February 25, 2002
Present: Grace Chang, Ann Rollo, Arthur Bellinzoni, Scott
Heinekamp, Nan DiBello, Laura Purdy, C.J. Koepp, Melissa Golden, Kirsten
Strigel, Patti Callahan, Erna Coon, Ellen Hall, Jay Woolford, Karen Green
Subcommittee chair Scott Heinekamp convened the meeting at 9:02 a.m. in the Henry Wells Room of Long Library.
The minutes of the meeting of January 28, 2002, including the document identified as “Zabriskie Academic Adaptations Ideas,” were approved as amended. [See below for reversal of this action.]
The letter of February 1, 2002 from Scott Heinekamp to Lisa Ryerson was received. In light of that letter, the subcommittee asked whether there should be a separate committee to review and make recommendations regarding non-academic spaces on campus and whether the subcommittee should establish an ad hoc working group to go back, revisit, and review the terms of the establishment and composition of the subcommittee in order to recommend modifications of the subcommittee’s role, responsibility, and method of reporting. There are important questions about the reporting structure, the accountability of individual members to their constituencies, and the relationship of the subcommittee to APPC. In particular, a good deal of the work of the subcommittee deals with matters that do not fall within the purview of APPC, and it was noted that there is probably no precedent for a faculty subcommittee with trustees and staff representatives. The composition of the subcommittee resembles more the composition of the Critical Issues Action Committee, which was not a subcommittee of a faculty committee. It was agreed that Patti Callahan, Erna Coon, Melissa Golden, C.J. Koepp, Ellen Hall (as convener) and possibly Crawford Thoburn (who was absent from the meeting) will meet as the ad hoc working group and report back to the subcommittee at its next regular meeting on some of these problematic issues and how best to resolve them.
The APPC’s informal endorsement of informal reporting of the subcommittee’s work to the various constituencies by individual representatives was noted.
The formal Statement on Planning approved by APPC on February 22, 2002 was noted and accepted. Discussion ensued, and Jay Woolford asked why APPC was somewhat uncomfortable with the statement. Hopefully some of these issues will be resolved in recommendations from the ad hoc working group.
Further review of the document “Zabriskie Academic Adaptation Ideas” generated a good deal of discussion. Specifically, it is unclear whether the sections identified as “Problematic Test Results” are helpful at this stage to anyone other than member of the subcommittee. We have not reviewed critically and in detail the various Ideal Programs, neither is it clear that this is our function or responsibility. It was also noted that the detailed diagrams of Zabriskie Hall prepared by Grace Chang for the various alternatives are probably not suitable for public distribution at this time, because the subcommittee has not reviewed details of these diagrams, nor was Grace Chang doing anything more that showing one possible way in which space in Zabriskie Hall might be assigned in accordance with each of the alternatives under consideration. It was specifically noted that several people had interpreted the Master Planning document prepared for the Board of Trustees as a fait accompli rather than as a work in progress, and we do not want to create wrong impressions in any circles so early in our deliberations by distributing architectural diagrams that can so easily be misinterpreted.
It was, therefore, agreed that the Minutes of the Meeting of January 28, 2002 ought not to include the “Zabriskie Academic Adaptation Ideas” document, and that Scott and Kirsten should review this document and abbreviate some of its content, including perhaps the headings of the five alternatives, and propose revised minutes for the meeting of January 28, 2002 for review and approval at our next regular meeting. Hence, the approval of the minutes of the meeting of January 28, 2002 at the outset of the meeting was withdrawn, pending changes to come before the subcommittee at its next regular meeting.
It was agreed that the subcommittee’s next meeting will be on March 25th at 9:00 a.m. in the Henry Wells Room and that there will be a public meeting of the subcommittee tentatively set for April 2nd (pending APPC approval) to inform the community of what we have accomplished to date, most specifically the Zabriskie alternatives, and to invite input as we prepare for next year’s agenda. It was also agreed that Laura and Nan will rewrite the “Zabriskie Academic Ideas” document for subcommittee review and possible future distribution or posting.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted
Arthur J. Bellinzoni
Secretary pro-tem