Meeting called to order with most members present. Minutes approved.

Special Presentation on HLC Compliance

Presenter Richard Jarman

Progress on syllabus compliance and future plans. HLC concerned with consistency of teaching course objectives across sections and delivery modes.

• intensive information campaign to faculty
• preliminary audit of syllabi to see if they matched ACF outcomes; follow-up via Deans
• postcard will be mailed to all faculty
• early posting of syllabi with deadline Jan 8, rather than at the start of classes, to allow for review
• pop-up message in Blackboard with reminders

This involves a cultural shift to internalizing these aspects of compliance.

Curriculum Process update. Task force of administration and faculty was charged with identifying needs for changes based on Academic Affairs reorganization. Improve consistency of curriculum procedures.

General Education Outcomes update. Reviewed 2009 set of Gen Ed outcomes, showed example of curriculum mapping for a general Chemistry class. Need to align our Gen Ed outcomes more clearly with degree requirements; make outcomes more achievable and less aspirational. A committee has been working on this. Preliminary draft of revised outcomes lists overarching Critical Thinking and Information Literacy, with five other areas that are associated with specific areas of curriculum.

HLC Criterion 4.b. we received feedback needing to how how assessment results are being used to improve curriculum. Currently laying plans for how this will be enacted.

Chair Bennett: asks questions about some of the logistics regarding the syllabus checking.

Trustee Bernstein: asks how to assess something like critical thinking. Toler responds and describes how Gen Ed artifacts were evaluated for critical thinking. Bernstein: what part of this process was missing for HLC? Stewart: closing the loop to use the data on the outcomes to improve curriculum. Bernstein: that makes it clear.

VP Dowling: complimented the postcard with info on syllabus compliance. Asked about whether Early Alert is included in the syllabus. Answer: no.

Pres Rondeau: suggests that Jarman’s presentation be made to the BOT, to show the depth of work being done by faculty. Bennett: will be reporting to the full BOT. Should we give a more detailed presentation? Rondeau: agenda is already set for this meeting, but at some time the board should be briefed on this work, for sake of broader community as well as trustees and faculty. Bennett: will raise this message with Chair Mazzochi. Bernstein: agrees that the BOT should be briefed. Jarman: would be pleased to present. Bennett: Is the committee in agreement? All agreed.

Status Report on Faculty Hiring for 2018-19

VP Stewart presenting. Describes chair and committee training and the timeline. Committees will have access to their pools beginning Jan 18.

Chair Bennett: refers to notes about replacement vs “new” positions (welding, interior design). BOT has adopted a new evaluation procedure regarding data to support new positions.

Prof Hazard: Last year the BOT did not approve two faculty hires. To my knowledge, there has never been an explanation. Would be helpful for hiring committees to know what the problem was, so they don’t make the same mistake again.

Chair Bennett: will take under advisement and discuss further with Stewart and Rondeau.

Review of Policy/Procedure on Assignment of Credit Hours

VP Bente presenting. New version of the policy has been available for comment; no new comments received. Expect to bring to BOT for adoption this week. New version is consistent with federal definition, applies across all sections and delivery modes.

Procedure will be to ensure that policy is uniformly applied. Policy addresses all the issues raised by the HLC. Procedure will go to Shared Governance in January and posted for internal review before it is adopted.

Chair Bennett: now we have a more comprehensive policy that conforms to federal definitions.

Committee Discussion

Chair Bennett opens to comments from the floor. No comments.

Next meeting has not been scheduled. Bennett and Millush will schedule in late Jan or early Feb 2018.