Academic Assembly

January 12, 2006

Minutes

Dr. Sue Blanshan, Vice President for Academic Affairs, opened the meeting and then introduced three new members of the administration: Dr. Kathleen Burke, Dean of the School of Professional Studies, Dr. Sharon Mailey, Director of the Nursing Program, and Candice Washington, Director of Community Learning Programs.

Remarks by President Patricia McGuire

President McGuire welcomed the Assembly to a new semester and then announced some good news items. In recognition of its role as a small, private urban institution that has become an access institution, Trinity has received an anonymous gift of $50,000.00. The university has also received a second gift from Kaiser Permanente, this one totaling $55,000.00. (The first grant from Kaiser was a planning grant for $25,000.00) In partnership. the Washington Hospital Center and the National Rehabilitation Hospital have established a Cardio-Rehab Center which is now located in the Trinity Center. President McGuire also announced that as of January 12, a special fund raising drive for $2,000,000.00, had already reached close to $800,000.00.

President McGuire next introduced the document “2006 : From Talk to Action.” She began with general comments suggested by evidence from the Middle States Report. Evidence from the report indicates, for example, that in the General Program development of student learning outcomes needs to be strengthened, that adult student assessment must be developed, and that entrance assessment programs need to be improved. President McGuire also indicated that some program reviews have not been completed and pointed to the disconnect in completed reviews

between the plans for the review and the final reports.

President McGuire then proceeded to a commentary on the document, “2006: From Talk to Action.” On page 2 she emphasized the need for innovation and raised the question of what Trinity must do now to become a learning center focused on the needs of our current students. On page 3 in the section on Strategic Challenges, she pointed to the need to know more about our students. Pages 5 through nine present staffing and enrollment issues related to strategic planning. Pages 10 through 15 of the document highlight the structural implications of Trinity’s shift from a one college model to a university.

Part II of the document describes the demographic shifts in Trinity’s student body from 1995 to 2004. As President McGuire indicated, in Fall, 2005 46% of Trinity’s student body were residents of the District of Columbia. Of this number, 150 live east of the River in Wards 7 and 8. The challenge for the faculty is to look at the multiple ways to teach students where they are, where they need to go, to construct the appropriate curriculum for them, and to design appropriate assessment measures.

Before the meeting ended the Assembly approved the minutes of December 9, 2005. Dr. Blanshan then made two announcements: First, she invited the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences to a conversation on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 regarding the search for a Dean of CAS. Second, she congratulated Karen Rowan for having completed her doctoral dissertation at SUNY, Albany.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Hayes, SND