FACULTY SENATE MINUTES NO. 4
October 21, 2003
1.� CALL TO ORDER: The 4th
meeting of the Faculty Senate for 2003-2004 was called to order at 1:10 PM on
September 30, 2003 in the Jacobus Lounge, Brockway Hall, by Chair Jeffrey
Walkuski.
SENATORS AND MEMBERS
PRESENT: J. Walkuski, B. Jackson, P.
Buckenmeyer, K. Coombs, B. Mattingly, D. Berger, P. Walsh, G. Beadle, K. Alwes,
J. Cottone, J. Hokanson, L. Anderson, M. Friga, J. Rayle, J. Peluso, K.
Pristash, A. Johnson, S. VanEtten, P. Schroeder, A.� Young, T. Phillips, D. Walker, E. Bang, D. Stevens,
E. Bitterbaum, R. Franco, W. Shaut, C. Plunkett, E. McCabe, T. Fay, M. Ali
SENATORS AND MEMBERS
ABSENT: J. Rayle, M. Chandler, A.
Johnson, E. Davis-Russell, J. Governali, C. Poole
GUESTS PRESENT: P. Francis, D. Fish, P. Koryzno, C. Malone, M. Prus,
J. Mosser, S. Meyer
II. SENATE ACTIONS:
There were no Senate actions.
III.� APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: There was a
motion to approve the minutes as amended from September 16, 2003.� The amendment was that the motion for
addition of Athletic staff to the search committees called for the Chair to appoint
two members from Athletic training staff but did not require any changes in the
College Handbook.� The motion for
changing the timing of the consultative committees to spring and fall by
Philip Walsh was also inadvertently omitted.
IV. CHAIR�S REPORT:
Chair Walkuski opened by
announcing newly elected Senators: Pam Schroeder (Classified Staff), John
Cottone and Jim Hokanson, (HPER-ESSS), Josh Peluso, Kevin Pristash and
Maryangela Chandler (Professional Staff).
Walkuski went on to report
that, based on the motion from the previous meeting, Mike Urtz,� Julie Lenhart and Sonya Comins, Athletic
training staff, have been elected as representatives for the Athletic Director
search by the President.
The chair gave an update on
the reconstruction committee which met last week and reported they had a very
productive meeting. They looked at several models of possible Faculty Senate
representation.� He has asked committee
members to get back with their constituent groups and obtain feedback.� Next Tuesday an e-mail will be sent out to
voting faculty to present 3-4 different models.�
On November 4 there will be an Open Meeting at the Senate to discuss
those particular models.� Using that
feedback on November 4 the reconstruction committee will meet and put forth a
model to voting faculty for approval.�
V.� VICE CHAIR�S REPORT:
There was no report.
VI.� TREASURER� S REPORT:
Treasurer Coombs thanked
those individuals who have paid their dues: Bernard Jackson, Tim Phillips,
Bruce Mattingly, Phil Buckenmeyer, Jeff Walkuski, Chris Poole, Lynn
Anderson.� She encouraged those who
wanted to pay their dues to do so after the meeting.� There is only $120 left in the Senate checking
account for funding this year�s scholarship.�
She reminded the Senate the desperate need for dues.
Walkuski mentioned some ways
of raising money for scholarship, in addition to the Capital Campaign, where
one can donate either through payroll deduction or a one-time gift. The
Steering Committee has also discussed other creative ideas to raise funds,
which will be revealed at a later date.
VII.� SECRETARY�S REPORT:
No report.
