COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL
MINUTES
October 6, 2006

Call to Order: Carol Elliott

State of the College:
Dean Whiteford welcomed everyone and introduced new council members:

J.D. Beatty
Thomas Bergmann
Mark Palmer
Kelly Knudson Renner
Thomas Smith

Dean Whiteford spoke briefly on the following points:

• This is the University's college
  • The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences teaches 1/3 of courses for all students
  • LAS has 1⁄4 of the total number of graduate students
  • LAS teaches 3⁄4 of Freshman/Sophomore Student Credit Hours
  • LAS teaches required courses of other college curricula
  • LAS has a 71 million dollar budget - large budget
    
• LAS Graduate programs - Best in Rankings
  • Statistics - NSF and R & D Winners
  • Chemistry
• Bio Economy and Bio Fuels:
  • David Oliver will cover this later in the meeting
  • LAS will have important roles in these initiatives
  • GEAT - Environment and Water
  • Social Sciences - impact on economy of state and communities
• Ongoing initiatives and challenges
  • Initiatives
    • First Year Experience
      • Most have large introductory courses - offer small groups to 1st year students
      • Best instructors, offer credits and perquisites
      • LAS and CELT are working on grants to assist w/teaching
      • TA lines for small group discussions
      • LAS format changes: suggestion - hire TA and recruit undergraduate leaders to assist
    • First year seminars
      • Frontiers - inspire incoming students; opportunity to work with faculty in small groups
      • Great Challenges - theme of “scarce resources” a 1 cr. seminar and field work
      • Connections - large classes with small breakouts: interdisciplinary:
      • Biology with Psychology connection
      • Journalism and GE AT connection
      • 19 students in both with discussion of common themes
    • Faculty proposals/considerations for future first year topics
      • Research to share with small groups of students with possible topics:
      • Stem Cell research - politics and ethics and biology
      • Boundaries of National and Ethical Identities
      • Virtual reality - groups of first year students to participate w/faculty
    • Student Recruitment
      • In past, LAS not involved in recruitment of students
      • LAS now has an Advisor/recruiter - with a leadership role to coordinate visits with Central Administration and recruit students for LAS
      • Added a second person this fall to assist in recruitment
    • Budget Challenges
      • Budget cuts: 7 in 5 years
      • Affected strategic planning
      • Has been 2 years without a budget cut: College is looking ahead strategically
      • Salary increases funded with 1 time dollars: need legislature to convert increase to funded budget item
    • Possible budget cut upcoming S 07
      • Colleges requested to prepare plans for both a 1% and a 2% possible cut
      • Only dollars LAS has available is in open faculty lines
        • 1% = 11 1⁄2 positions
        • 2% = 23 positions
        • This affects the College/University ability to teach and do research
    • New ISU Provost will be Betsy Hoffman.
• Questions regarding the Whiteford Points:
  • Is there flexibility in the dollars funded from the legislature? Can the university move maintenance money to cover budget?
    Answer: Not really, the ISU maintenance dollars move to the general funds accounts. Maintenance is under funded. There are no dollars to move. The legislature feels they have fully funded the universities, however, there are strings and provisions that prohibit use of money. Of the dollars funded, twenty million dollars is designated to go to economic development plans/research projects for the state. This is very tightly directed.
  • What about the other part of the legislative commitment to the Board of Regents?
    $40 million is coming in on a one-time basis, rather than on being added to the base budget. ISU received $14 million, of that portion; $8 million was one-time dollars, not recurring.
  • Discussion points:
    • Who are our partners?
    • A lower limit of the number of student - (land grant university, no possible)
    • States are moving away from legislative dollars, fundraising
    • ISU student population ideal: stabilize at 27,000
    • Iowa has a smaller population than surrounding states, yet supporting 3 regent universities and community colleges in 20 counties
    • Need alliance for Iowa State: key figures to contact legislators, keep university needs prominent
    • BMRI key budget component is ability to carryover funds
• Doug Epperson presentation of BMRI - (Budget Model Handout provided)
  • ISU : a new budget model
    • Old model - wasn't a model with “rules/reasons” that could be explained
      • Unresponsive to dynamic changes in higher ed
      • Was based on historical budget use - use or lose; no carryover possibilities
      • No resources follow changes in demand
    • New Model - (Doug Epperson chairing committee on the new model)
      • Develop a model to create revenues with changes
      • Incentive to increase overall dollars for the university
      • Implement properly as a whole
      • Incentive to departments to grow and resources will follow
      • Base dollars on performance
      • Ability to carryover dollars; use strategically
      • Some dollars reserved by President/Provost for special incentives/pools
      • Presentations of model (at this stage) - 40 presentations to departments/colleges to ensure understanding and receive feedback

Break for Lunch and Tour

Afternoon Business:

