Yes, it is that time of the quarter again.Spring’s Pizza with the Provost will be from 5-6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 24 in Baker 240.Provost Krendl and Vice President of Finance, William Decatur, will be present.I am also currently trying to re-design the forum so as to allow for a greater diversity of perspectives.Thus, I am trying to get a faculty member and perhaps a dean to accompany them as well.The tentative theme will be financial priorities in undergraduate education.Please come and please inform your constituents!There will be free pizza and you will get a chance to speak directly with the Provost and other key personnel in the University.
I would also like to announce that Earth Week is next week.This is the biggest series of events OU has ever done around Earth Day.They have a lot of great programs planned.For a full list of the events for the week, please visit www.ohio.edu/earthweek.I would particularly encourage you to attend on April 17 a religion and environment panel discussion from 12-2 PM in Baker 237.I am participating in the panel along with various religious leaders on campus, representing the Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim faiths, along with ecumenical groups.It should be really interesting.Senator Odom’s goal for peer mentoring in the College of Education is to have next year a minimum of 45 mentors, 135 mentees (3 mentees to each mentor), and 20 shadowing sophomores, who will lead an annual community service project.There will be mandatory monthly all-member meetings where they will have a variety of activities and potentially even speakers.The mentors and mentees are to meet a minimum of two times a quarter in addition to attending together at least one social event a quarter.They will also have one large yearly social.The applications should be out soon; they are due May 7 and the mentors’ first mandatory meeting will be May 20.I would remind you that we just created peer mentoring in that college this year.Senator Odom has had remarkable success.She deserves much accolade for her efforts.I would like to remind you that if you are interested in being on the new Honor Code Committee next year or if you know someone who is, we are currently accepting applications.Please speak to Senator Feldman.Even if you yourself are not interested and you do not know anyone, please speak to your constituents.Participants will be the first members of an entirely unprecedented committee.We need strong, capable candidates.I have had several meetings this past week.President Allen, Senator Hanrahan and I met to discuss the revitalization of the student creed.We are currently creating a re-write.We are planning on then making our draft public, sharing it with student leaders in particular and creating a blog, so that we can get as much student opinion as possible.For this to be meaningful, it must come from the student body as a whole.We have continued our General Fee hearings. They have been incredibly interesting, productive and useful.For the first time, we have administrators justifying their line-item budgets to students.That’s a big deal.I attended, along with Senator Feldman and Commissioner Wemer, the first meeting of the Coalition for the Enhancement of Undergraduate Success, for which I am a member of its executive oversight committee.It seems to be moving full steam ahead.Senator Byard has focused on becoming acquainted with the current issues in the College of Business, including the dean search.He also assisted Senator Feldman with the creation of a second honors track.Finally, he has contacted Associate Dean Anderson in his college.
Senator Cataline composed the letter going out to businesses requesting donations for Pride Week events.She met with Dean Descutner to discuss diversity workshops or classes and UC classes for international students. Dean Descutner informed her that he thinks UC classes for undergraduate international students is doable for next year.She attended the Enrollment Management Committee meeting where they discussed the attendance tracking system which is in a pilot phase this quarter, as well as potential Pre-College surveys to be completed by all students that would try to predict their college readiness.She attended the Student Leaders Meeting with other leaders from the College of Communication and Dr. Riffe.There they discussed this year’s edition of COMMpanion, featuring articles about our college’s organizations (she wrote one regarding Senate!).She attended the Pride Week steering committee meeting and has been active with its planning and implementation. She performed at least 10 hours of Student Trustee Selection Committee work, conducting interviews and selecting the final 5 candidates to be interviewed by the Governor’s office.
