College of Education
Faculty Advisory Council
April 6, 2016
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Hill Hall 314
MINUTES:
Attendees: David Hough, Paul Ajuwon, Roberta Aram, Deanne Camp, Denise Cunningham, Cory Fearing, Kim Finch, Joe Hulgus, Annice McLean, James Meyer, Eric Sheffield, Michele Smith, Rebecca Swearingen
Guest: Joye Norris
1. ZOOM – Joye Norris, Associate Provost for Access & Outreach
Joye Norris attended FAC to give an overview on ZOOM. Faculty from CLSE submitted a proposal for project support (EAD) for the ZOOM conferencing service to Dean Hough for discussion. Basically, ZOOM is cloud based video conferencing and webinar software. It allows different classroom options, such as group chats with all participants. As a MOREnet provider, MSU costs are reduced and each host can have 50 participants in a meeting. Joye will coordinate a classroom set up for EAD through Outreach. Joye is working on two pilot classrooms that will be ready this fall at the undergraduate and graduate level. The Dean asked the FAC how they would like to handle the proposal from EAD, given the University’s plan for ZOOM. EAD said they would like to have it ready to go by summer or fall. FAC members were in favor of proceeding through Outreach in lieu of spending COE funds at this time. Joye said the basic costs will be covered through Outreach. The Dean agreed to ensure we have the computer capability necessary and pay for minor expenses that are needed. He is also going to request that one or two ZOOM classrooms are set up in Hill Hall as part of the renovations.
2. Faculty Hiring Plan Revision Subcommittee Update (Jim Meyer / Joe Hulgus / Becky Swearingen)
The revisions to the Request for Proposal and Plan for Prioritizing Position Requests for Faculty were discussed. Both documents were approved by the FAC, with the addition of a statement added that the dean would notify faculty and staff via the Hough Post regarding justification of hiring decisions made each prior year under Accountability and Reporting System in the Plan for Prioritizing Position Requests document.
3. COE Transforming Educator Preparation Action Plan Committee
Pre Education Task Force: Dr. Bret Cormier
Work group 1: Mr. Michael Goeringer
Work group 2: Ms. Candace Fairbairn
Work group 3: Dr. Denise Cunningham
Work group 4: Dr. Taryne Mingo
Associate Dean Dr. Gilbert Brown
Dean Hough met with the Action Plan Committee to discuss their charge. Gilbert Brown has been added to the committee. Denise discussed how the committee was going to bring together the results of the four work groups and pre-education committee information gathered at the January COE faculty meeting and discuss what information is consistent and what is duplicated. They then plan on looking at what is feasible to pursue, will write a 3 – 5 page document written to use for possible grants and a 3 page case report that could be used to give to individuals interested in making a donation or for foundations to look at. They are looking at a date for their next meeting to work on an Action Plan for the next one to two years that would include budget and resources needed. The group will present information at the August 17th College meeting.
4. Mentoring New Faculty
Dean Hough asked FAC members how their departments support the mentoring new faculty. Following are comments from the departments:
CLSE: They do not have a written document. Would like the college to have a broad policy that departments could work from. It should include the statement that mentors will be assigned to new faculty. Their department is adding a clause to their P/T document regarding mentors. They would like the mentor to be aligned with the new faculty member’s program.
Michele Smith attended a couple of conferences on mentoring. She said it is important to have a document and process in order to be fully effective. Departments may not want to assign just one mentor. The mentor needs to have a broad range and should bring in other people on campus to assist with the mentoring. There should be a formal and informal mentor.
GLS: They have a process that looks good on paper, but needs work. The plan needs to have accountability. Being a K-12 school, Greenwood has different processes/procedures than the college departments. New faculty need a mentor to learn how to understand how Greenwood works.
RFT: New faculty members were all assigned a mentor this year, but they need to work on a document. They would like a college level document to work from.
CEFS: They have an informal program but nothing formal. They agreed to a main document to work with and the need for faculty to have someone that will help them understand procedures.
The Dean asked the group if any of their departments had invited mentors to attend P/T committee meetings to speak up on behalf of their mentee. RFT reps said no. CEFS reps said no. GLS rep said no. One CLSE rep said no another said sort of – just beginning to do so. The group asked for clarification, but it was unclear as to whether or not CLSE was doing this as a department or not.
Following the discussion, Dean Hough asked the FAC if they would recommend that he appoint a representative group to draft a college mentoring policy to establish parameters within which departments could operate. It was decided to have one representative from each department. Michele Smith volunteered to chair the group. The Dean asked FAC members to discuss this with faculty at their next department meeting and send names to him and copied to Michele Smith and Sharon Lopinot by April 29th. The goal will be to discuss this topic at the college meeting in August or COE faculty meeting in November.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 a.m.
Submitted by Sharon Lopinot
Next/final meeting: May 4, 2016