Academic Foundations Committee

Minutes

 

March 25, 2009

 

Present:          Bernie Quetchenbach                          Melinda Tilton

                        Matt Redinger                                      Tom Regele

                        Mark Fenderson                                  Neil Jussila

                        Richard Pierce                                     Brent Roberts

                        Mary Alice Walker (student)               Rita Kratky – ex-officio

 

Absent:           George Czyz

                        Kurt Toenjes – excused                         Neil Suits – excused

                        Mike Havens – excused                         Lorrie Steerey – excused

                        Diane Duin – ex-officio                       Tasneem Khaleel – ex-officio

                        Gary Young – ex-officio                      Mary Susan Fishbaugh – ex-officio

                        Karen Heikel – ex-officio                    John Cech – ex-officio

                        D’Ann Campbell – ex-officio

 

Presiding:      Matt Redinger, Co-Chairperson

 

 

The meeting was called to order at 2:40 p.m. in room 355 of the College of Business.

 

The minutes of March 16 were accepted as presented.

 

I.          DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

 

A.  Contacting Faculty Who Have Not Entered Assessment Data – List

 

It was noted that there are fundamental problems with this system, and it is questionable whether this system will allow for adequate change in our Academic Foundations courses.  However, we have to have data for NWCCU, and we do not have time to reinvent the wheel.  NWCCU is simply asking us for what we do and how we show we do it.  We can tell them this is not the tool we need but we are working toward a better tool.  We can’t let faculty refuse to do the assessment data entry because we need the numbers.

 

It was noted that the AFC could simply pass a resolution that the Deans urge the faculty to enter their data, since that is the Deans’ job.  It was cited that this is such a controversial issue that faculty would likely balk at a directive from the administration.

 

It was cited that faculty members on post-retirement are the responsibility of the Department Chairs, not members of this Committee.  The same goes for part-time faculty.  Part-time faculty data may be a lost cause anyway, because those faculty are gone once the semester is over.

 

It was agreed that when AFC members approach faculty about data entry, the first suggestion should be that an error may have occurred during their data entry, resulting in lost figures.

 

It was stated that the idea of not allowing final grade entry into Banner until the assessment data is complete is too harsh a stance for this Committee to take.  However, if there were a link on the Banner grades page to the assessment database (rather than having to log into an entirely different system), we may see an increase in entries from sheer convenience.

 

 

The meeting adjourned at 2:56 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted, Rita J. Rabe Meduna.