November 29, 2012
University Planning Council
Minutes for November 29, 2012
Present: Buffy Bagwell, Jeff Brown, Jessica Dunsmore, Shannon Earle, Jane Fernandes, Catherine Frank, Melodie Galloway, Eric Gant, Archer Gravely, Bill Haggard, Blake Hobby, Benjamin Judge, Gregg Kormanik, Ann Martin, Ted Meigs, Dave Peifer, John Pierce, Anne Ponder, Keith Ray, Christine Riley, Leisa Rundquist, Christy Williams
Absent: Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, Julie Heinitsh
Guests: Debbie Griffith, Katie Keith
UPC met from 8:00-9:30 AM in HIG 104.
1. Chancellor Ponder provided updates on recent UNC-GA and BOG activities. At the request of the BOG, GA has initiated a corporate-style data mining project to provide information on UNC programs.
The BOG strategic planning process has reduced the number of themes from seven to five and she will continue to update information about the system level plan as it is finalized. A regional forum for business leaders to provide input to the strategic planning process will be held on our campus later today.
GA is studying the NC community college articulation agreement and considering the implementation of a standardized 44-hour uniform policy for general education requirements among all UNC schools. UNC Asheville has concerns about the impact of such a policy on the uniqueness of our curriculum.
GA is looking at the financial implications of the Affordable Care Act. Temporary employees are not currently eligible for benefits in the State system but we don’t know the impact of the new law on this policy.
Chancellor Ponder noted that we have a rare educational opportunity to convey our uniqueness as a public liberal arts institution to the 60% of the state legislature serving in their first or second terms and new colleagues at UNC-GA. She reported that UNC Asheville’s strategic plan made it easy to communicate who we are.
In our November meeting one year ago, UPC received a report on the Athletics Self-Study and concerns about gender equity. Chancellor Ponder reported that the new eleven-member women’s swimming team just completed their first swim meet with a respectable competitive showing.
2. Dr. Haggard provided an update on the review of UNC Asheville’s Smoking policy. UPC was provided with the following attached documents: (1) UNC-CH smoking policy; (2) UNC-CH no smoking map; and (3) summary of UNC system smoking policies. The summary report provides details on smoking distances from buildings; designated smoking areas, and smoke-free status by UNC institution. Dr. Haggard reviewed the recommendations on smoking made at the October 25th meeting.
- Return Tennant Park (Gazebo area between Library and Zeis) to a non-smoking area
- Find an alternative smoking area to replace Tennant Park
- Revisit enforcement issues
- Develop communication plan for smoking policy
- Consider reduction in smoking areas
Dr. Haggard will convene a smoking policy group composed of representatives from the Faculty Senate, CSAC, SGA, UPC, and the Health and Wellness Department. In a lengthy discussion of smoking issues, UPC members expressed support for the recommendations, noted concern about enforcement of non-smoking areas near buildings, and voiced mixed opinions about UNC Asheville becoming a totally smoke-free campus. Dr. Kormanik made a motion:
To establish a plan to proceed toward the most restrictive policy allowable as exemplified by our peers. The motion was seconded and approved with two no votes by UPC. Dr. Haggard summarized the discussion by noting that he has a clear sense of direction from UPC on how to proceed.
3. Ms. Griffith reviewed the proposal to change the metric for the Academic Reputation strategic plan benchmark from measures based on the Admitted Student Survey to a more reliable measure of admitted student SAT scores. The change is based on the low response rates for non-enrolling students to the Admitted Student survey, and the weakness of the survey in assessing the strategic plan goal. UPC discussed variations of the proposed SAT benchmark of 1,185 using percentiles and expressed interest in measures that speak to increased retention and graduation. There was concern raised about the cultural bias of the SAT, which is why it is not the only measure for admissions. Chancellor Ponder indicated that the SAT, despite its limitations, is widely understood as a measure of academic quality and would be fine to use in the Strategic Plan. UPC approved this change for the strategic plan dashboard. A suggestion was made to use the raw count rather than the percentage of accepted freshmen with an SAT (or ACT equivalent) of 1,185.
4. UPC’s next and final meeting of the semester will be held on December 13.