Exhibition/Visiting Artists Committee

Name of Committee: Exhibitions/Visiting Artists Committee

Current Committee Members (please indicate chair and any other officers): 

Jennifer Sargent

Part 1:  MCA Faculty Handbook Description

1) The 2011-2012 MCA Handbook includes the following description of the Committee:

Exhibitions/Visiting Artists—will oversee the visiting artist and exhibition programs for the academic year. Membership: Director of Exhibitions and Lectures. Director of MFA Programs, Faculty Representative, Vice President for College Advancement and VPAA/Dean.

Director

2a) In the opinion of the committee, does the handbook description accurately describe the function, purpose, and membership of the committee? Please explain.

No it does not describe committee as there has not been one. A committee was attempted at least once in the past with makeup as given above and faculty reps being head of design and Fine Arts divisions. It was not successful with the members not reading the prepared materials and in the end leaving me to make decisions as before. For the past few years I have solicited input from faculty and discussed the overall needs/directions of MCA with VP for College Advancement so as to keep a balance of exhibitions and lecturers that serve the whole college

2b) Please suggest changes/edits/rewrites for the Handbook description of your committee.  If the Handbook does not currently include a description for your committee, please write one. (Answers to this section of the self-study are suggestions only. They are intended to help the faculty move toward Handbook revisions, but they should be regarded as draft versions at this stage. Please don’t spend an inordinately long time trying to craft the perfect description—they can be changed and edited as we go through the process.)

……membership; Director of Exhibitions and Lectures, Director of MFA Programs, VP for College Advancement, members of Gallery committee

Part 2:  Committee Charge, Duties, and Goals

1) Does the committee operate under a clearly stated committee “charge” (that is, a statement of purpose explaining what the committee is charged with doing on behalf of the faculty or college—this may be different from the catalog description of the committee)?  Is this charge written down and made available to the members of the committee and the college community at large?  Please explain. (If you feel that the current catalog description or any revision to the description that you made above functions adequately as a charge, please say so).

This will be developed during the spring semester after the new committee has met to discuss the programs for the coming academic year

2) Does the committee maintain a set of specific duties? Are these written down? If a set of such duties exists (written down or in the minds of the chair or other members of the committee), please list them here.  (In other words, what is the committee specifically responsible for? What does the committee do?)

no see above

3) Does the committee have a set of goals (short and/or long-term)? If so, please list them and briefly explain the process the committee used to arrive at these goals.

no

4) Other than verbal reports at faculty meetings, does the committee make reports in verbal or written form to the faculty or administration? How often are these reports made? Where are written reports housed and are they available to other members of the college community?

no

5) Please add any additional comments about the charge, duties, and goals of the committee.

Part 3:  Committee Membership

1a) To the best of the committee’s knowledge, how are faculty members of the currently committee chosen?

1b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, how do you think the members of the committee should be chosen?

As described in revised description of committee

2a) Do the faculty members on the committee have limited terms of service?

Term would reflect members term on Gallery committee. Chair, Grad Director and VP for College Advancement would be ongoing

2b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, should there be terms of service? Please explain.

As above

3) Does the current committee membership structure make sense? Is the committee too big, too small, the right size?  Please explain.

I will form committee in Spring 2012 and be able to answer more clearly after that.

4a) Does the committee as it currently exists have faculty members from each of the Divisions of the College?  If so, do you feel (or is it a requirement of the committee) that it always have representation from each of the Divisions? 

4b) If the Committee does not include members from each Division, should it? Please explain.

It should be based on gallery committee members plus grad director and VP for College Advancement

5a) If there are administrators on the committee (according to Dean Strickland’s committee grid), explain their role(s).

5b) If administrators are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary? In other words, does the committee feel that administrators should be members of the committee? Please explain.

6a) If there are staff members on the committee, explain their role(s).

6b) If staff are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary to the successful functioning of the committee?  Please explain.

7) To what extent are the decisions of your committee autonomous? In other words, do you make decisions that do not go to the full faculty for approval? Or do you make recommendations that then must be approved by the faculty or others?  Please explain.

8) Please add any additional comments related to membership, committee structure, the appointment or election of members, participation of non-faculty members, etc.

Part 4: Committee Meetings and Time Commitment

1a) On average, how many times per semester does your committee meet?  Please indicate if the number of meetings varies by semester and explain why.

Not clear, maybe two in the Spring only when decisions need to be made

1b) Is there a set meeting schedule (e.g., once monthly, bi-weekly, etc)?  If not, how does the committee determine if a meeting is necessary and who calls the meeting?

