September 27, 2002

Present: Tom Gieryn (Chair), Catherine Fraser, Roy Gardner, Susan Gubar, Kevin Hunt, Charles Livingston, Deidre Lynch (BFC liaison), Ellen Dwyer (Recorder)

1. The meeting began at 10:15 AM with the approval of the September 20 minutes. Tom Gieryn asked Committee members to send him their free times so that he could schedule a meeting with Myles Brand.

2. We then looked at the Math Skills Assessment test administered to incoming freshmen every year, as well as at data indicating a significant drop in aggregate performance over the past ten years. A lively discussion ensued, with Committee members discussing a range of issues, from how best to meet the pedagogical needs of poorly-prepared students to ways IUB might attract better students to the difficulties involved in improving the research environment when teaching pressures are heavy.

3. Next, we considered the proposal for an Asian-American Studies Program. The Committee unanimously approved that proposal.

4. Discussion of this proposal prompted a return to two larger questions of long-standing concern to Committee members. How best can the College protect untenured faculty members with split appointments from overly-heavy service demands? What is the implication for departments of the College's creation of a number of appointments split between programs and departments at a time when new faculty lines are scarce? Finally, Committee members talked about the need to establish mechanisms to facilitate discussion of common concerns, intellectual, pedagogical, and strategic, among inter-disciplinary units within COAS.

5. The last item of business was the need for the Policy Committee to submit to the Bloomington Faculty Council questions for the third-year review of the Dean's performance. Tom Gieryn and Ellen Dwyer agreed to polish the wording of the questions suggested by Committee members for discussion at the next Committee meeting.

6. At 11:45, the meeting concluded.

Submitted by Ellen Dwyer, Recorder