Baruch College Faculty Senate Plenary Meeting
Minutes of March 5, 2015
MINUTES
Senators Attending: M. Carew (Eco/Fin), A. Croker (S/CIS), B. Ferns (S/CIS), K. Frank (ENG), R. Freedman
(ZSB), M. Goodman (COMM), A. Grain (Mkt/Int’lBus), C. Hessel (Eco/Fin), R. Jain (S/CIS), D. Jones (PoliSc), A.
Levitus (CNSLNG/PSY), T. Martell (Eco/Fin), W. McClellan (ENG), B. Murphy (HIS), J. O'Keefe Bazzoni
(COMM), R. Ormsby (LIB), L. Rath (LIB), M. Seltzer (SPA0, A. Vora (Eco/Fin), S. Wine (S/CIS),
R. Yue (S/CIS) .
Senators Absent E. Axelrod (Law), C. Bellamy (Soc/Anth), C. Christoforatou (ENG), S. Dishart (COMM), W.
Finke (ModLang), C. Gengler (Mkt/Int’lBus ), K. Guest (Soc/Anth), D. Howard (Math), S. Johnson (PSY, G.
Jurkevich (ModLang), S. Korenman (SPA), C. Kulatilleke (NatSci), T. Main (SPA), M. Ozbilgin (ACC), A.
Pearlman (PSY), G. Petersen (Soc/Anth), P. Sethi (MGT), ) M. Stark (SPA), J. Weiser (Law), S. Wong (MTH), J.
Ye (ACC) , Yin (MGT).
The meeting was convened at 12:45 p.m. in VC 14-250 by Professor Chris. Hessel, Chair of the Faculty
Senate.
I.
II.
Approval of Agenda: The agenda was approved by assent.
Approval of the Minutes: Minutes of Plenary Meeting of February 5, 2015 were approved by
assent.
III.
Report from the Chair: Chairman Hessel extended congratulations to Dean Peck on his retirement
and thanks for your for many years of service to sustained applause.
IV.
Report of the Provost: Provost Christie reported on a visit with Borough President’s Brewer’s
Office in pursuit of various funding requirements, and added to the thanks to Dean Peck.
V.
VI.
Report of the President; President Wallerstein was not in attendance.
New Business:

Presentation of the Financial Report – Vice President Finance Katharine Cobb. Gave a
“POWER POINT” presentation of the “operating” revenue and expense budget of the
College. That presentation is appended to these minutes by reference. Professor Ashok
Vora raised a question as to the impact and timing of restoration of 17 Lexington
Avenue. V.P. Cobb indicated the restoration was part of the “Capital” budget, and will
commence over the next three years. Professor K. Frank inquired of the status of the
elevators and prospects for a new labor contract. Regarding elevators repair monies were
allocated from the operating budget. Professor Wm. Ferns inquired of graduate tuition
compared to undergraduate in particular, the source of tuition revenues specifically the
revenue generation from graduate programs.
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
Presentation of Graduating Students –E Adams asked for a motion approving the
approval of Baruch graduate for this year’s commencement. The motion was voted and
approved without dissent.

Presentation of the Spring 2015 Enrollment – Ben Corpus reported that current
enrollment is approximately 17,000. M.B.A. Graduate credits continue to decline, while
both grams at Weisman and SPA continue to grow. Afro-American enrollment will be up
almost 34 %. He then stressed the need for faculty assistance in an enrollment
“ambassadors program. The alumni support program is both robust and productive.

Presentation of the Sexual Harassment Policy – Kieran Morrow, Director of the
Office of Diversity, Compliance, and Equity Initiatives presented the policy statement
issued by President Wallerstein in his memo dated March 2, 2015. That memorandum is
appended as part of these minutes. She emphasized the importance of faculty and staff
thinking of their posture towards reporting incidents to decide to report such information.
In that context of a student complaint what capacity the individual faculty or staff to
support the student, and therefrom she urged reporting of such incidents. Provost Christie
amplified Vice President Morrow’s report outlining the role and activities of the several
“Hearing Panels.” dealing with Title IX issues.

Presentation - “Big Tent” discussion by faculty senators on how to deal with
underrepresented population in the student and faculty bodies. - Professor Kevin
Frank. His report has been posted to the Faculty Senate web-site and is attached as part
of these minutes. He also reported on recommendations of the Educational Policy
Committee as to the discrepancies among faculties for the credits granted for
“independent study” courses. As regards “curve” grading, such grading should be
permitted as well as other methods of “normalizing” grades.
VII.
Announcements: None
Meeting Adjourned at 1:42 pm
Respectfully Submitted
Michael G. Carew, Faculty Senate Secretary
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The table discussions of Senate Plenary Session 2-5-2015 were per the
following instructions, on Diversity/Affirmative Action issues.
