The semester seems as if it has hardly begun and we are already at the mid-point in the semester.  I, like you, can recall a memorable poetic stanza about the fleeting of time.  Yet, for brief moments last month, time seemed to stand still as each in his or her own way experienced pain and loss.  We, in the academic community, are privileged as disciplined scholars and teachers to dedicate ourselves to a fuller understanding of our world.  The teaching and learning in our classrooms is a sacred drama that from time immemorial has fostered a global humanity.

Within the last month, several activities have been ongoing.  Principal among them is the review of the budget by the deans and faculty senate representatives to reduce funding in the Academic Affairs base budget.  Throughout the summer, a sub-committee of the Vice Chancellor's Deans Council and the Academic Cabinet has been working diligently to respond to President Brand's request that IUSB submit by November 1, a balanced budget for fiscal year 2002-03.  The sub-committee's work will be presented and debated by the full Academic Cabinet at its retreat on October 1.  Following that retreat, a report will be sent to the Senate Budget Committee for review and recommendations.  By mid-October, Academic Affairs will submit its recommendations to Chancellor Perrin for inclusion in his report to President Brand.

The Ten Year Plan for New Degree Proposals at IUSB:  As often occurs, the central administration of Indiana University asked IUSB and the other regional campuses to "hurry-up and submit" a new degree proposal plan.  This ten year plan, "Educational Access: A Plan for New Degree Proposals at Indiana University South Bend (IUSB)" can be found on-line at  http://www.iusb.edu/~acadaff/newdegree.html .

Very generally, the IUSB plan is to continue to push for the new degrees which we have developed on campus and which have been reviewed and approved by our campus level committees.  In the cases of the B.A., B.F.A., and B.S. in Integrated Media and the M.S. in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, these proposals were not only reviewed at the campus level but also received favorable reviews from the Board of Trustees and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), spring, 2001.  These degrees, however, did not receive funding from the state legislators.  The resource needs for these proposals and any others from IUSB will need to be re-evaluated.

Besides the M.S. in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, the IUSB graduate proposals include the M.A. in English and the M.A.T. in Teaching English.  The long-range plans also call for the development of a graduate degree in Science (M.S.), Applied Social Science (M.A.), and M.F.A. in Integrated Media.

Besides the B.A., B.F.A., and B.S. in Integrated Media, the undergraduate degree proposals that are part of the IUSB ten year plan include a B.S. in Actuarial Science, B.A. in Anthropology, and a B.S. in Health Science.  In the longer term, IUSB hopes to develop an undergraduate degree in Language and Cultural Studies (B.A.), Medical Technology (B.S.), and Respiratory Therapy (B.S.) 

ASSESSMENT: Assessment continues to be one of the most important activities within the university.  I am grateful to those faculty and staff whose work in assessment guarantees that the university's academic programs maintain the highest standards of excellence and accountability.  Below is a review of the activities of the IUSB Assessment Committee:

1. The Campus Assessment Committee is awarding a limited number of grants worth up to $1500 to promote the development, implementation and evaluation of program assessment plans.  These grants are available to all faculty, including adjuncts, for a wide variety of activities including: attendance at an assessment conference; assessment planning retreats for faculty; development and administration of tests and surveys; and evaluation of assessment data.  These are just a few examples of the types of applications that will be considered by the Assessment Committee. Copies of the grant applications and guidelines are available on-line at http://www.iusb.edu/~acadaff/assessgrant.pdf.  Applications should be submitted by October 15, 2001 to:  Assessment Committee, c/o Rhonda Culbertson A246A.  Recipients will be notified by the end of November.
2. Several members of the Campus Assessment Committee will be attending the 2001 Assessment Institute being held in Indianapolis this November fourth to sixth.  The 2001 Assessment Institute is featuring a number of highly respected assessment scholars and experts, and includes in-depth sessions with individuals with successful assessment initiatives.  The members of the Assessment Committees attending this event will bring many valuable assessment ideas and inspirations from the conference to share with the campus.
3. The Assessment Committee's Departmental Third Year Review Summary can be found on-line at http://www.iusb.edu/~acadaff/assessreport.htm.

