University C ouncil Update
Cynthia Fox, Vice Chair of University Senate
These are the major issues the Governance C ouncil has taken since the last meeting of the
University Council.
1, Formal C onsultation:
a. The Governance Council has responded to several requests to provide consultation on
Committees formed outside of Governance as outlined in the Senate Bylaws Article I Section
2.5:
--from Diana Mancini, Co-Chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Campus Safety
(ACCS), that we recommend a list of six teaching faculty from which three will be invited to
serve a one-year term;
--from Bill Hedberg, Associate Vice President and Senior V ice Provost for Academic A ffairs,
that we approve the roster of members to each of the Excellence A wards Committees and
recommend a Senate delegate and alternative to be included;
--from Tim Mulcahy, Interim Provost, initially to suggest possible representatives for inclusion
on the Blue Ribbon Panel on Adjunct/Contingent Faculty and to forward areas, issues or
challenges the Council believes should be included in the panel’s charge; later to approve the
roster which was put forward subsequent to this input as well as that of other relevant campus
constituencies. Our understanding is that Provost Stellar will be moving forward with this
important initiative.
-- from Tim Mulcahy, Interim Provost, initially to suggest possible representatives for inclusion
on a Blue Ribbon Panel on Graduate Student Compensation and to forward areas, issues or
challenges the Council believes should be included in the panel’s charge; later to approve the
roster which was put forward subsequent to this input as well as that of other relevant campus
constituencies. Our understanding is that Provost Stellar will be moving forward with this
important initiative.
b. The Council has also sent a request to Michael Shimazu, Associate Vice President of Business
Partnerships and Development, for clarification as to the composition of the Start-Up New York Campus
Advisory Committee and of the Ad Hoc Academic Review Committee that are described in the University
Start-Up NY Plan since Governance was not consulted in their constitution. Interim Provost Mulcahy
indicated at a recent meeting of the Senate Executive Committee that he had forwarded
recommendations to President Jones that would address this oversight. Governance will be looking to
follow up on this important matter with Provost Stellar.
c. Senate Chair Stefl-Mabry and I were pleased to be invited to participate in stakeholder
meetings with the four finalists for the position of Senior Vice President for Academic A ffairs
and Provost in December, and that the entire campus community was able to read their letters of
application and CV, attend their public presentation, and provide feedback.
2. Assessment of Effectiveness of Governance and C onsultation
a. Survey of Governance and Consultation
Senate Chair Joette Stefl-Mabry and I presented the results of spring 2014: University at Albany
Faculty and Professional Staff Survey on Shared Governance and of the spring 2014 University
at Albany Student Survey on Shared Governance at the October 20" meeting of the University
Senate.
The surveys are intended to evaluate the effectiveness of governance in representing its
constituencies, in addressing issues and concems, and in affecting institutional decisions. A
Charter amendment that requires that the survey be administered on a two-year cycle was also
passed at that meeting.
The combined results of the survey were disheartening in that they suggest that the university
community is generally uninformed about governance. Although sampling issues make it
difficult to take percentages, comments, or themes that emerged as representative, the survey
gave voice to a perception among the faculty who responded that the Senate works in the service
of the administration, “rubber-stamping” administrative initiatives and providing the necessary
facade of faculty consultation and participation.
Despite its problems, the Council believes that this study is a “revelatory case,” what Y in (1984,
p. 43) describes as an opportunity to observe and analyze an understudied phenomenon: how
university constituents perceive the effectiveness of university governance bodies.
Two standing committees of the Governance Council: the Committee on Liaison and Elections
and the Committee on Assessment of Governance and Consultation will be working on
improving the survey instrument and addressing the issues raised.
Members of the University Council are invited to look at the full reports which are available on
the Senate website:
http://www.albany.edu/senate/governance_council_assessment.htm
3. Actions on Bills, Amendments and Referendums
On Friday, November 14, President Jones sent a memo the Senate leadership recommending that
the Senate Bylaws and Charter be amended to revoke voting privileges from administrators who
serve as ex-officio members as well as those who serve on committees and councils in an
administrative capacity.
The recommendation addresses an aspect of our current Bylaws and Charter that is atypical in
campus governance structures. Given that the actions and recommendations of the Senate and its
Councils and Committees are advisory to the President, and hence to the relevant administrative
unit, the recommended amendment will allow this advice to better reflect the voice of the Faculty
and other members of the Senate separately from any administrative voice.
The Governance Council has drafted the Bylaws amendment, passage of which requires approval
from 2/3 of the Voting Faculty, 30% of whom must vote in order to achieve quorum. The vote
will take place on-line during Senate elections in late March. The Governance Council is now
working on a similar amendment to the Charter. These only require a vote by the Senate, and
will likely not be put forward unless the Bylaws amendment passes.
The President's memo is available on the Senate website:
http://www.albany.edu/avail/files/2014_1114 Pres RJJ_Memo_to_Senate_Re Proposed_Amen
dmt.pdf.
The Governance Council joins Senate Chair Stefl-Mabry in thanking the President for his
support and insightful leadership in working to create a relationship of mutual trust that promotes
and sustains thoughtful deliberation and decision-making.
February 17, 2015
