Faculty Council
Minutes of the meeting of May 8, 1995
Meeting called to order in Fenton 105 by Ted Steinberg at 4:04 P.M.
1. Steinberg asked that the agenda be approved. Passed.
2. Approval of minutes from April 10, 1995. Passed.
3. President's Report:
President Mac Phee stated that he would send a year end report to the faculty in a couple of days and for this reason his report would be brief. MacPhee noted that although there was, "...no discernible progress on the budget" he has been meeting with the Planning and Budget Committee on "general priorities" and will be meeting with this committee again as soon as there is more definite information on the extent of "the cuts". MacPhee stated that in the future there will be increased emphasis on non-state funding noting that, "... increasing entrepreneur opportunities need to be taken advantage of." MacPhee elaborated, "... that this will change the nature of the culture of the campus to seek those funds more aggressively than we have in the past". For example, there are currently negotiations going on with venders outside the campus which should result in significant increase of funds. In addition, MacPhee emphasized that we need to protect and enhance our operating expenses as much as possible as we develop an operational plan. MacPhee noted that even though we do not have a budget; some searches have been started, very soon some critical sabbatical appointments will be made, and V.P. Hess is in the process of giving recommendations on several sabbatical leaves. MacPhee further noted that deposits for full time-first time freshman are up compared to this time last year and our development campaign is going along very well (currently we are at about 4.8 million of our five million dollar goal). MacPhee reminded the faculty to attend the General Faculty Meeting at 2:00 P.M. Friday in Marvel Theatre. MacPhee then asked for questions.
K. Mantai asked when a decision on sabbatical leaves would be made. MacPhee said he hoped in a couple of days. M. Nelson thanked the president for moving ahead on sabbaticals. M. Nelson commented on the importance of discussing the need for and moving ahead on recommending SUNY Fredonia faculty for distinguished professorships (a rank beyond that of full-professor). MacPhee commented that he also believes that this deserves our attention noting that there has been a recent "revival" of this rank in S.U.N.Y.
J. McVicker asked President MacPhee to elaborate on what he meant by how non-state funding would. "... change the culture of the campus". MacPhee commented that the "mind-set" of the state is changing in regards to the "roughly" 90% state funding of S.U.N.Y and because of this we will need to seek funds from private sources wherever possible at least be more expansive as to where we seek our funding, e.g. partnerships with private venders for our communication system. M. Amiran asked about internal reallocation in relationship to retirements. MacPhee commented that there is no question that reallocation must not come simply from attrition. We will need to look at our priorities across all the divisions of the campus as carefully as we can and make our cuts from those recommendations. K. Mantai asked if we could begin charging laboratory fees? MacPhee noted that we have raised the question of fees often but there is a legal consideration. He asked for V.P. Burdette to comment. D. Burdette commented that the Board of Trustees have consistently, "...felt that unless a student can literally walk away with some something vis-a-vis a fee that you can't just charge more because a physics course costs more than another course". MacPhee further commented, "... that allot of this (funding sources for the institution) will be in some flux over the next several years, certainly tuition and tuition differential".
4. Chairperson's Report:
T. Steinberg commented that although he had no formal report he did want to note that at a recent national conference he attended, "... although we are having difficulty this year most campuses are in trouble." In addition, Steinberg commented that on most campuses there is not as active a faculty governance system as we have here. Steinberg thanked all those that have participated in Faculty Council and noted how well the committees of FC are operating.
5. Vice-chairperson's Report: No report.
6. Faculty Senator's Report: No report.
7. Standing Committee's reports:
a. Governance:
J. Swansinger distributed and commented on the May 8, 1995 Annual Report of the Goverance Committee. Swansinger also distributed updated copies of May 1995 Bylaws of the Faculty. In addition to attending to normal governance business the Governance Committee disposed of two charges by the FC. First the implications that the Information Technology Plan would have on the committee was discussed including the extended use of electronic mail, electronic elections and on-line minutes of standing committees. And second the Governance Committee reviewed the last five years of FC minutes to see if all resolutions have been adhered to. For the most part all resolutions have been adhered to.