Instructions: Please jot down your suggestions in response to one or both
of the following two questions:
1. What short-term and/or long-term strategies can be put in place to increase the
enrollment numbers of students from historically underrepresented communities?
2. What short-term and/or long-term strategies can be put in place to enlist new faculty
from historically underrepresented constituencies?
In addition, jot down your thoughts on the following question:
3. What future role(s) would you like to see the Faculty Senate play in these efforts?
Thank you all for your participation and thoughtful responses. Following is
our transcription of the handwritten summaries of each table’s thoughts/suggestions.
Our apologies in advance for any inaccuracies due to not being able to fully make out
some of the handwritten or truncated notes. We will make changes if we’re able to sort
those out.
With your continued participation and help, we plan on continuing to work
collaboratively in taking further steps, within and beyond the senate, to move
suggestions into policies and practices.
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Table G: Question 1/Students
Baruch is not a well-known Liberal Arts School: promote non-Business majors to attract
all.
Baruch may be too competitive: discourages students from applying.
Create a specialized committee that incudes placement testing.
Campus atmosphere and scholarship information are important considerations.
Registrar and Financial Aid lines frustrate people.
Has to be a top down approach vs. bottom up.
Have strong faculty interactions with students in order to keep them at Baruch.
Building a connection with students and advisors (Major-wise)
Create a student connection with admission in terms of high school/neighborhood
similarities.
Build a “buddy” system between upper and lower classmen.
Attract high school students to come based on their interests/clubs at their high schools.
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Table P: Question 1/Students
Establish entry points of communities of underrepresented students via current student
organizations. Faculty/Administration should develop contact with student organizations
to understand how students learn about Baruch, their academic needs, and social
needs. Create a better link between student life and academic life.
Establish more peer efforts (paid work, students represent Baruch through outreach
efforts at high schools, community colleges, etc.), with an emphasis on community
colleges.
To increase yields of admitted students, use a model based on the Honors Program
(heavy outreach, personal connections, funding/support).
Establish connections with minority-owned businesses to create more experiential
learning opportunities and networking opportunities (internships, etc.); based on Women
in Business model.
Alumni events connecting with outreach efforts, especially with peer groups.
Scholarships for underrepresented groups, awards or recognition given to students for
exceptional projects or papers: this promotes Baruch).
Increase admissions support (so students understand the process, what is required,
and how to apply). Who? Guidance departments at high schools have heavy workloads,
and many students may not have access to technology to make it an “easy” process.
Baruch can host “Application Days” with representatives present to answer questions
and computers for the applications process.
Senate Role:
Create a sub-committee to evaluate programs/goals and review curriculum, which
represents groups.
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Table E: Question 1/Faculty
Expand online and media outreach for posting for African American and Latino faculty.
Investigate new opportunities for funding of that expansion.
Forming personal relationships with minority students who are still in the process of
getting PhDs; mentorship, outreach (Ford Foundation Fellows, for example).
Develop funding for faculty housing and spousal hires.
Develop funding for fellowships and/or visiting professorships earmarked specifically for
minority faculty.
Educate faculty and administrators to the fact that special effort is required in certain
fields to attract top minority candidates and to entice them away from competitors.
Senate Role:
There should be an annual report in/from the senate on faculty sections of AAP.
The senate should be a venue for the education discussed above.
The senate should provide speakers on current relevant issues, such as the providing of
curricular support.
The senate should support other faculty in terms of discussing racial or other difficult
issues.
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Table N: Question 1/Students
We could approach this problem as a yield issue (i.e., how do we make Baruch a place
where students want to come?) or one of increasing the pool of college-ready students.
In the second case, perhaps we need to create bridge programs/partnerships with high
schools, or look into ways in which College Now could be developed or shaped to serve
these purposes.
In the first case, perhaps we need to know more (or have more data) about what
underrepresented students want in a college experience or support portfolio. Can we
provide those services or structures? (It was suggested that the Posse Foundation has
created pre-matriculation learning communities, creating affinity groups or cohorts that
have better chances of success and community.)
We also discussed how creating a warm, welcoming, supportive culture for all students
(both new students/prospective ones and the body as a whole) may impact
underrepresented students’ desires to choose Baruch.
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Table C: Question 1/Students
We should build a pipeline (create a college-going culture) founded on connecting with
students when they first start high school:
- Through programming and visiting communities
- Choose partner schools (middle to high)
- Charter schools could be targeted as well
- Look at the Black churches, where there is community.
- Summer bridge programs in entrepreneurships in Business and in other
disciplines.
Pay closer attention to those who are at the community colleges.
Partner with community agency for mentorship programs (i.e. National
Association of Black Accountants)
Partner with firms to pay for graduate school for students.
- Graduate students
Go to top HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) or MSI
(Minority Serving Institutions) to recruit them for graduate schools before
they begin to think about graduate school.
