Approved Minutes
Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate
April 23, 2013, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center
Page 1 of 6
APPROVED
MINUTES OF MEETING1
BERKELEY DIVISION OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The spring meeting of the Berkeley Division was called to order at 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday,
April 23, 2013, in Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center, pursuant to call. Professor
Christina Maslach, chair of the Berkeley Division, presided. Quorum of 50 Senate members
was not attained so business could not be conducted at this meeting.
Carl Nadler, Graduate Assembly (GA) vice president for campus affairs, was not able to
attend as scheduled for Item III.C, but instead Natalie Gavello, Associated Students of the
University of California (ASUC) vice president for academic affairs, addressed student
issues during that time slot.
I.
Minutes of Meeting
The minutes of the May 2, 2012 and November 7, 2012 Division meetings were not
considered due to lack of quorum. They will be presented for approval at the next
Division meeting in Fall 2013.
II.
Announcements by the President
UC President Mark Yudof was unable to attend.
III.
Other Announcements
A.
Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor Robert Birgeneau addressed the Division for the last time as
chancellor; in June he will return to an academic position in the departments of
Physics, and Materials Science and Engineering. The Chancellor credited the
faculty’s participation in shared governance as a key factor in maintaining
Berkeley’s high level of excellence as a research and teaching institution.
Berkeley will face its greatest challenge adapting to changing times. The
California Master Plan for Higher Education has served the state well, but needs to
be updated for the new reality marked by a dramatic decrease in state support.
Berkeley’s governance structure should also be revisited. As state funding has
shrunk, greater support comes from other entities, including the students, which
should have a proportionately greater say in governance of the University. The
Chancellor reiterated his support for greater local control in campus
management. A new funding strategy is needed for construction and
infrastructure maintenance as these needs are no longer supported by the state.
Berkeley has had success in increasing access to low income students and has
pioneered a new level of financial aid for middle-income students. Berkeley has
explored and developed technology-assisted education, and found that students
are highly supportive of new modes of technology.
1
Recordings of Divisional Meetings are available online at http://academic-senate.berkeley.edu/division-meetings,
or by appointment at the Academic Senate Office. Contact <acad_sen@berkeley.edu> for more information.
Approved Minutes
Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate
April 23, 2013, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center
Page 2 of 6
B.
Berkeley Division Chair Christina Maslach
The professoriate is faced with serious challenges, including efforts to bypass the
Senate’s authority on academic matters, and the linkage of state funding to
specific academic outcomes. Faculty must become less reactive and turn the
dialogue into one focused on prioritizing academic needs and the common good.
The new UC president and Berkeley leadership face many challenges. The UC
Regents must become stronger advocates for the UC system. Berkeley’s strategic
plan needs to be updated. The Senate is taking steps to better communicate with
its members about current issues and actions, and will make more information
accessible on the Senate website. Timeliness of Senate response has been an issue,
but Division Chair Maslach noted that this might reflect the Senate’s thorough
deliberative process.
Division Chair Maslach announced she would be retiring this year, having spent
more than 40 years at Berkeley. Professor Elizabeth Deakin (City & Regional
Planning) will be appointed Division chair to succeed her in the fall.
C.
IV.
Natalie Gavello, vice president for academic affairs, Associated Students of the
University of California (ASUC)
Carl Nadler, GA vice president for campus affairs, was originally scheduled to
speak but was unable to attend. Natalie Gavello, ASUC vice president for
academic affairs (VPAA), spoke about student activities. A student commission,
which included representatives from the ASUC and GA, studied student use of
libraries and technology and reported to the Commission on the Future of the
UC Berkeley Library (see also Item IX.A). A bill on the libraries is being prepared
for submission to the ASUC Senate.
Special Orders-Consent Calendar
For proposed legislative amendments, additions to the current text are noted by an underline;
deletions to the current text are noted by a strikethrough line
A.
Proposed amendments to Berkeley Division Regulation 2001.A (Options for
Ph.D. Foreign Language Requirement)
The amendments to Berkeley Division Regulation 2001.A are proposed in order
to bring the regulations into alignment with Graduate Council (GC) policy.
