Fisheries and Wildlife Faculty Meeting 12/11/15

In Attendance: Michael Banks, Scarlett Arbuckle, Tiffany Garcia, Clint Epps, Brian Sidlauskas, Grant Thompson, Dave Paoletti, Luke Painter, Bruce Dugger, Rebecca Hutchinson, Kelly Biedenweg, Jim Hall, Hiram Li, Susie Dunham, Guillermo Giannico, Taal Levi, Selina Heppell, Dan Roby, Lisa Ellsworth, Boone Kauffman, Chris Langdon, Stan Gregory, Megan Wright, Don Lyons, Kathy Boyer, Ann Leen. On-line or polycom: David Sampson, Jessica Miller, Bill Hanshumaker, Steve Brandt, Nicole Duplaix.

Agenda:

Announcements/ Important Dates
Many thanks – Search Committee and Bruce Dugger, Ann Leen for hosting the Holiday Party
Grades are due on Monday at 5pm
OSU closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day
Nash Walk-in Freezer clean-out – will throw out if not labeled. May be room in Weniger freezer. Please check for any samples belonging to you by Jan 1.
Farewell to Shelby Bauer, student assistant in Nash front office
NEXT MEETING JANUARY 8 – always 2nd Friday of each month
Selina and Rob meeting next week with Libby Ramirez about space, space inventory coming
Provost Graduate Fellowships – nominations due to Selina January 15 – PhD students. We can nominate 2 per major, so 4 for the department. International students qualify,all nominees have to be “admittable” (GRE, TOEFL scores). This is a highly competitive program.

Committee updates (Committee Chairs who want to share)
Curriculum committee – Bruce Dugger
Reviewed Fisheries Management certificate
Human Dimensions undergrad conversation clarifying what students will get out of our new classes
Boone – global issues/climate change spring term, 300 level
Eagles-Smith – wildlife toxicology taught by his student Allison Jackson
Renee Albertson - marine based climate change course, 400 level
FW 489 changing to FW 289, modify to make a BACcore course
FW 340 – modify to cover multicultural perspectives
Diversity Committee –
11 members, active group. This year they will focus on assessment of diversity in the department. There will be a survey coming out in the new year.

Department Head Search Results
Selina Heppell is our new Head, starts January 1
Negotiations:
$150,000 added to “base budget” block grant ($50K AES, $100K E&G)
Will get $75K in January
$40,000 in construction debt forgiven (but not the teaching classrooms - $48K x 3 years to go on that one!)
$30,000 instructional support for FY16
Provost Initiative position

Draft Proposal for an FW Minor in marine ecology and conservation (Langdon)
Chris presented draft of the proposed FW Marine Minor. Plan for 400 undergrads by 2025 and hiring 25 new faculty positions each year. Formal program proposal is the next step, after initial liaisons with other departments. Think of ways to work with other departments in interdisciplinary studies.

New graduate degree idea – 4+1 model (professional degree)
Discussions held on a 4+1 degree program to allow students to get a MS or Professional Science Master’s (PSM) in 1 additional year
Could have 2 tracks – Ms thesis based and practical
Creating major just to make $ is not desirable, but $27K per graduate makes a program like this tempting
Could help send students out with more skills that hiring agencies are looking for
Can this be set up as a PSM alternative?
Competition with a “real” MS – does it devalue the degree we already have?
Undermine BSc holders on the job market or provide additional skills?
Hard to have both in the same program
Employing agencies don’t care if it is a thesis based MS?
What is the most valuable to our students?
Opens door to more students getting higher degree
Selina will get more info on how such a program is treated in the new budget model, and will talk to agency administrators about value of degree to their future hires