I. CALL TO ORDER: The 10th meeting of the Faculty Senate for 2005-2006 was called to order at 1:15 PM on February 15, 2006 in the PER Hall of Fame Room by Chair Joseph Rayle.

SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT: J. Rayle, S. Rayl, D. Driscoll, D. Berger,

P. Quaglio, R. Spitzer, D. West, K. Alwes, J. Governali, J. Hendrick, K. Rombach, S. Stratton, B. Griffen, D. Sidebottom, J. Sitterly, V. Marty, B. Tobin, D. Ritchie, S. VanEtten, N. Tirado,

S. Brown, J. Clark, E. Bitterbaum, R. Franco, J. Cottone, G. Clark, D. Kreh

SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT: M. King, C. DeGouff, G. Zarate, L. Anderson,

J. Casciani, T. Phillips, P. Schroeder, E. Davis-Russell, W. Shaut, P. Buckenmeyer

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

E. Caffarella, Y. Murnane, D. Barclay, A. Clute, S. Coonrad (NYPRIG Project Coordinator)

There were no Senate actions.

Chairman Rayle welcomed everyone to the Faculty Senate explaining that the meeting would be a short one with no important business to conduct. He also reported that the committees would be bringing up reports later in the semester. Rayle mentioned the vacancies on various committees and encouraged people to take interest because the Faculty Senate accomplishes good things. He also discussed the nominations for next year�s Steering Committee and explained that later on in the semester parliamentarian David Kreh would give a timetable for positions including Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. He explained that if anyone had any interest he would be happy to discuss any opportunities regarding involvement pertaining to them.

No report (absent)

S. Rayl had no business to report but extended her condolences to President Bitterbaum on the passing of his friend, Dennis Weaver, to cancer.

Bitterbaum explained that although Weaver was ill he did not want the public to know. Dennis Weaver passed away last Friday. The President said that Weaver although received $15,000 for personal appearances he would come here for free, not accepting any reimbursement for his costs, for which Bitterbaum was truly grateful. Weaver had been here 9 times to give talks.

No report (absent)

Bitterbaum gave a brief report topics of major interest such as the budget, which he claimed looked very positive. He said that SUNY, as a system, requested 120 million dollars in budget funds to cover mandatory and base level costs. He said an additional 25 million is needed to hire faculty for a number of other important initiatives. The assembly approved a budget of 131 million dollars which was much higher than the Senate. Bitterbaum explained the Senate is working with 85 million. He said, "We will wait and see what happens" but expressed that it sounds very positive.

The President announced that the state is coming forward with a tuition assistance program with the backing of SUNY. This would allow employees of the college who are employed full time for over five years to receive tuition remission at other SUNY�s. He said the bill is moving forward. Bitterbaum expressed that he is very excited for those on campus who have high school or junior high school students.

Reporting on the capital plan, the President reported that the campus had Senator Seward put in for a large sum of money for us for our renovation of Bowers. He said, "I don�t know if it will make it all the way through�we may get a portion."

Bitterbaum also mentioned SUNY Day next Tuesday where the campus will go up as a college along with other SUNY�s where we will lobby, along with the Assembly and Senate. He announced he was very excited about that.

President Bitterbaum also reported some very interested news involving the fact that every year the counsel of undergraduate education invites students who do out standing work to come to the capital. This year, to our great delight, one of our students has been invited, Anthony Nelson, a Psychology major, who will be going with Ray Collings to a reception with Congressmen to demonstrate what his research is all about.

Bitterbaum�s last topic of business was about the Academic Bill of Rights. He said, "You will recall a few weeks ago a bill in the South Dakota Assembly, one part of the House, which was very much like the defeat in many states involving the Academic Bill of Rights. I will share that the South Dakota Senate did kill it."

Bitterbaum then reported that he had been approached by a number of students about podcasting, an available new technology with which our students can capture a lecture on MP3 players or IPODS and go back and review them, which might enable students to do better in classes. The President said the campus would try to pilot some podcasting and do more research.

