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Minutes RPC Meeting, October 13, 2004

Present: Jolene Barjasteh, Elizabeth Henke, Caleb Hedberg, Nancy Thompson, Richard Bodman, Pin Wan, Jim May, Alan Norton, Matt Richey, Mark Schelske, Marc Robinson, Bob Hanson (chair), Pam Dresow (secretary); guest, Jo Beld, ARP

The minutes of the September 29, 2004 meeting were approved without discussion.

Introduction of new members: Caleb Hedberg, student, and Nancy Thompson, Fine Arts.

Beld distributed draft language of the purview of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for inclusion in the Faculty Handbook noting that IRB is a category 2 item. RPC, along with the faculty, must recommend to the president the proposed structure of the IRB. The IRB will itself develop policy. The responsibilities of the IRB may be found at http://www.stolaf.edu/academics/irb/ . Final regulations governing the operation of the IRB must conform to federal standards along with institutionally appropriate procedures of the St. Olaf community. Federal regulations require IRB members be appointed, in our case by the dean. Discussion continued on how best to handle complaints/concerns from subjects with concern expressed over the complexity of subsequent investigations paralleling the level of the complaint. Beld was asked to consider what needs to be put into place to assure clean audits. She will return for further discussion after college attorneys have completed their review.

Hanson distributed minutes from several meetings last year that focused on faculty governance. Discussion centered on the most effective way to address revision of the committee system and is reflected in past minutes (see handout or go to http://www.stolaf.edu/committees/ for past minutes). May 31, 2005 was suggested as a target date for a revision proposal. The new structure would be tested in the 2005-06 academic year and then evaluated. RPC will divide into five groups and resume work where last year’s groups left off. Mark Schelske will draft, and distribute via the RPC alias, questions for RPC to use when contacting committee chairs to determine:

  • the type of work dealt with in each committee
  • how often the committee meets
  • if the workload is commensurate with the staffing
  • if one committee’s work overlaps with another
  • if any committees or faculty participation in any committees could be omitted
  • how often subcommittees and task forces are used on each committee
  • if the committee is essential to the function of the faculty’s contribution to governance.

Henke reported that the Student Senate was (1) preparing to vote on sanctioning the WCAL sale, (2) collecting proposals for the $100K surplus, and (3) forming a new committee to discuss Intellectual Diversity.

Meeting adjourned at 5:08.