Minutes of the Consultative Committee
September 29, 2006

Present:  Nancy Carpenter, Roland Guyotte (chair), Blair Jasper, Judy 
Korn, Maggie Larson, Cassie McMahon, Geoff Sheagley, Bonnie Tipcke, 
Jennifer Zych

Guests:  (from the Strategic Positioning Task Force/CRPC) Andy Lopez, 
Pareena Lawrence, Dan Moore, Sharon Van Eps

Chair Guyotte called the meeting to order at 3 p. m and introduced Cassie 
McMahon and Geoff Sheagley who have been nominated by MCSA to serve 
pending elections of two student members. 

 Andy Lopez reported on the work of the Strategic Positioning Task 
Force/CRPC, including consultation with more than 60 focus groups, all 
Assembly committees, two forums, and published drafts on the UMM webpage.  
The Task Force is preparing yet another forum, is responding to questions 
from Vice President Robert Jones, and will seek endorsement at a 
forthcoming special Assembly meeting.

Committee members asked the Task Force about the meaning of the "honors 
college" designation, which led to a discussion of "branding" as a means 
of distinguishing what UMM does from what other institutions universally 
call "liberal arts."  Other discussion focused on such questions as:  how 
is UMM perceived by the public? What does the Task Force mean by a 
"culture of graduation" and how are we expected to get there? What roles 
should first year programs have?  Are there "winners" and "losers" 
programmatically in this plan?  Lopez and other task force members replied 
that the "honors college" name emerged from focus groups, that the plan is 
intended as a means to request special funds from the Central 
Administration to support identified UMM priorities, that UMTC got a lot 
of money for its "honors college," and that UMM aims to develop an "office 
of academic enrichment" to coordinate many things we currently do.  A few 
central priorities are better than a laundry list, and they will likely 
include more funds for scholarships (Morris Scholars),a Native American 
tuition waiver, and funds for the academic enrichment office.

The meeting adjourned at 4 p. m.