Senator Schuette continued to prepare for the BSS reception and has continued her work with the creation of a BSS student survey.She is also looking into creating a BSS student organization.Senator Niemiec attended the OUCOM Senate Meeting.He spent some time reviewing its constitution.He has begun a conversation with his dean about making the OUCOM presentation to Student Senate an annual event.Senator Speyer emailed the director of the school of Music to discuss the failure on the part of a professor to give students an opportunity to fill out course evaluations.She continues to follow up on this discrepancy.She met with the previous Fine Arts Senator, Chelsea Conley to discuss her previous projects.She helped put up table tents for Pride Week.She has begun preparing for the Arts for Ohio meeting which is this Friday.Sincerely,Patrick HeeryAcademic Affairs Commissioner
Welcome back!Spring quarter is off to a great start.We had our first commission meeting on Sunday.The Budget Committee had a budget meeting last week and tonight we have two budget resolutions up tonight.
I have been continuing my one-on-one meetings with my senators, interns and vice-commissioner.I would like to welcome our new Vice Commissioner, Corey Gaddis, and our new OUCOM Senator, Nick Niemiec.I ask you to support the appointment of Markee Speyer to the Fine Arts Senator position. I also ask you to support the appointment of Adam Byard to the Business Senator position.She has already attended two commission meetings, met with her dean and begun planning projects.
Senator Pollard and I met on Sunday to compose a resolution on environmental change.I ask you to support this resolution as it will mark a new direction for Student Senate.This is clearly a concern of many students, not to mention faculty and staff.Even putting aside the material benefit, we have an ethical responsibility to live cooperatively with our surrounding environment.
The General Fee Advisory Committee’s hearings have begun.On Monday, we met with Education Abroad.Both Treasurer McKenney and I have spent a great deal of time organizing hearings and meetings, answering questions, reviewing budget requests, and ensuring a smooth, comprehensive process.This is going to be a very intense quarter for the committee with its hearings, committee meetings, the compiling of recommendations in a report for the Budget Planning Council and President McDavis, and the revision of the committee’s procedures.
Our commission’s main project this quarter centers on the academic-related recommendations of the Diversity and Retention Forum, in addition to academic honesty and the question of a transition to semesters.
The College of Arts & Sciences, University College, and the Honors Tutorial College are creating and leading a Coalition for the Enhancement of Undergraduate Success. The aim of the coalition is build on our strength in undergraduate education by finding timely and efficient ways to improve the undergraduate experience for all students at Ohio University.It will be focusing its attention on a limited set of issues with the greatest potential for enhancing undergraduate success.Five areas have been selected as targets for discussion and action: (1) Improving yield among high-ability students through, a. Increasing faculty involvement in recruitment, b. Developing an omnibus publication highlighting the resources that exist at Ohio University for students with demonstrated academic and leadership ability; (2)Improving one-on-one teaching (aka advising) in the first year; (3) Expanding and enhancing learning communities; (4) Developing a system to help first year students select small and academically challenging Tier II courses; (5) Creating a viable web-based mentoring program that connects current Ohio University undergraduates and graduate students with entering students.I am thrilled to report that 1 out of every 4 members of the committee are students.And we didn’t even have to plead or fight for that sort of representation.In addition, many of these goals parallel my own projects along with projects of the commission and the recommendations of the Diversity and Retention Forum.In fact, the forum was one of the key inspirations for this endeavor.Senator Feldman will be participating in committee 1(b).I was asked and have agreed to be a member of the executive oversight committee, consisting of Dean Fidler, Dean Ogles, Dean Descutner, Ping Classics Professor Tom Carpenter, and professor Lois Vines.This is a great honor.I am really excited about the work of this group.Unlike many committees, I see this group actually accomplishing something.Senator Cataline attended the Vision Ohio Executive Steering Committee meeting where they discussed budgte and the importance of the implementation goals coming out of each Vision Ohio committee.She attended two Pride Week steering committee meetings.She