FACULTY SENATE MINUTES #10

                                                  March 4, 2008

 

1. CALL TO ORDER:  The tenth meeting of the Faculty Senate for 2007-2008 was

called to order at 1:10 PM on March 4, 2008 in the Park Center Hall of Fame Room

by Chair Karla Alwes.

 

SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT:  K. Alwes, B. Buxton, E. McCabe,

D. Berger, I. Jubran, K. Lawrence, N. Helsper, H. Botwinick, J. Shedd, D. Miller,

D. West, J. Reese, J. Walkuski, J. Governali, J. Hendrick, O. White, A. Dahlman,

D. Harrington, T. Vigers, D. Ritchie, T. Slack, M. Ware, S. Snell, J. Clark, C. Hahl,

J. Riddoch, E. Bitterbaum, E. Davis-Russell, R. Peagler, D. West, J. Ford, S. Anderson

 

SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT: J. Rayle, J. Duncan, B. Langhans,

D. Videto, B. Schecter, R. Franco, W. Shaut, M. Connell

 

GUESTS PRESENT: N. Aumann, P. Koryzno

 

II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:

The minutes from February 19, 2008 were approved.

 

III. SENATE ACTIONS:

There were no Senate actions taken.

 

A straw poll was taken at the Senate with the results below:

 

OPTION 1�������� (Departmental Model)������������������������������ (11 approved)��������������������

OPTION 1�������� (Departmental Model w/ modifications���� (16 approved)�

��� OPTION 1�������� (Departmental Model)������������������������������ (3 Not Approved)

 

IV. CHAIR�S REPORT:

The Chair mentioned the Provost�s search process with sessions being conducted the following

day involving Mark Prus and encouraged everyone to participate.

 

V. VICE CHAIR'S REPORT

B. Buxton � No report.

 

VI. SECRETARY�S REPORT:

E. McCabe - no report  

 

VII. TREASURER�S REPORT:

D. Berger � The Treasurer reported that there was $1071.69 in the Senate Treasury and thanked

everyone for contributing, indicating it a possible record amount.

 

VIII. PRESIDENT�S REPORT:

President Bitterbaum gave a brief report.

 

IX. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

Long Range Planning Committee � Janet Ford, co-chair � No report.

 

 

Educational Policy Committee � R. Kendrick, Chair � Donna West reported that her

committee met on February 21 and discussed Part II of the Review of Governance Report. She also

�indicated that the EPC Committee needs to be recharged by the Faculty Senate regarding the withdrawal policy.

 

Student Affairs Committee � M. Connell, Chair � No report (absent)

 

Faculty Affairs Committee � J. Walkuski, Chair � The Chair indicated that his committee has completed

reviewing the policies of the Philosophy Department which would be going to the chair that week.�

 

College Research Committee � No report.

 

General Education Committee � M. McGuire, Chair � No report (absent).�

 

X. OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

Committee on Committees � J. Barry, Chair � No report.

 

XI. AREA SENATOR�S REPORTS:

T. Slack gave a brief report on energy on campus for the month of January from the SUNY Task Force on Energy.

 

XII. SUNY SENATOR�S REPORT � M. Ware � No report.

 

XIII. STUDENT SENATOR�S REPORTS:

The students gave a brief report.

 

XIV. OLD BUSINESS

The Old Business regarding Voluntary Accountability was addressed.� Chairwoman Alwes indicated that although

the Steering Committee met and the issue was put on the agenda under Old Business, since there was not a

quorum at the Steering Committee, they would have to meet again and decide whether it should be an agenda

item for the next meeting.

 

XV. NEW BUSINESS �

Howard Botwinick, Chair of the Review of Governance Committee gave a brief introductory statement before the

discussion began involving Part I of the Review of Governance Report relating to the Faculty Senate structure�

{SEE Appendix 1}

 

After lengthy discussion a straw poll was taken at the Senate with the results below:

 

OPTION 1�������� (Departmental Model)������������������������������ (11 approved)��������������������

OPTION 1�������� (Departmental Model w/ modifications���� (16 approved)�

��� OPTION 1�������� (Departmental Model)������������������������������ (3 Not Approved)

 

Respectfully Submitted:

 

Barbara Kissel

Recording Secretary

The following reports are appended to the minutes in the order they are submitted:

 

(1)    Statement from H. Botwinick, Chair, Review of Governance Committee, submitted by H. Botwinick

 

APPENDIX 1

����������������������������� H. Botwinick, Chair, Review of Governance Committee

 

Points of Clarification in terms of Overall Process

1) The ROG Report is officially finished � It�s now up to Senate.
However, having said this, the Senate should consider that this report represents

- I year of work, collecting a great deal of input from the campus community
- Initial Forums, Numerous Interviews & perhaps the most significant faculty survey in years
       
163 out of 256 Academic Faculty, or 64% of the faculty responded to the survey.

- Moreover, our recommendations regarding: the reduction of Administrators, increasing academic faculty,  the removal of �student votes,  insuring that most standing committees are chaired by tenured academic faculty  --  All have clear support from the survey

- The Senate should also consider that the composition of the ROG Committee was very inclusive and was not dominated by A&S.  We had two members from each of the three academic schools, two professionals, one librarian and one ex officio representative from the Administration.

- Given all of this careful work based on a great deal of data, I would hope that the Senate would begin its deliberations by taking the committee�s recommendations seriously as a starting point for our deliberations.

2) What was the recent round of forums organized for?

Largely for educational purposes 
       
- to explain why ROG came up with these proposals
       
- to see if faculty had serious questions or objections to particular parts
       
- to see if we needed to further clarify certain points as the Senate moves towards its own recommendations

3) My proposal for today�s discussion is the following:

- We should move to an informal discussion of Option One as a Committee of the Whole and attempt to get a sense of what Senate members are thinking regarding this proposal.

        - how many support Option One as it stands
       
- how many would support the departmental model with a few changes
       
- how many are seriously opposed to the departmental model

- We should then frankly discuss why people support the proposal, or want to see some   changes - .

- If a few compromises are necessary to get a strong majority to support Option one, then we can discuss these possibilities.

4) At the next Faculty Senate Meeting, we will hopefully be ready to begin a more formal discussion of Option One, and be ready to make any compromise amendments that may be necessary to gain strong support for this model.

Thank you,

H.Botwinick



http://www.cortland.edu/senate/minutes/0708min10.html

 

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