VIII.� PRESIDENT�S REPORT:
President Bitterbaum reported
that he visited the SUNY System the day before where two faculty were being
honored through the Research Foundation systemwide, Tim Baroni and Tom
Lickona.� He went up to two Vice
Chancellors beforehand to inquire about monies for our institution and also
what the future holds for the State of New York. He reported good and bad
news.� The bad news from the Governor�s
office is that next year, 2004-2005, could be one of the �bloodiest for the
history of the State of New York.��
Because funding education is discretionary those monies could be used to
balance the budget.� Some draconian
measures would be not filling lines and/or delay hiring people.� He announced a drive to raise federal
dollars, with an invitation to Congressman Boehlert who will be here on campus
with his staff to visit Outdoor Recreation and other areas, since he sits as
chair of the appropriations committee.�
There are 3 major projects earmarked, the Center for Obesity, the Center
for Economic Literacy, and a 1.2 million dollar grant from local school
districts to buy technology, which will benefit school age children in New
York.� Mark Prus will represent Arts and
Sciences, Ray Goldberg representing Professional Studies, and Amy
Henderson-Harr representing Education, since Ed Capparella is unable to attend
due to another commitment.
The College Council is
meeting regarding fundraising efforts. Since there are 535,000 living alumni,
subsequently the college will be hiring 3 major gift officers, one for each
school, to raise additional funds.� He
commented on the wonderful comments he shared with parents who visited over
Parents Weekend.� He will be visiting
Long Island and Manhattan, especially Madison Avenue.� There are 400 living alums in New York City
who are very active in financial services.�
We need to build relations with these people to assist us
financially.� He went to Hudson Valley
and then to Myrtle Beach to renew some interest in the Myrtle Beach Warriors.
He finished by saying there are a lot of opportunities out there.
He told a story about Rob
Nefsky, an alumnus, who attended SUNY Cortland to play football, was injured with
a leg injury and put on academic probation.��
However, Bill Rogers, former Chair Political Science Department,
encouraged him academically.� Nefsky
realized he was �not dumb, but lazy,� and with the assistance of devoted
faculty such as Rogers, he ended up on the Dean�s List when he graduated.� He then got an internship with Governor Cuomo�s
office, moved to Washington, DC, served on Vice President Dan Quayle�s staff,
and became a power broker. He is retiring at 45 and setting up a family
foundation and renewing ties with the Cortland.�
Doug DeRancy and others were credited for making contact with him.� President Bitterbaum reinforced that we need
to know these stories for public relations efforts.
He ended his report saying
there has been a successful group of prospective students with 2,000 guests
visiting Parent�s Weekend and 400 students registered.
IX.� QUESTIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT:
David Berger asked that since
Congressman Boehlert is involved with NSF if he is also involved with NIH.
The President replied that
although he is a staunch environmentalist, he is a bit out of step with some
people in his party, and he is not affiliated with NIH.� Bitterbaum said that they did appoint him to
chair NSF, which has 22 colleges and universities in his district.� He plans to walk Boehlert through Bowers to
possibly gain his interest in the building which is in need of major
renovation.
Tim Phillips asked about the
President�s comment referring to next year as the �bloodiest year.��
Bitterbaum explained that
because k-12 is constitutionally mandated, they want to alert the campuses,
because it could mean a 5-7 billion dollar structural deficit. He stressed his
hope that the Trustees, UUP and everyone else speak up. The Governor has
fiduciary responsibility for balancing the state budget and has to accomplish
it. It may hit the nadir next year, most likely, he reported. �All vital signs
don�t look good,� he said.
Alwes asked about using
higher education to balance the budget.
President Bitterbaum�s response
was, �They always have.��
Alwes asked for clarification
that the state funding could decline or be taken away.�
Bitterbaum explained that if
there is a 15% cut, Cortland could make up the deficit in raising additional
funds, or as less people retire the more we cut back on our budget. He said
city schools have already taken cuts, as well as other colleges which have cut
lines, including SUNY schools.
Someone asked the question,
referring to a couple of years ago, when we had more students than the state
wanted us to have. They asked for clarification if this were true.
Bitterbaum remarked that this
is a complex issue. It involves capacity being used as a formula for funding
the community colleges. They also want to hold enrollment at centers and four
year colleges.� He added that �I made my
case. We have capacity in the dorms. The answer is no.�� In other states where classes with an
enrollment of 35 suddenly become 55, this cheapens the quality of degrees.
