FACULTY SENATE MINUTES #12

April 8, 2014 

The twelfth meeting of the Faculty Senate 2013-2014 was called to order by Chair Jeffrey Walkuski on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 at 1:15 PM in in the Park Center Hall of Fame Room. 

SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT:  J. Walkuski, W. Miller, C. Schubert, D. Miller, M. McGuire, S. Sharma, E. Lind, R. Grantham, B. Wodi, K. Polasek, O. White, R. Borden, M. Seyfried, A. Dearie, N. C. Paley, K. Pristash, D. Harms, J. Hendrick, E. Owens, E. Durgin, S. Afari, N. Finkle, E Bitterbaum, M. Prus, G. Sharer, M. Dodds, A. Fitz-Gibbon, S. Anderson, D. West

SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT: S. Shi, J. Rayle, T. Slack, R. Nauseef, K. Pietro, W. Shaut, B. Burke, S. Wilson, G. Douglas, M. Connell 

GUESTS PRESENT:  K. Russell, M. B. Voltura, A. Pagano, P. Ducey, D. Barclay, B. Smith,

M. Nagel, J. Hartsock, C. Kaltefleiter, S. Smensok, B. Spitzer, R. Storch, J. McNamara, C. VanDerKarr, C. Little, T. Phillips, H. Wilson

I.  APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:   The minutes from March 25, 2014 were approved. 

II. SENATE ACTIONS:

The Review of Governance Ad Hoc Committee Proposal Items #1 and #2 were discussed, voted on and approved.  (Approved)  {see Appendix 2 of the March 25, 2014 minutes] 

The Review of Governance Ad Hoc Committee Proposal Item #3 was discussed, voted on and approved.  (Approved) {see Appendix 2 of the March 25, 2014 minutes] 

A motion was made to postpone the SUNY Cortland General Education Proposal to the next Faculty Senate meeting on April 22, 2014 in order to review proposed handbook language  (Approved; 14/3) 

III. CHAIR’S REPORT – The chair reported on several at-large seats that need to be filled on the Senate and mentioned the importance of the Executive Committee’s role on the Senate and the need to fill those seats as well, otherwise the Senate will cease to exist. 

IV. VICE CHAIR’S REPORT  - No report. 

V. TREASURER’S REPORT – W. Miller – No report. 

VI. SECRETARY’S REPORT – No report. 

VII.  PRESIDENT’S REPORT:  No report. 

VIII.  STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Student Affairs Committee – E. Lind – No report. 

Academic Faculty Affairs Committee – A. Fitz-Gibbon – No report. 

Long-Range Planning Committee – No report (absent) 

Educational Policy Committee – Susan Wilson – No report (absent.) 

Professional Affairs Committee  – K. Pristash – The chair reported that the committee continues to work at scheduling another meeting and will report on the progress at a future Senate meeting. 

IX. OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Committee on Teaching Effectiveness – J. Walkuski  - The chair reported that the committee will be meeting soon and is in the process of speaking with Webinar vendors that deal with teaching assessment. 

College Research Committee  – No report (absent)

General Education Committee – B. Burk – No report. 

Graduate Faculty Executive Committee  – M. Dodds – No report. 

Review of Governance Committee – J. Walkuski – {SEE Old Business} 

X. AREA SENATOR:

There were no Area Senator’s Reports. 

XI. SUNY SENATOR:  J. Hendrick reported that a call for nominations from the UFS for volunteers has been put out to service on committees. Currently, Senator Noelle Chaddock Paley chairs the Diversity and Cultural Competence Committee and Senator Andy Fitz-Gibbon serves on the Ethics Committee. The charges of each of these committees can be found on the University Faculty Senate website at: http://old.suny.edu/facultySenate/committeecharges2011.cfm  You may apply via this link, SUNY Faculty Senate Standing Committees 2014-2015 .  The deadline for applications is May 9, 2014. She also encouraged anyone interested in becoming the SUNY Senator for the Faculty Senate at Cortland to contact her.  

XII. STUDENT SENATORS’ REPORT –  E. Durgin –  E. Durgin gave the following report:

There is going to be a senior trip to Darien Lake Six Flags on May 15^th.  Budget hearings are on 4/12 and 4/13.  Our induction ceremony to celebrate the new President, Vice President, and Treasurer will be on April 10^th.  The annual Children's Festival is on April 26th from 11-3 in Moffet Gym.

XIII. Committee on Committees –  The following nominations, in addition to the Committee on Committees report below, were announced: Auxiliary Services Corporation, 2014-17, At Large – Henry Steck; General Education Committee - 2014-16, Fine Arts & Humanities - Jenn McNamara; Academic Grievance Tribunal, 2014-17, Professional Studies – Sarah Beshers.  D. West self-nominated for the Arts and Sciences vacancy, 2014-2016.  