b. Academic Affairs: (was postponed to later in the meeting)
c. Planning and Budget Committee:
S. Luntz (for H. Lawson) distributed and commented on the May 8, 1995 Annual Report of the Planning and Budget Committee. Luntz commented that the committee had a very busy year, meeting almost on a weekly basis. The committee spent much of the spring semester working on The Five Year plan. The committee recomended to President MacPhee that the Institutional Plan be reevaluated, starting from department plans, next fall once the budget situation is better understood. The committee will continue to meet in the summer to (1) review the Middle States Report and (2) review administrative decisions concerning resource allocations.
d. Professional Service Committee:
The Committee's Report was distributed to the FC members present at the meeting. There was no discussion.
e. Student Affairs:
M. Maloney Plaister reported on two charges of the Committee including (1) a recommendation to expend Reed Library hours and (2) a report on bookstore pricing policy. The Student Affairs Committee recommended to President MacPhee that Reed Library be open eight additional hours per week during the 1995-1996 academic year. Regarding the FSA College Bookstore it was found that Fredonia's book prices were equivalent to other bookstores around the state. Following this finding, the following recommendations were made (1) there be increased communication between the Bookstore and Computing Services (2) there be increased communication between the FSA bookstore and the faculty. And (3) that FSA better inform the campus community about the $80,000 of programming support that is provided out of FSA's revenue each year. Another charge was to examine the relationship between students and Public Safety. Because of T. Rywick's current study on Public Safety this has been put on hold until Rywick's data and conclusions could be reviewed. M. Maloney Plaister also noted that the Multi- Cultural Report could be sent to departments and that it was available in Reed Library.
8. Report of Curriculum Review Committee:
F. Bynam reported that the committee's name was The Task Force On Undergraduate Curriculum Structure and Coherence with three subcommittees including one examining the various syllabi for courses on campus, another examined student transcripts in an attempt to develop an average student profile, and the third examined data obtained from the Office of Institutional Studies and from the Computer Center. There also was sent out and evaluated a number of surveys to faculty and chairpersons. Based on all of the above F. Bynam summarized where the Committee work is currently, by quoting something from the current issue of the Assessment Newsletter regarding "structure and coherence", i.e. "...it may look like as if a mountain has produced a mouse but have you ever tried to produce a mouse? In summary, F. Bynam reported that although his committee felt that there is structure and coherence within the various majors on campus his committee believes that the General College Program needs further study and stated that at this time his committee, "...decided to pass the ball to someone else". At this time after hearing no questions, T. Steinberg called on Tom Rywick to give his report from the Academic Affairs Committee (who apparently was receiving the passed ball). T. Rywick noted that after the April FC meeting his committee met with T. Steinberg and Dean J. Hurtgen and discussed the GCP. After these discussions the Academic Affairs Committee is prepared to make a motion. T. Rywick moved that: the Executive Committee of Faculty Council establish a broadly representative ad hoc committee in a manner consistent with Faculty Bylaws; that the committee be chaired by the Dean of Liberal Studies and include a current (1995-1996) member of the Academic Affairs Committee; that it be given the open charge to examine the existing General College Program and, with campus-wide consultation, consider any and all possibilities for revision in the GCP: and that it make a report on its findings and recommendations to the Academic Affairs Committee by April 15, 1996. (The motion was not needed to be seconded because it came from a Standing Committee.) At this point there was general discussion of the motion where many expressed that it was time for a General College Program review because it has been 12 years since the present GCP