Meeting Date: 
April 21, 2021
Date: 
04/21/2021 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Location: 
Zoom Meeting
Agenda: 
  1. Review and approve minutes from February meeting
  1. Announcement of upcoming Honors College events – Toni Doolen
  1. Finish discussion of Petition Process for courses and instructors in Honors College and call for a vote – Susan Jackson Rodgers
  1. New Business – Next meeting May 15 at 4:00 PM
  1. Adjourn
Minutes: 

Voting members present: Viktor Bovbjerg, Angelika Buchanan, Tiah Edmunson-Morton, Alex Grejuc, Matt Johnston, Bob Mason
Voting members absent: Elizabeth Barstow, Nya Buckner
Ex-Officio members present: Toni Doolen – Honors College
Guests present: Susan Jackson Rodgers

 

Review and approve minutes from February meeting

  • We reviewed and approved the Minutes from the February 23, 2021 meeting.

Announcement of upcoming Honors College events – Toni Doolen

  • Toni updated us on several upcoming events in the Honors College. This is a busy time of the year with students finishing and defending their theses.

Finish discussion of Petition Process for courses and instructors in Honors College and call for a vote – Susan Jackson Rodgers

  • We next had a brief reintroduction by Sue Rogers on the proposal to streamline and amend the approval process for petitioning faculty to serve on committees or teach classes. The changes were approved by a unanimous vote of those present.

New Business – next meeting May 14 at 4:00 PM

  • We next had a discussion of topics to work on for next year’s HCC. We also heard from Toni and Sue about planning for the very uncertain fall quarter of 2021.  Admissions numbers are still quite fluid at this date, but it seems fairly certain that the Honors College may have as many as 450-650 students matriculating in the fall. This would be right on target for the Honors College meeting its goal of approximately 1800 students or about 7% of the entire student body.  Challenges that are upcoming and more often being asked about is whether the Honors College plans to offer Honors College degrees through Ecampus majors. Toni discussed that the Honors College would like to pursue this but is still working out some of the details and logistics involved. One aspect that is very desirable is to have these Ecampus Honors students interact in a meaningful way with their Honors College colleague that are pursuing on-campus degrees. This is a topic for further discussion next year.
  • We then began a discussion about course reimbursement policy in the Honors College. Basically, the Honors College reimburses departments for electives or required courses offered as Honors sections or unique courses.   The third category of courses are Colloquia offerings. Often Colloquia are taught by faculty on a topic that is not directly in or directly related to their academic discipline.  Faculty can propose colloquia topics resulting from an outside interest or a hobby, for example.  Thus, creating and teaching of colloquia is recognized as a form of service to the university or profession, rather than a teaching assignment. The Honors College will JV funds to recognize this service to the unit of the faculty member proposing and delivering the colloquia.  These funds are often used to support professional development expenses, but can be used for any allowable purpose within the unit.  The Honors College works with the unit to identify an index for fund transfers.  The Honors College has no role in overseeing the expenditure of these funds.   The use of these transferred funds is overseen by the unit head. 

 

Adjourned at 5:00 PM