Faculty Senate

Minutes - May 3, 2021 - 3:05pm - Online through WebEx

CCSU FACULTY SENATE MEETING

Present: Adair, S.; Atkinson, S.; Austad, C.; Barr, B.; Basim, S.; Benoit, D.; Bigelow, L.; Bishop, J.; Blitz, D.; Boscarino, N.; Bray, A.; Broulik, W.; Chakraborty, S.; Chen, S.; Dumpson, N.; Duquette, J.; Elfant, A.; Flinn, B.; Foster, P.; French, J.; Gamache, J.; Garceau, T.; Garcia-Bowen, M.; Ghiloni-Wage, B.; Ghodsi, R.; Gichiru, W.; Givens, E.; Gu, S.; Hernandez, J.; Higham, C.; Holt, J.; Hou, X.; Hughes, H.; Jain, A.; Jarmoszko, T.; Jenkins, A.; Jones S.; Knox, C.; Langevin, K.; Lewis, M.; Love, K.; Mahony, M.A.; Martin, V.; Matzke, B.; Mendez-Mendez, S.; Misbach, K.; Moreno-Fuentes, G.; Nicoletti, J.; Orange, M.; Pancsofar, E.; Paolino, J.; Phillips, E.; Rein, T.; Roark, E.; Ruhs, T.; Salama, T.; Salgado, E.; Schenck, S.; Scoggins, M.; Sikorski, J.; Smith, J.; Smith, R.; Spear, E.; Spillman, D.; Strickland, A.; Sylvester, C.; Wang, W.; Whittemore, L.; Williams, L.

Ex-Officio:Dauwalder, D.; Farhat, J.; Kim, J.; Robinson, C.; Toro, Z.; Wolff, R.

 

Parliamentarian: Dimmick, C.

President of the Senate: Latour, F.

Guests: Bernstein, S.; Casamento, C.; Cintorino, S.; Claffey, G.; Elsinger, N.; Fallon, M.; Goode, G.; Jackson, M.; Jarrett, J.; Kirby, Y.; Lee, B.; Magnan, C.; Melnyk, J.; Miller, S.; Mulrooney, J.; Palmer, J.; Rhodes-Melendez, T.; Suski-Lenczewski, A.; Tully, J.

1. Minutes

a. Minutes of April 19, 2021 - not available

2. Announcements:

a. AAUP (T. Burkholder)

b. SUOAF-AFSCME (J. Gamache)

c. SGA (B. Kuo)

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d. FAC to the Board of Regents (D. Blitz)

e. President of the Senate (F. Latour)

3. Elections of Standing Committees of the Faculty elected by the Senate

4. Committee Reports (reports marked with an asterisk are part of the consent agenda)  

a. Promotion and Tenure Committee (S. Bernstein, C. King)

  • S. Bernstein reviewed the report submitted and included with today’s Senate agenda.

    • b. University Planning and Budget Committee (J. Melnyk)

    • J. Melnyk presented the report and added words of gratitude to all of the departments who supplied information in response to the request for service to the campus community.
    • The UPBC is still working on FY22 one-time requests.
    • Sen. Blitz asked for more detail behind the main points summarized in the report.
    • Sen. Mendez-Mendez made a motion to defer acceptance of this report until the next meeting.
    • F. Latour suggested that the Senate request that the UPBC provide a more-detailed report at the first meeting in the Fall. He cited a prior Senate motion that outlined what should be in the annual UPBC report.
    • Sn. Mendez-Mendez reiterated his motion. The parliamentarian advised that the report has been received. If it is to be accepted, a postponement can be made. Sen. Mendez-Mendez rephrased his motion.
    • MOTION: that the UPBC report be postponed to the Fall semester, at which time a revised, more detailed report is submitted.
    • F. Latour noted that you cannot postpone a report beyond the time a current committee members is serving. He advised that it be referred back to the committee.
    • MOTION: that the UPBC report be referred back to the UPBC for resubmission in the Fall.
    • Motion approved 45:6.

    c. Graduate Studies Committee (E. Leonidas)

    • E. Leonidas presented the report. He thanked AVP Robinson for advocating a change in policy resulting to reinstatement of GAs (after they had been cut due to budget). This was of grave concern to the GSC.
    • MOTION: to accept and approve the Graduate Studies Committee report.
    • Sen. Blitz asked whether reinstatement of GAs was related to the “Balducci Amendment” to the budget and if so, how many positions were reinstated. AVP Robinson noted that in the Fall we could only renew existing assistantships, however in the Spring, we were able to offer new assistantships.
    • Motion approved 49:1.

    d. Academic Standards Committee (E. Leonidas)

    • E. Leonidas presented the report.
    • MOTION: to accept and approve the Academic Standards Committee report
    • There was discussion and debate about the 12 credit cap on the number of credits that could be double-counted in the case of double majors. It was clarified that the 12 credits does not include “related requirements” that are not explicitly included in the major.
    • Sen. Blitz asked whether any clarity has been given to which of the two majors is actually counted (current policy gives priority to the first major; it is that program that receives credit for the graduate and that school the student walks with at Commencement). F. Latour suggested that the ASC develop a policy that states that both majors should be counted based on the rationale that a major is a major.
    • Motion approved.

    d. Curriculum Committee (T. Burkholder, B. Lee)

    • B. Lee presented the final Curriculum Committee of the year.
    • Sen. Blitz requested that the courses AFAM 212, 345, and 469 and PES 310 be removed from the delete list. These courses are part of interdisciplinary programs and are offered only as needed. The courses were removed.
    • MOTION: to accept and approve the Curriculum Committee report. Motion approved 44:0.

