UPC Summary reports to the senate for 2005/6
10/10
UPC met on September 6, 2005, to select a regular meeting time (8:15am on Tuesdays),
organize committees, and select a representative for the university parking committee and the
Albany High School program. It was reported that substantial progress had been made over the
summer by the advisement and honors committees and by the group working on the student
satisfaction surveys, and that more information would be forthcoming soon. UPC met on 9/27 to
discuss advisement, the proposed journalism major, and whether action is required on religious
holidays. A bill proposing the journalism major will be brought to the senate, as will materials for
discussion on the question of the academic holiday schedule.
11/24
UPC met on October 18 and November 1. Motions supporting bills for the revised
Advisement Policy, School of Business Freshman admissions, Judaic Studies BA/MBA, and
combined MSW/MPH were passed. The bill for the University Honors College was given
unanimous support after lengthy discussion. Particular concern was voiced over the issue of whether
the proposed budget would be adequate to provide support for the honors college without placing
primary burden on part time faculty. The general issue of the appropriate role of UPC and its
resource advisory committee in providing advice and oversight on university budget matters was
also discussed. The extensive report and data analysis of the committee on student satisfaction
surveys was released and will be addressed at the next meeting.
12/19
UPC met on November 29 and December 13. Motions supporting bills for the Certificates in Public
Health Surveillance and English as a Foreign Language were passed. The extensive report of the
committee on student satisfaction surveys, with its analysis of factors that strongly correlate with
satisfaction and dissatisfaction, continues to be discussed. A general sense was expressed that a
stronger culture of learning needs to be generated and that the administration will be called on to
take a strong lead in generating action items and in ensuring that this culture permeates routine
discussion at each level of administration. Specific Council actions under consideration include a
possible recommendation that teaching review for tenure and promotion be conducted by
committees from outside home units, that student surveys be made public and accessible, or
potentially that a policy on teaching responsibilities be developed. It was noted that any action, to
be effective, must involve part-time adjunct faculty. Additionally, a discussion of how UPC should
coordinate with the Office for Development in major initiative planning was begun.
3/3
UPC met on January 26 and for an 8 hour meeting February 21, with the assistance of
members of the Senate Executive Committee, to consider the university compact plans and planning
process. A report was issued to the selective investment committee March 1. UPC will meet next
week to consider the PhD in communication. The resource allocation committee will meet next
week to consider the Insitute for Social Services Research and the China Center. The facilities
committee will meet soon to consider the purple path.
2/13
UPC is currently undertaking a review of all unit compact plans, a massive task. UPC has requested
volunteers from the Executive Committee to assist. Members of UPC and Executive Committee
volunteers will participate in an all day meeting on Tuesday, the 21st of February, to discuss the
compact plans and develop recommendations for the Selective Investment Committee, the Provost,
and President. The chair has arranged a meeting with the SA President and GSO to address calendar
issues.
3/20
UPC met on January 26 and for an 8 hour meeting February 21, with the assistance of
members of the Senate Executive Committee, to consider the university compact plans and planning
process. A report was issued to the selective investment committee March 1. UPC met March 17 to
consider the calendar and the draft MOU with SUNY. It will meet March 30 to consider Institute for
Social Sciences Research and Development, the Letter of Intent for a Ph.D in Communication, the
China Center, the Documentary Studies Minor/Major, the change in requirement for Biology Lab
Courses, the Suspension of BS in Geological Sciences, the proposed department of Informatics, and
the proposed temporary suspension of admissions to the organizational studies Ph.D. The resource
allocation committee met to review some of these items and also updating financial information on
the myUAlbany web site. The facilities committee met and approved the planning process for the
purple path.
4/24
UPC met March 17, March 30 and April 17. A modification of the previously approved
2007/8 calendar to extend the suspension to accommodate Good Friday observances from ½ day to a
full day was approved. This is not expected to have significant impact on science lab courses. A
recommendation that the calendar include orientation dates for new students so that they could plan
ahead to be on campus was also approved. UPC reviewed the draft MOU submitted by SUNY and
made a series of recommendations, mostly noting sections which appeared obsolete or incomplete.
It will review the version sent back to SUNY from this campus at its next meeting. It approved the
proposals for the MS Bioethics/MPH (bill 0506-15), the proposal for the documentary studies
major/minor (bill 0506-17), the proposed creation of the Institute for Social Services Research, (bill
0506-19), and the proposed creation of the department of informatics (bill 0506-21). It approved
with regret bills 0506-20 and 0506-22, the suspension of the BS in Geological Studies, and the
reduction of the biology major/minor lab requirement. UPC recommended that the suspension of
admission to the organizational studies doctoral program be reversed pending review of the program
in the fall. At its next meeting it will review the proposed change in Research Center approval
practices, a memo from CAS council expressing concern that deliberation on expansion of
undergraduate programs include consideration of the impact on general education demand, the
proposal from ULC for regular staffing for recreational athletics, progress on general education
revisions, and action items from the student satisfaction survey.