FACULTY SENATE MINUTES NO. 4

October 17, 2006

 

1.      CALL TO ORDER: The 3rd meeting of the Faculty Senate for 2006-2007 was called to order at 1:15 PM on October 17, 2006 in the Brockway Hall Jacobus Loungeby Chair Melvyn King.

 

SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT: M. King, K. Alwes, E. McCabe, P. Quaglio,

R. Spitzer, L. Anderson. J. Governali, J. Hendrick, E. Jampole, J. Rayle, D. Sidebottom,

J. Sitterly, V. Marty, B. Tobin, J. Walkuski, C. Schacht, K. Boyes, M. Scala, R. Franco,

R. Peagler, W. Shaut, D. Kreh

 

SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT: D. Berger, G. Zarate, D. West, J. Casciani,

J. Mosher, D. Ritchie, P. Schroeder, E. Bitterbaum, E. Davis-Russell, J. Cottone, G. Clarke,

K. Lawrence

 

GUESTS PRESENT:G. Levine, N. Aumann, R. Franco, P. Koryzno, R. Olsson, M. Prus,

Y. Murnane

 

II. SENATE ACTIONS:

There was a vote to approve the following nominations from the Committee on Committees:

Educational Policy Committee, Arts and Sciences (to complete unexpired term, 2006-2007) Chris Cirmo; Student Affairs Committee, Math Science (complete unexpired term, 2006-2007), Brice Smith (Passed)

 

III. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

The Minutes from October 3, 2006 were approved as amended by C. Schacht.

 

IV. CHAIR�S REPORT:

Chair Melvyn King gave a brief report, the first of which involved a recent election in Arts and Sciences which resulted in newly seated senators as follows: Kathy Lawrence, Donna West and Bob Spitzer. King also announced that the Senate Steering Committee is working on changing the time and day the Senate meets next year. Donna Margine has been working with Dr. King providing the Steering Committee with data regarding underutilized time slots to attain more optimal meeting attendance.

 

V. VICE CHAIR�S REPORT:


No report.

 

VI.SECRETARY�S REPORT:

No report.

 

VII. TREASURER�S REPORT:

No report.

 

 

 

VIII. PRESIDENT�S REPORT:

 

G. Levine gave a brief report for the President who is visiting in China along with the Provost.She announced that Bitterbaum and Davis-Russell have completed the ASCU conference and are now at Capital Normal working on a partnership with that institution and will be returning next week.Levine also reported that the University Faculty Senate Plenary will be hosted in the fall of 2007 with planning being undertaken.Chairman King asked Levine the date and she responded October 25-27.

 

IX. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 


Long Range Planning Committee � No report.

 

Educational Policy Committee � D. Margine distributed the EPC proposal to regarding policy to retire/remove courses not offered in excess of a five-year period.

 

Margine announced that the EPC committee has unanimously approved the policy regarding consideration of courses not offered in excess of 5 years, which has gone through campus review and on the Senate floor for introduction and discussion.

 

M. King reminded everyone that the procedure is introduction of the report and a question/answer period with a vote at the next meeting.

 

Margine read the EPC proposal: Courses which have not been offered over the last five years (full academic-year period) will be reviewed by each department on an annual basis. The department will then respond with a decision to: 1) maintain the course(s) in the course inventory with justification; and/or 2) retire and remove the courses (2) from the active curriculum and College Catalog.

 

The Registrar explained that the background for this process, as it was historically processed, occurred in the Publications Office.She further reported that the rationale for the proposal, as it relates to curriculum, is that it is critical to the development of new programs, currency with the existing curriculum and accuracy of the College Catalog, in fairness to students regarding courses that are being offered and not being offered. She said as to the process, the Registrar�s Office will notify departments in the fall semester courses or sections of courses not offered within a five year academic period.Then she said departments would have the opportunity to review courses and resources, and if no action is taken by a department, confirmation that the courses will either be offered or maintained in an inventory listing would then be sent forward through Deans to the College Curriculum Review Committee, for subsequent review of those identified courses in the spring semester. Margine said that the catalog would be appended accordingly and departments could proceed with their business at hand. She reported that a question was raised at the Steering Committee if a course needed to be reactivated would it need to go through the full curriculum process again? EPC discussed this and resolved that it could be taken care of in a similar way to the current process as a minor/minor change where a department would send to the Dean the intent to reactivate a course, the Dean would send the approval to the Provost, thus finalizing the change procedure. The course to be reactivated would not need to go through the full curriculum procedure.

