October 10, 2008

University Planning Council

Minutes for Friday, October 10, 2008

Present: Melissa Acker, Gwen Ashburn, Buffy Bagwell, Becky Doyle, Jane Fernandes, Bill Haggard, Herman Holt, Jeff Konz, Jim Kuhlman, Nick Ladd, Amy Lanou, Linda Nelms, John Pierce, Anne Ponder, Christine Riley, Barbara Svenson, Betsy Wilson

Absent: Amanda Alvarez, Bill Haas, Archer Gravely, Bill Massey, Adrienne Oliver, and Dan Pierce

Guests: Ed Katz, Patrice Mitchell

UPC met at 3:00 pm in Highsmith Union room 104.

1. Budget Update: Chancellor Ponder provided an update of the State budget situation, much of which directly affects the University’s budget. We have experienced additional budget reversions even since the all campus meeting of two weeks ago, when the campus learned about the first cuts. As part of this budget tightening, funding for capital projects and Repair and Renovations will not be distributed to the campuses.

The Chancellor answered a series of questions from UPC members, and asked for advice about how to share this information, which is changing daily, with the campus. UPC recommended a series of Question & Answer sessions where those who are concerned could ask question of both the Chancellor and the Vice Chancellor of Finance & Operations. The first of these will be scheduled immediately following the Board of Governor’s meeting next week, when the Chancellor hopes to have more direct information. The next will be scheduled about two weeks later, in the event that more changes occur.

In the meantime, we will need to be exceedingly careful about travel, purchases, postponing all but essential items. Vacancies will be managed very tightly, and some positions may need to remain vacant longer than any of us would want.

John Pierce has already received some early suggestions of how we might be better stewards of our budgets. Any new suggestions are to be directed to him.

The Chancellor shared with UPC the substance of the UNC Asheville request for Expansion Budget items in the 2009-11 Legislative Session. These priorities were taken directly from the Strategic Plan. Faculty Salaries, Financial Aid, and Campus Safety monies will be requested for the entire University at the GA level. UNC Asheville has requested expansion funding for the NC Center for Health & Wellness, Diversity & Pre-College Programs, and Connecting with North Carolina (undergraduate research funding for community-based research, web site development and marketing assistance, etc).

2. Strategic Plan: Discussion of revisions to Strategic Plan workgroup process: Concerns were expressed about the suggestion that each workgroup have at least 2 UPC members on it, as this could cause ‘committee overload.’ A more reasonable suggestion included making sure that each UPC member is on at least one Strategic Plan workgroup. A canvas of the room suggested that only a few members were not currently serving on a group, and that number was even smaller by the end of the meeting. We will check with the six missing members to make sure they are on or consulting with a workgroup by our next meeting.

An invitation was sent to the campus this week for volunteers to participate on Strategic Planning workgroups. Christine Riley will refer responses to the workgroup leaders directly.

Strategic Plan workgroup leaders Ed Katz, Patrice Mitchell, and Buffy Bagwell described how their workgroups are organizing and consulting with a broad base of campus constituents.

Moodle Class questions: only a few groups are using Moodle so far, and they are at the very early stages of doing so. Jim Kuhlman asked that workgroup leaders send him their group membership and any documents they are working with (project outline, etc) so he can post them. He also suggested having a Moodle group for just the workgroup leaders.

3. UNC Tomorrow: As part of the ongoing work of UNC Tomorrow, our campus was asked to review a proposed system-wide policy on Sustainability. A draft of our campus recommendations was circulated to UPC earlier in the week. This response was compiled by the co-leaders of our Strategic Plan Workgroups on Environmental Sustainability, Steve Baxley and Ed Katz, in consultation with others on campus. Additional suggestions were received from UPC and will be incorporated into the recommendations to GA.

4. Next Meeting: Friday, November 7, 3-4:30 pm, HU 104.