ITHACA COLLEGE
FACULTY COUNCIL MINUTES
December 5, 2000
Present: Jim Aguiar, Mara Alper, Lee Bailey, Diane Birr, Byron Caplan, Joseph
Cheng, Carole Dennis, Harold Emery, Michael Galván, Don Lifton, Marian
MacCurdy, Winnie Mauser, Fred Pritt, John Rosenthal, Ari Kissiloff, Stan Seltzer,
Jennifer Strickland, Robert Sullivan
Excused: Luanne Andersson, Jules Benjamin, Randie Blooding, Steve Peterson
Absent: Sabatino Maglione, Kinsuk Maitra, Rick Rainville
Guests: Jen Blanco ë03, John Bonaguro, Garry Brodhead, Scott Hepburn ë01, Jim
Malek, Brooke Snyder ë03, Raquib Zaman
1. Welcome
S. Seltzer welcomed members of Council to the last Faculty Council meeting of the
semester (and decade, and century, and millenium). He reported that he had met with
the consultant that will be working with the College in the search for a Vice President
for Student Affairs and Campus Life; a search committee will be constituted shortly.
2. Old Business
A. Proposed Changes to Faculty Handbook
S. Seltzer presented a group of motions regarding proposed changes to the Faculty
Handbook. These motions were developed by the Executive Committee to deal with
non-controversial changes, such as new terminology.
MOTION 1: Faculty Council recommends approval of the change to the Faculty
Handbook in the following section, as proposed by the Faculty Handbook
Amendment Committee: 4.9.3 Continuous Appointments (Tenure).
Motion 1 was approved.
MOTION 2: Faculty Council recommends approval of the changes to the Faculty
Handbook in the following sections, as proposed by the Faculty Handbook
Amendment Committee: 4.9 Definitions and Types of Appointments; 4.9.1 Term
Appointments; 4.9.2 Notice Appointments; 4.9.4 Part-Time Per-Course
Appointments.
M. MacCurdy asked to return Section 4.9.4 back to the Handbook Amendment
Committee because many departments that hire part time faculty violate the handbook
in order to be in a position to offer benefits. Since the proposed revision does not
represent a change in policy, it was agreed to include Section 4.9.4 in the vote on the
motion, but to recommend that the Handbook Amendment Committee discuss this
further.
J. Rosenthal requested that while the language in Section 4.9.2 may be approved as
presented, Section 4.9.2.2, Non-Tenure-Eligible Notice Appointments, should also be
referred back to the committee for additional consideration because there is no parallel
language putting restrictions on using notice appointments as opposed to tenureeligible appointments, as there is in Section 4.9.5, Adjunct Appointments.
Motion 2 was approved.
MOTION 3: Faculty Council recommends approval of the changes to the Faculty
Handbook in the following sections, as proposed by the Faculty Handbook
Amendment Committee: 4.5 Faculty Development; 4.5.2.1 Community Service;
4.5.2.2 Outside Employment; 4.7.1 Human and Laboratory Animal Subject
Research; 4.8.2 Unpaid Leaves of Absence; 4.12.1 General Information
Regarding Evaluation; 4.13.1.1 Criteria for Promotion and Tenure; 4.13.1.4
Preparing for the Tenure and/or Promotion Review; 4.14.2 Correction of Serious
Instructional Deficiencies; 4.15.4 Notice of Non-Reappointment; 4.15.6.1 Letter
of Warning.
Motion 3 was approved.
MOTION 4: Faculty Council recommends approval of the changes to the Faculty
Handbook in the following sections, as proposed by the Faculty Handbook
Amendment Committee: 4.7.2 Scientific Misconduct; 4.8.1 Sabbatic Leaves.
J. Rosenthal raised concern about how the institution determines who is involved in
the decision that scientific misconduct has occurred or that conflict of interest has
occurred. Is it oneís peers or oneís administrators that make that determination? He
made a motion to amend Motion 4 by removing Section 4.7.2 and referring it to the
Handbook Amendment Committee for clarification of who is involved in the
determinations of scientific misconduct or conflict of interest. H. Emery seconded.
The motion to amend was approved.
MOTION 4 (AMENDED): Faculty Council recommends approval of the changes
to the Faculty Handbook in the following section, as proposed by the Faculty
Handbook Amendment Committee: 4.8.1 Sabbatic Leaves. In addition, Faculty
Council requests the Committee to clarify Section 4.7.2.
Motion 4 was approved as amended.
MOTION 5: Faculty Council recommends approval of the changes to the Faculty
Handbook in the following sections, as proposed by the Faculty Handbook
Amendment Committee: 4.9.5 Adjunct Appointments; 4.9.9 Combining Two
Planning Units and Creating New Planning Units; 4.12.6 Criteria for Major
Formal Evaluations of Tenure-Eligible Faculty; 4.15.1 Resignation.
Motion 5 was approved.
MOTION 6: Faculty Council recommends approval of the changes to the Faculty
Handbook in the following sections, as proposed by the Faculty Handbook
Amendment Committee: 4.5.1 Sabbatic Leaves; 4.9.8 Changes in Educational
Programs and Staffing Plans; 4.13 Tenure Appointments; 4.13.1.2 Procedures
for Tenure and/or Promotion.
Motion 6 was approved.
There was an extended discussion regarding the new section 4.7.3 Plagiarism. D.
Lifton would like to have it include language indemnifying the colleague who raises
the issue. J. Rosenthal expressed the opinion that the second sentence "Any discovery
of suspected plagiarism should be reported ..." makes it a professional responsibility
and, as such, is covered by Section 4.4.2 Indemnification. He queried whether
indemnification means that the college would provide counsel or would cover the
expenses of counsel selected by the faculty member. L Bailey supported J.
