall, OIT; Maureen Sevigny, IFS; Kirby Dyess, State Board of Higher Education (part time); David McDonald, OUS (part time); Susan Weeks, OUS (part time); and Marcia Stuart, OUS.
1. Discussion on
International Issues:
The
Provosts’ Council invited Kirby Dyess, member of the State Board of
Higher Education and Chair of the Academic Excellence and Economic Development
(AEED) Committee, to discuss international initiatives by OUS institutions. A
spirited discussion ensued for nearly an hour. The Provosts wanted to get a
sense of whether the Board was in favor of OUS institutions pursuing
opportunities to offer self-funded programs in other countries as opportunities
arise and whether there should be a statewide strategic plan for international
education.
Director
Dyess expressed strong support for international education. In particular she
said that:
·
Building international
partnerships, especially where it would enable Oregonians to study abroad,
should be encouraged
·
We should move more
aggressively since “globalization is not going away”
·
Good [OUS/international]
partnerships should help lead to excellence for both institutions
·
International education is an
economic development issue and AEED will be happy to work with the Provosts.
2. Legislative
issues and performance indicators
·
Susan Weeks asked each campus
to review the indicators and provide narratives regarding the campus-specific
effects of four different possible budget levels (Governor’s Recommended
Budget (GRB), Essential Service Level Budget (ESL), ESL plus an Enrollment
Growth Package, and the GRB with a 10% cut.
·
Discussion ensued regarding
the cost of not investing, the need to cap enrollment if growth is not funded,
and the carrying capacity of the entire OUS.
·
IFS was urged to provide
stories on “a day in the life of an OUS professor” to put a human
face on the issue of the diversity and intensity of faculty workload. This
request will be taken to the IFS meeting on Feb. 4-5th.
·
Provosts were asked to
provide detailed information on faculty who left during the past year (or who
were going to leave but were retained at some cost to the institution) to help
show the effects of low wages/high workload on faculty retention.
·
Information was also
solicited on failed faculty searches in the past year, including searches where
the top candidate(s) declined an offer.
3. Update
on the Excellence in Delivery and Productivity Committee meeting (Jan. 21,
2005)
·
Lorraine Davis reported that
the Oregon Transfer Module was discussed briefly, including the fact that all
Faculty Senates that had reviewed the module to date had approved it.
·
A presentation of a proposed
Oregon Linked Degree Audit (OLDA) was made and was very well received at the
meeting. If fully implemented, OLDA could greatly help advising and
transferring among the community colleges and OUS institutions.
4. Academic
Program Proposals:
·
A revised proposal for a BFA
in Arts was submitted by WOU, addressing questions and concerns that had been
raised at the January Provosts’ Council meeting. The Provosts approved
the revised proposal for presentation to the State Board.
·
OIT proposed offering BS
degree completion programs in Radiologic Science and Ultrasound: Vascular
Technology Option in new locations for professionals working in these fields
who lacked a BS degree. The coursework would be on-line but the student would
be required to arrange for an on-site supervisor of the required hands-on
clinical work. This is similar to the model OIT currently uses for its on-line
degree completion program in Ultrasound. The Provosts’ Council approved
this proposal after discussion regarding the cost of coordinating the on-site
clinical work.
·
OIT proposed offering a BS
degree completion program in Information Technology (IT) on-line, building on
its on-line minor in IT. The proposal was approved.
·
UO proposed changing the name
of its “Multimedia Design Program” to “Digital Art” to
reflect more accurately the focus of these bachelors and masters program. The
proposal was approved.
5. Discussion on
the Orbis Cascade Alliance – Regional Library Services Center and the
Student Health Center (SB 913) – Revisions to 580-011-0005 were deferred
until the March meeting.
6. Other
Updates
·
WOU is developing a center
for leadership
·
The recommendation to change
the handling of a deficiency in the foreign language requirement for entering
students who graduated high school after 1997 was deferred for a year to allow
time to study the issue and possible impacts more thoughtfully.
·
David McDonald reported on
the fee remissions in place at EOU, OIT, and Klamath Community College for
members of the Oregon National Guard or Reserves who have been called to serve
in Iraq or Afghanistan and the movement to offer similar fee remissions at all
OUS institutions.
·
Proposed legislation to
require common course numbering is still in committee. The passage of the OTM
might affect whether this moves ahead.