President’s Council Meeting/Retreat Agenda

Tuesday, August 17, 2004 

3:00 PM, President’s Home

 

1.        President’s welcome to special guests/observers/additional attendees; award presentations: none

a. Welcome to all new and returning members of the transmogrified President’s Council

b. Review of the purpose and procedures for President’s Council meetings (handout) 

 

2.        Review of calendar (upcoming events and suspense dates): Aug and Sep calendars (handout) 

 

3.        President’s updates/comments: 

a.        Preview of topics for Thursday’s campus meeting (19 Aug, WCC)

b.       Update on College/University Presidents’ Council (CUPC) meeting (11 Aug, Twin Falls)

c.        Update on SBOE meeting (12-13 Aug, Twin Falls)

d.       Update on state employee bonus

       

4.  Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs: 

a.        Accreditation report/visit timelines

b.       Mandatory use of LCWarriorMail

c.        New faculty/staff orientation (19 Aug)

d.       Promotion policy

e.        Provost’s Subordinate Units:

o        Academic Programs:  course and classroom availability, developmental and core courses

o        School of Technology:  update on Motor Safety Center (skid pad) initiative

o        Community Programs:  no planned agenda items

o        Student Services: enrollment; Warriorientation (20 Aug); Welcome Fair/BBQ (23 Aug)

 

5.  Vice President for Administrative Services:

a.     Update on construction projects

b.     VPAS’ Subordinate Units

o        Budget Director:  FY05/FY06 budget issues update

 

6.  Direct Reporting Units:

a.        Athletics: no planned agenda items

b.       College Advancement:  donor promotional campaign

c.        College Communications:  no planned agenda items

d.       Information Technology:  new off-campus log-in procedures for Outlook; automatic loading of students in course rosters for LCWarriorMail

e.        Institutional Planning, Research, and Assessment: emergency response plan issues; surveys; Performance Measures report    

 

7.  Other LCSC Organizations:  

a.        Classified Staff Organization: no planned agenda items

b.       Professional Staff Organization:  no planned agenda items

c.        Faculty Association:  no planned agenda items

 

8.  Comments by Visitors/Special Guests: not applicable

 

9.  Around the table (other items not on agenda; “hot topics” being worked in functional areas): each member should plan on giving a short synopsis of your vision for the year ahead and key actions/issues being worked within your unit as we go around the table during this first meeting of the year.

 

10.  Next meeting: 9:00 A.M, Wednesday, 25 Aug 2004, Alumni Board Room.


LCSC President’s Council

President
 

Dean C-P

 

 

Dean SoT

 

 

Dean A-P

 

 

Dean S-S

 

 

Provost

 

 

Admin VP
 
 

 

 


Pres Mgt Asst

 

 

IPRA

 

 

Faculty Assoc

 

 

CSO

 

 

PSO

 

 

IT

 
 

Budg     CA      CCC

           

 
 


 

1.  Membership:

a.       President and President’s Management Assistant

b.       Vice Presidents (and selected subordinates—may vary based on issues on agenda)

c.       Direct Reporting Units (except Athletic Director—dual-hatted)

 

2.  Purpose:

a.       Provides a face-to-face forum to maintain near-real time situational awareness of events, operations, and issues that impact the College

b.       Functions as a relay mechanism to rapidly and efficiently pass information vertically (top-down and bottom-up) and laterally throughout the College

c.       Serves as planning body to help coordinate responses to events that impact multiple units at LCSC

d.       Not normally a voting, deliberative body—but well-positioned to vet issues with all major constituencies represented around the table and provide sound advice to the President to support well-informed decision-making

 

3.  Protocol:

a.       Principals (President and Vice Presidents) and other members can submit agenda items in advance

b.       All members are polled during each meeting for any other “pop up” issues of mutual interest and for snapshots key areas being worked within subordinate units

c.       Documents and handouts should be provided electronically for distribution before/after meetings, when applicable

d.       Council members are responsible for conducting regular meetings with their respective units/constituency groups to ensure that face-to-face meetings are being used at all levels to route important information from and to the President’s Council in a timely manner. The goal is to connect all LCSC employees in an information-sharing, planning, and coordinating network.

e.       Meeting dates and locations:  President’s Council normally meets weekly, Wednesday mornings in Alumni Board Room from 9:00 until not later than 10:30.  Meeting location, time, and membership may vary depending upon the issues at hand and the availability of the President and VPs.

 

4.  Primary Areas of Interest:

a.       Key calendar events, estimated completion dates on key projects, visits, evaluations, academic milestones, external/internal meetings, social events, etc.

b.       Major actions (new or ongoing) that impact—or may potentially impact—units across the College

c.       Problems being worked routinely, or problems for which the Council may be able to provide help on how to proceed

d.       Any events/issues that are having—or may have in the future—a public relations impact on the College

 

5.  Potential Pitfalls:

a.       Inefficient use of time/resources.  There is insufficient time to cover exhaustively all interesting items for all units in a 90-minute weekly meeting.  Members are encouraged to pass important information—but to do so clearly and succinctly, with hard copy supporting material if (and only if) required. It is essential to identify important issues to the Council, but detailed planning and coordination can often take place more efficiently off-line, once areas requiring coordination and follow-on action are identified.

b.       “Emperor’s New Clothes” syndrome.  The hand-picked members of the Council are highly knowledgeable within their respective areas and tend to be savvy on the broad sweep of issues on and off campus.  Do not be intimidated or reticent to ask questions if you don’t grasp the issue, acronyms, logic of the approach being discussed—your honest question or alternative suggestion may save our collective backsides.  We don’t want the Alumni Board Room to become a temple to “group think” or mass befuddlement.

c.       Becoming anesthetized by the weekly routine.  The objective of the President’s Council is to increase situational awareness and to get an initial grip on actions that must be worked and coordinated.  Meetings are convened as necessary—normally weekly during the academic year—but consider passing “hot items” to the Council (through the President’s Management Assistant or the Director of Planning) if an issue pops up between scheduled meetings, to complement your communication of the information through the normal chain of command.

 

6.  Other proscribed behavior:

a.       Do not bring pets (including stuffed animals) into Council meetings (other than guide animals for visually- or hearing-impaired attendees).

b.       Do not consume meals or crunchy foods during meetings unless catering arrangements are made for all attendees (coffee and other stimulants are authorized/encouraged).

c.       Avoid excessive fawning, acts of prostration, blatant toadying, obsequious displays of subservience, or bestowing extravagant gifts upon the President in vain attempts to curry favor or obtain absolution for past/current misdeeds.