Graduate Faculty Council Meeting Minutes: September 27, 2000

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

1. The meeting was called to order at 3:11 P.M. Interim Vice Provost Ian C. Hart presided.
2. It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to approve as distributed the minutes of the meeting of 3-29-2000.
3. John D. Petersen, Chancellor and Provost for University Affairs, addressed the Council and responded to questions. He spoke about his initial impressions of the University, his management style, and about priorities and goals for the future.
   • Among the many topics discussed were:
     • a plan to bring external consultants to campus for a brief visit to examine various aspects of the institution and to formulate recommendations
     • the relationship between undergraduate and graduate education
     • strategic planning
     • allocation and reallocation of resources
     • the relationship of the institution to the State.
   • The Chancellor noted also that he plans to augment the membership of the Council of Deans to include representatives from the University Senate, the Graduate Faculty Council, the Undergraduate Student Government, and the Graduate Student Senate.
4. Ian C. Hart, Interim Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, spoke about a wide range of topics and responded to questions. He noted that effective communication is a key element of his management style, and he encouraged members to communicate directly with him on any matter related to research and/or graduate education.
   • Hart raised for discussion a proposal to form a committee comprising active research faculty which would be asked to identify and to examine significant impediments to the conduct of research at UConn. The charge to the proposed group would be separate and different from that of the Research Advisory Council. Hart noted that the Executive Committee had recommended at its last meeting reconstituting the GFC Research Support Committee for this purpose but added that he would want to include faculty who have specific concerns who are not current members of the GFC.
   • It was moved, seconded, and passed without dissent on a voice vote to reconstitute the GFC Research Support Committee for the above-stated purpose with the provision that the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Education may appoint faculty members who are not current members of the GFC. It further was agreed by consensus that the newly-formed committee will report its findings to the full Council.
   • There was general discussion about several topics, including: the distribution of indirects, start-up funding for new faculty members, research support for fields for which external sources are limited, the need to enhance support for travel to conferences and meetings, Research Foundation competitions, and the need to reinforce the perceived importance of the role of graduate students in the University.
   • Animal care and the second phase of the renovation of the Whetten Graduate Center also were identified as priorities for the coming year.
5. J. Henkel circulated copies of an update on the PeopleSoft initiative.
6. Adjournment was at 4:47 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas B. Peters
Secretary

Present:

• Abikoff, W.
• Anderson, G.
• Andrle, R.
• Baldwin, A.
• Blank, T.
• Boskovic, Z.
• Brown, R.
• Cajka, K.
• Chinn, P.
• Cournoyer, D.
• Craig, J.
• Frogley, A.
• Haller, K.
• Hasson, S.
• Hill, D.
• Iwanicki, E.
• Katz, L.
• Kehle, T.
• Knox, J.
• Korn, S.
• Kuo, L.
• Lee, T.C. (alt)
• Lipsky, L.
• Maresh, C.
• McAvoy, R.
• Nair, S.
• Pikal, M.
• Ratneshwar, S.
• Rodriguez, N.
• Schultz, E.
• Segal, J.
• Strausbaugh, L.
• Warner, G.
• Zirakzadeh, C.E. (alt)

Graduate School:

• Hart, I.
• Henkel, J.
• Peters, T.

Speaker: John D. Petersen, Chancellor and Provost for University Affairs

Regrets:

• Crow, L.
• Hamilton, M.
• Herzberger, D.
• Higonnet, M.
• Javidi, B.
• Maxwell, G.
• Miller, D.
• Pagoulatos, E.
• Silbart, L.