Meeting Minutes of the Steering Committee
9 November 2011
3:30 p.m. Provost’s Conference Room 206 Samford Hall
(by Larry Crowley, Secretary)

In Attendance: Nedret Billor, Michael Baginski , Emmett Winn (for Tim Boosinger), Larry Crowley, Claire Crutchley, Robin Jaffe,  Laura Plexico, Ann Beth Pressley, Bill Sauser, Andy Wohrley
Guests: Constance Relihan
Absent: None without substitute

-- The meeting was called to order at 3:34 pm

-- The meeting minutes of November 2, 2011 Steering Committee were approved as written.

-- After conferring with the committee, meeting dates during the spring semester will be on Thursday afternoons at 3:30 pm.  The meeting location may shift due to others meeting in the Provost’s Conference Room during this time.  An exception to the Thursday meeting time will be the first steering committee in January which will meet as scheduled on Wednesday January 4th to prepare for the upcoming senate meeting on Tuesday January 10th.   The executive committee meeting will also shift to Thursday.

-- Ann Beth mentioned that Carl Pinkert would like to speak to the steering committee about the external research advisory board. 

-- Informational topics for future Senate Meetings were discussed including:  George Flowers presenting the Proposed Graduate Tuition Waiver Program and Bliss Bailey making a presentation on etextbooks and digital courses during the January meeting

Other topics that were brought up for potential senate information items include a report on the online teaching evaluation results, Kathy McClelland to present on Canvas versus Blackboard as the campus moves platforms, Mary Boudreaux to update on Intercollegiate Athletics, Richard Burt update on QEP effort and SACS preparations, Lorraine Wolf discuss the undergraduate research program, plans for Bruno’s purchase and Kathryn Flynn updating the senate on the Interdisciplinary Studies

-- Action items discussed included the Phase II adoption of the faculty handbook and a potential campus-wide maternity leave policy.

-- As an aside to the general discussion, Constance Relihan mentioned that CADC would like to replace Rusty Smith on the Core/Gen Ed committee with Christian Dagg who has been substituting for him.

-- A discussion occurred about the proper committee to assign questions about program/department changes at Auburn.  The two options were the Academic Program Review Committee or the Curriculum Committee (both Senate Committees).  Constance Relihan pulled up an online form that described an existing process routed through the curriculum committee.   There was no conclusive determination.

 -- The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 pm