NEW PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
BRIEF MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 19, 2001 MEETING
 

In attendance: Phil Hall, George Meadows, Donald Rallis, and Brenda Vogel.
 

• Larry's question: To avoid getting lost in holiday mail, send out survey in December or wait until January?  Our response: Do it as soon as you can.  If don't get response, we should do it again.
• Decided to wait for transcripts on business leader focus group sessions and not have Brenda, Donald, and Pam report.  Transcripts that Brenda receives from Larry will be forwarded to committee. 
• Reports on analogs.  Donald offered three schools from Peterson's website description: ODU, U of Texas, U of Tennessee.  Discussion: Phil asked are we prepared to compete with what's available?  What are the implications for entering that market?  Do we want to market beyond 30-mile radius?  George asked if we do it well traditionally, can we do it well on-line?  Donald asked what are the technical requirements?  Gail sent a report on Florida Gulf Coast University.  Phil pointed out that this school serves the entire State of Florida.  Phil asked who is our clientele?  Who do we want to serve?  We should adopt technological systems that support our mission.  Selected areas (like SANS) reach out, but conventional offerings (MBA, M.Ed.) for local clientele.  Offer in a limited way for some programs.  Brenda offered a chart from the October 15, 2001, U.S. News and World Report showing highly rated on-line programs.  The chart is useful in noting what learning technologies (chat rooms, threaded discussions, streaming video/audio, simulations, laboratories) the "best" on-line programs use.  Meta sent some information on Clayton, but the committee had decided that it was probably not a useful analog.  All agreed that Gail must be present for our discussion of what should be recommended in the areas of learning technologies and distance learning.
• Phil suggested (because of comments made in a business leaders focus group) that we look into the possibility of an engineering program (the type that does not require special facilities beyond what is expected at JMC), e.g., engineering technology.  Donald asked would such a program work with the Fredericksburg campus (e.g., physics, chemistry--depending on the type of engineering).  We need to find institutions with small engineering offerings.  In Virginia: Tech, UVa, ODU, VCU.  Would the State approve a program in a fifth institution?  "Continuing education" engineering for technicians? 
• Feedback for Ana: Survey for faculty looks okay.
• Copy of report format was dispensed.  We will be writing this spring. 
• Tasks for next meeting, Wednesday, January 16, 2002, 4 p.m., JMC conference room:
• Read all forwarded transcripts from focus group sessions.  Extrapolate what might be useful for our work.  Look for engineering analogs.