May 11, 2005

Members Present:
Stephen Tomasovic, Ph.D., Committee Chair
Michael Ahearn, Pd.D.
Shaun Caldwell
Toya Candelari, Dr. P.H.
Marilyn Greer, Ph.D.
Donna Hemphill
Kathy Hoffman
Robert Jenkins
Shreya Kant
Victoria Knutson, Ph.D.
Marvin Meistrich, Ph.D.
Jon Wiener, Ph.D.
Stephanie Fulton


Members Absent:
Justin Faye
Weldon Gage
George Stancel, Ph.D.

There were no changes to the April 27, 2005 meeting minutes.

Dr. Greer reported that SACS had identified an experienced group of site visitors for our reviewing committee. The committee chair would like to come in on Monday evening and leave on Wednesday evening. The schedule for the reception with all committee members and all participating representatives is unknown until the schedule is finalized. There are only seven visitors who will have to conduct the off-site and the on-site review as well, which is a deviation from the current SACS schedule of having a separate set of off-site reviewers and on-site reviewers.

Dr. Tomasovic added that the committee will be meeting daily during the site visit in order to solve or strategize concerning committee requests for data or interviews. As soon as the report is complete, our committee will be charged with composing responses to any recommendations received so that we can turn the SACS document around to SACS very quickly. We will need to have the response document completed in early September so that our institution can be reviewed during the December 2005 SACS Annual Meeting. The committee members may need to notify all their constituencies that we will need to discuss our responses so that we can all be consistent with our SACS visiting team.

Dr. Greer will ask the SACS Committee chair if the entire Student Affairs Committee can be at the reception.

Dr Greer will contact the site visit members to compile a list of food allergies and computer preferences. The chair has requested that six internet lines, six computers, a printer, fax machine and copier be available at the hotel and at the M. D. Anderson work room. Margaret Sullivan suggested that we have wine in each of the site visitor's rooms and that we should have a fruit and cheese basket for them to snack on. She also suggested that after the end of the day that the Compliance Committee meet and discuss what questions were asked as well as the responses given to the site visitors. This would allow for continuity in our responses.

Dr. Candelari reported that she had visited with Dr. Di Giovanni and faculty to hear their concerns, most of which were thought to have been solved. Dr. Candelari reported that she will be working on some of those issues which include: how they can receive video conferencing; student and video backups. Dr. Candelari reported that her area was upgrading their computers to have the capability of 28 people on line effective this July. This should result in a very high grade of video conferencing.

Dr. Candelari expressed that the greatest concern is the need for better communication lines by increasing visits to Smithville for training. Housing is a concern for both Smithville and Bastrop students because: (1) the Bastrop students don't have housing; and (2) the condition of the Smithville housing may be questionable. The team was not able to visit the housing. Dr. Candelari reported that most Smithville students commuted to Austin as the cost of housing is cheaper in Austin than in Bastrop. The students did not seem upset about the commute between Austin and Smithville. Distance between Smithville, Bastrop and Science Park is about the same. The students were concerned that there was no social activity. The president of the student organization in Smithville reported that there were scheduled activities once a month. The Smithville student organization president agreed to include the Bastrop students in their activities.

Dr. Candelari reported that there are a few students that requested some of the unique courses offered in Houston that are not available. The students understood that if their labs have less than five students and/or if only one or two students request the course, they cannot receive it via videoconference. Dr. Tomasovic suggested that the students contact their advisors to assess if they require those classes. He felt that if the courses were required, we should accommodate the students.

Another issue presented by Dr. Candelari is that Smithville does not have many conference rooms for classrooms. There was an auditorium and a small conference room. Smithville appears to require additional meeting spaces.

