Faculty Senate Minutes

April 25, 2011

VAC 105   3:05 PM



The next meeting of the Faculty Senate is on Monday 5/9/10 in Vance 105 at 3:05.

Note: Senate Constitution, Bylaws, Meeting Dates, Agenda and Minutes are posted on the CCSU Pipeline under Faculty Resources/Faculty Senate, or at http://web.ccsu.edu/facsenate.

Present: Alewitz. M., Alicandro, J., Anderson, C., Barr, B., Barrington, C., Berry, G., Bigley, M.P., Calvert, J., Cappella, D., Crespi, C., Czyrnik, K., Delventhal, T., Diamond, C. , Dziuda, D., Farhat, J., Foster, P., Greenfield, B.  , Hicks, L. , Horan, M., Iglesias, E., Jarmoszko, A., Jones, C., Kapper, M., Karpuk, P., Kean, K., Kershner, B., Latour, F. , Mahony, M., Mamed, O., Mejia, G., Mendez-Mendez, S., Menoche, C., Mijid, N., Mulcahy, C., Mulrooney, J., O'Connor, J., Odesina, O., Percy, V., Pirog, K., Pope, C., Ratansi, S., Reagan, T., Sadanand, N., Strickland, A., Vogeler, R., Wang, W., Wood, R.

Ex-Officio: Lemma, P., Lovitt, C., Pease, S., Sakofs, M.

Parliamentarian: Dimmick, C.



Guests: Jones, J., Spector, D., Tordenti, L.

 

1. Approval of Minutes, April 11, 2011


Passed unanimously

2. Announcements
     

a. AAUP President (J. Jones)
     

When the State finance bill passed on Thurs. the most important item was the removal of language that would have reclassified AAUP and SUOAF members as managers. That was expressly due to our advocacy on the issue, and this is very good news.

The Higher Education bill is still pending.

This Friday is the employee appreciation picnic. And it is also a CLASS ACTION event, which supports higher education in CT

There are still 3 seats to be determined in the AAUP runoff election.

b. SUOAF-AFSCME President (F. Bonvicini )
   L . Hicks reporting. 

J. Miller hosted an informative meeting on soft money. The give backs in concessions for people on soft money (outside grant money or feeds) does not benefit the state (since that money doesn’t come from the state) so we are bringing that issue to SEBAC

Hicks also reported that Senior employees are still being evaluated twice a year. The union is suggesting that annual evaluation should be sufficient.

c. President of the Senate (C. Barrington)



People have not been nominating for committee positions. Filling the faculty committees remains a cornerstone of faculty governance. We have extended the nomination period for one week.

Senator Latour indicated that there is a proposal to amend the bylaws of the senate. We should be aware that those proposals will reach us before the next agenda is published.

3. Committee Reports

a. Trustees Research Award (C. Watson) 
   

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

 

b. UPBC report and cover letter (C. Valk)
   

Valk indicated that given the economic climate, the committee took a conservative approach this year when it was vetting committee proposals that involved the expenditure of funds.

The ongoing budget uncertainty still makes strict recommendations impossible. The tuition increase is locked, but we are still awaiting information on the concessions agreement.

The UPBC is interested in pursuing policies oriented toward revenue enhancement, rather than just budget cuts.

There will be a final writen report at the end of the year. The report cannot be finalized at this time because the budget uncertainties.

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

c. Library Committee (J. Snyder)
   

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

 

d. Committee on Academic Advising (M. Bigley)
   

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

 

e. Trustees Teaching Award  (K. Tracey)
    [Deferred to next meeting]

 

f. Distinguished Service Award (C. Lovitt) 
   

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

 

g. Excellence in Teaching (C. Broadus-Garcia)
   

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

 

h. Grade Appeals (C. Jones)
   

Nothing to be voted on. The report was accepted into the permanent record of the Senate.

 

4. Unfinished Business

 Academic Program Review (P. Lemma)  FS 10.11.025R



Paulette Lemma reported that J. Jones of the AAUP had approved the possibly controversial  language for Program Review.

There had been some questions about the language concerning “Reference to Use of Findings” and its reference to Article 5.18 of the CSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Guest Spector, Senator Mendez-Mendez and others indicated concern about the revised language as well, specifically wanting to make sure that data for program review could not be used to eliminate academic programs.

Senator Mendez-Mendez made a motion to create an Ad Hoc committee to review this language.

The motion was seconded.

Provost Lovitt and others asked if  this really needed to go to committee. Lovitt indicated that there is no objection to changing the language to clarify this issue, and it is not meant to be hostile language.

Senator Mahoney indicated that given the economic conditions, this isn’t necessarily all about a routine procedure.

Senator Barr moved that an Ad Hoc committee comprised of S. Mendez-Mendez, D. Spector, J. Jones, and P. Lemma be created to review language of the footnote, with a charge to report back to the senate on May 9. Senator Mendez-Mendez suggested the committee look at the language of the entire document to make sure it is consistent with the contract and to make sure the document would not be used to sanction program termination. With that change, he accepted the motion as a friendly amendment.

Provost Lovitt said he would be happy to work with the committee.

Senator White expressed some concern that the charge to the committee was not clear.

The question was called. The senate voted in favor of calling the question with  1 abstention

Ad hoc committee was approved with 30 votes in favor, 6 against, and 8 abstentions

 

5. Meeting Adjourned at 4:15 pm