Minutes

General Faculty Meeting

Thursday 23 September 2004

 

The SPSU Faculty met in Burruss Auditorium at noon on 23 September 2004, Becky Rutherfoord presiding.

 

1. Approval of Minutes

1.1 The faculty approved the Minutes to the General Faculty Meeting of 17 August 2004.

 

2. Approval of Recommendations the Faculty

The faculty approved recommendations made by the following standing committees:

2.1 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee at its 19 August 2004 meeting

2.2 Faculty Senate at its 18 August 2004 meeting

2.3 Faculty Senate at its 7 September 2004 meeting

2.3 Graduate Programs Committee at its 19 August 2004 meeting

 

3. Presentation by Institutional Research

3.1 Jocelyn Clark, Director of Institutional Research, presented enrollment data for fall 2004.  The report may be viewed at http://www.spsu.edu/irpa/ir_index.html by clicking Information Alert Volume IV, issue 1:  What Do Fall '04 SPSU Students Look Like?

 

4. Comments by President Rossbacher

President Rossbacher on the current campus budget status and on the opportunity to change the university’s mission and mission statement

4.1 Budget Status:

·        The state has cut SPSU’s funding by $760,000 this year.

·        The university hopes to make up the lost money in part through a likely system-wide 10% tuition increase for spring semester.  The president may have less flexibility than she would like for making up the remainder of the cut, as the BoR may require some layoffs.

·        The President pointed out that the tuition increase will average only $121 per semester, well worth the value added by an SPSU degree.  She encouraged faculty to let inquiring students know the reasons for the increase.

·        Various programs in the university may be able to charge different tuition in the upcoming years.

4.2 Mission and Mission Statement:

·        The BoR has opened a window for submitting changes to our mission and to our mission statement.

·        The President hopes to add engineering and a couple of other programs to SPSU’s mission.

 

The next meeting is scheduled for noon, Thursday 21 October in Burruss Auditorium.

 

 

                                                                                                                                   

Becky Rutherfoord                                        Lisa Rossbacher

Moderator of the Faculty                              President