1c) If there is no set meeting schedule, do you think that there should be a set meeting schedule or a minimum number of meetings for your committee per semester? Please explain.

1d) How long is the average meeting?

2) In general, how many hours of commitment per semester does this committee require of members?

3a) Does the committee take minutes, keep notes, or otherwise track and archive the activities of the committee?

3b) If you do keep minutes, where are they housed? Can other faculty (or administrators) not on your committee look at these minutes easily?

4) Please add any additional comments on committee meetings and the time commitment required of faculty on this committee.

Digital Media Committee Self Study

Name of Committee:  Digital Media Committee

Current Committee Members (please indicate chair and any other officers): 

Maria Bibbs

Don DuMont

Susan Maakestad

Haley Morris-Cafiero

David Chioffi

Howard Paine

Hannah Park

Meredith Root

Zark Strasburger

Jill Wissmiller (Chair)

Gordon Dover

Leslie Holland

Ian Sterling

Part 1:  MCA Faculty Handbook Description

1) The 2011-2012 MCA Handbook includes the following description of the Committee:

Digital Media— Guides the acquisition of digital technology to serve the curriculum. Membership: Director of Institution Technology, Instructional Technology Associate, Academic Affairs Coordinator, Interested F-T & P-T faculty, and a student representative.

2a) In the opinion of the committee, does the handbook description accurately describe the function, purpose, and membership of the committee? Please explain.

No,  current activity exceeds far beyond the reach of the above description. In addition, the committee assess the ability of the school’s technology to meet curriculum needs, offers faculty education on school technology, research and tests new educational technology, and

acts as a repository and distribution point for technology related initiatives and information

There is a general sense that this is too much work, and that the structure needs to revolve around more sub-committee work. There is dissent among the members as to whether the committee should be responsible for faculty education.

2b) Please suggest changes/edits/rewrites for the Handbook description of your committee.  If the Handbook does not currently include a description for your committee, please write one. (Answers to this section of the self-study are suggestions only. They are intended to help the faculty move toward Handbook revisions, but they should be regarded as draft versions at this stage. Please don’t spend an inordinately long time trying to craft the perfect description—they can be changed and edited as we go through the process.)

Digital media committee:

·      guides new media acquisition

·      tests educational technologies

·      trains the faculty and staff on educational technology usage

Part 2:  Committee Charge, Duties, and Goals

1) Does the committee operate under a clearly stated committee “charge” (that is, a statement of purpose explaining what the committee is charged with doing on behalf of the faculty or college—this may be different from the catalog description of the committee)?  Is this charge written down and made available to the members of the committee and the college community at large?  Please explain. (If you feel that the current catalog description or any revision to the description that you made above functions adequately as a charge, please say so).

Answered in 2b – new handbook write-up would be the committee’s charge.

The handbook needs to be revised before the charge will be written. This will then be made to all committee members, and posted online with meeting notes in the admin server.

2) Does the committee maintain a set of specific duties? Are these written down? If a set of such duties exists (written down or in the minds of the chair or other members of the committee), please list them here.  (In other words, what is the committee specifically responsible for? What does the committee do?)

Committee needs to further analyze, as a greater emphasis needs to be placed on sub -committee creation, a necessity due to the expanding role of the digital technology in the curriculum.

3) Does the committee have a set of goals (short and/or long-term)? If so, please list them and briefly explain the process the committee used to arrive at these goals.

See minutes 10/12/11 meeting for this answer.

4) Other than verbal reports at faculty meetings, does the committee make reports in verbal or written form to the faculty or administration? How often are these reports made? Where are written reports housed and are they available to other members of the college community?

No – In the past reports were made verbally to the Dean.

5) Please add any additional comments about the charge, duties, and goals of the committee.

Committee is vast in its scope and its responsibility.

Part 3:  Committee Membership

1a) To the best of the committee’s knowledge, how are faculty members of the currently committee chosen?

By the Dean, who made the decision based on how extensively members used digital technology in the classroom. Additionally, Gordon and Ian were appointed for obvious reasons. Additionally, this year we had volunteers as requested by the liberal studies and fine arts divisions. Susan and Maria serve to assure all voices are heard.

1b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, how do you think the members of the committee should be chosen?

There is dissent within the committee as to the effective size. It is currently large and unruly, however due to the broad range of work necessary, not sure how we could handle it with less members. Most are in agreement that the best process would be to have clearly defined sub-committees.

2a) Do the faculty members on the committee have limited terms of service?

NO -- not that we know of.

2b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, should there be terms of service? Please explain.

