UNIVERSITY SENA'l'F
ATTENDANCE -
Meetin~ of: :d¢~~c>/ Iff/
University Senate
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY SENATE
Monday, September 30, 1991
Campus Center Assembly Hall
3:30p.m.
Administration 259
Albany, New York 12222
518/442-5406
----- --------------------AGENDA: _____ -- -- -- --- ----- -- -- --- --- --- ----
1.
Approval of Minutes:
2.
President's Report
University Senate, May 6, 1991 (1990-91 Senate)
University Senate, May 6, 1991 (1991-92 Senate)
3.
SUNY -wide Senate Report - Paul Wallace and Vincent Aceto
4.
Chair's Report
5.
Council Reports
a.
Council on Promotion and Continuing Appointment - Ronald Bosco
b.
Council on Educational Policy- Robert Sanders
c.
Graduate Academic Council- Audrey Champagne
d.
Undergraduate Academic Council - Cyril Knoblauch
e.
Council on Research - Alain Kaloyeros
-
f.
Council on Libraries, Information Systems and Computing- Peter Bloniarz
g.
Council on Academic Freedom and Ethics - Michael Sattinger
h.
Student Affairs Council -- Steven Thomson
i.
University Community Council- Shirley Jones
6.
Old Business
7.
New Business
a.
Changes in Council Memberships
8.
Adjournment
\
University Senate
Administration 259
Albany, New York 12222
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
UNIVERSITY SENATE MINUTES
September 30, 1991
PRESENT: V. Aceto, M. K. Ali, J. Berman, P. Bloniarz, R. Bosco, L. Brannon, C.
518/442-5406
Carr, A--:-Cli.ampagne, K~Cougfiliif,-R-:-Craig,-G~DeSole,-R-:- Don;-S~ ------
Faerman, E. Fagan, R. Felson, D. Ford, M. Furnish, R. Gibson, C.
Goldberg, G. Gossen, J. Green, J. Gullahorn, K. Hitchcock, R. Hoyt, R.
Hardt, C. Knoblauch, W. Lanford, M. Livingston, S. Lyman, A. Macario,
H. Mendelsohn, S. Messner, J. Olmo, J. Parker, D. Reeb, R. Sanders, M.
Sattinger, E. Scatton, M. Sherman, L. Smith, J. Southwick, D. Strogatz,
H. P. Swygert, S. Tannenbaum, S. Thomson, T. Turner, L.
Videka-Sherman, G. Walker, W. Weitz, D. Windham, S. Zevin
GUESTS:
Y. S. Reynolds
The meeting was called to order by Chair Turner at 3:35p.m.
1.
Approval of Minutes
Senator R. Gibson moved to approve the minutes of May 6 (1990-91 Senate and
1991-92 Senate) as prepared; seconded and carried.
2.
President's Report
President Swygert noted that the Senate had agreed to a three-year plan to hold
Commencement at the Knickerbocker Arena. He reported that the 1991
Commencement was very successful, as were the college-based events on both
campuses. The final costs for the 1991 Commencement held at the
Knickerbocker Arena was $16,000, while the final costs for the 1990
Commencements held on campus was $70,000, the President reported. A
written report on Commencement is available at the information table. The
President thanked the Commencement Committee, Sheila Mahan, faculty
marshals, professional staff, and speakers for their work on Commencement.
This year's Commencement will be held on Sunday, May 17, 1992, at the
Knickerbocker Arena, the President said.
The Search Committee for the Dean of the School of Education, chaired by
Dean F. Frank, is in place, reported the President.
President Swygert also reported that the SUNY 2000 report has been approved
and released by the SUNY Board of Trustees and the Chancellor. It sets out the
vision for the SUNY system. Copies are available from the President's office
and will also be shared with the Executive Committee.
-2-
Turning to the budget, the President reported that he expects that there will be
an early call for a budget for next year. The President announced the Voluntary
Intersession Shutdown will be December 24-J anuary 8. Despite the budget
constraints, 26 new faculty have joined the University at Albany this year, 13
men and 13 women, President Swygert said. Vice President Hitchcock will
continue with faculty recruitment for next year.
