1. Executive Committee. The Executive Committee did not meet this week. However, Chair Irwin expressed concerns about Versity.com and distributed a list of EIU courses that currently are a part of that site. She will consult the University Counsel and Academic Affairs about this. It may become an agenda item.
2. Elections Committee. Senator Best distributed the work schedule for elections. He was able to obtain a faculty list (Unit A faculty and chairs) from Ken Gerhart in Old Main that is organized by college and department. Senators should encourage all their colleagues to get out and vote.
3. Nominations Committee. The lists are being prepared; we will move on this after elections.
4. Faculty Student Relations. Gary Kelly distributed a working draft of the Student Conduct Code. It will be on the Senate agenda April 4.
5. Distinguished Faculty Award nominations are due April 7.
6. ATAC was given the same presentation as was given to Senate on the LANDesk. The letter to the editor has led many faculty to believe that they have been misled on this. ITS chose to make it under the control of the user but the default can be changed easily. There is a lack of trust between faculty and ITS. The second letter to the editor raises even more concerns. One of the things this program is capable of doing is recording keystrokes. In their defense, this is the case with anything. If someone wanted to, they could read e-mail, etc. We have to be able to trust the people in ITS to not do these things. The Executive Committee was reassured that anyone caught misusing this would be terminated. During the discussion, the following points were raised:
• The computers are the university’s and they can do what they want. I do not have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is that they intentionally misled us in the presentation about the capabilities.
• Gateway computers purchased through the university have LANDesk on them and they are set up so that they will not work if they are not hooked up to the LAN.
• I would like another meeting with ITS with full disclosure.
• What technology can do and what it should do are different.
• I disagree that the university can do what they want with the computers because they own them. These are tools of education–not tools to spy on us.
• If someone wanted to cause mischief with this, they could.
• The issue is not that they can do these things but one of full disclosure. This is a good system for putting on software and troubleshooting. ITS is understaffed and they do not have the personnel to monitor us. But the issue is that they should be up front. It reminds me of a parental system. We need full disclosure so that we know what the possibilities are. We also need to know what the acceptable use policy is for the campus.
• We have been told that people in ITS who know what this can do, do not have it on their computers.
• ITS may be understaffed and therefore unable to monitor everyone but if there were a particular person, could that person be singled out? Could information be placed on a person’s computer without his knowledge? When there is a lack of trust, there is also paranoia.

1. Lakeland College Accord Teams. The final reports (31 January 2000) were distributed. Senators were asked to read this item.

1. Textbook Rental Service. Senator Fischer reported that TRS Advisory Committee met this morning and passed a proposal for graduate students to buy their books on an individual basis and to be able to buy them later in the semester. They will be going to two meetings a semester. They also discussed that TRS will take the initiative to see what improvements can be made.

