FACULTY SENATE MINUTES NO. 8

�����������������January 30, 2007

1. CALL TO ORDER:  The eighth meeting of the Faculty Senate for 2006-2007 was called to order at 1:15 PM on January 30 in the Hall of Fame Room, Park Center by Chair Melvyn King.

SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT:� M. King, K. Alwes, E. McCabe, D. Berger, I. Jubran, R. Spitzer, D. Miller, D. West, L. Anderson, J. Governali, J. Hendrick, J. Rayle, E. Jampole, J. Mosher, J. Sitterly, B.Tobin, T. Slack, J. Walkuski, M. Ware, B. Schechter, P. Schroeder, K. Boyes, M. Scala, C. Schacht, E. Bitterbaum, E. Davis-Russell, R. Franco, R. Peagler, E. McCabe, J. Cottone, G. Clarke, S. Anderson, M. Connell, V. Marty

SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT: K. Lawrence, P. Quaglio, G. Zarate, J. Casciani, D. Sidebottom, D. Ritchie

GUESTS PRESENT:� �H. Wilson, G. Levine, R. Olsson, M. Prus, E. Caffarella, Y. Murnane

II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

The Minutes from November 28, 2006 were approved.

III. SENATE ACTIONS:

There was a vote by acclamation to commend Michael Scala for his contribution to SUNY Cortland as Vice President of the Student Government Association (Passed)

The resolution from the Steering Committee regarding the withdrawal policy was withdrawn by unanimous consent. (Passed)

IV. CHAIR�S REPORT:

M. King announced the names of the individuals elected to serve on the Campus Governance Review Committee: Howard Botwinick, Randy Storch, Andrea LaChance, Joseph Rayle, Kath Howarth, Susan Wilson, Glen Clarke, Ellen McCabe, Laurie Klotz.� Chairman King reported that he would be e-mailing those people to ask them to convene a meeting and elect a chairperson.

V.  VICE CHAIR�S REPORT:

K. Alwes - No report.

VI. SECRETARY�S REPORT:

E. McCabe �  No report.

VII. TREASURER�S REPORT:

D. Berger - No report.

VIII. PRESIDENT�S REPORT:

The President gave a brief report.

IX. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Long Range Planning Committee � D. Ritchie - No report. (absent)

Educational Policy Committee � J. Cottone - No report.

Student Affairs Committee � M. Connell, Chair � Connell reported that the Student Affairs Committee will be working on the Faculty Senate Scholarship and meeting with officers from SGA regarding areas of concern.

Faculty Affairs Committee � G. Clarke, Chair � No report (absent)

College Research Committee � No report.

General Education Committee � M. McGuire, Chair - No report.

Committee on Committees � E. McCabe reminded everyone of the e-mail sent out by J. Barry regarding committee vacancies

.XII. AREA SENATOR�S REPORTS: - No reports

XIII. SUNY SENATOR�S REPORT � T. Phillips, SUNY Senator Alternate, gave a report on the Winter Plenary he attended.

XIV. STUDENT SENATOR�S REPORTS:

M. Scala gave a brief speech involving his resignation from the Student Government Association. The K. Boyes gave a brief report regarding the approval of Seth Brown as Vice President of SGA, participation in the search for the new Vice President of Institutional Advancement, reduction of e-mails being sent to different groups on campus. Anyone in need of student representatives was asked to contact her after the meeting.��� C. Schacht reported that SGA raised $65,048 last year from various groups on campus.

K. Alwes asked the Senate to recognize M. Scala for his contribution to SUNY Cortland as Vice President of the Student Government Association {SEE Senate Actions}

X. OLD BUSINESS:

There was no old business.

XI. NEW BUSINESS

The resolution from the Steering Committee for Faculty Senate consideration regarding the withdrawal policy, as distributed on e-mail, was introduced by Chairman King and brought to the floor for informational purposes only.� The Chair explained that the resolution would be on the agenda for the next meeting as Old Business for debate and vote. �The resolution was withdrawn by unanimous consent. ��{SEE Senate Actions}

Respectfully Submitted,

Barbara Kissel

Recording Secretary

The following reports are appended to the Minutes in the order reported and submitted by Senators and other members.

(1)� Resolution From the Steering Committee For Faculty Senate Consideration (below)

Resolution From the Steering Committee For Faculty Senate Consideration

When the proposal to allow students to withdraw from courses until the last few weeks of the semester without receiving a grade was considered by the Faculty Senate a few years ago its proponents argued that it would allow students to explore new academic areas without penalty. However, now that we have had a time to observe its overall effects, we are convinced that this change has not been beneficial. The number of late withdrawals has increased dramatically since the policy change (see the accompanying data complied by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment). Here are some reasons why we believe this policy should be changed:

1.�� We should be encouraging students to work hard to be successful, and to seek our assistance to perform better rather than quit.

2.�� The present policy tends to reduce the level of academic seriousness on campus and is contrary to the values portrayed in the College convocation and mission statement (e.g. �Our students gain skills, knowledge and conceptual understanding in their discipline; furthermore, they grow intellectually and acquire fundamental life skills and values�. �We strive to instill within students a sense of responsibility��).

3.�� The practice of withdrawing from a course merely to avoid receiving a low grade raises serious questions about the validity of a student�s grade point average at SUNY Cortland as a measure of academic performance for use with applications for employment and admission to graduate programs.

4.�� Withdrawals create problems for the completion of group assignments.

5.�� Students who sign up for a class mainly for exploratory purposes may be taking seats away from those who need the course and intend to stay with it.

6.�� Less affluent students who must rely on financial aid are more restricted under the present policy than other students because dropping a course may jeopardize their eligibility for that aid.

Therefore be it resolved that:

The present academic policy on withdrawal from courses be changed such that students must receive the current grade earned at the time of withdrawal (preceeded by a W) recorded on their academic record.

http://www.cortland.edu/senate/minutes.0607min8.html