Minutes of the Steering Committee Meeting
31 March 2008
10:00 p.m.
208 Samford Hall
Submitted by
Sue Barry

Attended by: Bob Locy, David Cicci, Kathryn Flynn, Dennis DeVries, Chance Corbett (non-voting, presenter), Linda Glaze (non-voting, presenter), Gary Waters (non-voting, presenter), Gary Martin

Absent:  Sue Barry, Robert Gross, John Hung, Jim Bradley

--Bob Locy distributed copies of the draft agenda for the 8 April 2008 University Senate meeting. Items on that agenda include one action item and 4 information items

--Action item:
AU Alert Resolution.  Chance Corbett provided some background as to the AU Alert system and the question of whether alerts continue to be sent out for weather watches as well as weather warnings and other emergency information.  Concerns include that students may opt out of the system if too many alerts are sent out for what they may perceive to be non-emergency situations.  The resolution speaks in favor of reducing the use of the AU Alert system, excluding alerts for watches unless severe weather is likely to have a significant impact on campus.  We also discussed the presence of weather alert radios throughout main campus, and the potential availability of low cost weather radios. 

--Information items:
--The Calendar Committee will present calendars for summer semester 2009, summer semester 2010, and the 2010-2011 academic semesters.  The only significant change is the removal of the 6-week "mini-mester".  Little discussion followed. 
--Linda Glaze distributed a handout relative to Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, which included background for this process and the goals and learning outcomes themselves.  These will be evaluated with a variety of techniques to be identified once the outcomes themselves have been agreed on. 
--Gary Waters distributed a report from the Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, which included the composition of the committee, the subcommittees that are defined, the academic report card information (including graduation rate and progress rate), and a statement of the AU Athletics Department Attendance Policy.
--Bob Locy distributed two proposed amendments to the University Senate Constitution that will be presented as information items at the 8 April 2008 Senate meeting, to be voted on at the May Senate meeting.  One was to add the Chair of the Administrative and Professional Assembly to the Senate as an ex-officio member, and the other was to name the immediate Past Chair of the Senate as a member of the Senate Steering Committee.