FACULTY SENATE MINUTES #7 

December 3, 2013  

The seventh meeting of the Faculty Senate 2013-2014 was called to order by Chair Jeffrey Walkuski on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 1:15 PM in Brockway Hall, Jacobus Lounge.  

SENATORS AND MEMBERS PRESENT:  J. Walkuski, W. Miller, D. West, B. Wodi, K. Polasek, O. White, R. Borden,  H. Lindh, K. Pristash, J. Hendrick, E. Owens, L.M. Weber, E. Bitterbaum, M. Prus, B. Burk, S. Wilson, A. Fitz-Gibbon, S. Anderson  

SENATORS AND MEMBERS ABSENT:  M. McGuire, S. Sharma, E. Lind, R. Grantham, S. Shi, J. Rayle, M. Seyfriend, A. Dearie, N. C. Paley, D. Harms, T. Slack, R. Nauseef, J.  Figura, K. Pietro, G. Sharer, M. Dodds, G. Douglas, M. Connell  

GUESTS PRESENT:J. Wilson, K. Burke  

I.  APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:   The minutes from November 12, 2013 were approved.  

II. SENATE ACTIONS:  

There was a vote to approve the StartUp NY Committee’s Report and Recommendation as a Fast Track item on the agenda.  (Approved)  

The StartUp NY Committee Report and Recommendations were approved, as amended:  on page 4, under the chart, “Based on this compilation, the chair will make the overall assessment with final approval of the committee.”  

III. CHAIR’S REPORT – The chair reported that the Steering Committee is moving forward with a variety of initiatives. He further stated that a representative will be attending a future Senate meeting regarding parking. 

IV. VICE CHAIR’S REPORT  - No report.  

V. TREASURER’S REPORT – W. Miller – The Treasurer reported that the Faculty Senate Treasury has almost $500 in it.  She thanked those who contributed and encouraged others to donate.  

VI. SECRETARY’S REPORT – No Report.  

VII.  PRESIDENT’S REPORT:    

• Start-Up NY
• New assessment and chargeback to college - $800,000
• Cortaca Jug Joint Commission
• New Commissioner of SUNYAC
• K. Burke, W. Miller, T. Phillips report on economic impact of Jets

VIII.  STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: 

Student Affairs Committee – E. Lind – No report (absent).  Chair Walkuski reported that the committee has been charged with looking at change in policy regarding academic standing.  

Academic Faculty Affairs Committee – A. Fitz-Gibbons – The chair reported that the committee has finished all of their work for the semester.  

Long-Range Planning Committee – G. Douglas – No report (absent)  

Educational Policy Committee – Susan Wilson – The chair reported that the committee has met and elected a chair.  They are meeting this Friday regarding a proposal involing GPA standings. 

Professional Affairs Committee  – K. Pristash – No report.  

IX. OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS:  

Committee on Teaching Effectiveness – J. Walkuski  - The Chair reported that the committee will not be meeting for the rest of the semester.  

Committee on Committees – J. Barry – There was no report for the Committee on Committees.  

College Research Committee  – No report (absent) 

General Education Committee – B. Burk – General Education Update 

The General Education Committee is in the midst of surveying the campus on their thoughts about the Cortland GE program. 

• Last spring the campus survey indicated that there was a need for greater flexibility, a continued focus on students’ writing and critical thinking skills, and a need to examine the current assessment approach.
• Because flexibility was the most prevalent finding, the GE committee chose to explore this further
• Three campus meetings were held on Nov. 11, 15, and 19
• We also conducted focus groups in the Joint Chairs Council on Nov. 18
• A survey is currently available to campus which will close Dec. 7
• A student survey was released on Monday, Nov. 25
• The results of the survey and open meetings will be analyzed by the GE Committee and will be used to prepare a recommendation to Faculty Senate
• We have yet to analyze the data to determine emerging themes – this will be done in January  

Graduate Faculty Executive Committee  – M. Dodds – No report (absent)  

Review of Governance Committee – J. Walkuski – The chair reported that the committee is meeting this Friday and will have a proposal to come at the beginning of the semester in 2014. They are reviewing the Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate.  

X. AREA SENATOR: 

There were no Area Senator Reports. 

XI. SUNY SENATOR - J. Hendrick - The SUNY Senator reported that the next Plenary will be on January 23-25, 2014 at SUNY Albany.  She encouraged those colleagues with issues or concerns to contact her so she can bring them forward at the meeting.  

XII. STUDENT SENATORS’ REPORT – L. M. Weber – SGA's Holiday Party will be held tomorrow from 7:00pm-9:00pm in the Corey Union Function Room. The e-board will be dressing up as Santa and Elves and will be distributing presents to the children. Snacks and drinks will be provided as well.  

Overall SGA had a successful semester & we are excited to welcome two new people on board for next semester! 

XIII. OLD BUSINESS: - There was no old business. 

XIV. NEW BUSINESS:  The New Business regarding the StartUp NY Committee’s report and recommendation was discussed and approved, as amended.  {SEE Senate Actions; Appendix 1)  O. White reported that the committee has met three times but has not yet elected a chair.

