SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES (for vote, 3/2014)
ON TERMS, VACANCIES, RESIGNATIONS, AND TERM LIMITS
IV.3.a. As vacancies on the University Senate occur within the departments of the
academic electoral units or within the Professional Staff electoral units, each of
those departments/electoral units shall be responsible for choosing the senator(s)
who will represent it, subject to election rules in Article IV, Section 2, Part b,
and eligibility requirements described in Article IV, Section 4, Parts b-d. If
a representative from an academic department must resign, is unable to
complete his or her term, he or she is ineligible to serve again for the rest
of that term, unless approved by the Senate Executive Committee. his or
her replacement shall complete that term.
IV.3.b. Add, at the end, the following: If there is no runner-up of record,
the Governance Officer shall hold a new election for that area to determine
who shall complete the term. If there are no nominees for this election, the
Governance Officer shall appoint an individual to complete the term,
following consultation with the Executive Committee.
IV.4.a. The normal term of office of all senators, except student representatives
and the adjunct and contingent faculty representative, shall be three years.
The term of the student representatives shall be one year and the term of
the adjunct and contingent faculty representative shall be two years. Terms
begin on July 1 and end on June 30.
IV.4.b. [newly split out from Part a and expanded for clarity] Each nonstudent senator shall be limited to two consecutive terms on the Senate. After
two consecutive terms, a non-student senator must wait a full term before
serving again in the same representative capacity (departmental or atlarge) or one year less than a full term before serving again in the opposite
representative capacity (departmental or at-large) on the Senate. Under
extraordinary circumstances, departments may petition the Executive
Committee for a waiver.
IV.4.c. [new] When a non-student senator is unable to serve for one
semester, he or she shall be considered to have resigned from the Senate unless
he or she petitions the Governance Officer to appoint a substitute for that
semester only. When a non-student senator is unable to serve for any
longer than one semester during a term, he or she shall be considered to
have resigned from the Senate. Vacancies due to resignation will be filled as
described in Article IV, Section 3, Parts a-b. For one-semester substitutions,
Executive Committee Report to Senate 03/03/14
the Governance Officer shall consult with the Executive Committee before
making any appointment.
IV.4.d. [new] Any senator who resigns from his or her seat is ineligible to
serve on any position in the Senate again until the equivalent of a full term
(for that seat) has elapsed from the date of resignation. Under
extraordinary circumstances, departments may petition the Executive
Committee for a waiver.
IV.5.e. Change the opening, as follows: University Faculty Senator. The
University Faculty Senator shall be elected to a three-year term in an election
conducted by the Governance Officer in October, and assume office on the following
July 1. An election for University Faculty Senator and University Faculty Senator
Alternate shall be conducted on one ballot, with the University Faculty Senator
Alternate being the individual with the second-highest number of votes. If there is
no runner-up of record, the Governance Officer shall appoint the University
Faculty Senator Alternate, following consultation with the Executive
Committee.
V.2.a.5. When on leave of at least a semester's duration, an elected a
member of a standing committee is unable to serve on that committee for one
semester of his or her term, he or she shall be considered to have resigned
from that committee unless the member has indicated he or she petitions the
Governance Officer to elect or appoint a substitute for that semester or
indicates to the Governance Officer in writing that he or she will continue to meet
the obligations of membership on that committee during the leave. If the member
has indicated the desire to continue service but does not meet the obligations of
membership on that committee during the leave, the Governance Officer shall be
empowered to declare the member's seat vacant and order a replacement. When a
committee member is unable to serve for any longer than one semester
during a term, he or she shall be considered to have resigned from that
committee. Both one-semester substitutes and vacancies due to
resignation will be filled as described in Item 8, below.
VI.1.b. Add “and/or his or her designee” after “President” in sentence two
in paragraph two and sentence one in paragraph three.
ON SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
IV.6.11. Add two new Executive Committee responsibilities and renumber
the current #11-#15 accordingly:
Executive Committee Report to Senate 03/03/14
11. When authorized by SUNY policies and procedures, recommend to the
President the members and chairperson of the screening committee for
awards from the Chancellor’s Office, after consultation with the President
and the University Senate (see Article VI, Section 1, Part d).
12. When requested, appoint Senate representatives to newly-formed
committees and task forces and inform the University Senate of the
appointments.
VI.1.d. Change the end of the last sentence to “University Senate Executive
Committee, after consultation with the President and the University
Senate.”
Executive Committee Report to Senate 03/03/14
March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Process Timeline







November 2013
o Subcommittee submits initial proposal draft; discussion in Senate begins.
December 2013
o Lengthy discussion on initial proposal draft in Senate.
January 2014
o Final version of initial proposal draft completed; campus-wide Summit is held.
February 2014
o Working groups are formed to discuss First Year Seminar, E-Portfolio, and Intro Courses/DoubleDipping;
o Senate Chair convenes meetings with department chairs and INDS coordinators;
o “Version B” structural proposal is formulated by Senate Executive Committee with several options for
Thematic Coursework requirements included.
March 2014
o Continued discussion at March 3 and March 24 meetings;
o Working group(s) will be formed to solidify Thematic requirements
o Issues including the implementation of the First Year Seminar and the 2nd writing course, inclusion of
E-Portfolio Introduction within Basic Writing courses, potential class size limitations, and
budget/resources will begin in March and probably continue into April.
April 2014
o Continued discussion at April 7 Senate meeting.
May 2014
o Potential approval of General Education Program at May 7 Senate meeting.
Major requirement options (from February working group)
 Allow departments to determine if General Education courses should be allowed to meet major
requirements (i.e., no restrictions on General Education courses meeting major requirements)
OR
 Establish a cap on how many General Education courses can be used to meet major requirements
OR
 For programs which require coursework outside of the home department, establish a cap on how
many General Education courses from the home department can be used to meet major
requirements
“Intro” course implementation suggestions (from February working group)
 Promote the development of new thematic courses, but also allow introductory courses to meet
General Education requirements if the introductory courses meet the following criteria:
o The courses must meet the requirements of the SUNY General Education category for
which they are proposed
o The courses must meet the requirements of the SUNY Fredonia thematic category for which
they are proposed
o The courses must demonstrate how they will address interdisciplinarity
 Allow departments to determine the appropriate class size of their General Education course
offerings. Content drives pedagogy: faculty are the content experts; they therefore should determine
what pedagogies, and what attendant class sizes, will best enable them to meet course goals and
learning outcomes.
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Structural Proposals
“Version A” (finalized in January 2014; see handout)
 First Year Requirements
o Basic Writing
o First Year Seminar
 Other Core Requirements
o Quantitative Reasoning
o Foreign Languages
o Writing Across the Curriculum
 Thematic Requirements
o Five required “thematic” courses (choose from seven academic areas; four must be taken
and one may be repeated).
o At least one course must be a Natural Science or a Social Science course.
“Version B” (finalized in February 2014; see handout)
 General Education Core Requirements
o Basic Writing (required in first year)
o Quantitative Reasoning (recommended in first year)
o Foreign Language
 General Education Thematic Requirements
o Seven required “thematic” courses
o Three different options for requirements:
 Option 1 – At least four academic areas must be taken, including at least one Science
course (either Natural or Social). Up to three areas may be repeated once.
 Option 2 – At least four academic areas must be taken, including one Natural
Science and one Arts course. Up to three areas may be repeated once.
 Option 3 – One course in each of the seven academic areas must be taken.
 Fredonia Requirements
o First Year Seminar
o Writing Across the Curriculum
o Senior Capstone (enrolled within major)
First Year Seminar suggestions (from February working group)
 Create a flexible model consisting of three 1-credit courses (each lasting five weeks), each designed
with a combination of online, lecture, and seminar components.
o FYS - Collegiate Life & Skills (fall semester)
o FYS – Thematic Course (either fall or spring semester)
o FYS – Major Course (fall semester)
 See handout for more details
 Implementation questions will need to be addressed in March
E-Portfolio (from February working group)
 See handout for extensive details
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
SUNY FREDONIA GENERAL EDUCATION WORKSHEET (VERSION A)
FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENTS
Some sections of both courses will introduce the E-Portfolio to first-year students.
The E-Portfolio course must be taken in the fall semester. If both courses are taken in the first semester, only one should be an E-Portfolio course.
Basic Writing
Semester & Section: _________
E-Portfolio: Yes  No 
First Year Seminar
Semester & Section: _________
E-Portfolio: Yes  No 
OTHER CORE REQUIREMENTS
Quantitative Reasoning and Foreign Language are recommended for the first year.
The Writing Across the Curriculum course is recommended (but not required) to be taken within the student’s major.
Quantitative Reasoning
Year & Semester: _________
Foreign Language
Year & Semester: _________
Writing Across the Curriculum
Year & Semester: _________
FIVE THEMATIC REQUIREMENTS
Four rows must be taken (one row may be repeated). Students must also take at least one course in each column.
These courses may not be taken before the E-Portfolio course. At least one course must be a Natural Science or Social Science course.
General Education 03/03/14
Critical Thinking & Analysis
Creativity & Innovation
Global Perspectives &
(at least one)
(at least one)
Ethics (at least one)
Page 3 of 12
March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Arts
Humanities
Natural Science
Social Science
American History
Western Civilization
Other World Civilizations
Draft: 2/27/15
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
SUNY FREDONIA COMMON REQUIREMENTS (VERSION B)
THREE GENERAL EDUCATION CORE REQUIREMENTS
Basic Writing must be taken in the first year; Quantitative Reasoning is recommended for the first year.
Basic Writing*
Semester & Section: _________
Quantitative Reasoning
Year & Semester: _________
Foreign Language
Year & Semester: _________
E-Portfolio: Yes  No 
SEVEN GENERAL EDUCATION THEMATIC REQUIREMENTS
**OPTION 1: At least four academic areas must be taken, including at least one Science course (either Natural or Social). Up to three areas may be repeated once.
**OPTION 2: At least four academic areas must be taken, including one Natural Science and one Arts course. Up to three areas may be repeated once.
**OPTION 3: One course in each academic area must be taken.
Students must also take at least one course in each thematic column. These courses may be taken during, but not before, the E-Portfolio course.