Alwes asked, "What would be the difference between podcasting and tape recording?"

Bitterbaum responded that podcasing would be similar.

Alwes said, "I was wondering why one and not the other?"

Bitterbaum said, "One explanation is that many students don�t have any more tape recorders. If you look at our students everybody has an IPOD or MP3 player."

An unknown individual said, "Podcasting is digital media for people who have more academic teeth."

Alwes said, "In some regions there might be an advantage over digital as far as getting students� minds involved."

D. Berger replied that it means being involved on the Internet downloading on a website.

Alwes responded, "Really? There is no difference?"

Bitterbaum replied, "Correct."

D. Berger said, "It is much more widely disseminated on the Web as opposed to somebody�s tape recorder."

K. Alwes said, "The only thing I know about an IPOD is it could be on the Web."

Bitterbaum responded, "I am still learning myself about it."

Chairman Rayle said, "You don�t need to be on a computer. I could take these analog tapes and make an MP3 on them and stick them on a Website if somebody had a burning desire to listen to verbatim proceedings of the Faculty Senate�listen to it a second time."

Bitterbaum said, "They have done research on this to improve student learning."

Rayle indicated that an advantage of an MP3 format is you can share data, move things around, make sounds and do samples of your voice, saying, "There is a great potential there."

Bitterbaum said, "Take a foreign language class�you can hear it over and over again. A lot of schools are testing it and are intrigued by it. We will see where it takes us."

Clarke said, "Also digital learning participation recently was an application through Apple computers. Hopefully, SUNY Cortland will be a piece of Apple IPOD, but they have a server that they would designate. A portion of the application is in there. Hopefully the next one will lead to�"

Bitterbaum responded, "It doesn�t necessarily have to be an IPOD."

Alwes said, "...If it can go on the Web."

Rayle added, "You can download it yourself."

Rayle mentioned it could be used as a ring tone on your cell phone, referring to a great line about literature.

Tirado said she thought it would be engaging as students already have IPODS on them and that they would be useful in the classroom.

Rayle said, "I use mine to listen to books on tapes, lecture on it�same thing."

S. Brown said, "This morning walking to Bowers I saw snow blowing in from the roof on the 3^rd floor. I don�t know, maybe there was a little storm but there was snow trickling through the roof."

Rayle said to President Bitterbaum, "Should we call Nasrin?"

Bitterbaum responded, "We�ll do that."

Brown indicated he did see the building administrator looking back as this occurred.

Barclay said, "There has been a lot of trouble in Bowers with snow blowing through it coming through the skylights."

Bitterbaum said, "It may not be the roof. It could be a skylight issue."

D. Berger said, "Ipods could run into college attendance policy" mentioning that one could record a lecture and listen to it instead of attending class.

Rayle said, "This could lead to all kinds of issues, especially the effects, what�s happening in class. It would be loud and clear what they think about its potential�"

Bitterbaum said, "We will pilot it along with the faculty�it will be interesting the number of students who come forward and the number of campuses testing it." Bitterbaum also added a statement about SUNY Day indicating there were several faculty willing to go to Albany to lobby for SUNY Cortland and SUNY as a whole. He said, "There is also the opportunity the following weekend March 14^th for faculty to go to Albany, during our spring break week. We have quite a few faculty going that week that will also be lobbying for SUNY libraries, part timers and we will also have some retirees from Cortland to support that effort. We will also send out today an email for people to send faxes and an opportunity to go to a NYSEG Website where you can choose link and you can send your Senator or Assemblyperson a message. This is a need for SUNY to have these additional dollars, 5 million dollars. The numbers vary depending on who you are talking to. They are necessary dollars SUNY is trying to recapture losses for faculty lines. We also lost 1200 faculty lines across SUNY the last 12 years. We�ve added 45,000 more students in the same 12 years. There is a workload issue here. There�s a student to faculty ratio issue here. There�s just the ability for us to deliver the number of courses that we need to deliver for a student to be able to graduate." The President added, "I just need to remind you as the lawyers have reminded me, you can�t use your personal computer at work, you would have to do it from your home."

