University at Albany - State University of New York

2004-05 University Senate

Minutes of December 6, 2004
Present: J.P. Abraham, J. Acker, J. Bartow, J. Berkowitz, D. Bernnard, S. Chaiken,
  N. Chiuchiolo, R. Collier, D. Dai, D. Dewar, R. Dressler, S. Faerman, R. Geer,
  R. Gibson, C. Hartman, F. Hauser, R. Hoyt, V. Idone, M. Jerison, N. Jones,
  G. Kamberelis, S.B. Kim, W. Lanford, R. Lawson, A. Lyons, C. MacDonald,�
  S. Maloney, J. Marler, G. Marschke, L. McNutt, S. Messner, G. Moore,
  J. Mumpower, J. Murphy, G. Paul, M. Pryse, R. M. Range, J. Rudolph,
 

H. Scheck, L. Schell, M. Sherman, L. Snyder, J. Stromer-Galley, L. Videka,

  D. Wagner, J. Wessman, S. Wood, E. Wulfert, A. Zonder
   
Guests: W. Hedberg, S. Mahan, J. Neely, B. Szelest
   
Minutes: The minutes of November 15, 2004 were approved.

President�s Report � Presented by Interim Provost Jeryl Mumpower:

1)      Mission Review II (MRII) �� The Provost�s Office continues to compile the numerous suggestions and comments.� The Senate Executive Committee, the deans and vice presidents will receive the revised document for review. ��The final document will be sent to the Senate Council Chairs for comment.� After the document is submitted to SUNY, there will be a site visit and a subsequent Memorandum of Understanding negotiated between the Chancellor and President Hall.�

2)      Enrollment � The enrollment shortfall has potentially cost UAlbany 3.5 million dollars, i.e., that figure might be lessened somewhat if there is some enrollment recovery in the 2005 spring semester.� The University is taking aggressive steps to try to narrow that gap.

Council Reports:

Council on Academic Assessment (CAA), Professor Malcolm Sherman, Chair:The Council expects to complete its review of the self-evaluation and assessment reports of the departments of Economics and Political Science.

Council on Research (COR), Professor Vincent Idone, Chair:� The last meeting of COR was concerned primarily with the mechanics of formulating the various committees.� There was discussion of Mission Review II, dealing primarily with what could be described as the fundamental questions relating to how the AAU goal originated and its appropriateness for UAlbany, as well as where the resources are coming from for the 25-35 IT Commons hires, and how, in fact, this substantial initiative came to be.

Graduate Academic Council (GAC), Professor Louise-Anne McNutt, Chair:� The Council discussed certificate programs in general and four specific proposals, three of which are interconnected.� The specific certificates were tabled until the next meeting due to lack of information or lack of necessary curriculum.� Council members plan to send a list of questions the Council typically asks about certificate proposals and the SUNY criteria to the Schools/Colleges to help faculty prepare proposals.� Two student petitions were reviewed.� One pertained to university policy on transferring units.� The student request was supported by GAC and the Policy & Procedures Committee was asked to review the policy and make recommendations to clarify it.� A second student petition was not supported.� The student was admitted conditionally and did not meet the academic requirements.� However, during the review concerns about a racial harassment incident in student housing arose.� The Council is sending this information to the appropriate units in the university for follow-up.

Governance Council (GOV), Professor Steven Messner, Chair:� The joint working group with representatives from the College of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering (CNSE) and the Governance Council has developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pertaining to the governance procedures for promotion and continuing appointment in CNSE.� The Council will propose an amendment under new business when the MOU is discussed.

Council on Promotions and Continuing Appointments (CPCA), Professor Diane Dewar, Chair:� Professor Dewar, Chair of CPCA, was invited to attend the meeting of the Governance Council on December 1, to review the MOU of the Governance Council joint working group with CNSE.� CPCA continues to review its many tenure cases.

Council on Libraries, Information Systems and Computing (LISC), Professor David Wagner, Chair:� The council is working on agenda setting for next semester.�

Undergraduate Academic Council (UAC), Professor Seth Chaiken, Chair:� UAC has been discussing both the proposed revisions of General Education Assessment for next year (GEAR) and the draft Provost's Advisory Committee Assessment Plan.� UAC does expect to soon have a report from the Task Force on Undergraduate Advisement.

University Life Council (ULC), Professor Gwen Moore, Chair:� The Athletics Committee of ULC has been discussing the Athletics Master Plan.� The Director of Athletics will report to ULC about this master plan at its December meeting.� The Health, Safety and Well-being Committee is extending work on the resolution on pedestrian safety that Senate approved last spring.� It will be considering issues related to safety, including the low levels of lighting in some parts of the campus.� The ad hoc Benefits Committee continues work on publicizing emeriti privileges on campus and on the issue of parental leave, especially for untenured faculty.� The ad hoc Committee on Policy for Class Suspension for religious holidays continues to investigate this issue.� On Dec. 2 (3:30, Campus Center Terrace Lounge) members of the committee held a forum to gather views on the current and other possible policies.� Campus religious leaders, Senators, members of ULC, and leaders of student organizations were invited to present their views orally or in writing.�

University Planning and Policy Council (UPC), Professor Marjorie Pryse, Chair:� �UPC has been reviewing a series of reports forwarded to the Council, including the draft of the University at Albany Institutional Assessment Plan, to which it will return at a subsequent meeting.� UPC has proposed to discuss two documents from the institution�s �attic���Retention Task Force Recommendations� submitted in 1998 by the then-Undergraduate Dean, John Pipkin, to then-Provost Judy Genshaft, and a document proposing a �4 x 4� curriculum structure, submitted by �4 x 4� Task Force Chair Ronald Bosco in the late-1990s, also to then-Provost Genshaft.� The Council is continuing discussion of institutional identity and is looking for a metaphor that will adequately characterize the relationship between and among the College of Arts and Sciences and the professional schools and colleges.� The Council also heard a presentation from Dean Peter Bloniarz of the School of Information Science and Policy and Professor Neil Murray, Chair of the Department of Computer Science, concerning the desirability and feasibility of a plan to expand IT Commons and to move the Department of Computer Science from the College of Arts and Sciences to the School of Information Science and Policy.� UPC plans to take up this conversation with Dean Bloniarz and Professor Murray again early in the spring semester.

Committee on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Community Responsibility (CAFFECoR), Professor Lawrence Snyder, Chair:� No report.

Committee on Ethics in Research and Scholarship (CERS), Professor R. Michael Range, Chair:� No report.

New Business:

Senate Resolution No. 0405-1R:� Professor Messner, Chair of the Governance Council introduced the Senate resolution endorsing the MOU with CNSE.� Professor Messner explained that the working group devoted a considerable amount of time and effort in the development of the MOU during many meetings and had very candid and productive exchanges.�

Discussion on the MOU language:

A motion was made to vote on the resolution, and the resolution passed with an overwhelming majority.

Respectfully submitted,

Jayne VanDenburgh, Recorder