Meeting Minutes of the Steering Committee
28 September 2011
3:30 p.m. Provost’s Conference Room 206 Samford Hall
(by Larry Crowley, Secretary)

In Attendance: Nedret Billor, Michael Baginski , Emmett Winn (for Tim Boosinger), Larry Crowley, Claire Crutchley, Laura Plexico, Ann Beth Pressley, Bill Sauser, Andy Wohrley
Guests: Sushil Bhavnani, Chair of the Senate’s Teaching Effectiveness Committee
Absent:  Robin Jaffe

-- The meeting was called to order at 3:33 pm.

-- The meeting minutes of September 7, 2011 Steering Committee were approved as written.

-- Discussion of the information item concerning Online Student Evaluations and implementation of CoursEval that is on agenda for the upcoming October senate meeting.  It was reiterated that there is no mandated set of questions to include in the evaluation.  Sushil left after this discussion.
-- Rules committee will submit an action item to the senate for approval of nominees to serve out unexpired terms of open committee positions.

-- Discussion of an ad hoc task force to consider implementing bi-term courses.  It is currently being done in accounting in order to facilitate their internship program with industry.  Suggestions for membership to this task force include Laura Ann Forest, University Registrar, Dewayne Searcy from academic standards committee who is also in faculty from the Department of Accounting (since they are doing it now), Jared Russell from Curriculum Committee.

-- Discussion concerning Administrator Review Policy.  Instead of a rebuttal letter, the administrator being reviewed should be able to provide a “response letter.” The expedited review provisions for certain chairs was clarified.  Emmett Winn said that this is a provision for chairs serving the first of two three-year terms where they are limited to only these two terms.  Claire Crutchley suggested that a provision be made in the policy stipulating that it applies to only three-year two-termed chairs.

-- It was announce by Ann Beth Pressley that the second information item for senate will be a presentation by Margaret Marshall on the Writing Center.

-- Meeting was adjourned at 4:30 pm.