Rayle asked, "Would that preclude using your email ID? Is it permissible from home log on from your personal computer using your Cortland email ID?

Bitterbaum replied, "I think the answer is yes but would have to check with the attorneys."

Rayle indicated one solution would be that people could set up a Hotmail account for free.

Bitterbaum just wanted to remind the college community you can not use your computers in your office which may also include the college�s e-mail.

Rayle added that might include using the college equipment.

D. Berger said using the college equipment could also include using the college server.

Rayle said he was not trying to dissuade people but just wanted the faculty to stay out of trouble.

Clarke asked, "How would you prove which computer you were at? The assumption is if you were on the college server you were on campus."

Bitterbaum said it would be safer to set up a Hotmail account.

Alwes said, "I just want to ask Dave Ritchie a question. Dave, is there something to be announced for rallying in Cortland? Do you know when the dates are going to be now?"

Ritchie responded, "I do not."

An unknown individual added, "Following spring break days."

Ritchie said, "It will be days in April. There will be a meeting with Senator Seward downtown, sometime in April. The office has scheduled that date in April."

Alwes said, "Thank you."

Ritchie responded, "We�ll let you know as soon as we know."

No report.

Long Range Planning Committee � D. Ritchie reported that the LRPC will have its next meeting the following day at 4 PM in the library conference room.

Educational Policy Committee � J. Cottone reported that the EPC will be submitting two proposals to the Steering Committee at its next meeting. He also said that morning his committee reviewed the new GE revised policy and will be forwarding their endorsement and recommendations to the GE Committee for their review.

Student Affairs Committee � P. Buckenmeyer was unable to attend but the Chairman Rayle announced in his absence that the following two student members have been added to the Student Affairs Committee: Brittany Sage and Carmen Cesares.

Faculty Affairs Committee � Clarke mentioned the charge to his committee last fall to analyze public policy and the various ways to express that and to report back to the Senate by April 1. He said that various departments were asked to submit their policies regarding this issue. He said, "I received information from ten departments who have submitted documents." He further indicated in one department a very key faculty member within the department was on sabbatical which would mean they would not meet the April deadline. He further reported that 15 departments are left which have not submitted their department policies out of 27 departments total. Clarke said he would attempt to contact the 15 departments he had not heard from. He indicated his committee is committed to report and will be reporting back to the Senate.

D. Berger asked, "If the committee is going to supply feedback, is it going to be changed to department changes or clarification? What does the committee intend to do with the information?"

Clarke replied that the committee has not decided how to provide the information as charged.

Rayle said, "If memory serves me, their handle is in line with general policy. Their personnel procedures lie under the general college�s personnel procedures. Beyond that, we�re not going to tell anybody how to do it."

D. Berger asked, "Could your policy not be in line with the handbook? Could you hear back from the committee saying it was not?"

Clarke responded, "I think, David, the committee is charged to report back to the Faculty Senate. There is a different procedure for looking at the entire policy procedure of each department tri-annually which is a separate matter. In that case, we do provide feedback. The feedback might be about your department policy. We can�t prove these because we didn�t find these problems. It involves interaction back and forth. I can�t speak for the committee as a whole as to how the committee would treat this. We don�t intend to respond back to departments."

D. Berger said, "In our department this has forced us to look at our policies and their effect on other departments. That�s a good thing."

Rayle responded, "Whatever it takes."

K. Rombach said, "Earlier in the fall, I was a new faculty member last year, we talked about the minimum qualifications for tenure which would include 3 peer reviews. I was wondering now is that statement under consideration for each department to determine those criteria now or will faculty do that?"

Bitterbaum responded, "The Provost is not here to say. We did have a meeting with the 3 deans. Mark is here, Ed and Roy�all three deans are here. We are asking the departments, and my understanding at a meeting with Elizabeth and the deans which had gone back to department chairs to review. There are differentiations in some disciplines. I will let the deans speak to that. It�s an ongoing process."

