Bloomberg School of Public Health
Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
Thursday, September 19, 2002 | 3:00 p.m. | 864th Meeting

Members Absent: Drs. William Brody and Edward Miller.

Guests: Dr. Cecile Pickart; Msrrs. Herbert Hansen and Robert Hradsky; and Ms Diane Glover.

Meeting Convened: Provost Knapp convened the meeting at 3:00 p.m.

Approval of the Minutes: Minutes of the 863rd meeting on July 18, 2002 were approved.

Remarks by the Provost

Provost Knapp welcomed the new and returning members of the Advisory Board, including Dr. Jonathan Weiner, president-elect of the Faculty Senate, and Dr. Cecile Pickart, now chair of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. Dr. Jonathan Links is now president of the Faculty Senate, and Dr. Noel Rose is now past-president of the Faculty Senate and past chair of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions.

Dr. Martha Hill was welcomed in her new position as Dean of the School of Nursing. Other new leaders across the University include Arts and Sciences Dean Daniel Weiss, SAIS Dean Jessica Einhorn, Dean of University Libraries Winston Tabb, and Linda Robertson, Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs. Dr. Knapp remarked that Dean Ilene Busch-Vishniac has announced her intent to step down at the end of the current academic year. A number of issues will be examined during the year with respect to the size and growth of the School of Engineering, as well as its relationship to the Applied Physics Laboratory. A search committee will soon be formed and names of candidates will be solicited.

Dr. Knapp commented that while there is much uncertainty about the eventual configuration of federal homeland security and preparedness efforts at the federal level, a number of important opportunities are likely to be available, with an emphasis on sponsored research.

Remarks by the Dean

Dean Sommer noted that Dr. Guyer has announced he is stepping down as chair of the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences. Dr. Sommer acknowledged Dr. Guyer's leadership during the merger of 2 departments. A search committee has been formed and is chaired by Dr. Griffin. The search committee will first conduct a brief review of the department.

Dr. Sommer commented that a number of faculty are involved in significant teaching activities in other institutions. He noted that any proposal for courses that might be jointly offered or offered in the name of the School MUST be reviewed and approved by the Dean's office and, if appropriate, by the MPH program.

Mr. Hradsky, assistant dean for Student Services, shared with the Advisory Board some new materials that have been developed as part of the School-wide communications and student recruitment plans. The "viewbook" will be provided for prospective students inquiring about the School. It can be personalized to contain materials about a department or a program. The "department guide", formerly the prospectus, contains more detailed information about academic programs and the application process.

Mr. Hradsky also circulated an update on marketing plans and systems implementation, and noted that other new materials for comprehensive student recruitment are being developed.

Remarks by the Faculty Senate

Dr. Links reported on the first meeting of the Faculty Senate the previous week. The topics addressed included a discussion of the mission and role of the Senate, implementation of changes in doctoral scholarship policies and TAM that have been well-received by the faculty, and further changes in Faculty PPM-1 on appointments and promotions. Dr. Links commented that some faculty have expressed discomfort with the current and proposed changes in the PPM. He felt that some of the discomfort has arisen from a lack of understanding about the change, from the process leading to the revisions, and from concern that the Senate may not be involved in this and future major decisions in the School.

Other items

Follow-up of recommendations from the HPM Review Report

Dr. Steinwachs reviewed the three major recommendations by the Committee to Review the Department of Health Policy and Management in Fall 2001, and subsequent deliberations within the Department about each recommendation. The recommendation to evaluate and improve the quality of the Department's academic programs, principally the doctoral program, was examined during the Department's annual retreat. The Department is now considering the most appropriate "model" for doctoral education and will continue to review this topic over the next several months in preparation for changes for the 2003-04 academic year.

The recommendation to the Department about a separate structure or arrangement for behavioral and social sciences in the School will wait for the report of Dr. Zeger and the School-wide Committee to Review the Behavioral and Social Sciences.

The recommendation about the role of health economics in the School has been reviewed by Dr. Steinwachs and several other chairs of departments with health economists on their faculty. The chairs will meet the health economists and will return to the Advisory Board with input to strengthen training in health economics in the School.

Dr. Steinwachs then reviewed the Department's response to a number of secondary recommendations. He reported that the mission of the Department can best be determined and the optimal curriculum final when the placement and structure of the behavioral and social sciences in the School is resolved. The student handbook has been revised and simplified, and a staff member has been recruited to assist faculty in the Department with grant-writing.

Dr. Steinwachs commented that one issue raised in the Review report, that of uneven distribution of teaching and advising responsibilities, is not perceived by the faculty to be a problem, however, improved coordination of distance education courses and assuring the presence of support services for faculty who teach in East Baltimore at non- traditional times are still felt to be concerns. The faculty continue to feel there are disparities in resources between those affiliated with centers and those not affiliated with centers. The Department is hoping to creatively provide additional resources for faculty not affiliated with centers.

After a brief discussion, Dr. Sommer thanked Dr. Steinwachs for his straightforward and thoughtful presentation.

Additional revisions of Faculty PPM #1

Dr. Sommer reviewed the discussions at the July Advisory Board meeting and Faculty Senate meeting about Faculty PPM #1. The PPM was subsequently circulated to the Advisory Board for additional comments. The PPM presently under consideration reflects almost every suggestion provided since July, or raises for discussion the few points that have not been included in the present version. The maximum proportion of non-tenure-track faculty at each rank has been changed to one proportion (35%) in each department across all ranks. The ability of non-tenure- track faculty to act as principal investigators on sponsored applications has been clarified such that it is allowable in a number of circumstances, subject to explicit approval by the department chair. Dr. Sommer reminded the Advisory Board that the motivation for these changes is to preserve the ability to make strategic decisions regarding resource allocations that affect the long-term health and direction of the School.

Dr. Weiner asked for an additional month to review the proposed changes in the PPM with the Faculty Senate, and in the departments. He commented that the most prominent issues among the non-tenure track faculty are concern about their ability to act as principal investigator, and also feeling disenfranchised by the PPM revision process. Dr. Sommer noted that most of the faculty will continue to be restricted on the type and areas they work in, and that department chairs will need to work with individual faculty most affected by the PPM revisions.

Dr. Rose commented that some of the proposed changes are relatively minor and can be dealt with quickly, and that other issues are broader and deserve more extended discussion by the Committee of the Whole and the Faculty Senate. He raised a major concern about having open-ended terms for non-tenure track faculty and suggested instead that such faculty be subject to indefinitely renewable terms for reappointment. The Advisory Board then had an extended discussion of whether open-ended appointments or indefinitely renewable terms for reappointments would be preferable. Several members of the Advisory Board commented that this issue had not been raised previously.

The Advisory Board reviewed the original rationale for developing multiple tracks, and agreed as a group that they should be retained. Dr. Rose raised an additional concern that since non-tenure-track faculty are constrained in the areas in which they may work (they are recruited to fulfill specific responsibilities), that this constraint be interpreted as trespassing on the faculty's "academic freedom." There was an extended and wide-ranging discussion about this and related issues.

Dr. Rose made a motion to change the terms of non- tenure-track faculty from "indefinite periods" to "indefinitely renewable terms". The motion was not approved by a vote of the Advisory Board.

After further discussion, Dr. Knapp commented that a number of issues raised should be addressed in the October Advisory Board meeting. Dr. Rose sought suggestions for alternative language for parts of the PPM.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Robin Fox

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Last updated 12Nov02 by dgips@jhu.edu