DRAFT

SOS FALL FACULTY ASSEMBLY  Minutes

November 28, 2006

11:00-1:00 pm

 

Present: Voting members: Biology; Blazer-Yost, D. Crowell, P. Crowell, J. Li, Randall, Roper, Stocum, Watson.  Chemistry; Minto, Muhoberac, Schultz, Siegel, Zhu.  Computer Science; Fang, Tuceryan, Zheng, Earth Science; Barth, Licht, Tedesco.  Math; Boukai, Chin, Kuznetsov, Misiurewicz, Rubchinsky, Watt.  Physics; Gavrin, Kemple, Kleinhans, Ou, Rao, Vemuri. Psychology; Bigatti, Bond, Fetterman, Grahame, Hazer, Johnson, Rand, Stewart, Williams.

Dean Bosron.

Non-Voting members: Biology: Vaughn, Yost. Chemistry; Blacklock

 

 

Meeting was called to order by President Ray Chin at 11:01 am.

 

The agenda was accepted and the faculty minutes from May 2, 2006 were approved.

 

Report of the Deans Administrations:

 

Interim Dean Bosron’s Report

 

            Budget: The five year plan for recovery from the present fiscal situation was described.  They include a hiring freeze for three years, and assumption of an increase in general funds of 1% per year, with a maximum deficit of approximately 2.5 million (mostly due to start up costs) occurring in the third year. Outcome will depend on attrition rate of present faculty (expectation is 4-6 per year).   The plan was accepted by the chief financial officer, Bob Martin, who will present the budget plan to the trustees.  Projections for the budget seem to be holding up well, tuition income is holding,

Randall asked about whether the trustees will approve budget plan (answer, we hope so confidence comes from involvement of campus financial officers in the budget plan).  M. Misiurewicz asked whether any gains in increases in tuition $ will be offset by a decrease of the state allocations.   Bosron stated since we don’t presently understand that formula we don’t know, but that he is seeking that information so that we can better plan. It was also suggested (Jay Siegel) that the current budget situation is a cash issue which will be resolved in the next couple of years, but what happens after that, How can we continue to evolve?  For example hiring faculty in new areas will put us back in the same situation. Answer: Unknown, but the new Strategic Plan must address this. 

            Personnel: Search for Dean will be initiated in the spring, with intention to start July 1, 2008.  Former Assistant dean Kim Nguyen is now associated with UCASE in Education, where she will continue work with us in LSAMP programs, Ann-Marie Chastain is now employed with IU Foundation where she will continue to assist the SOS with accounts and fundraising.  New clerical help will be hired to work with Debbie and Crystal to help with grant, budgeting etc.  There will be no hire of a Dean’s assistant, Rose Marie Temple and Tamekia Anderson will both assist the Dean along with their other duties.

 

In the future,  search for replacements for Chemistry and Computer Science chairs need to be considered.

 

Despite limited resources, hiring utilizing specific campus resources (non-SOS resources) continues.

CTE (Commitment to Excellence) funds supported (or will support) the following hires:

UCASE for a Science /Math educator to be involved in high school teacher’s education.

Forensic Sciences: Searching now for a Chemist, and Toxicologist (shared position with IUSM Pharmacy and Toxicology Dept and Indiana State Department of Toxicology.

Space Issues: 

 

Space in Waterway is now vacated and is available for rent. 

Some Math and Computer faculty will locate to the third floor of the MISB Medical and Information Science Building, on canal) in Jan/Feb.

Some Chemistry and Chemical Biology faculty will locate in 3-4000 sq ft space in basement of Medical Science building (with Center for Chemical genomics).

 

Academics: Science Credit hours have overall increased about 2.2%.  With a decreased head count (0.7%) relative to last year. This is an important feature of the SOS budget as 80% of operating capital comes from tuition.  Bosron noted that there will be a request for faculty to help with High School outreach.  Other anticipated outreach activities include A student reception in Feb, Science Olympiad in Feb, Science Apprentice Camp in June, “Project Lead the Way” a project of H.S. teachers to expand in Biotechnology, other science fairs, State of Indiana Science fair (Bob Yost involved ??? how???).  Projects SEAM and STEM which Andy Gavrin and Jeff Watt are involved. ” Something about BioCross Roads money for teaching activities.

 

Graduate Academics: Five computer Science certificates are now approved.

M.S In Forensic Sciences, approved by SOS now in University approval process.

