The Academic Planning Council held its first meeting of the 1994-95 academic
year on September 7, 1994. Provost Massey welcomed the new APC members who include Professor Arnold Leiman, Vice
Chair, Academic Council; Professor David Bogy, Chair, CCGA; Professor Duncan Mellichamp, Chair, UCPB; Professor
Steven Schwarz, Chair, UCEP; and Professor Helen Henry, faculty-at-large member replacing Professor Edward Blakely.
1. Long-Range Planning
a. Enrollment Planning
The APC received a new Addendum that answers a broad range of enrollment-related questions and is being distributed
widely within the University. During September, UCOP Planning staff will develop a first draft enrollment plan
intended to evoke discussion of planning principles. Campus and Academic Senate discussions on enrollment planning
are expected to continue throughout the fall. The Regents will begin deliberations on enrollment planning in September,
when they will discuss undergraduate demand. They will focus on transfer students in January 1995, graduate and
professional education in February, and planning principles in March. In addition, The Chair of the Health Sciences
Committee (HSC) will meet with the APC in November to discuss the HSC's work for the year which will include integrating
health sciences enrollment into long-range enrollment planning.
b. Academic Planning
Provost Massey will ask the Chancellors to develop with their Divisional Senates an overview statement of the principles
that will guide their campus plans over the next five years and to submit updated five year lists to add new programs
and units. The campus planning statements will also serve to inform the subsequent development of any formal Universitywide
planning statement.
2. Additional APC Goals for 1994-95
The APC plans to explore the need for new policy in the following areas during 1994-95:
a. Self-supporting Programs.
The APC agreed on the need for a new UC policy regarding self-supporting programs as the campuses move in this
direction. Issues include UC Extension authority over continuing education, parallel state-subsidized and self-supporting
programs, and the implications of increasing privatization of UC programs on UC budget allocation methodologies.
b. Maintaining the Quality of UC Programs.
The APC agreed that the University needs to take action to maintain the quality of its programs with declining
resources. The members expressed concern about both the actual and potential adverse effects of the significant
faculty losses through the VERIP programs on some academic programs. The October 1993 Report of the President's
Academic Quality Initiative Task Force will be distributed to inform the APC before it discusses this topic at
its October meeting. It will also begin to deliberate on the pros and cons of increased specialization as a response
to this difficult situation.
c. Library Planning
The President's Academic Qualitative Initiative Task Force report foregrounds the need for better library planning.
The APC agreed to invite the Library Council to brief the APC; and Vice Provost King will advise the APC on library
planning issues.
3. Continuing Activities
a. Academic Council/Chancellors/APC Joint Meeting
The joint meeting will be held October 20 - 22. It will include discussions of the University's financing circumstances,
enrollment planning principles, and quality. It is hoped that the meeting will produce a focussed set of assignments
on planning and quality issues.
b. Intercampus Cooperation
In responding to the Report of the Task Force on Distance Learning Infrastructure, the APC agreed that prudence
calls for inexpensive experimentation before committing significant resources. If there is no mid-term budget cut
in November, funds will be available to improve the UC distance learning network. Provost Massey will consult with
Academic Council Chair Simmons to appoint an ad hoc advisory committee on implementing an infrastructure plan to
support intercampus cooperation, including faculty members experienced in distance technology, students, and, for
balance, faculty members with conservative view points on uses of technology.
The Letters and Science and the Humanities Deans will be bringing together 40 to 50 faculty members in the foreign
languages on November 22 to discuss how they can collaborate and utilize their respective specialties more effectively.
The APC will revisit a proposal made last January to create an advisory committee to explore issues affecting foreign
language instruction.
c. Reducing Overlap Between K-12 and UC Course Work
The APC Subcommittee chaired by Professor Malcolm Nicol will continue its work on this topic. The APC received
a Subcommittee proposal that UC make annual recognition awards to teachers in schools that excel in preparing students
to pass Subject A. The APC asked proposers to canvass several school principals for opinions on whether this school
recognition program will be a good incentive for schools to require more college-prep writing. APC will consider
a revised proposal in October.
d. Intersegmental Advisory Committee on Library and Information Science:
Draft Charge
Academic Council Chair Simmons, who also chairs the Intersegmental Council of Academic Senates (ICAS), will place
the draft charge on the ICAS agenda in October for discussion and possible ICAS sponsorship. He will then report
back to the APC.
e. APC Advisory Committee on Agricultural Experiment Station Realignment
The ad hoc APC Advisory Committee on Agricultural Experiment Station Realignment has been appointed to review the
programmatic effects of Vice President Farrell's realignment proposal. The APC will review the Advisory Committee's
recommendations in January.
f. Streamlining Program Review
Once final APC Subcommittee revisions are complete, the draft Compendium on streamlining program review processes
will be distributed for Universitywide review and comment by the end of the fall term.
The next APC meeting will be held on October 14, 1994 in Oakland.