Liberal Arts Council
September 15, 2015

Present: M. Aakhus, M. Dixon, S. Rode, I. Phillips, T. Schroer, S. Spencer, W. Rinks, O. Armeanu, H. Braysmith, J. Hardgrave, P. Raymond, D. Hitchcock, E. Wasserman, K. Oeth, D. Pellant, R. Rowland, and R. Lutton

Absent: J. deJong

The meeting started at 9:03 a.m.

I. CLA Release Time Report

M. Dixon addressed the College of Liberal Arts Release Time Report that he had circulated to chairs. He explained that this report had been compiled in fall 2013, and that he would like to update it. He requested that all chairs review the sections that pertain to their departments and to submit to him any modifications or updates.

II. Southern Hospitality Day Room Assignments

M. Dixon discussed the proposed room assignments for the 2015-2016. O. Armeanu agreed to hold the POLS/PHIL information sessions in the Advising Center conference room on a trial basis. All other room assignments have been made for the 2015-2016 year.

III. 2015 College of Liberal Arts Annual Report

M. Dixon asked chairs if they believed there was a need to approve formally the 2015 College of Liberal Arts Annual Report that was distributed in August and discussed preliminarily a the August 14, 2015 Liberal Arts Council retreat. The consensus was that formal approval was unnecessary, as comments had been submitted already. The discussion did raise several other questions, concerning the audience for the report and the differences among departmental reports. Additional questions were raised concerning TK20, and student use of their portfolios for professional purposes and the length of time that these records are stored and used.

IV. Open Items from Chairs

S. Spencer reported that he attended a Canvas presentation last week to the Blackboard Advisory Committee. Canvas is one of the Blackboard alternatives the university is considering. It has many positive features and it is very mobile friendly. A Canvas pilot will be available later in the fall, and he encouraged faculty to participate in this pilot program.

P. Raymond observed that the university needs to be conscious of the cost to student learning when considering any decision as to whether or not the university should keep or leave Blackboard.

H. Braysmith asked what distance education course fees cover. M. Aakhus noted that these are for technical and staff maintenance of the necessary resources to deliver classes online.

D. Pellant noted that several people have printed documents that have ended up being printed in the Technology Center. She asked that chairs remind faculty to check the default printer on their computers before printing.

K. Oeth asked chairs who are hiring student workers to have them come to the Liberal Arts main office to complete necessary paperwork. She also noted that changes to the first edits of the spring 2016 and summer 2016 schedules are due on Friday.

V. Announcements

E. Wasserman announced that the Black Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis’s performance of Paul Robeson in the USI Performance Center will be next week on September 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. on both evenings. The performance is free and open to the public.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:56 a.m.