University Senate Executive Committee
Monday April 16, 2014
2:45 PM
UNH 306
Christine Wagner, Senate Chair
Minutes
Present:
Susanna Fessler, Elizabeth Gaffney, Caitlin Janiszewski, Michael Jaromin, Andi Lyons, John
Monfasani, John Schmidt, Joette Stefl-Mabry, Ronald Toseland, Christine Wagner
The meeting convened at 2:51 p.m.
APPROVAL OF SEC MINUTES
The minutes of March 24th were still under review in the President’s Office and would be voted on at the next SEC
meeting.
A motion was made and the vote was unanimously approved to add discussion of a Charter Amendment
introduced by GOV to the agenda.
UNIVERSITY SENATE CHAIR’S REPORT – CHRISTINE WAGNER
The Call for Nominations for Senate Vice-Chair and Senate Secretary went out to voting faculty on 3/27/14. Nominations are due
by April 18th.
A proposal to establish a Graduate Certificate Program in International Health and Human Rights has been approved by GAC and
UPPC. The Bill will go to the Senate 4/7/14.
The Senate Chair has received a proposal for a Faculty-Initiated Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Major in Bio-Instrumentation. The
proposal was approved by UPPC and is currently under review in UAC. Should UAC raise any concerns regarding resources,
UPPC could revisit the proposal.
A Charter Amendment (1314-02A) regarding the composition of CPCA, introduced by GOV, was distributed to the Senate on
3/3/14. The Amendment will come up for a vote at the 4/7/14 meeting in accordance with Faculty Bylaws Article IV.3.
The Faculty Athletics Representative, Teresa Harrison, requested to make a report to the University Senate about the intercollegiate
athletics program at UAlbany. She will report to the Senate on 4/28/14.
Bill 1314-03 Proposal to Establish a Master of International Affairs (M.I.A.) Degree Program was approved in the Senate on
3/10/14 and approved by the President 3/24/14.
The Senate Chair has received a proposal from the Department of English to create a Certificate in Teaching English Composition.
The proposal has been forwarded to UPPC and GAC for review.
The Senate Chair has received a letter of intent from the Department of Geography and Planning to establish a Master of Science
Program in Environmental Geographic Information Science (MSEGIS). The letter of intent is under review in UPPC and GAC.
A Charter Amendment (1314-03A) regarding the charge of CAFFECoR, introduced by GOV, was distributed to the Senate on
3/31/14. The Amendment will come up for a vote at the 4/28/14 Senate meeting in accordance with Faculty Bylaws Article IV.3.
A letter of intent from UAC in support of the proposal from the Department of English to create a Certificate in
Teaching Composition was approved by UPPC. The SUNY System internal steps would now follow.
Additionally, the Department of Geography and Planning had proposed a Master of Science Program in
Environmental Geographic Information Science. That full proposal came from GAC was approved by UPPC and
would now go the Senate for a vote on April 28th.
OTHER REPORTS
UFS (University Faculty Senator’s Report) –Danielle Leonard, J. Philippe Abraham & John Schmidt,
SUNY Senators
The UFS Senators are looking forward to the Spring Plenary May 1st-3rd hosted by Empire State College.
Upcoming public events of note include:
 April 1, 2014
Innovative Exploration Forum: Undergraduate Research in NYS Public Higher Education System
 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY
 April 23-24
SUNY’s First Annual Conference on Shared Governance
 Holiday Inn Wolf Road, Albany, NY Nothing to add.
GSA (Graduate Student Association) – Caitlin Janiszewski, GSA President
The GSA is currently very busy with revising our bylaws, preparing for the President's Forum on April 23rd from 4-5:30 in the D'Ambra
Auditorium in the Life Sciences building, as well as completing our elections.
Elections were being held, and Senator Janiszewski was running unopposed. GSA was working on passing new
bylaws by the end of the year. There had been problems with University Auxiliary Services, and GSA was
following up with the Executive Director to ensure GSA procedures were in compliance with tax laws.
SA (Student Association) –Marc Cohen, Student Association Representative
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There will be a run off for the Presidential/Vice Presidential Election.
The Presidential Forum has a set date and is being advertised.
Parkfest will be this weekend - April 5th.
The APD/S.A. Board has coordinated ride alongs.
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The Scholarship committee is being assembled.
Nothing to add.
COUNCIL/COMMITTEE CHAIRS’ REPORTS:
CAA (Council on Academic Assessment) – Deborah Bernnard, Chair
The Council on Academic Assessment approved a report from the Academic Program Review Committee on the Mathematics and
Statistics department and a report from the General Education Assessment Committee reviewing the Arts General Assessment for both the
University and the University in the High School courses. Nothing to add.
CAFFECoR (Committee on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Community Responsibility) –
Susanna Fessler, Chair
Nothing to report. Nothing to add.
CERS (Committee on Ethics in Research and Scholarship) – Susanna Fessler, Chair
Nothing to report. Nothing to add.
COR (Council on Research) – John Monfasani, Chair
Nothing to report.
About 2 meetings ago, the issue of not having quorum was raised. At the last meeting there was no quorum either.
COR would meet the following week and report at the next Senate meeting. Chair Wagner reminded there would
be review of the lenient ‘4 consecutive absences’ attendance rules and likely a change in standards and attendance
records early on next year.
CPCA (Council on Promotions and Continuing Appointments) – Sanjay Putrevu, Chair
The next CPCA meeting is on April 2.
