COE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
March 20, 2015
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Hill 314
Attendees: Paris DePaepe, Denise Cunningham, David Hough, Teresa Steele, Janice Duncan, Kim Dubree, Cathy Pearman, Janelle Flanders, Deanne Camp, Steve Jones, Gilbert Brown, Becky Swearingen, Tami Arthaud, James Sottile, Leslie Anderson, Cathy Weir, Donna Breault
- Strategic Hiring Plan and Prioritized Position Requests
The dean handed out the list of prioritized position requests which he had received from the 5 Year Strategic Plan Committee. He noted there were heavy staff needs as well as faculty. He then asked Gilbert Brown to address the two requested staff positions of the Student Services with the group.
Dr. Brown noted that the two positions he was requesting had originally been staffed, but when the employee left the duties were re-allocated within the department. He has also had to obtain help from MSU Admissions, which will no longer be available after June, 2015. Dr. Brown pointed out that because the work load has become high, the current staff is unable to maintain the work in a timely manner. Our reputation is diminishing because staff is unable to keep up with the work load. Dr. Brown also noted that in the future he would like to reorganize Student Services into a one-stop location for students to handle all of their needs regarding certification, advising, etc.
Dr. Sottile then addressed the position requests that he had submitted. He handed out a paper in which he delineated all of the reasons he required a Director of Assessment, a data analyst, and a data entry person. He noted that assessment and accountability had increased in the last four years. He pointed out as examples that the CAEP Annual Report has increased, the amount of CAEP assessments has tripled, and AACTE has expanded their report to also include sections related to job placement rates and default rates. He also noted that if COE is not accredited then the amount of students attending will drop. Dr. Sottile told the group that he is currently using two Graduate Assistants to help, but this isn’t a permanent solution. It was noted by Dr. Pearman that the MSU Board of Governors considers being accredited mandatory, so we cannot decide not to be accredited.
Dean Hough then spoke to the group and asked them how they would like to address the position requests. He asked them what method should be used to decide which order to fill the positions. Some factors mentioned were to base on number of students served, future growth in program, which will most affect the students, which will generate income, etc. It was noted that we must consider what is in the best interest of the COE as a whole. The dean reminded the group that the resources available are for both faculty and staff and both needs should be considered. There was a lengthy discussion about staff needs and then two faculty position requests, (1) Multicultural Education and (2) Child and Family Development. Dr. Swearingen pointed out that the data supplied werenot helpful to make a decision, as some faculty support more than their program, but were only counted once. Dr. Arthaud suggested using the number of students enrolled in each section, and Teresa Steele will work on gathering those data. It was suggested that needs could be considered based on timeliness, i.e., current needs versus long-term needs. Some positions may be needed right away while others can wait a year or two.
It was suggested that the department heads and the associate deans meet with Dean Hough to see if personnel could be reallocated within the college, which could free up resources. During this meeting they would develop a “resource reallocation plan” to fund needed postions. They would then take this plan to the Faculty Advisory Committee, who would send their suggestions to the COE Budget Committee, which would then send their recommendations to the Leadership Council. The COE Budget Committee unanimously agreed with this idea. Dean Hough scheduled the meeting for 8:30 AM on Monday, March 23, 2015.
COE Budget Decisions Library
Dean Hough informed the group that Teresa Steele had prepared a draft document to posted on the web that contains the COE Budget Committee decisions. Each decision is followed by a citation of where it can be found in the COE Budget Committee minutes.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa Steele
The April meeting has been canceled, the next meeting is scheduled for May 8, 2015, in Hill 314.