DCE Fall 2020 Minutes

Dean’s Circle of Engagement

October 15-16, 2020

Via Microsoft Teams

Summary of Activities

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Supporting Students and Impacting Communities

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Attendees:Timothy Binegar, Mary Frances Bryja, Michelle Connavino, Maureen Coon, Shirley Drake, Dan Evans (Vice-Chair), Ellen Goldsberry, Chris Hayward, Sara Helfrich, Gail Houk, Marc Houk, Linda Fife, Kate Mattison, Renée Middleton, Robert Murphy, Lindsey Ladd, Connie Patterson, Linda Reed (Chair)
Absent:Ray Asik, Joan Motherall

Thursday, October 15, 2020
Welcome and Opening RemarksLinda Reed, DCE Chair, called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. and stated that this is an interesting way to meet (via Teams) and that she is glad that everyone is here. She expressed regrets that the pandemic caused us to miss the Spring meeting, but hopefully will be back on campus next spring. Chair Reed provided a few housekeeping items and then went around the table for members to indicate something good that has happened to them since the last time we met.

Reflections of the Dean, Renée Middleton, DeanReflections of the Dean, Renée Middleton, Dean Dean Middleton introduced the Dean’s staff (Connie Patterson, Maureen Coon and Sara Helfrich; Department Chairs who were in attendance (Bruce Martin, Pete Mather, and Beth VanDerveer). Each provided a brief summary of things that are going on in their areas.

Impact of the Pandemic on Higher Education and The Patton CollegeDean Middleton stated that we want to focus on not only courses, but also maintaining and building a sense of community for students and faculty while teaching, learning and working remotely. There are challenges financially. Balancing the budget even before COVID19 was an issue. Money was set aside for crisis purpose so the institution does have buffers that will continue to help and sustain us for at least the next 12-18 months. The funds that the federal government have provided are helpful - the CARES Act ($19 mil) – half of this had to go directly to the students. When campus closed, there was a housing refund of $18 million. She also indicated that there have been staffing changes. We had to balance our budget and still be mindful of our mission.

The main goal and priority is our students - how to deliver quality and strong academic programs. We worked hard to save academic programs and faculty but did have to make some sacrifices. Most were not related to human resource capacity. Two of our classified staff personnel and one administrative employee are no longer with us. She added that the University is moving to a centralized system for alumni and development. PCOE personnel were let go and then had to re-apply for positions. Tamy Solomon, Director of Alumni Relations and External Affairs, is no longer with us. Tim Binegar is still assigned to the College, although not housed in the PCOE. A faculty buyout also took place. We did lose faculty who decided to retire. Balancing of the budget in the PCOE was not placed on the backs of faculty. Post COVID19, the University will be seeking to balance the budget and address challenges. We have furlough days that are mandatory - those individuals making $38K or more per year are required to take furlough days. This will amount to $1.2 million per one day of furlough that the university is saving. We are still blessed as individuals, as departments, as a college, as a university.

One OHIOThis will be the last DCE meeting where we do not have representation of the regional campuses. Regional campus faculty have begun to serve on departmental committees.

“Munch and Learn Series on Anti-Racism”As a College, we are doing a 6-part series on anti-racism. We did one session last spring, as well. The fall series is being presented by our Strategic Plan Workgroups. See Patton College YouTube Channel for all 7 sessions. The Dean’s video that begins each munch and learn session was then presented.

PCOE Student Focus, Maureen Coon, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Academic Advising; Lindsey Ladd, Director, Data Analytics & Academic Technology Center
Enrollment Updates
Enrollment update information was shared comparing Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 by department showing that there has been a 50-student decline in enrollment for Fall 2020 overall. Regional campuses will be included in future enrollments., they are not now.Dan Evans asked how the university is doing as a whole and also as compared to universities across the state. Lindsey indicated that universities across the country are in decline, as is Ohio University. Ohio University is down ~2,000 (2,228) students overall from last year.

Fall and Spring First Week Student SurveysLindsey Ladd provided data on two surveys that were sent out, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. Spring 2020 – asking questions such as, “what can we do to support you prior to your first day of online classes”. Fall 2020, this same question, as well as “how did your first week of classes online experience go” and others. Lindsey shared the response data to the surveys.

For the Fall 2020 survey, 196 responses were received - 73% responded favorably; 52% of the respondents provided comments; 68% of undergraduates responded; 32% graduate students responded. Positive responses increased for fall over the spring responses.Lindsey also shared the “Tips for Students” that was prepared and distributed through the Office of Student Affairs. Students also submitted tips for faculty.

