MARCH 26, 1999

The Advisory Board met at the Governor Dodge Conference Center following EXPO activities. Daryl George, Chair, and Rich Shultz, Dean, welcomed board members. Daryl congratulated Rich on being named Dean. The Dean thanked the Board for their support during his term as Interim Dean, and looks forward to their support in the future. He also thanked those Board members who took part in Expo judging. Daryl also congratulated the Pioneers on their back-to-back NCAA Division III titles.

Updates were given on UWP programs and initiatives.

• Joanne Wilson reported on the two Freshmen receptions held at Foth & VanDyke on March 23 and at Kimberly Clark on March 24. These receptions are a means by which our current students, alumni and staff can interact with incoming students. Joe Coenen and Jerry Dassler received thanks for helping to coordinate these two events. Joe encouraged other members to participate.
• Mesut Muslu and Lisa Riedle updated the Board on the Software Engineering and the Master's in Engineering programs. The Software Engineering program is on track, and will have its second reading at the Board of Regents on April 8. Students will be accepted for the fall semester with the first graduates expected in three years. The Master's of Engineering is being Beta tested in the next two weeks, and will be presented to the Board of Regents next spring. Three more classes will be developed this summer: Finite Analysis, Statistics and Process Analysis.
• Dean Shultz indicated that the Capital Campaign was progressing very well with $4,315,014 pledged or received toward the $8.5 million goal.
• The Dean reported that UW-Oshkosh and Fox Valley contacted UWP for help in offering an engineering degree in that area. A meeting between the three Chancellors took place. The program would be a combination of distance education and web-based courses and UWP faculty teaching at Fox Valley. The program would be financed through System funds. MSOE has cancelled their three programs at Fox due to low attendance and for financial reasons, but is looking at opening up a branch in that area. UWP will first survey the area and determine if there are potential students who would not have selected UWP for their home campus. The program would complement other areas we're currently delivering. Some new ground is being broken, and the Board will be kept up-to-date on developments.
• T. Ceylan reported on the partnership with Middle East Technical University (METU). The goals are to further internationalize the UWP campus and to increase global awareness, both of which are System priorities. The partnership will send a group of engineering students on an exchange program for the spring semester. The first half of the semester will be spent in Turkey, the second half at UWP. The students will complete 15-16 credits, an engineering project, and a cultural studies course. Funding sources are now being explored.
• The Dean asked Board members to break into small groups for a discussion of a six question survey included in their packets. A spokesperson should be appointed for reporting the responses to the full Board.

The Board returned from the small group sessions with the following responses:

• Business connection - Faculty are improving tremendously, but it's internally focused.
• Providing feedback for industry's needs. Board members serve as advocates for UWP community and advertise it.
• Support for the university rather than just the college-promoting Platteville in general for a college education-recruiting for the university.
• National and international exposure for the students.
• More interdisciplinary education.
• Alumni loyalty.
• Recruit women and minorities-need to be diverse.

• Clear vision; where do you want to be and what's good? What is your clear strategic vision that can be communicated to the Board so they can help?
• What is the university's perception?
• • The recruitment of women and minorities for diversity is a top priority. Because of T. Salmon's involvement, enrollment for women is up from 10-11% to 17-18% in the College. Minority enrollment will be harder to obtain. We have scholarships, but no cultural support. Hmong enrollment is very vibrant and strong here.
  • With business contacts, the walls are coming down, and we are very committed in strengthening connections.
  • International initiatives have been mentioned, and the funding of the John Deere Controls Lab adds to interdisciplinary education.
  • The College is currently working on a mission statement.

How Can The Board Most Effectively Serve the College?

• Providing feedback on various items.
• Committee level and brainstorming issues.
• Setting up e-mail exchanges, especially within a committee, instead of waiting for the twice a year meetings.
• Strong feeling that the Web site is very critical. The EMS Advisory Board link needs to be activated.
• Providing equipment, grants, funding, scholarships.
• The board is a geographical diverse base of support. With the Fox Valley initiative, the Board could contact legislators for funding.
• Hiring co-ops, senior design projects and receptions.
• Advice on degree programs and engineering outreach. Courses and curriculum should be a focus of one of the Board meetings (course content rather than just listings).
• • The ABET visit scheduled for the Fall of 2000 will include a collection of curriculum data. Possibly Board members could sit in on some of the classes for one day on a certain subject.