Critical Thinking & Analysis
Creativity & Innovation
Global Perspectives &
(at least one)
(at least one)
Ethics (at least one)
Arts
Humanities
Natural Sciences
Social Science
American History
Western Civilization
Other World Civilizations
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
THREE FREDONIA REQUIREMENTS
First Year Seminar must be taken in the first year; Foreign Language is recommended for the first year.
The Writing Across the Curriculum course may be taken within the student’s major. The Senior Capstone course should be taken in the major during the last year of study.
First Year Seminar* (includes Oral Communication & Information Management)
Semester & Section: _________
Writing Across the Curriculum
Year & Semester: _________
Senior Capstone
Year & Semester: _________
E-Portfolio: Yes  No 
Draft: 2/27/14
(*An E-Portfolio introduction course - either Basic Writing or First Year Seminar - must be taken in the fall semester of the first year.
If both Basic Writing and First Year Seminar are taken in the first semester, only one should be listed as an E-Portfolio introduction course.
It should be noted that the option of incorporating the E-Portfolio into the Basic Writing Course is still under discussion.)
(**Three options have been given to encourage discussion on which areas should or should not be required. Only one option will be used in the final version.)
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Working Group report
First-Year Seminar
This working group was charged by Senate to discuss and investigate the following concerns in
regards to the First-Year Seminar course proposed in the General Education Revision proposal:
Course Structure and Content
“There has been many questions about the number of topics that the currently proposed First
Year Seminar course contains as well as the unique sharing-of-instructors concept. How many
and what topics should this course entail, and if you suggest to remove one or more topics,
where and how should those be addressed elsewhere in the General Education program? What
options do we have as far as creating an interdisciplinary experience without creating an overly
complex teaching model?”
Course Theme
“Currently the First Year Seminar is described as having a “Social Identity & Ethics” theme.
Should this course have a thematic construct in the first place? If so, what options do we have?
If not, how can we ensure that all first-year students are getting a relatively consistent
experience across campus in this course?”
Course Logistics
“We have heard legitimate arguments for having these first-year courses be housed within a
major and not having them housed in a major. The current proposal has the course separated
from the majors, but many majors already have first-year courses of various sizes and
intensities. How can we best address this conundrum? How can we best ensure that they can
be taught by appropriate faculty members? What part should technology play in the construction
of this course? What should the cap be for this course?”
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Considerations:
1. Restrict the number of credits for this gen ed component to three.
2. Assure that there are assessment measures suitable for university purposes, as
appropriate to this requirement. ie: Master Syllabus and Rubric
3. Enable maximum flexibility in all aspects to allow teaching and learning to be tailored
as needed, and useful for multiple purposes.
Delivery:
Each of the three 1 credit courses should be designed with a combination of online, lecture,
and seminar components, as appropriate to the content intended. As such, they are probably
not assigned to individual faculty members, but become overseen by departments, colleges,
and academic affairs. The more flexible and creative this can be delivered, the more successful
it can be. Traditional academia is limiting. Challenges to online offerings, load credit, faculty
assignment, academic review, and more must be overcome to make the first year experience
truly valuable for students.
1. Allow about 40% of the total content to be delivered in online formats
a. university wide MOOC for specific aspect
b. online compliance initiatives
c. online discussion groups, when useful
d. online tutorials and badge programs
2. Large lecture classes for the delivery of about 20% of the total content
3. Small workshops and seminars for about 20% of the total content
4. Activities and projects could comprise the remainder.
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Structure for Consideration
Three one (1) credit courses defined as:
First Year
General
Ed.
Courses
Credits
Recomm.
Semester
First Year
SeminarCollegiate
Life & Skills
1
First
semester
Course Objectives
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
First Year
Seminar –
Thematic
1
First or
second
semester
●
●
●
●
First Year
SeminarMajor
1
First
semester
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
General Education 03/03/14
General
Education
Time management/Goal
setting
Study Skills
Financial Literacy
Campus Resources
Intro to E-portfolio
Intro to campus research
tools (i.e. ANGEL, basic
library tools, Google Apps)
General academic rules
and policies
Health and wellness
Fulfills the first
two segments
of the SUNY
information
assessment
Common Reading/Great
Speakers
Oral Communication
Inquiring foundational
skills for the research
process
interdisciplinary structure
Both Oral
components
E-portfolio
Practical application of
the major
Research ethics
Citing
Career Planning
Degree Mapping
Success in the Major
Page 9 of 12
March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
Collegiate Life & Skills. Big ideas, conceptual frameworks, as inspired by readings, books,
great lectures, compelling issues. All students in all majors engaged through speakers, big
reads, online discussions, and more. This can be taken in any first-year semester, and does not
need to be in a particular sequence of enrollment.
Thematic. Relationships among the arts, or the humanities, or the sciences, or business
enterprise, or government and politics, etc. Nature of research, knowledge, and understanding.
Issues of life-long learning, commitments to the world and society, civic engagement, time
management, principles of data and assessment.
Major: Specific to the chosen major. This can include relations of career options and course
of study. Requirements, tools for success in the field, self-advising, and understanding the
curriculum. Activities and projects, as suitable. Possibly a course like this appropriate to LART
Challenges:
● Staffing
○ online modules (tech and content support)
○ faculty for break out sessions, courses
○ lectures, video tape, great lectures
○ Liberal Art Sessions
● Scheduling
○ Is it possible (rooms) for these to be offered to all new students
● This was a 2 week charge, with a tight deadline that prohibited discussion with other
stakeholders.
General Education 03/03/14
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March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
General Education Working Group on Intro Courses/Major vs. Non-Major
Report to Senate Executive Committee
Feb. 24, 2014
Group Members: Cheryl Drout, Justin Conroy, Stephen Komp, David Kaplin, Peter Reinelt, Mary
Beth Sievens (convener)
The General Education Working Group on Intro Courses/Major vs. Non-Major was tasked with
addressing the issue of the relationship of introductory courses to the General Education
program and the related issue of whether General Education courses could count toward major
requirements.
The working group has a number of concerns with any proposal that seeks to segregate General
Education courses from courses which meet requirements within major programs (whether
introductory courses or otherwise):

Resources: we do not know the resource implications of creating and maintaining
General Education course offerings which are completely separate from courses
designed to meet major requirements. Creating wholly separate General Education
offerings may not be possible given current physical space and faculty resources. SUNY
Fredonia offers an excellent education because we offer small classes and we maintain a
teaching load which enables faculty to remain engaged, productive scholars. Given the
current climate of fiscal austerity, the working group believes it would be irresponsible
to adopt a General Education program that could increase class size or teaching work
load.

Recruitment and Retention: because of seamless transfer, students who take
introductory courses which meet General Education requirements at other SUNY
schools will be able to transfer these classes to SUNY Fredonia and earn credit toward
both General Education and major requirements. If we maintain separate General
Education course offerings, students at SUNY Fredonia will have to choose between
meeting General Education requirements and meeting major requirements. We believe
that this will harm recruitment and retention efforts by creating an incentive for
students to attend other SUNY colleges and universities with more flexible General
Education requirements. This situation may result in students choosing not to attend
Fredonia at all or, if they do matriculate at Fredonia, choosing to transfer in General
Education requirements rather than taking those classes here.

Scheduling: a General Education program which mandates the creation of courses
separate from courses meeting major requirements may prevent departments with
large numbers of majors and limited faculty resources from offering any General
Education courses, leaving us with gaps in our General Education offerings. On the
opposite side of this coin, departments with small numbers of majors may be required
General Education 03/03/14
Page 11 of 12
March 3rd 2014 General Education Discussion
to offer a very limited number of introductory courses, making it difficult for majors to
build schedules allowing them to take these required courses.
While we have these concerns, the working group also recognizes the importance of
encouraging interdisciplinary connections through General Education courses. We acknowledge
that, while many introductory courses already situate their disciplines within broader contexts,
other courses do not. We conclude that introduction to the major courses can be successful
components of a General Education program if they make interdisciplinary connections explicit,
both within course rationale and through course design. We therefore propose the following
alternative to segregating General Education course offerings from introductory courses:


Promote the development of new thematic courses, but also allow introductory courses
to meet General Education requirements if the introductory courses meet the following
criteria:
o The courses must meet the requirements of the SUNY General Education
category for which they are proposed
o The courses must meet the requirements of the SUNY Fredonia thematic
category for which they are proposed
o The courses must demonstrate how they will address interdisciplinarity
Allow departments to determine the appropriate class size of their General Education
course offerings. Content drives pedagogy: faculty are the content experts; they
therefore should determine what pedagogies, and what attendant class sizes, will best
enable them to meet course goals and learning outcomes.
The working group proposes the following alternatives to preventing General Education courses
from meeting major requirements:

Allow departments to determine if General Education courses should be allowed to
meet major requirements (i.e., no restrictions on General Education courses meeting
major requirements)
OR

Establish a cap on how many General Education courses can be used to meet major
requirements
OR

For programs which require coursework outside of the home department, establish a
cap on how many General Education courses from the home department can be used to
meet major requirements
General Education 03/03/14
Page 12 of 12
DRAFT
SUNY START-UP NY
Campus Plan for Designation of Tax-Free Area(s) Memorandum (CPM)
To: SUNY Chancellor
From: Kevin P. Kearns, VP for Engagement and Economic Development
Re: SUNY Fredonia Campus Plan for Designation of Tax-Free Area(s) (“Campus Plan”)
Date: 12-20-13
For campus Office of the President:
The arrangement documented in the attached Campus Plan is aligned to the academic mission of [insert campus
name] and in accordance with all SUNY policies, procedures, and guidelines.
______________________________
Signature of campus President
Virginia Horvath
--------------------------FOR
SUNY SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION USE ONLY------------------President, SUNY Fredonia
------------For SUNY’s START-UP NY Proposal Review Team Co-Chair: It is recommended by the SUNY START-UP NY
Proposal Review Team that the Chancellor [approve/reject] the attached Campus Plan:
______________________________
______________________________
Proposal Review Team Co-Chair
Date
_____________________________
[insert Co-Chair’s name]
For SUNY Office of the Chancellor:
The attached Campus Plan is hereby [approved/rejected] for campus submission to the chief executive officer of
the municipality or municipalities in which the proposed Tax-Free Area is located, local economic development
entities, the applicable campus governance bodies, union representatives and the and the NYS Commissioner of
Economic Development.
