West Virginia State University	Friday, November 30, 2007

Academic Affairs	R. Charles Byers, Ph.D.

Faculty Senate Report	Interim Vice President

The Mid-year Commencement will be held December 16, 2007 at 2:00 P.M. in the Charleston Civic Center. Chancellor Brian Noland will be the commencement speaker.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Department Chair Release Time met on November 14, 2007.

The committee discussed problems and solutions, and agreed on a recommendation to be presented to Dr. Carter. There are financial implications which are presently being evaluated. The recommendation will be presented shortly.

The recommendation for Faculty Status for eligible WVSU Gus R. Douglass Land-
Grant Institute personnel will be presented to Dr. Carter on December 4, 2007. The committee of faculty and Institute staff have finalized changes and agreed to propose the status change.

Monthly Academic Financial Statements will be given to Deans beginning in January. It will be the responsibility for deans and department chairpersons to maintain balanced budgets. The Academic Affairs budget will be set for administrative area control of expenditures in January.

Open Faculty Discussion Sessions

The Tourism Faculty Discussion Session was held on Friday, November 9, 2007, at 3:00 P.M. in the Jones Hall Seminar Room. A very productive interchange of ideas was presented. Dr. Jan Jones served as facilitator and has agreed to chair a task group to continue dialogue and present recommendations.

The International Programs session was held the next Friday, November 16, 2007.

Dr. James Natsis served as facilitator and also agreed to chair a task group and make recommendations.

Both sessions had good attendance. The goal of further incorporating each area into the curriculum was agreed upon in each session.

The Academic Deans Council met November 20,2007, in the new Davis Fine Arts Conference Room. President Carter attended the meeting. Items discussed included the Academic Affairs forms and organization, the Monthly Academic Financial Statement, the Second Semester Calendar of Meetings, and the Academic Task Groups. There will be a strategic planning workshop for deans and a review session on the Retention Report to the Chancellor in January. The Deans Council will meet in regular sessions on alternate Tuesdays at 1:30 P.M. Special presentations are reserved for other Tuesdays.

The Academic Support Services Council met on Thursday November 1, 2007.

The Academic Affairs Council will meet December 4, 2007, in Ferrell 217.

The Opening Faculty Meeting for second semester will start at 9:00 A.M. on January 9, 2008. There will be optional faculty growth sessions on Leadwise and Smarthinking on January 8, 2008. Spring Task Group members will be asked to meet in the afternoon of the 8th. Specific details will be emailed in December.