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Attendance: Approximately 90
1. Minutes of the previous meeting
2. Second reading of proposed by-laws of Faculty Council
3. Review of restricted distribution course development
President Malcolm Gillis called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. in 301 Sewall Hall.
Minutes for May 12, 1995 were approved.
Tom Haskell, Speaker of Faculty Council, reviewed the revised by-laws for Faculty Council. He noted changes approved at the last faculty meeting had been incorporated in the draft distributed to the faculty. No significant questions were raised. The by-laws were approved.
Provost David Auston reported that the deans have worked hard to follow the faculty's mandate to develop a list of restricted distribution courses that all students could take for the purpose of general education in broad fields. Engineering believes that it can currently comply with the mandate. Social Sciences will continue to teach Foundations of Social Sciences but not require this option, adding to it others currently taught. The Natural Science faculty reported that the current Natural Science sequence be replaced by "Science Today 1 and 2" and "Science and Society," courses to be developed by faculty who have not yet been informed of their role. These three or other introductory courses usually offered would be accepted as fulfilling the requirement, and Group Three majors would choose from the regular list of introductory courses rather than from the new sequence of three courses. Alan Grob observed that the proposed solution would return the University to the situation that had prompted the faculty to request the creation of a restricted list in the first place. Students would be able to choose introductory courses with a narrow disciplinary focus and avoid gaining a general introduction to the sciences. To give time for discussion of these important questions, an additional meeting will be held to discuss restricted distribution courses and general education.
The meeting was closed to the press for this portion of the discussion. The following general summary is not intended to reveal any confidential information.
Chandler Davidson reviewed the admissions for the past year, placing recent information in light of trends in admission since 1983. Today Shepherd School students have the highest median SAT scores in the history of the school, Davidson reported. The athletes have not fared as well. Davidson pointed out the sharp differences in the overall distribution of scores for athletes and nonathletes. He also pointed out that the majority of Rice athletes have not been minority students, so that the categories used in the analysis were not mere code words for racial groups.
Davidson was appointed by the Provost last year to chair a group that has been creating a reliable database for studying student performance and admissions practices. Several new studies are underway using this database, and more could be conducted if only there were sufficient time and resources, Davidson commented. Several faculty members made specific suggestions for studies that might be fruitful.
Davidson then reported the results of the first year's experience under the new procedure for admitting athletes to the University. Tom Haskell, Speaker of Faculty Council, presented four resolutions intended to affirm the faculty's commitment to continuing the new procedure for another year. The resolutions are attached to these minutes. The resolutions were passed with only two persons opposed.
Provost David Auston quickly summarized the work of the four subcommittees that have been working over the summer on special strategic planning reports on the Rice undergraduate experience, graduate research and education, information systems and the library, and Rice's involvement in the external community including the international community. The reports of these committees will be released shortly, and everyone is encouraged to attend town meetings and informational sessions that will be announced when the draft report is made public. The final report will be completed by the end of this semester. President Gillis noted that a strategic plan must be completed before any major campaign can begin.
President Gillis reminded the faculty that four major searches are in progress for the positions of Dean of Social Sciences, Vice-Provost and University Librarian, Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies, and Associate Provost.
A date for the additional meeting to discuss curriculum issues will be set very soon. The meeting was adjourned at 5:46 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Linda P. Driskill, Secretary of the Faculty