Strategic Planning Committee Meeting: August 24, 2011

Highlights for grad students:

C. Hutchinson on building access:
• Keypads replacing keys for after-hours building access. To request 24/7 access: Check to see if you have a
new Cat Card. If the strip on the back of the Cat Card is at the bottom then you do not need a new card.
Provide A. Stewart with a copy of your Cat Card, and a personal four digit pin of your choice.

Graduate job availability discussed
• There was a hiring freeze in place for the Forest Service, but they are accepting applications
• The Forest Service wants to encourage Game and Fish to do the same
• C. Hutchinson: agencies may want applications in the system, even when not hiring so that they can review
candidates for jobs as soon as candidate searches are approved.

S. Bonar gave update on filling C. Conway’s position:
• Co-op would like to fill the position a.s.a.p., replacement will need to work well with UA, Game and Fish,
and Fish and Wildlife Service
• Looking at 25% budget reduction in USGS, not sure if position will be funded, S. Bonar will update in two
weeks.

S. Marsh gave update on search for instructor on Large Mammals:
• Committee conducted phone interviews, August 22 and narrowed candidates down to four

C. Hutchinson gave update on Climate Center:
• C. Hutchinson sent announcement for Director position

Strategic Planning Committee Meeting: April 28, 2011

full minutes coming soon. Here are the highlights:

SNRE Awards Ceremony: May 4, 2-4 pm at Gentle Ben's

Strategic Planning Committee Meeting: April 20, 2011

Notes by our new SNRE secretary, Ashley, and re-ordered by Carrie to put info more pertinent for grad students (I think) at the top

Attendees: D.Breshears, S. Smith, S. Bonar, L. Lopez-Hoffman, R. Mannan, E. deSteiguer, W. Matter, S. Marsh, P. Guertin, C. Presnall, M. McClaran, C. Yamashita-Gill, A. Stewart.

Bill Matter gave updates on Academic information;

TA approval for New TRAD course

·      TA support from CALS has been approved for Bill Mannan’s new TRAD 104 course: Wildlife, Conservation, and Society (RNR 160D1) for Fall 2011.  Enrollment capped at 100 students for now.

·      TA support for all general education courses is not available from CALS

o   There is money for Tier I not II

o   Bill will ask Dr. Cox about $ for Tier II

Discussion:

Advertising for majors

·      Currently have only website based recruitment strategy

o   Also Facebook page for SNRE, but may need upgrade

o   Grad Forum has a Facebook page also

·      Look into adding an ad for SNRE to come up in Google searches for “natural resources” and other related terms.

·      Look at goggle analytics to see when/where visitors to our web site drop away.  These data may tell us about places on our web site that needs improvement.

Office Move

·      Kathi, Christie and Khuyen moving to Main Office SNRE April 29^th

Bill Matter reported on HODS meeting

Budget cuts info

·      No new info on what UA will do since ABOR used UA rainy day fund to provide a rebate to students and raised tuition

·      Dean says 1^st year cut of 20% can be absorbed by CALS, 2^nd year is unknown

Laura Lopez-Hoffman reported on Dean’s Search

·      First Dean candidate arrives tonight.

·      CALS/Dean’s homepage has a link to the search with C.V.’s, agenda

·      Open forum from 4-5:30 pm and presentations Live cast on web.

Stuart Marsh gave updates on:

Approvals for the two searches - Instructors for 1) Governance, 2) Mammals

·      All parties are on board with the two hires.  Currently the budget spreadsheet is with IE for final approval.

o   Once final approval is given, we can send out the job ads.

o   Need to decide where to advertise positions now so ready when approved.

o   2 positions with separate search committees.

HODS Meeting report on Furlough hour reporting

·      Want faculty to take furlough time on their own rather than waiting for it to be swept.

o   Concern about negative consequences of faculty to not volunteer when they want to take furlough.

o   Employees are expected to NOT be here on furlough days.

o   Only about 40% across the college are in compliance with furlough policy.

o   Chuck needs to send an email reminder to faculty to take furlough.

SNREBIZ:

Effort report forms have not been completed and signed by some PIs.

·      Khuyen will notify who hasn’t signed them yet.

Quarterly IDC numbers

·      October-December IDC SNRE side

o   $27,979 to college, $11,191 back to SNRE

o   $7500 back to OALS

IGERT Pre-Proposal submission with Optical Sciences (Stuart’s)

·      Dean gave a letter of support

·      If approved, multi-temporal imaging

·      SNRE people might want to contribute

Masters in Development Practice

·      Stuart received 5 responses from faculty to his request for interest in participating as instructors of new courses or modules on Conservation for MDP program.

·      Will set up a Doodle for organizational meeting of interested faculty and include all faculty in the invitation to meet

Outreach vs. Regular SCH accrual

·      Certain elements can’t change in responsibility  management spreadsheet

·      Student in 3-unit regular course SCH $504 ($168 per student credit hour (SCH) above the SCH production for 2009)

o   $1550 for every undergrad major student above base  year (2009)

o   $ $168 per SCH above total SCH production for 2009

o   $874 per degree awarded above the number awarded in 2009

o   3 additional students needed to surpass $1200

o   Example: if all faculty upped enrollment to 3 more students in a regular 3-unit SNRE course, it would generate $504 and this may attract more enrollment as a major within the college

o   Would take less effort to make more money increasing enrollment in classes we already have than making a new masters courses for the Masters in Development Practice

o   Masters GIST currently has 30 students

§  Masters course attracts students that we would not get via another way

o   College is taking 20-30%; they will not be doing this for money generated by teaching courses through Outreach College.  Return funds come directly to SNRE, not through CALS first.

