Graduate Faculty Council Meeting Minutes: April 25, 2001

United Nations Room, Student Union
3:00 P.M.

  1. The meeting was called to order at 3:06 P.M. Associate Vice Provost James G. Henkel presided.

  2. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve as distributed the minutes of the meeting of 3-28-2001.

  3. J. Henkel introduced for consideration the draft Campus Life Issues document which has been submitted to the Council by the Best Practices Task Force.

    Following brief discussion, it was moved (K. Haller), seconded (R. Brown), and passed without dissent on a voice vote to accept and to endorse the draft document as presented with the request that the Administration allocate the resources necessary to make the document's key elements a reality.

  4. J. Henkel introduced John Clausen, Chair of the University Senate's Growth and Development Committee, who
    discussed with members of the Council the need for a Visiting Scholars program. Clausen proposed that the Graduate
    School and the Research Foundation could join the effort in a collaborative fashion, and he noted that Interim Vice
    Provost Ian Hart supports the idea. With Clausen to participate in the discussion was Cynthia Adams, also a member of
    the Growth and Development Committee

    Extensive discussion ensued. Highlights include:

  • Need to define the term Visiting Scholar as it is to be used at UConn and to document the need to develop such a program (to make certain that the problem to be solved actually exists).
  • The Graduate School already uses a Visiting Scholar designation to get these people into "the system."
  • Need to create a formal Human Resources title such as Visiting Scholar or Scholar in Residence and to develop a position description. Look into the possibility of providing some kind of medical coverage as a benefit (retirement not an issue).
  • The Kresge Foundation provides support for centers and renovations (should we pursue such support?).
  • Look into hiring one or two GA's to staff the Visiting Scholars enterprise.
  • Need volunteers for a joint committee (GFC & Senate) to explore the various aspects of the new program.
  • Rates for Lakeside and other visiting scholar facilities need to be at-cost and medium- to long-term (e.g., $600 per month).There needs to be flexibility in terms of duration of stay.
  • Accommodating visiting scholars in a single campus facility that includes a convenient common area would facilitate social interaction among them and provide ease of access to University facilities.
  • Off-campus options for Visiting Scholar accommodations need to be explored as well. Meal plan(s) should be available to visiting scholars.
  • Transportation issues need to be explored (e.g., to and from airport, on campus, to local commercial and recreational areas, etc.).
  • Need to develop a packet of (orientation) materials that will be useful to Visiting Scholars.
  • Need to create centralized record-keeping for the Visiting Scholars program and to document the program's benefits to the University and beyond. Projections concerning (utilization of) the Program should be coordinated through this central office.
  • UConn faculty have experienced "soup to nuts" handling of visiting scholars by a central office when they have gone elsewhere. We need to develop that kind of comprehensive service here.
  • The new Program needs to be announced to the University community and a method needs to be devised to take reservations for accommodations for visiting scholars. There needs to be a name of a contact in a particular office for UConn faculty and administrative staff who wish to initiate the making of arrangements for a visiting scholar to come here.
  • Need to publicize widely the visits of scholars to UConn and promote their involvement in events with area and State businesses, industries, research facilities, other institutions of higher learning, etc.

    In light of the discussion, the following resolution was moved (K. Haller) and seconded (G. Warner):

    A Visiting Scholars program being central to the mission of the University, the Graduate Faculty Council urges
    the Administration to commit the necessary resources to allow a Visiting Scholars Program to flourish on our
    campus.

    The resolution was adopted without dissent on a voice vote.

    It further was agreed that the Council would join the Senate Growth and Development Committee in forming a joint task force and the resolution just passed by the Council be emphasized at the 5-14-2001 meeting of the Senate when this matter is to be discussed.

5. Adjournment was at 4:10 P.M.

 

Respectfully submitted,


Thomas B. Peters
Secretary

Present:
  • Andrle, R.
  • Baldwin, A.
  • Blank, T.
  • Brown, R.
  • Cajka, K.
  • Calabrese, A.
  • Chinn, P.
  • Clifford, J.G.
  • Cournoyer, D.
  • Gine, E. (alt)
  • Haller, K.
  • Hansen, H. (alt)
  • Herzberger, D.
  • Higonnet, M.
  • Karan, O.
  • Katz, L.
  • Knox, J.
  • Makriyannis, A.
  • Maresh, C.
  • McAvoy, R.
  • Miller, T. (alt)
  • Mukhopadhyay, N.
  • Schultz, E.
  • Steinen, R.
  • Strausbaugh, L.
  • Streifer, P.
  • Warner, G.

Graduate School:

  • Henkel, J.
  • Peters, T.

Speaker: John Clausen (Chair) and Cynthia Adams, Senate Growth and Development Committee

Regrets:

  • Hasson, S.
  • Hill, D.
  • Kaminsky, P.
  • Myers, K.
  • Ratneshwar, R.
  • Segal, J.