For next year, the Chancellor has earmarked funds for "regionalization,"
President Swygert reported, and the University at Albany has been developing
plans to establish itself as a regional center. One possibility is for the library
addition. The President hopes to use this as an opportunity to highlight our
capabilities.
The President then reported that the Middle States Report and the Advisory
Committee on Campus Priorities both mentioned the need to review our Mission
Statement. The Mission Statement should describe what the University is and
what it will become. It should also represent more of the scope of the
University, the President said. Therefore, he plans to establish a committee to
review the Mission Statement and to manage a University-wide consideration of
-------it.
---------------
President Swygert also briefly described the enrollment situation this year. This
year the demand was intense and more than 2,000 first-time freshmen were
admitted as well as more than 1,200 transfer students. Also, the graduate
population consists of more than 20 percent of the total. The President pointed
out that for 1991-92, State allocation is less than 50 percent of all revenues.
l~~l(.·v J
President Swygert thah· turned to the issue of the Academic Calendar. This
academic year was a start/stop one, and notice of changes was sent very late.
The calendar for 1992-93 has already been sent to all faculty, and the faculty
will be given a semester's notice if the calendar is to be amended, the President
said.
Finally, the President announced the first annual Authors and Editors reception
will be held on October 9. This reception will honor the 150 faculty members
who published books or edited journals in 1990-91.
Senator Aceto, noting that last year during the intersession break there was no
place on the downtown campus for people to work, asked if that matter would
be addressed. President Swygert responded that we have learned from our past
experiences, and we will attend to this issue.
3.
SUNY-wide Senate Report
Senator Aceto reported that the SUNY-wide Senate will meet in Alfred on
October 17-19.
4.
Chair's Report
Chair Turner welcomed Vice President Hitchcock, Associate Vice President
Lance and Dean Scatton to their new positions.
President Swygert signed bills 9091-11, 9091-12, 9091-13, and 9091-14 from
last year.
Chair Turner reported that there will be a Senate newsletter this year. There
will be three issues. The first issue, which will be distributed shortly, will
describe the Senate and include membership of the Councils. The other issues
will be distributed in January and in May.
-3-
Issues to be presented before Senate this year should include the General
Education program (a faculty forum will be held shortly), the assessment issue,
the mission statement and the future of the New York State Theatre Institute.
5.
Council Reports
a. CPCA: Senator Bosco stated the Council is conducting business and has no
further report.
b. EPC: Senator Sanders had nothing to report.
c. GAC: The Council met this afternoon, reported Senator Champagne, and the
chairs of the committees were selected.
d. UAC: The committees are being formed, said Senator Knoblauch.
e. Res: Vice President Gullahorn reported that the committees were being
organized.
f. LISC: Senator Bloniarz reported that the Council will meet on October 9.
--------rwo4~s-ues -r<Yr-dtscussic:rn-are-:-opp-ortunities-for-the-new-library-and-cullection -- --- -
----
development.
g. CAFE: Senator Sattinger reported that the Council will meet on October 8.
h. SAC: Senator Thomson reported that the Council will meet on October 3.
i. UCC: No report.
6.
Old Business
There was no Old Business.
7.
New Business
a. Changes in Council Memberships: Chair Turner noted that the faculty
member changes were approved by the Executive Committee. The student
member changes arrived after the Executive Committee meeting and are being
presented with the other changes for approval. Also, Senator Alberto Macario
will serve on CPCA for the Fall Semester. The changes were moved for
approval, seconded and carried.
The meeting adjourned at 4:10p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
ctj:fdd/Jt.ifYJ#?YXt!l>V
fiX./UY.-.....-
Lilian Brannon
·
Chair-Elect
Office of the President
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
September 13, 1991
Members of the University Senate
-~//.i.~ ~ ~~~~JJ./
-~F~R~O~M=:- H. Patrick S~gert ~!P-P-~111~~'1/''/1-
~ _ (ftl __ _
_
,
TO:
SUBJECT: Commencement Report
Administration 2-+6
Albany. New York 12222
518/442-5400
Fax: 518;..!42-5..\ 18
At its December 3, 1990, meetin~, the University Senate approved a bill (9091-01)
that assigned administrative responsibility for Commencement to the President, who
would develop a plan for Commencement in consultation with faculty and academic
administrators, the Council on Educational Policy, and the senior class. It further
specifies that the President inform the Senate of the plan for Commencement at the
Senate's first or second meeting of the academic year.
