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This was a special meeting for department chairs and the ATLAS director with the Dean.

Brief Updates

• Teaching Titles: The college proposal to provide working titles of Teaching Assistant Professor, Teaching Associate Professor and Teaching Professor was made a year ago and initially received support from others on campus but has now been denied. Instead, a third title of Teaching Professor is being considered for the Instructor and Senior Instructor series.
• Sabbatical Eligibility: The Regent rules allow for a sabbatical after six years of service, including the interpretation that a prior sabbatical counts as part of this service toward the next sabbatical. However, for our college, a prior Administrative Council decision that the six years of service is exclusive of the prior sabbatical was upheld, so that the six years of service toward the next sabbatical is counted from the end of the prior sabbatical.
• Quiet Room: The college is waiting for a decision from the campus leadership on whether it should provide a quiet room for reflection and contemplation – if yes, it is anticipated that it cannot be exclusive for a particular group or dedicated for religious purposes.

Professional Master’s Programs

Several chairs expressed a strong interest in Professional MS degrees, and not just Professional ME degrees. Over the past week, Keith and Rob have discussed this possibility with Bill Kaempfer and Mike Lightner, including both a streamlined process for creating new degrees and making a professional track within existing degrees (such as delineating the Plan I thesis option as a traditional or research degree and the Plan II nonthesis option as the professional degree). A preference for pursuing a professional track within each existing MS degree was expressed.

Timing and Process for Space Reallocation

The dean’s office will issue a request for proposals to use vacated and renovated space by late November or early December, with proposals due in late January or early February. The first phase of the major renovation project of the former ChE wing is expected to be completed by the end of fall 2016, and the second phase is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2017.

In Attendance

Rob Davis, Penny Axelrad, Dan Schwartz, Jim Martin, Balaji Rajagopalan, Bob McLeod, Mike Hannigan, Mark Gross