 

K. Alwes asked,�Doesthat mean when it is retired it is retired in house, it doesn�t go to System and is no longer a course?�

 

D. Margine responded, �That�s correct. It�s a local retirement, taken out of the College Catalog, and taken out of active course offerings. If a course were needed to be reactivated during the catalog year, the course would be reintroduced to the catalog, reintroduced to requirements, put back on the books, and wouldn�t have to go through the full curriculum process.�

 

R. Spitzer asked, �I just have a question regarding this process. The Registrar contacts departments in the fall and then subsequently in the spring the Registrar�s Office submits information to the CCRC?�

 

D. Margine responded, �That is correct. The time lag in between would give departments the opportunity to speak with the dean as to the status of the courses identified, or if removed keeping them in active inventory.�

 

R. Spitzer asked, �To whom is the rationale submitted?�

 

D. Margine responded, �The Dean.�

 

J. Governali asked, �Who makes the decision on whether or not the course is retired, the Dean or the CCRC?�

 

D. Margine responded, �The dean would recommend to the CCRC the findings of the department and in reference to the school. So, the Dean�s Office would make the final decision.�

 

J. Governali asked, �The Dean�s Office would make the final decision and notify the CCRC or make a recommendation to the CCRC?�

 

D. Margine replied, �Make a recommendation to the CCRC which would then make a recommendation to the Provost.�

 

J. Governali said, So, the CCRC is deciding which courses are retired?�

 

Margine responded, �Based on the recommendation of the Dean.�

 

J. Walkuski asked, �In the cases of graduate courses, would the CCRC be involved in the process?�

 

D. Margine replied, �I imagine it would be.�

 

J. Walkuski indicated the process for graduate courses needed to be clearly defined.

 

D. Margine said, �The courses are still offered, the courses are housed within a department, it would still be decision of the department chair in going through the Dean of the school. It certainly would be appropriate to include the Graduate Faculty Committee in that information.�

 

J. Governali asked, �What I thought I asked was the Registrar�s Office would submit to the it to the CCRC, but I think the appropriate committee to submit it to would be Graduate Faculty Committee.�

 

D. Margine responded, �That would be correct.�

 

L. Anderson clarified that the proposal was introduced today and voted on at the next meeting.

 

M. King responded, �The notion is to go back to your constituencies and see if they can live with it.Then we will all study this for two weeks and vote on it at the next Faculty Senate meeting.�

 

Student Affairs Committee � No report (absent)

 

Faculty Affairs Committee � J. Walkuski represented the Faculty Affairs Committee, which he reported met for the second time this week. Walkuski reported that the committee is seeking clarification as to the charge regarding the language in the handbook addressing inconsistencies.Walkuski asked for specific sections of the handbook the committee is being charged with reviewing. He explained that the Faculty Affairs Committee examined the new handbook, chapter 220-235, pages 22-33, which cover personal matters with faculty.Walkuski asked if that was the only section of the handbook the committee was charged to look at.

 

M. King replied that this charge was left over from last year with the committee being specifically charged with having departments make their requirements more clear and consistent.

 

College Research Committee � No report.

 

General Education Committee � D. Miller reported for M. McGuire, who was unable to attend the meeting, but sent the following message: The GE committee has been working on responses from the GEAR recommendations regarding the strengthening campus based assessment proposal. The GE Committee has formed a subcommittee looking at GEAR�s recommendations regarding assessment for critical skills and assigning credit for assessment activities.The subcommittee met this morning and will be submitting recommendations on Wednesday. On Thursday they anticipate forward the recommendations to the Senate Steering Committee no later than the 24th of October.

 

X. SUNY SENATOR�S REPORT:

Secretary Ellen McCabe read the report for Mary Ware, SUNY Senator, who is unable to attend the meetings in the fall due to a class conflict: The first University Faculty Senate will be held at Buffalo State University on October 26-28.Several highlights include an opportunity to meet the chancellor at a reception on Thursday, October 26 and a report from Bruce Johnstone (some of you might remember that he was a former chancellor. He stepped down due to pancreatic cancer, over which he won the battle, and has recently retired from SUNY.) Those of us who knew him when he was chancellor look forward to hearing from him and seeing him. We will also get to met the new Provost for the SUNY System and hear remarks from her. If there are items which anyone would like Dr. Ware to bring up (or ask questions about during the plenary � feel free to email her before October 25, 2006.Provide background and details if there is anything she should know in order to ask a specific question or explore a specific issue. Dr. Ware will provide a written report upon returning from the Plenary.