As the first step in that process for the 1992 Commencement, I am pleased to
provide the following report on the 1991 Commencement ceremony. I want to further
mform you that, in consulting with the various groups specified, it is my plan to propose
virtually no changes to the major logistical aspects (time, place, format) of
Commencement for the coming year. We Will, of course, consider any suggestions for
improving the ceremony, including possible additions or deletions to the content of the
ceremony itself. At this time, however, major changes are not contemflated. I will
make the final report to the University Senate at its second meeting o the year on
October 28, 1991, and I welcome additional comments between now and then.
Report on the 1991 Commencement
Our 147th Commencement was held on May 26, 1991, at the Knickerbocker
Arena, South Pearl Street, Albany. The ceremony was the first in the history of the
modern University held at an off-campus site, a decision that resulted from the
availability of an indoor venue large enough to accommodate the number of students
and guests expected to attend.
Approximately 2,000 baccalaureate candidates, 250 master's and certificate
candidates, and 55 doctoral candidates attended the Commencement ceremony, as well
as approximately 200 faculty and University officers, and 12,400 guests. (It is not known
what effect on attendance, if any, resulted from departing from the University's
customary date for Commencement and holding it on the Sunday of Memorial Day
weekend. Our experience in 1992 should provide a more reliable gauge.) University
staff members with official duties that day numbered approximately 100.
Commencement Report
Page 2
Four honorary degrees were awarded, and the Commencement address was given
by Houston A. Baker Jr., Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Humanities at the
University of Pennsylvania.
Following the Commencement ceremony, School/College-based receptions were
held at various sites at the two campuses. Parent and student attendance was higher
than planners of these events anticipated. In the coming year, these events will be given
special attention with the hope that they may become an even more significant part of
the University's Commencement celebration.
My office received five letters from faculty members or parents expressing
satisfaction with the new format, no letters of complaint, some oral praise, and some
-----~xpressions-0f-~mbarrassm~nt-about-the-student-wh0-bmught-a-beach-ball.-One-letter-----
to the Times Union also complained about the beach ball. We will seek more concrete
feedback during the consultation process. Generally, students' behavior was
acceptable, if boisterous, and has been characterized as greatly improved compared to
ceremonies on the University Field. We will continue to emphasize to our students the
solemnity as well as the celebration associated with the ceremony.
Because seating in the Knickerbocker Arena is limited, each student's eligibilio/
to attend Commencement was verified, and each was given six guest tickets. Eligibility
to attend was restricted to May degree candidates, graduates of the previous August
and December, and a small number of undergraduate students who had in place plans
to finish their baccalaureate degrees in the summer immediately following the
Commencement. Some consideration may need to be given in the coming year to
involving departments in the verification of candidates for master's degrees.
Use of the Knickerbocker Arena facility and staff permitted the University to
avoid significant expenses, largely those associated with overtime payment to Physical
Plant staff and rental of chairs, tents, stage units, etc. In fact, the cost of the 1991
Commencement was approximately 50 percent lower than for the 1990, on-campus,
ceremony. Yet services were comparable, and in the area of security they were superior
to, what the University had been able to provide. Alcohol and crowd control matters
were handled effectively by the approximately 80-100 Knickerbocker Arena employees
on hand for the ceremony.
Finally, traffic, parking, access to the Arena, and crowd movement before and
after the ceremony also went reasonably well, although there are certainly areas where
improvements can and will be made for the next year.
Again, I welcome input from interested members of the University community as
we plan the 1992 Commencement ceremony.