    e. Ad hoc committee on the future of online education

    • In the interest of time, F. Latour stated he would email all senators an update on this that they can share with their departments.

    f. Academic Integrity Committee* (M. Mongillo) - report was accepted

    g. Excellence in Teaching Committee* (M. Mongillo & N. Thai)- report was accepted

    h. International Education Committee* (M. Ciscel) - report was accepted

    4. New Business

    a. Approval of candidates for graduation

    • Dean Wolff moved acceptance of the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 candidates for the degrees offered by the Ammon College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
    • Dean Farhat moved acceptance of the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 candidates for the degrees offered by the School of Business.
    • Associate Dean Mulrooney moved acceptance of the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 candidates for the degrees offered by the School of Education and Professional Studies.
    • Dean Kim moved acceptance of the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 candidates for the degrees offered by the School of Engineering, Science and Technology.
    • AVP Robinson moved acceptance of the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 candidates for the graduate degrees offered by the School of Graduate Studies.
    • All motions were seconded and approved unanimously.

    b. Committee on Committees: by-law changes

    • Sen. Bray presented an overview of changes to the bylaws of the ITC.
    • MOTION: to approve the report of the Committee on Committees. Motion was approved 46:0.

    c. Resolution on BOR ACME proposal

    • SCSU resolution on ACME
    • Proposed resolution: The CCSU Faculty Senate agrees with, and endorses, the SCSU resolution on ACME
    • F. Latour reviewed the proposed Resolution, providing a rationale for the resolution.
    • Dean Wolff asked whether the Senate Steering Committee has spoken with the Writing Program. F. Latour indicated it had not and he does not believe that is necessary because it is not the Board’s role to dictate this on the community colleges.
    • Sen. Blitz noted that the FAC Chair organized a meeting with 5 faculty teaching remedial math and English, along with Regent Harris and Chair Fleury. No pilot project has been done in Connecticut; all of the data is coming out of Tennessee and Georgia. This will be a problem for students entering CCSU. The BOR Finance Committee is working on how to allocate HERC money, and no resources are being directed to remedial instruction. This is another example of micro-managing by the BOR; curriculum and pedagogy is the purview of the faculty.
    • MOTION: to endorse the SCSU Resolution on ACME. Motion approved 40:2.

    d. Resolution on concluding "Students First"

    • Sen. Blitz presented the Resolution and, due to the hour, gave a brief overview of the rationale for it (mostly comprised if issues raised previously in this Senate.)
    • MOTION: to endorse the Report on Concluding Students First.
    • Sen. Adair asked whether this has gone through the FAC. Sen. Blitz indicated it has not. This started as a personal statement that has now advanced to the report being presented. Sen. Adair expressed concern that this is a recommendation for the community college system and he is not sure that community college faculty would accept this as what they would want as an alternative.
    • Sen. Austad spoke in support of endorsing the report, as it represents a start of a conversation about taking this matter in another direction.
    • Sen. Bray expressed concern about endorsing the report, since not all of the ideas contained within it have been fully reviewed. She questioned whether the Senate’s action would be CCSU’s statement on this matter. She would like to have more time to review this. That sentiment was echoed by other senators.
    • F. Latour asked Sen. Blitz whether this was time-sensitive. Sen. Blitz indicated that the Board is moving forward with certain matters over the summer and the reorganization of the community college system is one of those matters. He clarified he is asking for an endorsement, not an approve. The document is a general framework and he feels it is important that it have some endorsement from an institution and that is why he has put it before the Senate.
    • Sen. Mendez-Mendez moved the motion go for a vote.
    • F. Latour suggested that perhaps a small group of senators be formed to give feedback on any proposals that come out of the Board over the summer.
    • Sen. Bishop asked for clarification on whether we are endorsing a report or a draft of a report.
    • F. Latour suggested another route would be to endorse the principles contained in the report. That was acceptable to Sen. Blitz.
    • MOTION TO AMEND: Approve the principles behind the document, and charge the Steering Committee with improving it over the summer, based on faculty feedback.
    • Sen. Adair indicated he supports the principles, as enumerated by Sen. Blitz.
    • MOTION: Approve the principles behind the document, and charge the steering committee with improving it over the summer, based on faculty feedback.

    e. Fall 2021 reopening and resolution on vaccination

    • F. Latour noted the Senate does not have decision-making authority on this matter; the Senate can only make a recommendation to the President of the University.
    • MOTION: to approve the Resolution.
    • Sen. R. Smith asked whether this requirement (that students get the vaccine, save for those with documented medical exemptions) was discussed with Carolyn Magnan.
    • Sen. Blitz indicated that there are a number of issues till to be resolved: can you mandate a vaccination that only has conditional approval, whether you can ask someone if they have been vaccinated, and how to accommodate medical, religious, and ethical exemptions. He noted he raised this with the BOR and Interim Chancellor Jane Gates asked him to constitute a committee to look into the issues that need to be researched further. If approved, this resolution will be brought to that committee as a sign of CCSU’s intent in this arena. Sen. R. Smith noted there is already a legal challenge to this in the State legislature. Sen. Blitz stressed that faculty should vote their conscience on this and it approved, it will be taken to the committee.
    • A motion was made to call the question. The motion was seconded.
    • MOTION: to call the question. The motion passed 38:5.
    • MOTION: Approve resolution on vaccination of students, faculty, and staff.
    • Motion passed 24:7.

    6. Adjournment