Agreement for the Continued Development of the Regional Campuses of Indiana University and Purdue University, and IUPUI: At a recent meeting with departmental chairs of Liberal Arts and Sciences, questions arose about the above referenced plan, between IU and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, signed May 23, 2001 by President Brand.  A synopsis of the salient points follows:

1. Admission Procedures.  There will be little impact on our current practices.  The recommendations for Remedial Education may impact IUSB.  Indiana University and Purdue University are to review the remedial courses that they offer, as well as the processes and standards by which students are denied admission, deferred or referred to other institutions.  Appropriate applicants who are in need of substantial remediation are to be referred to the Community College of Indiana.
2. Referral Programs.  IUSB has a Transition Program agreement which supports the goodwill between the community college and the IUSB campus.
3. Remedial Education.  There may be the need for change at IUSB.  With this agreement, Indiana University and Purdue University agree to continue to offer no more than one remedial course in each of two subject areas: 1) reading and 2) writing.  Additionally, both institutions agree to continue to offer a pre-college algebra course or courses (1 to 6 credit hours).  These students must also be taking credit courses that apply toward a degree.
4. Articulation and Associate Degrees.  The community colleges will be the predominant source of new associate degree programs.  It is expected that IU and Purdue will place even greater emphasis on the baccalaureate degree as their most important educational credential by offering more baccalaureate degrees and by conducing a review of the associate degrees currently offered.
5. Baccalaureate Degrees.  A real concern is that all of the baccalaureate degrees at IUSB must be reviewed by May 2.  This review must be accomplished before the Commission will act on any proposals for new degrees.  The review at each campus needs to take into account regional need, quality of life, fiscal viability, and student participation and graduation rates of each program offered.  The Academic Officers Council (AOC) are discussing these reviews and the information needed for them.
6. Masters Degrees.  Each campus also is to review its graduate programs taking into account regional need, quality of life, fiscal viability, and student participation and graduation rates of each program.  The analysis of the masters programs and baccalaureate degrees is to provide the Indiana Commission for Higher Education with guidance in considering, approving, and supporting funding for new degrees.

Informatics:  As many of you may recall, IUSB will receive in next year's budget $300,000 to create an Informatics minor.  This program, offered in partnership with the new School of Informatics at Bloomington, affords new opportunities in curriculum development.  A committee chaired by Dean Thomas Miller, including Dean Bill Schwartz and Dean Miriam Shillingsburg, will begin discussions with their respective faculty to determine what is the best approach in Informatics for IUSB.  I have been in conversation with J. Michael Dunn, the dean of the School of Informatics, and he is excited about our potential program offerings.

Direct Admits:  We continue to make progress to a seamless integration of student and academic services.  I am grateful for the leadership of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in their efforts to assure that all student needs are met.  This Fall the faculty accommodated the vast demand of students for English and mathematics courses by increasing class sizes; we also hired additional lectures in each of these disciplines.  Because advising is so critical to student success, the faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have voted that advising will be listed along with scholarship (research), teaching and service as one of the criterion to be evaluated upon in the PTR process.  Although advising is not mandatory for every faculty member it is essential that for those who do choose to advise that is recognized as an appropriate faculty responsibility for promotion and tenure.  Additionally, the faculty in LAS are revising policy relative to academic amnesty and academic probation.  I applaud the faculty in LAS in the adoption of these policies in assuring that students are not prematurely suspended.  All three of these proposals will be brought before the Deans Council as policy to be considered by the faculty in the other colleges.

Graduate Programs: As recommended b the IUSB Deans Council, the Office of Graduate Programs was closed at the beginning of the Fall semester. Funds budgeted for joint marketing efforts have been redistributed to academic units to use in more targeted marketing and recruiting activities.

Common concerns and initiatives will continue to be addressed through the Graduate Programs Committee chaired by Katherine Jackson. Linda Fritschner will serve as the academic affairs liaison.  I will continue working with the deans to assure that graduate education is enhanced at IUSB.

Financial Aid: Robert Campbell is serving as a consultant to IUSB in the Financial Aid Office and will be looking at issues such as staff needs, policies and procedures,  and compliance with federal regulations.  Previously, Mr. Campbell held the position Dean of Financial Aid and Placement at Southwestern Michigan College.

Dean's Seminar:  The next Dean's Seminar in the 2001-02 series will be held on Friday, October 19, 2001 at noon (after the Senate meeting) in the Board Room.  Margarete Feinstein will be speaking on "Contested Terrain: The Brandenburg Gate, the National Flag, and Competing German Identities, 1956-1959."  I hope to see you all there. Abstracts for this years series can be found on-line at http://www.iusb.edu/~acadaff/deansem.html

Research Award: As was announced at the May Senate meeting last year Dr. Margaret Scanlan and Dr. Michael Darnel were the co-winners of the IUSB Distinguished Research Award. Part of this award stipulates that the winners will give a public lecture in the following year.  Darnel's lecture entitled "Finding Some Order in Algebra," will be held on November 1, 2001 at 7pm in DW1001. Scanlan's lecture will be scheduled in the Spring.