COMMITTEE: Calendar
MEETING
DATE: September 28, 2006
PERSON
PRESIDING: John Crammer
ATTENDEES: Jonathan
Dembo, Shanan Gibson, Punam Madhok, Johna Faulconer, Donna Kain, John Crammer, Stephen
Dock,
EX-OFFICIO: Austin Bunch, Michael Rastatter, Angela
Anderson, Mary Farwell
VISITORS: Mark Taggart
The meeting
was called to order at 11:00 am in Rawl 142 by John Crammer.
Angela Anderson asked if anyone knew of any reaction to
having the make-up day on Reading Day.
Mary Farwell and Shanan Gibson said they had pointed out to some faculty
the optional methods for making up the lost time. Anderson said that some people reserve
classrooms on Reading Day. It was agreed
that she would notify secretaries with copies to department chairs of the
situation with Reading Day this semester.
Mark Taggart, chair of the Faculty Senate, met with the
committee (he had other commitments on the day of the first meeting). He said that he looked at the links that were
sent to the committee. He appreciates
the spirit the faculty brings to the committee.
He understands the restrictions on the number of days and why some
Fridays are Mondays. He saw that the
committee is working on the 2008-2009 calendar this year; he asked whether we
need to plan that far ahead. He pointed
out that Reading Day is an important day.
He noted the new policy for making up days. He also noted that this spring there will be
two Reading Days. Anderson will send a
copy of the email she is sending to department secretaries (asking whether they
are going to have their classes meet on Reading Day) to Taggart so he can be
aware of any issues with room scheduling on that day.
Taggart said that the Provost was
prompt in notifying the faculty about the make-up day. He said that a problem that affects him
personally is that Music has difficulty finding rehearsal space. He appreciates Anderson’s help with
incompletes. Mary Farwell is Taggart’s
representative on the committee. Taggart
then left the meeting.
The committee considered the minutes of the August 29
meeting. A sentence in the second
paragraph was changed to read “ECU is closed a day or two before Christmas
and also for most of the week between Christmas and New Years Day.” Farwell moved (Stephen Dock seconded)
approval of the minutes as modified.
Motion Passed. Punam Madhok asked
about the meeting time. Crammer
responded that the 11:00 am Thursday time is only for this semester and he will
try to have meetings end by 11:50 am.
The committee next worked on the surveys about making
Memorial Day a holiday. Dock asked why
we were concerned about having a day between sessions when students are packed
up on exam day. Farwell and Gibson said
that Housing needs time to clean the rooms.
Gibson suggested copying the information at the bottom of the student
survey form to the bottom of the faculty survey form and rewording it. Donna Kain asked why we need a day for
registration and orientation at the beginning of the first session. Anderson said that Orientation wants the
available day more than Housing does.
Dock asked why orientation could not be done earlier. Anderson replied that the students are not
here yet. Crammer asked about visiting
students. Anderson said that they have
already registered. Gibson volunteered
to do an online survey and will create it this weekend for the committee to try
out next week. Anderson said that the
Executive Council has not decided about Memorial Day yet. Farwell said that it would hurt the
committee’s credibility if we survey faculty and students and the Executive
Council decides to make Memorial Day a staff holiday. Gibson said that she thought Austin Bunch was
noncommittal at the August meeting.
Jonathan Dembo said that our survey may help the Executive Council make
their decision. Dock said the students
would take an extra day off. Gibson
asked whether we can ask the Executive Council when they plan to decide about
Memorial Day. Crammer said he thought
that Bunch said it is important for ECU to recognize veterans. Dembo said he had been told that the Memorial
Day (originally called “Decoration Day”) had never been celebrated at ECU
because Southerners considered it a “Yankee” holiday until after World War
I. Anderson said that veterans have
asked about Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
Gibson suggested that we check to see what other schools do. Anderson suggested that we let Gibson create
a sample survey and the committee can decide on it at the next meeting. We all agreed with the suggestion.
The committee spent a few minutes considering the 2008-2009
calendar. Crammer suggested that the
summer session calendar can wait until there is a firm decision on days
off. Kain asked about the 48-hour
requirement on grades in summer.
Anderson replied that there is more flexibility than in fall and spring. Kain said that currently there are no classes
on Memorial Day but the staff works on that day. We cannot give the staff a day off, but does
staff want a day off on Memorial Day?
Anderson said that Memorial Day is like Fridays in the summer. Kain asked whether staff get federal holidays
off. Crammer said the State Personnel
Act (SPA) allows educational institutions to take holidays differently than
other state agencies (he passed a copy of the holiday information for state
employees to Kain). Anderson said that
because of administrative activities fall semester should end no later than
December 15 and spring semester should begin no earlier than January 7. Kain and Farwell will find a contact person
with the county schools.
The next meeting of the committee will be on Thursday,
October 26, 2006 at 11:00 am. The
committee will work on the surveys created by Shanan Gibson concerning Memorial
Day and on the 2008-2009 calendar.
Meeting adjourned at 11:53 am.