Student Engagement and Retention
Assistant Dean Coon began with an emphasis that we need all hands-on deck to support our students. Academic Advisors and faculty reached out to those students who were having difficulties. Many students noted that they prefer face-to-face instruction, that they were struggling with multiple platforms, etc. We continue to reach out and be available, offer resources and support to our students. It is important that they know we are here, and that they are important. Under the leadership of Dean Middleton, the results of the survey were provided to faculty and adjustments were made.
Maureen stated that the Office of Student Affairs uses an appreciative advising model asking positive, open ended questions when working with students.

We have several support systems available to students. The Peer Mentor Program has been in place for many years. Mentors and mentees are currently meeting virtually. Good for first year students to be paired with an upperclassman in their area.

The Students Support Initiative where students are hired to attend a class that historically, students struggle in – they then provide some support for all students. It is important that it is not a tutoring session. This is virtual now. We did just identify another class and hired another student. We continue to find what our student needs are and how we can assist.Shirley Drake asked how many in-class experiences are happening during the pandemic? Is McCracken open for these students to come in to use facilities – for studying, etc.

Maureen Coon indicated that there is a phased-in approach. Phase 1 and Phase 2. Students invited back for Phase 1 had to be for a specific reason, i.e., nursing students. We had very few Patton College students invited back. We did invite students who were doing professional development at the child development center. McCracken is still closed for most students. Phase 2 – graduate students can access the building via swipe access and can use public areas. Classrooms are not open, and suites are not open.

Connie Patterson provided information on the process for deciding which courses were offered face-to-face. The University asked what courses had to be face-to-face. Recreation and Sport Pedagogy (RSP) does have a few classes that are face-to-face. Bruce Martin added that there are students on campus who are taking our courses, primarily student athletes. Our faculty have stepped forward and offered to do face-to-face courses. They are also providing online instruction. Some faculty are meeting online through Teams for seminar type courses. A rich learning environment.

Dean Middleton added that for interns – if the school that the intern was assigned to is open, the intern is expected to show up. Whatever mode the school district is utilizing is what our interns are expected to do. The Clinical Team met all summer with outreach to all districts. All of our candidates were placed. All are doing face-to-face, remote or whatever the district they were placed in is doing.

Dan Evans asked if there has been any push-back from students or parents for students who were forced to be face-to-face? Dean Middleton responded that for the most part, there has been no push-back.

Connie Patterson added that the question was asked, if you have a face-to-face class, will you accommodate students who want to participate remotely? These decisions were made in the departments and the college. Trying to be sensitive to people and their health conditions. Put focus on high-quality education.

Break

A Focus on Research, Grants and Contracts – Sara Helfrich, Senior Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Studies
Sara Helfrich provided an introduction to Terrence McTier, Assistant Professor, Counseling and Higher Education, and one of the most recent Top of the Top Tier awardees. Dr. McTier then presented his research, as follows:Terrence McTier – You Can’t Live Here: How Denials from on-Campus Housing Affects College Students with Criminal Records. Several doctoral students at various universities, i.e., Ohio Universities, Old Dominion, North Carolina University, were mentored in the development of this project. The purpose seeks to understand how denial from on campus housing affects students with criminal records. Discussion of his research ensued. Qualitative study – only 4 participants in this study. Dr. McTier provided a description of the participants. In his research, he did a layered textual analysis – structural, visual and thematic; incorporated 6 elements of narrative structure. He discussed why this study is important and provided suggestions for Policy and Practice. A Question and Answer completed Dr. McTier’s presentation.

Supporting Faculty Grant DevelopmentInformation was shared on current FY20 PCOE grants, both awarded and still under review. Also provided was information on the 2019-20 Top of the Top Tier faculty, Dr. Rebecca Choi (RHT), Dr. Terrence McTier (CHE), and Dr. Stephen Harvey (RSP)

A Look Back, PCOE 2020 Homecoming - Renée Middleton, Dean
PCOE 2020 Homecoming – Dean Middleton gave preface of the homecoming video.
Blazing Trails with Hospitality and Recreation – The video was then presented.

Closing Remarks, Dan Evans, DCE Vice-ChairEveryone should try to sign on again tomorrow morning 15 minutes in advance of the 1 p.m. start. He also stated that he is impressed with what the PCOE is doing to support students during this trying time with the pandemic.

