2/25/04 Administrative Council Meeting Minutes

 

In attendance: Dr. Claudia Limbert, Dr. Sheila Adams (late due to another meeting), Nora Miller, Scott Rawles, Dr. Bucky Wesley, Perry Sansing, Dr. Mark Bean, Mary Margaret Roberts, Anika Perkins, Dr. Barbara Hunt, Susan Sobley (for Carol Morgan), and Dr. Narem Reddy.

 

Absent: Patsy McDaniel and Cynthia Hembree.

General Updates:

Dr. Claudia Limbert said she is pleased with the new front entrance sign. Dr. Limbert and others from the campus were in Jackson February 24 to meet before the legislative budget committee. She asked that Nora Miller share more about this.

Nora Miller explained that Representative Billy McCoy presented HB 1279, a 156-page document. She said it restores most of the contingency fund money to IHL. She said it appears that everyone is committed to restoring IHL to the same level of funding as last year. She said it would be the end of the session (early May) before the budget process is completed and approved.

Scott Rawles gave an update on some campus events and groundbreakings. The Women’s Leadership Forum is set for March 25. Linda Burket, CFO of Eurocopter, will speak, and alumna Ricki Garrett will be presented with MUW’s first Woman of the Year Award. In conjunction with Homecoming, the groundbreaking for the Recreation Center will be held April 16 at 1:30 p.m. The Pohl Center groundbreaking is set for May 14, the day before commencement. He said dates will be coming soon for the renovations of Martin Hall and the Fine Arts Building.

Ms. Miller added that bid day for Martin Hall is April 1.

Dr. Limbert said the Alumni Board meeting held February 20-21 went well. It included updates and committee meetings.

Mary Margaret Roberts announced that the MUW Foundation has raised over $4 million in gifts and pledges for this fiscal year. She said the Office of Development will be using Orr Annex for a phone center and sharing it as needed with admissions for phonathons. They plan to start the spring phonathon in March. She said the Mississippi Symphony is scheduled to perform March 27, but the date may be changed due to a conflict of the conductor. She said the donor dinner at Dr. Limbert’s house on February 24 went well.

Perry Sansing did not have a report.

Anika Perkins also mentioned the new front entrance sign. She said lights will be installed to illuminate it at night. She said her office is working on a walking tour brochure for campus visitors and finalizing Visions, which will be out in mid-March.

Dr. Limbert noted many alumni commented at the Alumni Board meeting that they are pleased with the positive press releases they are seeing in the newspapers around the state.

 Susan Sobley said the Staff Council’s biggest concern right now is the potential increase in health insurance costs. She said MUW Staff Council President Carol Morgan has sent a letter to legislators voicing their concern.

Dr. Narem Reddy did not have a report.

Dr. Barbara Hunt added that Faculty Senate is concentrating on pay raises right now. The president of University Faculty Senate Association wrote a letter to the legislators concerning the need for pay raises. She said Faculty Senate also is working on revisions for P.S. 1313 (Criteria and Procedures for Faculty Salary Increases). She commented she was very pleased with McDevitt Scholars Day that was held recently. She said there were many promising students in the group.

Dr. Limbert noted that Dr. David Cole and others from Itawamba Community College visited campus February 23. She said the visit went well.

Dr. Bucky Wesley also mentioned that McDevitt Scholars Day went well. A campus-wide career day is set for February 26. A music festival is scheduled for April 3. Many bands have been confirmed for this. Early registration will be held April 2. They have another Spring W Day set for March 5. He said they recently sent out a letter from Dr. Jim Keller, Director of Honors College, to 15 freshmen women inviting them to participate in the pilot of an Honors Learning Community. The students will live in Grossnickle. If it is successful, they will add a male group. He said the fitness center hours have been extended, and they have added cardio kick boxing. Dinners at the President’s Home with area high school students are set for March 1 and 3, and the area counselor luncheon is scheduled for March 4. Songfest will be held March 26, and W Day will be March 27.

Dr. Mark Bean said the student satisfaction surveys have gone out, and the faculty and staff surveys will go out February 25. The PIE Council will address these surveys at its March meeting. He mentioned that the catalog is published before the reviews are completed on unit purpose statements. Therefore, the catalog will have last year’s unit purpose statements.

Dr. Wesley suggested the university could publish a limited number of catalogs every two years and keep the one on the website updated. He said the Student Handbook could be handled the same way.

Dr. Limbert asked that this be discussed during the next President’s Cabinet meeting because Dr. Sheila Adams, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, was not present at the time of this discussion.