Friday 8 April 2004

LORRAINE DAVIS (Academic Vice President UO) Gave welcoming remarks and notes about the new Business building in which our meeting was held, which is remarkably environmentally friendly.

JIM ARNOLD (OUS) AND GLENDA TEPPER (Clakamas CC)

• 1987 Bill passed supporting community colleges and definition of articulations, leading to the AAOT (Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer) degree.
• A significant percentage of students transferring to OUS schools do not have the AAOT, thus needing to take "extra" courses to satisfy GE requirements.
• In 1992, the Joint Boards Articulation Commission (JBAC) formed to continue monitoring articulation and transfer, and mediate issues that may arise.
• At present, the General Education requirements are different at all OUS schools, and at the CC's.
• There is a proposal for a transferable General Education Core Certificate that would serve as a statewide core curriculum. Problems:
• 1. A transferable GE core would probably become the GE requirements, leading to a homogenization of course work.
• 2. Course X at University X is probably not taught the same at University Y, regardless of similar catalog descriptions.
• 3. Any adjustments to GE requirements on a campus have tremendous implications for departments, especially with. regard to size of department and number of students within the department.
• 4. Resistance can be anticipated from institutions that feel that their GE requirements are being designed by those outside their own faculty.
• ASOT of Business has been useful for Business students. Should there be OT degrees for other areas? How to administer, and decide on course requirements?
• AAOT works best for students who have clear educational goals and know where they want to transfer. Doesn't work so well when transferring to another CC. Also, many students transfer without the AAOT degree, and this is working out OK.
• Senators expressed support for examination of results in other states that have initiated a transferable GE core, as well as for writing learning outcomes rather than a list of selected courses.
• Separate issue: Why do many CC students not continue their education upon leaving the CC?

DENISE YUNKER (OUS Benefits)

• OUS ORP affects about 33% of OUS employees.
• At present, there is not enough employee control over the plan to ensure situations that are in their best interests.
• On many campuses later this month, there will be ORP discussions. Discussions of ORP and PERS shall remain separate in order to de-couple, or not confuse, the two.
• It is impossible to discuss PERS clearly at present due to lawsuits pending.

• Still no solution on how to fund Higher Education. Where would the money come from? Public safety? K-12? Oregon Health Plan? DOT?
• 80% K-12 funding comes from State; 20% of HE does.
• Only 50% of income tax is actually collected; the rest is written off or disappears in other ways.
• Phil does not see a sales tax (ever) in Oregon's future.
• We can raise more money, reduce our care of the State and its residents, or come up with another idea. It would be useful for taxpayers to actually understand how their money is spent. s
• People want services, but don't want to pay for them. Examples: Accounts receivable in hospitals are increasing; people who used to be on OHP are no longer covered, texts in schools are old.
• In some ways, thee legislature is a hothouse, which incubates exotic issues that are unrepresentative outgrowths of the real issues outside the legislature.
• There's a more global problem here; US is maintaining an inefficient economic system.

DIANE VINES (past OUS administrator - presently works in GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, HEALTH INITIATIVE)

• May 11-12 at Oregon Convention Center will be Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Great chance to recruit the state's brightest students. Judges still needed to represent social sciences and environmental sciences. There will be over 15,000 students there, as well as exceptional judges; a very exciting event.

• SOU: discussion of Equated Load Units and scholarship.
• OIT: Basketball won NAIA Division II championship; coach Dan Miles won Coach of the Year; the whole team won the Sportsmanship award.
• EOU: Many new faculty and administrators. New IFS Senator: Sarah Witte.
• OSU: First-year President is receiving favorable faculty response. Provost search beginning, as well as Vice-Provost for Research. IFS Senator Dan Edge is governmental appointee for Fish and Wildlife.
• PSU: In midst of accreditation drive. New VP for University Relations. Faculty discussion on lack of participation in faculty governance: junior faculty are encouraged not to participate in lieu of other duties; senior faculty are too busy and burned-out. Two new dorms. Many buildings will have retail space on ground floor. PSU has received an $8 million dollar gift, which will allow completion of Engineering building and fund some faculty positions. Also, six new positions related to sustainability (environmental friendliness). University has acquired Doubletree Hotel. Freshman applications are up 20%, but transfer applications are down.
• UO: Remarkable turnover in OUS administrators.

Saturday, April 10, 2004

• Nearly 50% of OUS students are transfer students. A great many students are non-traditional (e.g., involved in families or jobs); average age at UO is 28 y/o. Time to graduation is closer to 5 years than 4, but that's not due to the system working poorly; it's due to the system working well and pulling in so many non-traditional students.
• Focus of the governor is increased access, graduation in a timely manner, and maintaining quality. It was noted that whatever system is in place, or put in place, to attain these goals is one that must be embraced by faculty. Also, the faculty, who know both faculty needs and student needs, should attend the working group meetings.
• Many incoming freshmen do not have the college prep coursework that would enable them to graduate in 4 years. Sometimes, too, college prep courses taken in high school do not really offer the necessary content to transfer successfully to a university.
• Many students at Universities are also taking courses at community colleges; this sometimes creates difficulties with course transfer.
• Improvement of data transfer (e.g., stateside student information system) will enable improved course transfer, improved financial aid processes.
• Increasing Core offerings may necessitate hiring more adjuncts, which is counterproductive to course and departmental continuity and the advising process. Responding to the need for increased access by offering larger classes does not necessarily help students, especially the at-risk ones.
• Traditional measures of retention involve: finish school at which you started, or finish with the system you began in. Now moving toward: finish school at all, anywhere in the country.
• The entire Chancellor's office is under review; their budget will decrease 10%. John Yunker is the acting "chancellor". Many staff positions will be cut.
• Dave works from UO campus and is in Portland 2 days / week.

