Recognizing that many factors affect the quality of academic life at Michigan Technological University, that several administrators, offices, program directors, and academic units are addressing problems of student success, campus environment and quality of university support services, and that there are no existing institutional structures which assure communication and coordination among these people, the Institutional Evaluation Committee of the Senate proposes establishment of:

A TASK FORCE ON THE QUALITY OF UNIVERSITY LIFE

Charge:

1. To recommend actions and policies to increase students' academic success, especially by fostering cooperation and reinforcing interdependence among university units.
   
   
   1. To keep the Senate informed of the operation of "student progress" programs initiated or administered by the Dean of Special Academic Programs
      
      
   2. To identify, gather and assess information about factors that contribute to students' academic success and failure
      
      
   3. To identify the structural organizational factors that affect students' academic success, both constructively and detrimentally.
      
      
2. To gather information about students' sense of worth and accomplishment while at the university. Particularly valuable will be qualitative and evaluative information not otherwise available through the Office of Institutional Analysis. These to include, but not limited to:
   
   
   1. Quality of classroom experiences (especially student's sense of intellectual growth and achievement)
      
      
   2. Quality of university housing (physical conditions)
      
      
   3. Quality of programs operating within housing units, and appropriateness of such programs in overall university life
      
      
   4. Quality of counseling services, health programs, and nutrition and physical fitness programs
      
      
   5. Expectations of incoming freshman and transfer students, especially as these are generated by recruiting strategies, publications, and correspondence, and as students' expectations are either fulfilled or disappointed in practice
      
      
   6. Effectiveness of efforts to ease the transition from high school to university studies
      
      
   7. Effectiveness of efforts to help students identify positively with the university
      
      
   8. Effectiveness of efforts to promote fulfilling extracurricular activities for personal development
      
      
   9. Effectiveness of procedures for dealing with grievances, including expressions of criticism regarding teaching effectiveness
      
      
   10. Relative clarity and efficiency of administrative procedures (admissions, registration, public safety, financial aid, placement, Dean of Students' Office)
       
       
   11. Responsiveness of administrators of "student success" programs to concerns from any portion of the university community.
       
       
3. To report summaries of findings simultaneously to the Senate and the University President, and especially to identify and report promptly problems that affect the quality of university life for any individuals or groups.
   
   
4. To recommend to the Senate proposals for actions that would improve the coordination and delivery of services to students, with particular attention to the present segregation of dormitory programs from both academic functions and the Dean of Students' lines of responsibility.
   
   
5. To promote open communication among all members of the university community regarding the quality of university life; specifically:
   
   
   1. To serve as an open forum for development of new initiatives and original ideas that might improve the university community, and for criticism of existing policies and practices (meetings to be publicized in advance and open to comment from visitors)
      
      
   2. To furnish information copies of minutes and findings (especially identification of problems needing urgent attention) to the University President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Dean of Special Academic Programs, the Editor of the Lode, Academic Deans, Department Heads, and program directors (all should get the same information at the same time).