FACULTY SENATE MINUTES NO. 14
May 3,
2005
CALL TO
ORDER: The 14th meeting of the Faculty
Senate for 2004-2005 was called to order at 1:15 PM on April 19, 2005 in the
Park Center Hall of Fame Room by Chair Ram Chaturvedi. ����������
SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT: R. Chaturvedi, J. Rayle, P. Buckenmeyer,
C. DeGouff, D. Driscoll, D. Berger, M. King, K. Alwes, J. Cottone, K. Rombach, B. Griffen,
K. Pristash, D. Ritchie, A. Young, P. Schroeder, D. Walker, D. Vegas, M. K. Boland,
E. Bitterbaum, E. Davis-Russell, R. Franco, W. Shaut, J. Governali, G. Clarke, J. Cottone,
D. Kreh
SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT: P. Walsh, L. Anderson (sabbatical), J. Peluso,
D. Canaski, M. Barduhn, T. Phillips, C. Plunkett
GUESTS PRESENT: G. Levine, J. Mosser, P. Koryzno, R. Olsson, M. Prus, E. Caffarella,
Y. Murnane, S. Rayl, D. Barclay, M. Yacavone
I.� APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The Minutes
from April 19 were approved as amended.
II.
SENATE ACTIONS:
The Senate approved
the appointed members for Faculty Senate Committees {SEE Committee on
Committee�s Report below} (Passed)
The Senate
approved the proposal from the EPC Committee regarding Transfer Credit Catalog
Description Change (Passed)
III.
CHAIR�S REPORT:
The chair opened by expressing his thanks to the President for the luncheon which President Bitterbaum had graciously agreed to pay for.� He then reported on a white paper written by J. Barry regarding search committees which would probably be undertaken by the chair of the Faculty Senate next year, although Chaturvedi said he had been advised by the parliamentarian that he could not dictate such.� Chaturvedi also welcomed M. King as Vice Chair.� He reported on issues recently discussed by the Steering Committee, such as the Faculty Affairs Committee, which has had a joint meeting with Deans and the Provost in an attempt to streamline personnel policy issues.� The Committee on Committees has completed elections with most offices having been filled.� The search for the Associate Provost of Academic Affairs, he stated, is ongoing.� He also mentioned that there have been no nominations from the School of Education and asked if there were any from the floor.� The parliamentarian said the Committee on Committee�s could be authorized by the Senate to fill those seats to alleviate any delay.� The chair reported that the Senate has to appoint two people for this search committee, and he put forward the names of Eunice Miller and Gradin Avery.� Chaturvedi also reminded those people who need to run elections to do so to keep the Senate operating efficiently.
Kreh stated that since the Senate has now been restructured he had talked to Senators who need to run elections and that they have agreed to do it.
Chaturvedi thanked T. Pasquarello, chair, and D. Barclay, for their efforts on the Senate Reconstruction Committee.
G. Clarke asked who runs the Senate elections and the Chair replied that it is the responsibility of area senators.
At the close of the meeting the chair handed the Senate gavel to the incoming Chair, Joseph Rayle, and there was a hearty round of applause in approval.
IV. VICE CHAIR�S REPORT:
No report.
V.� SECRETARY�S
REPORT:
The outgoing Secretary, P. Buckenmeyer, thanked the Faculty Senate for the privilege of serving and said, �I don�t know of any other forums on campus that allow you to do this� and expressed that it allowed him a vehicle of placing names with faces, and added, �It is really a great opportunity to interact with students, faculty and administration.� I approve and support� those who serve in the Faculty Senate.�
VI. TREASURER�S REPORT:
No report.
VII.�
PRESIDENT�S REPORT:
The President reported about the incoming class of 1072 freshmen. He said his office is quite excited because although they don�t have the GPA�s, SAT scores, or information regarding those who were class Presidents and other data, indicating it is a very strong class.� He then mentioned �Make a Difference Day� the following day and encouraged everyone to pitch in and contribute.� Bitterbaum then reported on the new flex schedule which will be tried out next year.� The next item of business was the Contento field, a ground field which has been worked on tangentially, including the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department, offering Para-Olympics. He said
D. Craft is involved in a group that has preliminary approval for a 50,000 square foot building, including a summer football turf in Casey Fields next door, involving academic expertise, the Center for Obesity, Disability Studies, and a Gateway Center offering activities for those with disabilities.� Regarding the new Education Building, those involved are trying to get an architect by early this summer. Bitterbaum stated that in all 64 SUNY�s everybody wants to be the first in line for these buildings and he said, �We hope to be the first.�� He also mentioned other timely ongoing campus initiatives such as diversity, civic engagement, and the news that next fall there will be 160 new yellow bikes which have been donated to the community bike program.
