SPIG Minutes for Friday, March 19th, 2004

10-11 AM

Attendants: Debbie Bordelon, Bart Everson, Michelle Falgoust, Lanny Foss, Susan Fredine, David Lanoue, and Todd Stanislav.

The minutes of the 3-12-04 meeting were reviewed and approved with some amendments.

Todd informed everyone that he will be out of town March 24-26. The next meeting will be held on Friday, April 2, 2004.

Bart described the K-12 projects with which he has been involved. These projects include Gumbo LALA, New Orleans Unmasked, and Kids to Afrika.

The group continued to discuss the place of K-12 in the mission of the Center. Susan mentioned that the Center could support events in which K-12 and Xavier faculty members meet to discuss pedagogy and content of curricula. Both Susan and David noted that we (i.e., Xavier faculty) could learn much from K-12 teachers and that this kind of interaction--a sort of cross fertilization-- would be helpful to everyone involved.

Susan noted that she would like to see the Center do more with the K-12 community in non-technology areas.

Lanny suggested inviting K-12 teachers and schools to participate in well-integrated (and not just add-on) programs in the Center. Perhaps the Division of Education could assist in inviting teachers and schools.

Bart noted that this is similar to the current state of the Center's approach to working with K-12 teachers and schools. He also pointed out that we are not consistent in deliberately extending invitations to the K-12 community when, for example, we announce a new request for proposals.

The group agreed that the Center should keep on the table the idea of a commitment to working with the K-12 community. The nature of this commitment (i.e., the way in which it is described and the manner in which it is carried out), should it be made, remains uncertain at the moment. It is anticipated that the nature of the commitment will become more apparent as the strategic planning process continues.

The group then turned its attention again to the draft of the mission-program-values document (Todd distributed copies of draft #3 of the document). In its previous discussions about the description of the Center's program, there was interest in reconceptualizing the way in which the program is described. Currently, a "technology and non-technology" theme is used. The group agreed to rewrite the description so that it aligns or reflects the work of faculty, namely teaching, scholarship, and service.

Before the next meeting, members of the group will identify the key phrases, ideas, and concepts that they believe the Center's program description should include.

— Minutes respectfully submitted by Michelle Falgoust,
Administrative Assistant in the Center for the Advancement of Teaching