R. Olsson said, "Part of it is to get feedback back from a department to see what that feedback is. The 3 publications, there�s a loose interpretation. That�s not, at least in my school, not 3 journal articles, it�s a first line journal�3 disseminations of resources in a refereed source. It could be a journal, it could be a chapter in a book, but I think we�re looking to get feedback from different departments. Obviously a concern has been expressed."

Bitterbaum said, "Mark and Roy may want to speak. We talked about it, the Provost, myself and the three deans recently. I will share that discussion with the departments. I am willing that in a vast majority of our departments, that regarding promotion and tenure they would love that in some departments�there will be much more. We are waiting to hear from individual departments."

R. Spitzer said, "I know this has been in the discussion but I haven�t been present. It is certainly true that the college handbook is authoritative for promotion and tenure. There is no mention in that document�the policy is what the handbook says. So, anything about three articles or one article seems to me bears no relationship on what the handbook says. That is the printed document that defines faculty members and provides criteria to promotion."

Bitterbaum said, "I can change an assay and get 15 different publications. Someone in Economics could do one work�It is up to departments and the personnel committees to look at this. We were moving to a 3/3 workload and also the fact that younger faculty wanted to get a sense, not so much as the quality of work being done. Someone in a five year period could produce one superb book�People have to look at and understand different disciplines. We�re looking at quality not quantity."

K. Alwes said, "What I�ve discovered in the process, your name is Kim (Rombach)? Are you a new person? Junior faculty need it in writing. We can say a book would be transcend anything else, but they need it in writing. They need something to have, as the handbook has been. When they hear somebody tell them we�re looking for generally three, it�s very confusing. We�ve gone through a great deal of confusion in my department because of that statement, right or wrong, because of that statement."

E. Caffarella said, "Part of it is one, three or six or one every other year, we have to clarify what was in the handbook. Yes, it is all laid out in the handbook but there is nothing there for new faculty. That is true of the other two schools. What do I need? Give me a number? Tell me what counts. Does this count as a half? Does this count as everything? New faculty need something printed to address that."

M. Prus said, "Let me reinforce something, in the sense that new faculty are looking for some assurance, security. In response to the kinds of comments Professor Spitzer made, while I don�t have to determine the criteria that would be applied in promotion, another section in the handbook physically does suggest to departments that they have the responsibility to develop some criteria not narrowly binding that will be descriptive and more specific in terms than the criteria in the Board of Trustees policies regarding scholarship, service and teaching�what this criteria would be and think that�s what the Faculty Affairs Committee is endorsing here."

R. Olsson said, "We took the outline in there and applied what criteria to look for so a faculty member would know that not all departments are 100% the same. There is no one trend�they turned in what might count, what to look for in types of publications they would have. I think that a good deal of our new faculty members want this because they are under a lot of pressure and it changes from personnel committee to personnel committee. Everyone here has sat on a personnel committee. One year it�s this, and suddenly you�re on the same committee talking about a different number and a different thing you have to come at. It�s not a good feeling. So putting it into writing gives some security what department norms are and if you make changes later on the faculty can go by what it�s in there and not some target because they�re in their fourth year and they decided�"

Bitterbaum said, "I think as a young faculty member it�s incumbent on the department chair to sit down, you�ve been here for a year, let�s review you according to service and scholarship. This is fiduciary. I could give that advice to someone. As far as original research submitted to a publication it�s a two way street so that people are not left out here on an island and there is a constant dialogue helping them to continue. What you do at 20 is different to what you might want to accomplish at 50. This involves the faculty, deans and Provost. I think some kind of institution is what is needed."

D. Berger said, "I agree with what everyone has said in the last few minutes. This has been a beneficial exercise and should happen early on as to the policies and what is valued and should be determined by one�s peers in their field. When you talk about assays as not as important, what is important in one field may not be as important in another. That �s why we need input from colleagues."

