Faculty Senate

Minutes - April 30, 2018 - 3:05pm

CCSU FACULTY SENATE MEETING

Present: Adair, S.; Anton, M.; Austad, C.; Bailesteanu, M.; Baratta, C.; Bell, T.; Bernstein, S.; Best, F. ; Bishop, J.; Boscarino, N.; Chakraborty, S.; Christensen, S.; Cistulli, M.; Clark, B.; Dhar, P.; Emiliani, B.; Farhat, J.; Foster, P.; Gamache, J.; Garcia, V.; Garcia-Bowen, M.; Givens, E.; Hughes, H.; Jackson, M.; Jarvis, K.; Kapper, M.; Karas, R.; Kean, K.; Kelly, D.; Kim, Y.; Koulidobrova, H.; Kyem, P.; Latour, F.; Leonidas, E.; Martin-Troy, K.; Mendez-Mendez, S.; Menoche, C.; Minor, L.; Morales, A.; Moreno-Fuentes, G.; Nelson, W.; Ngazimbi, E.; Oyewumi, O.; Paolino, J.; Phillips, E.; Ruhs, T.; Sadanand, N.; Sakaki, H.; Sohn, Y.; Spillman, D.; Stickland, A.; Styrczula, S.; Thornton, E.; Vedeler, H.; Williams, C.; Williams, L.; York, C.; Zering, J.

Ex-Officio: Bigelow, L.; Fitzgerald, G.; Kremens, Z.; Sommers, B.

 

Parliamentarian: Dimmick, C.

President of the Senate: Cohen, S.

Guests: Richard Benfield (P&T Committee); Kassandra Fruin (SGA); Beth Merenstein (Curriculum Committee)

1. Minutes

a. Minutes of April 16, 2018

• Approved as part of consent agenda
  

2. Announcements:

a. AAUP President (L. Williams)

• The year-end gathering will be on Friday, May 3 at 3pm.
• Members are encouraged to sign new membership forms.

b. SUOAF-AFSCME President (L. Bigelow)

• There is an officer vacancy (treasurer).
• Free financial consultations will be available regarding the SAG award decision.

c. SGA (K. Friun)

• President Toro, faculty and students were thanked for their participation in the Good Neighbor Campaign.
• The SGA election was held recently, with 30 student senators being elected. They will be sworn in on Wednesday.

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

• The FAC meets on Friday in preparation for its May 10 report to the BOR.
• The Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the BOR still wants to consolidate despite the recent NEASC decision. They also want to reintroduce the idea of the Provost writing a paragraph about each candidate for tenure and/or promotion, which AAUP opposes as being extra-contractual.

e. President of the Senate (S. Cohen)

• Academic Planning Documents: Five Year Academic Plan, Planning Proposals
• President Cohen discussed the process of crafting this academic plan, which should be brought back to departments for feedback. The feedback will be shared with the ad hoc committee and the plan will come back to the Senate in the Fall.
• Senator Blitz stated concerns about the existence of an ad hoc committee that does work that he believes should be done by the UPBC.
• At the end of announcements, a motion (Austad/Best) to suspend the rules to allow for immediate consideration of item 5c was unsuccessful.

3. Election of Standing Committees of the Faculty (runoffs)

• Academic Integrity Committee: Jill Espelin versus Faris Malhas
• University Planning and Budget Committee: Marianne Fallon versus Joseph Farhat (winner gets 3-year term, non-winner gets 2-year term)
• The election was conducted, and Jill Espelin was elected to the Academic Integrity Committee, and Joseph Farhat won the 3-year term on the UPBC.

4. Committee Reports

a. Promotion and Tenure Committee (R. Benfield)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate

b. Academic Standards Committee (J. Schnobrich-Davis)

• Approved unanimously

c. Graduate Studies Committee (E. Leonidas)

• Approved unanimously

d. Curriculum Committee (B. Merenstein)

• Approved unanimously

e. Information Technology Committee (T. Burkholder; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda, except for the bylaw changes which are referred to the Committee on Committees)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

f. Committee on Committees (A. Strickland) (approval of bylaw amendments in d. and e.)

• Approved unanimously

g. Excellence in Teaching Committee (V. Garcia for M. Orange and R. Kalder)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate

h. Sabbatical Leave Committee (AAUP) (P. Resetarits; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

i. International Education Committee (P. Resetarits; informational, no action needed)

• Motion (Cohen/Foster): The Faculty Senate requests that the Provost bring the CIE strategic plan, before it is fully approved or implemented, to the Faculty Senate, for discussion or, if necessary, approval.
• Approved unanimously
• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate

j. Board of Regents Teaching Award Committee (J. Farhat; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

k. Board of Regents Research Award Committee (J. Farhat; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

l. Grade Appeals Committee (T. Vasko; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

m. CCSU Foundation Grant Advisory Committee (R. Waterman; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

n. Library Committee (C. Menoche; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

o. Diversity Committee (J. Bishop; informational, no action needed, for consent agenda)

• Report accepted by the Faculty Senate as part of consent agenda

p. Academic Assessment Committee, Academic Integrity Committee, Committee on Academic Advising, Community Engagement Committee, Council of Academic Chairpersons, University Athletics Board, University Planning and Budget Committee: will be included on first September 2018 agenda

5. New Business

a. Approval of Spring and Summer 2018 candidates for graduation

• Approved unanimously

b. Proposal for a new Standing Committee of the Faculty: General Education Committee (not for approval at this point - for possible referral to Committee on Committees with feedback)

• The proposal was discussed; concerns were expressed that because the proposed committee structure mimics the current general education program, the committee would tend to favor the status quo. It might be preferrable to simply have members elected by the faculty at large, or representing each school, and to have fewer members.
• The idea of having student members of the committee was suggested.
• Motion: To refer the proposal to the Committee on Committees, with Senate feedback.
  • Approved unanimously

c. Discussion of recent actions of the Board of Regents and of "Students First"

• A motion (Blitz/Mendez-Mendez) was made to consider a resolution.
• Motion (Austad/Best): To conduct the vote by secret ballot. (Approved).
• The Elections Committee conducted the vote by secret ballot, and reported that there were thirty-eight ballots cast in favor of the resolution, and one ballot cast against the resolution.
  • Resolution approved

d. Additional item

• Vice President Bishop moved to consider a resolution thanking President Cohen for his service.
  • Resolution approved unanimously

6. Adjournment

• The meeting adjourned at 4:40pm.