________________________________
_______________________________
Signature of the Chancellor or designee
Date
________________________________
[insert Chancellor or designee name]
Start-Up NY 03/03/14
Page 1 of 20
To: Mr. Kenneth Adams, NYS Commissioner of Economic Development
From: President, SUNY Fredonia
Re: SUNY Fredonia Campus Plan for Designation of Tax-Free Area(s)
Date: 12-2013
I, President Virginia Horvath of SUNY Fredonia hereby certify the following:
a.) We have provided a copy of the enclosed Campus Plan for Designation of Tax-Free NY Area, to
the municipality or municipalities in which the proposed Tax-Free NY Area is located, local
economic development entities, the applicable faculty senate, union representatives, and student
government at least 30 days prior to submitting the plan to you and attached evidence of
submission herewith; and
b.) We comply with Public Officers Law Section 74; State University of New York’s Policy on Conflict of
Interest and; and (insert any other applicable policies or guidelines, including local campus policies or
where applicable, the Research Foundation’s Conflict of Interest Policy and Guidelines for the
Management of Conflicts of Interest, or other applicable campus foundation policies or guidelines);
and attached copies of the polices and/or guidelines herewith; and
c.) We comply with the Commissioner’s rules and guidelines on anticompetitive behavior (NY EDL, art.
21, sect. 440); and
d.) The proposed Tax-Free NY Area(s) has not been financed with any tax-exempt bonds and, therefore,
will not jeopardize the tax-free status of the CAMPUS; OR the proposed Tax-Free NY Area has been
financed with tax-exempt bonds and appropriate documentation deeming that the designation of the
Tax-Free NY Area(s) will not jeopardize or conflict with any existing tax-exempt bonds used to finance
any property of CAMPUS is enclosed; and
e.) We consulted with the municipality or municipalities in which such land or space is located prior to
including such space or land in the proposed Tax-Free NY Area and we have given preference to
underutilized properties; and
f.) We have not displaced or eliminated any academic programs, any administrative programs, offices,
housing facilities, dining facilities, athletic facilities, or any other facility, space or program that actively
serves students, faculty or staff in order to created vacant land or space to be designated as a Tax-Free
NY Area; and
g.) The information contained in the enclosed application is accurate and complete.
_________________________________
PRESIDENT’S SIGNATURE
Start-Up NY 03/03/14
____________________
DATE
Page 2 of 20
START-UP NY CAMPUS PLAN FOR DESIGNATION OF TAX-FREE AREA(S)
Campus Name:
Campus Contact Name:
Campus Contact Title:
Campus Contact E-mail:
Campus Contact Phone:
SUNY Fredonia
Kevin P. Kearns
Vice President, Engagement and Economic Development
Kevin.Kearns@fredonia.edu
(716) 673- 3808
THE TAX-FREE NY AREA PLAN SHALL BE DEVELOPED BY THE CAMPUS TEAM AND PROVIDE
THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED INFORMATION:
1) Specification or identification of space or land proposed for designation as a Tax-Free NY
Area identifying the following:
i.
Provide the name and address of the SUNY, CUNY or community college seeking
approval as a Sponsor, the address of the space or land proposed for designation as a
Tax-Free NY Area, and a written description of the physical characteristics of the area for
designation.
Name:
SUNY Fredonia
Campus Address: 280 Central Ave.,
Fredonia, NY 14063
Address(es) of Proposed Tax-Free NY Area(s) :
1) SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator
214 Central Avenue
Dunkirk, NY 14048
2) SUNY Fredonia
280 Central Ave.
Fredonia, NY 14063
3) Cliffstar Bldg.*
1 Cliffstar Ave
Dunkirk, NY 14048
4) 81,000 sq. ft. waterfront parcel on Dunkirk harbor
Dunkirk, NY 14048**
* Affiliated building
**Affiliated property owned by the City of Dunkirk
Start-Up NY 03/03/14
Page 3 of 20
ii) Description of Physical Characteristics of Proposed Tax-Free NY Area(s):
1) SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator (SFTI):
Location/Area:
Located in scenic western New York, on the shores of Lake Erie, the SUNY
Fredonia Technology Incubator is located in the City of Dunkirk’s Downtown
Waterfront Business District (Appendix A; SFTI Google map). Dunkirk is adjacent
to the Village of Fredonia, the home of SUNY Fredonia.
With a low cost of living, Dunkirk is strategically located along Lake Erie, 50 miles
southwest of Buffalo, NY. The city is easily accessible by land, water and air and
the region offers timely connections to all major metropolitan areas in the
Midwest, Eastern United States, and Canada. Dunkirk is a marine community
providing open access to Lake Erie. An abundance of natural resources, workforce
and technological support networks provide businesses with competitive
opportunities for growth. In addition, Dunkirk offers downtown lakefront
marinas, accommodations, lake front parks, and beaches. Housing and
commercial properties are diverse and affordable.
The SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator (SFTI):
The SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator is a modern, energy efficient 22,000
LEED Silver building with both shared and private client space available for
occupancy. High-speed internet and wireless connectivity are available
throughout the facility. Approximately 11,000 square feet of the building is being
included in our StartUp NY campus plan.
The incubator includes a state of the art “smart” classroom/board room that
seats 50. In addition, there are two smaller conference rooms, one on each floor,
that accommodate six. Three dry labs are also available for use on the second
floor of the building. These labs are approximately 600- 800 square feet. Each of
the dry labs (no chemicals or heavy machinery) includes sinks, storage etc. The
restrooms include a shower. Both large (~420 sq. ft.) and small offices (~210 sq.
ft.) are available for occupancy. Larger offices are interconnected for ready
expansion into office suites.
SFTI Land:
Start-Up NY 03/03/14
Page 4 of 20
The attached SFTI site layout and utility plan outlines additional land that is
available for build out on the property of our technology Incubator (Appendix B;
Incubator Site Plan). There is 120 feet of frontage on 2nd Street, between the
property lines of the buildings on the corners of 2nd & Central, and 2nd &
Washington. There is another 150 feet of frontage on Washington Avenue. Both
sites could accommodate a minimum building depth of 75 to 80 feet which would
result in a 100 X 75 foot building on each site with parking to remain as is. The
site map provides an outline of one building site (marked “4 story accelerator
Building”). The site will accommodate a four story 30,000 square foot building.
Site improvement notes are provided on the site layout plan. The land has been
cleared and reviewed as part of the original SFTI build in 2009 (Appendix B:
Incubator Site Plan).
2) SUNY Fredonia:
SUNY Fredonia is a four-year, liberal arts and sciences college that offers over 80
major and 40 minor academic undergraduate and graduate programs. Fredonia’s
academic divisions include the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of
Visual and Performing Arts, the College of Education, and the School of Business.
The campus is located on approximately 250 acres of land in the village of
Fredonia (Appendix C: Campus Maps a, b). All campus buildings are outfitted with
high-speed internet and wireless access. Current enrollment is approximately
5,300 undergraduate and graduate students. Although we are well known for our
School of Music and our visual and performing arts programs, SUNY Fredonia is a
comprehensive university with excellent programs in the sciences, humanities,
business, and education.
The SUNY Fredonia College Lodge is owned and operated by the nonprofit Faculty
Student Association (FSA). The Lodge (www.collegelodge.com/About.aspx) is
located approximately a half hour from campus in Brocton, NY. It is situated on
200 scenic acres that includes a nature preserve and groomed trails for hiking and
cross country skiing. Businesses affiliated with the university find the location
ideal for workforce training, professional seminars, and social functions. The
property includes a modern dorm-style 90-bed sleeping lodge for overnight
programs.
Vacant, on campus building space for public-private partnerships is currently very
limited. However, the opening of our new Science Center in the fall of 2014 will
provide an opportunity for enhancing research affiliations. SUNY Fredonia’s
Science, Computer & Information Science, & Mathematics programs are located
in 4 different buildings. This will change with the construction of our new Science
Building and the renovation of Houghton Hall. These buildings will be connected
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to form a unified complex known as the Fredonia Science Complex (Appendix C. a:
Campus Map; Appendix D: Science Complex). The new Science Center will add
57,415 net square feet to campus. Occupants of the newly constructed Science
Center will include the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, as
well as faculty affiliated with our Environmental Studies and Science Education
programs. The science complex will enhance our academic programs and provide
a sophisticated environment for research. Opportunities abound for research
partnerships in our state of the art science center.
Campus Property:
Our campus is located in a beautiful, rural setting and we are fortunate to have
buildable property available for inclusion in the StartUp program (Appendix E;
Campus Map/StartUp NY Sites). We have designated 180,000 square feet for
possible development with partner businesses along the western border of
campus. Two custom buildings, 45,000 – 60,000 square feet each, could be built
on the land set aside for the program.
Early stage proposals for the site are being considered. For example, one
company has proposed building an energy efficient biodigester on the site. This
project is designed to take advantage of the industrial organic waste stream that
exists in a small circumference around the campus to receive and process organic
waste for power generation. The targeted Biomass fuel (feedstock) sources are
the waste streams from production at a pet food manufacturing facility, two large
fruit juice companies, a large ice cream manufacturing facility, a private label food
processor, and the campus. The plan proposes processing waste from these
partners and gradually building up to larger capacity as additional feedstock is
secured. The facility will utilize all by products of the AD system – energy in the
form of gas and/or electricity and heat, and compost material – to create a
financially viable project that meets the needs of its adjacent industrial partners
and SUNY Fredonia.
3) Cliffstar Building
1 Cliffstar Ave.
Dunkirk, NY 14048
This 25,000 sq. ft. office building is located approximately one and a half miles
from campus and a half-mile from the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator. It is
located less than a mile from Dunkirk harbor and its open access to Lake Erie
(Appendix F). The Cliffstar building is less than twenty years old. It has been well
maintained and the systems are believed to be in good working order. The
building features a wide, attractive foyer, an elevator, ample storage, conference
rooms, a lunchroom, and an alarm system.
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The two-floor facility offers Class A office space with ample parking. The building
is the former headquarters of a major corporation. It housed corporate data and
financial centers and is wired for high-speed internet access and data
transmission. Both floors of the building have windowed offices around the
periphery and an open space in the large inner core of the building. The inner
core space is well suited for work cubicles or it could be subdivided as needed.