Berkeley Division Regulations currently define two options for satisfying this
requirement. Option 1 requires a student to “demonstrate a reading knowledge
of two languages by passing an examination in each.” Option 2 requires that a
student demonstrate “an exceptionally thorough reading knowledge and an
adequate knowledge of the grammatical structure of a single language.” Since
2007, the GC has approved requests from four Ph.D. degree programs to require
reading proficiency in one foreign language as described in Option 1. Each
request presented a persuasive argument that the contemporary practice of
research and scholarship in that field required an elementary reading knowledge
of one foreign language. The GC approved all four requests. On the advice of the
associate dean of Graduate Division, the GC approved the creation of a third
option, which is like Option 1 but only requires one language. Both the
Committee on Rules and Elections, and Divisional Council approved the
proposed amendment.
Approved Minutes
Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate
April 23, 2013, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center
Page 3 of 6
2001.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
A.
Options
Unless a blanket exemption has been approved by the Graduate
Council at the request of the doctoral program, a prospective
candidate for the Ph.D. degree must satisfy the foreign language
requirement by one of the following options before the student is
admitted to the qualifying examination. The choice is to be
determined, in the case of each student, by the department or
program primarily concerned with the student’s proposed field of
study.
1.
The student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of
two languages by passing an examination in each, set by
the department or program concerned.
•
The department or program determines whether a
dictionary may be used; the length of the passage,
and the time allotted are subject to regulation by
the Graduate Council.
•
For one of the examinations, the student may,
subject to approval of the department or program
concerned, substitute
a
four-semester
(or
equivalent) sequence of courses in that language of
university level, passed with an average grade of C
or better.
•
The Graduate Council establishes general policies
respecting such sequences, including time limits
beyond which they no longer carry credit, and
authorizes the Dean, upon recommendation of the
department or program concerned, to accept
language courses taken at another institution.
(Am. 3.83)
2.
The student may elect to satisfy the requirement by
demonstrating an exceptionally thorough reading
knowledge and an adequate knowledge of the
grammatical structure of a single language. Such
command is tested as the Graduate Council directs.
3.
The student must demonstrate a reading knowledge of one
language by passing an examination set by the department
or program concerned.
•
The conditions governing this examination or
substitution of coursework for it and Graduate
paragraph A.1.
Division Chair Maslach was aware of faculty concerns about the Consent Calendar, but
no speakers were present to address those concerns. Having been noticed, the Consent
Calendar would normally be automatically approved in the absence of objections, even
without quorum. She requested advice from the floor about how to proceed.
Motion: A motion was made (and seconded) to postpone the Consent Calendar to the
fall 2013 Division meeting for further discussion.
Action: The motion was approved.
V.
Reports of Special Committees (None)
Approved Minutes
Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate
April 23, 2013, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center
Page 4 of 6
VI.
Reports of Standing Committees
A.
Committee on Rules and Elections
Professor Gary Holland, chair of the Committee on Rules & Elections (R&E),
reported the results of the Division election, with 426 total valid ballots cast.
Senate members elected to the Divisional Council:
Kristie Boering (Chemistry, Earth & Planetary Science)
Robin Einhorn (History)
Oliver O’Reilly (Mechanical Engineering)
Senate members elected to the Committee on Committees of the Berkeley
Division:
John Coates (Plant & Microbial Biology)
Ian Duncan (English)
Matthew Francis (Chemistry)
Chair Holland thanked all who ran for election.
B.
Committee on Admissions, Enrollment, and Preparatory Education
(Enclosure 3)
The Committee on Admissions, Enrollment, and Preparatory Education (AEPE)
written report summarized this year’s activities. A record number of freshman
admissions files were received for 2013-14 and offers have been made. The
anticipated yield is 34 to 35 percent; AEPE anticipates 4,300 to 4,400 freshmen
will be enrolled. If freshmen applications continue to increase, the committee
may need to revise its procedures. The review of transfer applications is on-going
and offers will be sent out later this month. The committee is revising its
admissions standards for athletes and will require stronger academic
qualifications for potential recruits.
C.
Committee on Faculty Awards (Enclosure 4)
The written report of the Committee on Faculty Awards listed the committee’s
activities during spring semester 2013.
•
Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship: Executive Vice Chancellor and
Provost
(EVCP)
George
Breslauer
approved
the
committee’s
recommendations of Professor Emeritus Jerry Craddock (Spanish and
Portuguese) and Professor in the Graduate School John M. Prausnitz
(Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering) for 2013-14.
