Attending: Susan Coultrap-McQuin (presiding); Michael Ameigh, (recording). Mary Beth Bell, Lanny Karns, David King, Linda Rae Markert, Yvonne Petrella, Sara Varhus.

Announcements:

The Memorandum of Understanding draft document recently sent to SUNY is back with comments and requests for additional information or revisions.  The Provost is working with the President's Office to develop a response.

Finance update:

- Michael cautioned the Council that the increasingly popular SUNY online budget monitoring application, the 'SUNY Management Resource Tool' (SMRT), does not track encumbered (future) expense related to temporary-service salaries and so is not accurate as a reflector of actual budget commitments.  This is because T-S funding is campus-based.  SMRT only shows expenses tracked by System Administration.  SMRT does track encumbered regular personal service, 'other than personal service' (OTPS) and recharge encumbrances.
- Beginning in fall 06 all extra service to full-time faculty will be automatically paid over ten consecutive pay periods.  This will require only one voucher per extra-service appointment.
- Scholarly and Creative Activity grants and other grant initiatives funded by the Provost are being transferred to accounts assigned to departments to which award recipients are assigned.  Administration of funds is the responsibility of the department.

Program Initiatives:

The Council continued its discussion of potential program development across the curriculum.  Data from the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment shows where high demand career fields are likely to exist across New York State in the years ahead.  The Provost has asked for feedback from groups by mid-May.

Professional Master of Science (PMS):

Dean of Graduate Studies and Research David King presented materials in support of a possible program leading to the Professional Master of Science degree.  He indicated this degree is becoming increasingly popular and is attractive to certain funders including the Alfred P. Sloan foundation.  He will be meeting with Sloan representatives soon to discuss possible collaborations within SUNY.