COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEAN'S ADVISORY COUNCIL
MINUTES
October 18-19, 2007

October 18
Call to Order:  Mark Fleming

• Open meeting and welcome the Deans' Advisory Council members
• Brief self introduction of members

Dean Whiteford remarks included:

• Welcome to all
• State of the LAS college
• Budget climate better
• State Legislature and Governor approved more funding for Regent Universities and education
• ISU student recruitment, LAS recruitment is up
• LAS has a hiring plan to assist in rebuilding faculty ranks
• Powerpoint featuring some of LAS most notable faculty
• Student concerns
• Debt load
• Average debt of $17-20,0000 for ISU graduate
• Transition from student to professional life
• Discussion and questions:
• What would be top priorities if there were no budget restraints
• Students/recruiting
• Classroom Space - more 300-400 capacity auditoriums
• Recruit in broader areas of interest
• Budget be more equitable and responsive to student and faculty interest
• Research
• Add to faculty
• Better equipment
• Centralize Biological Sciences - invest in Biological Sciences Building
• Campaign - will be used to improve excellence at ISU
• New Chemistry building
• Chemistry Building remodel
• Snedecor remodel
• Endowed professorships
• Student scholarships - recruitment

• Foundation Report FY 07 - Alsatia Mellecker
• The LAS staff started out the fiscal year with two out of three new development officers.  The fund-raising goal was set at $7,000,000 because these officers had had so little time to work with their top prospects.   Half way through the FY the College had raised over $6,000,000 and the goal was subsequently increased to $10,000,000.  By the end of March 2007 productivity stood at $6,800,000.
• Several proposals are scheduled to be closed by the end of FY 07 which total in excess of $15,000,000.  Included in this projection is the $12,000,000 Carver proposal for Chemistry.
• There are a number of factors that have contributed to the success of the LAS Development Enterprise in FY 07:
• The commitment and energy of a new and hard working staff of development officers.
• The addition of an efficient and dedicated Program Associate, Erin Steinkamp, who has given this team more time to dedicate to fund-raising by taking over many tasks previously done by development officers and handling all trip preparation.
• The urgency and timeliness of the Chemistry Building campaign.
• Gifts secured by central Foundation development officers.
• The active participation of the Dean, department chairs, and faculty.
• Utilization of an executive coach to work with the LAS team on increased productivity and team building skills.
• Last, but not least, the hard work of the LAS development officers who preceded the current staff by providing the cultivation and stewardship that set the stage for successful proposals.
• Some of the larger commitments in FY 07 (As of March 30, 2007)
• $1,500,000 pledge for an endowed chair in Software Engineering.
• $480,000 total in gifts and pledges for the Geology Department Wyoming Field Camp renovation.
• $1,000,000 deferred commitment to the Chemistry Building and Department.
• $850,000 in gifts and pledges designated for the Chemistry Building Project.
• $950,000 in research funding from Carver Trust.
• $300,000 for an expendable professorship in Chemistry

Short Break

Presentations: Experiential Learning

• Mark Rectanus: World Languages and Cultures - Language & Cultures for Professionals programs in Business and Engineering
• Entrepreneurship Scholarship opportunities - Global opportunities for students; cross cultural skills for global business
• WLC has modules in business & professions for China, Germany and France; recognize skills, create cultural awareness, recognize opportunities
• Campus wide - Papajohn Entrepreneur focus
• LAS partners with Business and students in Learning Communities, Business internships, marketing various skills
• Also has a Technology and Globalization course with Engineering

• Jim Colbert:  Biology - Skunk River Navy
• Learning Community: Service Learning opportunity
• Clean up of Skunk River (began in 1998)
• Large group, work in teams
• Covers water quality assessment, diversity of water life (invertebrates) contributes data to water quality assessment
• 10th year of service with 20 sets of data
• Weigh trash - have collected 46 tons total from 30 miles of Skunk River and Squaw Creek

• Nancy Guthrie: Study Abroad: Peru Service Learning - Footsteps of the INCA
• Students partner with community to determine goals for the service
• Pro-Peru will provide service learning at selected sites; final project must be approved by Program Director
• One project: construct 3500 wood stoves over the next years
• Has health and environment benefits to the area
• Students must be able to function in a Spanish language
• 8-15 students participate for 7 weeks
• Live with Peruvian host family
• Can be a physically challenging program
• Changes the way students see the world;  priorities of needs vs wants

