The College Council discussed final preparations for an upcoming visit from the Higher Learning Commission, a commission that accredits colleges.

Provost and senior vice president Steve Kapelke reminded the College Council during their last meeting on March 6, about the accreditation renewal visit taking place March 30-April 1 from the Higher Learning Commission. The commission is one of five regional accreditation bodies that certifies if colleges meet the standards for inclusion in the body of higher learning institutions.

“In other words, [HLC decides if] we provide solid instructional programs in higher learning and [if] our operations are consistent with those they deem to be best practices,” Kapelke said.

The evaluation will be completed by eight members of peer institutions who serve as consultant evaluators for HLC. The evaluators have already been given a 203-page self-study report recently compiled and released by the Office of Research, Evaluation and Planning.

Once on campus, the consultants will have access to student transcripts, catalogs, syllabi and audits. The consultants will also meet different departments and Columbia groups, as well as with Columbia President Warrick L. Carter.

Consultants will hold an open meeting with faculty without any administrators present. A similar meeting will be held for students without any faculty or administrators present. Kapelke said this is to ensure people can speak freely.

“In essence, they have the latitude to do whatever they want while they are here,” Kapelke said.

Upon the completion of HLC’s evaluation, they will create a written report of recommendations for the college, as well as decide whether to renew the college’s accrediation. Kapelke is expecting the results from HLC’s visit in mid-to-late summer.

Tim Bauhs, associate vice president of Business Affairs, introduced discussion about Columbia’s bookstore, cost containment and affordability issues on behalf of the Bookstore Advisory Committee. The bookstore advisory committee began last semester and is comprised of students, faculty and administrative representatives.

The Bookstore Advisory Committee is also focusing on creating more used textbook availability on campus to cut costs for students. Bauhs praised faculty members for being timely with book requests last semester and urged them to continue the habit in order to acquire more used textbooks in the future.

New textbook sales are down $186,000 since fall 2009, while used book sales were up at $216,000 at Columbia’s bookstore.

“That’s a trend we haven’t seen before,” Bauhs said. “That’s a significant saving we have achieved.”

Bauhs also discussed alternatives to textbooks, including rental programs, course packs and e-textbooks.

The Bookstore Advisory Committee is looking into a program called E-scribe that provides textbooks online.

“In terms of e-texts, we are ready,” Bauhs said. “We have a platform.”

Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs, was absent from the meeting, and Deb McGrath, associate vice president of Enrollment Management, presented the vice president of Student Affairs report in his place.

McGrath reported conflicting trends that are leading administrators to worry about fall 2009 enrollment.

McGrath reported responses from prospective students attending the March 14 Open House have increased from last year. Completed freshman applications are also up 14 percent from last year. Confirmation and tuition deposits, however, are down 15 percent. The decrease is primarily in out-of-state applicants.

“As you know, the economic landscape is an uncertain one, and although overall interest in Columbia remains very high, there are some important indicators that make it difficult to predict enrollment for next year,” McGrath said.

The council also voted on Academic Affairs motions presented by Caroline Latta. She presented a motion to change the current honors award presented to graduating students.

Currently, students who graduate with a 3.5 GPA or higher are eligible to graduate with a designation as honors. Latta said the percentage of students graduating with honors at Columbia is about 40 percent.

“We thought that was perhaps a bit too high, and we probably needed to look at that again,” Latta said.

The Academic Affairs committee proposed that the GPA requirement for graduating with honors be raised to a 3.75. This would decrease honors graduates to 15 percent, which is more in line with peer institutions, Latta said. The change, however, would not affect current students. It would only apply to the fall 2009 freshman class and those after.

Along with the change in GPA requirements, Academic Affairs motioned that the term “graduating with honors” be changed to “graduating with distinction,” in order to avoid confusion with Columbia’s forthcoming honors classes program.

The issue sparked many questions and much debate among council members and was sent back to the Academic Affairs Committee without a vote.

After the committee makes revisions to the motion, the council will vote and make a final decision on altering the GPA requirement for graduating with honors.

The next College Council meeting will take place on April 3 at 10 a.m. on the 8th floor of the 1104 Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.