was involved in the Student Trustee selection committee.She is meeting with David Descutner and Adam Fardy to discuss UC classes for international students and diversity classes/workshops.She met with Commissioner Wemer to discuss the potential gender and sexuality learning community.Senator Odom met with the new directors of the peer mentoring program in her college.They finalized applications and discussed changes for the future.Their goal is to have a minimum of 45 mentors, 135 mentees (3 mentees to each mentor), and 20 shadowing sophomores, who will be the current freshmen mentees and will act as assistants to the official mentors.They will be leading an annual community service project.There will be mandatory monthly all-member meetings where they will have a variety of activities and potentially even speakers.The mentors and mentees are to meet a minimum of two times a quarter in addition to attending together at least one social event a quarter.They will also have one large yearly social.The applications should be out soon; they are due May 7 and the mentors’ first mandatory meeting will be May 20.Senator Odom has become involved with the accreditation process for the College of Education.Senator Sampson assisted Senator Hanrahan with a project of hers.He also helped Commissioner Adeyanju with researching minority scholarships.Senator Speyer met with Dean McWeeny and Asst. Dean Norma Humphreys.She will be participating in the college’s plan for Arts for Ohio.She has begun looking at the creation of a second honors track, security in the art and music building, and the prospect of non-majors getting into art classes.She has also started an inquiry into a professor who may not have conducted Senator Feldman attended the budget meeting last week.She is likely to be a co-chair for SAC this quarter, and thus she attended the SAC meeting last Friday.She went to the HTC sophomore thesis introduction meeting.She reports that it went very well and should prove helpful to students as they plan their next two years.She of course continues her work with the Academic Integrity Committee.She and I met to discuss next steps for the student committee.We are beginning the application process for the honor code committee.Senator Schuette will be working with our intern, Matt, on creating an electronic survey for BSS students.She met with Char Rae and Laura Chapman about preparations for the BSS reception, while also discussing certain questions pertaining to the survey and a specific BSS class, to which Senator Schuette introduced herself.Vice Commissioner Gaddis read our report on the diversity and retention forum (a noble task given how long it is!).He contacted Wendy Merb-Brown about the creation of new learning communities.Here are our plans for the academic-related diversity and retention forum projects: 2nd Honors Track
Senators Feldman, Speyer, Sampson, and Odom; Commissioner Heery; Intern Matt
Review proposal from HTC Dean Fidler
Meet to discuss proposal, recommend changes, and explore application in specific colleges such as Education, Fine Arts and Engineering (meeting time and place should be arranged by Jayme)
Meet with some key administrators: David Descutner, Norma Humphreys, Ken Sampson, Renee Middleton, Marty Tuck, Caryn Asleson (each individual can meet with one of these administrators)
Meet to discuss current status of advising and peer mentoring (meeting time and place should be arranged by Patrick)
Someone can accompany Patrick to the University Academic Advising Council’s executive committee meeting on Wed. April 18 from 11:30-1 PM
Invite Rick Linn to speak to the group about his peer mentoring efforts
Take Cherish’s model of peer mentoring to other colleges by setting up meetings with the dean and/or assistant dean in those colleges (each individual can meet with one of these administrators)
Set up meeting with David Descutner to assess current status of advising evaluation (Patrick)
Take model of peer mentoring to deans and asst. deans, while also pushing for evaluation of academic advisors
Write resolution on peer mentoring (?)
Study Abroad / GLC
Senators Sampson and Ungar Rob; Interns David, Matt
Meet to discuss emphases, e.g. centralization of study abroad at OU, increased and innovative promotion, increased scholarships, the implementation of small group discussions following study abroad experiences, further integration of study abroad programs into academic majors and minors (meeting time and place should be arranged by Rob)
Set up meeting with Catherine Marshall, Director of Education Abroad
Set up meeting with Greg Emery and Gayle McKerrow, Global Leadership Center (Rob)
Write resolution on study abroad (?)
Upperclassmen scholarships
Senators Ungar and Cataline; Intern Brianna
Speak to Matthew White, Chair of Enrollment Management
Alison and Gretchen can serve as liaisons to the Enrollment Mgmt Comm.