Fish encouraged everyone, �With
those constraints on us, it might call us to think internally about where we
want to be three years now, in terms of quality perception of value and in the
pecking order of SUNY comprehensives, constraints....where do we want to be in
terms of stability, flexibility and attractiveness to the general population.�
Bitterbaum said there were
9,3000 applications this year and we have accepted little less than half.� However, he had good news as far as
enrollment, and he let Fish report it.
Fish explained that the
percentage of students who have labeled us their first, second or third choice
is steadily growing: 65% of students applying we are now their first or second
choice and this is the first time in our institutional history.
Dan Walker asked about why
the college is renovating buildings when there are budget constraints.
Bitterbaum explained that
dorm renovations are secured with a 25-40 year bond with very low interest
rates. He also mentioned the in-fill project, where a dorm is being build in
between two dorms.
Alwes asked about other years
when retrenchment was used.
Bitterbaum replied that we
have downsized to a point where �it depends on how bloody,� but he is
optimistic, and if it ends up 8-10 million dollars, we really are at the mercy
of the economy.� We used to be state
supported, then state assisted, now state located, and he encouraged anyone
with positive initiatives to contribute them.
Berger asked about the dorm
project.
Bitterbaum, first of all,
mentioned that we are renovating a dorm per year. He went on to explain that,
due to a lack of housing, a new dorm is being built in between Hayes and
Hendrick halls.� He apologized because it
started during Taylor�s administration and he thought that everyone already
knew about it.� There wasn�t any room for
a new dorm so someone came up with the novel idea of placing it there, which is
a good use of space.� Parents want their
kids in dorms as freshman, at least, and since we have become maxed out, in
order to keep students here we need to be able to accommodate them.
X. QUESTIONS FOR THE
VICE PRESIDENTS:
No questions for the Vice
Presidents.
XI. STANDING COMMITTEE
REPORTS:
Long Range Planning
Committee - No report.
Educational Policy
Committee - No report.
�
Student Affairs Committee - No report.
Faculty Affairs Committee - No report.
XII. SUNY SENATOR�S
REPORT:
Phillips announced that he
would be attending the SUNY Plenary meeting at SUNY Oswego on Friday and
Saturday.� Topics on the agenda include
discussing systemwide assessment, with part of the process being value added
assessment.� He wanted to gauge Cortland
sentiment and bring it back to the meeting. Many other campuses feel pretty
strongly and are passing resolutions against the Memorandum of Understanding,
such as Albany, Brockport and the Council of Community Colleges. Phillips
received an e-mail from Joe Hildreth, President of UFS, and attached was a
resolution from Plattsburgh.� Hildreth�s
stance is that university wide assessment is going to happen, a resolution was
passed by the Board of Trustees to implement it, and despite all positions it�s
going to happen anyway.� Looking at the
Memo of Understanding developed by a group of faculty members revising the
ninth draft to work out procedures and safeguards, so assessment will go
through with as little resistance as possible.�
Phillips said Hildreth�s position is, �would you rather participate or
be left out of the process?� Other faculty members are hard liners and strongly
opposed to it. Phillips says he agrees with Hildreth that it is better to be
included in the process.
Alwes asked about funding
mandates and would our voice help amend it and come upon reasonable solutions.
Bitterbaum responded that his
understanding is it is funded now.�
Vanetten said the system is
not refunding it but there is some flexibility
Berger asked if we are
assessing our own programs, do they develop other assessments, and if some
overlap doesn�t exist.
Bitterbaum said funding may
come from the colleges with the state taxing the colleges and giving us the
money back later.� Hildreth is pragmatic,
�If we�re going to do it let�s do it well so it fits our campus.� This is the
first time in history there will be funding for the campuses to do this.
Friga discussed some
contradictions in the document itself, involving learning assessed critical
thinking and reasoning. He questioned some of the validity and thinks that they
will access the instruments and then decide their worth.� He talked about alignment, accountability,
validation of measures, so that it measures the same thing.� Three or four people would define critical
thinking differently.� He referred to
Section 2.0, where it refers to assessability, whether the parallels system can
be translated into SUNY standards, same criteria for everyone in the context of
this.