• Discussion involved need to make the book concise, inviting, and common-sensical to enhance readability.
• Perhaps generate a "critical issues" list, and mail it to both opinion leaders (e.g., faculty senates) and general public (including legislators). Compare prioritization of lists.
• Some critical issues: class size, quality, cost, training versus education.
• Needed: Endorsement and assistance from Faculty Senates.
• Get critical issues list prepared for Faculty Senate May meetings, to use as a ballot. Also note to Senates that the Briefing Book is in the works and that input and endorsement will be sought. Individual Senators volunteered to take this information to their Senates.

MORE ON ORP:

• Mina is organizing ORP-info meetings on the various campuses.
• There is an ORP meeting in Salem on April 22nd.

June Board meeting is Thursday 3rd at SOU, possibly beginning late morning. All IFS members are encouraged to attend.

All IFS members are strongly encouraged to be visible at as many working Board meetings and ORP meetings as possible. Peter will send dates of the various working groups. Attendees are encouraged to write a brief report for sharing with the rest of the IFS.

Concerns about the current Board:

1. Amount of influence exerted by one Board member (Goldschmidt).

2. Action is necessary in addition to discussion.

3. Curriculum may be dictated by community colleges and administrators.

4. Legislature is unconcerned about quality.

5. Faculty on the campuses are relatively unaware of the implications of the current Board.

6. How to reach Board members? Informally--after meetings, dinners, IFS meetings.

7. Potential compromise of education in the interests of more, better, faster.

8. Belief that the Board will listen to faculty only if we sell ourselves as the practical experts rather than as academicians.

9. Board is working with a speed that precludes due deliberation.

10. Keep doing our jobs in the classroom and our offices--tell the truth and help students think.

11. More, better, faster will result in less, worse, and slower.

12. Economy is crashing; resources for higher education are not forthcoming; will result in Board micro-managing our classes. Will budget process be driven with due concern for the education process?

13. Faculty are not being invited to give input; how can we protect the quality of education?

14. Goldschmidt was placed in position by Governor to "stop disinvestments"--yet the model of higher education is being realigned to a corporate model.

15. The ship is sinking; what will we put into the lifeboat for saving? Fear that distance learning will be put into the lifeboat, which can increase individual salaries but is not perceived by either faculty or students as quality education.

16. We must talk about quality, access, and delivery, because no one else will. It is faculty that must be defining quality and delivery.

17. The briefing book will be an important tool for influencing legislators, as will faculty attendance at Board meetings--yet there's no time to participate due to workload.

18. There may be a need for a statewide union.

• Go to Board meetings. Encourage our Senators and faculty to do the same.
• Hold IFS meetings on the same campus that is hosting the Board meeting for that month whenever possible.
• Not be unduly alarmed by the threat of lessened quality.
• Get IFS on Board agendas.

• joint meeting of AOF, AAUP, and IFS. Both Kulongowski and Goldschmidt have been invited and declined.

Motions:

• Chancellor Jarvis was made an honorary members of the IFS:
• Whereas Dr. Richard Jarvis has been a steadfast supporter of shared governance in the Oregon University system and
•  Whereas Dr. Richard Jarvis has insisted upon academic excellence in our Public Universities and
•  Whereas Dr. Richard Jarvis is a learned scholar
•  Therefore be it resolved that Dr. Richard Jarvis, Chancellor of the Oregon University System, is hereby made an honorary member of the 2004 IFS and is awarded thereby all the rights there unto appertaining - including the priviledge of wearing the IFS Ceremonial regalia upon all suitable official occasions.
• Vice Chancellor Shirley Clark was made an honorary member of the IFS:
• Whereas Dr. Shirley Clark has been a steadfast supporter of shared governance in the Oregon University system and
•  Whereas Dr. Shirley Clark has insisted upon academic excellence in the Public Universities of Oregon and
•  Whereas Dr. Shirley Clark is a learned scholar
•  Therefore be it resolved that Dr. Shirley Clark, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the Oregon University System, is hereby made an honorary member of the 2004 IFS and is awarded thereby all the rights there unto appertaining - including the priviledge of wearing the IFS Ceremonial regalia upon all suitable official occasions.

• IFS President Gilkey was asked to invite Board President Goldschmidt Goldschmidt to spend time with the IFS at the June IFS meeting at SOU. It was desired to promotes IFS / Board interaction. And if the time wass not convenient, Gilkey should offer to set another meeting, at a mutually agreeable time.

Laura Jones. Secretary of the IFS