Speak to David Ingram, Chair of Faculty Senate’s EPSA (Educational Policy and Student Affairs Committee)
Ask Morgan to bring this issue up at a Budget Planning Council meeting
Finally, keep in mind that we probably won’t see any traction on this issue given the budget crisis of the University
Precollege
Vice Commissioner Gaddis;Senators Cataline, Ungar, and Schuette; Intern Matt
Meet to discuss how we might go about creating more contexts where upperclassmen speak to freshmen, and how we might create Precollege experiences specific to transfer and international students, not to mention any other groups of students (meeting time and place should be arranged by Corey)
Set up meetings with Rick Linn, Director of Precollege, Alan Boyd, Director of International Student and Faculty Services, Dale Tampke, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Retention, and David Descutner, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies (each individual can meet with a different administrator)
Meet again to discuss findings of meetings with administrators and to determine next steps
Queer Studies major/minorSenator Cataline
Serve as a liaison for Will Wemer
Gender and Sexuality LCSenator Cataline
Serve as a liaison for Will Wemer
International student UC classSenator Cataline
Serve as a liaison for Adam Fardy
Diversity workshop / freshmen seminar
Senator Cataline; Commissioner Heery
Set up meeting with David Descutner and Dale Tampke to share thoughts on workshop/seminar (Gretchen)
Set up meeting with Christine Taylor of the Office of Diversity (Patrick)
Transfer studentsSenator Ungar
Meet with the Precollege group to determine how a program could be geared towards transfer students, assisting with their action steps
Meet with the advising and peer mentoring group to determine how we might create a system of academic advising directed at transfer students, assisting with their action steps
Out of state students
Senator Feldman; Intern David
Serve as a liaison for Tristan Walker
Focus on creation of out of state student learning community and on increasing recruitment efforts
Special funding for diversity programsVice Commissioner Gaddis
Set up meeting with Christine Taylor to propose idea of scholarships and recognition for diversity initiatives
Contact Provost Kathy Krendl to determine if the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fund might further emphasize diversity in which projects it chooses to assisting in funding
Relay their thoughts to Patrick and then determine next steps
Building connection between OUCOM and rest of the student body
Senator Niemiec; Commissioner Heery
Set up meeting with Utty Acharya to discuss his thoughts
Set up meeting with OUCOM’s dean to request suggestions
Make the OUCOM presentation to Student Senate an annual event
Consider creating an OUCOM Day for the entire campus which would address the college’s support for the surrounding region, focusing perhaps community service and research opportunities, including perhaps break-out groups led by OUCOM students; might try to use the day to form connections with other colleges and student organizations
Over the last several weeks, I have sent out the diversity and retention forum report to all forum participants and to all relevant administrators and faculty, along with the resolution and the letter of explanation.I have also been able to hold numerous positive discussions with various individuals.Though responses are still pending from many individuals, we have received very positive feedback on our report.When discussing the forum report, HTC Dean Fidler stated, “It is a singularly impressive document.Everything about it--its tone, its analysis, its scope, its methodology, its recommendations--is first-rate and represents a serious attempt on the part of you and your colleagues to help the university address complicated issues.”She has already begun a dialogue with the deans and the Provost on the implementation of our recommendations.She writes, “I have communicated to my dean colleagues and the provost that the report provides the university with a significant opportunity to move forward on important issues and to return the focus of conversations on campus to learning and its facilitation.” She adds, “Thanks for all your efforts on this.I'm proud of you and your colleagues for putting together the forum and producing such an excellent report.”Education Dean Middleton has also expressed her support.The Director of Study Abroad, Catherine Marshall, has expressed excitement about working with us on augmenting study abroad and its resources.Dr. Alan Boyd has expressed his gratitude for the report as well, while also adding to the discussion on many of our recommendation. Provost Krendl and the Ombuds Office have also expressed their support.And those are just a few examples.I am currently setting up a joint meeting with David Descutner, Mike Williford, Marty Tuck, Dale Tampke and others.The many senators who are assisting Provost Krendl with the formation of her class on women in leadership have conveyed that they are currently looking for potential female speakers.If you know of anyone who might be a good speaker, please forward that information to any one of your colleagues participating in this, or to me, or to the Provost herself.Do keep in mind that they have a limited budget.Senator Feldman reports that her university committee on academic honesty is resuming its work and its meetings after a