Francis said, basically, it
has to do more with each individual campus and if there is some kind of course
to determine SUNY assessability. The campus is working to develop instruments
by itself.� She said, �Although nobody
wants accountability there is a lot interest in it.�
Friga said Gradin Avery and
his office were assessing all areas but they gave up because they couldn�t come
up with valid measures.� Systemwide
assessment didn�t work, he said, and there is concern about data being misused
by administrators to determine course offerings.
Berger asked how do they
satisfy what decisions have to be made as to how it�s done. Would they use
those numbers to �say students score lower on this campus so let�s....that kind
of thinking?�
A Senator responded that they
don�t see that happening in the short term. They will see what we do on a
particular instrument and change the program using that instrument.�� But, he added, �it puts pressure on the
faculty to say this is what they want us to teach, how can I get students to
score better on tests?�
Mattingly commented about the
appendix where it addressed concerns and safeguards.�� �Faculty have no interest in creating
standardized curriculum where this is going to assess the foundation of
learning at all SUNY institutions.�� He
was involved in GE assessment in the Mathematics Department and has been in
contact with other colleagues at SUNY schools, and arithmetic needs to be
addressed. He said another colleague told him the Math guidelines at his
college looked more like high school requirements than college.�� He spoke about the principle of value added
standardized assessment, asking �how can they test for arithmetic if the
foundation is so low it doesn�t address things what we teach, then it�s not
going to work...there were a lot of problems last year.� They found students in
data analysis statistical courses didn�t do well in Geometry, which makes
sense, he said. There are a lot of issues.�
He mentioned last year for GE they just got a list of methods criteria
for arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data analysis and quantitative reasoning
Francis clarified these as
learning outcomes.
Mattingly said since we didn�t
develop learning outcomes, �I would just as soon have someone tell us how those
things are being assessed.�� One
colleague told him they didn�t even bother trying to do an assessment across
courses, but assess each course, and everybody took their own approach. But
asked Mattingly he wonders, �Who�s doing it right?�
Vanetten said general
education assessment requires a tailored view for each institution where you
have to develop your own instruments such as essays and different practices
across the campuses.� They are intending to
look at it to see how they are doing it, come up with common guidelines for
performance purposes, and proposing summative evaluation across the system as a
whole.
Bitterbaum mentioned
arithmetic is a big issue at community colleges.
Phillips mentioned student�s
different levels of preparation coming in from community colleges as compared
to those coming here. He said one assessment would not fit all.
VanEtten responded, �I would
be negative entertaining an intense in-house assessment instrument.� He
announced that they are proposing volunteers take part in a two year pilot
study.�
Bitterbaum suggested that
Phillips bring comments, such as Friga�s, to share.� He said he wants our faculty to be part of
pilot project. �We have good thinkers on this campus and I would like us to
become part of the discussion.� He felt it is too time consuming to come up
with your own instrument and very unfair to compare a student from TC 3 to a
student who goes here.
Phillips received a response
from Philosophy saying they met and discussed assessment and are against the
concept.
Jackson, has vision of how he
thinks and what kids should learn philosophically. He said �show me an
instrument beforehand.� He is against reinventing the wheel on each campus and
pointed out we did it a couple years ago.
Alwes expressed concern about
curriculum changes. She wondered how they could make assurances curriculum won�t
be affected.� �We don�t like it when
someone tells us what our curriculum should be. This is supposed to be a tool
that must be used on different campuses.��
She felt it presented a problem.
Phillips joked that they
scheduled this volatile issue for only an hour of discussion to take place
Friday afternoon.
XIII STUDENT SENATORS:
Dan Walker mentioned two
initiatives from Student Government, one regarding the Tomik Fitness Facility,
that it be open two hours earlier on the weekends. They also would like the
Memorial Library open earlier, either Saturday and/or Sunday. He mentioned this
as a possible deterrent to late night partying. The gym facility doesn�t open
until noon and, contrary to popular belief, some students get up before noon.
