Meeting Minutes: Regents Administrative Committee on Student Affairs (RACSA)
Meeting Minutes, Business Session
University of Georgia Continuing Education Center, Athens
July 15, 2003
The business session of RACSA followed a workshop on July 14 featuring Dr. Alan E. Guskin with the Project on the Future of Higher Education. Copies of the Change (July/August 2003) article, "Dealing with the Future Now: Principles for Creating a Vital Campus in a Climate of Restricted Resources," were distributed in advance of the meeting. During breakout sessions academic affairs and student services officials discussed the implications of Dr. Guskin's observations for the University System. Dr. Dan Papp then updated RACAA and RACSA representatives on issues the System is addressing. The banquet speaker was Dr. Bettie Horne, who offered insightful and entertaining pre-retirement reflections entitled "From the Border Regions."
The meeting was called to order by chair Penny Wills, Vice President for Student Services at Floyd College. Dr. Wills welcomed the group and then thanked the planning committee and the representatives of the University of Georgia for the arrangements and the hospitality.
The minutes of the February 2003 RACSA meeting at Augusta State University were approved as distributed. An attendance list for today's session was circulated.
The chair called for nominations for sector representatives to serve on the RACSA Executive Committee for the 2003-2004. Following discussion, the group agreed to have the research and regional universities represented by the same individual, and to have one representative each for the four-year and two-year sectors. Vice Presidents Linda Bleicken of Georgia Southern University, Judy Bryant of North Georgia College and State University, and Tom Call of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College were elected to serve in these capacities. Following a motion by Joe Buck and a second by Fred Barnabei, the committee voted to accept the recommendation of the committee on nominations that Jim Cottingham of South Georgia College serve as Chair-elect of RACSA for 2003-04. The chair-elect serves as secretary for the year prior to serving as chair.
Outgoing chair Penny Wills conveyed her appreciation for RACSA members' efforts during the year, and she installed Melanie McClellan of State University of West Georgia as chair for 2003-04. Dr. McClellan thanked Dr. Wills for her service as chair and her service as a valuable member of the executive committee.
Chair McClellan encouraged the committee membership to communicate concerns with her that could be appropriately addressed through RACSA. Among the issues that members raised are:
- Enrollment management
- Sharing examples of assessing Student Affairs outcome
- Examining MGT's recommendations, regionalization, and related issues
- Emergency preparedness & homeland security
- The process to identify a successor for Dr. Barry Fullerton
- Institutional staffing patterns and organizational arrangements
- HOPE scholarship funding as it relates to mandatory student fees
- Technology resources & how I.T. affects business, student services
- Project management training
- NASPA's release of Best Practices in Student Affairs
- Student leadership development & SGA/SAC
- Campus housing
Interim Associate Vice Chancellor Tonya Lam was complimentary of the progress that Michael Sanseverio had made in refocusing the efforts of the Student Advisory Council (SAC).
Dr. Judy Bryant reported on recent successes of the LeaderShape program, and introduced Bill Bracewell who has offered statewide leadership for this program.
Senior Vice Chancellor Dan Papp joined the meeting, and restated his thoughts about the benefits that can flow to the university system when various functioning units cooperate to find ways to better serve students.
Dr. Papp noted that Vice Chancellor Corlis Cummings and others have been working on updating the B codes. The intent is to reduce the number of job classification files by job titles from over 1600 to around 180. Tonya Lam noted that the system identifies position categories and the campuses develop working titles. Dr.Papp asked since a great deal of work has already been completed, the system office now needs feedback on significant errors.
Dr. Papp thanked RACSA and its subcommittees for the excellent work on the counseling standards.
Dr. Papp announced that the request from Tom Parker's committee for critical incident response training was not funded. The system office is looking at campus security and computer security issues. This may be an area for regionalization.
Following the retirement this summer of Associate Vice Chancellor Barry Fullerton, a search will begin this Fall to identify his replacement. It is hoped that the job will be filled in January.
Chair McClellan invited Tonya Lam to step to the front. Members of the group offered Tonya some sage advice and "must have" collectibles from seasoned professionals. Mugs, mottos, a tee shirt, and a Justin Timberlake rendition of "Cry Me a River" were among the offerings. Tonya thanked the group, and stated that she his looking forward to the next six months.
Tonya Lam distributed copies of a draft policy on immunization – 408.02 – and requirements for complying with House Bill 521 related to meningitis. She emphasized that institutions are responsible for communicating relevant information to students residing in campus managed housing. Although the law requires a January 2004 start date, some institutions are beginning implantation with residence hall check-in during Fall 2003. Others reported brochures available through local health departments. Ms. Lam requests feedback on how this is going. An additional issue related to this is how immunization records are stored.
Dr. Tom Walter asked RACSA members to communicate with the liaisons on their campuses with various student affairs advisory committees. The University System of Georgia Student Services web site -- http://www.usg.edu/student_affairs/ -- lists these committees and their minutes.
Dr. Papp thanked the members for the Best Practices submissions.
The meeting adjourned at noon.
Dr. Lee Wilcox of Georgia Tech and Dr. Kurt Keppler of Valdosta State University invited RACSA to meet on their respective campuses for the November 2003 and March 2004 meetings. The offers were gratefully accepted; details of the meetings will follow.
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Respectfully submitted,
Jim Cottingham
Secretary, Vice Chair
RACSA