lull.We are waiting to move ahead on the formation of the honor code committee procedure and membership.Over Fall Quarter, Senator Cataline and interns David Tusio and Brianna Savoca met with the director of Journalism to address the lack of sufficient Journalism 101 course offerings.We just received a report that this problem has been addressed and solved; more course sections have been created.We now, however, receive a report of a similar problem in the College of Education, which recently created a freshmen intro Education course.The problem is that an insufficient number of course sections have been offered, forcing many current freshmen to plan on taking the course their sophomore year, displacing even more freshmen.Unless further sections are offered, this problem will only multiply, becoming a cyclical and systemic hurdle for freshmen.This is probably due to insufficient faculty numbers, but if a course is to be required, a sufficient number of sections must be offered.Senator Odom will be pursuing and seeking resolution to this inequity.I would like to welcome our new vice commissioner, Corey Gaddis, and our potential new Fine Arts Senator, Markee Speyer.Senator Acharya reports that the College of Osteopathic Medicine has selected his replacement.He will be taking over soon.Senator Parish has a meeting with the Arts and Sciences Student Ambassadors President soon and will be attending their dinner.He fixed the problem in the department of philosophy concerning senior seminar requirements.He has begun research on study abroad.Senator Marvin continues his work with peer mentoring in the college of Business.He met with the Ohio Business Fellows to discuss current and future projects.He has also been working to get in contact with some members of CSO. Senator Cataline attended Dr. Riffe’s meeting with student leaders in the college of Communication.Senator Cataline will be writing a short article on senate for the the college newspaper.Senator Odom spent last week preparing for the peer mentor social.The event itself went well with the exception of a few technical problems.She has also been meeting with her potential replacement as peer mentoring director.She will be compiling a comprehensive report on the progress and process of the program.This report will be given to the college and will be used as a model for other colleges.It will make recommendations for changes and improvements as well.She has a meeting with her dean and assistant dean next week.Senator Feldman has been busy corresponding with her university committee on academic honesty.She attended the SAC meeting on Friday.She plans on speaking with dean Fidler to get started on the HTC senior activities for the spring.Senator Schuette reports that plans for the BSS reception are underway.She is looking into a survey for BSS students.She has been catching with Commissioner Walker on research on housing at other institutions as it relates to disability accommodations.She has sent out messages of “thanks” to the Women’s Fair participants.She reports that they made over $3,000 for My Sister’s Place.Intern Matt Tokarsky assisted with the composition of the resolution on music downloading.I am continuing general education research.I have had some meetings to discuss, among other things, the integration of environmental awareness into the academic curriculum.I am meeting with each of my senators and interns one-on-one to discuss future projects stemming from the diversity and retention report, while simply trying to make sure everyone feels comfortable with their direction on the commission.I have a meeting with Fine Arts Dean McWeeny to discuss General Fee Advisory Committee procedures this Friday.I met with Provost Krendl today.We discussed ways we might revamp Pizza with the Provost in order to provide a context even more conducive to dialogue and diverse perspectives.We also discussed the University’s academic honesty committee and the incident in the Accounting 101 classes at the end of Fall Quarter.We discussed initiatives stemming from the diversity and retention forum report, for which she expressed her support.She and the deans will be working to identify changes that can occur on the college level.Their support will be very helpful in this initiative. Sincerely,Patrick HeeryAcademic Affairs Commissioner
2007 Winter Quarter’s Pizza with the Provost was a great success with approximately 80 students in attendance in addition to several faculty, administrators and staff.With an approximate 35% increase, this was the largest turn-out we have had thus far. Provost Kathy Krendl, Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration Terry Conry, and the Coordinator of the Office of Resource Conservation Sonia Marcus were on hand to answer questions and engage students in dialogue.The special theme for this forum was environmental policy and change at Ohio University.Students were encouraged to frame their questions around this topic, but they were welcome to bring up any issues they wished.Promotion of the event included four days of Post Ads, the distribution of 800 quartersheets, the posting of fliers around campus, a notice on the Student Senate webpage, and a significant amount of emails to student organizations and academic departments.Many of my senators attended the event and assisted in its promotion.Provost Krendl began by announcing her Women in Leadership class.Terry Conry then emphasized the importance of