•
Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award: Two faculty nominations
were made for this systemwide award.
•
2013 Clark Kerr Award: The committee’s nomination of Dr. Ricardo Romo,
president of the University of Texas at San Antonio, was approved by
Divisional Council on November 5, 2012. The presentation was made at a
private dinner on March 14, 2013, co-hosted by Division Chair Christina
Maslach and the committee.
•
Berkeley Faculty Service Award: Two selections have been made and will be
forwarded to Divisional Council for approval.
Approved Minutes
Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate
April 23, 2013, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center
Page 5 of 6
The Committee encourages departments to nominate faculty for these and
numerous external awards and honors, which are noticed throughout the year.
D.
Committee on Faculty Research Lecture (Enclosure 5)
In a written report, Chair Robert Hass of the Committee on Faculty Research
Lecture announced that the committee has selected Professor Harvey W.
Blanch (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering), and Professor Francine
Masiello (Comparative Literature and Spanish and Portuguese) to present the
2014 Martin Meyerson Berkeley Faculty Research Lectures. Divisional
Council endorsed the nominations on April 1, 2013. A letter detailing the
accomplished records of the honorees was appended to the report.
VII.
Petitions of Students (None)
VIII.
Unfinished Business (None)
IX.
University and Faculty Welfare
A.
Update on the Commission on the Future of the UC Berkeley Library
The co-chairs of the Commission on the Future of the UC Berkeley Library
reported on its progress. They were: Carla Hesse, dean of Social Sciences
Division, College of Letters & Sciences, and James Midgley, Harry and Riva
Specht Professor of Social Welfare.
Library staffing and services have been severely affected by reductions in state
funding in recent years to the point that the integrity of Berkeley’s libraries is
threatened. The Senate has highlighted the urgency of this deterioration. The
commission was convened by EVCP Breslauer and Division Chair Maslach to
develop a long-term vision for the library that restores it to excellence and
ensures that it is aligned to the University’s mission. The commission’s report
will soon be released.
The commission has been charged to consult broadly within the campus
community and has formed subgroups in four key areas: staffing, subjectspecialty library services, finances, and use of technology. A group on the
dissemination of knowledge (including open access) has been added. The
campus community will be a key partner in ensuring that the library’s vision
responds to the needs of faculty, students, and academic units. The Academic
Senate must be involved in restoring confidence in the libraries. The value-added
benefit provided by research libraries in the digital age is a question that should
be considered. Technology will enhance access to library resources and will work
for students and faculty at many levels. ASUC VPAA Gavello was commended
for having initiated a De-Cal course on the library.
In open discussion, one commenter noted that outside researchers are another
group of stakeholders with interests in the library. Another commenter
emphasized the importance of maintaining forward momentum after the
commission completes its work.
B.
Teaching and technology at UC Berkeley (Handout A)
Three faculty members described how they used technology in online courses. A
document on Berkeley’s online education endeavors was made available prior to
the meeting (Handout A).
Approved Minutes
Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate
April 23, 2013, 3:00-5:00 PM
Sibley Auditorium, Bechtel Engineering Center
Page 6 of 6
Assistant Professor Cameron Anderson (Haas School of Business) used Adobe
Connect to conduct lectures and live discussions with concurrent slide and video
feeds; however bandwidth limited the quality of this experience. Professor
Anderson felt increased writing assignments helped students in the online
course learn faster.
Professor John Kihlstrom (Psychology) used bSpace to support a large online
course in introductory psychology. Enrollment was limited by the number of
graduate student instructors (GSIs) available, rather than by technology. bSpace
enhanced access to background materials.
Armando Fox is professor-in-residence in Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science and academic director of the Berkeley Resource Center for Online
Education. Professor Fox stated that MOOCs (massive open online courses) are
not necessarily structured like in-person courses. GSIs for MOOCs are involved
in higher-level activities than those for in-person courses. He has been involved
in developing new technology for MOOCs, such as autograding tools.
X.
New Business (None)
Handout A:
UC Berkeley online education pre-reading document (working discussion document as
of 4-4-13)
The meeting was adjourned at 4:53 p.m.
Gary Holland
Secretary, Berkeley Division