4. New Business

1. "Forum on Teacher Quality," Associate Dean Jeffrey Lynch, CAH. He will moderate a panel on teacher preparation on March 29 at 3:00 p.m. in the Playroom of the Doudna Fine Arts Center Theatre Wing. The panel includes distinguished faculty members–first-rate teachers and scholars. For the first 30-40 minutes the panel will discuss; then the discussion will be open to the audience. Senators were asked to encourage their colleagues to attend. This is a topic that is important to the University. The discussion should prove lively, but it will work only if we get good attendance. It is hoped that this type of discussion will be ongoing.
2. Student Affairs Issues, VP Lou Hencken and Dean Frank Hohengarten.
1. Calendar. A committee was set up a few years ago to do the concept of the calendar. The concept that they developed was to start with Christmas and work backward and forward. About the only change that has been added is fall break. Several questions followed:
• Can spring break be in the spring? Spring break used to be the end of March. The committee moved it back so that it was closer to midterm. They have consistently set spring break for the second week in March. The committee also set the one-week Thanksgiving break. Before the committee’s work, the calendar was created each year; now it is a template.
• Many faculty need more time to get grades in at the end of the semester. How can the calendar be adjusted to accomplish this? We owe our students careful evaluation of their work. Would it be possible for grades to be due on a Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week? This has been discussed for a long time. At the end of the first semester we run into the problem of Christmas. There are problems with computer time. The second semester the problem is the start of Intersession. There was an extensive study a few years ago in which it was all laid out in detail. We would be willing to look again at the issue, but I think it comes down to the issue of computing. It still takes basically all night to run these.
• Other places can apparently do this. Other places have more time to grade. The weeklong break at Thanksgiving is not a sound educational practice. If there is a window of time at the end of summer that might be a solution.
• I also do not think that the weeklong Thanksgiving break is useful. I would like to take one of those days and put it back in October when the weather is nicer.
• Could we have one week before Intersession and one week after summer (instead of two weeks after summer)?
• How much do the track meets drive the calendar? Is this why we have three weeks in December instead of four? Teaching is better in January than in May. There are more distractions when the weather turns nice. There is usually a two-week gap between the end of the semester and the track meets.
• Why is fall commencement before final exams? We have so many people graduating in the fall we have had to go to two (instead of one) ceremonies. Why before finals? The only thing I can say is that my experience has been that students and faculty stay here longer after spring semester. In the winter people leave earlier. It means a lot to have the band, faculty, etc. present for graduation. We schedule it this way to have that participation.
• There has been concern expressed by students because their parents have to make two trips to the university–one for graduation and one to move the students out. International students say that if their parents come to graduation they have to find a place to stay for the following week.
2. Enrollment. Last year they started "Eye on Eastern," a four-page newsletter sent to admitted students. They have used it to keep in touch with those students as well as to dispel rumors that students hear. This allows them to communicate as much information as possible to our incoming students. This year’s newsletter included important dates–what to expect. They are also beginning to send information to the parents as well as to the students. They have requested more money for next year from the President’s Council. They would like to do another Preview EIU. About 150-160 students with their families showed up last year. They had meetings, panel discussions, tours, etc. Of the people who came to that, I think 90% of them enrolled at EIU. After the program Brent Gage spoke to a student in the Bookstore who said that she decided to come to Eastern based on that. Here she was made to feel like she was wanted; the other university she was considering acted as if they were doing her a favor. She was a top student. They would also like to take faculty members in the fall to some of the Chicago suburbs, Peoria, and the metro east area to meet with high school counselors. They are having a scholarship banquet for the first time this spring, in which they have invited people who have one scholarships. They would like to do more telephone calling of new students. They are also considering adding another admissions counselor so that there would always be one in the office. Another thing they are doing is developing housing scholarships. We now have an interactive online application. They are working on web registration. Eventually students will have access to their grades, the ability to pay online, etc. Discussion and questions followed:

• This re-emphasizes the need for a full-time web person.
• The dedication of one server would allow them to send something out more regularly.
• About four years ago we had 2500 students graduating per year. Two years ago it was 2700; last year it was 2900. When you graduate 2900 and admit 2700 there is a dip in enrollment.
• We have closed down the ninth floor of Andrews Hall to enlarge the rooms (making 3 into 2)
• Last year there were a number of people with concerns about the library. The comments we are getting now is that it is not as bad as students anticipated.
• Two things have caused the slight decline in enrollment: an increase in the number of students graduating and the raise in admission requirements. Higher end students have different expectations. The real key is students can get classes from faculty who care.
• The ratio between transfer and freshmen is about 60/40. We have gone from 1500 transfer students to 1100 per year. It is difficult for transfer students who do not have the AA or AS degree to transfer. This ratio is not an unreasonable one. We do not need to increase the number of transfer students.
• The yield rate has decreased slightly. That is a slight concern for us.

4. Adjourn at 4:25 (Fischer)

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy D. Marlow, Recorder

• March 28–State of the University address.
• April 4–Student Conduct Code
• April 11–Tom Leonard and Sheila Simons will discuss Native American Services on campus.