sustainability but admitted that Ohio University is not where it needs to be on this issue.He stated that over the last forty or so years, about $25 million have been invested in energy conservation and investment through the Board of Trustees.Sonia Marcus then discussed the fairly new Office of Resource Conservation, identifying its three objectives as: (1) improving efficiency of facilities; (2) instituting and encouraging “green” practices; and (3) education and outreach for the purpose of cultivating environmental mindfulness.She referenced the “residence challenge” as an effort to conserve energy.The winning residents will receive a free trip to Cedar Point.She also announced that the new compost facility, once operational, will be the largest in the nation for any university.After these brief presentations, the floor was opened up to questions and comments from the students. Topics included: organic and local food in the dining halls; the requirement for first and second year students to have meal plans; insufficient funding and space for the College of Fine Arts, specifically music; the University’s relationship with the Athens community, particularly with reference to environmental initiatives; off campus environmental initiatives; Baker Center and its environmental sensitivity; the new composting initiative; ways in which the University is educating students and community members on environmental issues; cost effectiveness of environmental initiatives; possible research opportunities for faculty and students resulting from environmental initiatives; pollution in the Hocking River and possible creation of a wetlands areas; the OU Master-Plan; the incorporation of ecological mindfulness into the academic curriculum; bicycling and the need for biking lanes; and a possible student activities fee.A student for whom there had not been sufficient time to ask her question approached me after the forum and discussed with me the incident that took place in Accounting 101 at the end of fall quarter – something I have been looking into for a while now.She wanted to know what the University is doing to make sure that this does not happen again.I was also approached by students who would like to see more “green” buildings on campus, along with more options in the dining halls and Baker food court, such as vegan options.There are apparently plenty of vegetarian options but since many may contain dairy products, vegans cannot eat them.Terry Conry stated that we do already purchase food from local farmers but it represents only a portion of our food supply.We have to consider the huge demand of the university relative to the supply of food from local producers.Provost Krendl and Vice President Kent Smith indicated that they did not have a formal answer to the question of why meal plans are obligatory, but that they would look into the issue and find an answer.The music student’s comments were well-received by the students present.She emphasized that in budget crises, the arts are often the first to be cut, regardless of the fact that they are so critical to a liberal arts education.She indicated that the music department has no performance space of a size sufficient for their needs.She considered it unfair that Mem Aud requires them to pay the same price as outside traveling groups, when all along the university should be supporting its own academic programs.She also said that they need a place to store their sets.At the end of each year, they are forced to “burn” their sets – all of their artistic work up in smoke – and then they have to repurchase those same supplies the next year.I think that image provides a perfect symbol for many of the wasteful practices we see at this university: we labor intensively only to see our work vanish as smoke in the wind.They also require, she said, a place to store their sets.Sometimes they will use some of Theater’s space, but this is an inconvenience to the Theater department which needs its own space.The student, in addition, indicated that the department is incredibly understaffed.Provost Krendl said that she had met with Fine Arts Dean McWeeny that very morning and had spoke to him about making Mem Aud available for a reduced cost or no cost at all.She also referenced the initiative Arts for Ohio, which Student Senate supported last year.I have also been privy to a discussion between Student Trustee Micah Mitchell and Music Department faculty head Dr. Reilly on the matter of providing space for sets and for other needs.Emphasis was particularly placed on the need for education on environmental awareness and sensitivity.The Office of Resource Conversation is making an effort but many students have yet to be reached.We students also need to step up and take responsibility. Education can also occur through the curriculum, perhaps even general education.Classes taught by environmental science professors do tend to emphasize these points but classes in other disciplines generally do not.Art Trese stated that he was considering the creation of an environmental Learning Community or trying to orient the incoming freshman reading to environmentalism.He also said that they were in the process of developing an environmental leadership certificate.A question was also raised about cost-effectiveness.Sonia Marcus responded that they could not have pushed forward their composting facility initiative, for instance, if it had not been fiscally beneficial to the University.Though