I
_l
Office of the President
UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
September 30, 1991
Administration 246
Albany, New York 12222
518/442-5400
Fax.: 518/442-5418
Dr. Edward Turner, Chair
______ Universi!Y Senate
UniversitY at AllJ~an~y~--------------------------
Dear Ted:
As we discussed at the last meeting of the Senate Executive Committee,
the changes made to the academic calendar for this fall and the late
notification of those changes has been a subject of understandable concern
over the past month. Because of this concern and in order to clarify our
situation, I have decided to address these matters in writing for our
University Senate colleagues. In that regard, I would appreciate your
distributing copies of this letter at today's meeting of the University Senate.
.
Campus calendar policy and practice are governed by the
requirements of the State Education Law, State University Board of Trustees
Policy, and policies adopted the University Senate and approved by the
President. New York State Law and the State Education Department establish
the relationship between the number of weeks and hours of instruction on
the one hand, and the length of the academic year and number of credits on
the other. The Law also requires that students be excused without penalty
from classes, examinations, and work assignments on any days that they are
·unable, due to religious beliefs, to participate in instruction, examination, or
study. The Law further obligates us to allow such students to make up
without penalty or charge any examinations or work missed. Board of
Trustees Policies further require that campuses "avoid scheduling of classes or
other courses of instruction on those days when a significant number of
members of a religious faith at that campus typically observe the expectation
of their faith and wish to be absent from school or work."
The University at Albany "Guidelines for Academic Calendars" were
amended during the Spring Semester of 1991 after a review by the Long
Range Planning Committee and upon recommendations submitted to the
University Senate by the Educational Policies Council. The current
Page 2
guidelines provide that, where possible within the State Law and Board of
Trustees policies, the fall semester will begin after Labor Day and end no later
than December 23. Spring Semester is to begin in the third week of January
and end with Commencement on the third or fourth Sunday in May.
Holidays are to be observed for Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving,
Washington's Birthday (where possible) and Passover. To provide travel time,
classes are to be recessed before the beginning of the first class after noon on
the day preceding observed Jewish holidays. Where possible, the calendar will
schedule the same number of class meetings for classes that meet before and
after noon.
The calendar for 1991-92 was originally reviewed by the Educational
Policies Council in 1989 and was distributed to faculty and administrative
offices at that time. Revisions to that calendar as well as to those for 1992-93
and 1993-94, designed to comply with the Senate's amendments to the
.
Calendar Guidelines, were reviewed by the Educational Policies Council at its
last regular meeting of the Spring Semester. The calendar revisions for 1991-
92 were finalized over the Summer and distributed to faculty in August by
campus mail. Revisions to the 1992-93 and 1993-94 academic calendars were
presented to the Senate Executive Committee earlier this month and were
distributed to all faculty and administrative offices on September 16.
The changes in the 1991-92 calendar with regard to the class schedule
resulted from a Senate policy change and subsequent implementation.
Distribution of the new calendar, however, is the responsibility ofthe Office
of the President and we sincerely regret any inconvenience caused by the late
notification. The problem will not be repeated. Calendars for the next two
years have already been distributed, and the calendar for 1994-95 will be
approved and distributed before the end of the Fall term. In the future, we
will not suggest or consider changes to the calendar with less than one
semester's notice.
Sincerely,
H. Patrick Swygert
President
(
(
(
Council Deletions
CPCA
EPC
M. Kazim Ali*
Allen Ballard
Richard Hall*
Ernest Scatton*
GAC
Larry Covitt*
UAC
Timothy Lance*
RES
Thomas Shevlin*
LISC
Timothy Gage
Carolyn Yalkut
ucc
Sheryl Rubin*
*=Senator
CHANGES IN COUNCIL MEMBERSIDPS
Proposed Council Additions
CPCA
EPC
UAC
RES
LISC
ucc
Gary Gossen~
Max Lifschitz
Eugene Stone
Lori Kisch
Francine Frank
Russell Ward
GAC
Mark Furnish*
M. Kazim Ali*
David Shub
Startita Boyce
Ryan Don*
Kerin Coughlin*
Emily Bliss
Dona Parker
Norbert Zahm
