Minutes of the meeting of September 2, 1997 
Student Commons Forum Room

Absent: Baughan, Boyle, Contos, Cox, Festa, Fulcher, Gilson, Lavoie, Malloy, Parham, Sonnino.

1. President Terry Oggel called the meeting to order at 3:45, welcoming new and returning members of the Senate. He reminded senators of his report on recent activities of the Senate, which was distributed with the call to meeting. Since Past President Stan Strong was on leave this semester and would have administrative duties in the spring, Oggel proposed that former Vice-President Bob Adler take on the duties usually assigned to that officer. There was no objection to the proposal.
2. Vice-President Bob Andrews distributed minutes of the May meeting and the updated roster and committee assignments for 1997-98.
3. Lucy Harvie, chair of the Credentials and Rules Committee, distributed copies of the attendance procedures and reminded senators that it was their responsibility to notify an alternate if they were ever unable to attend a Senate meeting.
4. Secretary Neil Henry noted that minutes of meetings would be available at the Senate's website, and encouraged committee chairs to submit items that might be appropriately posted there.
5. The minutes of the meeting of May 6, 1997 were approved as distributed.
6. Walter Malloy, Iris Parham and Blue Wooldridge were nominated for seats on the University Council, in addition to those held by Oggel and Andrews. Parham and Wooldridge were elected and Malloy will serve as alternate.
7. President Oggel then welcomed Provost Grace Harris, who announced that the timetable for revising the Strategic Plan had been changed so that the proposal would not go to the Board of Visitors for approval until January. It now appears that the revisions proposed as a result of reviews during the summer (including important contributions from Senate representatives) will be more extensive than originally anticipated. The next draft will be available in a few weeks. Provost Harris articulated several themes of the revised plan. These included:

(a) Repositioning the University (a new list of peer institutions has been negotiated with SCHEV);
(b) Improving service programs for students;
(c) Finding ways to attract, support and retain outstanding faculty;
(d) Fostering excellence in research and community service;
(e) Implementing distributed campus plans (e.g., health related programs in northern VA);
(f) Managing the necessary relationships with the new MCV Hospital Authority.

Additional comments by Provost Harris dealt with the enrollment picture this fall (we appear to have met our projections, with over 22,400 students being the current estimate), and with initiatives that directly involve the Faculty Senate. These include the formation of a mediation committee; work on an early retirement proposal that is now being reviewed by the General Counsel's office; and a revision of the University's policy on outside consulting.

8. Linda Harber, Executive Director of Human Resources, gave an overview of the activities of that division. She emphasized the services that the Division provides for faculty and noted the topics which members of her staff will discuss in brief presentations at Senate meetings this fall.
9. President Oggel then introduced committee chairs, who described some of the issues that would come before their committees this year. (See the Senate Committees page for more details.)
10. The meeting adjourned at 5:20 and committees met to discuss plans for the semester.

Timeline for update of Strategic Plan (Distributed to senators 9/2/97)

• Review and status report of three-year implementation completed mid-October, 1996
• Update of “environmental scan” completed end of November, 1996
• Charged individuals and groups for Phase II early December, 1996
• Communicated Phase II process in VCU Voice beginning early January, 1997
• Morning retreat of Vice Presidents, Deans and other steering committee members held January 9
• Briefed Academic Policy Committee, Board of Visitors, March 16 meeting
• Reports from Phase II steering committees completed April 15
• First draft of refocused strategic plan reviewed by Council of Advisors, April 25 meeting
• Distributed to and reviewed by Faculty Senate, May 9 (Faculty Senate Executive Committee response to draft received July 11)
• Reviewed by Council of Deans, May 13
• Update given to Academic Policy Committee, Board of Visitors, May 15 meeting
• Draft copy on VCU web site, June 15
• Reviewed at Vice Provost’s retreat, August 7
• Reviewed at Vice Presidents’ meeting, August 22

• Revised draft will be reviewed by the Vice Presidents, continue during months of August and September
• Dr. Harris to present overview of Phase II to Faculty Senate, September 2
• Review by President’s Council scheduled for September 3
• Review by University Council, October meeting
• Presentations to Staff Senate and Student Government Associations, to be arranged
• Board of Visitors review of draft plan at its November meeting
• Publication of penultimate draft as special issue of VCU Voice, end of November
• Presentation of plan for review and approval to the Board of Visitors at its January meeting
• Production and distribution of Strategic Plan for the Future of Virginia Commonwealth University: Phase II, January