The official minutes of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees are maintained by the Secretary of the Board. Certified copies of minutes may be requested by contacting the Board of Trustees’ Office. Electronic or other copies of original minutes are not official Board of Trustees' documents.

The Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met on Thursday, March 20, 2003, at 1:05 p.m. in the Carolina Plaza Board Room.

Members present were: Mr. Robert N. McLellan, Chairman; Mr. James Bradley; Mr. William C. Hubbard; Mr. John C. von Lehe, Jr.; and Mr. Herbert C. Adams, Board Vice Chairman. Members absent were: Mr. Samuel R. Foster, II; Mrs. Helen C. Harvey; Ms. Darla D. Moore; Mr. Othniel H. Wienges, Jr.; and Mr. Mack I. Whittle, Board Chairman. Mr. John S. Long and Mr. M. Wayne Staton were also present.

Faculty Liaison Committee members present were: Professor Robert M. Wilcox, Chair of the Faculty Senate; Dr. Peter Graham, Chair of the Faculty Welfare Committee; and Professor John Logue, USC Sumter, representative for the Regional Campuses. Members absent were: Dr. Betty Glad, Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee; and Dr. Warren Carson, USC Spartanburg, representative for the Senior Campuses.

Others present were: President Andrew A. Sorensen; Secretary Thomas L. Stepp; Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Jerome D. Odom; Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Richard W. Kelly; Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer William F. Hogue; Vice President for Human Resources Jane M. Jameson; Vice President for Student and Alumni Services and Interim Vice President for Development Dennis A. Pruitt; Vice Provost and Executive Dean for Regional Campuses and Continuing Education Chris P. Plyler; Dean of USC Lancaster John Catalano; General Counsel Walter (Terry) H. Parham; Dean of the Graduate School Gordon B. Smith; Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Joan Hinde Stewart; Dean of the College of Education Les Sternberg; Dean of the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management Patricia G. Moody; Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, USC Aiken, Suzanne Ozment; Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, USC Spartanburg, Judith S. Prince; Assistant Dean for Administration and Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, The Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, Cheryl Addy; Associate Professor in the Department of Retailing, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, Deborah Fowler; Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts, Geoffrey P. Alpert; Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Associate Director of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research Robert J. Feller; Professor in the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education, College of Education, Ed Dickey; Coordinator of Undergraduate Teacher Education in the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education, College of Education, Margaret Gamble; Associate Professor, Department of Instruction and Teacher Education, College of Education Irma VanScoy; Public Relations Coordinator, Office of Media Relations, Karen Petit; and Director of the Office of Public Affairs Russell McKinney. Chairman McLellan called the meeting to order and invited those present to introduce themselves. Mr. McKinney indicated that no members of the media were in attendance. Chairman McLellan stated that notice of the meeting had been posted and the press notified as required by the Freedom of Information Act; the agenda and supporting materials had been circulated to the Committee; and a quorum was present to conduct business.

Chairman McLellan stated that there were personnel matters dealing with honorary degree nominations, honorary faculty titles, appointments with tenure, and transfers of academic appointments/tenure which were appropriate for discussion in Executive Session. Chairman McLellan called for a motion to enter Executive Session. Mr. Bradley so moved, and Mr. von Lehe seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

The following persons were invited to remain: Dr. Sorensen, Mr. Stepp, Dr. Odom, Dr. Hogue, Mr. Kelly, Dr. Pruitt, Ms. Jameson, Dr. Plyler, Mr. Parham, Mr. McKinney, Ms. Stone, and Ms. Tweedy.

Return to Open Session

1. Name Change Request for Baruch Institute: Chairman McLellan recognized Dr. Robert Feller who stated that a request had been submitted for Committee approval to modify the name of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research to the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences. He explained that the name change would better reflect the activities of this interdisciplinary research institute which had expanded well beyond an exclusive marine biology focus; the name "Marine and Coastal Sciences" would also address such disciplines as Geography and Health Sciences and would perceptually make others feel more welcome. All Baruch Institute stakeholders had favorably supported this name change.

   Mr. Bradley moved approval of the name change request for the Baruch Institute from the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research to the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences as described in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. von Lehe seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

2. Name Change and Change of Responsibility: Drug and Addictions Studies Certificate Program: Chairman McLellan called on Dean Stewart who stated that the faculty and administration had agreed that the Drug and Addictions Certificate Program would be more appropriately housed in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice rather than The Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health.

   It had also been requested to rename the Drug and Alcohol Studies, Graduate Certificate Program as "Drug and Addictions Studies, Graduate Certificate Program" to eliminate the false distinction of alcohol as a non drug in the original name. Dean Stewart emphasized that drug and addictions more accurately reflected the curriculum and the faculty research emphasis and that the program continued to focus heavily on alcohol as a socially problematic substance.

   Mr. Adams moved approval of the name change and change of responsibility for the Drug and Addictions Studies Program as described in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. Hubbard seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

3. College of Education Program Proposals: Chairman McLellan called on Dean Sternberg who initially commented that the three College of Education program proposals had been reconceptualized from the MAT (Masters of Teaching) Graduate Program for two reasons: (1) an SDI recommendation to develop undergraduate teacher education programs; and (2) faculty support. As a result of this process, the graduate programs had been redesigned to provide intensive mentoring assistance to those teachers who had completed the undergraduate program.

   1. Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education: Dean Sternberg stated that the projected enrollment figures would easily generate adequate tuition to cover the cost of offering this program as well as the realignment of faculty from the current MAT program.