VIII. PROVOST�S REPORT:
The Provost reminded everyone that the upcoming Thursday would be the faculty and staff professional awards luncheon and encouraged faculty to attend and support their colleagues.� She said that if faculty submitted in their requests publication titles and dates, that information would be recognized.� Last Wednesday and Thursday, Davis-Russell reported, nine individuals from the campus attended a conference on assessment sponsored by the SUNY system. The focus was the last phase of assessment which is SUNY wide assessment, otherwise known as value added, which specifically evaluates critical thinking, quantitative skills and basic communication. There are 3 options for assessment instruments, she said, one being a nationally standardized assessment instrument which the system will pay for, if the campus decides to go in that direction. The second alternative is that the campus can develop its own instrument, and the third option is an instrument adopted by an established panel composed of SUNY faculty from across the system. She said, in consulting with Mary Kennedy, both were very pleased with what the writing people have done. She further reported that critical thinking was not as well developed, however, although credible, with quantitative skills being the least convincing.� Several people attended a conference on the topic along with D. Barclay and M. Prus.� The plan will eventually come to the Faculty Senate for its approval which would be available early on in the semester allowing for a very short period of time to develop it.�
IX. STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Long Range Planning Committee - No report.
Educational Policy Committee -The first report was about the General Education and Educational Policy Committees who were charged with establishing policies regarding to the working status and operations of both committees. The second plan is to develop proposals and come up with a GE committee report which will come back to the Faculty Senate for its approval. The committee is working on guidelines for submitting proposals, reviewing college policies and completed guidelines.
Student Affairs Committee - No report.
Faculty Affairs Committee - G. Clarke reported that his committee approved the History Department�s personnel policies.
College Research Committee - No report.
General Education Committee - Governali reported on behalf of the committee that last year the General Education Task force, which has been working since last year, came up with proposals and started receiving actions involving another round of survey in the fall with more input of data.� The committee will make its recommendation to the Provost. A proposal is being reviewed to bring together the two GE programs and those on the committee are looking forward to the reaction from the faculty.
X. SUNY SENATOR�S REPORT: - No report.
XI. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Committee on Committees - The nominations were read as to the following Senate offices: Vice Chair, Melvyn King; Treasurer, Colleen DeGouff.� The nominations for Secretary are being tallied by J. Barry and results will be out shortly.� The appointed seats for Faculty Senate Committees approved by the floor: Facilities & Master Plan Oversight (at large), John Cottone; College Curriculum Review (Library), Marc Wildman; College Research Committee (Library), Gretchen Herrmann; Committee on Teaching Awards (A & S), Jean LeLoup; Committee on Teaching Awards (Professional Studies), Bonnie Hodges; Education Policy Committee (Professional Studies), John Cottone; Faculty Affairs Committee (Library), Lorraine Melita; Long Range Planning (Soc/Beh. Sci), Tim Phillips, Long Range Planning (Ed/Speech Path.), Janet Ford; Long Range Planning (Professional Staff), Liz McCartney; Student Affairs Committee (Ed/Speech Path.), Pamela Summers; Student Affairs Committee (Library), Mark Connell.
XII. OLD BUSINESS:
The EPC Committee proposal regarding Transfer Credit
Catalog Description Change was discussed. J. Governali introduced it again and
started out by mentioning that he had invited M. Yacavone to speak and address
questions. He said that basically what his committee has done is clarify the
existing policy by noting that the 64 credit maximum which the college allows
to be transferred from two year colleges includes "any 100 or 200 level
Advanced Placement, College Level Examination Program, College Proficiency or
International Baccalaureate credits." That is, those credits must be
counted as part of the 64 maximum and not in addition to that maximum. The lack
of clarity in this statement led to some problems in the past by people not
understanding just what the policy was.
D. Ritchie asked about the difference in the new
proposal and the existing policy relating to students with the AA or AS degree
and General Education.
Yacavone replied that incoming students are given 64
credits regardless of whether they have an AA or AS degree and this
clarification does not impact existing policies related to General Education
and transfer students.
Vegas asked if a student takes the courses in
college, having already received the same credit in taking high school AP
courses if both would not transfer in?
Yacavone responded in the affirmative.
Vegas asked if this constituted a change in existing
policy?
Yacavone said the problem occurs when students take
courses at a community college and then come to Cortland and want to take a
CLEP exam in an attempt to get additional credits. He said the policy was initially
put in place for students here but not students coming in, saying, "We
have tried to change those policies that really work for both students, the
ones already here and those who want to take it somewhere else."
M. King asked a question regarding the wording
change involving 100 or 200 level courses, "Does that mean you can�t take
lower level courses at community colleges?"
