MINUTES OF FACULTY MEETING -- JULY 14, 2004

ATTENDEES: M. Branham, E. Buss, J. Capinera, S. Choate, B. Crow, J. Cuda, G. Hall, A. Hodges, M. Hoy, P. Koehler, N. Leppla, O. Liburd, H. McAuslane, M. Scharf, J. Stimac, S. Webb, S. Yu, and M. Litchfield

Meeting convened at 11:05

Capinera introduced Dr. Bob McGovern, Director of the DPM Program. Dr. McGovern handed out an overview of the progress that has been made in the program over the past two years. He went over the improvements and progress that had been made. He provided a list of students in the program, and those that had graduated and where they had obtained employment. The program has internship and non-internship components. He discussed the internship program at length and how students obtained them. Some of the internships require students to work in other locations and/or states to fulfill their obligations. The majority of DPM students have a high GPA of 3.7-3.9. There are about 35 students in the program, and they generally are working in areas relevant to plant health.

McGovern passed out a packet that is given out at meetings and sent to other universities to recruit students. A student can get their degree in 3-4 years in the program; some with a B.S. complete the program in three years, but this is not really typical. There is a website that lists student profiles should you be trying to match students with your interests. However, he is trying to obtain more information on the students to add to this website, and hopes to have a photo of each student posted in the future. The question was asked as to how the department could help with this program. Dr. McGovern requested that each faculty be on the lookout for funds or internships to help support these students and to be willing to help them in their programs by serving on committees and/or sponsoring them. The need for these students to have a background in statistics was discussed. The feeling was that the students do need some statistics or a course that requires data analysis. Dr. McGovern thanked the department for their support of this program.

Capinera announced that the Social Committee had met and decided to have a welcoming for new students and employee service pin award social luncheon for the new and current students, staff, and faculty on August 26. This will begin at 10:30 in room 1031 with the luncheon after the ceremony. The committee also decided to have a fall picnic on Saturday, October 16, at Lake Wauburg and the Christmas Party on Friday, December 10.

Capinera asked for a vote on Paul Skelley and Tony Bellotti for Courtesy and Graduate Faculty status and for Mike Rogers for Graduate Faculty Status. Vote was unanimous.

Phil Koehler announced that there were about nine good applicants for the Med/Vet Entomology Position. Most of the top applicants are presently employed and wish to improve their situation.

Capinera passed out a listing of former Ph.D. students with information of their employment status. He asked that the faculty look over this list and to let him know of corrections and updates.

Capinera asked that faculty make sure they relay any news and announcements to Tom Fasulo for the departmental newsletter. Tom does a great job getting this newsletter out, a difficult task, and asked that everyone express their appreciation to Tom.

Availability of parking permits was questioned. If any of the faculty have a group coming here to the Entomology/Nematology building for a meeting that will need to having parking permits, you need to see Myrna so she can contact Transportation and Parking to obtain these parking permits. The Department has only a few and they go pretty fast each day. Myrna needs at least 3-4 days notice.

We are now experiencing "People Soft" with all of its problems. One of the problems is that Myrna cannot post leave for previous pay periods. If you know that you will be out on annual or sick leave please get your leave slips in to Myrna by late Tuesday or early Wednesday before the end of the pay period in which you are taking the leave.

Meeting adjourned at 11:55