Department Faculty Meeting - June 18th, 2007

Included Files (PDF): Agenda | Sustainability | Strategy Draft-short | Strategy Draft-long.pdf

Call to order – John Hayes called to order the regular meeting of the Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at 2:00 PM on June 18th, 2007 in room 376 Newins-Ziegler Hall.

Roll Call – Elaine Culpepper registered those attending as: John Hayes, chair, Elaine Culpepper, George Tanner, Mike Moulton, Mike Moulton, Madan Oli, Katie Sieving, Mel Sunquist, Holly Ober, Peter Frederick, Emilio Bruna, Steve Johnson (via polycom), Bill Giuliano, Rob Fletcher (via phone), Ray Carthy, Mark Hostetler, Jim Austin

ACTION ITEMS:

Next Staff Meeting – Mark Hostetler on agenda for “Greening” of WEC
Strategic Planning – reorganizing of categories – better descriptions – Hayes needs feedback

Welcome and Review
John Hayes – general review of meeting and announcement of promotions for:
Emilo Bruna - promoted to Associate Professor with tenure
Bill Giuliano - promoted to Associate Professor with tenure
Peter Frederick - promoted to Professor

The “Greening” of WEC - Hand out provided. Mark Hostetler provided information on sustainability efforts transpiring on campus and he is on Sustainability Ad-Hoc Task Force to get offices on a more sustainable path. For more information refer to the website at www.sustainable.ufl.edu. Provost is working on hiring academic person as a provost fellow to work with the office of Sustainability to help infuse and gel faculty around the idea to keep sustainability efforts in the classrooms. They have hired a director for office of sustainability. WEC will be one of the departments units on the pilot program to see how the sustainable purchasing directives program will work. For anything you want to buy, go to the website at http://www.purchasing.ufl.edu to get the names of vendors that you can use that are participating in the program. Since Mark will be going on a sabbatical he is looking for someone from the department to participate with the task force. Please let Mark know if they are interested, they meet once every two months.

Bits and Pieces:

Natural Resources Building – early stages of support and dollars for a new building for the department. A brochure was passed around developed in support for the building. The estimate is about 38 million dollars at this point. If we can get an outside commitment for 5 million dollars we could move this up to the top of the list.
Engaged with John Arthington, Ona Beef Cattle Research and Education Center and folks from the Cattleman’s Association about a possible a Rangeland Habitat Ecology position that would be house in Ona, FL.

Strategic Planning update - John Hayes update on planning. Taken three different pieces; pieces on human influenced landscapes, wetlands, international programs and human dimensions.

Hayes indicated we don’t have to have everything we plan on having done written in this document, this is a tool. He is not sure we have all the major elements captured in this document. Doesn’t know if there are things in the extension, education and research programs; or some other way we want to slice the pie; that we have not captured in these sub-categories. Give some thought to categories. Anxious for comments concerning contents and the way it is structured in the document. Thought is about a month or so, wants to move forward about the Advisory Council idea and want it in a format we can share with outside audiences. John will send out a note to remind that he needs feedback.

Steve Johnson – 3 year review - John Hayes asked Steve to be present during the overview and then excuse himself when the faculty general discussion occurs. Dr. Hayes explained the terms of structure of 3-year review at IFAS, commenting that it has become much more rigorous than in past years. The faculty will provide their prospective to the chair and center directors, via the form of a formal letter which George Tanner will format for the faculty. Jack Recheigl will get a letter from his faculty. Jack and John will co-author a letter that goes in the packet with faculty letters.

Steve Johnson signed off from the polycom and a general discussion of Steve Johnson’s dossier was held.

Meeting Adjourned 4:05 PM