D. Ritchie said, "We in the library also would appreciate the fact that this dialogue has come around. The dept is the agency that determines the criteria. And the fact that there is with due process pieces, and in general laundry lists, if you want to call them that, could qualify. But I think again it�s important to learn the department in the discipline to determine exactly what would be successful or what makes one successful. I wouldn�t want to be as flexible�so that�s one reason why many of us are taken aback when the college looked or seemed to be looking to apply a one size fits all in all disciplines, and I am hoping that that will go by impact department recommendations final determinant."

G. Clarke said, "One other issue that is important in framing this to the floor is that, as we mentioned, my understanding is that Provost Salins some time ago, maybe 6, 8 10 months ago, decided to recommend (or whatever he does) that the campuses seek external reviews as people were coming up with promotion and term appointments, any kind of personnel decisions. Provost Salins said campuses should seek and receive external reviews. I believe my understanding is that SUNY Cortland has agreed solely on the level of the associate professor position something that we would consider. The idea at least these would be external reviews from colleges such as Brockport. Cortland is the same level as Brockport. Say a professor at Brockport sent a notice by a department or dean that �we need your external review for this person�we need something from the department in writing as to what is the department�s expectation of someone having performed their job well. So, that calls for something specific that could be shared with external reviewers."

Bitterbaum said, "Not just Provost Salins but the Board of Trustees. We are part of a system. They prefer that any promotion for assistant to associate, associate to full�we think in past, eventually the system dictated to the 64 campuses how it�s done. We have a choice. No one is tenured, it is done by the system in the end. We make recommendations but it is the system that makes these decisions. We think we�re okay. The reason they want the external review� sometimes there is a value in having someone external in a department look at the quality of work, whether it is Brockport�remember that external review is just one piece of data and has no more or less weight than everything else, that is our understanding."

D. West asked, "With respect to the external review, who chooses the person who actually does the review?"

Bitterbaum said, "I think it�s a dialogue. If you name is on four publications for something else�choose someone who knows your work�I haven�t dealt with it, it�s the Provost�the dialogue will go forward."

D. West said, "When you�re saying dialogue, does that mean there is anything in writing that might indicate who?"

An unknown individual said, "It depends on the department."

An unknown individual said, "We have to delineate who�s gong to choose and when to forward the information. If one department says the spring of the 5^h year, then it depends on the department and some have outlines."

Bitterbaum said, "I haven�t seen the documents."

Berger said, "My understanding is it is a scholarly effort and doesn�t relate to all scholarly material but the field."

D. Ritchie said, "I would like to backup a step further. My understanding from last November when we first announced this was that she had, as you say pushed back against the directive and submitted something to the SUNY System. Has she received anything back?"

President Bitterbaum said, "They�re still pushing and we�re still pushing. Right now we�re still pushing. He also said, "Each college has it�s own culture�that is part of our Memorandum of Understanding."

D. Ritchie said, "Do you have any sense when that MOU will be? That is one purpose of the LRPC."

Bitterbaum said, "There is a new Chancellor who has just come on board and there is an outgoing Provost who has announced he is retiring, so things are in flux."

An unknown individual said, "I heard a contradiction. I heard one of the benefits of spelling this out by department using an external reviewer you will know what we value and what criteria are. Then we talked about more recently an external reviewer would look a the field and see what is important."

J. Rayle said, "As Erik says, this is kind of an ongoing dialogue, what the Faculty Affairs Committee reports to us and recommends. I am hoping to contribute to the ongoing issue of faculty making a determination in each department."

Bitterbaum said, "�So if you have external reviewers and ask to review someone�s portfolio I think it�s more on that aspect on how the system and trustees are viewing it."

J. Rayle said one piece of information that goes into the portfoliofos external review can be critically damning, or you can choose to ignore it.

Bitterbaum added, "That would be up to individual personnel committee�s as it makes its way."

Rayle said, "I would be surprised if that happened, but you know, just to kind of keep it in perspective, I have seen hands all over the place, we need to wrap this up, does anybody else have anything to add?"