Andy Honaman’s salary:

·      It was discovered that 15% of Andy’s state line had been cut in a previous budget cut and charge to an ART account. Discovered because the ART designated account is audited yearly and the salary charge for Andy was questioned. The account deficit with a request for contributions to cover Andy’s salary has brought in contributions by faculty towards salary so far.

o   The model OALS has been using was to add a line on all future proposals as a specialized need for computer need, under the assumption that Everyone should contribute

·      Suggested that a fraction of Andy’s salary could be added to proposals to justify a certain amount of IT support

o   Mitch emphasized that contributions are fine in the short term, but we need to have a plan to make him 100% on State funds because of the importance of IT services for Instruction in the School (computer labs, secure student accounts for courses, GIS support, School servers, maintenance and trouble-shooting of faculty desk-top and lap-top computers for Instruction).

FRS

·      All should check their monthly FRS reports to make sure that things are being charged appropriately

Faculty Strategic Planning meeting March 30, 2011 

Note: these notes are taken by your Co-Chair, Carrie Presnall. Any misrepresentation is likely due to my misunderstanding.

Graduate assistantship/fellowships/scholarships (Matter) - SNRE is trying to use money from various funding pools to support current students. In the past, we have relied mostly on Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs), but SNRE will use more combined funding to stretch limited funds.

Funds include: 

GRA - $19,720 (gets split to ¼ time positions) – students work for this money (teaching)

GTS/GRS – fee waivers for in-state tuition, $25,440 ($ goes to tuition only)

Grad College Fellowships - $10,000 total, gets split among students; students may be asked to enroll in a teaching practicum

Indirect cost (IDC) review (Moroz) - We discussed IDC (money that the university takes from grants we receive to cover costs like photocopies, parking, and other miscellany) and SNRE income and expenses. I have a spreadsheet.

Masters in Development Practice  (MDP) (Hutchinson) - Continued discussion about MDP (see earlier mtg minutes: March 2, 2011). Money is available to develop online instructional materials for MDP – must be new courses, not offered at SNRE. Focus is on conservation, PES, GIS… TBD to fit the development theme.

MDP will generate about $1,200/student/3 credit course (income to SNRE). They expect to have about 4-6 students/yr, which would bring about $10,000 to SNRE. Some of the profits would be shared with the professor as funds for projects.

Discussion: is it worth the work? Committee will investigate and bring more financial estimates

Other:

Mitch McClaran requested official mtg minutes

Interviews for Secretary position – 3 interviews scheduled for SNREbiz.

Job searches continue for 1) Governance and 2) Large Mammal Biologist

·      Phenoclimatology search is making progress with hiring

·      New searches:

o   Go-ahead from CALS for 2 searches supported by IE

§  Landscape/large mammal ecology

§  Governance

o   Back to IE for approval

o   Potential for a 3^rd, if CALS will support – possibly an Ecological Modeler

§  Exploring possibility of a Diversity hire

·      Potential joint appointment for environmental conflict resolution

o   Update: Law department is interested but has no money to support.

o   the search for $ continues

·      UA (and SNRE) is working on developing an MDP program (FUTURE)

o  Masters in Development Practice (MDP) (http://mdp.ei.columbia.edu/)

o   5 MDP programs in US; one is Earth Inst. at Columbia.

o   cohorts of about 20 students;  45-60 credits; fees = $60K/student/year

o   Will operate downtown under Outreach College

§  Classes will be unique to MDP (not repeats of classes already taught at UA)

§  Only MDP students can register for MDP classes, not other UA students

o   Four cornerstones: natural science (SNRE lead), health science, social science, management

§  Core courses in these areas, other specialization options

§  Our specialties will be arid lands, climate change and famine

o   Opportunities to add additional participants through modules (certificates?)

o   Discussion: how to design program that will fit current faculty schedules and reward participation?

§  This could provide needed revenue for UA

·      Emerging revenue streams

o   (1) IDC – Indirect costs; (2) SCH - student credit hours; (3) certificates/short courses/MDP spin-offs?

·      Bill Matter discussed undergraduate course plans to help students chose courses that will get them done in 2+2 (2 yrs at community college + 2 yrs at UA).

Faculty Strategic Planning meeting 2/2/11

1.     Phenoclimatology: An offer was made to a candidate

2.     Large mammal instructor position – search may start soon

3.     Deans have been meeting about the budget. It looks bleak.

o   Undergrads will be encouraged to declare majors sooner.

o   We want bigger Tier 1 classes (freshman level, gen. ed classes)

o   SNRE needs to tell students what SNRE does so that they can not just be in the “science” department. Ideas discussed include creating Facebook & google ads, setting up tables on the mall in Fall to inform students about SNRE.