4) 81,000 sq. ft. waterfront parcel on Dunkirk harbor
Dunkirk, NY 14048
This significant waterfront property is owned by the City of Dunkirk. It has been
identified for development as a 30,000 SUNY Fredonia Science and Education
Center. The center will house working aquatic laboratories for Fredonia faculty
and their partners, and a Great Lakes educational museum. The museum will
include rotating “hands on” exhibits concerning issues, such as invasive species
and pollutants, that are impacting the Great Lakes. (We have submitted an
application for funding for this project through SUNY 2020).
This parcel is located directly on Dunkirk harbor within two blocks of the SUNY
Fredonia Technology Incubator (Appendix G). The plot has 270 feet of frontage
on Route 5, a major thoroughfare between Buffalo, NY and Pennsylvania. It is
adjacent to a marina, bicycle/ walking trails, a restaurant, and a Clarion hotel.
Significant investment has been committed for ongoing upgrades to the adjacent
marina, as well as to sea wall improvements. This parcel provides an ideal
opportunity for public-private partnership.
Several other city owned large parcels and buildings on or near the waterfront are
also available for development. In addition, several large, shovel ready parcels,
and buildings, are available in the Village of Fredonia. One thirty-acre site is
ideally located near major east and west thoroughfares. The City of Dunkirk, the
Village of Fredonia, and the members of the SUNY Fredonia StartUp committee
are jointly developing a web site that will list and describe available properties
and buildings.
2) The total square footage of the space or acreage of land proposed for designation as a TaxFree NY Area
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Space: 40,000 sq. ft.
SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator: up to 15,000 sq. ft.
Cliffstar building (Dunkirk): 25,000 square feet
Property: approximately 321,000 square feet
SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator: ~ 60,000 sq. ft. lot
SUNY Fredonia campus: 180,000 acres
Dunkirk NY waterfront: 81,000 sq. ft.
3) Provide a description of the type of business or businesses that may locate on the area to be
designated.
SUNY Fredonia is a rural, comprehensive liberal arts and sciences college noted for our
School of Music and programs in the Visual and Performing Arts. We also have long
standing and highly regarded programs in mathematics and the sciences. Students
matriculate in Applied Mathematics, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Communication,
Computer Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Geochemistry, Geology,
Geophysics, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Mathematics-Physics, and Molecular
Genetics. We have strong complementary programs in the School of Business. Programs
include Finance, Management, Marketing, and Accounting and Economics. Additional
programs in the College of Education (Science Education), Social Sciences ,and the
Humanities are available to support local businesses.
Business that we plan to attract into the StartUp program cluster under the following
categories: 1) Agribusiness, including those that support the Food Processing industry
(the supply chain); 2) Technology, particularly as it relates to visual arts and new media,
and social media applications; 3) Lake Erie Research, Development, and Educational
Tourism; 4) Business opportunities directly related to our academic mission.
These clusters were identified through careful analysis of data provided by the Northern
Chautauqua Community Foundation’s Local Economic Development group (LED), the
Western Regional Economic Development Council priorities, and discussion with
members of our StartUp committee, community business leaders, and campus leaders.
Our clusters were among the high priority business clusters identified by LED. Their
report, the Northern Chautauqua Regional Profile and Competitive Assessment
(“Regional Profile”, 2012), stresses, “the concentration of such entities in one area have
the effect of enhancing competition by increasing productivity of associated companies,
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driving innovation and stimulating new businesses in the filed…(S)uch concentrations
amass resources and competencies that give the geographic region or area a
competitive advantage” (Regional Profile, pg. 37). It is important to note that these
clusters are interdependent with other development initiatives throughout upstate New
York.
SUNY Fredonia’s target business clusters support our academic mission and ongoing
efforts to enhance our academic programs. Attracting businesses in these areas will
provide challenging real world curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities for our
students. Our rationale for selecting our clusters was strongly influenced by our
academic strengths, faculty expertise, and our desire to enhance students’ classroom
and experiential learning. SUNY Fredonia has a rich tradition of excellence in the arts
and sciences, as well as in science teacher education and business leadership. Our
strengths in the humanities and social sciences provide additional value for the
businesses we recruit. We emphasize experiential education with significant laboratory
coursework, independent research, and internships. Our target clusters will help us
build and enhance our core academic strengths, facilitate the development of
interdisciplinary curricula, and broaden the number and types of internships, research
opportunities, and experiential learning opportunities available to our students. In
addition to fitting our academic mission and goals, the target clusters align with the
economic development goals of local business leaders, the county IDA, the Chamber of
Commerce, and county and local municipalities.
1) Agribusiness, including industries that support the Food Processing industry (the
supply chain):
The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation LED report “Regional Profile and
Competitive Advantage” (2012) notes that while agribusiness is shared with counties
throughout Upstate NY, Chautauqua Co. is the leader in in agriculture related to grapes
and other fruits. They identify the following major employers in this cluster: Cott
Beverages, Carriage House Foods, Nestle Purina Pet foods, Flavor’s Inc., National Grape
Cooperative (Welch’s), Growers’ Cooperative, Fieldbrook Foods, Double A Vineyards,
Falcone Farms, and 23 independent wineries. The cumulative contribution of fruit and
vegetable processing to Chautauqua Co. is estimated to be $719 million annually. Local
grape and fruit industry operations support 659 jobs that result in an economic impact
of $141 million annually. The annual retail value of juices and wines sold is estimated to
be over a $100 million.
As the LED report points out, Agribusiness in the county is driven by the availability of
rich land and growing conditions, and businesses are also attracted to our easy access to
Interstate 90 and rail service. Our geographic location and excellent transportation
access provides overnight access to over 40% of the US population. We are within
driving distance (~ 500 miles) of major markets including Buffalo NY; Toronto, Canada;
Cleveland, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Detroit , MI; New York City, NY; Philadelphia, PA;
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Montreal, Canada; Boston, MA; Washington, DC; and Chicago, IL. (Buffalo Niagara
Enterprise 2013 Economic Guide).
The opportunity to recruit businesses in this cluster comes, in part, from the obvious
fact that agribusiness is the primary engine for our local economy. However, we believe
that there is an opportunity to work collaboratively with these businesses, particularly
the food processors in the area, to attract suppliers who provide packaging and other
materials for their products and distribution. We believe there is an opportunity for
supply chain business relocations in support of regional food-processing business.
We are currently engaged in early discussions with an out of state regarding the
development of a large warehouse complex in Dunkirk that will include both cold and
dry storage capacity. At present, our local food processors truck their products to Erie,
PA, and other locations for storage since there is not sufficient storage in the DunkirkFredonia area. The cumulative financial impact across our major food processors of
transporting and storing their products out of state is substantial. In addition, while the
number of jobs created for local warehousing would provide a significant boost to our
local economy, the long term potential for job creation resulting from related initiatives
is potentially even more significant. This project, which will be built on the site of a
former brown field, has received support from the IDA and the City of Dunkirk and will
be ready for implementation in less than a year.
Another opportunity presented by the abundance of local agribusiness relates to the
expense of disposing of grape husks and other waste by products. As noted previously,
we are in discussions with a renewable energy company that has proposed building a
system that uses an anaerobic digester to produce renewable energy, heat, and soil
products from organic waste. The company is working with several area food
processing companies to create a centralized alternative to the current waste
management system that will turn organic waste into energy. If successful, this
opportunity is likely to have ripple effects on other area businesses. Similarly, a
Canadian company that specializes in LED lighting and solar energy has expressed an
interest in relocating office and manufacturing operations to Dunkirk. They are in
contact with the principals involved in the warehouse project to explore the feasibility
of providing light and heat options for the project and they are considering relocating
office and manufacturing operations to the area.
2) Technology cluster: visual arts and new media, and new social media applications.
We are fortunate to have attracted several business StartUp s to the SUNY Fredonia
Technology Incubator that fit into this cluster. We believe that they will help support
and attract larger companies and create a synergy with our well-known academic
programs in the music and the performing arts. SFTI has attracted businesses such as
Worldwide App, Inc., V3 studios, AVtick, and Silicon Wolves. Each of these StartUp
businesses will complement and attract other businesses in our technology, media
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cluster. Worldwide’s mobile application, Worldwide Mobile Movie Theater™, allows
users to access independent films from their devices and vote for their favorite
filmmakers to advance in an “in-app” competition. V3 studios is a full-service creative
and marketing agency specializing in video productions and operational management.
AVtick, is an audio and voice-based social media and networking company. Finally,
Silicon Wolves Computing Society LLC (SWCS) is a high-performance computing system
developer of advanced workstations and computer gaming solutions. In general, our
small business climate is rich for attracting technology businesses in the visual arts and
new social media cluster, including computer gaming companies.
Our Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) department has worked with local
businesses and incubator clients on a variety of media related technology issues. They
have, for example, offered new coursework (Ruby On Rails) to support our incubator
businesses. CIS faculty expertise is available to assist in business areas such as database
design, computer programming, software engineering and development, systems
analysis, and project management.
In addition, our renowned music and arts programs, as well as programs in creative
writing, and communication, are available to support a media based technology cluster.
The Communication department offers a comprehensive program that includes majors
in audio, video, communication studies, journalism, media management and public
relations. In addition, our programs in Music and the Performing Arts are enhanced by
programs in Business Administration/Music Industry, Music/Sound Recording
Technology, Visual Arts/New Media, Graphic Design, Photography, and Videography.
Our state of the art Sound Recording Technology facilities range from labs and
workshop spaces to state-of-the-art studios and live rooms and booths that rival the
best in the nation. The university boasts two state-of-the-art music technology labs,
equipped with a total of 30 Apple iMac Computers, each connected to an XP-30 multitimbral synthesizer.
3) Lake Erie Research, Development and Educational Tourism:
A key to the economic revitalization of our region is to support and attract businesses to
New York State’s most precious natural resource, the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes
represent the largest body of fresh water in the world and it is a major economic engine
for communities in and around the lakes. SUNY Fredonia is located approximately one
mile from Dunkirk harbor, which arguably provides the best open water access on Lake
Erie. As noted previously, the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator is located within
two blocks of Dunkirk harbor.