There is agreement that the chair position should be held for a maximum of three years. It is unclear whether that position should be appointed by the dean or elected by the committee. As for other members, there need not be any timeline for their involvement. It depends on how involved the member is with digital technology. Obviously Digital media faculty and IT staff would presumably always be on the committee.

3) Does the current committee membership structure make sense? Is the committee too big, too small, the right size?  Please explain.

As mentioned several times in previous answers, this is something we are still in discussion about.

4a) Does the committee as it currently exists have faculty members from each of the Divisions of the College?  If so, do you feel (or is it a requirement of the committee) that it always have representation from each of the Divisions? 

It currently does, and the committee for the sake of equal voices and transparency think that this should always be the case.

4b) If the Committee does not include members from each Division, should it? Please explain.

See above

5a) If there are administrators on the committee (according to Dean Strickland’s committee grid), explain their role(s).

No

5b) If administrators are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary? In other words, does the committee feel that administrators should be members of the committee? Please explain.

N/A

6a) If there are staff members on the committee, explain their role(s).

The two IT staff membersare critical as experts in the field and maintainers on the ground. They are not, however, nor should they be, the final vote/word on all IT/ET issues.

6b) If staff are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary to the successful functioning of the committee?  Please explain.

Yes absolutely. Our usage, training, and acquisition should be a collaboration of equals with our staff counterparts.

7) To what extent are the decisions of your committee autonomous? In other words, do you make decisions that do not go to the full faculty for approval? Or do you make recommendations that then must be approved by the faculty or others?  Please explain.

We are solely recommenders, be it to the policy on policies, budget committee, administration, or faculty as a whole.

8) Please add any additional comments related to membership, committee structure, the appointment or election of members, participation of non-faculty members, etc.

The committee decided that student should be involved with the committee only if they are invited to attend. Zark disents , adding that it would be nice to consider all voices of the college.

Part 4: Committee Meetings and Time Commitment

1a) On average, how many times per semester does your committee meet?  Please indicate if the number of meetings varies by semester and explain why.

4 meetings

varies semester to semester

1b) Is there a set meeting schedule (e.g., once monthly, bi-weekly, etc)?  If not, how does the committee determine if a meeting is necessary and who calls the meeting?

see above

1c) If there is no set meeting schedule, do you think that there should be a set meeting schedule or a minimum number of meetings for your committee per semester? Please explain.

I think the frequency of meetings should be based upon the size of our agenda for the year. Don’t meet too much if you don’t need to. We already have too many meetings to go to.

1d) How long is the average meeting?

one hour

2) In general, how many hours of commitment per semester does this committee require of members?

It depends on the projects and who is doing them

3a) Does the committee take minutes, keep notes, or otherwise track and archive the activities of the committee?

Meredith is keeping minutes currently. These will be made available on the Admin server.

3b) If you do keep minutes, where are they housed? Can other faculty (or administrators) not on your committee look at these minutes easily?

Server folder, and yes they will be available for all interested parties to access.

4) Please add any additional comments on committee meetings and the time commitment required of faculty on this committee.

Curriculum Committee Self Study

Name of Committee:  Curriculum Committee

Current Committee Members (please indicate chair and any other officers): 

David Chioffi (Chair)  [CHIOFFI COMMENTS IN BROWN].

Ellen Daugherty

Tom Lee

Remy Miller

Ken Strickland

Part 1:  MCA Faculty Handbook Description

1) The 2011-2012 MCA Handbook includes the following description of the Committee:

Curriculum—Reviews proposals for new courses or substantive changes to existing

 courses and/or programs. See curriculum development procedures on page D-5. Membership:

The appropriate Department Head, Division Chair(s), and the VPAA/Dean. Secretary/record keeper will be chosen from within the committee.  For the purpose of continuity, at least one member of the committee will continue to serve through the following year. The VPAA/Dean will respond, in writing, on all proposals received, and the action taken. An annual log of deliberations and actions will be maintained.

2a) In the opinion of the committee, does the handbook description accurately describe the function, purpose, and membership of the committee? Please explain.

The handbook describes a process which has in the past been the previous manner of action and provided functionality. The suspension of the Committee and the reinstatement [under these parameters] remains uncertain for the past several academic years. The current operational sequencing as voted upon by the faculty on 20 April 2011 is as follows:

START QUOTE: The establishment of a Curriculum Committee, in response to a mandate by the governing Faculty, was enacted through an open nomination and election process for representation by: the Divisions of Design Arts, Fine Arts, Foundations, and Liberal Studies. The Committee is now comprised of the following full-time faculty:

Division of Design Arts: David Chioffi Division of Fine Arts: Tom Lee Division of Foundations: Remy Miller Division of Liberal Studies: Ellen Daugherty

The Committee convened its first meeting on 23 March 2011.

