1. Retention Survey for Graduating Seniors: Eli Peña presented a survey to be conducted with graduating seniors.  The goal is to identify factors that contributed to completing their degree programs.  Eli will add questions from Astin’s retention survey and seek additional supporting funds from Student Affairs and Business Affairs.

2. Faculty Salary Survey: Betsy Boze distributed a draft of the faculty salary survey.  The study was conducted using the same methodology as the 1994-1995 study.  In order to relate our salaries to those of the comparison group of 4-year institutions, the study was limited to assistant/associate/full professor positions.  A comparison of technical ranks was not included. (A study of comparative salaries for these ranks using a community college comparison group may be in order.) Betsy asked that the deans review the draft for accuracy.

Betsy also recommended that we choose a comparison group (border schools, for example), determine how large an increase would be necessary to bring faculty salaries to a par with the comparison group, and establish a plan for annual adjustments that would bring faculty salaries to the desired level over a period of several years.

3. Summer Enrollment Projections: Cindy Lerma presented an analysis that indicates that we need an enrollment increase of 4%  over Summer 1998 in order to meet budget requirements.  She also presented a projection for Summer 1999 enrollments.  Projected enrollment increases exceeded 4%.  The projection did not, however, consider the effect of cancelled classes.  Cindy will look at the historical rate of cancellation and factor that into the analysis for an amended projection.

4. Post-tenure Review Meetings: Ray Rodrigues said that he would be working with the academic deans to schedule meetings with the faculty members reviewed during this academic year.

5. Monitoring Grants: Mimosa Stephenson reported that she had discussed the concerns about grant monitoring with Dennis Cano (Internal Audit).  The Business Office will monitor expenditures, the Graduate Office will monitor deadlines, and the deans will monitor quality (e.g., activity completion).