XV. ANNOUNCEMENTS:  

There were no announcements. 

Respectfully Submitted, 

Barbara Kissel 

Recording Secretary 

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

 (1)            Ad Hoc StartUp Committee Report Cover Memo Mission Attainment Checklist, StartUp Report, submitted by J. Hendrick, Chair                             

APPENDIX 1

Ad Hoc StartUp NY Committee Report Cover Memo,

Start-Up NY Report, and Mission Attainment Checklist

Submitted by J. Hendrick, Convenor

TO:                  Jeff Walkuski, Faculty Senate Chair

FROM:              ad hoc Committee for StartUp NY

Kathleen Burke, Theresa Curtis, Erin Durgin, Amy Henderson-Harr, Joy Hendrick, Anita Kuiken, Orvil White

DATE:            November 22, 2013

RE:                  Committee Report and Recommendation 

Background: On October 15, 2013, the SUNY Cortland Faculty Senate voted to create a mechanism for direct involvement in the process of determining if businesses applying for campus sponsorship in StartUp NY¹  have demonstrated alignment with or can further the academic mission of the college.  The rationale behind this was that faculty have the best perspective to assess and interpret the academic mission of the college and, according to the StartUp NY regulations, campus involvement is an established component of the approval process for businesses.  To that end, the ad hoc Committee for StartUp NY was created by the Faculty Senate with the charge “to: 1) develop criteria and 2) procedures to assure that businesses applying for the tax breaks via Start-Up NY with our college are eligible according the college mission alignment.”  Subsequently, the Committee on Committees sought nominations and then presented a slate of members to the Senate on October 29, 2013.  The Senate approved the committee membership and our work began.  

Committee Work: The StartUp NY regulations stated that campus mission alignment can include knowledge creation, knowledge diffusion, and formation of values.  Using these standards, we began our task by reviewing suggested factors within the regulations and developed a list of possible examples for each.  These appear in the attached documents.  It is important to note that it is not an exhaustive list and that specific programs were purposely not listed.  Once that was completed, we established the overall criteria that would be used to assess the business’ alignment with our campus mission and priorities.  The factors were then mapped with these overall criteria.   Our final task involved developing a process for how this assessment could effectively, yet realistically be accomplished to make it helpful for the businesses and yet satisfy our objective of having faculty assess this component of the businesses’ application.  (Note: Businesses must satisfy other criteria as well.  Faculty Senate involvement only relates to the academic mission alignment).  

Recommendation: We recommend the Faculty Senate approve the attached report containing the criteria and the process.  Businesses will begin applying in early January and it is crucial that mechanisms are in place to ensure a fair system for assessing the businesses and yet ensure faculty involvement in this critical step.  In whatever process the Senate endorses, evidence of shared governance involvement would mean that SUNY Cortland will not sponsor a business that is not endorsed by the faculty.                                      

                                                             Assessing Business’s Alignment with

SUNY Cortland Mission for Sponsorship in Tax-Free NY 

As noted in the regulations for a Tax-Free NY, businesses must show how they can align with or further the academic mission of the campus or college with regards to knowledge creation, knowledge diffusion, and formation of values.  Using these standards, four overall criteria have been identified to measure business’s application for SUNY Cortland sponsorship in Tax Free NY.  They are: 

1. Share expertise with campus
2. Provide  quality transformational educational opportunities for students
3. Alignment of products and/or resources with college academic program(s)
4. Contribute to the well-being of the campus and Cortland community 

The degree to which businesses can demonstrate how they will be able to achieve one or more of the above will strengthen their application.  A list of potential factors for such alignment appear in #3 of Appendix A of the StartUp NY SUNY Campus Guide to Getting Started^[1]: 

            A description of the type of business or businesses that the campus is intending to be located on the area to be designated. Include a description of the academic mission of the Sponsor and how the anticipated businesses will align with or further the academic mission of the campus or college.  In assessing how a tax-free business aligns with the mission of a campus or college in knowledge creation, knowledge diffusion, and formation of values, the college or campus may consider these factors or a combination thereof in its consideration to sponsor the tax-free business:

                           i.          Comprehensive undergraduate, graduate education and professional education

                         ii.          Research

                        iii.          Leadership

                        iv.          Diversity

                          v.          Culture

                        vi.          Regional economic development

                       vii.          Internship and training opportunities

                     viii.          Direct job opportunities for campus graduates

                        ix.          Internationalization

                          x.          Specific area specialization of the campus (health care, IT, ceramics, business education, professional and vocational postsecondary programs etc.)

                        xi.          Any other factors which the college or campus deems to be appropriate in determining the alignment of mission to the business. 