A Look Ahead to Day 2Linda Reed (DCE Chair) requested that Robert Murphy and Chris Hayward share strategies on student engagement on remote learning to begin tomorrow’s meeting.

Friday, October 16, 2020
Attendees:Wendy Adams, Timothy Binegar, Mary Frances Bryja, Michelle Connavino, Maureen Coon, Shirley Drake, Dan Evans, Linda Fife, Ellen Goldsberry, Chris Hayward, Sara Helfrich, Gail Houk, Marc Houk, Lindsey Ladd, Kate Mattison, Renée Middleton, Robert Murphy, Connie Patterson, Linda Reed
Absent:Ray Asik, Joan Motherall

Welcome and Opening RemarksThe first item shared was on the remote teaching series that began shortly after OHIO went remote last spring. A virtual teaching series was rolled out on the following topics:

• What Worked Well in Transitioning to Fully Online Education , Dr. Jacqueline Yahn, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Middle Childhood Education, Ohio University Eastern;
• Virtual Learning Approaches from a Mutually Safe Distance , Mr. Thom Stevenson, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Restaurant, Hotel and Tourism;
• Providing Value in a Quarantined Internship , Ms. Robin Ambrozy, Assistant Professor of Instruction and Program Coordinator, Customer Service Leadership;
• Creating and Using Instructional Videos, Screencasts, and Podcasts to Increase Instructor Presence, Increase Student Interaction, and Expedite Feedback in Online Courses , Dr. Jesse Strycker, Assistant Professor, Innovative Learning Design and Technology; and,
• Applying Trauma Informed Care Strategies to Reduce Secondary Trauma and Promote Wellness , Tamarine Foreman, Assistant Professor, Counselor Education.
  This series was developed to provide information on ways to better engage with students remotely, teaching options, etc.

Dan Evans asked if there was any opportunity to open this up to public schools, K-12. Connie responded that there was not. For example, Blackboard is University based so not applicable to public schools. Dean Middleton added that the largest school district we work with is Athens. They just purchased Canvas as their learning management system. They have trained their teachers on how to use Canvas. Our candidates that would be in Athens schools came back to campus early so they could train with the Athens teachers. Dan Evans added that possibly an online course could be offered and, in his opinion, would be highly attended. Bruce Martin added that some universities are moving to Canvas, but not OHIO.

Another need that came to light over the summer is the struggles of international students. The inability to go home for the summer; less income; etc. The International Student Union and International Student Taskforce really worked with OHIO administration and the local community to put together some emergency funds or emergency funding opportunities, i.e., the PCOE did a fundraiser for meals with a local vendor to sponsor lunches and raised $900. The lunches were provided to anyone who wanted to pick one up. Our international students were taking part in this project. Other international student advocacy projects have taken place and will continue to take place. Pete Mather provided a link to a story, OHIO Launches International Student Emergency Relief Fund .

A flyer was shared on the Advocacy and Leadership Summit – Global and Local Advocacy: Implications for OHIO International Students.

Linda Reed shared that each state is handling the use of masks differently. In Colorado, if you are in a business, you must wear a mask. For parent-teacher conferences, they could do remotely or face-to-face. There are issues with people who do not want to wear a mask.

Dean Middleton indicated that she has not been made aware of any issues. Signage is present in all buildings. Masks are to be worn, hand sanitizer is available, wash hands. If you are in your own office, you do not have to wear a mask, but when you leave your office, you must wear a mask. The city and the University work hand-inhand. The city has done a number of things, as well. She believes there is more of an understanding than there has been, and people are being more compliant.

Michelle Connavino mentioned that she saw on Instagram, just as the university was getting ready to go back in the fall, the guidance the university was giving. The recommendation was to create a pod of 6-10 people. She was really impressed with the balance of keeping students safe but understanding that they were going to be social. Michelle asked if we can speak to the mental health supports that the university has put in place. Connie Patterson, (Associate Dean) answered that some offices on campus have acknowledged and validated the mental health concerns. Pete Mathers faculty have been doing an exceptional job finding creative ways to connect with the students – giving out cookies, etc.; in online classes, not just jumping into the class, but checking in with students. Pete Mather added that Residence Life is reaching out and supporting students. Counseling and Higher Education students are pretty involved in this.