Per Dr. Candelari, the Smithville students are aware of the videoconferenced courses as they see the flyers advertising the courses. There are videos of the courses that they can check it out at the library. Dr. Candelari suggested that we plan for more facilities and then we should be able to transmit the presentations. Currently Dr. Candelari's area has not had any problems scheduling presentations as long as they are scheduled at noon. Faculty Training and Development, and other similar groups that plan those programs, should to schedule their programs at Smithville as often as possible. Dr. Candelari will work with Smithville to assess how to schedule as many students as possible Currently Dr. Candelari's area is making CD's and videos of all presentations.

Dr. Greer noted that the mission statement posted in the school foyer is not the current one. Dr. Candelari noted that the students did not have the new mission statement in their student identification badges.

Dr. Candelari reported that Bastrop now has computers for all of their students. There is a laptop in the library. There appear to be fewer deficiencies at Bastrop. Dr. Candelari and the Graduate School deanery have agreed to place a hold on increasing commitment to our students there until the facilities are equal to those of Smithville.

Dr. Candelari reported that the Bastrop library was operated and maintained by the school receptionist and the administrative assistant. Both have been trained in administration of the library. The Bastrop library does have over 1,000 general reference volumes. Dr. Candelari was concerned because she did not know if the collection supported the needs of the students. The M. D. Anderson Research Medical Library Executive Director and administrative staff are scheduled to review the adequacy of the collection. Dr. Satterfield suggested sharing facilities. Although the two areas are less than thirteen miles away, it does not appear that any facilities are shared. Dr. Tomasovic suggested that the GSBS dean and Dr. Kripke meet and define what is needed in Bastrop, available budget for the needs and a priority for the programs.

Dr. Tomasovic reported that he was preparing for the presentations to the executives. The core requirements and the federal requirements will be reviewed at a meeting on May 26. He is planning on the 19th of May for distribution to the president of the core requirements. This version will be changed, but should be close to a final version for review by the executives. He suggested that as soon as the versions are finalized we can start handing off those files to Robert Armand, the IR Systems Analyst, for uploading to the SACS

Dr. Tomasovic had distributed a form for the compliance committee members to designate changes in the core requirements and comprehensive standards and sign off on agreement with the content. Dr. Greer requested changes by May 16 so that they could be incorporated in the documentation and copied for the presentation. She expressed a goal of completing the documentation by the end of May so that the document could be checked, bound and copied for distribution by the end of the first week in June to the site visitors.

Dr. Greer had spoken with the SACS Liaison, Dr. Allen, about the format to present to the site visitors. Although it had been understood from the previous SACS annual meeting that all documentation had to be written, on disks and on the web, Dr. Allen assured her that written documentation of the Compliance Report, along with disks of reference material (minutes, policies and procedures), would be the best way to transmit the information. For this reason Dr. Greer will not send out a link with the SACS on-line report as it will not be considered a priority to complete along with the other documentation.

Dr. Allen suggested that all documentation that we have online should also be available in printed copies. He also suggested that if a visitor was assigned to review specific areas, for example, the finance areas, only that assigned person should receive the printed copies of the budget and audits. The SACS committee chair should receive all documentation.

Dr. Greer referred members to the handouts of the core requirements which included suggestions by Dr. Margaret Sullivan that should be reviewed by all members before signing off on the SACS documentation. There was the same documentation available on a separate handout concerning the Federal Requirements. Dr. Tomasovic asked that all changes be sent directly to Dr. Greer.

Dr. Greer asked for the executive summaries of each committee area be completed and submitted to her office by June 6, 2005. Dr. Sullivan had suggested that the president, the three direct reports to the President and major areas (the vice president areas) should have a summary available for use with the site visitors. Dr. Greer will send the compliance committee members examples of these executive summaries. She understood them to be no more than two pages in length and contain a summary of the objectives and outcomes of that area's last two years.

Dr. Greer reported that all of the faculty documents, as well as the executive folders, were being kept in a fireproof file cabinet in the IR offices. There is only restricted key access to the area which is kept locked at all times.

Dr. Greer had not scheduled a meeting for the committee; it will be scheduled after completion and distribution of the SACS documentation to the site visitors.

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