Governance Council
Monday, September 21, 2015
2:45 PM
UNH 300
Jim Collins, Chair
Minutes
PRESENT:
Chesin, Sorrell; Collins, Jim; Gulatee, Yenisel; Janiszewski, Caitlin; Kearney, Ann;
Kressner, Ilka; Kuznetsov, Igor; Malavasic, Jolene; Moore, Chris; Reinhold, Karin;
Scheck, Helene
The meeting convened at 2:50 p.m. once quorum had been reached.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The minutes of May 5, 2015 would be reviewed at the next meeting.
CHAIR’S REPORT
The following items were added to the agenda: Unfinished Business – Contingent faculty and emeritus
representation on councils and committee, and student members on Senate committees; New Business –
Procedure for appointing members to the Honors College Board
Chair Collins asked participants to introduce themselves and discuss GOV outstanding issues and
subcommittee memberships. The Chair concluded he would work closely with Senate Secretary Yenisel
Gulatee to reach out to GOV members regarding filling GOV subcommittees.
Last spring, GOV had approved the following 2 charter amendments: Charter Amendment RE: Update
Section X.4 (Graduate Academic Committee); Charter Amendment RE: Update on LISC Standing
Committee. The SEC had approved the past week that those amendments be put on the Senate agenda.
Chair Collins summarized the content and purpose of those amendments.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Charter Amendments
A returning GOV member explained that the proposed amendments were the result of a request from last
year's Senate Chair for each counsel to review its charges and make recommendations for possible changes.
UAC had concerns about 1) its workload and 2) its desire to move its Appellate Subcommittee on Academic
Standing out of UAC and put it under the Dean of Undergraduate Education. Senator Scheck reported that
she had followed up with the Chair of the committee who is in undergraduate education about its duties,
but there were more questions including a) what the University wants the committee's composition to be
and b) if it would go under the purview of the Dean's what would that mean to the composition. 3) whether
or not making decisions on Gen Ed approvals was outside of UAC's purview.
CAA had recommendations for 1) updating changes of titles and 2) clarification of responsibilities. GOV
had been concerned about not losing faculty oversight by changing ‘ensuring’ to ‘reviewing’ compliance.
Institutional research is heavily involved in assessment and reports on a rotational basis. UAC has a
curriculum committee which has the authority to say “no” to proposals and then send them back to
departments for revision. It was thus suggested GOV look at the Charter terminology for UAC.
Chair Collins would investigate which administrative office is responsible for ensuring compliance and
would consult with Senate Chair Fox and Senators Scheck, Reinhold and Kressner regarding their
experience and/or past GOV discussions on UAC and CAA. He would invite new CAA chair Jim Mower
to a GOV meeting to discuss CAA's purview. We will try to accomplish as many things as possible in the
fall, as the spring is largely tied up with elections.
NEW BUSINESS
Survey: Assessment of Governance & Consultation
The bi-annual survey on governance and consultation required by our Charter is due to go out this academic
year. Prior members of the subcommittee on Assessment of Governance & Consultation were asked to
continue to serve. Chair Collins proposed appointing Joette Stefl-Mabry as Chair due to her expertise and
prior experience. The survey was conducted in the spring of 2014. They did a quantitative analysis taking
the model from an AAUP survey and adjusted it to our culture and campus on a trial run basis. A draft
needs to be ready for GOV review between November and December. Last year they didn't have a full
committee, so we need to ask for volunteers and suggestions for membership. We need more outreach to
get people to take the survey, and it was suggested Bruce Szelest be contacted for input.
The Committee on Liaison & Elections
With the number of proposals coming there has to be time for an informed and articulate response. Last
year the committee looked at responses to the survey and examined ways to reach out. Chair Collins added
that he has served on the Provost's committee on contingent concerns, and their final report is due out any
day. When it is publically announced, the Senate, through Liaison, should consider organizing a Senate
Forum on the report.
Administrative Review and Evaluation and CERS: Status of Reports: Chair Collins reported that the
Senate has long argued for a role in the assessment of administrative activities. Following proposals from
the Middle States Periodic Review reports in 2005, 2010, and 2015, as well as SUNY-wide Senate reports
in 2005 and 2011 concerning principles for faculty assessment of administration and an initial survey of
issues raised by the four SUNY campuses that already do these assessments. He charged GOV with looking
closer at the existing proposals, especially those recommending that UAlbany put together a committee for
this purpose, and showing models used by other SUNYs. The Senate officers currently have this as an
agenda item for discussion with the Provost, along with questions regarding what happens with survey
results and assessments of departments. The Chair will investigate with Staff Support Lopez setting up a
method, e.g. Drop Box, for the Council and its committees to have access to shared documents.
Procedure for Appointing Honors College Board
Nominations had been requested for representation on the Honors College Board. Chair Collins would
circulate a preliminary slate and request additional recommendations. He would also reach out to previous
members.
Contingent Faculty and Emeritus Representation on Councils and Committees
Questions and concerns had been raised about representation of emeritus and contingent faculty on councils
and committees. Contingent faculty were not getting election notices and are not allowed to vote on the
senator who represents them. The Senate currently directs information to full-time faculty and Senators on
our listserv. This would be further discussed at the next GOV meeting.
Student Member Selection Outside of Senate Committees
Chair Collins asked former GSA present Caitlin Janiszewski to write up recommendations for a process for
the assignment of students to serve on committees outside of the Senate to include the kinds of things that
constitute fair treatment regarding recommendations by student and graduate student associations. The
Chair added that he supports former Senate Chair Stefl-Mabry’s interpretation of what constitutes formal
consultation.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 4:22 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Elisa Lopez, Recorder