Chair Wagner added that the Council should be done reviewing all cases by the end of the semester, which was on
track with the President’s goal.
GAC (Graduate Academic Council) – Ronald Toseland, Chair
The GAC has been considering two petitions from students to be reinstated to graduate programs. Decisions will be made about these
petitions at the next meeting of the GAC.
GAC met on the 8th and Chair Toseland would report on the results at the next SEC meeting.
GOV (Governance Council) – Joette Stefl-Mabry, Chair
GOV met on 03/24/2014
Recommendations for the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Search Committee
On March 19th GOV Chair Stefl-Mabry received an email from Senate Chair Wagner explaining that the President’s Chief-of-Staff,
Leanne Wirkkula had requested, via email (March 18th), a request for 2-3 names as recommendations for the Provost and Vice President
of Academic Affairs Search Committee. GOV discussed in depth possible candidates, collectively created a list, and ranked the
candidates through an anonymous vote. GOV Chair Stefl-Mabry emailed the names of the top 5 candidates to Senate Chair Wagner to be
forwarded to Chief-of-Staff Wirkkula.
CAFFECoR Ad Hoc Committee
The committee shared the revised CAFFECoR amendment, which incorporated suggestions provided by the Chair of CAFFECoR,
Susanna Fessler. GOV voted unanimously to accept the amendment as written and sent the document on to the SEC.
Assessment of Governance and Consultation Ad Hoc Committee
The committee shared the revised Survey of Evaluation of Shared Governance and Consultation at the University at Albany, which was
developed in consultation with the Office of the President, to help the Senate evaluate how its constituents perceive participatory
governance at the University. The current survey had been approved by the President’s office for wording and content (via email March
21st). GOV reviewed the instrument and voted unanimously to accept the survey and forwarded it to Associate Vice Provost for Academic
and Resource Planning, Bruce Szelest to begin the implementation process.
The student version of the Survey of Evaluation of Shared Governance and Consultation was sent out that day, and
the faculty version would go out within the next 2 weeks. SEC members were encouraged to ask students to
participate.
LISC (Council on Libraries, Information Systems, and Computing) – Elizabeth Gaffney, Chair
LISC met on March 31st for a tour of the new data center, let by CIO Christine Haile. Our next meeting is
scheduled for Monday, April 21st. Nothing to add.
UAC (Undergraduate Academic Council) – Anthony DeBlasi, Chair
UAC continues to review General Education Competency Plans for the University’s undergraduate majors. Responses have begun going
out to the relevant departments. Beyond that, the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee of UAC has completed its consideration of a
proposal from the School of Public Health for a Faculty-initiated Interdisciplinary Major in Bio-Instrumentation. The full Council will
begin discussing it at its next meeting. Nothing to add.
ULC (University Life Council) – Michael Jaromin, Chair
The University Life Council continues to support the UACCESS initiative with the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and at its next meeting
will discuss issues and concerns to be proposed for the next ULC committee as well follow up any outstanding concerns such as the
Tobacco Free Task Force.
An update was requested on the Tobacco Free Task Force. Chair Wagner recalled that when George Philip was
President, a Task Force had been identified, convened and is still in existence. Senator Lyons inquired as to how
the University is interfacing with the Chancellor’s mandate that all campuses be smoke free by now. Conversations
had taken place with Vince Delio. Chair Wagner offered to now update Chief of Staff Leanne Wirkkula regarding
the existence of the Task Force, who serves on it, and the President’s prerogative to convene that Task Force.
Chair Jaromin added he had reached out to Dean Nasca. Brenda Seckerson had been keeping Chair Jaromin
informed, and it was believed the Task Force had not met since George Philip had convened a meeting.
UPPC (University Planning and Policy Council) – Andi Lyons, Chair
Nothing to report.
UPPC met on April 9th and voted to approve the English Composition and Geography Information Science
proposals; so, those things were moving forward. Also, the calendar for 2015-2016 was unanimously approved,
based on detailed information provided by Karen Chico Hurst.
NEW BUSINESS
Charter Amendment Introduced by GOV – Joette Stefl-Mabry, Chair
On April 8th Chair Wagner e-mailed GOV with the concern of whether or not an e-mail vote would count in the
recently held election for Senators-at-large. As MyUAlbany is the voting mechanism that the Senate currently
uses, clarified by the e-mails sent out announcing elections, it was suggested the Governance Council should
update the language in the Charter to reflect the current practice.
GOV decided to amend the Charter as follows:
Section X: Senate Councils
X.1.4. The Committee on Liaison and Elections
X.1.4.3. Election function.
X.1.4.3.1.4. nominate a slate for the election of Senators-at-large according to Bylaws Article II,
Sections 2.2 and 5.3.and conduct the election, to be decided by plurality vote.
It was agreed that striking out ‘by mail or email ballot’ would eliminate the issue of having to update the language
of the Charter as voting practices inevitably continue to evolve. It was also agreed that the corresponding e-mail
regarding elections would specify that MyUAlbany will be the only mechanism for voting. Chair Wagner
explained that the issue came up because someone e-mailed their vote, with the explanation they were on leave and
did not have access to MyUAlbany. For that particular outcome, the vote was counted as it did not change the
election outcome, but going forward voting methods should be made clear.
A motion was made and the vote was unanimously approved that this Charter amendment was ready to go to out
with the meeting materials on April 28th and be voted on at the Senate meeting on May 12th.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 3:20 pm.
Respectfully submitted by
Elisa Lopez, Recorder