the gain may be long-term, the University stands to benefit significantly from new environmental initiatives.Senator Parish spoke with the President of the Student Ambassadors in the College of Arts and Sciences.Though are not currently engaged in peer mentoring, she seemed enthusiastic about the idea.Her primary concern is for the maintenance of accountability between the mentor and mentee, a concern which we ourselves have discussed and attempted to confront.Senator Marvin continued looking into the freshman mentoring program in the College of Business. He also scheduled a meeting with Mike Bila so that he can get in contact with the students of CSO in his college.He completed the letter which he will be sending to that group.Senator Cataline met with President Allen to discuss the university calendar and systems task force.She spent time organizing and updating the process of her own committee on this issue. Senators Cataline and Ungar attended the Enrollment Management Committee meeting.They discussed the athletic cuts and how they might harm the enrollment and retention of the university.They are working to ensure that they are included in such discussions before any large-scale decisions like this one are made.The committee which is charged with maintaining and encouraging enrollment and retention must not be overlooked or ignored in the process of making decisions which directly impact enrollment and retention.It is good to see that it’s not only us students who are upset about the process leading up to this decision.I support the committee’s endeavor to be included in all such discussions, particularly since we have three student representatives on that committee.This committee must be kept in the loop.That is its whole purpose.Senator Feldman reviewed the out of state student organization emails sent out by Minority Affairs Commissioner Walker and Vice-Commissioner Amy Stapleton.On Friday, she had a long SAC meeting.She also attended President Allen’s State of the Senate Address last week.Senator Schuette met with Laura Chapman and Laura Munsel to discuss the BSS Reception, which has been moved to early next quarter.She spoke to President Allen about creating a survey for BSS students to garner their opinion on a possible BSS student group.Intern Matt Tokarsky helped pass out flyers for Pizza with the Provost.In addition, he, David Tusio and Brianna Savoca all did a great job, along with all the other interns, in organizing the Senate Event.It was great.Most of my time last week was obviously spent on organizing Pizza with the Provost, writing the resolution on the diversity and retention forum, finishing the official report on the forum, and following up on the resolution.I have been working with Unify to increase their role in the University, particularly by trying to maintain and increase communication about Unify during Precollege.I will be working with some of my senators, interns and other members of Senate to follow up on the report and implement its proposals.We had a Budget Meeting on Monday to vote on Commissioner Wemer’s request for funding for Pride Week.There is a resolution up tonight based on the committee’s decision.On Tuesday, President Allen, GSS President Dom Barbato, Senator Bell, Commissioner Vonville and I met with several students to discuss shared governance.I will be assisting with the development and formation of the joint-constituent forum on shared governance, which will provide a nice follow-up to my earlier resolution on shared governance.I thought the meeting was very productive.We must provide a solid foundation of a commitment to and understanding of shared governance if we are ever to make any progress.Today, I had a general education learning outcomes committee meeting, for which I have been conducting some research.The General Fee Advisory Committee continues to move ahead, as we have now communicated with all units currently receiving funding and units which may be interested in receiving funding.Wish me luck!I am going to an undergraduate classics conference this weekend, where I will be presenting research along with a paper I wrote.
Remember: Pizza with the Provost is tomorrow, this Thursday, February 22nd from 5-6:30 PM in Baker 240.Please pass the word on to other students! There will be free pizza and an opportunity to speak directly with Provost Krendl and Asst. Vice President Terry Conry, the Director of Facilities Management. The theme for this quarter’s forum is environmental policy and change at OU, but students are welcome to raise any topic they would like. I created this forum in order to give students a direct voice in the Provost’s Office and with the senior administration. Now we must ensure that students are aware and making use of this opportunity.I would like to thank all of my senators and interns who put up posters around campus and who volunteered to pass out quarter sheets.And if you look in the Post, you should see our ad, thanks to the assistance of Chief of Staff Garguilo.I have been active in trying to inform students about the forum and encourage attendance.
Senator Parish met with the Arts and Sciences Student Ambassadors on Monday.He and I are looking to expand the role of the Ambassadors in the college should they be willing, incorporating peer mentoring and transforming it into an advisory organization for the administration of the college, consisting of at least one official representative from each department.