_______________

Passed Motion: The Curriculum Committee as charged by the governing Faculty puts forth a Motion to suspend all current policies and procedures regarding the Curriculum Committee as outlined in the 2010-2011 Faculty Handbook, as well as for the proposed 2011–2012 version. These statements are attached and noted as:

Curriculum Policy [p. D5-6] Faculty Committees [p. E-7]

Revisions to the policy regarding roles and procedures of the Committee will be drafted by the Committee and submitted to the full Faculty for approval. Once sanctioned by the Faculty, the changes shall be distributed as an amendment to the 2011–2012 Faculty Handbook. In the event that the Committee will need to review curricular proposals prior to the official establishment of new procedures, interim methodologies for such review will be conveyed to the Faculty in a transparent manner. END// END QUOTE.

2b) Please suggest changes/edits/rewrites for the Handbook description of your committee.  If the Handbook does not currently include a description for your committee, please write one. (Answers to this section of the self-study are suggestions only. They are intended to help the faculty move toward Handbook revisions, but they should be regarded as draft versions at this stage. Please don’t spend an inordinately long time trying to craft the perfect description—they can be changed and edited as we go through the process.)

Curriculum—Reviews proposals for new courses or substantive changes to existing courses and/or programs. Membership: The establishment of a Curriculum Committee, in response to a mandate by the governing Faculty, is enacted through an open nomination and election process for representation by: the Divisions of Design Arts, Fine Arts, Foundations, and Liberal Studies. A chair, as well as a secretary will be chosen from within the committee. The term of each member shall be [00]. Outside of reviewing proposals the committee will meet for administrative and evaluation purposes [00] times per year. For the purpose of continuity, at least one member of the committee will continue to serve through the following year. Curricula Proposals will be reviewed [00] times per semester and must include the following forms: [XX]. Committee members will review all course applications and additional information may be requested. The recommendation of the committee will be composed in writing. A motion will be drafted by committee members and presented by the chair at the next scheduled faculty meeting following conventional practices. Actions of the faculty will be conveyed in writing to: [Sponsoring Faculty, Department Head, Chair, Registrar, Dean].The chair of the committee will present the VPAA/Dean with the approved actions of the full faculty in writing for proposed implementation]. Faculty staffing and operational budgetary concerns are independent of the advancement of the College’s permanent course offerings. An annual log of minutes, deliberations, and actions will be maintained in digital form for committee administration, faculty review, and archiving purposes.

Part 2:  Committee Charge, Duties, and Goals

1) Does the committee operate under a clearly stated committee “charge” (that is, a statement of purpose explaining what the committee is charged with doing on behalf of the faculty or college—this may be different from the catalog description of the committee)?  Is this charge written down and made available to the members of the committee and the college community at large?  Please explain. (If you feel that the current catalog description or any revision to the description that you made above functions adequately as a charge, please say so).

For the moment, [Part 01/2B] satisfies this aspect yet requires additional and more specific guidelines and procedures.

2) Does the committee maintain a set of specific duties? Are these written down? If a set of such duties exists (written down or in the minds of the chair or other members of the committee), please list them here.  (In other words, what is the committee specifically responsible for? What does the committee do?)

All Members:

01_Maintain the operation of the committee as charged by the faculty.

02_Abide by the approved operational procedures.

03_Represent the philosophies of their Division.

04_Maintain an active participation within the committee.

05_Provide diversity in opinion and experiences in review and deliberations.

06_Provide information and guidance regarding procedures for faculty.

Chair:

01_Implement administrative sequences.

02_Represent the committee as requested by the faculty or College

03_Call meetings and request agenda items from members and or faculty

04_Facilitate meetings

Secretary:

01_Maintain accurate accounting of meeting discussions and actions in written form.

02_Prepare materials for presentation and distribution to faculty.

03_Prepare motions in written form for consideration within faculty meetings.

04_Maintain all materials as they relate to faculty course proposals.

05_Maintain all forms and their distribution for faculty use in preparation for proposals.

06_Maintain digital archive of all operational, supplemental, actions of the Committee.

07_Convey in writing and signed by the committee approved actions on behalf of the faculty to the appropriate parties [Sponsoring Faculty, Department Head, Chair, Registrar, Dean].

3) Does the committee have a set of goals (short and/or long-term)? If so, please list them and briefly explain the process the committee used to arrive at these goals.

01_Evaluate the processes of curricula development to be implemented for the advancement of a specific department while further expanding the inter-disciplinary relationship to the greater scope of the College and its benefits.

