College of Arts and Sciences
Council of Chairs
January 26, 2011
3:00 p.m., AS 122
Meeting Minutes
Present: J. Altarriba, J. Brière, G. Broadwell, S. Cohen, A. DeBlasi, E. Gaffney, S. Galime, K. Gersowitz (recorder), D.
Goodwin, R. Hamm, C. Henck, M. Hill, R. Hoyt, V. Idone (for Thorncroft), T. Kinal, R. Lachmann, J. Large, M. Lifchitz,
A. Lyons, C. MacDonald, J. Mandle, M. Messitt, J. Mower (for Lawson), J. Pipkin, R. Rosellini, G. Stevens, M.
Sutherland, P. Toscano, C. Wagner, E. Wulfert, K. Zhu, R. Zitomer.
Introductory Remarks: Dean Wulfert called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.
Minutes of December 8, 2010: A motion to approve the minutes was made by R. Lachmann, seconded by P. Toscano.
The meeting minutes for December 8, 2010 were unanimously approved. (The two Council members not in attendance at
the 12/8/10 meeting abstained.)
2. Announcements
 Fall 2011 scheduling in PeopleSoft is to be completed by departments by 2/4/11. Teaching Templates are also
due by 2/4/11. (Dean’s office review is February 5-11.)
 UAlbany Day is 2/7/11 on the North Concourse of the Empire State Plaza.
 Conference Support Award requests due 2/11/11 with letter of support from Dept. Chair (AS 217, original plus 6
copies)
http://www.albany.edu/research/Forms/Conference.pdf
 Journal Support Award requests due 2/11/11 with letter of support from Dept. Chair (AS 217, original plus 6 copies)
http://www.albany.edu/research/Forms/Journal.pdf
 FRAP B Applications due 2/28/11 (AS-217, original plus 10 copies)
(http://www.albany.edu/research/Forms/FRAP.pdf)
 Promotion and continuing appointment cases due 3/1/11 to Dean for decision by 1/15/12
 The date by which candidates must notify Chair and Dean of Request for consideration for Promotion or early Tenure
by 8/31/12 is 3/1/11
 Nominations for President's Award for Undergraduate Research are due 2/7/11 (Dona Parker, AS-217)
 CAS Research Reception is 3/15/11 from 3-5:00 p.m. in the Standish Room (contact
Cindy Endres at cendres@albany.edu)
 Sabbatical reports for Fall 2010 are due 3/15/11 (faculty should send via email to Steve Galime at
sgalime@albany.edu with copy to Department Chair)
 Spring Tenure-track faculty renewals due to Dean's office 3/28/11 (to Steve Galime, AS-217)
Faculty Participation Requested at these Events:
 Academic/Student Services Fair and Scholars Luncheons for admitted Presidential and Frederick Douglass Scholars
are 3/3/11 and 3/9/11 from 10-10:45 a.m. (Academic Fair-UNH Atrium) and 11:45 a.m. (Luncheon-CC Ballroom)—
contact Jaclyn Napoleon, Undergraduate Admissions (jnapoleon@uamail.albany.edu or 2-5435) (Note: Admissions
changed the date from 3/10/11 to 3/9/11.)
 Closer Look Admitted Diversity Student Open House is 3/19/11, 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the LC Concourse/Campus
Center—contact Hank Shuford, Undergraduate Admissions (Hshuford@uamail.albany.edu or 6-8204)
 Open Houses for Accepted Students are 4/2/11 and 4/3/11 (send name of department representative to Cindy Endres
at cendres@albany.edu by 3/25/11). The Dean mentioned that she recently learned applications are up from last year,
with an increase in the number of Group One applicants and a decrease in the number of Group Three applicants.
Please encourage faculty to attend the Open House and help convince students to attend the University at Albany.
Dean Wulfert encouraged the Chairs to participate in the February 7th UAlbany Day and asked them to help get the word
out to faculty and students. She noted that this is a crucial moment for the University community to come together and
make an impression on the Legislature if we hope to have any influence on funding for this campus. If only 10% of the
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faculty, students, and staff on campus attended, over 2,000 individuals would be at the Plaza supporting the University.
This show of support should make a statement that will draw press coverage and bring attention to the University. She
noted that this year the displays will be more interactive and that the University has invited the participation of several
school districts as well as businesses and the local community. The Dean informed Chairs that UAlbany students
attending will receive a letter as evidence of their participation and she asked that faculty accept this letter as a legitimate
excuse for missing class. She also asked that faculty not schedule quizzes or exams for February 7th if possible.
S. Cohen wondered what the appropriate tone might be if faculty and student groups participated who have already
expressed dissatisfaction with the funding provided to the University by the Legislature. Dean Wulfert stated that it
would be appropriate for these individuals to express their opinions in support of better funding for the university, but she
cautioned that it would not have any positive effect on the Legislator if demands were made in an insolent tone. She also
hoped that there would be some support for a rational tuition policy, which is important to the future of the University.
