MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
                          September 17, 2003
                                   
Members Present: Stringam for Weaver, Giroux, McDermott, Kommers,
Monaco, Leech, Taylor, Christopher, Seymour, Jones, Yoo, Becker,
Conant, Taper, Ashley, Lansverk, Levy, Cherry, Bond, Kevane, Idzerda,
Pratt, Neeley, Lynes-Hayes, Coon, Knight.

Members Absent: Ag Econ, Gipp, Schmidt, Jackson, Schlotzhauer, Howard,
Cell Biol, Chem, Lynch, Prawdzienski, Hoffman.

Others Present: Bandyopadhyay, Fedock, Dooley, Young.

The regularly-scheduled meeting was called to order by Chair Warren
Jones at 4:10 PM.  A quorum was present.  The minutes of the September
3, 2003, meeting were approved as distributed.

Faculty Affairs Committee Report - Marvin Lansverk.
     - After meeting today, Faculty Affairs recommends Faculty Council
     give preliminary approval to changing the sabbatical application
     requirement that three external letters of review be included to
     three letters of review.
     - Discussion by Faculty Council followed.
          - This is a small wording change but a substantial change in
          philosophy.  What is the purpose of a sabbatical - an
          opportunity to continue work in the faculty's area, similar
          to a grant-type of activity; or is it an opportunity for
          renewal and to perhaps work in an area the faculty would not
          otherwise have an opportunity to explore?
     - Faculty Handbook language would have to be amended, if the
     external letters are required by the Handbook.
          - In rating sabbatical applications, three criteria are
          considered:
               - Potential for faculty's improvement in teaching,
               research and service;
               - Potential benefit to the individual;
               - And, potential benefit to the university.
     - Mark Taper moved that Faculty Council give preliminary approval
     to the concept of removing "external" from the sabbatical
     application language defining the required letters.  The motion
     was seconded and carried, although not unanimously.

University Governance Council Nominating Committee - No report.

Discussion with Greg Young, Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education.
     - Vice-Provost Young was the first Undergraduate Scholars
     Director at MSU.  Since then, he has served in several
     administrative capacities at MSU.  His responsibilities as Vice
     Provost include fiscal responsibility for the University Honors
     Program, General Studies, and the University Scholars Program.
     - Two programs in which he is currently involved are Core 2.0 and
     the proposed Liberal Studies Degree.
     - The Liberal Studies Degree was originally the General Studies
     Degree.  All of MSU's peer institutions have Liberal Studies
     Degrees, and MSU will continue to move toward implementation of
     it.
     - Core 2.0 has been through a pilot program and will be
     implemented Fall Semester 2004.
          - A Request For Proposals for new courses was distributed
          today.  The RFP's are to be returned by October 31.  The URL
          where this and other information about Core 2.0 may be
          viewed is http://www.montana.edu/newcore .
          - Faculty should know by December 15 which courses have been
          accepted for Core 2.0 so work on the new course catalog can
          continue on schedule.
          - Inquiry and discovery-based learning will be elements
          throughout Core 2.0.
          - About 550 undergraduates already do undergraduate research
          each year.  A one-on-one research experience for all
          undergraduates is desirable, but this probably won't be
          possible at this time.  Research is still possible with
          larger numbers of students.  The desire is to involve
          students in research early in their program, but in some
          cases, the research may not occur until the senior year.
          - Freshman seminars, which will be required of each student,
          will probably take some additional money.  There may need to
          be some redistribution of money and staff to accommodate new
          core requirements.
          - One of the primary motivations for requiring freshman
          seminars for all students was a goal of improved retention.

Chair-Elect Shannon Taylor will chair the September 24 Faculty Council
meeting.  Chair Jones will be attending budget meetings that precede
the September 25-26 Board of Regents meeting in Billings.

As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM.


Joann Amend, Secretary         Warren Jones, Chair