Present: Doris Glick, Kenneth Elzinga, Daphne Spain, Donald Innes, Robert O'Connell, Robert Davis, Joanne Bechta Dugan, Daniel Hallahan, Elliott Weiss, Aaron Laushway

Guests: Karin Wittenborg, University Librarian and Diane Walker, Associate Librarian for User Services

Doris Glick, Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, called the meeting to order. Introductions and welcoming remarks were made.

I. Teaching Initiative Evaluation:

Ms. Glick provided the Committee with an overview of the charge to the Academic Affairs Committee and progress to date of the Faculty Senate Teaching Initiative. This is a three-year pilot project funded through the Provost's office. The 2000-2001 academic year is the 3rd year of the program. An evaluation process was begun last spring. She distributed a draft of a survey to be sent to all recipients of the awards as part of that evaluation process. The bottom line issue is whether, and in what form, this initiative should be continued…. a decision that will be made by Peter Low. The following suggestions were made for changes in the wording of the survey:

• "Is your project still in use?" should be added to Question #1
• The wording in Question #4 should be changed to "Have any aspects of your project utilized other faculty?" If so, please provide examples.
• Question #4 should include "How can you share the results of your project with other colleagues? What is your cost-benefit assessment of your project? Would you do it again?
• Questions #5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 should be eliminated.
• The grant recipient submitting the survey should be identified.

Ms. Glick will make edits to the survey. The survey will be sent to all grant recipients and returned to the Senate Office.

II. Appointment of sub-committee:

Ms. Glick asked for volunteers to serve on a subcommittee to evaluate the survey results and create a report on the Teaching Initiative, to be submitted to Peter Low, Vice President and Provost. Kenneth Elzinga, Robert Davis, and Daniel Hallahan volunteered to serve on this subcommittee.

III. Electronic Journals:

Karin Wittenborg, University Librarian, and Diane Parr Walker, Associate University Librarian for User Services, presented a slide presentation on scholarly publishing and the preservation of Electronic Journals. The main issue is that library costs are increasing rapidly and libraries have to cut back the number of subscriptions. Electronic journals are equally or more expensive than paper copies. Some journals are available only in print, some only electronically, and some are available in both forms. Included in their presentation were two handouts: Graph 2: Monograph and Serial Costs in ARL Libraries, 1986-1999; and Electronic Journal Articles Used FY2000.

Ms. Wittenborg recommended that faculty assume some ownership of the problem, i.e., when a faculty member publishes an article, he/she should retain (rather than give away) the copyright in order to publish the article electronically. After their presentation, there was a discussion and questions and answers. The issues are complex. The Committee will discuss the issue further at the next meeting.

IV. Future Academic Affairs Committee meetings were set. They are:

• Wednesday, October 18th (1:00-2:30)
• Wednesday, November 8th (3:30-5:00);
• Wednesday, December 13th (2:00-3:30). Health Insurance for University graduate students will be discussed at the next meeting.
• The meeting adjourned at 3:25 p.m.