02_The request of Division’s to review course offerings which are active and those inactive to be appropriately represented in the course bulletin.

03_The request of Division’s to provide and maintain the sequence of course offerings for student advising in relation to degree completion.

04_Request policy of faculty in relation to the construction in language of course descriptions and the ownership of these and who may amend them.

05_Implement all processes for curricula requests to become fully digital.

06_Request review and further development that Divisional curricula meets accreditation expectations.

07_Review of comparable institution’s policies and procedures for further insight.

08_Implementation of designated sequences of committee evaluation.

4) Other than verbal reports at faculty meetings, does the committee make reports in verbal or written form to the faculty or administration? How often are these reports made? Where are written reports housed and are they available to other members of the college community?

Not at this juncture, however the intent is to in alignment with the faculty’s and College’s initiative of transparency to have this realized. The physical aspects of a secure and logical methodology have yet to be determined as a committee and a faculty body.

5) Please add any additional comments about the charge, duties, and goals of the committee.

The intent of serving the academic needs of the student body through the faculty remains of the highest priority in an efficient and professional process.

Part 3:  Committee Membership

1a) To the best of the committee’s knowledge, how are faculty members of the currently committee chosen?

“The establishment of a Curriculum Committee, in response to a mandate by the governing Faculty, was enacted through an open nomination and election process for representation by: the Divisions of Design Arts, Fine Arts, Foundations, and Liberal Studies.”

1b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, how do you think the members of the committee should be chosen?

The membership process [should] include that the committee be composed of full-time faculty members.

2a) Do the faculty members on the committee have limited terms of service?

No, however the current [non-faculty approved version] states that one [01] member should be sequence in to provide consistency.

2b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, should there be terms of service? Please explain.

Currently it is not explicitly state and should be. A single academic term may not be advantageous due to the short and long term goals being ambitious. This is augmented by, in recent years, the committee not in existence and not within a process available to all faculty’s consideration

3) Does the current committee membership structure make sense? Is the committee too big, too small, the right size?  Please explain.

Currently the committee membership and structure are fairly distributed by the Divisional representation and its size allows for dialogue and productivity.

4a) Does the committee as it currently exists have faculty members from each of the Divisions of the College?  If so, do you feel (or is it a requirement of the committee) that it always have representation from each of the Divisions? 

“The establishment of a Curriculum Committee, in response to a mandate by the governing Faculty, was enacted through an open nomination and election process for representation by: the Divisions of Design Arts, Fine Arts, Foundations, and Liberal Studies.” This composition has been successful as it allows a diverse voice in the meetings and enables each member to, when required, a faculty’s concerns either in identifiable or concealed representation.

4b) If the Committee does not include members from each Division, should it? Please explain.

Asked and answered, please see [4a].

5a) If there are administrators on the committee (according to Dean Strickland’s committee grid), explain their role(s).

Not applicable in the sense of the committee composition however the Dean’s role within the process remains uncertain. Upon completion of the committee and faculty-at-large processes the Dean [will] be provided with a recommendation for possible implementation Can the Dean reject the recommendation of the faculty? Will the Policy on Policy overshadow the actual functionality of this and other committees? Will the faculty be devoid of their academic governance? It is understood that ultimate independence as a faculty is not possible but where is the line to be drawn?

5b) If administrators are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary? In other words, does the committee feel that administrators should be members of the committee? Please explain.

Asked and answered, please see above, [5a].

6a) If there are staff members on the committee, explain their role(s).

Not applicable.

6b) If staff are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary to the successful functioning of the committee?  Please explain.

Asked and answered, [6a].

7) To what extent are the decisions of your committee autonomous? In other words, do you make decisions that do not go to the full faculty for approval? Or do you make recommendations that then must be approved by the faculty or others?  Please explain.

Asked and answered, please see [Part 1, 2a-2b].

8) Please add any additional comments related to membership, committee structure, the appointment or election of members, participation of non-faculty members, etc.

Part 4: Committee Meetings and Time Commitment

1a) On average, how many times per semester does your committee meet?  Please indicate if the number of meetings varies by semester and explain why.

This will be determined by the process which is now in a fluid state.

1b) Is there a set meeting schedule (e.g., once monthly, bi-weekly, etc)?  If not, how does the committee determine if a meeting is necessary and who calls the meeting?

This will be determined by the process which is now in a fluid state.

1c) If there is no set meeting schedule, do you think that there should be a set meeting schedule or a minimum number of meetings for your committee per semester? Please explain.

This will be determined by the process which is in a fluid state.

1d) How long is the average meeting?

