ATTACHMENT B
University Council Report
Cynthia Fox, Vice Chair of University Senate 7/29/15
The Governance Council (GOV) had its last meeting of the 2014-2015 academic year on May 6.
This report also includes items that have been brought to the Senate leadership’s attention for
consideration in 2015-16.
1. Informational
a. In accordance with Senate Charter X.1.3.3., GOV will develop and administer its
next survey of effectiveness of governance and consultation in Spring 2016.
b. GOV has been asked to look into the mechanisms for the selection of Distinguished
Professors and into whether the guidelines in place are currently being followed.
According to Senate Bill 0708-05, the UAlbany selection committee for Distinguished
Teaching Professors and Distinguished Service Professors is defined as ten voting
members including the Senate Chair or designee and six members appointed by GOV.
GOV was last asked to recommend members in 2011.
c. The Chair of the Council on Research (CoR) has raised concerns that governance was not
involved in the selection of the first round of awards that were granted through the newly
established Presidential Initiatives Fund. According the Senate Charter X.5.6., CoR “shall
conduct or participate in the review of applications to internal campus research support
mechanisms.”
d. GSA has requested that GOV work with the President’s Office to look at standardizing the
process of selecting GSA and SA students to serve on committees. There is concern that
leaders are often not told who the representatives are that have been chosen to serve.
e. On May 21, Senate leadership was asked to provide feedback on the Middle States
Periodic Review Report (PRR): feedback and suggestions from Chair Stefl-Mabry were
incorporated into the document that was due June 1. Two recommendations that remain
only partially addressed include amending the process by which part-time faculty Senators
are elected (currently by “voting faculty,” of which they are not a part) and consideration
of representation on the Senate by emeritus faculty and those employed by the Research
Foundation. Plans are being made for a more comprehensive Senate review and for
tackling these questions in the fall when the faculty return.
f. Senate Chair Stefl-Mabry and Vice Chair Fox met with Provost Stellar and Chief of Staff
Leanne Wirkkula on July 1. Topics discussed included the MSPRR report, SUNY
EXCELS, faculty evaluation of administrators, the status of the yearly reports from the
Vice President for Research on the occurrence of cases pertaining to violations of
academic integrity principles in research and scholarship and their disposition, and the
need to replace Albany Law student Andrew Howard as Senate Parliamentarian. As a
follow-up to that meeting, Chair Stefl-Mabry sent Provost Stellar documents related to the
proposed Senate Council on Administrative Review and Evaluation (CARE) which the
Governance Council has been working on since 2011.
g. In mid-July, Senate leadership received materials from Vice Provost for Academic
Planning and Strategic Leadership and Senior Associate Vice Chancellor Jason Lane
relative to the implementation of SUNY’s Seamless Transfer framework. As per a
Memorandum to Campus Presidents of 6/13/13, the Final Program Status Inventory and
STR Attestation Letter need to be completed and submitted to system administration no
later than COB on October 15, 2015. In an effort to work with the administration on the
development of a plan to implement the provisions of the Memorandum to Presidents in a
consultative fashion (p. 9), Chair Stefl-Mabry requested that Provost Stellar share the
updated Program Inventory (as described on p. 10) that was submitted on October 15,
2014, and any waiver requests that were also sent for SUNY Provost’s consideration as
well as the assessment plan that has been developed by the Student Mobility Steering
Committee and the Office of the Provost (p. 10)? As this assessment plan will measure the
progress of the University at Albany’s implementation, compliance with seamless transfer
requirements, and impact on student outcomes we would like to share with the Senate the
criteria that will be used to make such determinations.
h, Also in mid-July, Senate leadership received materials from Provost and Executive Vice
Chancellor Andrew Cartwright regarding development of the SUNY Excels performance
plans required by the 2015-16 budget. The plan is due on September 30.
II. Actions taken
a. Recommendations from the councils and committees regarding composition and charges
were drafted in the form of Charter amendments and reviewed. GOV approved and will
send to the Senate floor:
--Charter Amendments RE: Asymmetry in LISC Standing Committees ;
--Charter Amendment RE: Updates to Section X.4 (Graduate Academic Committee)
In the matter of
--Charter Amendment RE: Clarification of Responsibilities of Council on Academic
Assessment
GOV elected to postpone voting pending further discussion of the issue of “ensuring
compliance.”
Chairs of each of the Senate Councils and Committees have been elected for the 2015-16
year have been elected.
The schedule of Senate and Senate Executive Committee meetings for 2015-1016 has
been established.