Lake Erie Research and Development.
The previously cited LED Regional Profile report notes that Lake Erie is being threatened
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by record algae bloom, an infestation of quagga and zebra mussels, and unprecedented
pollutants. One indicator of the cumulative economic impact of these challenges is
apparent in the US Fish and Wildlife Service estimate that there has been a $5 billion
impact on Great Lakes commercial fishing industry over the past five years alone. It is
clear that a concerted effort must be made to address the issues that are negatively
impacting the Great lakes and our regional economy.
At present there is a relative paucity of development along key areas on Lake Erie,
including nearby Dunkirk and Barcelona harbors. Recognizing our obligation to maintain
a balance between environmental concerns and appropriate commercial development,
there is a clear need to attract research and development that will contribute to healthy
Great Lakes and a vibrant local economy. SUNY Fredonia faculty members have
expertise in aquatic microbiology, airborne contaminant chemistry, trophic pathways in
organic pollutants, groundwater geophysics, and environmental physiology of aquatic
mussels, and groundbreaking research in plastics pollution in the Great Lakes. The
university recently hired a new aquatic biologist/limnologist who has done extensive
work on lake ecology. Her work focuses on ecological interactions between climate
change and lake habitats. Existing degree programs that support lakes Research and
Development include those in biology, chemistry and biochemistry, geosciences, and
the interdisciplinary program in Environmental Sciences. Faculty members in the
geosciences are developing projects in lake sedimentology, oceanography, and physical
limnology. Programs in Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Economics,
Communication, Science Education and Business Administration stand ready to develop
field experiences and internships with new business attracted in this cluster.
While plastic pollution has been an area of scientific research in the oceans for the past
10-15 years, SUNY Fredonia researchers were the first to investigate this issue with
regard to the Great Lakes. Dr. Sherri Mason has found that samples taken from Lake Erie
show concentrations of microplastics higher than any oceanic sample ever recorded
(see http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/us/scientists-turn-their-gaze-toward-tinythreats-to-great-lakes.html). Her research interfaces with other environmental threats
facing the Great Lakes, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Given the size of the
plastic particles they are easily ingested by aquatic organisms and thus the plastic
becomes a new means by which POPs move into the food web. Dr. Mason’s research
has led to the introduction of legislation that will ban the use of microplastics in the
state. Her work has also influenced major companies to voluntarily discontinue the use
of plastic additives in soaps and other products.
Our Lake Erie R&D cluster fits well with the StartUp NY program. SUNY Fredonia has had
fruitful interactions with a rapidly growing company that manufactures biodegradable
plastics. The company has locations in Canada and Sweden but they do not have a
United States headquarters. They have expressed interest in developing a business
foothold in Western New York. Our adjacency to Lake Erie provides this company, and
others, access to marine-based starting materials, as well as industrial connections for
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end-product users of their bio-resins. Great Lakes research, harvesting, and
industrialization opportunities clearly establish the potential for jobs creation and
workforce development in this cluster.
Lake Erie Educational Tourism.
Although traditional hospitality and real estate businesses are prohibited under StartUp,
we are committed to recruiting and fostering educational tourism to the area. Tourism
is the fifth largest employer in NYS and this sector generated $6.5 billion in state and
local taxes in 2010. Capitalizing on the opportunities presented by New York’s 84 miles
of Lake Erie shoreline is key to the economic recovery of the upstate region. According
to the 2011 University of Michigan report, titled Vital to our Nation’s Economy: Great
Lakes Jobs, Lake Erie conservatively supports 157,547 New York jobs. The report further
asserts: “Water is a huge draw for people – coastal trails, clean beaches and waterfront
businesses add tremendous value to both metropolitan and semi-rural areas. In this
new economic era, growth will be less linked to traditional manufacturing and more
focused on quality of life and quality of the region’s natural resources. Unless we
protect and restore our best environmental asset – the Great Lakes – we will not be able
to retain and attract strong new businesses and great human resources.”1 The report
states further that 14% of Great Lakes jobs relate directly to tourism. The LED report
notes that private development of the Dunkirk harbor boat docks and shops, the Lake
Erie Wine Trail, the Grape Discovery Center, Dunkirk Lighthouse, sports fishing, the
proposed New York State Welcome Center at Ripley, and the beachfront and Seaway
Trail from Ripley to the Buffalo Harbor Front will provide numerous tourism
opportunities, many capitalizing on growth in the eco-tourism sector in particular. Our
goal is to attract Educational Tourism to augment ongoing efforts to enhance tourism in
our region.
There are relatively few educational attractions in the state west of Buffalo, and an
educational museum featuring Great Lakes exhibits would draw significant tourism
dollars to the local economy. Our recently submitted SUNY 2020 proposal features the
construction of a state of the art Science and Education Center on the Lake Erie
waterfront in Dunkirk to stimulate regional economic revitalization and job growth
through tourism, training new STEM graduates for jobs, and significant research and
academic collaboration between SUNY Fredonia, other SUNY colleges and universities, a
federal agency (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWL]), a state agency (Department of
Environmental Conservation [DEC]), potential new business partners, and the City of
Dunkirk. The Science and Education Center will house a hands-on, interactive aquatic
sciences museum, active Great Lakes research laboratories, and a deep-water research
vessel with open lab infrastructure. After ten years in operation, the project will result in
hundreds of permanent jobs which are projected to generate over $4 million in annual
state and local tax revenues. In addition, we project a $10.9 million annual economic
1
http://www.fws.gov/glri/documents/11-203-Great-Lakes-Jobs-report%5B1%5D.pdf
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impact and creation of 71 jobs during the 2-year construction phase.
Dunkirk harbor restoration has been identified as a WNY Regional Economic
Development priority, and the harbor is the site of significant private investment. The
Science and Education Center at Lake Erie will be located directly on the Lake Erie
waterfront on a large parcel of land currently owned by the City of Dunkirk. The
museum proposal will provide the catalyst for coalescing local, state and federal
resources as a stimulus for regional economic development. The site for the Science and
Education Center is in close proximity to the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator,
which is the hub of local business development for StartUp NY activities. We believe the
successful completion of this Great Lakes project will create a magnet for attracting
related businesses into the region.
4) Business opportunities directly relating to our academic mission.
A cornerstone of our Power of Fredonia Strategic Plan is to affirm and enhance SUNY
Fredonia’s reputation as a Global Community. In order to accomplish this goal we are in
the process of establishing an Institutional Plan for Internationalization that will result in
increasing student participation in study abroad, developing more short-term study
abroad programs, attracting and supporting international students, and ensuring that
global issues are an integral part of general education, major and minor programs, and
co-curricular programs. Our international student population has grown significantly
over the past several years and we are actively examining ways to better serve them.
In this regard we have engaged EC English (www.ecenglish.com/), a Canadian company
that will provide English as a Second Language services to students. The company,
which currently has a presence in New York City, is planning to open an office at SUNY
Fredonia and expand their ability to service upstate NY and beyond. This example
demonstrates the type of business partnership that may directly enhance our academic
mission while creating new jobs.
4) Provide a description of the academic mission of the Sponsor and how the anticipated
businesses will align or further the academic mission of the university or college.
Mission: SUNY Fredonia is a four-year, residential, comprehensive liberal arts and
sciences college. “SUNY Fredonia educates, challenges, and inspires students to
become skilled, connected, creative, and responsible global citizens and professionals.
The university enriches the world through scholarship, artistic expression, community
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engagement, and entrepreneurship”.
SUNY Fredonia is fully committed to community engagement and entrepreneurship as a
means of enhancing student learning and creating a better community. Our
commitment to the revitalization of our local economy is apparent from our 22,000 sq.
ft. SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator (SFTI) in Dunkirk, NY. We built the incubator in
Dunkirk to stimulate economic recovery in the depressed city and surrounding area. The
mission of the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator is to nurture and support StartUp
businesses that will, at maturity, create jobs in our region. We are also committed to
providing real world experiences for our students through internships and structured
interactions with our incubator entrepreneurs. Ultimately, we strive to develop a
vibrant regional economy that will attract and retain our graduates.
An important aspect of our relationship with our incubator clients is that they are
committed to giving back to our students and our academic programs. Just as our
faculty and students contribute significantly to our client businesses, many of our
entrepreneurs have become involved in mentoring, supervising and teaching students.
This experience has helped to establish similar expectations for businesses that will be
recruited under the StartUp program.
The alignment of businesses with our academic mission and knowledge creation will be
an important component of our vetting process for StartUp . We are developed an
intake process that will evaluate to companies fit and ability to enhance knowledge
creation, knowledge diffusion, and formation of values. The SUNY Fredonia StartUp
committee, with input from the broader community, will evaluate the strength and
breadth of our applicant businesses commitment to our campus and community.
Consultation with relevant stakeholders, including community leaders and members,
business leaders, university administrators, faculty, and staff will be sought. The
University Senate will be further consulted on the development of relevant criteria for
evaluation of business alignment with the university. Businesses accepted into the
StartUp program at SUNY Fredonia must be committed to partnering with the college in
the following areas:
1) Comprehensive undergraduate, graduate education and professional education:
Applicant businesses must demonstrate a willingness to participate in formal and
informal teaching and instruction. This may include involvement in classroom and cocurricular instruction, lectures and demonstrations, and contributions to course and
curricular development. Other means of sharing expertise with faculty and students will
also be considered. Alignment with a particular academic program, while desirable,
may not be necessary if it can be shown that a business contributes in other areas
consistent with campus values. This could, for example, include activities that support or
enhance campus diversity or internationalization goals and initiatives.
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2. Research:
A company’s contribution to the university research mission may be demonstrated
through collaboration on faculty research, student participation in research and
development, sponsoring faculty and/or student research and, funding research
opportunities for a department of the university. Other means of supporting the
university research mission will also be considered.
3. Leadership:
Examples of contributions to our leadership goals include:
Providing leadership training and/or experiential learning opportunities that include a
leadership component; contributing to university leadership training for staff, faculty or
students, and providing financial support for leadership development and training.
