FAC/BOS REPORT –March 22-23, 2007
I.FAC
A.Dr. Savoie, Commissioner of Higher Education, and chief administrative officer of the Board of Regents has requested faculty nominations through the president of ALFS (Association of Louisiana Faculty Senates) Bill Stewart at to Master Plan Workgroups. The following email is copied as forwarded to SLU’s FAC representative, John Yeargain, from Harry Bruder, former FAC chair from ULL.
Subject: / Master Plan Workgroups --ALFSDate: / Mon, 19 Mar 200713:25:46 -0500
From: / Karen Denby <>
To: / Bill Stewart <>
Bill,
Thank you for your help last week with finding a Faculty representative to attend the Governor’s press conference. Commissioner Savoie also asked me to contact you about an increased Faculty presence in the Master Plan development process.
The Board of Regents is Louisiana=s coordinating board for public postsecondary education and recognizes its responsibility to provide vision, leadership, and focus to the State=s postsecondary education system. The Board submitted a successful proposal to the Lumina Foundation for Education for assistance in moving this work forward. The Lumina grant provides resources for the Board to forge B and to build a consensus around B a concentrated public agenda for postsecondary education in Louisiana.
The Board is engaging the services of a panel of national experts in higher education to help in developing policies and practices that encourage the delivery of postsecondary education services in ways which address the identified priority needs of the State. This panel will assist Regents in analyzing critical educational, social and economic challenges and establishing focus areas and initiatives. Areas of concern include:
Access: Preparation, Access & Participation
Adult Education
ATFA: Appropriations, Tuition, & Financial Aid (college affordability)
Board Development (organizational efficiency)
Funding Formula
Policy Audits (policy effectiveness)
Retention & Completion (retention & graduation rates; degree production)
University Research
Workforce Development (workforce preparation and literacy)
Workgroups are being formed to develop strategies in each area, chaired by members of the national panel and supported by Regents= staff. The groups will be made up of representatives of system boards, campuses, and, where appropriate, governmental officials, non-profits, workforce/ economic development professionals, and community leaders. To ensure that the Faculty have a voice in the Master Planning process, Commissioner Savoie invites ALFS to name a representative to any of the workgroups you wish to join. (Some organizations have chosen to join only one or two.) Each group will have 14-18 members, so we ask that you limit the names to one person in any workgroup.
What follows is a very brief summary of the topics to be considered. When the national panel convenes this week, we will work out the basic logistics (including preliminary schedule) for workgroup meetings. In the event that members cannot attend a meeting, I will send summary reports of the discussion and assignments so that all may keep informed. Please let me know the names and contact information of interested Faculty by April 14.
Thanks, Bill.
Karen
Dr. Karen K. Denby, Senior Policy Analyst
Louisiana Board of Regents
P.O. Box 3677
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3677
Phone: 225-342-4253
Fax: 225-342-6926
Workgroups – Master Plan Development
ACCESS: reparation, Access & Participation [Chair: David Spence, President, Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)]
This group will focus on: narrowing the educational and economic disparities across regions; policies and strategies to increase college going rates; increasing HS graduation rates; and college outreach programs for promising middle & high school students. It will also consider to what extent high school graduates are prepared for and aware of college and workforce opportunities.
Adult Education [Chair: Gordon Davies, former State Higher Education Executive Officer (SHEEO) in KY, VA]
This group’s goal will be to raise the educational attainment of Louisiana’s adult population, e.g., through ABE/GED and postsecondary enrollment. It will tackle questions including: how are adult literacy, workforce literacy and adult education programs coordinated, delivered, and evaluated? What are effective strategies to encourage adults who started but never completed college to return to complete a credential?
ATFA: Appropriations, Tuition & Financial Aid [Chair: David Longanecker, Executive
Director, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)]
This group faces the immediate challenge of developing a need-based financial aid proposal for presentation to the LA Legislature this Spring. It will also examine how to structure financial aid and state financing policies and practices to maximize participation, access, and success for all students.