XIV. OLD BUSINESS: -

The ROG Committee Proposal Items #1 and #2, and Item 3#, were discussed, voted on and approved. 

A motion was made by D. Miller and approved to postpone the SUNY Cortland General Education Proposal in order to review handbook language to the next Faculty Senate meeting on April 22, 2014. 

XV. NEW BUSINESS: 

The Fast Track item regarding changing the handbook requiring a faculty referendum for the General Education Proposal was withdrawn by Senate Chair J. Walkuski. 

XVI.  ANNOUNCEMENTS:  There were no announcements. 

After the President’s Report the Senate Rules were suspended and there was an Open Meeting conducted on the SUNY Cortland General Education Proposal. 

Respectfully Submitted, 

Barbara Kissel

Recording Secretary 

The following reports are appended to the minutes in the order that they are distributed: 

(1)    Committee on Committees Report, submitted by J. Barry, Chair

(2)   Proposal to change the handbook requiring a faculty referendum for the General Education Committee Proposal, submitted by J. Walkuski, Faculty Senate Chair

(3)   Correction to the GE Proposal, submitted by B. Burk, Chair 

                                                      APPENDIX 1

Committee on Committees – Report to the Faculty Senate

April 8, 2014

Submitted by J. Barry, Chair

Item #1 

The call for nominations for officers and committee vacancies beginning Fall 2014 resulted in the nominations noted below (in red).  Deadline for nominations was Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 4:00 p.m. 

Additional nominations should be accepted from the floor. 

1.  At Large (any member of voting academic faculty or professional staff unless otherwise noted):

** ASC holds a NYS Liquor License.  If elected to the Board of Directors, the State Liquor Authority requires the completion of a Personnel Questionnaire and fingerprinting.  For more details, click on the following link:  http://www.abc.state.ny.us/system/files/SLA_(personal-question-011310.pdf)

1. School of Arts & Sciences (seats are appointed unless otherwise noted):

1.  School of Education – At Large (seats are appointed unless otherwise noted):

1.  School of Professional Studies – At Large (seats are appointed unless otherwise noted):

1.  Library – At Large (seats are appointed unless otherwise noted):

1.  Professional  Staff – (seats are appointed unless otherwise noted):

(see next page)

Item #2

The call for nominations for Senators beginning Fall 2014 resulted in the nominations noted below (in red).  Deadline for nominations was Wednesday, March 26, 2014, 4:00 p.m.

Additional nominations should be accepted from the floor.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Barry

Chair

Committee on Committees    

APPENDIX 2

Proposal to Change the College Handbook

Regarding the General Education Proposal

submitted by J. Walkuski, Faculty Senate Chair 

Proposed Changes to the SUNY Cortland College Handbook

The General Education program is so fundamental an element in the college curriculum that proposed changes are properly referred to the faculty for a vote. 

Under the current Handbook, however, there is no requirement that proposals regarding changes to the GE program be brought to the voting faculty for a referendum.  While it has been “past practice” for such proposals to be decided by referendum, an explicit requirement would validate both the process and the result.  For this purpose, the following addition is proposed as an amendment to the Handbook: 

If approved by the faculty, the new section will be placed as the last item in Chapter 410.05 following the Transfer Courses section.

APPENDIX 3

Correction to the GE Proposal

submitted by B. Burk, Chair, GE 

Proposed Revision of SUNY Cortland General Education 

The proposal described below is the result of the GE Committee’s work to synthesize the feedback we have received throughout the process and develop a proposal that retained the overall purpose of the General Education program while responding to the significant calls to allow more choice and flexibility within the program. We believe that it represents the preferences of our campus as a whole, recognizing that no proposal will reflect the individual preferences of each campus member or department. 

The GE Committee unanimously approved the following amendments to the General Education Program: 

• Reduction of the natural science requirement to one laboratory course (elimination of GE 13 – a second natural science)
• Allow 3 or 4 credit hour laboratory natural science courses to fulfill the natural science requirement
• Allow students to complete two of the following three categories: GE 3 – Social Science, GE 4 – United States History and Society, and GE 5 – Western Civilizations for a total of six credit hours 

These changes would result in the following revised General Education Program: 

1. 1.     Quantitative Skills (3cr)
2. 2.     Natural Science (with a lab) (3 or 4cr)
3. 3.     Social Science (3cr)
4. 4.     United States History and Society (3cr)
5. 5.     Western Civilization (3cr)
6. 6.     Contrasting Cultures (3cr)
7. 7.     Humanities (3cr)
8. 8.     The Arts (3cr)
9. 9.     Foreign Language (3cr)
10. 10.   Basic Communication (6cr)
11. 11.   Prejudice and Discrimination (3cr)
12. 12.   Science, Technology, Values and Society (3cr) 

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved SUNY General Education course work. Courses in GE 11 and 12 only count towards that total if they are cross listed in categories 1-10.