Honors Forum Council Meeting -- Monday, May 1, 2000
Present:
Michael Arnush, Tabitha Orthwein, Phil Boshoff, Amelia Rauser, Kim Helms, Ruth Copans, Anita Steigerwald, Sue Bender, Katie Cella, Jon Ramsey
Absent:
Francesca Cichello
Accepted Candidates days overview- the lunches worked well, families very responsive, final counts to be determined. Lunches vs. candidates who accepted not known. FAQ revolved around how were they invited, how do I get into HF once at Skidmore.
HF open application email went out- 1 response thus far.
Confirm Honors Forum "assessment" lunch, Friday May 5th. HFC attending to hear student feedback on HF. Gain understanding of likes & dislikes, strengths & weaknesses of the program to date.
Review of HF enrollments- enrollment is down, especially in the one-hour add-ons. Difficulty in recruiting faculty to develop courses in their disciplines; the one-credit add-ons are disappearing as departments are reconfiguring. One related issue: in response to question about the viability and attraction of one-credit courses, the student representatives on the Council noted that departments that have reconfigured have listed the one-hour courses as TBA in the Master Schedule; this is problematic at registration, since it inhibits students' ability to register for HF with confidence, as they wait to see when the TBA courses will be held.
Academic festival- Proposed canceling classes next year and make it a one day event-to focus the community's attention on the academic excellence of the student body. The Council supported pursuing this further.
HF 101 as required course approved by Curriculum Committee for 2000/1 only; the course will be assessed and the decision to make the course required annually will hinge upon the results of the assessment.
HF Lounge issues discussed- Proposed TV/VCR cart was rejected. HF Lounge offers something distinctive: intimate discussion classes, study groups, etc., and should not become a classroom. Dry erase board to be provided by Ruth Copans, from the Library, to facilitate study in the Lounge. Discussion still in progress regarding purchasing an additional computer, possibly a laptop. A printer will be purchased from this year's budget