Board Development [Chair: Richard Novak, Association of Governing Boards]
What strategies would help make our postsecondary boards more effective in the development, promotion, and support of both campuses and the Master Plan? Incorporating the work of the other groups, this group will recommend information, action and organizational changes that would be beneficial to strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of Louisiana’s postsecondary education boards.
Funding Formula[Chair: Brenda Albright, Higher Education Consultant]
How can the Regents’ funding formula be revised to improve accountability and to respond to the Master Plan’s goals (retention/progression; stop out recovery; graduation; learning assessments)? This group will study the funding formula to devise an accountability system to measure and reward progress toward achievement of priorities. It may develop recommendations for statutory revisions for consideration by the Louisiana Legislature.
Policy Audits [Chair: Dennis Jones, President, NationalCenter for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)]
This group will identify those state statutes, regulations and policies that may serve as barriers to active pursuit of established goals. The audit may address anything from campus policies and missions to student financial aid programs – policies which may have been developed when the economy was different and student behavior, expectations, and attendance patterns were more homogeneous. Its work may lead to changes in state statutes, operational policies or administrative procedures.
Retention & Completion [Chair: Kevin Crockett, President/CEO, Noel-Levitz]
Why do only about 75 percent of Louisiana’s college students continue into the second year? Why is there a disparity in graduation rates among races and income levels? Are counseling and intervention strategies being utilized effectively on campuses? What strategies can be identified & implemented to measurably improve retention and graduation rates?
University Research [Chair: Paul Lingenfelter, President, State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO)]
This group’s charge will be to develop recommendations for building research to foster economic development and job creation, to expand and diversify Louisiana’s economy. It will consider how we might foster, promote, measure and reward such research efforts.
Workforce Development [Chair: Dennis Jones, President, NationalCenter for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)]
As Louisiana struggles to match business and industry needs with educational and workforce training, how can we develop more high school graduates ready for work, or postsecondary education, and how might we increase the number/percent with postsecondary degrees & certificates? What strategies and programs can the postsecondary education system, Department of Labor, and Department of Economic Development jointly develop to better match educational aspirations, training, careers and business development?
B. The provost at McNeese State appeared before its Faculty Senate Executive Council and told them that as recommendations for tenure and promotion were sent to her, tenure would be approved, but promotion was limited to 2 or 3 a year and would be chosen based on who had the strongest record. The others would go into a pool, but not in any order.
C. Grambling discovered that once the legislature allocates funds for faculty raises all of the funds must be spent. This necessitated Grambling twice raising faculty salaries to expend the funds as appropriated.
D. Governor Blanco recommended a 5% across the board raises for all faculty. Commissioner Savoie made it clear funds would be allocated according to university policies. So, each institution would receive a 5% increase in faculty salaries, if the legislature approves, but each faculty member would not receive a 5% raise. Some would get more and others less depending on the merit plan in use at individual schools.
II.BOS
A.All personnel actions were approved
B.The system office gave a report on alternative financing projects which was used at Southeastern to build the new student dormitories (university leases land to a nonprofit corporation which builds buildings and leases them back to the university)
C. The system staff gave a report on what the Governor’s executive budget for 2007-2008 would mean to system institutions if funded as proposed. Southeastern would go from being funded at 75.3% of the formula to 100%, an increase of $23.7 million.
D. A presentation was given on Extreme Spring Break 2007, where Louisiana college students spend spring break helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity in flood affected areas.
E.Ralph Pearlman gave a presentation on how the system has saved money for its institutions by arranging for master contracts with suppliers-vendors. A contract with Dell enabled all schools to purchase computers for a $200 discount. He also mentioned working on saving money by going to open source software and then patenting it.
F.Dr. Clausen recognized all student affairs vice presidents for their individual contributions to student life. One project which received attention was the Franklin Square Project and Coalition Assessment Project for Greek Organizations which seemed to focus on alcohol.
G. Next meeting for FAC-BOS will be at ULL, April 26-27.