Present: Susan Coultrap-McQuin (presiding), Michael Ameigh (recording), Mary Beth Bell, Lanny Karns, David King, Walter Opello, Yvonne Petrella, Mary Schoeler, Sara Varhus, Suzanne Weber (for Linda Rae Markert).

Faculty development plan:

Susan indicated that the final draft of the professional development plan is ready for a decision by the Council on its implementation as policy.  The Council approved it as presented.  The Provost's Office will distribute the policy document across the division in the near future.

New faculty hires:

Deans and directors were asked to discuss the rationale for the position requests put forward for searches in 2005-2006.  Among those requests are faculty positions in the School of Business, School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, Penfield Library, and Continuing Education.

Draft principles for hybrid course development:

Susan announced that Faculty Assembly recently approved the Hybrid Taskforce report that called for a pilot period to be overseen by a pilot committee.  The Council discussed a number of items addressed in the report that will require its input, including length of pilot, training, assessment, participation, and rationale.

Susan: From my perspective this is one of the ways that we assure our students have the technology skills they will need for their professional development in the future. An online component in a hybrid course puts the student into an environment that encourages self-motivation, responsibility for their own learning and development of technology skills.

The pilot committee will be constituted soon.

-Adjourned