Faculty present: Amber Archuletta-Lucero, Ann Dillon, Cecile Durish, Karry Evans, Jim Fowler, Frank Garrahan, Glen Hunt, Stefan Haag, Vicki Hammond, Greg Harrison, Lynn Lehle, Marilyn Mote-Yale, Ed Mullen, Judy Nwachie, Paz Pena, Lisa Perez, Sara Pedersen, Gaye Lynn Scott, Jodie Smith-Brown, Hope Williams.

Brown Bag: Thank you to Frank Garrahan for his presentation of web-based activities, and to Karry Evans and Marilyn Yale for their presentation of active learning activities.

Congratulations to Charles Miles for his appointment to the City of Austin's Charter Review Committee.

Thank you to Jonathan Buckstead for his service on the Task Force. He has resigned his position on the Task Force and will focus on serving the library.

The chair is pursuing the creation of a departmentally based blackboard page where we'll house our web-based activities. You can view what Frank Garrahan and Julie George created this summer by logging onto the blackboard system at http://acconline.austin.cc.tx.us. Faculty are encouraged to contribute active learning activities and/or web based activities for either US or Tx Govt. Please send these via email or interoffice mail to Marilyn Mote-Yale (NRG). The Chair will have them posted on our blackboard page.

Be aware of the deadlines for conducting student evaluations. Every section will be evaluated, so look for your evaluation packet in your ACC mailbox. (This represents a change from last year when faculty received the packet from the provost's office personally). You should have received a yellow memo regarding this from the evaluation folks. If you'd like to review the information, go to http://irt.austin.cc.tx.us/fe

The Chair has entered the Faculty Development credit hours receipts she has received thus far. The new link is http://irt.austin.cc.tx.us/registration. At this site you can view the hours you've accumulated, view upcoming FD opportunities, and register for FD workshops. If you register for a workshop via this website, your FD hours will be credited to your account automatically, and will not require the submission of a receipt.

Regarding Spring 2002 staffing: adjunct faculty have entered their preferences through the e-staffing system and have been offered classes for the Spring. They will reply and accept or decline the offer. Once the Chair receives these responses, she will begin Round 2, whereupon sections not accepted will be staffed.

Faculty who wish to change their textbook selection for the Spring should notify the Chair via the online form by October 15. Remember to include your name in the online form as it does not automatically appear in the email message.

Some students have had good luck ordering their textbook through the publisher. If students have a hard time finding your text in Second 8 weeks classes or in the Spring, have them try this avenue.

ACC bookstores are willing to ship a textbook from one location to another. This service can be requested by the student via telephone or the internet.

ACC's "Great Teaching Retreat" is November 2-4. The deadline for applications is Oct 7.

If you are teaching an overload via OPC be aware that the compensation formula has been changed. For overloads, faculty will be paid on a per-student basis, rather than on an LEH basis. Contact Rex if you have any questions regarding this.

The next Task Force meeting will be held at NRG (room 2118) rather than at HBC. Come discuss Texas politics with Dave McNeely, Austin American-Statesman columnist, during the Brown Bag at noon. The Task Force meeting will begin at 1:00.

Adjunct Faculty Committee: Committee Chair Judy Nwachie indicated that the committee has interviewed 8 applicants.

Faculty Evaluation Committee: The portfolio process has changed. A three year evaluation process has been created. Portfolio requirements will vary for first year faculty, second year faculty, and all other faculty. For more information, see the memo sent out by Rex, or go to http://irt.austin.cc.tx.us/fe.

Professional Development Committee: A judicial symposium is being organized by Karry Evans and Suzana Aleman. If you would like to assist in this, or if you have any ideas for professional development activities please contact Committee Chair, Karry Evans, at RGC.

Student Assessment: If you received short essay assessment questions for your section of Govt 2305 or 2306, please administer them and send the completed essays to Marilyn Mote-Yale (NRG). If you have any questions regarding this, contact Marilyn (223-4054). All faculty members are invited to serve on the Grading Team in the Spring.

Lynn Lehle received departmental approval for her request to attend a seminar on Learning Communities in Denton. She will not attend the seminar in California as previously reported.

Travel requests were approved for Hope Williams, Lisa Perez, and Jim Fowler to attend the Southern Political Science meetings and for Paz Pena to attend the APSA meetings.

New Business

The Task Force approved the course description for the newly created Texas Government Honors Internship course submitted by Ed Mullen.