University of Virginia School of Medicine
Principles of Medicine Committee
Minutes
08.22.02

Jordan 1-17, 1:30 p.m.

Present: Eve Bargmann, Robert Bloodgood, Bruce Cohen, Carl Creutz, Claudette Dalton, John Gazewood, Wendy Golden, Steven Heim (Viktor Bovberg), William Hobbs, Joel Hockensmith (Clive Bradbeer), Donald Innes (Chair), Robert Kadner, Howard Kutchai, Kevin Lee, Heidi Scrable, Darci Lieb, Julie Turner, Virginia Taylor, Brian Wispelwey, Allison Innes, Jennifer McClune, Richard Pearson, Jerry Short, Karen Grandage, Susan Squillace, Gary Owens, William Petri, William Wilson, Marcia Childress, Elizabeth Bradley, Shirin Ali, Lisa Coray, Alfa Diallo, Dave Dougherty, Paul McIntosh, Nicky Rao, Ben Schalet, Guests: Gretchen Arnold, John Jackson, Debra Reed (Secretary)

The first meeting of the Principles of Medicine Committee for the 2002-2003 academic year was held August 22, 2002. The discussion focused on recent State budget constraints and the cost of course handouts.

1) No change - continue providing paper handouts free of charge

2) Provide the handouts in electronic form to be printed off by the student

3) Package the handouts per quarter; publish at UVA Copy Center and sell at bookstore

Whatever policy adopted, it should be uniform among all the first and second year courses.

 Budget cuts make option 1 (no change) unlikely. Option 2 (web based - printable handouts) would also not be a valid option for the reasons outlined. The Health Sciences Library will begin immediately a 500 page per semester quota system with a “pay for print” system being January, 2003.

Option 3 (students purchase quarterly handouts) was discussed at length. An October (2nd quarter) start date was discussed.

Copyright issues on a purchased handout and those provided free of charge to the student were discussed. Course directors were advised to ensure copyright was cleared whether or not the handouts are sold to the students. Each lecturer must take responsibility for ensuring proper copyright clearance. The library maintains a website regarding copyright at: http//www.lib.virginia.edu/acquisitions/copyright/

Many ways to avert this budget problem were discussed. The possibility of a 20-25% decrease in handout expenses from each department by decreasing the size of the handouts and/or switching to a lower cost copy center was suggested.

In discussion with Dean Garson and Associate Deans Innes, Pearson and Short it was decided the best course of action, in light of the potential severe budget cuts, was that each course must cut as much as possible from the cost of handouts (20-30% reduction is expected in this Fall’s handouts beginning ASAP). Handouts will remain free to the students from now through December. All courses must plan for packaged handouts beginning January 2003 that would be copied at a copy center and sold at a bookstore. The final decision will be announced in the context of other budget decisions in September.

The issue of the method and amount of financial support for the undergraduate medical education program will be a major agenda item of the Education Task Force of the Joint Planning Process.

-Don Innes

-dmr