Debriefing on Impact of COVID-19 for DCE Members:
Linda Reed added that she is hoping that Robert Murphy (Columbus City Schools-CCS) and Chris Hayward (Cleveland Heights) can share how they are working through the real-world challenges of student engagement and educator support during this time.Robert Murphy began that March sent everyone into a tailspin. Trying to figure out what we were going to do. Columbus was not a one-to-one district, so a lot of kids didn’t have devices or internet capability. Through some state dollars they were able to purchase Chromebooks for all. School started late, on September 8. Professional development was provided to teachers who were not used to technology.
CCS is still 100% virtual but planning to go hybrid. Hopefully that will help us develop relationships between teachers and students as opposed to just a face on a screen. Most have put their best foot forward to help students. It has been a challenge. CCS was supposed to go hybrid this past Monday, but it has been pushed back while negotiating the MOU with Teachers Unions.

Chris Hayward continued that things are very similar with his district. The entire staff is Google certified. They had to quickly deploy hundreds of Chromebooks. Had to send out paper, crayons, markers, etc. There are mental Health issues they have dealt with. Sad stories of families who were crumbling under this situation. We are engaging more in our morning meetings – making sure teachers spend more time on mental health issues with kids talking about fears, frustrations, etc. We worked all summer to create a better model. The start date for school opening was postponed and professional development for staff was provided. There was more consistency in the curriculum rollout. We were to bring students back yesterday, but county is now under Red status. Some of his schools have gymnasiums set up for students to come in who can’t function at home. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of families wanted to stay remote and we weren’t prepared for this number. There is a camera now in every classroom. We will have students in front of them and students at home. How do you teach concurrently? Most teachers are not familiar with this.Teachers have had to re-think how they teach. Some teachers have found that when they come back to faceto-face, they will be a better teacher after having to learn different ways to teach remotely. They learned more how to leverage technology in a short time than ever thought.

Dr. Murphy added that there is one other upside. Citizens out there that questioned what teachers do, now have a better sense of what teachers do.

Gail Houk remarked that it has been an interesting journey for Human Service Professionals, as well. Found out in late February how to quickly transition. The state also recognized quickly that they would have to remove barriers for working with clients and agencies. Show-rates went up with teleconferencing. Law enforcement has responded very positively. Things have been put into place that will help even post-COVID. Some have responded very positively to teleconferencing, especially with tele-health, they may not go back.

Marc Houk added that parole board hearings have been done via teleconference for 10 years. He has not been back in office since mid-March.

Dean Middleton asked Gail and Marc, are you seeing some resistance to telehealth prior to the pandemic and if you were having problems with reimbursements from Medicare/Medicaid?Gail answered that they were not doing telehealth prior to COVID. All staff are now comfortable working with telehealth. As far as the billing piece, we have not had any issues with Medicaid/Medicare, it is the private insurance that is taking longer to get on board.

Michelle Connavino commented on the early childhood phase – Cleveland Schools issued devices to everyone preK-12 - iPads PreK-3; Chromebooks 4-12. There have been major supply chain issues with devices. It has been a challenge for districts. In a lot of parts of Cleveland, there are real wi-fi issues. Organizations are working to build out connectivity with the city of Cleveland. There are issues with families with 2-3 kids, not enough bandwidth. Meal distributions were also done, along with packets of supplies, etc. This was done in the spring and continued through the summer.

On the childcare side, the childcare industry is overwhelmingly woman of color. People of color have been impacted more with this pandemic than white people. A lot of older women of color. The effect on the workforce has been pretty substantial. Childcare centers were closed down. Then the pandemic license was put in place with reduced class sizes and other regulations. The state provided financial support, but not enough. K-12 teachers were working from home, there were early childhood childcare providers being paid minimum wage. A lot of stress. Same education level, being paid minimum wage.
Now that school is back in session, virtually, and parents are back to work, there are childcare during the day issues. Childcare and early education industry is on verge of collapse without funding. Still seeing dips in child abuse issues because they are not seeing teachers and others who would normally make these reports. Children are missing well-checks because they are afraid to go to the doctor.
Michelle indicated that her organization is working on how they are going to evaluate the impact of all of this. Please call your Senators and let them know that we need $50 billion in relief funds in the next package.

Development Update, Tim Binegar, Senior Director of Development
Update on Changes in Alumni and DevelopmentRegarding the transition to a centrally located Advancement Division, Tim Binegar began by saying that the Advancement Division is relatively large – over 100 people pre-COVID. He is still with OHIO and has been for 9 years. Before the transition, he negotiated that he could still work with PCOE constituents. It is not a good use of talents and time if not cultivating relationships in the PCOE. They are allowing him this request. He also wanted to work with the PCOE College Coordinating Council (CCC) and the Dean’s Circle of Engagement. This group is the heart and soul of the PCOE. He has been allowed to remain on both. The only major change is that his office is no longer in McCracken Hall. Currently, the university wants to keep the concentration on campus down and he will continue to work from home at this time.

Major GivingGood news – fundraising for FY20 is very solid – nearly $50 million. One gift, Violet Patton, who is now 103 years old, re-documented her estate gift with the PCOE and OHIO, about $22 million of this $50 million came from her. She has/will contribute $63 million to Ohio University. She is very proud of what is happening in The Patton College.

Another donation came from John DiVincenzo from Cleveland. His wife used to work for the CDC. He donated a large gift to re-vamp the naturalistic playground at the Child Development Center (CDC). It will be called The Lisa Donovan Memorial Playground in honor of his late wife.

A Professorship – the Dr. Tommie Radd Professorship for School Counselor Education. This gift will allow us to do meaningful research in the school counseling area, which is especially important during the COVID era.

The Development Officers have been making more contacts, reaching out from home and not traveling. A silver lining. Tim reports he is continuing to work through the prospects pre-COVID and build the pipeline for the next few fiscal years. Development has been strong over the past 3 fiscal years - FY 18-$1.3 million; FY 19- $1.5 million; FY 20-$2.1 million.

Giving Day this year was postponed. It will be April 21, 2021 next year. Alumni engagement is only about 7% in this event.

CAEP Accreditation, Wendy Adams, Director Assessment and Academic Improvement
2021 Accreditation VisitWendy provided information on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Timeline and Process, as follows: CAEP Timeline:

1. The editing team will complete their work by November 16th. The Self-Study will then be sent to our communications person to do a final edit.
2. The data for the Self-Study will be complete by November 16th.
3. December 15th is the submission deadline.
4. We should receive feedback around March and have an opportunity to submit an addendum within 60 days.
5. Depending on our site visit date, we will be required to post a third-party comment opportunity four months prior to our site visit. Approximate timeframe for third-party comment is April through July.
6. The site visit date will be sometime between September and December of 2021.
7. Around a month after the site visit, we will have an opportunity to correct any misstated facts in the final report. We will have around 30 days to complete this.
8. A decision will be made by CAEP in March 2021.

Process:

1. In fall of 2018, Work Groups were established to draft a narrative piece for each standard.
2. In Spring of 2019, the Work Groups began drafting their narratives and requesting data.
3. In late Fall of 2019, drafts of the narrative pieces were created, and the Director of Assessment & Academic Improvement met with each work group. She reviewed the drafts, provided guidance and provided requested data.
4. In February of 2020, the narrative pieces were due, and the editing team began their work.
5. Once the Self-Study is submitted, we will be able to reach out to CAEP and ODHE and negotiate a site visit date.
6. We will receive feedback on the Self-Study around March 2021 and will have 60 days to provide an addendum based on the feedback.
7. A third-party comment will take place around 4 months prior to the site visit.
8. The site visit will take place in Fall of 2021.
9. We will then receive a decision in March 2021.

Position Statement on the Overuse and Misuses of Standardized Test Scores; Deans Written Communication to CAEPWendy provided information on the Position Statement on the Overuse and Misuse of Standardized Test Scores and the written communication from Dean Middleton to Chris Koch, President, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Break

Student Recruitment and Retention, Maureen Coon, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Academic Advising “A Focus on African American Male Recruitment and Retention into the Teaching Professions”Maureen reminded us of Strategic Goal 13 - Consistently Increase Student Enrollments Through Innovative Recruitment Practices. One of our Innovative Recruitment Practices was that in 2018 a Task Force was formed by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) with the intent to look at the diversity of the educator workforce and to make recommendations. There were a lot of people involved – teachers, principals, superintendents, school districts, higher education, etc. Dean Middleton was part of task force, and Assistant Dean Coon was involved, as well. The taskforce eventually came up with recommendations to diversify the teacher workforce. The Patton College had put structures into place even prior to this. And last fall during DCE we talked about the article Do Districts Actually Want Black Male Teachers?, Chronicle of Higher Education. During that meeting, everyone came up with action steps, and these are listed in the Minutes. We began thinking about our commitment to diversity and to diversifying the teacher workforce.

