USC-UNION FACULTY ORGANZIATION MEETING

Friday, October 8, 2004, 11:00 AM – Community Room

AGENDA

Present: Murphy, Wright, Young, Gavalas, Charles, Edwards, Buchanan, Hawley, Kearse, Stokes, Ivey

Absent: Fatemi, Holcombe, Jett, Simpson

Motion to Temporarily Suspend Published Agenda

Chairperson Charles entertained a motion to suspend the published agenda temporarily to accommodate Dr. Buchanan’s need to present an item of New Business before having to leave our meeting early in order to attend a meeting in Columbia. The motion passed.

New Business: Dr. Buchanan

Dr. Buchanan presented the proposed schedule of courses for the spring, 2005 semester, noting several changes that had been agreed upon by involved faculty members. The final schedule will be posted to list serve.

Discussion then followed regarding our need to offer more courses due to our growing enrollment. It was determined that our greatest needs lay in the area of Sociology, Business Courses (especially Accounting and Management), Women’s Studies, and Computer Science. Art Studio and one-hour courses were also mentioned as possible offerings.

By consensus, the Faculty Organization, upon motion by Dr. Gavalas, requested the Faculty Advisory Committee to study our present course offerings with the aim of both increasing our course offerings and redesigning (if needed) our present requirements for both the two-year and four-year degrees. The Faculty Advisory Committee is to report back to the Faculty Organization upon completion of their task.

Introductions

Chairperson Charles introduced and welcomed our new librarian, Jane Hawley, to the faculty organization

Reading/Approval of Minutes of September 10, 2004

The minutes were approved as posted to list serve on September 3, 2004

Reports of Standing Committees

Faculty Advisory - Dr. Charles

No report.

Academic Affairs - Dr. Buchanan

No Report

Student Affairs - Dr. Murphy

No Report

Financial Affairs - Mr. Simpson

No Report

Faculty Welfare - Dr. Wright

No Report

Regional Campuses Faculty Senate - Dr. Murphy

No formal report although Dr. Murphy did announce that the Regional Campus Faculty Senate would meet here as USC-Union on November 19, 2004. All USC-U faculty members were invited to attend.

Columbia Senate - Dr. Wright

Dr. Wright presented these announcements:

1. Flu Shots for Family Fund Members will be available in Columbia October 13, provided vaccine is available. Suggest a call ahead before driving to Columbia.

2. Summer/Maymester faculty members who offer independent study courses are supposed to be paid extra. This has not been done in the past.

3. "Turnitin.com" is a website to help combat plagiarism in the classroom.

Reports of Special Committees

Staff Organization – Ms. Jett

No Report

B. Recruitment/Retention – Mr. Young

In addition to his two reports posted to list serve (attachments 1 and 2), Mr. Young offered the following:

1. USC-U has the greatest enrollment of all the regional campus, showing an increase of 34.44%

2. 8 counties and 20 high schools are represented in our present enrollment.

The Faculty Organization commended Mr. Young, Mrs. Stokes, Mr. Holcomb, and all their staff for a job well done. The FO also committed to providing adequate academic offers warranted by this increase in enrollment.

C. Financial Aid – Mr. Holcombe

Posted to list serve (attachment 3)

D. Laurens Campus –

Dean Edwards reported that Mrs. Connie Parker has been hired as the Administrative Assistant for the Lauren’s campus. She will begin work on October 18, 2004.

E. OSP Report – Ms. Stokes

Posted to list serve (attachment 4)

F. Peer Review –

Mr. Kearse declined to serve as chairperson of the Peer Review Committee. FO Chairperson Charles asked Dr. Peter Murphy to call members of the Peer Review Committee together for the purpose of selecting a chairperson and reporting the same to the next FO meeting.

G. Institutional Effectiveness – Mr. Simpson

No report

Dean Edwards’ Report

Dean Edwards reported the following:

The Palmetto College project is moving forward with the Smart Classroom in progress. It is projected that all will be on line by the Fall, 2005, perhaps earlier.

According to the October 5, 2004 issue of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Governor Sanford still has the closing of USC-U on his agenda. Dean Edward indicated that the powers that be (Kennedy, Whitener, Anthony, etc) are on top of this issue and are working to see that it does not happen.

Due to the arrest of a faculty member on the Sumter Campus for parole violation, criminal background checks will be conducted on all new faculty members employed by USCU.

The flood in the chemistry lab requires much work to correct, including tearing out the walls to dry out the facility. Workmen are cooperating so as to interfere as little as possible with classes—workmen will work Wednesday through Sunday, leaving Monday, Tues, and Wednesday open for classes. The project should take two weeks.

Unfinished Business

Revisions to the Faculty Handbook regarding the early academic intervention program adopted in May, 2004, are underway, but not yet completed

Student Parking: parking areas will be repainted; efforts to enforce no parking in the fire lane will be increased, and continued discouragement of students parking on grass. No tickets will be issued for parking on grass.

New Business

None other than the New Business listed above at the beginning of these Minutes.

Announcements

Next Faculty Organization meeting will be on Friday, November 12, 2004 11 AM

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 12:20 PM.

Attachment 1 – Student Affairs Report – Mr. Young

Recruiting-
1. I will make Ed-Op visits to all the high schools in our recruiting
area during the month of October.
2. Bobby and I will visit guidance counselors in 22 high schools within
the next week.
3. We will mail recruiting letters to all of last year’s Junior
Scholars on Oct. 8th.
4. We will mail recruiting letters to 2,750 high schools seniors on
Oct. 22.
5. I will attend participate in the Union area education opportunity
program at Union High School on Oct. 9th.