New Business: Summer Session Revenue-Sharing Pilot
Dean Wulfert asked the Chairs to consider participating in the 2011 Summer Session Revenue-Sharing Pilot being
spearheaded by Sheila Mahan and Michele Lasak. The goal of the pilot program is to incentive faculty to offer more
summer session courses by returning 90% of the net proceeds (i.e., any revenue exceeding the revenue generated in the
summer of 2010 minus instructional cost) to the department. The summer 2010 revenue will serve as baseline. Once a
department meets this baseline, additional courses will fall under the revenue-sharing model. After deducting instructor
salaries and fringe benefits from the gross tuition revenue, the net revenue will be split, 90% (CAS) to 10% (summer
sessions). Dean Wulfert stated she would forego a share for CAS and would return the full 90% to the department as an
incentive to participate in this program. She suggested that departments consider developing courses that would attract
current students who might be interested in taking online courses during the summer, or non-traditional students such as
adult learners.
Old Business: Report of the General Education Task Force
Dean Wulfert noted that the Senate is looking to move forward with the Gen Ed Task Force proposal and that legislation
was currently being drafted by UAC. It is anticipated that a bill will be introduced from the floor at the next Senate
meeting to adopt the BoT’s version of Gen Ed requirements. CAS, which provides 90% of the Gen Ed classes on campus,
has not had sufficient time to review and weigh in on the Task Force proposal. Dean Wulfert urged the Chairs to speak to
their departmental representatives on the Senate so that they might voice their concerns about hastily implementing a
proposal before CAS had had the opportunity to carefully consider the plan. She also urged the Chairs to attend Senate
meetings when the proposal will be discussed.
At the last Chair’s meeting Dean Wulfert asked the Chairs to discuss the Task Force report with their faculty and report to
Associate Dean J. Pipkin any concerns regarding the implementation of the proposed plan. J. Pipkin had only heard from
a few Departments and requested that Chairs provide their responses to him by February 18, 2010. Their responses will be
presented as a compendium to University governance. Responses should follow the following format: 1. General
thoughts and comments (pros and cons), 2. Departmental Perspective (challenges, possibilities), and 3. Make specific
recommendations on what should be changed in the proposal.
Associate Dean Pipkin briefly summarized some of the comments he has received to date from departments. Among those
were concerns about the Task Force report proposing unfunded mandates and the impossibility of satisfying the
writing requirement within the major, particularly for large majors. On the positive side, there seemed to be
some agreement about the value of folding Oral Discourse, Critical Thinking, and Information Literacy into the majors,
even though resources may still be a problem. Concerns were expressed about issues such as requiring only 1 course for
Arts/Humanities, folding US History, Europe, and Regions beyond Europe into a single category, and eliminating US
Pluralism and Diversity and Global and Cross Cultural Awareness. K. Zhu asked why the Regents exam waiver was
not included in the new proposal. It is believed the waiver continues to exist.
The strongest criticism was reserved for the World Within Reach courses and the freshman seminar. WWR is
perceived as an advertisement slogan, not an academic goal; the lack of prerequisites presents a problem
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because the courses would either be taught at the “100-level masquerading as 300-level courses”, or they could
only be offered for majors. The objections to the Freshman seminar were not philosophical, but resulted from the
impossibility of having fulltime faculty teach small introductory courses, which due to a lack of resources would
necessitate that adjuncts teach the advanced courses in the major. T. Kinal commented that we do not have the resources
to implement this plan and J. Mower expressed concern that courses might be “shoehorned” into the new requirements.
J. Pipkin noted that the Task Force discussed the current financial situation and how big a role this might play in
developing a new Gen Ed proposal. A. DeBlasi noted that the Task Force did not want to develop a proposal that was
unrealistic in scope, but also not one that would be a minimalist proposal.
M Hill expressed concerns about a “mission change”: Liberal arts should be at the core of the curriculum but seems to be
marginalized. Both M. Hill and C. MacDonald noted that the unintended consequence of this mandate will be adjuncts
teaching upper division and graduate students. Also, the assumption was questioned that all senior faculty were best
qualified to teach writing; in the sciences with many faculty who are not native speakers this would not seem a good idea.
V. Idone commented that the resource implications are significant. Gen Ed, while important, cannot take away from the
majors. Departments must focus on educating their majors and senior faculty should not be teaching writing courses.
Also, his Department must also meet the requirements set forth by the American Meteorological Society.
M. Sutherland suggested that we invite Senate leadership to attend a future Council of Chairs meeting. Dean Wulfert
agreed to extend that invitation.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:35.
Handouts:
Minutes of December 8, 2010 meeting
Agenda
Summer Session Revenue Sharing Pilot Memo