Post by TrueBlue on Feb 19, 2007 14:56:03 GMT -5
Funny, we're now 42 years old instead of 36
FIU aged six years in a span of minutes at the most recent Board of Trustees meeting.
Modesto A. Maidique, University president, presented preliminary goals for "FIU at Fifty" to the BOT Feb. 16, and announced that the University would not longer be celebrating its anniversary on the year of the entering class, 1971, but on the year of its charter, 1965. The University's 50th anniversary will now be celebrated in the year 2015 instead of 2021.
Maidique said the goals were just "balloons," or ideas, for now and wanted more faculty input. Among the new ambitions was to weave "international" into the fabric of the curriculum by possibly having a second language requirement and an international focus across all disciplines.
Alfonso "Alfie" Leon, Student Government Council at University Park president and trustee, was in favor of both initiatives.
"We live in a global community. If we have 21st century graduates, we need to educate them as global thinkers. By 2015, hopefully we can develop a pilot program if not already have one stabilized," Leon said.
However, Bruce Hauptli, Faculty Senate chairperson and trustee, believes it is financially unrealistic to pursue this in addition to our current grand initiatives within the next eight years.
"These are things we can do if we cut out the Medical School and football program. It should be done with the time frame in mind," he said. "Trail balloons must be attached to the land. They cannot float so far above reality."
Hauptli also expressed concern that students may no longer be able to graduate on time with the new "international" requirements.
Leon is more optimistic regarding funding for these initiatives.
"If $1 million is donated to a department with a $3 million budget, it can do a lot. This is the purpose of the capital campaign," Leon said.
Amiss from the BOT meeting agenda was a discussion on the use of funds from the Health Fee increase of $13.20 ($54 to $67.20) passed in Spring 2006. At the budget hearing before the decision, students were promised that clinic hours would expand as a result of the increased fee revenues.
"We didn't want an increase in the fee, but if there was going to be an increase, we needed to see more hours," Leon said.
Beginning in January, clinic hours were extended on Tuesdays for two hours, closing at 7 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.
At the Feb. 14 SGC-UP meeting, the Student Health Advisory Committee report by Rebecca Louisdor announced that the extended hours were revoked effective immediately due to several issues stemming from lack of finances.
In an e-mail sent Feb. 12, Robert Dollinger, executive director for University Health Services, outlined three main reasons for the decision: "Lack of staffing…, student/staff safety after dark…, and lack of back-up support should an emergency walk through clinic doors."
In a telephone interview with The Beacon, Dollinger noted that aside from lack of funds, the separation of UP and the Biscayne Bay Campus caused staffing issues.
"A lot of inefficiencies are created by splitting staff into two separate operations," Dollinger said. "If we combined the staff at [BBC] and UP, we would have an amazing staff."
The director also mentioned a meeting Feb. 19 with Baptist Medical Center to secure discounts for FIU students after hours.
"Having such a large discounted urgent care network available for students is a huge advantage over having the FIU clinic open for only two hours and only one night. As you know, emergencies can happen at any time, 24/7," Dollinger wrote in his e-mail.
He also said that there are no plans to send a University-wide e-mail regarding the change in clinic hours at this time but all marketing has been withdrawn. There will be a forum regarding this and other health issues Feb. 27.
Trustees Miriam Lopez, Sergio Pino and Claudia Puig were absent from the meeting.
According to their website, www.fiu.edu/trustees/, "The Board is responsible for cost-effective policy, implementing and maintaining high-quality education programs consistent with the University's mission, performance evaluation, and developing a process meeting state policy, budgeting, and education standards."
The BOT consists of 13 members: five are appointed by the state Board of Governors, six are appointed by the governor. FIU faculty and students elect the two remaining trustees. The Faculty Senate chairperson represents the faculty and the SGC-UP president represents students.
The last BOT meeting for this academic year will be held April 20.
Modesto A. Maidique, University president, presented preliminary goals for "FIU at Fifty" to the BOT Feb. 16, and announced that the University would not longer be celebrating its anniversary on the year of the entering class, 1971, but on the year of its charter, 1965. The University's 50th anniversary will now be celebrated in the year 2015 instead of 2021.
Maidique said the goals were just "balloons," or ideas, for now and wanted more faculty input. Among the new ambitions was to weave "international" into the fabric of the curriculum by possibly having a second language requirement and an international focus across all disciplines.
Alfonso "Alfie" Leon, Student Government Council at University Park president and trustee, was in favor of both initiatives.
"We live in a global community. If we have 21st century graduates, we need to educate them as global thinkers. By 2015, hopefully we can develop a pilot program if not already have one stabilized," Leon said.
However, Bruce Hauptli, Faculty Senate chairperson and trustee, believes it is financially unrealistic to pursue this in addition to our current grand initiatives within the next eight years.
"These are things we can do if we cut out the Medical School and football program. It should be done with the time frame in mind," he said. "Trail balloons must be attached to the land. They cannot float so far above reality."
Hauptli also expressed concern that students may no longer be able to graduate on time with the new "international" requirements.
Leon is more optimistic regarding funding for these initiatives.
"If $1 million is donated to a department with a $3 million budget, it can do a lot. This is the purpose of the capital campaign," Leon said.
Amiss from the BOT meeting agenda was a discussion on the use of funds from the Health Fee increase of $13.20 ($54 to $67.20) passed in Spring 2006. At the budget hearing before the decision, students were promised that clinic hours would expand as a result of the increased fee revenues.
"We didn't want an increase in the fee, but if there was going to be an increase, we needed to see more hours," Leon said.
Beginning in January, clinic hours were extended on Tuesdays for two hours, closing at 7 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.
At the Feb. 14 SGC-UP meeting, the Student Health Advisory Committee report by Rebecca Louisdor announced that the extended hours were revoked effective immediately due to several issues stemming from lack of finances.
In an e-mail sent Feb. 12, Robert Dollinger, executive director for University Health Services, outlined three main reasons for the decision: "Lack of staffing…, student/staff safety after dark…, and lack of back-up support should an emergency walk through clinic doors."
In a telephone interview with The Beacon, Dollinger noted that aside from lack of funds, the separation of UP and the Biscayne Bay Campus caused staffing issues.
"A lot of inefficiencies are created by splitting staff into two separate operations," Dollinger said. "If we combined the staff at [BBC] and UP, we would have an amazing staff."
The director also mentioned a meeting Feb. 19 with Baptist Medical Center to secure discounts for FIU students after hours.
"Having such a large discounted urgent care network available for students is a huge advantage over having the FIU clinic open for only two hours and only one night. As you know, emergencies can happen at any time, 24/7," Dollinger wrote in his e-mail.
He also said that there are no plans to send a University-wide e-mail regarding the change in clinic hours at this time but all marketing has been withdrawn. There will be a forum regarding this and other health issues Feb. 27.
Trustees Miriam Lopez, Sergio Pino and Claudia Puig were absent from the meeting.
According to their website, www.fiu.edu/trustees/, "The Board is responsible for cost-effective policy, implementing and maintaining high-quality education programs consistent with the University's mission, performance evaluation, and developing a process meeting state policy, budgeting, and education standards."
The BOT consists of 13 members: five are appointed by the state Board of Governors, six are appointed by the governor. FIU faculty and students elect the two remaining trustees. The Faculty Senate chairperson represents the faculty and the SGC-UP president represents students.
The last BOT meeting for this academic year will be held April 20.