R. Olsson said, "Having worked in a system like that before I can tell you if you�ve got a lot of damning things, you would also be damning all of your journals that were publishing those because they were refereed. If you are saying journals in your field aren�t worth publishing it�s a pretty big statement for somebody to say."

College Research Committee � No report.

General Education Committee � D. Barclay reported

No report (absent).

Committee on Committees � No report.

There was no old business.

There was no new business.

There were no Area Senator�s reports.

S. Brown reported that last Monday February 20^th SGA held a special election SGA and treasurer Daryl Wegman defeated Christine Shaut. He said they also had a referendum asking students if they were in favor of ROTC being held on campus: 59% supported, 23 did not, 18 abstained. They also had a question are students in favor of the new academic calendar: 64% were opposed, 35 supported, with 4 abstentions. The SGA also discussed changes to their own constitution: 46% in favor, 7 opposed, 47 abstentions.

J. Rayle said, "Thank you. Very good."

Brown said, "And can I yield the floor to Sarah?"

Sarah from the New York Public Interested Group got up and spoke. She introduced Ann Clute, an up and coming student leader on campus, saying, "Keep your eye out for her." She wanted to let everyone know that the student would be lobbying on Monday, March 5 to Albany for the student budget, and original increased funding for SUNY and CUNY, no automatic tuition increased, and support for TAP. They are doing so, she explained, by not supporting the proposal by Governor Pataki. She said they are endorsing legislation to allow students to adjust TAP awards halfway through the year which is a benefit to students who have experienced a change in their income because of a death in the family, loss of job, or having been called out to military duty from the reserves. She went on to explain there was a student recently at SUNY Cortland who had worked at WSUC and NYPIRG for several years whose father was called up for active duty and she came back in December of �05 and had to take out extra loans and wasn�t able to adjust her TAP awards when her father�s income decreased by 40%. Sarah said she believes that students in New York State shouldn�t be punished by serving their country. She also explained the initiative to double funding for EOP and other programs. She expressed her enthusiasm and encouraged everyone to lobby on behalf of SUNY.

There was a round of applause.

S. Brown said, "Two more things. The SUNY student assembly had a press conference opposition to the Governor�s budget proposal and students expressed last night that they were upset that students who work on campus are exempt from getting paid minimum wage."

Bitterbaum said, "Not that you�re exempt. When minimum wage changed we didn�t have the budget dollars. We are doing the step process and getting there. I don�t recall, Bill (Shaut) is not here. We couldn�t do it in one fell swoop, it was a very large number for us. We made a commitment to full time lecturers, faculty are increasing. I don�t remember�anyway, I remember what we�re increasing it by, a small amount. We will get there in a year or so.

Franco said, "We had a 3 year plan as opposed to 1-1/2 year or 2 years."

Bitterbaum said, "We will get there but we won�t do it overnight."

Franco said some programs will be very dramatically and negatively impacted if they had to increase their temp service budgets they wouldn�t be able to survive, it would be a matter of cutting programs and losing students, forcing students to find other jobs elsewhere."

B. Griffen held up a sign saying, "Union"

K. Alwes said, "Are the students aware of the steps?"

Tirado said, "They were just told that they did not get it."

K. Alwes said, "They just thought they didn�t get minimum wage?"

Bitterbaum said, "I wish someone had asked us. I thought Human Resources was going to share. We�ll be happy to do that."

Rayle said it would be nice to offer some kind of educational presentation to the students so they would understand. He indicated he felt that everyone on campus was probably sympathetic to the plight of students involved.

Brown said the biggest problem is that minimum wage is state law.

The President said, "What they said is that you can do it in a step fashion. What that simply meant is we would have to cut people and do away with student positions. And right now we didn�t feel we could do that and we will get to that by protecting the people who already work here first." He also said, "If NYPERG is successful and everybody else we will get there much faster."

The meeting was adjourned at 2:20 PM

Respectively Submitted,

Barbara Kissel

Staff Assistant/

Recording Secretary