168th UFS Plenary Fall Meeting
October 23-25, 2014
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
I.
President’s Report – Pete Knuepfer
Event on Campus 10/23/14-SUNY Canton
Received two threats on Yik Yak and campus went into lockdown, with evacuation from campus
buildings, police escorted students to dorms, but a thorough sweep of the campus did not find anything.
Chancellor Zimpher sent a message to campuses regarding safety on campus and dealing with
anonymous sites like Yik Yak.
Resolution in support of policy on sexual assault and affirmative consent, following a resolution from the
SUNY Board of Trustees. SUNY has convened a working group to formulate proposed policies. Call for
faculty who do research on sexual assault on college campuses to contact Pete Knuepfer.
Teach NY initiative to improve teacher education and preparation in response to Common Core.
Advisory task force with experts from around the country. Tina Goode and Pete Knuepfer are the only
faculty representatives on this task force. Again, if there are faculty who are on the cutting edge of
research into how we can improve teacher education programs, please contact Pete.
Student mobility continues to be a problem due to the level of inflexibility from SUNY admin in response
to campus requests for majors and forcing campuses to align with transfer paths. Work needs to be
done to aid implementation. But questions/comments regarding how it affects specific campuses and
programs would be welcome.
Upcoming events include Nov 7 workshop on Intellectual and Property rights in online environment at
SUNY System in Albany. Nov 12-13 the Making Diversity Count conference. March 20-21 SUNY Voices
shared governance conference in Syracuse at Onondaga Community College. February 10 Graduate
Research symposium at Legislative Office Building.
Questions: Expand on Comments regarding LICH sale?
Signed agreement with Fortis group and they are working with NYU Medical Center to provide health
care. Not clear what the total liability is at this point.
Regarding resolution from UFS on LICH that failed to pass at the spring plenary, executive board
considered the resolution again and decided not to bring it back to the senate. However, still issue of
holding leaders accountable for handling of LICH, specifically the governor.
Alliance of Health Science Centers?
Chancellor wanted two standalone medical centers (SUNY Upstate and Downstate) to have closer
alliances with research centers. Downstate and Albany to have closer ties and Upstate to ally with
Binghamton. Need for faculty leadership.
II.
Executive Committee report & Introductions of Resolutions – Gwen Kay
Resolutions to be considered on Saturday (see Section XIII).
Resolution on Student Assistants
Under Affordable Care Act if people work more than 30 hours a week they are required to provide
health insurance. Issue is that student employees who are not paid under federal work study are
considered employees. State Human Resources issued a policy that required people be under insurance
and anyone else (students) could not work more than 29 hours per week.
Not all campuses require that students have health insurance.
Committee responding to State Human Resources document that limited the number of hours that
students were allowed to work. This document did not specifically refer to Affordable Care Act
(Document 8300). Currently no mechanism for SUNY to provide insurance to student workers.
Student Assembly resolution passed that condemned the policy from State Human Resources.
Senate is asking for correction to what is being done and there is a bill pending to correct this.
III.
Sector Sessions
Questions for Chancellor
SUNY Excels Performance Management System
Performance Indicator Metrics for money from system, but questions about in other cases this
has shown to increase the gap between campuses that are doing well and those that are not.
Chancellor sees it as an opportunity to get money from legislature, but issues with how it is
operationalized.
What will the money that campuses get be used for?
Is this a done deal? If we don’t get the extra money, what are the consequences?
Importance of Faculty Voice
How and when will these metrics change over time? If we are changing metrics on a cycle, how
would that work?
Shouldn’t the argument be that we need to use the metrics to identify need and not excellence?
Greater improvements could be seen if needs were addressed.
Issues on campuses:
Seamless Transfer Paths-issue of communication because people involved in transfer path discussion,
but it essential became a basis for common curriculum.
Discussion of 5 year programs and whether they should be eliminated, there is pressure against them
due to graduation rates. But, SUNY Chancellor would like to see 5 year programs expanded.