      Mr. Bradley moved approval of the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education as described in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

   2. Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education: Dean Sternberg remarked that again, as in the previous proposal, the tuition realized from anticipated enrollment figures would adequately cover the cost of program functions.

      Mr. Hubbard moved approval of the Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

   3. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Middle Level Education: Dean Sternberg noted that the middle level program was new to South Carolina; a limited number of institutions offered this particular program. It was anticipated that within two years the costs would outweigh the resources. However, Dean Sternberg explained that the program of study for all students in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle Level programs would require similar classes during the first two years; therefore, there would be intensive crossover in those classes, no additional costs would be required, and Early Childhood and Elementary faculty could adequately handle the course instructional needs for the Middle Level students. In the years to follow, tuition would cover the cost of the program.

      In response to Chairman McLellan's question regarding the number of students in the first year, Dean Sternberg indicated that 10 students had been anticipated. He further explained that middle level certification required specialization in two content areas; student reaction to this licensure constraint was uncertain at this time. However, Dean Sternberg was confident that the program would succeed because of the need for highly qualified middle level educators in the state.

      Mr. Adams inquired about the total number of hours required for graduation as compared to the masters program. Dean Sternberg advised Mr. Adams that less hours were required because the undergraduate program encompassed a four-year time frame rather than the masters level five-year period of time. He also stressed a belief that "no one can adequately prepare a highly qualified teacher in simply four years or five years. It takes extensive mentoring and assistance beyond that time period and that is why we redesigned the undergraduate and masters programs."

      Mr. Bradley moved approval of the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Middle Level Education as described in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. von Lehe seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

      President Sorensen thanked Dean Sternberg and the College of Education faculty for aggressively reaching out to the secondary schools in the state. He believed that these program proposals reflected a sincere University commitment to the educational needs of all children of all ages throughout South Carolina.

4. Master of Retailing, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, USC Columbia: Chairman McLellan recognized Dean Moody who stated that the Master of Retailing program was a unique and technology-focused curriculum. Several Department of Retailing faculty members had become highly trained on very specialized retailing software (worth more than $2 million) which had been specifically donated to this department and would be incorporated into the program; no one else in the country had access to the software. Dean Moody commented that many students had indicated an interest in this particular program.

   Mr. Adams moved approval of the Master of Retailing, College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management, USC Columbia as described in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. Bradley seconded the motion.

   Mr. Adams questioned the financing of the program. Dean Moody explained that little additional funding will be required because the retailing undergraduate program would be streamlined to a certain degree; therefore, no new faculty would be required. She anticipated that this program offering would provide an excellent source of revenue.

5. Other Matters:
   1. Program Modification: Certification for Teaching English as a Second Language, USC Spartanburg: Chairman McLellan called on Dr. Prince who initially stated that USC Spartanburg was requesting Committee approval of an undergraduate certification program for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. This program would prepare teachers to address the needs of students with varying levels of English proficiency enrolled in grades K-12 in the state's public schools.

      Dr. Prince informed the Committee that two years ago 50 languages were spoken in South Carolina; today, that number was 83. All 85 school districts had children attending public schools with limited English proficiency. Finding teachers who had been trained to handle language barriers was difficult. Dr. Prince stressed that the need in the upstate had become critical because the Hispanic population was the fastest growing segment in that region. The upstate had experienced an 88 percent increase of Hispanic children. Of 26,167 Hispanics living in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, 12,181 were school-aged children. She referenced a recent Governor's Report which had been published about this trend. "In some cases they are simply lumped together in a classroom because there is no other place to put them. In other words, they would be put at a wrong grade level simply because there might be a child in that grade level who might be bi-lingual who could help interpret the instruction."

      In order to respond to this need, USC Spartanburg was proposing to offer an undergraduate 21-hour certification program for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages while teachers became certified in a subject matter; therefore, teachers would receive dual certification. Dr. Prince explained that under the new legislation based on the maxim of "No Child Left Behind," schoolteachers will not be able to instruct in a classroom by Fall 2005 without this certification.

      Dr. Prince commented that a Spanish newspaper was published in the Greenville area. In addition, USC Spartanburg had recently entered into a $1 million grant program to teach Spanish to health care workers; the first course would be available this spring. During the upcoming fall semester, USC Spartanburg would also offer a course to teach criminal justice employees Spanish language usage in their work.

      Dr. Prince also noted that the College of Charleston offered a similar program at the graduate level; USC Spartanburg's program proposal would be the first at the undergraduate level.

      Mr. Bradley moved approval of the program modification for the Certification for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, USC Spartanburg as described in the materials distributed for this meeting. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. The vote was taken, and the motion carried.

      In response to Mr. Staton's question regarding possible similar demands elsewhere in the University system, Dr. Smith, Dean of the Graduate School, stated that the University offered "Teaching English as a Second Language" courses at the Columbia campus; as yet, no certification or full degree programs had been developed at the graduate level. He indicated that this possibility was "in an active discussion stage."

      Dr. Odom announced that a University student, Ms. Lara Bratcher, had received a Truman Fellowship the previous day; the Truman Fellowship was a highly regarded and prestigious award. He also thanked the Office of Fellowships for its assistance in this process.

   2. Chairman McLellan called for any other matters to be discussed by the Committee. Since there were no other matters to come before the Committee, Chairman McLellan declared the meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Thomas L. Stepp
Secretary