The developmental meeting was fifty [50] minutes long.

2) In general, how many hours of commitment per semester does this committee require of members?

As this aspect of the College can be viewed as one of the foundations of its mission, the current developmental commitment can be large. This would be associated with policy, administrative sequences, and form/paperwork. After which, based on the outlined tenets and a [hopeful] productive process, the time association is inline with the expansion of the course catalogue as requested by the faculty.

3a) Does the committee take minutes, keep notes, or otherwise track and archive the activities of the committee?

Yes.

3b) If you do keep minutes, where are they housed? Can other faculty (or administrators) not on your committee look at these minutes easily?

Asked and answered, please see [Part 2, 4].

4) Please add any additional comments on committee meetings and the time commitment required of faculty on this committee.

Admissions Committee Self Study

Name of Committee:  Admissions Committee

Current Committee Members (please indicate chair and any other officers): 

Nona Bolin

Fred Burton

Tom Lee

Remy Miller

Annette Moore

 Part 1:  MCA Faculty Handbook Description

1) The 2011-2012 MCA Handbook includes the following description of the Committee:

Admissions Reviews applicants to the undergraduate program. Membership: Three F-T faculty,

Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services and admissions counselors.

2a) In the opinion of the committee, does the handbook description accurately describe the function, purpose, and membership of the committee? Please explain.

No. we only look at applicants who are borderline either with gpa, act, or portfolio, or last minute admissions. We never meet as a group (not since I was first on the committee in the early and mid 90’s. we basically accept or reject questionable applicants (for a variety of reasons listed and not listed) independently.

2b) Please suggest changes/edits/rewrites for the Handbook description of your committee.  If the Handbook does not currently include a description for your committee, please write one. (Answers to this section of the self-study are suggestions only. They are intended to help the faculty move toward Handbook revisions, but they should be regarded as draft versions at this stage. Please don’t spend an inordinately long time trying to craft the perfect description—they can be changed and edited as we go through the process.)

Admissions Reviews (selected) applicants to the undergraduate program (under the direction of admissions). Membership: Three F-T faculty,

Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services and admissions counselors.

  

Part 2:  Committee Charge, Duties, and Goals

1) Does the committee operate under a clearly stated committee “charge” (that is, a statement of purpose explaining what the committee is charged with doing on behalf of the faculty or college—this may be different from the catalog description of the committee)?  Is this charge written down and made available to the members of the committee and the college community at large?  Please explain. (If you feel that the current catalog description or any revision to the description that you made above functions adequately as a charge, please say so).

Never seen  a charge or description other than a brief oral description years ago when we met as a committee and discussed applicants, sometimes at length.

2) Does the committee maintain a set of specific duties? Are these written down? If a set of such duties exists (written down or in the minds of the chair or other members of the committee), please list them here.  (In other words, what is the committee specifically responsible for? What does the committee do?)

No idea really. Notified when we have an applicant to review, look at the packet (mostly without all documentation) and note acceptance or rejection.

3) Does the committee have a set of goals (short and/or long-term)? If so, please list them and briefly explain the process the committee used to arrive at these goals.

This will sound smart assed but I don’t mean it that way. Short and long term goals are to accept “quality” students so admissions won’t be mad at us.

4) Other than verbal reports at faculty meetings, does the committee make reports in verbal or written form to the faculty or administration? How often are these reports made? Where are written reports housed and are they available to other members of the college community?

No

5) Please add any additional comments about the charge, duties, and goals of the committee.

I rejoined the admissions committee because I thought it would be helpful. When the committee met to look at applicants, portfolios, read letters, documentation together and discussed their impressions, it felt like legitimate committee work. Now it feels like doing something because admissions can’t or won’t make the decision they want to to begin with.  Probably the easiest committee work to do even though it should be the most thoughtful.

Part 3:  Committee Membership

1a) To the best of the committee’s knowledge, how are faculty members of the currently committee chosen?

To my memory, they have always been asked. The committee has also not changed in over a decade.

1b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, how do you think the members of the committee should be chosen?

Either elected or on an assigned rotation so everyone (eventually) knows what the admissions process is like.

2a) Do the faculty members on the committee have limited terms of service?

no

2b) If it is not explicitly stated in the description/rules/by-laws of the committee, should there be terms of service? Please explain.

Yes. All committees should have terms of service for the same reason given in 1b (above).

3) Does the current committee membership structure make sense? Is the committee too big, too small, the right size?  Please explain.

No. seems like a waste of time, effort, thought, etc. meeting singularly, there is no discussion, agreement, disagreement, etc. just a chore to be done.