Denial of Waivers
Length of time it is taking to get program approval at SUNY.
Comprehensives getting squeezed from increase in University Centers and more 2 year schools
becoming 4 year.
General Education:
There will be survey from Fredonia on Campus Gen Ed
New Paltz “liberal arts committee” for discussions of gen ed. They also have over 40 credit gen ed.
Plattsburgh had a gen ed imposed on them 3 years ago and a recent resolution to change that was voted
down. They have about 34 credits.
Old Westbury working on their gen ed-they have 48-52 credits.
IV.
SUNY Student Assembly Report – Lori Mould, President
Issue of childcare on campuses, resolutions for anti-bias and better policies for prevention of sexual
assault.
V.
Budget Report – Robert Haelen, Interim Chief Financial Officer; Josh Sager, Associate Vice
Chancellor for Finance and Business
2015/2016 Budget Issues
2% Spending Growth for entire state.
4.2 billion surplus one time due to settlements with various companies for different reasons.
Unclear what this is going to be used for (reduce debts, capital funds)
Budget Request
Salary increases
Issue of end of rational tuition increase at end of 2015/2016
Capital Plan
Educational Facilities—multiyear funding push
Residence Halls—self supporting
Hospitals--?? No capital since 2009
Recharges and Assessments
No changes in state support, so increased tuition and fees.
Assessments on State Operated campuses have increased, so we have put a lot of money into
community colleges and hospitals but not state operated campuses (comprehensives). At least they are
recognizing this.
VI.
Networks of Excellence – Timothy Killeen, Vice Chancellor for Research & President of the
Research Foundation
Year 1—4 Networks and invested 4 million dollars
4E (Energy, Environment, Economics, Education), Brain, Materials and Advanced
Manufacturing, Health
Focus on Academic Linkages, public-private partnerships, collaboration, data analytics
New Initiative in Science of Teaching and Learning Excellence
VII.
Provost Office Report – Alexander Cartwright, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
New Provost-previously a faculty member at University of Buffalo in Engineering and still holds faculty
status there.
Learning the ropes: SUNY Excels, Seamless Transfer, Open SUNY, Networks of Excellence, Teach NY,
Diversity Task Force, Governor has asked for a SUNY policy on sexual assault in 60 days.
New people: Dr. Paul Marthers Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success
Dr. Christy Siegerdt Associate Provost for Institutional research and data analytics
Dr. Phil Ortiz Assistant Provost for Undergraduate and STEM Education
Open SUNY—56 certificate programs from 17 campuses, number of faculty in Center for Online
Teaching Excellence grown to 750.
TeachNy Advisory Council—three leadership task forces to help get teachers ready and be more
prepared in the classroom.
Seamless Transfer—listening to faculty concerns about issues facing campuses.
Database of Transfer Path courses has been rebuilt to reflect updated pages and will be sent to
campus reviews and the waiver review process continues (looking for inputs).
On track for Fall 2015, programs due for re-registration by 12/1, second and final program
inventories due October 15, 2015.
Goals to use Learning commons by faculty, will seek recommendations from faculty on
assessment, cyclical review of paths, would like to see additional paths developed.
State ed just changed the number of credits you can change before re-registering. Can change up to 1/3
of a program.
Let him know when issues and problems arise.
VIII.
SUNY Excels Performance Management System Presentation Nancy Zimpher, Tim Killeen, Alex
Cartwright, Beth Bringsjord
Next five years of strategic activity. Access, Completion, Success, Research, Engagement
Recognize and Reward Key Performance areas, starting in Dec 2012 started consultation to figure out
how to move a descriptive data system to accomplish certain targets and enhance the states
enhancement in us.
Multiple states have performance based systems in place already. I.e. TN and Ohio allocate all of their
revenue based on performance.
Define SUNY’s return on investment and use guiding principles. Over 200 metrics discussed and the plan
is to solicit input. Won’t take this to Board in November, but will delay for feedback.
Access
Enrollment, diversity, capacity, affordability
Completion
It’s not just about first time, full time students; Student achievement measure—national effort
(SAM), can also capture mobility.
