Present:

• Alan Gabrielli, Dean, Arts & Sciences
• La Juana Cochrane, Department Chair, Social & International Studies
• Joel Fowler, Department Chair, Mathematics
• Ken Rainey, Department Chair, Humanities & Technical Communication
• John Sink, Acting Department Chair, Biology, Chemistry & Physics

Retention:
Gabrielli began today's meeting with information comparing SPSU's retention ranking with other public and private colleges and universities in the state. Seventh from the bottom, SPSU has a 22.3% retention rate. He explained how this calculation was achieved and went over several web reports relating to retention in various categories. This retention rate is not for the most current year so our rate may actually be a bit higher. Gabrielli talked about the importance of advising and how it can be useful for retention purposes and stated that overall Arts & Sciences is doing very well. Each department chair shared their department's advising policy.

Deans Council Update: Some topics discussed at the latest meeting were

• ABET - only a few programs will be reviewed by ABET this year
• Department Chair positions - possibly going outside the university to hire for vacant department chair positions; presently four of the positions are either temporary or empty.
• Faculty positions - discussed the feasibility of trying to convert some of the current full-time temporary positions to tenure track positions � would be very costly. An alternative may be to convert them to lecturer positions.
• Promotion & Tenure - suggested to have P&T packets submitted electronically to save paper; under consideration.
• Budget - VPAA Hornbeck should be releasing some OS&E money soon � amount unspecified.
• Pre and Post Tenure - Currently there is no approved working P&P. VPAA Hornbeck is working on a draft. Packets are due in department offices by March 15.
• Academic Plan - Deans will meet again tomorrow. Any suggestions are due to Alan by noon.

Miscellaneous: Department Chairs shared announcements and/or concerns which included:

• Hiring and summer teaching
• Floyd College
• Reassigned time for faculty
• Online change of major form not working properly
• Status of lab fee proposal
• Decline in graduate degree programs; HTC to begin marketing campaign
• Physics honors course approved for fall
• Honors program opening office in building D

The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m.