4a) Does the committee as it currently exists have faculty members from each of the Divisions of the College?  If so, do you feel (or is it a requirement of the committee) that it always have representation from each of the Divisions? 

No.

Yes. But only if they meet as a committee so discussion can take place.

4b) If the Committee does not include members from each Division, should it? Please explain.

Yes. (above)

5a) If there are administrators on the committee (according to Dean Strickland’s committee grid), explain their role(s).

Does that include Annette? She may notify us of an applicant or give us details we ask about (concerning lack of documentation for instance) but we sit by ourselves to review the packets. Sometimes the counselors do that as well.

When we met as a committee, occasionally Susan (Miller) would sit in on the discussions (when she was in Annette’s position).

5b) If administrators are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary? In other words, does the committee feel that administrators should be members of the committee? Please explain.

Not if the faculty are going to have an active voice in student admission decisions.

If, however, the role of the faculty (on the admissions committee along with faculty reviewing portfolios at functions) is only to recommend admission (based on portfolio quality) and suggest scholarship (based on portfolio quality) and not to actually admit students then someone will have to do the other related paperwork.  Parenthetically, I’m always confused about accepting a portfolio at a review (in lieu of sending it in to admissions) and how that plays into the admissions process at all).

6a) If there are staff members on the committee, explain their role(s).

see 5a

6b) If staff are members of the committee, do you feel that their roles are necessary to the successful functioning of the committee?  Please explain.

7) To what extent are the decisions of your committee autonomous? In other words, do you make decisions that do not go to the full faculty for approval? Or do you make recommendations that then must be approved by the faculty or others?  Please explain.

I have no idea.  Let’s say 3 people vote to reject and 2 to accept (an example since there are only 4 committee members) it’s not clear to me whether the vote is actually followed or not. i.e. I’m not sure about the autonomy of the faculty (part of the committee) in regards to admissions decisions.

8) Please add any additional comments related to membership, committee structure, the appointment or election of members, participation of non-faculty members, etc.

This seems to be tied directly to the admissions events we are required to attend---which seem mostly to be opportunities to have people submit applications. It sounds a lot to me like a tent revival (come on down brother!) as opposed to whatever (good will making) opportunity for young would be art students to get professional feedback on their work and “careers”. I am some kind of naïve bumpkin.

Part 4: Committee Meetings and Time Commitment

1a) On average, how many times per semester does your committee meet?  Please indicate if the number of meetings varies by semester and explain why.

#’s vary according to closeness to deadlines and other unknown variables. Usually less than 4….again, that’s meeting individually when we have time.

1b) Is there a set meeting schedule (e.g., once monthly, bi-weekly, etc)?  If not, how does the committee determine if a meeting is necessary and who calls the meeting?

Nope. Get the email from (usually) Annette, although sometimes from Katie.

1c) If there is no set meeting schedule, do you think that there should be a set meeting schedule or a minimum number of meetings for your committee per semester? Please explain.

 Again…in the days of yore when dragons roamed the land, we met regularly (once a week) or more depending on how close to deadline and how late the little buggers would wait to apply.

1d) How long is the average meeting?

Aaaaannnnnnnddddddd again, individually……shortest time, about 2 minutes. The longest over the last year was about 20 minutes.

2) In general, how many hours of commitment per semester does this committee require of members?

Half hour tops.

3a) Does the committee take minutes, keep notes, or otherwise track and archive the activities of the committee?

I take private minutes by mumbling into my spymaster watch and will soon archive them in the “cloud” thingie.  That’s a no.

3b) If you do keep minutes, where are they housed? Can other faculty (or administrators) not on your committee look at these minutes easily?

Nope, nope.

4) Please add any additional comments on committee meetings and the time commitment required of faculty on this committee.

More? Not a clear picture yet?

We don’t have meetings.

It’s hardly worth mentioning the time commitment.

I have other comments that I’d rather not write down.

Announcements from December 16, 2011 Faculty Meeting

1) Laura Cummings Memorial Gift

•Please remember that TODAY is the last day to give to the faculty gift in memory of Laura Cummings.  Envelopes are at Anna Vargas’s desk and in the Business Office.

•ANY amount is appreciated.

2) Schedule of Regular Faculty Meetings, Spring 2012

•January 13             Transfer/New Student Advising (11:00-12:00) and Faculty Meeting (1:30-4:00 in DA Media)

•January 23

•February 21

•March 21

•April 19

•May 11, Review Committee Reports (DA Media)

This schedule is subject to change. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be held in Myers Auditorium and will begin at 12:10 p.m. and adjourn no later than 1:00 p.m.