Rosenthalís position that college lawyers may find a legal difficulty in supporting one
faculty memberís suit against another faculty member. D. Lifton urged that the point
be clarified, and also questioned the use of "should be reported." in Section 4.7.3,
instead of "must be reported."
B. Sullivan questioned why Section 4.7.2, Scientific Misconduct, was placed on the
same level as 4.7.1, Human and Laboratory Animal Subject Research, and 4.7.3,
Plagiarism. J. Rosenthal speculated that Section 4.7.2 was a "bridge" between Section
4.7.1, which deals with meeting federal and state regulations, and Section 4.7.3, which
deals with assuming professional obligation. M. MacCurdy suggested that the title of
Section 4.7, instead of referring to "working conditions" would better be worded
"Institutional Policies Pertaining to Working Procedures."
M. Galvan moved (D. Lifton second):
MOTION: To move Section 4.7.3 to become Section 4.4.4, with the text as
proposed.
This would place the section on plagiarism in the same section (4.4) as Section 4.4.2
Indemnification. J. Rosenthal requested that the motion be separated into two parts,
the first to accept the text as recommended, the second to reposition the plagiarism
section under Section 4.4 as Section 4.4.4. There was further discussion regarding the
substance of 4.7.3. J. Rosenthal moved a 5-minute executive session, to include the
Provost and Associate Provost, for further discussion of the matter. The motion for
executive session was approved. Upon return it was agreed to continue the discussion
at another time before making a recommendation.
The motion was withdrawn.
As per the agenda, Council turned to reports before returning to the Faculty
Handbook.
3. Presidentís Task Force on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention
John Bonaguro presented highlights of the report of the Presidentís Task Force on
Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention, copies of which were distributed with the
eveningís agenda. A correlation between higher use of alcohol and lower academic
performance was observed, both at Ithaca College and in reviewing data from other
institutions. They found a correlation between use of alcohol and drugs and selfreported experiences of problems, e.g., arguments, injuries, missing class, memory
loss, hangovers. He distributed a list of the task forceís nine recommendations, which
he asked the group to prioritize and return for further consideration of actions to be
implemented. In addition to the actions taken by administration, he urged faculty
members to accept their responsibility not to look the other way, but to lead people to
help them address the problem.
4. Provostís Report
A. Center for Faculty Research and Development
Screening of this yearís applications is complete. Eighty-two proposals are being
funded. In the three years of the Centerís existence, the number of grants has
increased each year. Three requests were not funded because they were viewed by the
faculty reviewing them as not being appropriate for Center support.
B. In November J. Malek and President Williams visited European colleges with
which Ithaca College has exchange agreements. They visited the University of
Limerick in Ireland, looking at the Irish World Music Center. In England they visited
the London Center. He noted that we are looking to expand our presence in London
and are looking to purchase another property. President Williams went to Edinburgh
to visit Queen Margaret University College and the Provost went on to the Czech
Republic to visit Masaryk University in Brno, where the exchange program is
primarily in music, but we are looking to expand it to some other areas. They have an
ESL program, and also have developed in English a program of Central European
Studies. Back in England, he and Adrian Sherman visited Falmouth College of Arts in
Cornwall. All seem to be very good programs.
C. Budget Process is well underway. Several sessions will be given over to global
conversations about things that affect the budget, one of which will be salaries. He has
collected a lot of comparative data on faculty salaries in comparison with those at the
group of ten peer institutions we have selected for comparison purposes, and it has
been distributed to members of the committee in preparation for the salary
discussions. The Provostís Office is requesting a substantial increase, college-wide, in
travel money and for some effort to bring greater equity into the way travel money is
distributed. J. Malek also reminded Faculty Council members that cash flow surpluses
are not to be restricted to capital expenses, but may also be used for endowment. He
will be requesting $1 million for each of the next three years for endowment funds for
the Center for Faculty Research and Development, as a further basis for putting the
Center on a firm foundation.
5. Report from Ad hoc Grade Policies Study Committee
L. Bailey and D. Birr discussed the committeeís findings, distributing copies of the
final report. The committee concluded that, in too many cases, the grade "A" has lost
the meaning of "excellent" and has come to mean simply "competent." The extensive
report includes an exposition of the problem, followed by historical background,
responses to surveys of students and faculty, descriptions of remedies in use at other
institutions, and four immediate recommendations for reducing grade inflation at
Ithaca College: (1) stop misusing student evaluations, (2) drop the A+, (3) change the
pass/fail system, and (4) index transcripts. Because of the length of the report, the
Chair suggested that the representatives read it at their leisure and continue discussion
at another meeting.
6. Proposed Changes to Faculty Handbook
A. Section 4.9.7 Planning Units and Staffing Plans
It was noted that "Continuous Appointments" had been inadvertently omitted from the
list in Section 4.9.7, Planning Units and Staffing Plans. J. Rosenthal offered the
following motion, seconded by D. Lifton.
MOTION: To recommend approval of the changes to the Faculty Handbook in
Section 4.9.7, Planning Units and Staffing Plans with the addition of
"Continuous Appointments" at the top of the list under item (1) "a listing and
classification of teaching positions ...".
The motion was approved.
B. Section 4.12.7.3 Scholarly Research and Creative Work
M. MacCurdy raised concern about not specifically including creative writing as one
of the basic types of scholarship. By agreement, this will be referred to the Faculty
Handbook Amendment Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.