 

New Ph.D. are planned: IU Biostatistics (Math in collaboration with Medical Biostatistics, has been approved by SOS,  not yet reviewed by IUPUI Graduate Affairs.

Earth Sciences: Either with Purdue University or an IU interdisciplinary in Applied Earth Sciences.

 

Strategic Planning for the School: 

1)       Data collection will comprise the last 5-10 years on faculty numbers, space, grants, teaching.

2)       Planning Retreat, Will occur the first week in January, before classes start, will be a 1 day activity

3) Teams will form and write strategic plans with goal to finish in time for Deans search in summer 07.

 

Other:

Signature Center proposals:  Approximately 70 submitted across campus.   Ranking at school (both the Research Committee and the Dean) ranked 5 of 11 school proposals in the Outstanding Category. Next review will be at campus level review teams with announcements expectant in Jan 07.

 

M Federwisch will be involved in initiatives regarding back-up and security of computers, expect to hear more about this in the next couple of months.

 

Ben Boikoi  Suggested that many ad hoc committees ought to be evaluated for possible transition into standing committees and be formally accommodated in the By-Laws.

 

Business Agenda:

Presence of a quorum was established.

Proposed SOS Bylaw-changes were discussed and voted on (Results; unanimously approved)

Nominations for Representatives for the IUPUI Faculty Council were voted upon (Results, all candidates were endorsed)

The plan for this years Administrative Review was outlined.  The  WEB based mechanism used last year (SURVEY MONKEY) will be used again this year.  Associate Deans and Chairs will be reviewed.

Written reports of the School committees are attached (Appendices I-VI).

 

 

 

12:00, Invited Guest: Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty Uday Sukhatme arrived.  Discussion was initiated from the floor. 

 

The last hour of the assembly was a visit by Executive Vice-Chancellor Sukhatme for informal discussions.  Topics of discussion included the budget, the search for the IU president (which generated much discussion). Possible solutions to the issue of national recognition of IUPUI were discussed. The absence of self examination in the organization of the IU system was brought up and discussed in context of other state Universities.   Discussion of promotion and tenure particularly relative to continuities in benchmarks/standards between department and schools. Also a discussion ensued as to RCM and how it impacts on the efficiencies in the system (i.e. course duplications).

 

The assembly was adjourned at 1 pm.

 

 

Appendices

    1. Reports of School Committees

 

I.   Library Committee

II. Nominations Awards and Committee

III.   Research Committee

IV.  Graduate Affairs

                     V. Educational Policy Committee

                     VI. Technology

 

 

 

I. Library Committee: This year our committee decided on the monograph funds to be allocated. I calculated the new amounts based on the new data for each department and this week we had an e-meeting to agree on the amounts (among a few other minor things).

 

-Marcos Betancourt, chair of the Library Committee

 

II. The Nominations and Awards committee solicited nominations for three School of Science representatives to the IUPUI Faculty Council. Three faculty were nominated: Drs. Raymond Chin, Andrew Barth, and Teri Belecky-Adams. These nominees agreed to serve as interim representatives until formally approved by a faculty vote at the School of Science faculty assembly.

 

-Jim Murphy, Chair of nominations and awards Committee

 


III. School of Science Research Committee

Report to the School of Science Faculty

November 28, 2006

Pam Crowell, Chair

 

1. The committee reviewed 7 Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) International Travel Grants for 2006-07. Each of the PRF award recipients will be presenting their work at one or more international conferences, and many are invited speakers.

 

Name

Department

Pavel Bleher

Mathematical Sciences

Gary Bond

Psychology

Ellen Chernoff

Biology

Alexey Kuznetsov

Mathematical Sciences

Lin Li

Earth Science

Jiang Zheng

Computer Science

Xukai Zou

Computer Science

 

2. The committee evaluated 11 Signature Center proposals from School of Science faculty. The committee reviews were forwarded to Dean Bosron, who communicated the School rankings to Executive Vice Chancellor Sukhatme. Following additional review by the IUPUI Research Committee and the Council of Associate Deans for Research, EVC Sukhatme is expected to announce Signature Center funding decisions in January, 2007.

 

Pam Crowell, Chair

 

 

 

 

IV. School of Science Graduate Committee

Report to the School of Science Faculty

November 28, 2006

Pam Crowell, Chair

 

1. Committee members participated in the October 22nd campus Graduate Open. Five faculty spoke with more than 20 prospective graduate students.  For future biannual campus open house events, earlier and more comprehensive advertising will occur, and it is hoped that prospective student attendance will increase. (Special thanks to Josh Morrison, Computer & Information Science, for valuable assistance with this event).

