To: Norm Smith
From: Eugene Hotchkiss, Ernest Mahaffey

Date: September 29, 2003

RE: Senate Approval of ACSE as a Committee

ASPEC Center For Scholarly Enterprise (ACSE) is a group of ASPEC members who are collaborating on projects which we characterize as "Scholarly Enterprise".  The working definition and general direction of such projects is:

" Scholarly Enterprise is evidenced by creative and rigorous research, undertaken either for personal intellectual satisfaction or with the goal of adding to the literature of the field, which leads to results that are subject to peer review."

Members were recruited who wish support one another in scholarly projects and, further, who specifically wish to have such projects reflect positively on ASPEC.  Therefore, "peer review" is a cornerstone for ACSE projects, and is the means by which we expect to ensure high performance from individuals and teams and measure results in the "outside world" of their respective fields.

Such projects currently underway include:

Structures fostering scholarly enterprise - This project seeks to explore the extent to which scholarly enterprise is demonstrated and how and by what structures it is nurtured in LLIs and comparable organizations. Its goal is to describe institutional models to assist LLIs in fostering rigorous productive research by member individual or groups. 

Improving Strategic Decisions - ASPEC members may contribute to a website on topics embodied in a book in progress entitled Improving Decisions: Toward a New Age of Enlightenment. We may expand our knowledge by sharing expertise with one another using topics from the book to improve our strategic decision making.

Science Days - One-day workshops to be built around ASPEC’s sciences “team”.

Since ACSE is not a group which meets regularly to discuss a specific topic, and our projects involve only project leaders and the members they recruit to work on them, we do not seem to be an interest group.  Nor are we an affiity group, since we have intellectual purpose.

However, since ACSE projects seek to reflect positively on ASPEC and the projects will essentially "represent" ASPEC to the outside, it is appropriate that there be a mechanism for an official review by ASPEC's Senate.  Further, ACSE has approval for and will seek outside funding for some of its activities.  We believe it is important that such activities should be reviewed by the Senate.

We consequently recommend that ACSE be approved as a Committee, with a Committee chair who submits regular reports on ACSE activities.

ACSE projects, however, will also be submitted for approval as appropriate for their activities.  For example, Science Days will likely apply for approval from Plans and Programs for its events.

A few additional words to put this in the context of ASPEC. What some of us believe is so distinctive about ASPEC is the amount of scholarly enterprise undertaken by its members. For many at ASPEC staying intellectually active means more than participating in Elderhostel programs, Senior College courses, or attending lectures here and there; we enjoy being active scholars, pursuing research projects. Further, we are willing to help, as well as be helped by, colleagues. And there are more than a few who evidence their research through books, papers, lectures, participation at conferences and the like.

ACSE is a group of people who are dedicated to highlight and develop this demonstrated capability of ASPEC members, and project it into the outside world for the benefit of ASPEC and Eckerd College.

We much appreciate your consideration, Sincerely,

Eugene Hotchkiss, Ernie Mahaffey (Co-Chairmen, pending Senate approval)