September 9, 2005

Present: Rob Shakespeare (chair), Bob Becker, Tom Busey, Roger Levesque, Rosemary Lloyd, Al Ruesink (recorder), and Rick Van Kooten.

The meeting convened at 2:00.

Minutes of September 2 were approved unanimously.

The CPC considered a request for a change in the name of the Program in Neural Science to the Program in Neuroscience. A motion to approve this change was made and seconded, and after some discussion was carried unanimously. [The change appeared on the Program website later that day.]

And pursuing an issue considered at some length last year, the CPC considered a request to change the name of the Department of TESoL/Applied Linguestics to the Department of Second Language Studies. Because the plans for the name change and development of the department fall within the recommendations made by our committee last year, the name change was moved, seconded, and approved unanimously. In this case, additional entities must approve the change before it can be considered done.

Rob distributed a plan by which all members of the CPC will be involved in evaluating the Policy Documents passed since 1992, determining which may need amending, supplementing, or further implementation. The subcommittees are to report back to the full CPC by October 7. The CPC approved Rob's plan.

Assignments were made for two members of the CPC to attend each of the upcoming College Chairs and Directors meetings--a meeting in October, one in November, and one in December.

Dean Swamy joined our meeting at 2:51.

Swamy and CPC members are very concerned about room scheduling difficulties that have occurred the last few semesters. Because it is not known exactly where the problem lies (as became obvious after considerable discussion), it is clearly necessary to gather more good information before suggesting solutions. Some data supplied by Swamy on the way various College departments utilize classrooms on a weekly basis provided some insights. A task force centered in the College and including CPC membership but having knowledgeable input from elsewhere seems to Swamy and to CPC members to be a good route to use in going after the larger problems relating to late room assignments. Two rationales argue for keeping this College-based: 1) the College seems to have suffered most of the scheduling problems and 2) a study can be concluded more expeditiously if the group is small and very task-oriented. The task force would study teaching-time preferences and room-use patterns carefully before making recommendations.

Swamy was asked about the study of policy documents mentioned above. He agrees it would be helpful to complete such a study but offered no specific thoughts about policies to be added or modified.

Swamy and the CPC talked about the impact of Hurricane Katrina. The College has no source of funds for general assistance, but several things are being done at relatively low cost. Graduate students dislocated by the hurricane will be offered tuition waivers if they wish to attend IU for a semester or two. There is, however, no source of College funds to use for any stipends for them. Displaced faculty will be considered possibilities as adjuncts for spring teaching, to be handled on a case by case basis.

Because the CPC has not yet been invited to play any role in the final selection process for a new Campus Chancellor, Rob will contact the Search Committee to see how we might helpfully be involved.

Swamy left the meeting at 3:25 and the CPC talked further about some class-scheduling issues.

The meeting adjourned at 3:35.

Albert Ruesink, recorder

Questions or comments regarding the minutes and actions of the Policy Committee may be addressed to Rob Shakespeare, Dept. of Theater and Drama, Lee Norvelle Theater and Drama Ctr. A300H, 5-4367, shakespe@indiana.edu. Past minutes and College Policy Statements can be found at the CPC web page: www.indiana.edu/~college/faculty/policy/policies.shtml.