2002-2003 No. 26

ACADEMIC CABINET

Monday, July 07, 2003

Present:

Alfred Guillaume, Academic Affairs

David Frantz, Purdue

David Freitas, Education

Linda Fritschner, Academic Affairs

Leda Hall, Public and Environmental Affairs

Ellen Maher for Michele Russo, Library

Suzanne Miller, Continuing Education

Tom Miller, Arts

Paul Newcomb, Social Work

Nancy Plennert, Academic Affairs

Mary Jo Regan-Kubinski, Nursing and Health Professions

John Withey for Bill Schwartz, Business and Economics

Absent:

Jacquie Caul, Academic Affairs

Bev Church, Information Technology

Sarah Cooke, Off Campus Programs

Paul Joray, General Studies

Paul Mishler, Labor Studies

Roy Schreiber, Academic Senate

Miriam Shillingsburg, Liberal Arts and Sciences

Welcome:

Alfred welcomed David Freitas and Mary Jo Regan-Kubinski to IUSB and to the Academic Cabinet.

Justifications on Vacant Faculty Positions:

Justifications for vacant faculty positions are due to Alfred on August 4. The information will be distributed to all Cabinet members in advance of the August 11 meeting where vacant faculty positions will be discussed.

Academic Officers Committee (AOC)/Board of Trustees (BOT):

1) Background Checks for New IU Faculty

A sample offer letter for new faculty was distributed. The last line of the first paragraph now includes this sentence, “This offer is contingent on the university receiving verification of credentials and other information requested under state law.” Verification of credentials includes confirmation of degrees and of employment for the past seven years if applicable. This verification needs to be done by the department. Criminal background checks will be done by IU centrally.

2) Transfer and Articulation Issues for Indiana University

Linda distributed a handout outlining the National Policy Context, the Indiana Context, and Indiana University Policy options on transfer credit and articulation agreements. Cabinet members discussed “quality” issues and difficulties in demonstrating competencies when students come with transfer credit. There was agreement that once we do have transfer agreements with two year colleges and with other campuses we need to put in place mechanisms to monitor the quality of the courses. With HR1209 on the horizon and the concerns of the Indiana Commission of Higher Education (ICHE) on transfer and articulation, we will hear more about transfer credit and articulation agreements. At AOC, Bill Platter reported that IUPUI accepted most transfer credit (if not as course equivalencies, as undistributed credit, etc.). IUPUI does NOT track how transfer students do in courses once they are accepted on campus.

3) School of Continuing Studies

There is a plan to decentralize continuing studies programs at Indiana University. Alfred reported that IUSB plans to forward Paul Joray’s name as a candidate for the Dean of General Studies position. In this decentralized plan, the Dean, a Co-Director at IUB (overseeing independent study and the virtual high school), and a Co-Director at IUPUI (overseeing online education and learning partnerships) will report to the AOC who in turn will report to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Retreat Topics:

The Academic Cabinet Retreat is scheduled for September 8. Cabinet members are to forward topic suggestions to Alfred. Two topics on the agenda include 1) a discussion of policies and procedures for distributing “merit” dollars to faculty and 2) an update on each school’s and college’s policy on promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer or Clinical Lecturer to Senior Clinical Lecturer.

There was discussion about “merit” money and its distribution. There was concern about “merit” money being used as “retention funds” (to retain people whom a school or college dean did not want to lose). Some Cabinet Members felt that the current policy of the Board of Trustees discriminated against those faculty who were place bound (spouse with another job), against senior faculty members, and against those who were vested in the 18/20 retirement plan. It was recommended that the AOC discuss these topics and that faculty become involved in this issue where it seems that the Board of Trustees is micromanaging campus decisions. Concerns at IU Bloomington, for example, are not necessarily those at the other IU campuses.

Other Announcements:

Linda reported that summer II began today, that enrollment and credit hours were at an all time high for IUSB, and that only three summer II courses were canceled. These three courses involved eight students, all of whom were advised into other classes. Five courses were undersubscribed by one or two students, two of these were in Elkhart. These were allowed to run.

Respectfully submitted

Linda Marie Fritschner

Monday, July 07, 2003

cc: Chancellor Mae Reck