4. Diversity/ Culture:
Contributions to our mission in this area may include:
Activities that provide culturally enriching experiences, including internships and
educational opportunities. Support for diversity training and materials. Hiring a diverse
workforce and supporting diversity and cultural awareness and sensitivity in the
community, including in the local schools. Active participation in university and
community diversity and multicultural initiatives and celebrations. Providing support
/scholarships for students from underrepresented minorities, and funding opportunities
that enrich students’ global perspective.
5. Regional economic development:
Examples of contributions in this category include:
Creating jobs that match local workforce qualifications. Supporting local and regional
development and job training programs. Actively participating in Chamber of
Commerce, Small Business, and other groups that target job growth and regional
economic vitality. Willingness to purchase materials and produce products locally.
Interfacing with the faculty and students to create learning opportunities, internships
etc. Other efforts that enhance entrepreneurial culture, such as support for the SFTI and
its StartUp businesses, and sponsorship of student business clubs or business plan
contests, will be valued.
6. Internship and training opportunities:
Businesses may demonstrate their alignment with our mission by:
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Providing paid and unpaid internships for students. Working collaboratively to integrate
classroom and intern experiences to ensure that Fredonia graduates acquire the skills
needed to compete for vacancies in their field of study. Providing opportunities for
students to shadow, observe, and participate in business activities. Extending internship
opportunities to students in majors that may be peripheral to a core business direction.
Providing feedback that enhances student interns’ ability to improve and learn.
7. Direct job opportunities for campus graduates:
Applicant businesses will be required to specify the number and types of net new jobs
that will be created during their participation in the program. A willingness to work
closely with the college to understand the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to
prepare students for employment will be highly valued.
8. Internationalization:
Alignment with our goal of preparing students as responsible global citizens
may be demonstrated by providing support for international student travel, sponsoring
international visitors, and providing exposure to international business practices etc.
9. Other methods of supporting our academic mission may also be considered when
reviewing applicants for the program. We will, for example, value businesses that
provide support for cultural events and the creative and performing arts. Similarly,
businesses that enhance the quality of life in the area through, for example, financial
support for programs in our local schools, will be highly valued.
5) Provide a description of how participation by those types of businesses in the Program
would generate positive community and economic benefits, including but not limited to:
 Increased employment opportunities;
 Increased opportunities for internships, vocational training and experiential learning for
undergraduate and graduate study;
 Diversification of the local economy;
 Environmental sustainability;
 Increased entrepreneurship opportunities;
 Positive, non-competitive and/or synergistic links to existing businesses;
 Effect on the local economy; and
 Opportunities as a magnet for economic and social growth.
No current applicants in program. See cluster descriptions above.
6) Provide a description of the process the Sponsor will follow to select participating
businesses.
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SUNY Fredonia has established a StartUp NY committee that has been charged with
developing an objective vetting process for rating business proposals. The committee
serves in an advisory capacity to President Horvath and the cabinet. Kevin Kearns, VP for
Engagement and Economic Development, serves as chair of the committee. Other
members of the committee include: the mayors of the City of Dunkirk and the Village of
Fredonia, the Planning Director for the City of Dunkirk, a representative from our State
Senator’s office, a member of the SUNY Fredonia College Council, the Executive Director
of the Chautauqua Co. IDA, an Emeritus Professor and community development leader,
a member of the University Senate Planning and Budget Committee, a professor of
Business/ Entrepreneurship, the Director of the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator,
our VP for Finance and Administration, and the Executive Director of The Fredonia
College Foundation.
To date the committee has reviewed program guidelines, examined opportunities for
business development, discussed clusters of businesses that align with the college, and
drafted a process for reviewing proposals. The committee has adapted existing business
evaluation processes, used by the county IDA and the SUNY Fredonia Technology
Incubator. Consistent with the StartUp NY business application process, prospective
businesses must demonstrate financial stability, have a realistic plan for creating net
new jobs, and fit with our community. Proposals will also be evaluated for their
contributions to SUNY Fredonia and our students.
The method used to review business proposals will be similar to a grant review process.
Each proposal will be read, critiqued, and rated by assigned lead reviewers who will
subsequently present their assessment to the entire committee for discussion. All
committee members will be asked to read and be prepared to discuss each proposal.
Following the group discussion the business proposals will receive an overall evaluation
indicating: a) Strong support, b) Support with minor reservations, c) Not appropriate
/not recommended, d) Insufficient information available. Committee recommendations
will be presented to the President’s Cabinet for input and further discussion prior to a
final decision by the President.
Appendices:
Start-Up NY 03/03/14
Page 18 of 20
Appendix A: SFTI Google Map
Appendix B: Incubator Site Plan
Appendix C: Campus Map (photo)
Appendix C.a: Campus Map (building key)
Appendix D: Science Center Complex
Appendix E: Campus Map/ StartUP NY Site
Appendix F: SUNY Fredonia Locations and Relationships
Appendix G: Cliffstar Building Photo
Appendix H: StartUP NY Locations and Relationships
Start-Up NY 03/03/14
Page 19 of 20
Report of the Joint Sabbatical Task Force
December 2013
Members:
Raymond Belliotti, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Philosophy
Ralph Blasting, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts
Roger Byrne, Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Jennifer Costa, Coordinator of Classified /RF Benefits and Immigration
Kathleen Gradel, Professor of Language, Learning, and Leadership
Julie Sticek, Recording Secretary (ex officio)
The Joint Sabbatical Task Force received its charge on October 8th with a deadline of
December 20th for submission of a final report and recommendation. We respectfully
submit that report.
Our Charge read as follows:
Joint Sabbatical Task Force Charge
Article XIII, Title E of the Policies of the Board of Trustees stipulates that the objective of a
sabbatical leave "is to increase an employee's value to the University and thereby improve and
enrich its programs.” At Fredonia, the process by which faculty have been approved for
sabbatical leaves has been unchanged for many years. Therefore, a task force, jointly appointed
by the President of SUNY Fredonia and the Senate Executive Committee, shall be formed to
address these important issues and assist the campus in improving the approval and funding
processes for sabbaticals leaves. The Sabbatical Joint Task Force is charged with the following
tasks:



Review Fredonia’s current practices and processes for awarding and funding
sabbatical leaves.
Research sabbatical policies and processes at comparable institutions with an
emphasis on those that use peer review.
Draft a report and recommendations to the Provost regarding the process of
funding of sabbaticals at Fredonia in alignment with SUNY Board of Trustees
policy. This report should be submitted to the Provost and the Senate Executive
Committee by December 20.
Following a review by both the Provost and the Senate Executive Committee, a
draft will be submitted to the University Senate in February for consideration,
approval, and adoption as part of the revised University Handbook.
Virginia Horvath, President
Rob Deemer, Chair of the University Senate
The Committee met 4 times between October 8th and November 22nd, and conducted a
significant amount of our work electronically. We held two open forums for faculty on
October 21st and 22nd, which were attended by a total of 12 faculty members.
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 11 of 11
In response to bullet point #2 of our charge, we obtained copies of the sabbatical
policies from 12 of the 13 SUNY Comprehensive institutions (we did not find a policy
from Old Westbury). The policies vary widely from simple to complex. Seven of the
twelve policies include peer review. Of those, three use departmental committees,
which recommend to the Chair (Brockport, Potsdam, Purchase). The other four use
college-level committees, which recommend to the Provost (Empire State, Geneseo,
New Paltz, Plattsburgh). All require review through the academic hierarchy: chair, dean,
provost, president.
At our faculty forums, we heard strong and clear recommendations not to create a new
university-wide committee. Our committee members were divided on this issue. Faculty
seem to be satisfied with the chair-dean-provost review process and question the value
added by a cross-disciplinary review committee. Our recommendation therefore
includes a review by the HARP-defined Departmental Personnel Committee, which
recommends to the chair or director, similar to Brockport, Potsdam, and Purchase.
SUNY Campus
Brockport
Peer Review (i.e. outside chair/dean/provost)
Departmental committee
Buffalo State
Cortland
Empire State
College
Fredonia
Geneseo
none
none
Academic Personnel Committee
New Paltz
Committee on Research, Awards, and Leaves
Old Westbury
Oneonta
Oswego
Plattsburgh
none
none
Sabbatical Proposal Review Committee
Potsdam
Purchase
none
Faculty Professional Leave Review Committee
Departmental Personnel Committee (same as for
reappointment tenure/promotion)
“Board of Study” – departmental
Notes
Rec. to
chair
Rec. to
Provost
Rec. to
Provost
Rec. to
Provost
No info.
Rec. to
Provost
Rec. to
Chair
Rec. to
Chair
Having completed our research and consultation, the committee has reached consensus
on the following proposed policy.
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 21 of 11
PROPOSED DRAFT: 12-16-2013
SUNY Fredonia Sabbatical Policy
Preface
In accord with “The State University of New York Policies of the Board of
Trustees” (“Policies”), Article XIII, Title E, sections 1-7, SUNY Fredonia should place
high priority on maintaining a sabbatical leave system. A sabbatical leave is neither “a
vacation” nor a “rest period.” Instead, it is “granted for planned travel, study, formal
education, research, writing or other experience of professional value.” BOT policies
recognize that funding sabbaticals for the purpose of professional development benefits
the institution as well as the members of the faculty. This system also supports
professional activities which are directly linked to promotions and discretionary salary
increases. A robust sabbatical program is an important part of a comprehensive
professional development plan. Thus, the institution should do everything feasible to
grant requests for sabbaticals promptly at the time of eligibility. Otherwise, an
accumulation of sabbatical requests will lead to selections being made from a growing
backlog of applications.
Accordingly, the SUNY Fredonia Joint Sabbatical Task Force recommends the
following regarding (I) providing notice about application; (II) funding; (III) process of
selection; and (IV) reporting the results of sabbatical leaves.
I. Eligibility, Notice, Application, and Review Process
[NOTE: this section is adapted from Fredonia policy posted at
www.fredonia.edu/humanresources/profregs.asp#sabbatical. Upon approval of
this report, that section of the HR page should be replaced with the new text.]
Policy: Article XIII, Title E of the “Policies” of the Board of Trustees stipulates that the
objective of a sabbatical leave "is to increase an employee's value to the University and
thereby improve and enrich its programs.” Sabbaticals are granted for “planned travel,
study, formal education, research, writing, or other experience of professional value.” All
requests for sabbatical leave should clearly and specifically describe how the how the
proposed project(s) will meet the criteria in the “Policies.” All requests should be
accompanied by a current curriculum vitae and by 1) the ballots and commentary from
the Department Personnel Committee; 2) the recommendations of the appropriate
department chair or director, dean, and Provost/VPAA; and 3) the applicant’s
response(s), if any. The chair’s letter should clearly state how the faculty member’s
teaching, advising, and other responsibilities will be covered during the sabbatical.
