Minutes of the August 2006 Faculty Meeting

Opening

President Anderson called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m.

Pastor Benson opened the meeting with prayer.

The minutes for the May 2006 meeting of the faculty were approved.

Order of Business

Wes Pearson moved the approval of the Fall 2006 Sports Schedule, which was seconded. There was no discussion. The motion passed.

Dean’s Remarks

 Provost Jim May welcomed the faculty back to campus, especially those who were returning from sabbaticals and Anne Walter and Mike Swift who were returning from the course they taught in Australia. He then introduced and welcomed new faculty. He also read a letter from a parent of a 2006 graduate thanking the college and especially the faculty for its excellent work.

Vice President for Enrollment’s Update on the Class of 2010

Michael Kyle presented a report describing the incoming class of 2010 and extended thanks to his staff in the Admissions Office. He also announced that in conjunction with the Office of Communications and Marketing, the Office of Admissions would soon complete and bring out new view-books for all five faculties of study, as well as Athletics & Recreation.

Treasurer’s Update on the College Budget

Alan Norton presented an update on the college budget that consisted of a report on last year’s budget and some concerns about the upcoming year. The college ended the year last year with $499 m. of assets and approximately $100 m. of liabilities. The net worth of the college increased last year about $45 m., and of that $45 m., $28 m. was due to investments and about $10 m. was due to capital gifts, of which 7 m. was earmarked for the new science center and 3 m. went into the endowment. Operations contributed about $4.5 m. Savings were realized in operations due to real expenses that were lower than budgeted expenses, in areas that included health benefit payouts, contracts, utilities, and interest on variable rate debt. The endowment for the year ended at $261 m., and more importantly, the amount of value per unit reached $3.13 cents, which was a return to peak levels that had been attained in 2000.

In addition to summarizing and commenting on last year’s budget, Mr. Norton also articulated concerns and challenges for the upcoming year, most fundamentally the challenge of increasing revenue. He noted in particular the large number of incoming students and the amounts of financial aid given out in order to obtain those students. Although the tuition has been increased 6.4 percent and the comprehensive fee has been increased 8.5 percent, for the new students coming in the door, he estimated that the college is probably getting only a couple percent more in revenue. Increases in revenue will be essential if the college is to move forward on important goals, such as increasing compensation and maintaining facilities. He stated that the numbers and percentages for the current year’s budget would be finalized in the near future.

Update on the New Science Complex Fundraising Campaign

Interim Vice President for Advancement Ron Bagnall thanked the faculty for its support of Partners in Giving and presented an update on the status of the new science complex fundraising campaign. 16 million dollars in gifts and pledges have been received toward the 22 million first phase goal. This fall the Natural Sciences and Mathematics faculty will be provided with the opportunity to help, and starting in February, the rest of the faculty will also be afforded opportunities. He thanked the faculty in advance for their cooperation, support and consideration.

President's Remarks

 President Anderson began his remarks by noting how presumptuous it could be to began his presidency by offering a vision for the future; instead, he stated that he was going to focus on stopping, looking and listening to what was already going on in the work of the college. He admitted that he tries to read two magazines every week, the New Yorker and the Economist. In the latter, he recently discovered that there is a new discipline in the business world called “On-Boarding,” and that while he did not have a consultant to help him on-board more successfully, he did have a strategy, which for this year consisted in establishing personal relationships by finding every opportunity to meet with people, whether individually or in small groups. He hoped that faculty would meet him halfway in this endeavor by introducing themselves when they saw him walking across campus, or by feeling free to schedule appointments with his secretary so they could talk about concerns. He announced that he and his wife Priscilla were planning on having everyone over to the house at various times during the year.

With respect to presidential style, the president stated that he understands himself as a person in the community who comes to work every day like everyone else, and that he prefers to be addressed simply as David.

With respect to his plans for the next few years, the president began by noting that at liberal arts institutions, students, presidents, and regents all inevitably come and go, while it is the faculty that provides continuity. He added that the quality of the intellectual and personal relationships that students have with faculty is what most forms the heart of students’ long-term bond with the institution. In light of these facts, he thanked the faculty in advance for all the work they will do and pledged his attention and support to them. He continued to say that when people look back at the 11 th President of the College, he hopes that they will note that he successfully gathered in resources that better enabled the college to do the excellent work it already does. With respect to this goal, he noted that the colleges with which St. Olaf competes and compares itself do the same things it does with double the resources. In addition to the goal of gathering resources, he said that he understood the president’s job as involving keeping his eye on the big picture, and focusing the college’s energy. The big and important topics this year that he anticipated discussing involved questions about how big the student body should become, how to evaluate the trade-offs between access and student quality, and how to make the student body and the faculty more diverse. He also stated that he was planning on being concerned with what he called “the caring and feeding” of the Board of Regents so that they could be as effective as possible for the college.

With respect to the fact that at St. Olaf the president is the chair of the faculty, he said that while this may be unique and different from many other institutions, it could also signal that St. Olaf is a remarkable place where the structures of meetings do not embed conflicts between different parties but rather encourage cooperation. Thus, he announced that he was going to embrace his role as chair of the faculty, and if at the end of the year, the faculty wished to do something else, he would be happy to consider alternatives. He added that it was heartwarming to see so many faculty in attendance, and was going to assume that this would be the way meetings would always be. In the name of encouraging meaningful and effective discussions and meetings, he declared that one of the goals for meetings should be to “quarantine the germ of trivia” and focus on the important fundamental issues.

In conclusion, he thanked everyone for being so kind in welcoming him and his wife to the community. He reported that his kids were off to college and the dog was still working through its transitional issues.

Announcements

Corliss Swain announced that Galen Strawson from the University of Reading would give the Belgum lectures on Oct 11 and 12. The title of the lectures would be “Episodic Ethics.”

Solveig Zempel announced that the Fulbright season was now in full swing, and that recommendation letters could be submitted on-line.

Karil Kucera announced that September 24-29, four Japanese atomic bomb survivors would be visiting Northfield and St. Olaf, and would be available to speak to classes. Kathy Tegtmeyer-Pak thanked organizations that were helping with funding.

Judy Kutulas reminded faculty of the e-mail that she had sent out about the Faculty Action Committee and offered to provide people with copies of forms.

Jeanine Grenberg announced that the Faculty Development Committee would be meeting soon and that the deadline for release time grants was coming up in October.

Kris Thalhammer announced that in the spring she would be conducting joint workshops with a colleague in the Carleton Political Science Department on the topic of citizenship, both international and local.

DeAne Lagerquist asked first year advisors to discourage first year students from thinking they could easily drop or add first year religion or first year writing courses into which they had been placed.

Jill Ewald announced the gallery opening on September 15 for the Richard N. Tetlie collection, as well as a panel discussion that would be held on September 16.

Peter Bolstadt announced that the academic support center would remain in Old Main annex at least until Fall Break, and maybe until January.

Bryn Geffert asked faculty to pick up their new identification cards.

Update on Classroom Disruption

 The Registrar, Mary Cisar, provided an update on the building that had been going on this summer, some of which was continuing. She said that there was a backup plan, if the modular village was not ready by Thursday, the first day of classes, and that faculty should check the classroom location, schedule and class lists on-line in SIS. She acknowledged that some faculty might be in classrooms that are less than ideal. She also noted that it was not too late for interim and second semester changes for classroom, and that for those willing to teach earlier in the day, there might be better classrooms available.

Update on the Research Practices Survey
Jo Beld announced that the college was asking all first year students to complete an on-line Research Practices Survey. She urged advisors and teachers of first year students to remind students to take the survey.

The meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Jamie Schillinger