Minutes - February 25, 2019 - 3:05pm
CCSU FACULTY SENATE MEETING
Present: Adair, S.; Austad, C.; Bailesteanu, M.; Baratta, C.; Bernstein, S.; Bigelow, L.; Bishop, J.; Bishop, R.; Blitz, D.; Boncoddo, R.; Broadus-Garcia, C.; Button, C.; Chakraborty, S.; Cistulli, M.; D'Addio, D.; Emiliani, B.; Farhat, J.; Foster, P.; Gamache, J.; Garcia-Bowen, M.; Gardner, P.; Gichiru, W.; Givens, E.; Gutierrez, S.; Halkin, S.; Kapper, M.; Karpuk, P.; Kean, K.; Kim, Y.; Kriscenski, J.; Kullgren, A.; Langevin, K.; Latour, F.; Leonidas, E.; LoGiudice, S.; Mendez-Mendez, S.; Minor, L.; Mongillo, M.; Morales, A.; Moreno-Fuentes, G.; Oyewumi, O.; Pancsofar, E.; Paolino, J.; Petras, S.; Phillips, E.; Ragusett, J.; Ruhs, T.; Sakaki, H.; Siporin, R.; Sohn, Y.M.; Spear, E.; Spillman, D.; Sylvester, C.; Tellier, A.; Vedeler, H.; Williams, L.; York, C.
Ex-Officio: Fitzgerald, G.; Kremens, Z.
Parliamentarian: Dimmick, C.
President of the Senate: Jackson, M.
Guests: Kassandra Fruin (SGA); Yvonne Kirby (OIRA); Robbin Smith (Political Science)
1. Minutes
a. Minutes of February 11, 2019
- Approved unanimously
2. Announcements:
a. AAUP President (L. Williams)
- The chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, February 27, at 3pm; the topics will be Academic Freedom and Sexual Misconduct.
- Faculty members are encouraged to testify at the legislature. The legislature is considering the creation of "finish line grants" that would allow students to pursue their undergraduate education debt-free; we need to make sure that this proposal includes our students and not just those of community colleges.
- Special election day is Tuesday, February 26, so remember to vote if you are a voter registered in one of the five districts in which an election is being held.
b. SUOAF-AFSCME President (L. Bigelow)
- The SUOAF-AFSCME chapter meeting will be on Monday, March 18. Dan Livingston will be present; there will be a discussion of the governor's budget proposal.
- There will be a workshop on Tuesday, April 16.
c. SGA (R. Smith for K. Fruin)
- The Academic Resource Fair will be on Thursday, March 7, from 11am to 2pm, in Alumni Hall. Those interested in participating should contact Kassandra Fruin.
- Students will testify against the proposed tuition increase.
- The executive board election debate will be on Monday, March 4, at 6pm in the Constitution Room of Memorial Hall.
d. FAC to the Board of Regents (S. Adair)
- The BOR submitted a new substantive change request to NECHE on Thursday, February 21. The request asks for the creation of a consolidated community college, effective 2023. Faculty members are encouraged to express their concerns to their legislators.
- Faculty members are also encouraged to testify in favor of Senate Bills 749 and 840, and in opposition to House Bill 7120. It is unlikely that a bill separating CSCU into separate systems will appear this session, unless proposed by the Governor.
- A petition opposing the so-called "Students First" is being circulated. It currently has over 1100 signatures, including 14 former CSCU presidents, 3 former chancelors, 4 former BOT members, 1 former BOR member, and 7 foundation board members. A press conference about this petition is being planned. Senators discussed this petition and spoke in favor of it. Faculty members are encouraged to sign the petition by Friday, March 8.
e. President of the Senate (M. Jackson)
- The task force that would reorganize Human Resources, Diversity and Equity, and the Office of the Ombudsman, has made some progress. Senate President Jackson is part of it. A consulting firm is likely to be hired. The reorganization should be completed by the Fall.
- Faculty members are encouraged to participate in the survey of campus climate.
3. Committee Reports
a. Information Technology Committee (T. Burkholder)
- Postponed to the next meeting
b. Ad hoc committee on response to proposed Institutional Research consolidation
- Postponed to the next meeting
4. Unfinished Business
a. Electronic Student Opinion Surveys
- Some faculty members expressed concerns about the possible lower response rates and how this may affect faculty DEC evaluations. Discussion included the fact that the results of the surveys are accessible to the department chairs but not to the DEC, and who would get the results in the case of an interdisciplinary program that has a director rather than a chair.
- Policy approved (one senator opposed)
5. New Business
a. External Program Review
- Postponed to the next meeting
b. Petition on the matter of "Students First"
- Discussed as part of the announcements.
6. Adjournment
- The meeting adjourned at 4:31pm.