Some examples for each factor category are listed below to assist businesses with describing how they can align with or further the academic mission of SUNY Cortland.   While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it will help SUNY Cortland to better assess businesses who apply to be sponsored for StartUp NY.  NOTE:  Each item below can be strengthened by referencing specific campus programs (refer to the College Catalog at: http://catalog.cortland.edu/content.php?catoid=19&navoid=1377) 

                 i.          Comprehensive undergraduate, graduate education and professional education

a)     Strong collaborative opportunities with faculty to strengthen student learning experiences

b)     Meaningful immersion opportunities for students

c)     Executive-In-Residence

d)     Invited guest speakers

e)     Access to resources, including library databases

f)      Roundtable discussions 

               ii.          Research—(Note: Classified research is not eligible)

a)     Summer research opportunities

b)     Faculty and business collaborations fostering new grant opportunities

c)     Shadow opportunities for students

d)     Consult on current research (for the college and/or for the business)

e)     Foster new lines of inquiry 

             iii.          Leadership

a)     Executive-In-Residence

b)     Service on boards

i)      Executives serving on advisory boards at the college

ii)    Faculty invited to serve on boards with the business

iii)  Creation of boards for local start-ups

c)     Collaborative opportunities across SUNY and/or the region, including other established corporate networks

d)     Roundtable discussions for local underrepresented groups

e)     Provide role model for being engaged citizens with strong social conscience 

             iv.          Diversity

a)     Enhance diversity in town which

i)      increases opportunities for education majors to experience diverse populations in local school settings

ii)    helps our students in minority groups to feel more support within the town

b)     Offer opportunities to mirror the changing world

c)     Initiate conversations, curiosity, and perspectives from international and multicultural perspectives

d)     Offer opportunities for students to experience culturally diverse settings to broaden perspectives, acquire global perspectives and embrace differences in background, interests, ages, races, and life stages.

e)     Support diversity values on campus in other ways (see college diversity statement: http://www2.cortland.edu/offices/publications/handbook/part-one/#Anchor-130.10) 

               v.          Culture

a)     Enhance entrepreneurial culture

i)      Service on advisory board councils

ii)    Hold seminars, training camps, etc.

iii)  Sponsor student competitions

iv)   Work with college  to help meet educational needs of business

b)     Enhance intellectual climate of campus

i)      Executive-In-Residence

ii)    Help students relate S.T.E.M. subjects to real world applications

iii)  Provide support for cultural events and the creative arts

iv)   Enhance life-long learning opportunities 

             vi.          Regional economic development

a)     Small business collaboration

b)     Round table discussions 

           vii.          Internship and training opportunities

a)     Training opportunities for interns

b)     Work experience opportunities for interns 

         viii.          Direct job opportunities for campus graduates

a)     What specific majors could be served?

b)     What qualifications would graduates need?

c)     How can the campus prepare for future hiring needs of the business? 

             ix.          Internationalization

a)     Enhance understanding of and interaction with diverse cultures

b)     Expand internship opportunities to other countries 

               x.          Specific area specialization of the campus

Academic programs are listed in the College Catalog (link appears on page 1 above). 

             xi.          Any other factors which the college or campus deems to be appropriate in determining the alignment of mission to the business. 

It should be noted that additional criteria need to be met by businesses seeking sponsorship.  The above only relate to alignment with the college mission.  The economic development criteria which are incorporated in the StartUp NY Business Application are not part of the Faculty Senate review. 

The Process for Faculty Senate Involvement in Assessing Business’s

Alignment with SUNY Cortland Mission for Sponsorship in Tax-Free NY 

A four-member committee comprised of three faculty (representing at least two schools), and one professional staff will assess how well businesses have identified their alignment with the SUNY Cortland Mission.  They will also conduct the annual reviews of approved businesses to see that they are still in alignment with the college mission. The committee will be approved by the SUNY Cortland Faculty Senate.  Committee members will serve three years with staggered terms.  Since timeliness is of the essence in the approval process, committee members must agree to return assessments within 2 working days including during winter and summer terms.  Committee members who are related to owner(s) of businesses under review and/or have other conflict(s) of interest will recuse themselves.  

The assessment process will involve several steps.  Initially, committee members will conduct an independent review of the sponsor’s application primarily focusing on the section where they “describe how the mission and activities of the business aligns with or furthers the academic mission of the campus, college or university sponsoring the Tax-Free Area” and completing the attached Checklist for the Degree of Mission Attainment (this checklist is an on-going process).  Mechanisms will be developed so that assessments can be completed and submitted on-line.  Results will then be compiled by the committee chair in a format similar to that displayed below. 

Based on this compilation, the chair will make the overall assessment with final approval from the committee:

?       Business aligns with or furthers the academic mission of the campus.

?       Business has potential for aligning with or furthering the academic mission of the campus.  The application should be resubmitted.

?       Business has not demonstrated sufficient alignment and is not supported. 

The assessment results will be sent to the StartUp NY administrative designee appointed by the president.  It is expected that the campus will not sponsor a business that is not endorsed by this committee as one which can align with or further the academic mission of the college. 

 To assist the review in the above, the factors are mapped to the three areas as follows: 

 Our academic mission can be mapped to these areas as follows: