Attachment D
Faculty Senate Agenda
September 27, 2001
COMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE
RECREATION AND LEISURE STUDIES ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT
Commendations
The Review Team is grateful to all members of the Department and especially its Chair, Steve Gray, for their collegial assistance in our inquiries.
The Department has an engaged and collegial Chair in Steve Gray.
The students both in the major and GE courses view the faculty as dedicated and caring in their approach to students.
The Department has a very effective student professional organization.
Internship programs are well structured and supervised.
Individual faculty advisors provide strong direction for the departmental concentrations.
Department alumni support the program.
A revised student advising program focused on student learning outcomes has been initiated.
The graduate program has been resuscitated by actively recruiting students and strong graduate faculty direction.
The Department has a devoted and industrious group of part-time instructors.
Students reported complete satisfaction with class scheduling and sequencing.
The Department has sought and received outside research funds.
RLS has endeavored to develop diversity candidates for future appointments, an admirable and interesting attempt to resolve a long standing problem in diversifying the faculty.
The annual convocation in early September introduces all the faculty to their students.
Recommendations to the Department
1. The Department should meet more frequently as a group to discuss immediate needs and long-term strategic planning. These meetings should produce a five-year plan to place its program on a firm foundation. (p. 4)
2. The graduate faculty should have regularly scheduled strategic planning sessions. (p. 5)
3. The Department should consider conversion of some part-time units to a tenure track position. (p. 5)
4. The Department Chair should examine faculty workloads to establish equity and consistency among faculty. (p. 5)
5. The Department should consider developing policy for supporting thesis/project supervision performed by the faculty. (p. 5)
6. RLA should continue its efforts to recruit a more diverse faculty. (p. 6)
7. The Department should continue to encourage its faculty to expand their scholarly activity and continuing education. (p. 6)
8. RLS consider adding a multicultural class to the curriculum. (p. 6)
9. The Department might revisit its commitment to the GE program. (p. 6)
10. RLS should revisit its Park Management concentration. (p. 7)
11. Part-time faculty need more office space and access to computers. (p. 7)
12. The Department should consider a formal structure to grant students and part-time faculty access to departmental policy formulation. (p. 8)
13. The student portfolio assessment manual should be expanded when appropriate to include content competencies. (p. 8)
14. The Department would benefit from a more formal governmental structure. (p. 8)
Recommendations to the Dean's Office
15. The Dean's Office should arrange for the College to make available a multi-purpose room for the Department. (p. 9)
16. The Dean should initiate discussions with the Department on completing and submitting their Five Year Hiring Plan to anticipate future retirements. (p. 9)
17. The Dean should assist the Department in providing more office space for its part-time faculty and access of the part-time faculty to computers. (p. 9)
18. The Dean should provide additional resources to enable the Department to provide its faculty with support for thesis/project supervision. (p. 9)
Recommendations to the Senate
19. The Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation Administration and Park Management and Therapeutic Recreation be approved for a period of six years.
20. The Master of Science Degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies be approved for a period of six years.
5-16-01