For each meeting, an agenda digest has been provided to save time since minutes are lengthy. The digest provides highlights and actions taken at each meeting. For the full minutes, please contact Frances Peyton (924-7643, ftp7e@virginia.edu).

Agenda Digest

January 16, 1998

Jahan Ramazani, Chair of the Faculty Senate, called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. in Newcomb Hall, Room 389. In attendance were Edward Ayers, Rebecca Kneedler, Janet Horne, Michael Smith, Sharon Utz, Miles Townsend, Michael Williams, Robert Grainger, Marva Barnett, Benjamin Ray, David Gies, Peter Low, Robert Reynolds.

Mr. Ramazani welcomed everyone. He then recognized Marva Barnett, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Junior Faculty Development and Retention, which is a subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee.

Ms. Barnett distributed a draft report developed by her committee. The group read the report, and comments and suggestions were made. The Academic Affairs Committee will meet on Monday, January 19, to review and discuss the report. Ms. Barnett will revise the document, incorporating suggestions made by the Executive Council and the Academic Affairs Committee, and she will send it to the Executive Council for review. The Executive Council may send comments via e-mail to the Junior Faculty Development and Retention Subcommittee (jrfac-sen@virginia.edu). Mr. Ramazani thanked Ms. Barnett for the work being done by the Subcommittee.

The next order of business was a discussion of a document that President Casteen has asked the Executive Council to review. Mr. Casteen requested that the Council offer its advice. The document is the "Proposal for the Development of the Center for Multi-Ethnic and Cultural Affairs of the University of Virginia." Rebecca Kneedler, who was a member of the task force that developed the document, gave an overview of the work of the task force.

Mr. Ramazani asked Ben Ray to lead the discussions of the document. The Council discussed the document and noted some concerns. Mr. Ramazani also noted concerns expressed to him by the Faculty Senate members of the task force. Mr. Low and Mr. Ramazani will convey the Executive Council's thoughts to Mr. Casteen.

The Executive Council discussed the issue of requiring first-year students to have a computer by the Year 2000, and some issues regarding "integrated systems" in administrative computing were also discussed. Peter Low suggested that Polley McClure, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, should be invited to a future meeting or meetings to discuss issues involving required computers for first-year students and issues involving administrative computing.

The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

Submitted by Janet Horne, Secretary of the Faculty Senate