The library doesn�t open until 11 on Saturdays and noon on Sundays. Lorraine
Melita, Library, has offered to take their concerns to Gail Wood, Library
Director.� Although the library has no
more money for resources, student senators did approve a motion stating their
desire to change library hours, at least on Sunday, although no resolution has
been formalized yet.
Fish commented her
encouragement for the cause, but wanted to remind the students, �Be sure that
the committee who is formulating resource and cost issues, speaks with the
students about tweaking the schedules on some other end where usage is less,�
so there additional funding is not required.��
Ellen McCabe added that the
library hours are 101 a week, and shifting it earlier is a possibility, with
maybe closing it earlier on lower usage days. If it stays open 101 hours they
still have the resources.� She said the
usage has to be justified and because it wasn�t being used enough the library
opens later on the weekend.
Coombs mentioned that 7% of
the library�s resources are available via the Web. She was inquiring if
concerned students just needed a quiet place to study, take out a book, or do
research, which could be done electronically.
XIV. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Committee on Committees - No report.
��
XV. NEW BUSINESS:
No new business.
XVI.� AREA SENATORS REPORTS:
Senator Berger has been
re-elected to the Senate serving Social and Behavioral Sciences.
XVIIPRESENTATIONS:�
Steven Meyer Athletic
Training, ESSS, gave a presentation entitled, �Public Access to Defibrilation.�
He announced the defibrilators are almost all up and running and all will be
fully wired and installed shortly. They are extremely smart, portable machines,
that can bring someone back to life in the case of a sudden cardiac arrest
where the heart has stopped working.� 14
units are presently on campus, with two in training, one in UPD, and one in the
Athletics office. All UPD officers will be trained.� The original intent was to have 30 on every
campus, but since there was not enough money, 13 were purchased by us and 1 by
SGA.�� 11 units will be housed in wall
cabinets.� If you open the door a loud
alarm will go off alerting someone and also to prevent theft and vandalism.� There is also a strobe light and another
alarm will go off to alert UPD, like the blue light system on campus.� It will notify student groups on campus and
TLC, with an �all hands on deck� approach.�
300-400 people have already trained in adult CPR, and by end of year
800-1000 will be trained to use the equipment, which is very user friendly. It
has two buttons and voice prompts with instructions on back about what to do
and not to do, along with CPR skills on the bottom. Since time is of the
essence, they hope to have any unit respond within 4 minutes from anywhere on
campus. He then gave a demonstration and asked for questions.
Alwes asked if lay people
could do it. Meyer responsed that they are starting off with training people
first but any layperson who has never seen or used one should be able to.
Berger asked if could be used
with pacemaker.� Meyer said it can.�� They discussed the difference between
defibrilators and pacemakers but Meyer confirmed that it can be used with a
pacemaker, however, you can�t place the defibrilators directly on the
pacemaker.
Berger asked if there is liability
involved.� Meyer said if you follow the
instructions carefully you will be safe from any liability.
Plunkett asked about classes
on training. Meyer said right now most training is focused on RA staff, PE,
Health 120, Life guarding, programs within ESSS, and in order go graduate with
PE modules. Retraining courses are available. The campus rescue squad has
training classes at least once a month, and Meyer reported that he�s been
running classes on it once a week since August. Classes are also available in
town through the American Heart Association.
Plunkett asked about classes
during daytime hours to accommodate staff and faculty members. Meyer said that
groups of 6-8 people can be trained at one time and such training can be
arranged through the American Red Cross, taking 3-4 hours.� For certain groups Meyer will try and do as
much as he can.
Bitterbaum said every
building has one and if several people in every building can operate one it is
a good thing.
There was a round of applause
for Meyer for his presentation.��
The meeting was adjourned at
2:30 PM.
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) Administration�s report
to the Senate submitted by President Bitterbaum.
http://www.cortland.edu/senate/minutes/m4th.html
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