Instructional Support Committee

Attending: David Ellison, Susan Ireland, Shuchi Kapila, Mark Schneider, Katya Gibel Azoulay, Bob Cadmus, Christopher McKee, Bill Francis, Jon Chenette, Terri Phipps

Minutes of 10 November approved with slight revision.

David will check with FOC on the status of his replacement for the spring semester and beyond.

Discussion of Curricular Development proposals:

GIS (Jen Green): ISC favors funding this proposal in full in conjunction with CSFS. ISC agrees to fund up to one-half of the cost. Jon will send approval note after consulting with Jim Swartz about CSFS funding.

AMS (Kesho Scott): ISC approves the initial field trip and speaker request. Since this request will be ongoing, past ISC practice suggests that funding should be built into the departmental budget. Discussion ensued concerning possible mechanisms for funding classroom speakers. The College has an academic speakers fund consolidated from departmental accounts. However, this fund is intended for public presentations rather than speakers for individual courses. Other options for funding classroom speakers include:

* requests to ISC (current system)
* funding through the Deans' Office according to ISC guidelines;
   questionable cases brought to ISC
* build funds into departmental budgets

This final option would take departments back to the situation faced before consolidating the speakers' fund. That is, some departments may not spend their budgets, while others are forced to deny speakers because of lack of funds.

Current ISC policy is that departments with regularly-offered courses that anticipate visitors every offering should request a speakers' line item in their budgets. Proposals can still be submitted to the ISC, but ISC reserves the right of refusal. It should be made very clear that departmental budgets are separate from Concentration budgets.

Jon will send a note to the faculty member approving the immediate need (speaker/field trip). This note will also state that the Deans' Office is exploring various ways to fund this type of regular expense. Jon will prepare various funding options to discuss at the next meeting.

Discussion of Library planning

A series of phone calls and a workshop are planned for December 2004 through spring 2005 to continue discussion of the Library Master Plan. ISC strongly suggests that the College carefully consider all proposals to ensure the long-term success of the planning and building process. ISC also suggests that the 2-day workshop currently being planned in December be moved until after the holidays. December is a short working month which leads to increased stress for faculty and students. ISC suggests the College not add to this burden by requesting extra time from their already hectic schedules. ISC also feels it is critical for the committee to be represented and included in the planning process.

ISC will send a note thanking President Osgood for inviting members to participate in the library planning meeting held earlier this month, and supporting his efforts to build a strategic vision for the library. Members discussed whether or not to include a recommendation concerning the reference desk area renovation in the letter. After much deliberation, it was finally agreed that ISC would send the following note to President Osgood, avoiding mention of the reference desk renovation for now:
Thank you for including ISC representatives in the exploratory meeting on November 3 to discuss Burling's renovation and expansion. We support your efforts to develop a strategic vision for the library and to raise the profile of a large-scale library project with the Trustees, and we look forward to further involvement in deliberations concerning the Library/Information Technology facilities program.

Discussion of CIT (Committee on Information Technology) Proposal from FOC:
When the ISC was formed, the previous Academic Computing Committee (ACC) was folded into its charge. ACC may not have been working very effectively prior to its dissolution, but some faculty believe that ISC has not paid adequate attention to academic computing issues since its formation. In 2003-04, the controversy surrounding Plans and the question of whether it was an instructional computing issue led ISC to suggest that FOC reconsider the issue of academic computing. The FOC proposal is the result of that inquiry. Because of new deliberations underway in ISC this year regarding AV services, Language Lab planning, and the Library, ISC members believe that creating a new committee would not be in the best interest of the College at this time. Information systems and technology are closely intertwined, and will continue to move even closer in the future. ISC is involved in the Library planning process and believes it is crucial that Library planning and academic computing issues be kept as close as possible. The proposed CIT does not include a representative from the Library. Bob will draft a note from ISC to FOC recommending against proposing CIT to the faculty at the present time.