Brothers RISE
Commitment to Diversity and Diversifying the teacher workforce – African American Male Initiative. We brought together people who are passionate on this idea and formed a Steering Committee – Bob Murphy, Dean Middleton, Maureen Coon and Jason Rawls are co-chairs. Members include: PCOE faculty and staff-Frans Doppen, Theda Gibbs-Grey, Lisa Harrison, Lindsey Ladd, Terrence McTier, Marcquis Parham, Curt Plummer, and Chip Rice; Students Tracie Robinson and Beau Uqdah; Dr. Gigi Secuban, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion; Zaki Shariff, Dean of Central State University (a historically black land-grant university); Darold Johnson, Ohio Federation of Teachers; and Akil Houston, Assistant Professor, African American Studies. We meet monthly. There is a long list of connections to different groups, organizations, churches, etc. Dean Middleton discussed the white paper that establishes the purpose of why we are engaged in this mission. Maureen stated that they looked at the number of currently enrolled undergrads, African American males, and there is just a handful.Members of the steering committee went to Clemson University in February and looked at their “Call Me MiSTER Program”. Discussion took place on joining this program, but we have since decided instead to design our own program - Brothers RISE (Rallying to Inspire and Shape Education). A Mission and Vision Statement have been developed.
As an example of things we are planning, Tracie Robinson, Committee member and PhD student, developed an Early Arrival Program that would bring first year students in before OHIO Move In to make connections with them. We had planned to execute this in the fall, but due to COVID19, this could not happen. Hopeful to do it next fall.

Hip-Hop CurriculumSeveral members worked hard to apply for funds to hire a faculty member to teach the HOPE (Hip-Hop Ohio Patton Education) Curriculum through the Diversity Hire Grant through Dr. Secuban’s office. We will hear the results within a few weeks. The HOPE curriculum is based on Hip-Hop education. Maureen shared the website.

Dr. Jason Rawls has worked with one of our faculty, Lisa Harrison, to put together the curriculum for the HOPE Program. Students won’t be learning how to do Hip-Hop, they will learn about youth culture and how to use culturally relevant pedagogy and to incorporate that into their teaching. Some courses have already been approved – one being offered in the spring, EDTE1010 Intro to Hip-Hop Based Education, and again in the fall. Introduction to Youth Culture is the other that has been approved.

Why YOU, Why OHIO, Why TeachMaureen shared the Why Teach video, Why OHIO video and Why YOU video. These were sent to all DCE members.

Ann and Glenn Hill joined the meeting and Ann stated that alumni fraternities should be focused on, as well. They would be a good recruiting entity for future teachers. Ann asked if we have reached out to any of the black male fraternities?

Dean Middleton replied that we have not yet. We have not done any heavy recruitment yet. We are in the silent phase right now. Putting the infrastructure in place so that we have the tools that we can go out and recruit with. We need names of any individuals who can assist us in making those contacts. Darold Johnson, committee member, and Eric Burchard, OHIO Executive Director of Government Relations, are setting up meetings for us to go to the Chancellor then to the legislature to seek funding, in tandem with recruitment efforts. This is a wonderful recommendation from Ann Hill. Who can help us make those connections with the fraternities? Ann indicated that she does have names.

Michelle Connavino added that with going to the legislature, you may want to move up the timeline. The biennial budget process is now. Dean Middleton added that Eric Burchard is setting that up now.

DCE Business Meeting
Review of Fall 2019 Meeting MinutesLinda Reed asked for comments or questions on the Minutes. None were given.

Proposed Spring Meeting DatesLinda Reed asked that if there are still people who are hesitant to travel, could we make it hybrid? Dean Middleton answered, yes, that with the technology we have in The Patton College, we could do that. Linda Reed then confirmed the May 13-14, 2021, date in Athens, in person, if possible, remote if some prefer. Dean Middleton noted that the next time we are able to meet off campus, it will be in Cleveland, as we had initially planned for Spring 2021.

Closing Remarks and AdjournLinda Reed recapped the meeting topics and congratulated everyone on their use of Teams, as some have not yet been involved in virtual meetings. Thanks to The Patton College team. It is good to hear about everything that is happening on behalf of the students through the PCOE.

The goal for today was engagement.

Dean Middleton thanked everyone for their time. It is immeasurable. We look forward to connecting with everyone in the Spring.

Go forth and have a wonderful Autumn!

Meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.