Date: October 9, 1998

Attending:

Frank J. Garrahan, presiding, E.A. Poe, Gaye Lynn Scott, Jim Fowler, Glen Hunt, Judy Nwachie, George Finan, Kris Seago, Jonathan Buckstead, Stefan Haag, Rick Collis, Vicke Hammond

1. Committee Reports:

a. Academic Development: Chair of committee (Stefan Haag) updated the Task Force on Course Assessments. The results of the initial testing of students in Government classes were released. Attached you will find the results. As you can see, students in US GOV 2613 scored 56.7% and in Texas GOV 2623 scored 44.3%. Students will again be randomly tested during the final weeks of the semester and the scores will be compared. Remember it was decided last year that we wish to see at least a one standard deviation improvement in testing results.

b. Budget & Planning: In the absence of the chair of the committee (Lynn Lehle was at a training session) the chair of the Task Force updated the Task Force on the parameters of the three and five year plans being developed. The committee is seeking to design the ideal teaching classroom for Government courses as we approach the millennium. The goal is to create a learning room suited to new technologies & teaching innovations. The committee would appreciate any feedback you can give them in their design work. Contact Lynn Lehle at 223-3394 or lynlehle@austin.cc.tx.us.

c. Faculty: Chair (Gaye Lynn Scott) reported that a subcommittee of her committee will be conducting interviews in the next two weeks of the new applicants for adjunct positions. She also reported the results of her mailout on the need for colloquiums. She received few responses but the general tone was toward the use of computer technologies and information about local government. It was decided by the Task Force to devote the next meeting of the Task Force to introducing faculty to technologies available at ACC. (See agenda for the November 6, 1998 meeting for details).

In addition, committee members are trying to organize a collquium on local government for sometime in November.

2. LRS presentation was postponed until the November meeting due to the lack of available computer facilities at the HBC.

3. The new Government WEB Page was debuted. Kris Seago, teaching assistant to the Task Force Chair, passed out copies of the main WEB site & its primary links. You can see the site at: http://www2.austin.cc.tx.us./govtdept. Kris was applauded for a job well done. If you have any suggestions for the site, please email the webmaster as noted at the WEB site.

4. The Task Force chair relayed a concern from Ron Brey, Open Campus, on the use of teaching assistants in Open Campus courses. He was requesting input from our Task Force on who needs them and the services they could provide. A committee (Jim Fowler, chair) was established to come up with a recommendation. Please forward any suggestions you might have to Jim at the Cypress Campus (223-2052 or jfowler@austin.cc.tx.us).

5. Reports from Task Force Chair:

a. It was reported that although the administration has suggested in the past that the best way to handle supplies for faculty and Task Force hourly moneys was to transfer moneys to the Assistant Deans accounts, this seems no longer to be possible. The Task Force voted at its last meeting to allocate proportionally (based on enrollment) moneys to the various campus Assistant Deans and the Chair then submitted the necessary paper work. This paper work was returned to the Chair by Jerry Miller, V.P. Business Services, saying that moneys had to be spent in thedepartments and could not be delegated. The deans are reviewing this matter & will report back. The Task Force decided that something needs to be done since supplies are a campus based concern not collegewide.

b. Summer '99 Calendar: Two plans were discussed (Plan A & Plan B) by the Task Force. "A" is the current academic calendar and "B" is a proposal to move the schedule a week to be more in alignment with the University of Texas at Austin. After debating the pros & cons of each plan, the Task Force unanimously backed the "B" Plan.

c. Summer '99 Class Schedule: The initial input from the chair to the administration dealt with the number of sections needed for each campus based on last years enrollments and high demand times & locations. The Chair recommended additional sections at: Eastview (New campus), Open Campus, Rio Grande, and Riverside. (Feedback to Chair since the Task Force met indicates that we will get additional sections for Eastview --recommended 3, got 8-- and one for Northridge. Most proposals based on the administration's own recommendations of sectional increases of high demand (& turned away students) were ignored). Chair will keep Task Force abreast of further developments.

6. Requests from faculty:

a. Travel request from Judy Nwachie for travel to Whittier College in California for INMP training was approved by the Task Force & forwarded to Dean Rex Peebles.

b. Request by Jonathan Buckstead to develop a Foreign Policy PCM course was debated. As there was disagreement over whether we should pursue Foreign Policy courses or International Relation courses, and the mode of instruction for these courses, any decision here was postponed until the next meeting so that a consensus could develop.

7. Next meeting scheduled for Friday, November 6, 1998 at HBC. Agenda to follow. Remember agendas & minutes are now on the WEB at the Government Department WEB site.