Minutes of the Educational Policy Committee April 26, 2006

Approved 9-13-06

Educational Policy Committee

April 26, 2006 (Meeting #9)

Present: Richard Davis, Bill Fleischman, Kathryn Fuller, Steve Hedman, Jill Jenson, Mary Jean Menzel Elizabeth Nelson, Jerry Pepper, Rudy Perrault, Ken Risdon, Ryan Rosandich, Randy Skalberg.

Excused: Gloria Brush, Chris Carroll, John Hiller, Rod Lievano, Vince Magnuson, Mary Ann Marchel.

The minutes of the 4-12-06 meeting were approved as amended.

Subcommittee Reports

Liberal Education

Over the course of the year the Lib Ed subcommittee handled the routine business of reviewing requirements for lib ed credit and reviewed categories 9 & 10. The committee also conducted a comprehensive review of all previous program evaluations (both student and faculty). In conjunction with this, other lib ed program models were reviewed in addition to the MN Transfer Curriculum. There are a wide variety of potential alternatives and strong opinions from diverse perspectives regarding the future of the lib ed program. The most common theme from both student and faculty evaluations is that UMD does not do a sufficient job explaining what a liberal education is or why it is important. Students want lib ed to be more flexible and easier to accomplish. There is one more lib ed meeting this semester to finalize a recommendation, which will be forwarded to EPC for review in the fall.

Admissions, Retention, Graduation

Fall semester the subcommittee focused on a review of SSP 1000 and submitted their findings to EPC for discussion and review. Spring semester the subcommittee met with the new Institutional Research Director and drafted a course access survey proposal. Next year the committee plans to focus on reviewing the orientation format and enhancing campus traditions. Special thanks to this committee for their hard work this year.

Subcommittee on Information Technology & the Library (SITL)

Security and funding issues provided the main topics of discussion for SITL this year.  A policy on the Appropriate Use of Technology has now been implemented and is available online. The committee reviewed the guidelines for announcements, discussed rates for services, reviewed the library gift policy and also the library policy on food, drink and tobacco. This subcommittee also reviewed a proposed new budget model for ITSS. 

Academic Integrity, IDS, International Education – no reports given.

Vice-chair nominations

Jill Jenson agreed to be nominated and was unanimously elected as Vice Chair.

The committee was thanked for their service.

Meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.