Student Activities
1. SGA senator election was held on Sept. 22th.
2.  Ice cream social was held on Sept. 29th.
3. Pizza Day will be held on Oct. 13th.
4. Halloween social will be held on Oct. 27.

Attachment 2 - Fall Enrollment – Mr. Young

PRELIMINARY ENROLLMENT REPORT

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

ENROLLMENT COMPARISON - TERM: FALL 2004
                       
   

HEADCOUNT

  

F.T.E.

          
                       
   

AS OF

AS OF

  

AS OF

AS OF

  

   % CHANGE

    
   

10/3/2003

10/1/2004

  

10/3/2003

10/1/2004

  

HD. CT.

F.T.E.

    
                       

Columbia

                      

Undergrad.

  

17,094

17,681

  

16,036

16,772

  

3.43

4.59

    

Law

  

741

754

  

770

780

  

1.75

1.29

    

Med. School:

M.D.

297

306

  

297

306

  

3.03

3.03

    

**D. Pharm

  

261

277

  

127

123

  

6.13

-3.25

    
 

Masters

5,105

4,658

  

3,312

3,137

    

-5.28

    
 

Doctoral

1,562

1,635

  

1,281

1,296

    

1.16

    

Total Grad

  

6,667

6,293

  

4,593

4,433

  

-5.61

-3.48

    

 

                      

Columbia Total

  

25,060

25,311

  

21,823

22,414

  

1.00

2.71

    

 

                      

Aiken

Undergrad

3,246

3,268

  

2,695

2,713

  

0.68

0.68

    
 

Graduate

99

113

  

41

47

  

14.14

13.88

    
 

Total

3,345

3,381

  

2,736

2,760

  

1.08

0.87

    

 

                      

Beaufort

  

1,166

1,271

  

711

831

  

9.01

16.88

    

 

                      

Upstate

Undergrad

4,396

4,274

  

3,825

3,771

  

-2.78

-1.43

    
 

Graduate

110

91

  

29

28

  

-17.27

-4.07

    
 

Total

4,506

4,365

  

3,854

3,798

  

-3.13

-1.45

    

 

                      

Lancaster

  

934

1,039

  

610

684

  

11.24

12.16

    

 

                      

Salkehatchie

  

789

714

  

459

395

  

-9.51

-13.82

    

 

                      

Sumter

  

1,182

1,018

  

762

724

  

-13.87

-4.88

    

 

                      

Union

  

302

406

  

175

233

  

34.44

32.69

    

 

                      

Regional Total

  

12,224

12,194

  

9,306

9,425

  

-0.25

1.28

    

 

                      

 

                      

University Total

  

37,284

37,505

  

31,128

31,839

  

0.59

2.28

    


**The FTE’s for Undergraduate students in the D. Pharm Program are counted at the Undergraduate level.

Attachment 3 – Financial Aid – Mr. Holcomb

1. LIFE Scholarship recipients increased 16% in 2004-2005 from 2003-2004
2. Lottery Tuition Assistance Program increased 62% in 2004-2005 from 2003-2004
3. I attended three SC Guidance Conferences (Converse, Newberry and Winthrop)
4. I spoke to the Union High School Teacher Cadet Class and Health Occupations Class in September
5. The Admissions and Financial Aid Offices has visited the 22 high schools in our service area.
6. Important dates:
November 5- Guidance Conference Luncheon
February 1- USCU Scholarship Deadline
March 17- USCU Junior Scholars
April 21- USCU Scholarship Ceremony
7. Exciting new...Miss South Carolina will be the guest speaker for the Junior Scholars Program.
The Local Commission has given 10,000.00 to the first 10 2003-2004 Junior Scholars who apply for admission by December 1, 2004 with the best academic record to receive a one time 1,000.00 scholarship.  
8. The Financial Aid Office will participate in a Senior Night at Jonesville High School on October 7 and Lockhart on October 18.
9. The following 2005-2004 Financial Aid Workshops have been scheduled:
November 30th  Lockhart HS
December 2nd   Union HS
December 9th    Blacksburg HS
December 13th  Gaffney HS
December 16th  Jonesville HS
January 11th     Woodruff HS
January 13th     Dorman HS
January 20th    Spartanburg HS
January 24th    Byrnes HS
January 25th    Broome HS
February 1st    Chester HS
10. SC Student Loan Corp will be on campus October 11th for campus visit.
11. Financial Aid Office will begin internal audit in October.

Attachment 4 – OSP Report – Mrs. Stokes

OSP is moving right along through the semester. We are maxed out at 150 students but will still offer most services to any and all needy students that ask! The numbers at our workshops so far this semester have been really good. [They could be better if the University Chorus class started just 15 minutes later (1:00pm instead of 12:45pm). Is that possible for next semester? WE would really appreciate it if that change could be made. We just lose half of our audience 15 minutes into the workshop.]

Thus far this semester we’ve had a test taking skills workshop, an introduction to SCOIS and a wonderful faculty roundtable with Dr.

Gavalas. We have also already taken a group of students to visit the USC Upstate campus.

We also contacted all OSP students who received mid-term progress reports, although I am not sure that many have responded to our offers of help. We are trying.

Upcoming Events:

Oct. 18th:  Writing a good paper workshop

Nov. 2nd:  Election Day

Nov. 15th: Transfer Tips workshop

Don’t forget to encourage students to utilize the PMTs. They are doing

a great job this semester tutoring and leading study groups. Just remind students they are there!

Thanks! Tammy

Tammy Weaver Stokes, Director

Opportunity Scholars Program

University of S.C. Union

(864) 429-8728, ext. 7732

Respectfully submitted,

Anthony N. Gavalas, D. Min.

Secretary

USCU Faculty Organization