The Secretary, Professor Poland, reported that at the dinner meeting on October 12 there was a useful and frank discussion with Deans Weiss, Falk and Jones about all of the departments, except for the Institute for Global Studies, that were to be reviewed by the Council. Deans Weiss and Falk communicated to Council what they hoped from the review of the Global Studies program at Johns Hopkins.

Provost Knapp informed the Council that as a result of the agenda meeting subcommittee, it was decided to have separate agenda items for reports from chairs of subcommittees as well as liaisons to the standing committees rather than have them report during open discussion.

A Council member commented that the International office is doing a really good job in regard to both faculty and students, and that she appreciated their professional expertise.

On the basis of a presentation by an official of the Department of Homeland Security at an academic conference at the University of North Dakota, a Council member commented to Council on the need for celebrating, and guarding, the traditions of intellectual integrity and independence at Johns Hopkins, and on the importance of tenure.

The Council approved a sample letter to be sent to referees for the granting of tenure under the new rules to a non-tenured Associate Professor promoted in the last two years. The Council also discussed other sample letters to cover the various cases that may arise during the transition to the new tenure system.

The Council discussed the intellectual coherence and substance, as well as the oversight, of the Certificate programs in both the Whiting School of Engineering and the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

The Council approved as new members of the WSE Curriculum Committee Professors William Sharpe (Mechanical Engineering) and Joanne Houlahan (Computer Science) for the two-year term 2004-2006. It also approved students Sumit Bose, Ashley Carson, Nikhil Palekar and Kartik Trehan to serve for the term 2004-05.

The Chair of the Appointments and Promotions subcommittee, Professor Rugh, reported that the following appointments have been approved: 1) Dr. Yuan-an Wei as Visiting Professor in Biology for 1/1/05 - 12/31/05. 2) Dr. Mark Houdashelt as Lecturer, part-time, in Physics & Astronomy for 9/16/04 - 12/31/04. 3) Dr. Richard Manning as Adjunct Associate Professor in Philosophy for 1/1/05 - 6/30/05. 4) Dr. Change Ho Oh as Visiting Associate Professor in Chemistry for 2/1/05 - 1/31/06.

The Liaison to the Board of Review committee, Professor Das, reported that the following appointments have been approved by the committee: 1) Dr. Una Hwang appointment as Research Scientist in Physics and Astronomy for 12/1/04 - 11/30/05. 2) Dr. Wen-Lian Xu promotion to Research Scientist in Biology for 11/1/04 - 10/31/05.

The Council appointed a subcommittee consisting of Dean Lattman and Professors Das, Feldman, Naiman and Rugh to work on providing a document laying out general guidelines for the Board of Review.

Professor Leslie reported that there were four items pending before the Academic Affairs subcommittee - three from the Whiting School Graduate committee and one from the Graduate Board. A pressing issue concerned the extent to which individual graduate programs are allowed to set their own criteria; for example, the number of courses that can be counted towards both the M.S. and B.S. degrees. Professor Leslie said that he saw a tension between departmental autonomy and gains from centralization.

Dean Jones reported that the review committee for the Engineering Program for Professionals had been formed, and that he was in the process of arranging the visit schedule.

The meeting adjourned at 4:51 p.m.

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Last updated 07Nov04 by dgips@jhu.edu