Success
Student support, applied learning, multi-cultural experiences, degree progression, financial
literacy, employment/earnings.
Research
Research productivity, external investment, philanthropic support.
Engagement
Start UP NY, scholarship, diversity and innovation, commercialization, workforce development,
community service, cultural contributions.
Responses to questions:
Envisioning annual reviews of metrics and do plan to launch a comprehensive Presidential annual review
process.
The matrices will probably be used on a sector basis and not for SUNY as a whole.
Concrete proxies for quality would be very helpful.
A bargain with the state implies that they will eventually provide funds and a second goal is for
improvement. It will change the distribution of funds across campuses.
What can senators do to help guide what you are looking for? Take this back to campuses and solicit
feedback.
IX.
Sector Sessions with Chancellor Nancy Zimpher
Program approvals—governor has implemented dual program approval. Make the point with State Ed
to do dual program approval.
Once assessment system is in motion, they will continue to evaluate it—continuous improvement
science.
We are trying to find balance between metrics that help all of us, but also ones that are specific.
Agrees that comprehensives are in a state of transition and we should use the tools that we are given,
such as Open SUNY.
Issue of waivers—need some data on which programs and where the problems are.
Seamless transfer—encouraging Pete Knuepfer to have a student group provide feedback on issues
students have with seamless transfer.
X.
Faculty Council of Community Colleges Report - Tina Good, President
SUNY Voices conference upcoming
Increase of $250 in FTE requested, $75 funded
Drop in FTE and drop in enrollment is an issue
Passed resolution regarding child care for community college students
Resolutions on Seamless Transfer:
Waivers issue-criteria for justification for waivers
Argue that AAS degrees should not be implicated as part of seamless transfer, because they are terminal
degrees.
There are a few community colleges involved in Open SUNY (Broome, Ulster), more are involved in
online learning not associated with Open SUNY.
XI.
CUNY University Faculty Senate Report – Terry Martell, Chair
Central Administration costs will be posted in December
Links between central committee chairs and relevant administrators
Enrollment management issues.
XII.
Resolutions
A. Resolution on Sexual Assault Prevention
Passes without dissent
B. Resolution Regarding All State University of New York Campuses Offering Athletics create programs to
support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Athletes, Coaches and Staff and to end Anti-LGBT bias and
discrimination in Athletics
Passed as amended, 40 voted for the resolution, none opposed and five absentions
C. Resolution on SUNY Excels Performance Measurement System
Passed without dissent
*President Knuepfer-requests Senators and UFS: In the matrix given us by the Chancellor—what
elements would be appropriate and what elements would not be appropriate? This discussion should be
done by the end of November.
D. Resolution on Affordability of Textbooks and Instructional Materials
Passed with one nay vote as amended
E. Resolution on Reduction on the maximum working hours for Student Assistants
Passed without dissent as amended
F. Resolution in Support of expanding SUNY undergraduate research and creative activity
Passed without dissent
XIII.
Committee Reports
Diversity and Cultural Competence Committee – Noelle Paley
Conference reminder
Ethics and Institutional Integrity Committee – Joe Marren
Complete survey
Governance Committee – Peggy De Cooke
Procedural change concerning timing of resolution distribution and changes
Graduate and Research Committee – Rosalyn Rufer
Request to Institutional Research leaders to forward survey link to campuses regarding
finding jobs after graduation, not all leaders sent out the survey.
Operations Committee – Tom Sinclair
Proposed change in operations committee charge approved by the executive
committee.
Programs and Awards Committee – Bruce Leslie
Committee aware that the process for excellence awards is through a process that is not
in compliance—any administration involved in process. Specific guidelines say the process should be
controlled by the faculty.
Student Life Committee – Kelley Donaghy
Nothing to add
Undergraduate Committee – Dan White
Nothing to add
XIV.
New Business
Introduction of resolution regarding Naloxone availability to SUNY campus police and campus first
responders.
Passed as amended.