Members: President Simmons, Provost Zimmer, Brenda Allen, Paul Armstrong, David Greene, Beppie Huidekoper, David Cutts, Stephen Foley, Barrett Hazeltine, Joachim Krueger, Gretchen Schultz, Elmo Terry-Morgan, John Cassese, Christopher Bull, David Sheinberg, Joel Payne, Kate Brandt, Emma Tai, Teresa Tanzi, Robin McGill, Matt Lease, Sarah Dawson, Zachary Ginsberg, Stephanie Birdsall, Dorothy Hitt, Virginia Dunleavy, Kisa Takesue, Geoffrey Greene, Tovah Reis, David Bloom, Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, Emma Simmons, and Guy Sanchez were in attendance. Josiah Rich, Robert Klaber, and Charles Hebert were unable to attend.
The minutes of the March 17, 2005 meeting were approved.
President Simmons opened the meeting by reviewing the current list of agenda items proposed for future meetings. There was discussion on how various items could be presented to the Council. She encouraged members to forward additional suggestions to the secretary of the Council. During the open time for Brown Community members to present issues to the Council, a member of the Council suggested adding The Health of the Brown Community to the list of proposed agenda items.
Paul Armstrong, Dean of the College, David Greene,Vice President for Campus Life &Student Services, and Brenda Allen, Associate Provost & Director of Institutional Diversity led a discussion on Academic Advising. Dean Armstrong gave a brief overview of the program’s strengths and weakness. He outlined recent and planned improvements as well as other areas of improvement under consideration. Members of the Council gave several suggestions on how to improve the program, including integrating RUE students; modeling aspects of it after the Randall program; instituting class based advisors; and providing advisors pictures of their advisees. Dean Armstrong concluded by saying that any student interested in becoming involved in the review process should contact him, David Greene, or Brenda Allen.
Ron Vanden Dorpel, Senior Vice President for University Advancement presented a nucleus fund progress report for the Campaign for Academic Enrichment. Neil Steinberg, Vice President of Development & Campaign Directorfollowed with a presentation on the table of needs for the Campaign.
Members of the Brown Community were given the opportunity to address the Council.
Two students voiced their concern over what they felt was the unfair firing of a Dining Services worker. David Greene said that the issue would be reviewed at the Human Resources Advisory Board meeting on April 22. President Simmons added that Human Resources would be investigating the limited duration employee category at Brown. Next two supporters of American Sign Language (ASL) urged the University to continue to offer credit-bearing sign language courses and to not move them to the Continuing Studies program. Provost Zimmer said that he would be meeting with students to address the issue and that he was hopeful to find a resolution. The last member to address the Council spoke of the recent suicide of a student which he felt had not been adequately addressed. David Greene said that the University was currently working with the family on a memorial service and that outreach activities were being planned.
President Simmons told the members of the Council that there would be follow up on the pending issues raised during the meeting.
The next meeting of the Brown University Community Council will be held on Tuesday, September 20 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm in Leung Gallery.
Respectfully submitted,
Catherine Pincince
Secretary of the Brown University Community Council