SPIG Minutes for Friday, April 23rd, 2004

10-11 AM

Attendants: Bart Everson, Michelle B. Falgoust, Susan Fredine, David Lanoue, and Todd Stanislav. Drs. Lanny Foss and Debbie Bordelon had prior commitments.

The minutes of the 4-2-04 meeting were reviewed, amended, and approved.

There was brief discussion of future meetings. Because of final exams next week, the meeting is cancelled. A summer meeting schedule will be set shortly after the end of the current semester.

The members discussed the key themes that should characterize the description of the Center's programs. The members agreed that the description should focus on "advancing and making public the intellectual work that faculty do in teaching, scholarship, and service." The members agreed that the program description should reflect the Center's focus on teaching (and student learning). There was discussion regarding the place of collegiality in the description. It was agreed that references to collegiality or similar ideas would be made in the "cultures and values" section of the document.

David mentioned stating that disciplinary scholarship and the scholarship of teaching and learning should be mentioned in the program description relative to scholarship. There was discussion of different kinds of service (e.g., professional or educational, community) and how to represent service in the program description.

David asked if assessment should be placed under the heading "teaching" or "scholarship." The members agreed that assessment is relevant to both, as well as the area of "service."

Todd offered to write a draft of the new program description.

The members then focused their attention on the infrastructure that is needed to support the Center. The members identified different aspects of the infrastructure, including staff & faculty, facilities & resources, funding, programs, and channels of communication. Further discussion of each aspect of the infrastructure will resume at the next meeting.

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