MINUTES OF THE MEETING

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The College of Education Executive Committee met on Thursday, May 18, 2006, at 8:30 a.m. in Room 255 in the Education Center with Dean Gunter presiding. Members present were: Drs. McGahee, Zahner, Griffin, Gerber, Reffel, Lee, Hilgert, Leech, Martinez, Thompson (for Hull), Ms. Roberts, and Mr. Grubbs (for Stanley). Guests: Dr. Wayne Plumly and the VSU SIFE Team.

Dean Gunter introduced Dr. Wayne Plumly, the director of the VSU SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) Team. Dr. Plumly explained that SIFE is a nonprofit international student organization. SIFE is active in 45 countries and on more than 800 college campuses nationwide. Through its community outreach programs, VSU SIFE students work as teams to design educational programs that help people develop the skills needed to succeed in the free enterprise system. In 2004-05, VSU SIFE completed 46 service-learning projects and volunteered over 12,000 community hours. The projects ranged from one-time programs to 9-month undertakings. Dr. Plumly explained that SIFE would like to form a closer working relationship with the COE and would like to have more education majors join SIFE. The VSU SIFE Team made a 24-minute presentation explaining the purposes and goals of SIFE. The team leaves this Saturday for Kansas City to compete at the national SIFE tournament. 

In its ten-year history, VSU SIFE has won ten consecutive regional championships and has finished in the top four in the nation three out of the last four years.

Dr. McGahee distributed the nomination forms for this year's Georgia Power New Teacher Assistance Grants. This grant is a $1000 award to a Fall, 2005, or Spring, 2006, graduate. Each department with an undergraduate teacher education program may nominate up to three students; the Early Childhood Department, because of its size, may nominate up to five students. The nominations are due to Ms. Ellis, chair of the COE Scholarship and Honors Committee, by May 29. That committee will select the top five nominees. These nominees' nomination forms will be sent to Georgia Power; a committee selected by Georgia Power will select the VSU recipient.

Dean Gunter explained that Dr. Zaccari plans to make changes in the graduation ceremony and Honors Day ceremony, effective fall semester. If approved through university committees, each college will now hold its own graduation ceremony. This change will reduce the length of the ceremony and the amount of traffic around the university. Dr. Zaccari plans to move Honors Day to an evening event which will include dinner for each honoree and four of his/her invited guests.

Dr. McGahee raised the issue of minimum grade requirements for courses in Area F. Although most COE faculty are probably under the impression that courses in Area F must be passed with at least a "C" grade, this is not the case. According to Mr. Chuck Hudson, the COE does not have such a requirement. While all department heads agreed that a minimum grade of "C" should be required in all Area F courses, it was felt that the most logical time to formally put this requirement in the catalog would be when Area F changes are made to include the three new courses mandated by the Board of Regents.

Dean Gunter announced that he had met with representatives from Valdosta City Schools about making JL Newbern a comprehensive partner school. Newbern has failed to make AYP (average yearly progress); because of this, a number of students are requesting to be transferred to Valdosta Middle School. Newbern is asking for COE assistance in helping them to make AYP. Newbern has a new principal; Dean Gunter has sent the comprehensive partner school agreement to him to review and sign.

Dean Gunter called for a vote on whether or not to approve the proposed MOU (memorandum of understanding) between the COE and IT. This issue has been discussed several times in Executive Committee, and faculty have been given the opportunity to provide input. The vote was: 8 in favor, 1 against, and 1 abstention.

Dean Gunter announced that he would be in the Czech Republic next week and that Dr. Gerber would preside at the Executive Committee meeting.

Dean Gunter asked Dr. Lee to provide him with a list of any outdated web pages which need to be either removed or updated.