was adapted. There followed some discussion about the structure of the committee and the GCP. For example, R. Deming questioned if Dean Hurtgen should chair the committee and J. Swansinger wondered, "... if the structure (presumably the structure of the current GCP) gets in the way of discussion". J. Swansinger called for a campus wide faculty discussion of GCP. T. Steinberg commented that his understanding is that if the motion was passed that there would be open faculty discussion. M. Amiran (commenting on R. Deming's concern about the organization of the committee) noted that although she regarded, "... Jim as a colleague as well as an administrator..." maybe it would be better if J.Hurtgen could be secretary of the committee and the committee elect its own chair. K. Mills-Court also noted that it seems more appropriate for any committee to designate its own chair and that in this case, "... Jim would be incredibly valuable as a consultant". In addition, K. Mills-Court asked J. Hurtgen if the FIPSE assessment reviewed the basic theory on which the GCP was structured? J. Hurtgen said yes in terms of the goals that where established. M. Nelson moved to strike from the motion the language that currently designates the chair of the committee and have the committee chose its own chair. It was seconded. Passed. T. Steinberg asked for any more discussion of the main motion. R. Deming noted that 12 years ago the Academic Affairs Committee received the active support of the VP of Academic Affairs in formulating the current GCP and asked if this would be the same in the proposed review of the GCP? VP Hess responded, "...yes". Hearing no other discussion, Steinberg called the question as amended: that the Executive Committee of Faculty Council establish a broadly representative ad hoc committee in a manner consistent with Faculty Bylaws; that the committee include a current (1995-1996) member of the Academic Affairs Committee; that it be given the open charge to examine the existing General College Program and, with campus wide consultation, consider any and all possibilities for revisions in the GCP; and that it make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Academic Affairs Committee by April 15, 1996. The Motion Passed.
9. New Buisness:
President MacPhee asked if there will be any other recommendation(s) from the Curriculum Review Committee? Steinberg responded that all information would be passed onto the newly formed ad hoc committee of academic affairs. President MacPhee asked about the other part of the report regarding the majors. F. Byham responded that although his committee has much data the committee is uncomfortable regarding some sampling techniques used in obtaining some of the information. However,Bynam further commented, that the Committee is comfortable on the data obtained from chairs on the majors and related courses in the major. MacPhee asked if the data would be made available to the Academic Affairs Committee and the Deans? Byham reponded yes. Amiran noted that the Curriculum Review Committee had more than just data i.e. some analyses were done but there was a question if the "... sample was unbiased". MacPhee reinterated that his inquiry regarded his desire that the work of the committee be appropriately passed on.
10. Motion to adjourn. Motion pased at 5:15 P.M.
Attendance:
Professional Staff/Management:
[x] K. Bonds
[x] S. Clarke
[E] V. Garcia Conover
[ ] D. Danielsen
[ ] A. Jackson
[E] T. Malinoski
[x] S. Maloney
[x] L. Marrano
[ ] J. Moss
[x] T. Murphy
[x] C. Niles
[ ] W. Ortega
[x] T. Tzitzis
Arts, Education and Humanities:
[x] M. Amiran
[x] C. Brown
[x] R. Deming
[ ] J. Gillette
[x] R. Klassen
[ ] R. Ma
[x] L. Maheady
[x] J. McVicker
[x] K. Mills-Court
[x] M. Nelson
[x] J. Onufrak
[E] J. Parla-Burdic
[x] G. Sebouhian
Natural and Social Sciences:
[ ] S. El-Mofty
[x] N. Gee
[E] J. Kraus
[x] G. Lash
[x] K. Mantai
[E] P. Mattocks
[ ] A. Parai
[x] T. Pencek
[ ] G. Prechtl
[x] A. Sarkar
[E] B. Stephens
[ ] M. Vassallo
[x] D. Welch
Ex Officio:
[x] D. Burdette
[ ] J. Crowley
[x] M. Dimitri
[x] G. Harper
[x] D. Hess
[x] J. Hurtgen
[ ] S. Kraus
[E] S. Lewis
[x] D. MacPhee
[x] J. Romal
[x] T. Steinberg
[ ] J. Straight
[x] S. Zablotney
Students:
[ ] Stacy Kraus
[ ] Ken March
[ ] Nate Merkel
[x] Hope Burlinski
Guests:
Ron Ambrosetti
Nan Bowser
Fred Bynam
Richard Larson
Ken Lucey
Susan Luntz
Tom Rywick
Judy Swansinger
John A. Onufrak College Senate Secretary