3) NEW Enrichment Grant Application Deadline

•Application deadline for Faculty Enrichment funds is January 13, 2012.

•Please direct questions to Remy Miller.

4) 2012/2013 Visiting Artists/Lecturers

• Please e-mail suggestions for visiting artists/lecturers that you think would benefit your program/MCA to Jennifer Sargent. 

• Proposals are due by the end of January for a meeting of the committee at the beginning of February.

• Give link/s to website/s for more detailed information and include whether you have any personal contact with this person.

• Generally 6 artists (approx. $1,000 honorarium) can be selected and one high profile artist/critic/curator/writer (approx. $5,000 honorarium).

5)  Exhibitions: Hyde Gallery

• MCA Faculty Exhibition will be the first show of the Fall 2012 semester at the Hyde Gallery.

• Work will be due the beginning of the week before college starts, August 13,14. Please keep this in mind as you plan new work and exhibition entries.

• This is our first opportunity as a faculty body to show downtown and be seen by a larger audience. We want to get the "wow" factor across loud and clear.

6) Exhibitions

• Curatorial possibilities, proposal timeframe same as for visiting artists/lectures.

• Hyde Gallery:  First show, Spring 2013, featuring African American artists. 8 week show starting mid January.

• Main:  one possible time slot in Spring (mid February) dependent on decision about BFA shows.

• Lower Gallery: two time slots mid and late Fall one time slot early spring

Holiday Break Check List from Sherry Yelvington

Holiday Break Check List and Information

Temporary Greeting/Holiday Message on Office Phone

In a short few days you will be leaving the college to enjoy your families, travel and relax.  Most folks outside MCA do not have this luxury and usually have no idea that we do.  So for them... could you please leave a temporary holiday message on your school voice mail that will let callers know the college is closed and we will re-open on Tuesday, January 3rd.  The directions and some sample messages are below.  If you are placing a holiday message from your office phone, dial 999 and follow the instructions below.   You may also do this from an outside phone (home or cell) by dialing 901-275-5105, it will prompt you to enter a certain number if your office is in Rust Hall or continue if not – enter your mailbox number (your three digit extension) and password, then follow the instructions below. 

Please place a reminder on your calendar to remove this message on January 3rd.  If the message was placed on your phone correctly, when you delete the holiday message your original message will be re-instated.  Let me know if you have any problems or questions.

Housekeeping

We also need to take care of a few housekeeping items before you leave for break.  Please do not leave any food/food packaging in your office.  I would appreciate you disposing of any food or food trash including cans and drink bottles in the hallway trash cans.  If you have food or open beverages in the refrigerators in the Executive Suite, Gibson Hall, or the Grad School, please remove these items as well.  Also please unplug your space heaters, turn off all lights, computers and make sure all windows and doors are locked securely.

Pay Schedule

The Dec 31 pay will be issued on Dec 21 instead by either check or direct deposit as you have designated.  This is not additional pay or a bonus check.  This is your Dec 31 paycheck early.  The next pay period following this will not be until January 13th so please plan accordingly.  

Closing and Break Schedule:

We will be closed beginning Thursday, Dec 22 through Monday, January 2nd.  All staff will report to work on Monday, January 3rd.  

Gibson Hall access during Holiday Break

The front door ID access to Gibson Hall may or may not work during the holiday break.  You will be able to access Gibson Hall through the back door during this time.  If neither seems to be working please call Campus Safety 507-3030 for access – except on Dec 24, Dec 25 and Dec 31, Jan 1  Please do not call Campus Safety on these dates unless it is an emergency.

Mail/Package Delivery

The college will be accepting mail everyday accepted Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31 and Jan 1.  This includes package delivery.  

Temperature/Thermostats

All thermostats will be lowered to save energy and cost while we are away.  So if you plan to access your office during the break you will need extra layers. 

Temporary Message Instructions

Dial 999 and the checkmark

0-mailbox options

4-temporary greeting

1 -to record a message and press # when finished recording.

Then the system will prompt you to press one...

1 - to accept message

2 - to listen

3 - to re-record

Upon your return, to delete temporary greeting:

Dial 999 and the checkmark

0-mailbox options

4-temporary greeting

2 - to erase temporary greeting.

Faculty sample:

"  You've reached ______________ at the Memphis College of Art.  I am out for the holidays and plan to return on _______________.  You may leave a message and I will return your call then” or

" I will be checking my messages periodically."  

Staff sample:

"  You've reached ______________.  The Memphis College of Art is closed for the holidays.  The college will re-open on Tuesday morning, January 3rd.  Please leave your name, number and a brief message and I will call you back upon our return."