Eligibility: According to the “Policies” Article XIII, Title E, section 3, “Academic
employees having continuing appointments and college administrative officers not in a
negotiating unit established pursuant to Article XIV of the Civil Service Law who have
completed at least six consecutive years of service within the University or who, if they
previously had a sabbatical leave, have completed at least six consecutive years within
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 31 of 11
the University from the date of return from their last sabbatical leave shall be eligible for
sabbatical leave. In computing consecutive years of service for the purpose of this
section, periods of vacation leave and periods of sick leave with salary shall be included;
periods of leaves of absences, other than vacation and sick leave with salary, and
periods of part-time service shall not be included but shall not be deemed an interruption
of otherwise consecutive service.”
Notice: Although the Academic Calendar delineates the application deadline, this date with guidance about the application process and timeline - will be a routine outreach item
each year. The following venues are recommended:
● Academic Affairs LISTSERV distribution (recommend 1st week in September).
● Information item at Academic Leadership meetings in September/October, with
guidance to Chairs/directors to disseminate and advise in their units.
● The PDC (Professional Development Center) will host a panel annually, in
advance of the annual sabbatical application submission deadline. The panel will
be comprised of cross-discipline faculty who have completed one or more
sabbaticals. The panel members will relate their personal experiences with
sabbaticals as relevant to their professional development. PDC staff will
disseminate information about the application/approval process. The event will
be advertised on the usual PDC calendar.
● All unit/department chairs/heads/directors will be asked by their respective
supervisors to communicate to eligible faculty: (a) the timeline; (b) application
procedures; and (c) information that may be helpful in the application process.
Terms and Conditions: There are two types of sabbatical leave as provided in the
“Policies” Article XIII, Title E, section 4:
1. Sabbatical leave for one year at up to half pay.
2. Sabbatical leave for one-half year at up to full pay.
Employees on sabbatical leave may, with the prior approval of the President, accept
fellowships, grants-in-aid, or earned income to assist in accomplishing the purposes of
their leaves. In such cases, the President may adjust sabbatical leave salaries to reflect
such income.
Applications: Requests for sabbatical leave are to be submitted to the Departmental
Personnel Committee by the second Friday in November. The review process will follow
the dates published annually in the Academic Affairs Master Calendar. When signing
the application, applicants must agree to the following requirements:
1. Applicants are required to file a statement outlining the program to be followed
identifying any proposed income other than salary from the campus while on
leave.
2. Applicants are required to return to the campus for a minimum of one year at the
conclusion of their leave. Where justified, the President may request a waiver of
this condition, which must be reviewed and approved by the Chancellor.
3. If the faculty member fails to return for the minimum period, then he/she is
obligated to reimburse all salary paid during the leave.
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
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4. Any substantive change in the proposed activities (following its approval) must be
submitted in writing to the Chair and then approved by the Chair, Dean, VicePresident for Academic Affairs, and President.
5. The faculty member is required to submit an activity report as soon as possible
following the leave, and no later than the end of the first full semester after return
from the leave.
6. In the event of illness or other unplanned circumstances that interrupt an
approved sabbatical, the faculty member will be placed on another leave as
appropriate, when in the discretion of the President such action is in the best
interest of the college and the employee.
Leave Credits: Employees on sabbatical leave are not eligible to earn or use leave
credits during sabbatical leave.
Review:
1. Requests for sabbatical leave are subject to review by the applicant's
Departmental Personnel Committee, department chair, dean, and the
Provost/VPAA. The final decision is rendered in writing by the President, who
shall inform the applicant of the decision. The President shall report approved
sabbaticals to the SUNY Chancellor (Policies Article XIII, Title E, sec. 6).
2. For the purposes of sabbatical review, the Departmental Personnel Committee
shall be comprised of all of the tenured faculty regardless of rank, but shall not
include any faculty who are applying for a sabbatical in the same year.
3. In the event that the composition of the DPC is fewer than three faculty
members, the department will follow the process of recruiting alternate(s) as
outlined in HARP II.E.2.b.
4. Should the chair of a department apply for a sabbatical, the chair of the DPC
shall make the formal recommendation of the department for all sabbatical
requests, including information on coverage of courses, advising, and service.
II. Funding
Funding for sabbaticals should be intentional and planned according to the number of
sabbaticals anticipated in a given year based on faculty eligibility. Funding should follow
these recommendations:
1. Funding for sabbaticals should be a line item in the budget annually. See
Appendix A for an overview of sabbatical funding 2010-2015 and
recommendation.
2. Funding for sabbaticals is intended to be used to hire adjunct instructors or other
temporary, part-time specialists to cover the work of the faculty member on
sabbatical. In exceptional cases, a full-time Visiting replacement may be
requested and is subject to the approval of the Provost.
3. Funding should be calculated at a maximum of the equivalent of 9 credit or
contact hours per semester at the appropriate departmental adjunct rate.
4. Salary savings from full-year, half-pay sabbaticals should be used to offset or
supplement the budgeted sabbatical line item, as needed in a given year.
5. All funding is subject to the approval of the Cabinet.
6. The Provost’s office shall maintain an annual record of the number of sabbatical
applications, approvals, and funding, available to the Faculty Senate upon
request, for the purposes of budget planning.
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 51 of 11
III. Process
A. TIMELINE: The deadline for submission to the Departmental Personnel
Committee is the second Friday in November. Review dates will be published
annually in Academic Affairs Master Calendar.
B. REVIEW PROCESS: Sabbatical proposals will be submitted on the Fredonia
Sabbatical Leave Request form. Proposals will be reviewed by the faculty
member’s Departmental Personnel Committee, following the review procedures
defined in HARP II.E.2. The chair, the dean, and the Provost/VPAA add their
recommendations, and all documents (including applicant responses, if any) are
forwarded to the President, who makes the final decision.
C. REVIEW CRITERIA:
1) Sabbaticals will be reviewed in the context of the merits of the proposal.
2) The “merits of the proposal” are judged according to SUNY policy
objective “to increase an employee's value to the University and thereby
improve and enrich its program.” Also according to policy, “sabbatical
leaves shall be granted for planned travel, study, formal education,
research, writing or other experience of professional value” (“Policies”
Article XIII, Title E, sections 1-2).
3) Applications must describe the program of study or research, the
expected results of the project, and relationship of the project to
departmental, college/school, or university strategic goals.
D. APPLICANT RESPONSE: At each level of review, the faculty member will
receive a copy of the votes and comments (DPC) or the recommendation letter
(chair, dean, provost). The faculty member will have five days from receipt to
submit a response to be included at the next level of review. The decision of the
President is final.
E. PRIORITIZATION: in the event that not all sabbaticals can be funded in a given
year, priority will granted in the following order:
a. Year-long sabbaticals at half salary
b. Time-sensitive proposals (e.g. a pending grant, conference, or publishing
deadline, collaborative projects, etc.) Applicants will have the opportunity
to make their case if this situation arises.
c. Those with the greatest number of years since their last sabbatical leave.
d. Random selection of any sabbaticals remaining that can be funded.
IV. Reporting
In accordance with the “Policies” Article XIII, Title E, sec. 5, “upon return the applicant
will submit to the chief academic officer a detailed report of professional activities and
accomplishments while on sabbatical leave.” This report is to be submitted to the
department chair not later than the last day of classes of the semester in which the
faculty member returns from sabbatical. The chair will forward it to the appropriate dean,
who will in turn forward it to the Provost. The chairperson and Dean shall append their
comments and evaluations indicating whether the conditions under which the leave was
granted have been met. The dean shall provide the faculty member with a copy of the
comments at the same time they are submitted to the Provost. Faculty members who
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 61 of 11
dispute the comments and evaluations by the chairperson and Dean may appeal directly
to the Provost within 10 days after receiving their copy of the comments and evaluations.
Faculty members returning from leave who do not file this report in the prescribed time
period will be ineligible for any financial support for professional development (including
campus grants or travel funds) until the report is filed. If, in the judgment of the Provost,
the report indicates that the conditions under which the leave was granted were not met,
or that the sabbatical activities did not include “planned travel, study, formal education,
research, writing, or other experience of professional value,” the Provost may determine,
after consultation with the dean and chair, that the faculty member should be ineligible
for future sabbaticals or professional development funds.
On an annual basis, the Provost will compile a complete list of the professional activities
and attainments of faculty members on leave during the relevant time period. This list
will be widely distributed and available to the public.
V. Library Faculty
Librarians with faculty status are equally eligible for sabbatical leave. According to the
“Policies” Article II Definitions (i) and (j):
(i) “’Academic Staff.’ The staff comprised of those persons having academic rank
or qualified academic rank.”
(j)“’Academic Rank.’ Rank held by those members of the professional staff
having the titles of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor,
and assistant instructor. . . and rank held by members of the professional staff
having the titles of librarian, associate librarian, senior assistant librarian, and
assistant librarian.”
Because their job duties require full-time, on-site work for twelve months, their leave and
replacement costs will differ from teaching faculty. Library faculty will also follow a
modified approval procedure.
1. Duration: A half-year sabbatical leave at full pay for library faculty will
encompass 50% of the working days in a given contract year, taken
consecutively.
2. Review and Approval: the Library Personnel Committee acts in the role of the
Departmental Personnel Committee. Ballots and comments are then forwarded
to the Director of the Library, who serves in a role equivalent to the dean for the
purposes of sabbatical review. There is no recommendation from the “chair” for
library faculty.
3. Coverage: coverage should be devised by the Director of the Library as
economically as possible, with part-time hiring and reassignment of duties if
feasible. However, it is to be expected that full-time, temporary hires will be
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
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necessary in most cases to replace the work of library faculty on sabbatical
leave.
