College of Arts and Sciences
Council of Chairs
April 22, 2009
2:30 p.m., AS 122
Meeting Minutes
Present: J. Berkowitz, J. Brière, A. Broadwell, A. DeBlasi, N. Denton, R. Dressler, P. Ferlo, E. Gaffney, S. Galime,
K. Gersowitz (recorder), D. Goodwin, G. Griffith, R. Hamm, T. Harrison, M Hill, J. Hobson, M. Jerison, C.
MacDonald, J. Mower, G. Stevens, M. Sutherland, C. Thorncroft, P. Toscano, R. Ward (for Hernandez), K.
Williams, T. Wormwood, E. Wulfert, A. Zak, K. Zhu, R. Zitomer, A. Zonder
Introductory Remarks: Dean Wulfert called the meeting to order at 2:35 p.m.
Minutes of April 1, 2009: A motion to approve the minutes was made by D. Goodwin, seconded by A. Zonder.
The meeting minutes for April 1, 2009 were unanimously approved with minor corrections.
Announcements:
 Dean Wulfert began the meeting by welcoming Professor Kehe Zhu as new chair from the Department of
Math.
 Marching faculty participant names are due to the Dean’s Office 4/24/09. Please send your list of
participant names to Dona Parker at dparker@albany.edu.
 Fountain Day will be held 4/26/09. The Dean encouraged chairs and faculty to attend.
 The final Chairs Meeting will be held on 5/13/09 in LSRB 1143. A reception will immediately follow this
meeting.
 Completed assistantship appointment forms are due to Dean’s Office by 5/15/09. Please send to Kathy
Gersowitz, AS-217.
 Commencement is 5/16 and 5/17/09.
 CAS Ice Cream Social is 5/19/09, 2:30-4:00 p.m. in the Terrace Lounge. Please RSVP to Jaime Galusha
by 5/12.
 Zonder announced that the Theatre’s Departments final performance of the year, Jesus Hopped the A Train,
written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, a 1990 Alumnus, will take place April 24 – May 2.
 M. Jerison announced that on May 1, Ann Case, alumna of the Economics Department and current
Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, will be on
campus to deliver the lecture “Collateral Damage of the AIDS Pandemic in Africa.” The event will be held
in the D’Ambra Auditorium, Life Sciences Research Building at 10:00 am.
 D. Goodwin announced that the MFA Thesis Exhibition will take place May 1 through May 17, with a
reception to be held on Friday, May 8. (postcards were distributed)
Old Business: – Dean Wulfert encouraged the Chairs to contact C. Reimers with any significant concerns regarding
the assessment process. She also noted that K. Williams, Chair of Psychology, is available to discuss assessment
metrics with individual departments. With the help of both C. Reimers and K. Williams, CAS should be proactive
in developing assessments that best fit our programs.
New Business: – Dean Wulfert noted that the Provost's office will begin a review of University’s policies and
practices regarding the full-time academic faculty’s contributions to the teaching, research, and service mission of
the University. She is particularly interested in learning how departments and disciplines differ in their
expectations. Dean Wulfert recently sent an e-mail to the Chairs requesting information regarding how each CAS
department determines what constitutes equitable faculty contributions.
Dean Wulfert noted that in 2007 the Psychology Department appointed a committee to evaluate equitable
contributions using the O’Leary memo as a starting point. The policy details minimum requirements in terms of
quantity and what type of publications “count.” Similarly, it spells out in detail what type of activities involving
graduate students count. The policy was approved by the Psychology Department faculty and is used as a guide for
the Chair in assuring that all faculty are making an equitable contribution to the department.
C. MacDonald noted that there seems to be a disconnect between what might qualify someone for a course
reduction, and what in practice can be offered, particularly in smaller departments. In order to meet a department’s
teaching obligations the situation can arise where all faculty in a department have the same teaching load, while not
all are making the same research contributions. Lack of resources requires many faculty to carry a heavier teaching
load than the norm in peer institutions.
Issues that were discussed included what should be counted in determining faculty workload (e.g., number of
graduate students, for how long). The question of quality vs. quantity was also raised. Each department must
determine what constitutes scholarly activity and what timeframe they will use to make the determination if a
faculty member is contributing fully.
It was noted by J. Brière that within departments, standards can be different. For example, in one program the
standard might be a book while in another peer-reviewed articles are the norm. Faculty activity reports, along with
the Chair’s or executive committee’s judgment, are used in making these decisions. R. Zitomer and G. Griffith
both expressed the opinion that the evaluation of faculty should be a departmental concern.
Some chairs expressed a concern with workload policies, preferring individual consultation with faculty members.
Dean Wulfert stated however that policies can make expectations clear and can empower Chairs to make
adjustments to teaching loads when necessary. It was recognized that there are situations where some faculty are
doing more than their share while others are content to contribute less. If expectations are not made explicit, this
can become subjective. Those not contributing fully in the area of research or scholarship can be asked to teach an
additional course or asked to take on more service. Dean Wulfert noted that the College currently spends $3.9
million annually on adjunct instructors.
It was noted by M. Hill that for the most part there are only a few outliers who are not fully engaged.
J. Hobson noted a tension because senior faculty have already made sacrifices for the greater good and don’t
understand why junior faculty members feel overburdened. Dean Wulfert noted also the tension between
individual interests and the common good, noting those who are not contributing fully can have a negative impact
on their colleagues. Prior to tenure faculty need to keep their self interests in mind in order to be successful in this
process.
N. Denton observed that we should be careful not to treat teaching as a punishment.
A. DeBlasi suggested that there is a danger in poisoning the atmosphere. Those who are very productive could feel
justified in teaching less and in performing less service while those who are not as productive could feel burdened
by their teaching and service loads, and find this to be a reason they are less productive.
It was noted that it is not appropriate for faculty to refuse service assignments. Faculty members who live out of
the area place an additional burden on their colleagues in terms of service responsibilities because of their limited
availability.
It was noted that over time a faculty member’s research productivity may fluctuate and that in some departments,
faculty who recognize a decrease in scholarly output willingly take on more teaching and service responsibilities.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 4:00.
Handouts:
Agenda
Minutes of April 1, 2009 Council of Chairs Meeting
2009 MFA Thesis Exhibit Postcard