1. Minutes of the November 7, 1997 meeting were approved.
1. Someone from the GEO/PSC group will report subgroup minutes to the Task Force Chair.
1. Mostafa Pirnia was elected to serve as an adjunct member of the task force by a general election. Mostafa will replace Bart Abbott. We thank Nathan Hardee for running, and hope he will remain an active participant in our meetings.
1. In response to the request from Provost Koenig for 4 and 9 week sessions at CYP and PIN, the task force rejected 4 week core classes as not in the best interest of students. A 9 week class is in use currently at CYP for environmental geology.
1. Adjunct faculty evaluation and scheduling: Each discipline will bring lists of adjunct faculty to the Task Force Chair. The Task Force Chair requested, by e-mail, that this information be sent as soon as possible to meet the January 26^th deadline for this information.
1. Discussion of the 11/24 Educational Effectiveness memo: The Task Force expressed varying views on the value of common course syllabi and common assessments.
1. Paul Williams brought an O.I.E. newsletter statement regarding a possible decrease in rollover budgeting to our attention.
1. The 1998 text book list was distributed for proofing. No errors in the list were found.
1. The Task Force request for former department head monies was dropped.

1. The ITV Environmental Geology course will become a new course, GEO

1653.4 Environmental Oceanography (3-3-0) effective in the summer

session 1998. The new name and course description more accurately

reflects what is taught in this course.

2. The following faculty will lead the search for new textbooks for

Fall 1998:

a. Jan Smith will identify candidate physical geology texts and lab

manuals to potentially replace Hamblin et.al.

b. Ron Johns will identify oceanography texts and come up with a

master list of publishers and their textbook representatives.

c. Bob Blodgett will identify additional textbooks for PSC 1603 to

serve as an alternative to the 10th edition of Living in the

Environment; Principles, Corrections, and Solutions. Faculty teaching

PSC 1603 will then get to choose which of the two texts they wish to use

for their section of the course. Wendi Williams, George Staff, and Jane

Maler have expressed interest in serving on the committee to select an

alternative text for PSC 1603.

3. Geology and Physical Science faculty in attendance exchanged GEO and

PSC photocopier codes from their respective campuses since Business

Services has yet to implement a "single college concept" regarding

duplication. Jan Smith, Ron Johns, and Bob Blodgett can provide other

interested GEO/PSC faculty with the GEO or PSC copier codes at RVS, NRG,

and RGC.

4. Bob Blodgett will be doing a one-time series of budget transfers to

implement the GEO and PSC FY98 budget agreed upon last September. He

will notify all GEO/PSC faculty when this is completed.

1. Discussion was opened on the new system of evaluation and scheduling of adjunct faculty. The Task Force will supply the list as requested.
1. Textbooks for Fall 1998. Regarding Applied Physics 1634, Paul Williams will head a search committee to find a more acceptable book. Regarding books for Astronomy, Jim Heath will circulate a memo to Astronomy Instructors to assess opinions on a current text.
1. In a follow-up discussion of physics at RVS, the Task Force discussed of the origin of this class in relation to material in a grant. A follow-up memo on proper and sufficient lab support for this class will be sent by Paul Williams to Frank Friedman. A required topics list for the class will be developed.