Government Task Force Minutes for December 1st meeting   Brown Bag Seminar: Thanks to Ed Mullen for his presentation on regulatory taking by local governments. Task Force Meeting: Present: Gaye Lynn Scott, Stefan Haag, Karry Evans, Glen Hunt, Jonathon Buckstead, Ron Fletcher, Amber Archuleta-Lucero, Cecile Durish, Lynn Lehle, Ed Mullen, Lisa Perez, Paz Pena, Mel Miller, Charles Miles, Jim Fowler, Marilyn Mote-Yale, and Frank Garrahan. I. Committee Reports: A. Committee on Assessment of Student Learning: Chair, Marilyn Mote-Yale (NRG) Faculty are reminded to have their students complete the US Assessment exam and the Texas Assessment exam as soon as possible. Please return the completed exams (and pencils, scantrons, etc.) to Mote-Yale at NRG by the end of this semester. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the assessment questions. If you have questions you'd like included in future assessment tests (that deal with the objectives stated in the yellow Govt Instructor's Manual, pages 15-22), please send them to Mote-Yale. Our goal is to create a testbank of questions from which to choose when we write future versions of the exams. B. Committee on Faculty Evaluation: Chair, Gaye Lynn Scott (NRG) By voice vote the Task Force agreed to adopt the Standard of Excellence outlined in the Govt Instructor's Manual (p 24). Faculty are reminded that the deadline for submission of Faculty Portfolios and On-Line Input Forms is January 17, 2001. New faculty should discuss this process with their mentors and gain help in generating their portfolios. C. Adjunct Faculty Committee: Chair, Judy Nwachie (RGC) The committee will continue to interview adjunct candidates. D. Professional Development Committee: Chair, Paz Pena (RVS) Paz Pena asked about the possibility of awarding honoraria to brown bag speakers and will pursue this with Dean Peebles. If any faculty member has ideas about future brown bag seminar topics, please notify Prof. Pena. II. Chair's Report Faculty are encouraged to check the Spring 2001 schedule on the web and email any questions to Task Force Chair Frank Garrahan. The Summer schedule is "in process." Faculty are reminded that each full-time faculty member must complete 12 credit hours of professional development; each part-time faculty member must complete 4 credit hours. Upon completion of any professional development hours, please submit verification to the Task Force Chair who will post them on the Faculty Development Record Page. To check your documented hours, go to http://irt.austin.cc.tx.us/fd and click on "check your status". If you have not yet signed onto the listserve do so through the department's webpage. If any faculty member would like the Task Force to consider adding a textbook to the approved book list, they should bring a copy of the book, or information about the book, to the March Task Force meeting.