August 31, 2021 Minutes

Council of Department Chairs

In attendance: Curtis Bennett, Barbara Taylor, Margaret Karteron, Henry Wu, Andreas Bill, Dessie Underwood, Kris Slowinski, Will Murray, Babette Benken, Allie Puz, Lijuan Li, Lisa Martin, Lora Stevens, Christine Whitcraft.   

NOTE: THESE MINUTES REFLECT DISCUSSIONS THAT HAPPENED ON THE DATE OF THESE MINUTES.  DUE TO THE COVID-19 SITUATION, THINGS ARE RAPIDLY CHANGING.  FOR OFFICIAL POLICY PLEASE WAIT FOR DOCUMENTS FROM THE APPROPRIATE OFFICES.      

 

  1. Approve Agenda (10:00)
  2. Approve Minutes from August 17
  3. Announcements
    1. ASM
      1. Delay in receiving COVID pre-screen emails on 8/31.
        1. Please review Covid pre-screen related emails that are sent to you. Chairs only receive notifications if someone is under review or is COVID positive.
      2. Send any additional employment payment requests for summer to Henry so that they can submit and process as soon as possible.
        1. Use the same format as last year for anything related to HEERF; give a description of duties performed.
      3. New Lecturer/TAs are not signing into payroll fast enough.
        1. Prevents them from having access to campus services which, in turn, takes up a lot of IT’s time.
        2. Please remind new lecturers and TAs to sign in right away to avoid complications and unnecessary use of IT’s time.
    2. Operations Update
      1. RTP Status
        1. Current listing is on our college website in the “News” section.
        2. Paper and online postings for the open period.
        3. All files are due from candidates on 9/27/21.
        4. We will host an RTP evaluators meeting once we have all members of the RTP committee.
      2. RTP Committee
        1. Call for nominations on RTP committee coming shortly.
          1. Please clarify which position nominees will be running for.
          2. Science Education will not have a member this year, so the fall election will elect a  one-year At-Large member.
    3. Dean’s Update
      1. Announcement for a new style of funding opportunity
        1. RSCA around Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI)
      2. Organizational Meeting Update
        1. COE is starting an Environmental Engineering Program that has 1 required course in Environmental Science & Policy.
          1. Pending due to lack of consultation with programs.
  4. Associate Deans
    1. Academic Programs
      1. Faculty Advisors receiving compensation for summer advising.
        1. We will need to have a future conversation about how departments would like to handle it when we stop faculty summer advising.
      2. Supplemental Sections
        1. There is no scheduling pattern and no facility for SUP sections.
          1. In the future, we need to have departmental staff make sure our SUP mode of instruction is accurate.
      3. Curriculum Mode of Instruction
        1. Senate Policy
        2. University planned to streamline designation of mode of instruction for new courses.
        3. In 2021’s Fall curriculum cycle, there will be one opportunity to designate a course as hybrid, in-person, online, etc.
          1. Exactly what is required for this submission has not yet been made clear; more information is forthcoming.
          2. The deadline for this submission is 11/1/21.
  5. COVID Updates
    1. Things are changing very rapidly.
    2. Classroom Protocol
      1. In the case of students testing positive shortly after attending class, students should self-report to SHS that they have tested positive. Faculty are also encouraged to report.
        1. COVID-19 Positive or Suspected Case Report Form
      2. Faculty should not give anything that can be construed as medical advice or try to determine exposure risks.
    3. Student Health Services has decided that if there is an exposure in class, the next class meeting should be moved to AMI (the college recommends recorded AMI).
      1. Anything beyond that needs further approval.
    4. Questions/Discussion:
      1. Faculty reporting.
      2. General confusion with unclear messaging and process.
      3. Look to Student Health Services for guidance on campus.
  6. New Business
    1. N/A

 

Upcoming Dates:
Aug. 31st – Chancellor Castro Open Forum 11:30
Sep. 6th – Labor Day

Meeting Minutes were APPROVED on Tuesday, September 7, 2021

*Note: This reflects discussion on the date of the CDC meeting about policies, not actual policy. Faculty and staff should wait for official communication on each subject before acting.