PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
                           January 17, 2001
                                   
PRESENT:  Jim Manning, Jim Mitchell, Vicki Orazem, Chuck Lindemenn,
          Clyde Carroll.
ABSENT:   Carol Schmidt.

Strategic Planning and Budget Committee report - Bob Lashaway.
     - The committee met January 10 with President Gamble.  One of the
     first things he wants the university community to do is to
     develop principles to use for budgeting.  Priorities will be
     decided from these principles, linking planning to the budget.
     - Assessment (internal) and accountability (external) are
     important.
     - Revenue resources include private giving, which the President
     thinks could be doubled or quadrupled for MSU.  State support
     won't increase enough to solve MSU's problems, because there has
     been no major expansion of the state's economy.  Recruitment of
     students is an important revenue source, and retention of
     students once they've enrolled is also important to the revenue
     stream.
     - MSU must recruit, educate, and graduate students.
     - A good vision and a good plan improve morale of the university
     community.  It is the President's intent that faculty and staff
     will in the not-too-distant-future be able to articulate MSU's
     vision and direction.
     - MSU must assess it's asset base, which includes the physical
     plant, faculty and staff.  More money needs to be put into
     maintaining this asset base, both the physical plant and staff
     through salaries and faculty and staff development opportunities.
     - The approach with the legislature will be that the university
     system is the best investment the state can make.  The state
     needs to provide more money or allow the university system to
     raise more of its own.
     - It has been determined that currently, non-resident students
     bring $100 million into the state each year, and higher education
     is a clean industry.  Giving more scholarships and fee waivers
     would increase this amount, because more students would enroll.
     - SPBC currently has three sub-groups working.
          - Bruce McCleod's group is gathering strategic plans from
          colleges and departments and will look for common elements
          in the plans.
          - Sara Jayne Steen's group is considering enrollment issues:
          How large should MSU become?  What should the mix of
          resident/non-resident and graduates/undergraduates be?
          - Ralph Brigham is studying strategic planning processes at
          other institutions.
     - One issue to be decided is whether the President should present
     his set of principles to SPBC or should SPBC develop a set to
     present to the President.
     - The president would like SPBC and Deans' Council to play a
     major role in strategic planning.  Budgets will be linked to
     strategic plans.
     - SPBC is meeting bi-weekly.
     - Chuck Lindemenn pointed out that the President has stated upon
     several occasions that a strategic plan, or business plan, is his
     highest priority and will be ready this spring.
     - Vicki Orazem stated that the President made the same points at
     the Long Range Planning Committee meeting that he made at SPBC.
     - Ralph Brigham, Dave Dooley, Sharon Eversman and Tom Stump have
     been asked to come up with a process for developing a strategic
     plan.

UGC Steering Committee report - Vicki Orazem.
     - The professional representative on the Provost Search Committee
     is Ritchie Boyd.
     - The regents have proposed a policy on ownership of e-course
     materials.  Concerns have been expressed about the policy, and
     there needs to be further discussion of it before it is approved
     by the regents.  It is on the January 18-19 BOR agenda.

List of professionals.
     - A list of professionals represented by Professional Council has
     been developed.  When e-mails have been attached to the list, a
     memo with information from Professional Council will be sent to
     these individuals.

Other.
     - Concern was expressed for the way in which individuals are
     notified of their appointment or non-appointment to
     university-wide committees.  Courtesy suggests that the affected
     individuals be contacted and thanked for their interest in the
     position before a general announcement is made.

Future meetings.
     - President Gamble is scheduled to attend the February 21
     Professional Council meeting.  Topics to discuss with him might
     include a) What does the president hope to accomplish during this
     first year?  b) How can professionals help the agenda of
     accountability for MSU? c) History and background of faculty and
     professional raises - how does he stand on differential raises?
     It should be pointed out that professionals serve on many
     committees and appreciate the opportunity to give input.
     - Ritchie Boyd, professional representative on the Provost Search
     Committee, should be invited to a future meeting to discuss the
     work of the committee in general terms.
     - Ralph Brigham should be invited to a future meeting to discuss
     his findings concerning strategic planning processes at other
     universities and the direction MSU might take with it's strategic
     planning process.