Spring 2009 Updates
Another spring semester has begun and this time without an ice storm! So far we've had a mild winter, but I'm not banking on it being that way for much longer. We've gotten 14 inches of snow in March before. I'm hoping for a mild winter this year since I'm now officially a commuter from Fair Grove. Yep, Jay and I officially moved into our cabin on New Year's Eve! There are some hilly areas I have to drive now to get here to work. After moving in, we stayed there for 3 nights and then packed again and took off last week to Colorado. I thought the trip was poorly timed, but once we got there, I forgot about the dissary of the house and all the boxes. We enjoyed great skiing conditions (powder) while there and so it was worth it to get a break from the move and remodeling. Since returning, we've gotten the kitchen, living room, and dining rooms fully set up. The rest can be done on weekends. I feel good about it all and look forward to having an open house next month sometime for everyone. Later this week, I'll get some pictures on my family blog and I'll send the link to you so you can see a few home movies and still pictures of the new place. I appreciate all the well wishes you've given me recently on getting moved in, I can't wait to share the new place with you all.
I hope your classes have started out nicely. I am teaching COM 300: Careers in Communication in the first block and have a great group of juniors and seniors who are eager to work on their resumes and learn about great jobs for COM majors. I hope you have great students as well. So, a few business items to take care of:
Faculty Meetings Schedule for Spring 2009
Wednesdays, 3:15-5:00pm, Craig 337: January 28, February 18, March 18, April 15, and May 6 (CGEIP and Grad Council overlap)
Additional Items of Notes
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Craig Hall roof installation. Word from the dean is that the roof installation should be completed by first of next week. Weather delays prevented them from meeting the January 9 deadline. Many of you have complained and shared grave health concerns and those have been duly noted by the dean and Bob Eckles. They've made some adjustments to the vents on the roof and yesterday was better, but we'll have to go day by day. If your room is Craig is unbearable due to fumes, you should get with Karen immediately and schedule a temporary room change. You may want to adjust offifce hours as well while the work is being completed. Let me know how things are working for you in that matter.
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Beginning of semester notes: For liability reasons, if a student’s name is not on your class list, please do not allow that student to attend unless he or she can provide verification of enrollment.
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The class schedule for Summer 2009 and Fall 2009 will be published on the web February 17. We will have time before then to make adjustments, but for now, everything is set. If you have any questions about your schedule for either semester, let me or Karen know.
3. I'd like to get the facutly profiles on the webpage updated. So, please review your bio and send me a word document with any revisions. I'd like these done before our first faculty meeting, January 28. 4. The provost and president have been talking a lot recently about the budget relative to enrollments. In particular they are requesting that we work doubly hard in recruitment and retention of new and returning students. This will be a brief discussion item for our January faculty meeting. The dean has identified a number of ways for us to consider pursuing ramping up recruitment efforts. Here are a few:
o Responding promptly and enthusiastically to inquiries from prospective students.
o Having faculty available to meet with students on campus visits, which includes being prompt for appointments, engaging with students and parents, and excited about your programs.
o Having clear information and advisement for students. Make it easy and satisfying for them to access the information they need.
o Consider ways of welcoming students during the first week of classes. For example, as department heads you might visit some of your introductory or gen ed classes to say hello and welcome. Make a point of being in the hallways and greeting students. Send an email out to all your students welcoming them back and sharing any pertinent beginning-of-the-semester information.
o Reach out to area high school teachers and counselors and dual credit instructors.
5. Don't forget, BANNER is coming online soon with fall 2009 registration. There are a number of BANNER info sessions that are available for you to attend to find out about new and revised policies. I am doing some beta training next week on the student portal and will have some things to share with you at the faculty meeting about how it's working. As the system becomes more and more available to faculty, I'll share screen shots of it at our faculty meetings this semester.
6. Thanks to Randy, Char, and Janis who will be reviewing the merit documents over the next couple of weeks. We appreciate all the work you are doing here. Their recommendations are due to me by January 30. My deadline is February 28, along with the annual reviews and meetings with each of you separately. At the faculty meeting I'll share with you how that process is going to go given that we'll likely have no or minimal salary increases next year.
HAVE A GREAT SEMESTER. More to come before our January 28 faculty meeting.
Kelly