• Spring 06 Council Minutes approved
• Future meetings:
  • Spring 07 - align with VEISHEA - April 19 and 20 - Kickoff to University's 150 years
  • Fall 07 - Homecoming - Campaign Kickoff October 17, 18, 19
• Kent Luken not able to attend and present at F 06 meeting; is at White House function
• MW - International Experience report:
  • Will give report at Spring 07 meeting regarding the number of students involved in international experiences
  • Degree program for international studies has 35-45 majors
  • Thank Dean's Council group for contributions - $2000.00 contributed to LAS study abroad scholarships
    
• David Oliver presentation - Bio Economy Initiative on Campus
  • President announce Bio Economy Initiative at convocation
  • President will host Conference at end of November with University, Iowa's State Government and Industry to introduce initiative
  • Iowa has developed in to a major ethanol producer
    • Currently 20 ethanol production centers in small towns
    • 20 more proposed
  • Iowa is 3rd in wind energy production
  • Negotiations for a Bio energy center
  • Determine how ISU can bring basic science and technology to assist state and facilitate interactions, with chemists, engineers, economists, sociologists to assist over next 5 years
    • Plant products, applied engineering, Sociology and Economics to assist with post-petroleum economy
    • Affect all Iowa economy - Bioeconomy initiatives are best thing to happen to rural economy since the WWII year
      • farming
      • water use
      • environment
      • shippin
      • funds for future research
    • use of corn stalks, switch grass, other renewable sources
    • Watch for more news and information on Bio Economy, ISU and Iowa
    • Ethanol may be a temporary solution; ISU positioned to assist in technology,
      development of future solutions, maintain momentum, has experts in growth and impact
• Foundation Report - Alsatia Mellecker
  • Intro of LAS Foundation team
    • Erin Steinkamp - Program Assistant
    • Michael Gens - Development officer
    • Stephanie Greiner - Development officer
  • National Campaign - Silent phase
    • Begin 2003 silent phase to create strategic plans and begin to raise funds
    • Doug Van Howeling is the LAS Representation on the National Campaign Committee
    • Dennis Banasiak has agreed to chair the Chemistry Building Campaign
    • Must raise $15.6 million in 2 years for the building campaign
    • University Goal is $70,600,000 to distribute to programs/fellowships, etc for the following:
      • Faculty - $30,000,000
      • Students - $9,250,000
      • Program - $13,250,000
      • Capital Projects - $18,100,000
    • Foundation and Alumni Association work together with Dan Saftig and Jeff Johnson
    • Use of logos to create ISU identity:
      • On websites
      • Letterhead
      • Create unified message
    • LAS
      • Has 146 projects to match with donors
      • 3 LAS projects:
        • Chemistry building - new
        • Geology field camp facelift: facilities and lodge
        • Snedecor renovation
      • Doug Van Howeling requests input form the LAS Deans Council to assist in a variety of ways:
        • Identity projects
        • Identify priorities
        • Identify resources
        • Assist financially
      • New LAS focus on departments and college fundraising
        • Create Image for the College
        • Create Image for departments
• Alumni/Council Information - Dave Gieseke
  • Packet lists 2006 Alumni Awards - 4 LAS
    • Ed Stanek
    • Lynn Watney
    • Kent Fritz
    • Kay Runge
  • 2nd page show department awards
  • Thank all for attending
  • Upcoming events:
    • Summer 06 - Washington D.C. event
    • January 07 - Hugh Sidey scholarship (Greenlee School)
    • April 19 - 20, 2007 - LAS Dean's Council
    • October 17, 18, 19, 2007 - LAS Dean's Council - Fall Campaign announcement
  • Chair-elect: Mark Fleming
    
• Roundtable Discussion
  • Good things about the meeting
    • Budget Process presentation: is a positive development/proactive strategic plan. Good materials provided
    • Doug Epperson's command of information and enthusiasm for the university process
    • A good amount of frankness and interaction
    • Bio Economy Initiative heads up is very good
    • Lab tour was enjoyable
    • Liked the diversity of the presentations: Budget, program, foundation info
    • New Budget model has potential – 3 Regent schools show impact of the university on Iowa economics
    • Budget sharing was engaging
    • Glad to see the foundation figures
    • Tour: is obvious there is a lot to work on: small gifts could go a long way
      
  • Need to Improve
    • Need sessions with feedback from the council
    • The university has done no downsizing for a smaller market as industry has
    • ISU should view demographics: Iowa population is 11th in Hispanic growth. Review smaller population and marketing
• Meeting conclusion - Michael Whiteford
  • Thank you all for participating on the Council. This has been a productive meeting. The BMRI should benefit LAS. Resource management is an important part of the model along with transparency of model.
  • The Bio Economy initiative will be good for ISU and will impact all sectors and communities of Iowa.
  • Thank you for coming and participating