Yacavone responded that community colleges, by their
nature, don't offer courses above the 200 level, but some of their courses are
transferred as 300 or 400 level courses. Cortland academic departments have
identified them as being equivalent to our upper level courses and we,
therefore, transfer them in as those courses. He said we have to address some
of the issues where traditional two-year schools in the SUNY system are
offering 300 or 400 level courses. A student coming from a two year school can
take a course at the 100 or 200 level for a 400 level course at Cortland, that
wouldn't change.
M. King asked what is the logic of taking a lower
division course and making it an upper division course here?
Yacavone said that the decision is made by
departments who review the course and evaluate the contents by looking at the
course catalog description in order to determine how the course should be
transferred into Cortland. So if the student took a 200 level course which is
really equivalent to a 200 level course that we offer, the department has the
ability to make that decision.
M. King asked if a student takes a 200 level course
at a community college, is that equivalent to a 100 level course here?
Yacavone responded that he has not seen that
instance on this campus.
Bitterbaum mentioned the college in Missouri where
he previously taught, referring to an ornithology course taught for fun which
was very similar to the one he taught. He said his was at the 400 level but
both courses had the same labs, and the other course was recognized as being in
reality a 400 level course.
The Provost said that the system is hoping to have a
seamless process where students from community colleges can transfer to 4 year
college and have their credits accepted. Campuses such of ours will now be
called to task where we have not accepted courses involving agreements where
those courses should have been accepted. She noted that "We need to keep
this issue in mind when we develop these actions."
Yacavone said that for the last 7 or 8 years the
community colleges have offered the content of those courses which really do
meet 300 or 400 level courses. He felt that this was a good practice so we
would not require students to take the same content again since they have
already completed it and satisfied those course requirements.
Provost Davis-Russell mentioned working with several
program's and department's articulation agreements. She said in talking
recently with community colleges such as OCC, they have stated that they want
to hear what we expect in their preparing students to transfer to campuses such
as ours, so that when they develop their curriculum those qualities are
reflected in the curriculum. The Provost stated that conversations need to be
ongoing, first looking at our major feeder institutions, and that Angela
DeGroat has been working with departments developing agreements with those
programs.
Bitterbaum referred to an e-mail he had received
from Margaret Spellings, the Secretary of Education, involving the need for a
seamless program as related to the federal government and student loans. He said
there has been enough outcry from the people at
community colleges involving college credits where those colleges, in the end,
are having a problem. He ended by saying, "When the federal government
gets involved...the topic has come up...it is not something I look forward
to."
The Provost said that SUNY has been chosen as a site
in an attempt to work on the problem and that Angela DeGroat is going to
Albany, along with Mary Ann Wood and Mike Johnson, to represent Cortland.
Davis-Russell reported that Margaret Spellings did say in February that the
Department of Education wants to see across the nation, regardless of
institutions, state or private, that a student can move anywhere within this
nation and not lose credits, or that a student can take his or her credits
anywhere and continue his or her education without the institution saying they
won�t accept the credits. She finished by saying, "That�s the goal,
starting first with institutions that accept federal dollars."
Alwes said it that it makes her curious because if
that�s the goal, the responsibility is to make sure that happens. She asked,
referring to community colleges or four year colleges,
"Are they going to have courses that are acceptable, or is it up to
the 4 year colleges to accept whatever is before them...have they thought that
far ahead?"
The Provost responded that in looking at SUNY at
this point, there are several steps that have been taken to insure that
students transfer seamlessly. They are developing of template for looking at
courses from 4 year colleges and whether or not these are the courses offered
by 2 year colleges, and if we would find these acceptable. She noted that
"We said yes to many of them, but afterwards we found them unacceptable
and that things of this nature would become part of the template."
Yacavone finished by saying his office wants to
clarify two parts to the issue involving articulation agreements vs.
equivalencies, and that when new college catalogs come in from community
colleges, his office has a web page of equivalencies and they look at each
class involving anything at the 100 level or above. We offer credit,
however, it may not be the credit that the community college had in mind.
Articulation agreements are a more formal process.
XIII. NEW BUSINESS:
No new business.
XIV.� AREA SENATORS REPORTS:
No reports.
XV. SUNY SENATOR: No report.
XVI. STUDENT SENATOR REPORTS:
D. Vegas reported that Festivus was attended and was a huge success. The SGA held their elections with almost 200 students voting representing about a 50% increase, and Vegas was very proud to announce that Mary Kate Boland will be SGA President next year.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:03 PM
Respectively Submitted,
Barbara Kissel
Recording Secretary
http://www.cortland.edu/senate/minutes/m14.html
�
�
�
