Faculty Senate

Minutes - February 23, 2015 - 3:05pm

CCSU FACULTY SENATE MEETING

Present: Anderson, C.; Antonucci, C.; Artamoshin, S.; Barr, B.; Bilisoly, R.; Boscarino, N.; Callery, T.; Cistulli, M.; D'Addio, D.; D'Amato, K.; Dukes, C.; Emeagwali, G.; Fafunwa-Ndibe, S.; Fallon, M.; Foster, P.; Fothergill, W.; Gamache, J.; Garcia-Bowen, M.; Ghodsi, R.; Hazan, S.; Johnson, D.; Jones, C.; Kapper, M.; Karpuk, P.; Kean, K.; Kim, Y.; King, A.; Koplowitz, B.; Kovel, J.; Kurkjian, C.; Larsen, K.; Mamed, O.; Marquette, C.; Martin, M.; McGuire, M.; Melnyk, J.; Moffo Simpson, T.; Mongillo, M.; Nelson, W.; Paolino, J.; Pearson, F.; Pozorski, A.; Ragusett, J.; Sarisley, E.; Schlickmann, P.; Shen, X.; Simmons, R.; Solomon, P.; Spear, E.; Spector, D.; Sweeney, D.; Tellier, A.; Tomoda, S.; White, C.; Williams, C.; Wolff, R.; Wood, R.

Ex-Officio: Adair, S.; Lovitt, C.; Malhas, F.; Pease, S.

Parliamentarian: Dimmick, C.

President of the Senate: Cohen, S.

Guests: Zdzislaw Kremens (Former Dean, School of Engineering and Technology); Kathy Martin-Troy (Biomolecular Sciences; Chair, UPBC)

1. Minutes

a. Minutes of February 11, 2015

• Approved unanimously

2. Announcements:

a. AAUP President (M. A. Mahony)

• The Governor's budget proposal does not look good for the CSUs. It is not clear whether the current budget freeze applies to higher education. Searches are currently moving forward.
• The Higher Education Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee of the State Legislature has hearings tomorrow at 6pm. If you are interested in testifying, please contact Liz Newberg, Communications Director for CSU-AAUP. Please encourage your students to testify.
• This year, there will be elections for CSU-AAUP and CCSU-AAUP officers.
• The executive council has endorsed the Leadership Group's documents about Transform CSCU 2020.
• Many bills have been proposed that would have an impact on CCSU. This includes SB 861 (An Act Concerning Criminal History Records Checks And Discipline Of Faculty Members Of Institutions Of Higher Education) and SB 931 (An Act Concerning Requirements for College Textbooks).
• The BOR has seen two presentations on performance-based funding, which would tie the block grant to graduation rates.
• Hearings on financial aid for undocumented students will be on Thursday.
• On Wednesday, from 10am to 2pm, our part-time faculty will have a grade-in in the Student Center, in recognition of National Adjunct Walkout Day.
• We still need a nomination for Secretary of CCSU-AAUP.

b. SUOAF-AFSCME President (O. Mamed for M. Ansarra)

• The legislative breakfast has been rescheduled to April 16, due to inclement weather.
• Lisa Bigelow will represent SUOAF-AFSCME on the Transform Legislative Committee.

c. SGA (S. Sonet)

• No report.

d. FAC to the Board of Regents (S. Adair)

• The FAC is working on a resolution calling for clarity in the vision behind Transform CSCU 2020.
• There is a bill (HB 6812) that would "premit faculty representation on the committees and subcommittees of the Board of Regents".

e. President of the Senate (S. Cohen)

• The Values and Assumptions requisite and classification of Transform CSCU 2020 initiatives has been approved by all 4 CSU Faculty Senate.
• The Leadership Group will meet on March 7 to discuss how to proceed.
• BOR President Gray has been asked for more clarity on how the Transform CSCU 2020 Steering Committee will be organized; for the moment, Stephen Cohen will be our placeholder nominee.

3. Committee Reports

a. Sabbatical Leave Committee (AAUP) (P. Resetarits)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate

b. Committee on Committees (B. Barr)

• Community Engagement Committee bylaws
• Council of Academic Chairpersons bylaws (proposal for a new Standing Committee of the Faculty Senate)
• Senator Shen asked whether directors of IDPs would be included in the Council of Academic Chairpersons. Senator Kovel answered in the negative.
• Approved unanimously

c. Constitution and Bylaws Committee (A. King for K. Love)

• Proposed amendments
• Explanation of the proposed amendments
• Approved unanimously, with the addition of a comma in the name of the School of Engineering, Science, and Technology

d. University Planning and Budget Committee (K. Martin-Troy)

• Provost Lovitt spoke of his proposal to increase the minimum number of students in a 100 or 200 level course for the Summer and Winter sessions from 6 to 8, while keeping the minimum number at 6 for higher-level courses. He will also ask Deans to review proposals for independent studies in the Winter/Summer, to make sure that they are needed for graduation. He said that, while courses with 6 or 7 students do make a profit, overall, our profit from Winter/Summe has decreased from $5.2 million to $4.8 million over the last two years, while at the same time the number of sections with 8 or more students has decreased, and the number of sections with 6 or 7 students has increased, as has the number of independent studies. He is asking faculty members to make an effort to increase enrollment. He said that the courses would be advertised in the usual ways, and that CACE would help recruit students for the courses.

e. Ad Hoc Committee on Vance Lecture

• The committee recommended five names to the Vance Foundation, but none of them worked out, for a variety of reasons. The Foundation replied by suggesting Melinda Gates as a potential speaker. In the end, there was no agreement on a speaker.

4. Adjournment

• The meeting adjourned at 4:20pm.