- Focus on some STEM fields and get more minority students engaged in this
field that needs more representation of women and Latinos and Blacks.
- SEEK grant opportunities and donor-based opportunities.
- Provide more scholarship opportunities to attract the best and brightest to
Baruch.
All of the above requires having in place best practices in retention and graduation
support services.
Question 1/Faculty
Get prospective faculty at the dissertation stage and bring them in to see what we have
to offer.
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Table R: Question 1/Students
Open a gateway into Baruch for more traditionally underrepresented students by looking
at alternatives to/more than the SAT.
Look at portfolios of students:
Who is this person we are looking at?
Civic engagement – direct relationship
Not first time – transfer students – proven in First (Posse program).
Support 4+
Create pipeline – start earlier – gear up – pool money
Pilot an increased number of these students.
Look at the data for programs such as SEEK, and cooperate and allow more of such
work.
Get to know students’ interest in Baruch through relationships with guidance
counselors. Mechanical?
Recruit more at high schools.
Invite a diversity of people into classes, not just department heads who may be middle
class white males.
Partner with les selective college.
Have conditional admittance to Baruch – but if not successful, where do they go?
Where are students with 1200-1250 on the SAT going to, if not Baruch?
Intensive math and writing like CUNY prelaw.
1300 – 1350 may not feel welcome.
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Table 1 Question 1/Students
Identify more constituents who can contribute to recruitment efforts and efforts to
increase attendance and retention.
Send staff along with alumni volunteers to go into their own towns/communities.
Utilize student organizations, Honors and other programs that require community
service to volunteer with everything, from recruitment to mentoring and more.
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Table 2 Question 1/Students
Early application is an important tactic.
Develop and use Baruch ambassadors to symbolize success.
Use teachers and alumni to go out to communities to recruit.
College work-study is not as well known?
College Now: we need analytics to determine if Baruch helps? Sufficient ROT?
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Table 3 Question 1/Students
We need to lead the effort of the CUNY colleges in helping central administration see
the value of including other criteria, essays for example, in the admissions process.
How we spend resources is an indication of how we feel about certain matters. Baruch
should put more resources into marketing and advertising Baruch as a college for
Business, but also for Arts and Sciences and Public Affairs. That increased visibility
should lead to more students considering us along with or instead of certain colleges,
including in the CUNY system.
A “Local Initiative” on diversity may be a good umbrella for coordinating and channeling
said resources in pursuit of attracting more students from underrepresented groups.
Recruiting more transfer students from traditionally underrepresented groups.
Taking greater advantage of ideas and actions of SEEK and related programs.
Question 2/Faculty
We should look into how many of our members of faculty have deals that include
supplemental income and look at the demographic of that group. That information would
enable us to ask, “If we somehow found a way, through supplementation, to get such
faculty here, why can’t we do the same for faculty from underrepresented groups?”
Senate Role:
We should make suggestions to administration about how resources are allocated, such
as in marketing and so on, in the interest of diversity. One idea is to provide schools
with lines only if the line serves the diversifying effort.
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Table 4 Question 1/Students
Admit a larger freshman class and proportionally smaller amount of transfers.
Lessen our focus on SAT scores: some at the table raised the concern that the SAT
score is not a valid indicator to judge a student’s ability to succeed.
Give more weight to GPA and high school rank.
Given our current focus on the SAT, we should increase SAT preparation opportunities
for underrepresented students.
Address the problem of the small number of black students applying to Baruch with
1200 or above SAT score. Is there a way to make Baruch more attractive to these
students, such as through more outreach to this demographic?
Hold focus groups at high schools to determine what would make Baruch more
attractive to underrepresented students with high SAT scores.
We need to address the problem and change the policy of “high risk” courses, such as
math, in which adjuncts are instructed to fail a defined percentage of students.
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Table 5: Question 1/Students
We should tackle separately the admissions and retention issues that have been raised.
It would be helpful to understand the link, if any, between admissions and our retention
of students.
The college could run assessments at about two years in to see how the college is
doing in keeping students.
The assessments could indicate if the college is adequately
Advising
Counseling
Supporting
Creating community
Bringing more traditionally underrepresented students in is great, but not if it is a
revolving door.
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Table 6 Question 1/Students
Change the CUNY process
-
1st year
Transfer
Admitted to enrolled
Keep the graduate process [unable to decipher]
Outreach (with what is hinted regarding Enrollment Management [unable to
decipher]) – faculty involvement with admissions and recruiting at community colleges.
Alumni
Senate Role:
The faculty senate can work with administration on these ideas on process and
outreach.
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Table 7 Question 1/Students
Change admissions standards so that more underrepresented students can get
admitted to the group of Baruch freshmen.
The former translates to better yield management since high capacity students have
more options to go to other schools.
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