President's Topics - President Leitzel said that student organizations have been working hard and that there has been less student misconduct this year. The legislature has found a temporary way of dealing with the tax structure, but one of our concerns will continue to be the readiness of legislators to earmark all new tax monies for kindergarten through twelfth grade. The Office of Academic Affairs has prepared letters to start up an academic planning group and is waiting to hear from the prospective members. Mark Rubinstein is working on an enrollment management task force, in order to develop a comprehensive strategy for the university and its enrollment. The Office of Academic Affairs is preparing a proposal for a comprehensive policy on academic program review, which should be done systematically and regularly at both the graduate and the undergraduate levels.
Academic affairs is also heavily involved in planning for responsibility-centered management.
That process is well under way, and there have been several articles on this subject in the Campus Journal. The president said that the university is trying to get written assurances from the system office on certain changes, such as carry forwards, that are essential for responsibility-centered management. The Operating Staff Council has just completed its election of officers and has filled all positions. An Operating Staff Council handbook has been prepared, and the council also expects to work on recommendations for the distribution of future salary increases. A revision of the PAT staff manual is being planned as well, and the Graduate Student Organization intends to prepare a university-wide graduate student handbook.