 

XI. COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

Committee on Committees

 

E. McCabe read the following report:

 

The Committee on Committees recommends the following appointments:

Educational Policy Committee, Arts and Sciences (to complete unexpired term, 2006-2007) Chris Cirmo; Student Affairs Committee, Math Science (complete unexpired term, 2006-2007), Brice Smith.These recommendations were voted on and approved.

 

The Committee on Committees has issued a call for nominations for a committee to conductReview of the Governance Structure. Nominations are due to Joanne Barry by October 25, 2006 (per e-mail sent October 16.)

 

The deadline for nominations for the Search Committee for the Dean of Education has closed. The following people will serve on the committee:School of Education, Andrea LaChance, Sheila Cohen; Professional Staff, Linda Simmons. Two additional reps from the School of Education will be appointed buy the President or his designee. A ballot will be sent out this week for the rep from the academic faculty outside the School of Education. The nominees are: Peggy Anderson, Karen Stearns and Donna West. The classified staff rep and the student rep will be announced.

 

XII. OLD BUSINESS:

There was no old business.

 

XIII. NEW BUSINESS:

There was no new business.

 

XIV.AREA SENATOR�S REPORTS:

J. Hendrick just distributed a handout reporting that the college assessment committee met that morning and in light of the current and upcoming issues the senate will be dealing with in terms of assessment, they just wanted to share with the senate, since most of senators are fairly new, some resolutions and a philosophy statement on assessment that the senate approved overwhelmingly in 2001. Hendrick stated that they thought it would be useful to review it so that the faculty could have this background in case issues come up at next meeting or the following meeting on assessment.

Chairman King reported on the subject of the Governance Committee that there have been questions as to the structure of the committee.The issue will be discussed at the next Steering Committee meeting on Tuesday.The call for candidates will be put on hold until the Steering Committee can address the structure of the committee.Another call for nominations will be issued when the structure is determined.

 

J. Walkuski had a question regarding structure, referring to the college handbook�� He said that it is stated that commentary does have to be given by the chairs of the four policy committees. Walkuski stated that perhaps the Senate should consider having the four chairs sit on the Governance Committee.

 

King said, �We�re going o review that at the Steering Committee. We will read the section and try to be more careful next time. He thanked Walkuski for his input.

 

XV. STUDENT SENATOR�S REPORTS:

K. Boise reported she was handing out brochures pertaining to the upcoming Homecoming on October 27-29. She said SGA is trying to get student participation at its highest. She explained that they do not get any funds for the Homecoming which is a battle they are dealing with.She said if faculty or students would like to participate in Homecoming there will be a Spirit Cup Challenge where tickets can be won for Cortaca Jug. She also passed around information regarding the Vice President for Student Affairs Merit Award. She indicated applications are due December 1 and can be obtained through Dr. Peagler�s Office or SGA.She said if anyone knows of a deserving student it is a great opportunity.Boise announced that SGA has been working on Safe Pride issues dealing with safety on campus and will be meeting next week.

 

C. Schact announced that SGA still does not have a NYPIRG rep.She said that Lauren Caruso who graduated last spring should be back on campus starting Monday.

 

M. Scala reported on a current issue SGA is working on involving better safety on campus. They have been working on it with Lieutenant DePaul and University Police.They have been making new signs for specified areas where there are phones making them more noticeable in emergency situations. He said there will be a long neon vertical sign which will say emergency so that it will be recognizable to students for safety reasons. They are also dealing with lighting issues on campus especially at night, for example, the pathway between Dowd and Moffett which is very dark working on betting better lights between buildings as well as looking at new places to put some phones as well.

 

Scala announced another project faculty might like to be involved with, SGA has been working with Rita Wright involving children who live downtown, getting involved in the community. Saturday, October 28, in the morning they will be going apple picking to reach out to the youth in the community.

 

On October 31, Halloween day, they will be holding a program with kids at the local �Y�with activities, food and refreshments.

 

K. Alwes asked in regards to the topic of improved safety on campus, �Is there anything we can do as faculty?Because it is such a really good project and if there is some way we can help?�

 

Scala responded that writing an e-mail or a letter to Facilities and UPD would be helpful.He mentioned that the campus is looking at the gps system currently used at Owego consisting of a key chain that can be used in emergencies where university police can track anyone within 15 feet.

 

M. King said, �I am sure if you ask the Vice President for Student Affairs he�d be delighted to help.�

 

Dr. Peagler reported that he is currently in the midst of offering assistance.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 1:59 PM

 

 

Respectully Submitted,

 

Barbara Kissel

Recording Secretary

 

 

Respectively Submitted,

 

Barbara Kissel

Staff Assistant/

Recording Secretary

 

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