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 81 of 11
Joint Sabbatical Task Force Report
Appendix A:
Research and Recommendation for Funding Sabbaticals
As stated in the body of the Report, sabbatical funding should be intentional, not reactive. We
recommend a line item in the annual budget of $84,000, based on data gathered from the past
five years of sabbatical activity. This figure could be adjusted annually based on applications
submitted. Faculty applications will be due the second Friday in November, allowing ample time
for inclusion in the budget process.
For planning purposes, we researched sabbatical applications over the five academic years AY
2010-11 through 2014-15. Figures for the first four years include actual approvals and
expenditures/savings. For this exercise, we presume full approval and funding of applications
currently in process for 2014-15. Data 2010-14 was obtained from the Provost’s Office; current
year applications data is accurate according to academic deans as of Dec. 13, 2013.
Yea
r
½ yr
appli
ed
Potenti
al
Cost
Grant
ed
Actual
cost
201
0-11
201
1-12
201
2-13
201
3-14
201
415*
Tota
l
15
$99,60
0
$92,00
0
$85,50
0
$142,1
64
$180,0
00
15
$99,60
0
0
$599,2
64
50*
9
12
22
20
78
0
6
9
20*
$34,50
0
$48,46
4
$180,0
00*
$362,5
64
Full
yr
grant
ed
1
7
4
2
10
(apps
)
24
Saved
Total
appli
ed
($13,114
)
($163,02
9)
($101,30
9)
($32,729
)
($200,00
0)*
16
($510,18
1)
102
16
16
24
30
Cost if
all
grante
d
$86,48
6
($71,0
29)
($15,8
09)
$109,4
35
($20,0
00)
Actual
cost
(savings
)
$86,486
$89,08
3
($147,6
17)
($163,0
29)
($66,80
9)
$15,735
($20,00
0)*
*projected based on apps as of 12-9-2013. Savings from full year estimated at $20k. Cost of
adjunct coverage estimated at $9k per semester.
It is clear from the table that potential and actual costs and savings over the past four years
have varied widely. Even if all applications had been funded, costs would have ranged from
($71,029) to $109,435. This reflects the inconsistent approach we have taken to funding
sabbaticals
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 91 of 11
If we instead average the total number of applications and costs over the five years, we get:
Average total applications per year:
Average cost of half-year, per faculty:
Average savings for full year, per faculty:
20
Averages are 16 half-year, 4 full year.
$ 7,285
$(21,312)
At these rates, a typical year would be:
16 half-year @ $7285 =
$116,560
4 full year @ (22,148) =
$(85,248)
Total cost:
$ 31,312
A closer look at the figures for the past four years, however, shows inconsistency in the
replacement costs and savings for various faculty members. The number of full-year
applications has also varied widely, making an average unreliable. Following our
recommendation that replacement costs be estimated at $9,000 per semester, and
conservatively estimating 3 full-year applications annually at a savings of $20,000 each, a more
reliable budget estimate would be:
16 half-year @ $9,000 =
$144,000
3 full year @ (20,000) =
$(60,000)
Total annual budget: $ 84,000
Based on our review of recent data, the Task Force recommends that an annual amount
of $84,000 be designated for the funding of sabbaticals. This figure allows for some fulltime replacements when necessary.
Because of the unusually high number of requests for full-year sabbatical leaves in 2014-2015,
which would permit full funding of all worthy one-semester requests for that year, much of the
backlog caused by the failure to fund all one-semester requests for the three years AY 2011/12
– 2013/14 will apparently be abated. However, if all worthy requests are not funded for 2014/15
and a significant backlog remains, then a figure in excess of $84,000 should be designated in
FY 16 and FY 17 to fund sabbatical requests for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 in order to eliminate
that backlog.
Finally, the Task Force recommends that the Provost’s office maintain an annual record of the
number of sabbatical proposals, approvals, and funding, available to the Senate upon request,
and that these records be reviewed regularly for budget planning purposes.
Sabbatical Task Force Report 03/03/14
Page 101 of 11
Proposed change to Report of Sabbatical Task Force
Proposed 2-05-2014 in discussion among Terry Brown (Provost), Rob Deemer (Senate
Chairperson), Bruce Simon (Senate Vice Chairperson), Ralph Blasting (Sabbatical Task
Force Convener).
Current wording of section III.E, pp. 6-7
E. PRIORITIZATION: in the event that not all sabbaticals can be funded in a given year,
priority will granted in the following order:
1. Year-long sabbaticals at half salary
2. Time-sensitive proposals (e.g. a pending grant, conference, or publishing
deadline, collaborative projects, etc.) Applicants will have the opportunity to make
their case if this situation arises.
3. Those with the greatest number of years since their last sabbatical leave.
4. Random selection of any sabbaticals remaining that can be funded.
Proposed changes. New text in italics
E. PRIORITIZATION: in the event that not all sabbaticals can be funded in a given year,
priority will granted in the following order:
1. Year-long sabbaticals at half salary The project’s potential “to increase an
employee's value to the University and thereby improve and enrich its program”
and its relation to departmental, college/school, or university strategic goals.
2. Time-sensitive proposals (e.g. a pending grant, conference, or publishing
deadline, collaborative projects, etc.) Applicants will have the opportunity to make
their case if this situation arises.
3. Those with the greatest number of years since their last sabbatical leave.
4. Random selection of any sabbaticals remaining that can be funded.
Sabbatical Task Force Report to Senate
03/03/14
Page 11 of 11
University Senate, March 3, 2014
Report of the Academic Affairs Committee
Discussion Items:
1. Proposed Calendar for AY 2016 – 2017: Initial Draft
2. Proposed Upper-Level Requirement and Course Numbering Guidelines
From the Calendar Committee
Initial Draft of the 2016-2017 Academic Year Calendar
Fall 2016
August 22, Monday: First Day of Classes
September 5, Monday (Labor Day): No Classes
September 13, Tuesday: Professional Development Day, No Classes
October 13 – 14, Thursday, Friday: Fall Break
November 21 – 25, Monday – Friday: Thanksgiving Break, No Classes
December 9, Friday: Last Day of Classes
December 12 – 16, Monday – Friday: Final Exam Week
Total Class Days: 14 M, 15 T, 14 W, 14 R, 14 F = 71 instruction days
Spring 2017
January 18, Wednesday: First Day of Classes
February 10, Friday: Professional Development Day, No Classes
March 13 – 17, Monday – Friday: Spring Break
April 17, Monday: Travel Day, No Classes
May 5, Friday: Last Day of Classes
May 8 – 12, Monday - Friday: Final Exam Week
May 13, Saturday: Commencement
Total Class Days: 13 M, 14 T, 15 W, 15 R, 14 F = 71 instruction days
Some Key Dates:
Wednesday, October 12: Yom Kippur
Monday, January 16: Martin Luther King Day
Sunday, April 16: Easter
Calendar Committee Members:
Patricia Astry, Karl Boelter, Kevin Cloos, Lisa Eikenburg, Kathy Forster, James Ivey, Mike Lemieux, Ann Marie
Loughlin, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Scott Saunders, Joseph Straight, Katie Thies, Megan Valentine
Academic Affairs Committee Report to Senate 03/03/14
Page 1 of 4
SUNY Fredonia
Guidelines for Numbering Courses at the
Undergraduate Level
These guidelines are intended to help the university community achieve consensus as to how
the level of an undergraduate course relates to course structure, organization, and degree of
difficulty or sophistication.
Lower-Level vs. Upper-Level
Lower-level courses are those at the 100-level and 200-level.
Upper-level courses are those at the 300-level and 400-level. In addition, a 200-level course
may be proposed to count as an upper-level course, particularly if it has a university-level
prerequisite.
Upper-Level Requirement for a Bachelor’s Degree
Of the 120 credit hours required for the degree, at least 45 must be at the upper-level.
100-Level Courses
These are typically introductory courses having no university-level prerequisites, often
presenting basic concepts and terminology. Students in such courses are expected to operate
largely at the “knowledge” and “comprehension” levels, but should be provided opportunities
to develop at the “application” and “analysis” levels (refer to the revised Bloom’s taxonomy
below).
200-Level Courses
Such courses are at an intermediate level of difficulty, and sometimes survey a subfield within a
discipline. They often have a prerequisite at the 100-level. Students taking such courses should
solidify their abilities at the knowledge and comprehension levels, and be provided ample
opportunity to develop their application and analysis skills.
300-Level and 400-Level Courses
Such courses are at an advanced-undergraduate level of difficulty, and are generally taken by
majors, minors, and other students with a well-defined interest and demonstrated ability in a
particular subject area.
While continuing to develop proficiency at the lower cognitive levels, 300-level courses are
expected to provide students with the opportunity to operate at the “synthesis” and
“evaluation” levels.
Courses at the 400-level operate mostly at the “synthsis” and “evaluation” levels. They are
often of a “seminar” nature, with the students taking significant responsibility for the course
Academic Affairs Committee Report to Senate 03/03/14
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agenda. In particular, courses which provide students with the opportunity to perform directed
research are usually at the 400-level.
Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy for the Cognitive Domain
From Wikipedia
Categories in the cognitive domain of the revised Bloom's taxonomy (Anderson et al. 2000)
Skills in the cognitive domain revolve around knowledge, comprehension, and critical thinking
on a particular topic. Traditional education tends to emphasize the skills in this domain,
particularly the lower-order objectives.
There are six levels in the taxonomy, moving through the lowest order processes to the highest:
Knowledge Level
Exhibit memory of learned materials by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts and answers
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Knowledge of specifics - terminology, specific facts
Knowledge of ways and means of dealing with specifics - conventions, trends and
sequences, classifications and categories, criteria, methodology
Knowledge of the universals and abstractions in a field - principles and generalizations,
theories and structures
Comprehension Level
Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting,
giving descriptions, and stating the main ideas
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Translation
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
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Interpretation
Extrapolation
Application Level
Use new knowledge. Solve problems in new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts,
techniques and rules in a different way.
Analysis Level
Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make inferences and
find evidence to support generalizations
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Analysis of elements
Analysis of relationships
Analysis of organizational principles
Synthesis Level
Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or
proposing alternative solutions
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Production of a unique communication
Production of a plan, or proposed set of operations
Derivation of a set of abstract relations
Evaluation Level
Present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality
of work based on a set of criteria
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Judgments in terms of internal evidence
Judgments in terms of external criteria
Academic Affairs Committee Report to Senate 03/03/14
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