Senator Marvin is seeking out the members of the Council of Student Organizations in the Business College.He also continued his research into peer mentoring, particularly focusing on our peer institutions.Finally, he spoke with Vice President Crites about starting the OU Heritage Committee.
Senator Cataline continued her work with the semesters vs. quarters survey.She found out from Institutional Research that she actually did not need to go through the IRB process – but of course, she was informed of this only after she had gone through it and done all the work.She spoke with President Allen about procuring the emails for the survey and about the University academic system and calendar committee, upon which President Allen sits. She and Senator Feldman dropped off supplies at the Valentine’s Shuffle last week.She spoke with her assistant dean, Dr. Riffe about honors housing. Senator Cataline has also assisted with the organization and planning of our commission social, and I would like to thank her for her help.
Senator Odom has been collecting RSVPs for her Peer Mentor social, which is coming along well.She met with the new GSS College of Education Senator and spoke about current projects.Senator Odom has been working on securing her replacement as director of peer mentoring for next year.She has been considering the creation of an annual community service project which would be tied into the peer mentoring group.
Senator Ungar helped with the athletic petition, which garnered an incredible number of signatures. She is also looking into college requirements for the practicum: not all of them seem to be written down as policy, communicated to the students, or even made available at all times.
Senator Feldman picked up materials for the V-Day Shuffle to benefit My Sister’s Place.She met with President Allen to discuss definitions and interpretations of shared governance.She also requested to be involved with the “speech zones” committee.Senator Feldman and I met last week briefly.She proxied for SAC on Friday and continued looking into the status of academic honesty.
Senator Schuette attended the Women’s Fair Feb. 14, 15 and 16.The purpose of the fair was to educate women on rape crisis issues, women’s groups on campus and other non-profit charities.She also contacted Laura Chapman to discuss the planning of the BSS Reception.She met with her this Tuesday to discuss that very matter.If you see Senator Schuette, congratulate her on the success of the Vagina Monologues which she directed.I have heard that the production was spectacular.
I have spent a considerable amount of time revising the report on the findings of “Students Talking to Students: a forum on diversity and retention.”I would like to thank all those who sent me comments and to thank particularly the Office of the Ombuds whose comments and suggestions were of particular use.I will be sending that report out to all of senate shortly in case you are interested in reading it – though I do warn you that it is long.We have a resolution up tonight calling for ratification of the proposals stemming from that report and the forum.I ask you all to support it.If and when the resolution is passed, we will have a lot of work ahead of us, for the report’s discussion and recommendations truly reach into every corner of this university.And rightfully so, for if we are to improve the experience of the student and thus increase retention, we must employ a comprehensive plan.I will be asking many of my senators to work on the recommendations, while the minority commissions and others such as Residence Life will be taking up various recommendations as well.
Along similar lines, I met with Commissioner Adeyanju last week to discuss some of his ideas for improving the quality of experience at OU and retention.One of his most interesting ideas is to create a forum where students could come together and learn how to improve their GPA and academic standing.This would be open to all.Students who have already had this experience will give accounts of what they have done.There may also be break-out sessions where students could discuss various topics.We would hopefully then be able to track (anonymously and with their permission) changes in GPA across quarters in order to assess whether the forum is successful or not.
I have also continued working on the General Fee Advisory Committee, re-evaluating and reconstituting our objectives and plans.I had a meeting with Assistant Vice President Richard Carpenelli to discuss the matter.I have also been in communication with Vice President Smith and Assistant Vice President Winefordner.It looks like we will be having approximately double, if not triple, the amount of budget hearings we originally foresaw.This increase in workload and change in direction has required us to re-think some of our original procedures.But the committee forges ahead. We are determined to guarantee that the student voice is integral to this process. In times of such budget uncertainty, we must not lose our resolve; we must hold our heads high.
I have been asked by my General Education Committee to research learning objectives for the Humanities and Literature Tier II and to compose a list of possible outcomes.I already did the same thing for the overall outcomes.
I attended the Rules and Procedures open forum on Sunday, along with the committee members and Commissioner Diehl.I considered the discussion productive and fruitful.I am happy with the new proposal.
Academic Affairs 
