Review and Planning Committee
Minutes for December 12, 2007
Present: Cole, Feldt, Groton, Hill, May, Nichol, Nordstrom-Loeb, Pearson
MSC: Approve minutes of the previous meeting.
MSC: Approved recommendation to endorse all sabbatical proposals except one brought by subcommittee (Carter, Cole, Groton) appointed to review sabbatical proposals.
Committee expressed sentiment in favor of renaming the committee as the “Faculty Governance Committee.”
The committee discussed Faculty Manual Language for proposed Faculty Life and Faculty Governance committees.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
SABBATICAL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT
December 10, 2007
Prof. Dan Hofrenning, Chair
Review and Planning Committee
Dear Dan,
The Sabbatical Leaves Subcommittee of RPC met this afternoon. All three members (David Carter, Eric Cole, and Anne Groton) had read the 29 sabbatical-leave applications for 2008-09.
After discussion one of the proposals was deemed unacceptable, even in its revised form; the rest, however, were judged to be either good or excellent. In several cases faculty members were still waiting to hear the outcome of grant applications or of requests to study or work with colleagues at other institutions, but all had alternative plans in place.
The subcommittee recommends that RPC approve all of the proposals with the exception of the one that does not meet the standards of the College's sabbatical-leave program.
This year the subcommittee noted a commendable trend for veteran faculty to expand their horizons, “re-tool,” and begin ambitious new ventures. Many proposals involved cross-disciplinary studies and participation in workshops and courses taught here and elsewhere. There was a healthy mix of traditional scholarship, novel approaches, technological advances, creative endeavors, and pedagogical projects designed to enhance St. Olaf's curricular offerings. The range of activities was impressive.
Sincerely,
Sabbatical Leaves Subcommittee