• Steve Kravinsky - LAS Career Services - Internships - The Washington Center
• LAS Career Services provide students with
• Career information advising and coaching
• A library, web based and hard copy
• Liason to Career Exploration Services
• Social Service Volunteer and Career day and LAS Career Fairs spring and fall
• Particularly popular are the Internship - Experiential Learning program with the Washington Center and International Internships
• Students gain invaluable experiences
• D. Gieseke has interviewed and showcased students internship experiences

Break for Lunch

• David Oliver:  update on Bioeconomy
• ISU poised to be economic engine for the state of Iowa
• Develop processes, new products, provide experts to serve the state in bioeconomy, examples:
• Victor Lin, chemist, nano technology  - convert fats to bio fuels inexpensively
• John Marinowski, economist analyze and study impacts
• Many other ISU faculty involvement
• Plastics made of soy oil (new product)
• ISU has plans for building to house Beioeconomy Institute - needs Regent approval

• The initial work of Iowa State University's new Bioeconomy Institute will focus on six program areas: corn to biofuels; biorenewable chemicals; thermochemical technologies such as gasification and fast pyrolysis; harvest, storage and transportation of biomass; feedstock production; and biorenewables education.
• ISU and Conoco Phillips has a five year contract for $23 million to fund research projects

• Dave Gieseke and communication team:  Update on marketing
• New Team Members - Shena Lara, Graphic Designer and Steve Jones, Communications specialist
• New LAS logos/themes to review
• New magazine: sample copy
• Events across the country for alumni
• Cover story, evolution of 25 years of humanities in LAS
• Currently are doing 16 LAS department program newsletters
• Pdf format and posted on webside
• Highlight the foundation with opportunity for giving
• Recruitment: Mark Imerman working with communications team and LAS to develop student recruitment
• Goal to increase the number of applicants and also increase the yield (those who attend ISU)
• Use of student visits, orientation process, emphasize programs
• Expand marketing - use of videos, mailings, contact with high school counselors, merit scholars, use music contest, festival, Science bowl for additional source of perspective students
• Use students to recruit students:
• Student ambassadors at events and conferences
• Show photos, quotes of recent grads on website
• Feature internships of current students (Washington trip, Letterman, Oprah)
• Other items
• LAS is developing a student leadership council
• Short term goals, also work on mid and long term goals and plans

• Doug Epperson - Budget Model Update
• General plan has been approved, Implementation committee is structuring processes to make the model work
• 25 different work groups are studying the processes
• Doug Epperson is on the Leadership and Transition Team
• Data systems need overhaul and software to make systems compatible and achieve the data to reports system needed
• First run through was flawed, are working with the system
• FY 09 will run as a restated budget and make whole
• FY 10 will need to budget carefully as will be live

• Dean Whiteford wrap - up prior to Business Meeting
• Honorees to receive awards
• Current University Award - Steve Mores
• Current LAS Awards - Distinguished Service Award - Carol Elliot
• Update on name of college: took the suggestion to a higher level.  Provost interested in the concept, however, does not want to give up naming opportunity at this point ($200,000,000 gift for naming).  Once campaign is over, may approach with this idea again.

• Mark Flemming - Business Meeting
• Approve minutes from S 07
• Announcement evening events: 5:30 LAS Alumni Awards Reception, dinner at 6:30, ceremony at 7:30 in Scheman Building
• Announcement of Oct 19 morning events
• 8:00 Breakfast reception in 302
• 9:00  Caucus Frenzy - Iowa 2008 Caucuses information, 302
• 11:00 Catt Center Reception

Wrap up Summary

• Very valuable session; students receive good quality education, need to get the ISU message out to them
• Exciting things being accomplished
• Look forward to being an advocate and assisting the college
• Council members can assist as LAS moves toward a national market
• Marketing plan is an important effort
• Endowed chairs, scholarships make LAS more visible, shows the difference between colleges
• Glad to see legislature increase funds
• ISU LAS needs to emphasize its best traits
• Concerns about the Budget software and vendor, hope can make work
• LAS should be “less academic” in stating needs: state what is required and ask for it from council and alumni; make the ask

Dean Whiteford closing remarks
      Thank the council for attending with their very good input and insights.  Thanks to Dave and crew