Year 1994-95
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
BOARD OF REGENTS
Educational Planning and Policy Committee
May 11, 1995
A meeting of the Educational Planning and Policy Committee of the
Board of Regents was held on Thursday, May 11, 1995, at 10:30 a.m. in
Room 300, Morrill Hall.
Regents present: Stanley Sahlstrom, presiding; Julie Bleyhl,
William Hogan, Hyon Kim, William Peterson, and Jessica Phillips.
Staff present: Chancellor Donald Sargeant; Provosts Eugene Allen
and Phillip Shively; Senior Vice President Ettore Infante; Vice
Presidents Mark Brenner, Mel George, and John Imholte; Associate Vice
President Josie Johnson; Associate Executive Director Kenneth Janzen.
Student Representative present: Shawn Poulter.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT'S MONTHLY REPORT
Senior Vice President Infante reviewed the Senior Vice President's
Monthly Report, which was included in the docket materials, and noted
the following items:
¥ Proposed approval of the Bachelor of Science in
Agricultural Aviation at the University of Minnesota,
Crookston.
¥ Proposed approval of a new Certificate in Organizational
and Professional Communication to be offered by
Continuing Education and Extension.
¥ Proposed approval of a Bachelor of Science in Sports
Studies in the College of Education and Human
Development.
¥ Proposed approval of the name change of the undergraduate
degree major in the Institute of Technology from
Agricultural Engineering to Biosystems and Agricultural
Engineering to be consistent with the newly approved
department name.
¥ Proposed approval of the name change from the Department
of Agricultural and Applied Economics to the Department
of Applied Economics.
¥ The School of Nursing program in ethics education for
undergraduate students has been initiated with support
from the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary
Education of the U.S. Department of Education.
¥ Proposed approval of the name change from the Saint
Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory to the Saint Anthony
Falls Laboratory -- Engineering, Environmental and
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics.
¥ Senior Vice President Infante will attend the next
meeting of the Midwestern Higher Education Commission.
The meeting will focus on the issue of centralized and
decentralized governance in higher education. The State
of Illinois recently acted to abolish the Board of
Regents and the Board of Governors, and created separate
boards for each state institution of higher education.
¥ Proposed Amendments to Regents' Policy on Board
Operations and Agenda Guidelines contains a modification
relating to the approval of program proposals.
Regent Bleyhl commented that there is concern in the community
that the place of the College of Agriculture is being diminished in the
proposed name change for the Department of Agricultural and Applied
Economics. Provost Allen responded that Richard Jones, Dean of the
College of Agriculture, has consulted extensively on this issue, and the
change puts into context the work being done in the department.
Regent Sahlstrom asked about the interchanging use of the name
Continuing Education and Extension, and University College. Dean Miller
responded that both names will be used for the next couple of years, and
then the name Continuing Education & Extension will be dropped.
A motion was made and seconded, and the committee voted
unanimously to recommend approval of the Senior Vice President's Monthly
Report.
ACADEMIC REPORT SERIES: CLA AND IT
Provost Shively introduced the Academic Report Series, noting the
complementary missions of the two colleges. Together the faculties of
the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the Institute of Technology (IT)
provide 55 percent of the total instruction of the University of
Minnesota; bring in an average of $80,000 in research funds per faculty
member; and have 81 separate outreach projects. Shively noted that even
though IT is one of the smaller engineering colleges in the nation in
terms of faculty numbers, it is ranked 14th in the nation. Also, of 14
separate programs evaluated within IT, 11 were ranked in the top 20 in
the nation.
Dean Francis Kulacki gave a brief overview of IT in 1994-95, in
which he noted: a shift away from public support and toward private
funding; the establishment of a newly-revised chemistry curriculum; the
establishment of a "residential college"; the curricular reform project;
and the fund raising being conducted by the Biomedical Engineering
Institute. In the area of service and outreach, IT has been successful
in bringing industry in a working partnership, has recognized the need
to address diverse K-12 interrelations, and has been successful in
expanding external relations contacts. Lastly, he suggested the future
key issues for IT are faculty retention, curriculum reform,
institutional support, research infrastructure, improved physical plant,
continued private support, and increased faculty and staff diversity.
Dean Julia Davis gave a brief update of CLA. She explained that
the college has decreased from 40 to 30 departments and has 10 "centers"
that constitute the active core of the institution. CLA applications are
up by 34 percent, and CLA reached its admissions limit for the coming
year faster than any other college at the University. Davis noted three
key issues facing CLA: instituting new liberal education
requirements, retaining the best faculty and graduate students, and
maintaining the quality programs established in the last four to five
years, such as residential college and nationally renowned language
courses in French, Spanish and German.
Regent Hogan asked both deans how they plan to deal with faculty
retention and the implications for budget cuts. Davis responded that
much will depend on management of the crisis, planning for reduced
budgets, and how to protect the core to assure all resources are used
efficiently if the cuts are across-the-board. Kulacki responded that the
next cuts will cut into the core of IT programs.
Regent Sahlstrom asked what was being done to meet the objective
of creating a friendlier environment for incoming students, and whether
the University provides opportunities for growth in teaching
proficiency. Shively responded that he is urging the expansion of
Residential College to help create a friendlier environment and is
working to expand the endowment from the Bush Foundation to continue the
successful peer teaching evaluation project.
UPDATE ON THE MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM
Provost Allen introduced Peter Olin, Director of the Minnesota
Landscape Arboretum, and Mr. Ken Lindgren, Chair of the Arboretum
Foundation Board. Allen explained that this presentation is in response
to the Board's request for an update.
Director Olin reported that the Arboretum is focusing its planning
objectives in six areas: to protect the University's
investments/assets; to adopt a plan that will protect the Univesity's
facilities and investment in it's goal to become a world-class
arboretum; to impact how science education is taught and look for
greater input in conducting University courses; to cooperate with
worldwide research efforts, concentrating on developing plants for the
urban ecosystem; to contribute to low cost, worldwide efforts in plant
conservation; to emphasize public relations efforts; and to increase
funding for the Arboretum through research, earned income, and donations
that provide funds for land purchase and grounds maintenance.
Ken Lindgren reviewed the five-year and long-range plans of the
Arboretum Foundation Board to raise the funds to continue the work of
the Arboretum and to purchase land that would protect this unique area
from development. He noted that there is a grant proposal as part of
the LCMR appropriation before the Legislature to fund a wetland
restoration project on land purchased with this money and matching
Arboretum funds that would benefit the wetland resources in the state
and the Arboretum. This project would be done on land that adjoins the
Arboretum and purchased in anticipation of receiving this grant.
Lastly, Lindgren reviewed the land purchase plans being pursued by the
Arboretum Foundation.
Regent Hogan noted that the Board can assist in land acquisition
and eminent domain proceedings, but inquired about the fate of the
grant. Provost Allen said that the grant (LCMR appropriation) is part
of the omnibus bill from both houses. He is confident it will be in the
final bill, but is concerned whether the Governor will sign it. Allen
also reviewed the implications if the main roads bordering the Arboretum
go from two to four lanes. He was also concerned about the Arboretum
being situated in the fastest growing school district in the state.
Regent Hogan requested that the Arboretum be on the agenda
periodically for updates. Provost Allen agreed.
The meeting adjourned at 11:55 a.m.
STEVEN BOSACKER
Executive Director and
Corporate Secretary
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