• Align a member of the Board to a student organization for a one year time frame to help them out.
• List of topics to be discussed with students (expertise list). Student organizations bring in speakers 5-6 times/year.
• The Web site should have names and contact information to use to send out requests.

What Do You Feel The Board Should Be Doing?

• Are you truly interested in coming to campus-going to classes?
• More involvement in a full day rather than a three hour meeting. Could take ½ day for the meeting, and ½ day of classes. Evening activities with student organization groups. Having more indepth discussions on topics for input.
• Most of us represent larger groups with expertise-could go beyond this group. Cover a wide spectrum of alumni support and expertise.
• Targeted outreach programs and source of funds.
• Connecting curriculum to industry needs, and faculty connecting to industry-opportunity to bring faculty into organizations and industry rather than sabbaticals (possibly summer). Effective way of dealing with work environment issues in the classroom. Exposed to the cutting edge.
• Less emphasis placed on the evaluations of faculty performance. Less emphasis on industry experience.
• • College is proactive. University provides a better product through its graduates. The standard workload on campus is 12 credits; engineering assigns a 9 credit load allowing faculty to complete professional development work. The faculty are evaluated (30-35% of total evaluation) on accomplishing stated professional goals.

Is The Committee Structure As It Presently Exists The Correct Structure, and Is It Effective?

• Flexibility of groups addressing issues or initiatives.
• Standing committees waiting for something to be assigned to them. Would be better to identify the issue and then assign the groups by expertise.
• Dissolve current committees and assign committees as needed. Would mean modifying the By-laws.
• Membership records should be an administrative function in the Dean's Office. The college would nominate and keep records. Names would be submitted for membership and for expired terms.
• Most of the work on important issues could be done by task forces.
• Prior to this, it was a directed activity. Not being able to come up with viable ideas was frustrating.
• A lot of issues are covered under these committees, but we aren't given enough time outside of meetings or during meetings to be effective. More interaction on the topic.
• Volunteer for work between meetings rather than have meaningless meetings. Preparation ahead of time. Brainstorm on the Web and come to the meeting with suggestions/solutions.
• Meeting more frequently (4). Lack of focus of assignment-not seeing the results of labors.

What Do You Want To Get Out Of Serving On The Board?

• Satisfaction of knowing your contributions are being used and that it is a privilege.
• Casual dress?
• Meet at the university rather than taking meetings off campus.
• Incorporate interaction with students. Invite students to come to lunch.
• Impact on the educational process/educational technology.
• Connect with names of companies.

• Educational process and degree direction.
• With students coming to us for a co-op, coming to the university is a way of seeing what they are doing.
• Feeling a part of the university.
• Opportunity to provide community service (expected by companies).
• Faculty should be brought to companies.

How Can We Help You?

• Internet Site.
• Resources on problems.
• Access to senior design projects (index on the Internet? Final reports?).
• Topical items to us prior to the meetings.
• Dean present vision.
• • Limited by faculty, resources?
  • Would new programs stretch the staff?
  • How can we help?
  • Who are the customers? (Fox Valley)
  • Umbrella picture, which is normal planning in the workforce.
  • "State of the College" presentation.
  • What are you most worried about for the future?

• Dean reassured Board members that any new initiatives would not affect the quality of undergraduate education in engineering. "We do what we do very well, and hopefully better. I will never drain resources and do something that will harm our current programs."
• Provide a directory of alumni by programs, hopefully with resumes. Alumni would use this to locate other alumni.
• University Website of pictures and bios. Educational tool to show what jobs are available for what fields. University should advertise what it can do for employers and students.
• Companies need continuing education opportunities in order to retain employees. Continuing education can be accomplished with no approval; advanced degrees require Board of Regents approval.
• Can UWP help deliver UW-Madison degrees here on campus?
• Asking for help from Board members is helping Board members.