 

Pam Crowell, Chair

 

 

V. Educational Policies Committee Decisions and New Policies

Late Spring 2006 through December 2006

 

The Educational Policies Committee has the primary responsibility over the curriculum and academic standards for the School of Science.  Among its responsibilities this committee shall:

i.  receive, review, initiate, or make recommendations to the Faculty concerning matters related to academic policy within the School of Science,

ii. approve or disapprove of all courses to be added, dropped or significantly changed by any Department in the School of Science and report such action to the Faculty in a timely fashion,

iii.conduct a continuing review of the educational policies of the School of Science in relation to the policies of other units of the university and the university as a whole.

 

Members 2006-2007 Academic Year: 

Kathleen A. Marrs, Biology (Chair); Barry Muhoberac, Chemistry and Chemical Biology;  Snehasis Mukhopadhyay, Computer and Information Science;  Jeff Swope, Earth Sciences;  Michael Penna, Mathematical Sciences;   Steve Wassall, Physics;  Phil Fastenau, Psychology; Andy Gavrin, Dean’s Office;  Pam Crowell, Graduate Affairs, Dean’s Office; Joe Thompson, Staff Aide to the Committee, Dean’s Office

 

Approved Program Changes

  1. Suspended:  April 21, 2006 Junior/Senior Integrator requirement

Every department in the School agreed that the integrator requirement should be suspended indefinitely, and that the three “freed” credit hours should be used as each department sees fit: internally or for some sort of external “distribution” credit.

 

  1. Approved: Department of Mathematics proposal for a joint Ph.D. program in Biostatistics, with Medical School.  Will now move to Graduate Curriculum Committee

 

  1. Approved:  Interdisciplinary Studies proposal for 1 School of Science student

 

Clarification of Policies

  1. Committee agreed that all future program changes proposed by the departments should be submitted to the Committee for approval. The Committee will develop a standard cover sheet and guidelines for additional information to be submitted in support of such requests.

 

Approved New Course Requests

1.   FIS 409           Forensic Science Research

  1. PSY-B 398      Brain Mechanisms of Behavior
  2. GEOL-G 586   Soil Biogeochemistry.
  3. GEOL-G 447   Planetary Geology
  4. Math M225      Calculus for the Life Sciences

 

Approved Course Change Requests

  1. GEOL-G 136 Indiana Geology Field Experience

Change in description to increase flexibility. Old description outdated.

 

2.      CSCI-M 300 to CSCI-N 300 Introduction to Mobile Computing

  1. CSCI-M 410 to CSCI-N 410 Mobile Computing with Microsoft.NET
  2. CSCI-M 420 to CSCI-N 420 Mobile Computing with Java
  3. CSCI-M 430 to CSCI-N 430 Mobile Computing with Flash
  4. CSCI-M 450 to CSCI-N 450 Web Services with SOAP and XML

 

Change in course numbers to mirror existing non-major courses (the “N” designation) and to make the course numbers more easily understood by students.

 

7.Psychology I-598 – Special Topics in Psychology:  New course number approved.  Old course number (lab component) outdated.

 

Prepared by Kathleen A. Marrs (Chair), and Joe Thompson, December 2006

 

 

 

 

VI. Technology Committee Report Fall 2006

Presented 11/28/06

A. Gavrin, Chair

 

 

Purpose:      To make recommendations to the Dean for the use of student technology fee money, and to discuss and recommend technology strategies for the School of Science

 

This provides an update to the annual report submitted at the Spring faculty assembly in May of 2006. The committee usually meets only in the Spring semester, so the materials submitted at the Spring assembly reflect the committee’s most recent activity.

 

Two significant developments have occurred since spring:

 

1.                  The pay-for-print system has been implemented. Users printing in the student technology centers, e.g., SL070, are now changed 4˘/page.  Users scan their JagTag to release print jobs. Of course, the system is not popular, but the student council has been briefed, and they do understand the need for this.

Of each 4˘ collected, 2˘ goes to Card services for operation of the system, and 2˘ are returned to the School. These funds will be rolled into the technology budget and used to support student technology costs.

 

2.                  Due to the well-known budget difficulties in the School, technology fee allocations made to the departments in 04-05 and previous years were reclaimed to offset the School’s deficit. The status of projects from 05-06 will be reviewed. In order to remain true to the intent of the STF, the school will use reclaimed funds to support technical staff salaries in the departments, to the extent to which departmental staff support student technology.