COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE SUMMARIES
Meeting of the University Senate, February 6, 2012
As submitted to Danielle Leonard, Senate Secretary, University Senate
UNIVERSITY SENATE CHAIR’S REPORT – Susanna Fessler, Chair
February 6th is UAlbany Day at the Plaza downtown. Various activities are scheduled for 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
See http://www.albany.edu/ualbanyday/index.php?WT.svl=image for more details.
The call for nominations for Teaching Faculty for the Presidential Search Committee went out before the break.
The deadline was January 20th. By request of the University Council, the call for nominations was also sent out
to management/ confidential personnel on 1/13/2012, with a deadline of 1/20/2012. The SEC reviewed the list
of nominees at the 1/23/12 meeting and discussed the election process. For that discussion, both the Senate
Chair and Vice Chair recused themselves because they are nominees. The chair of CPCA led the SEC in the
subsequent discussion, and her report is below.
A web page for the Presidential Search has gone up at http://www.albany.edu/presidentialsearch/, where updates
will be posted regularly as the process gets underway. There is a link to this page from the main Senate site,
also.
The University Council sent out a Request for Proposals to 10 firms for the Presidential search. 5 firms sent in
proposals, and they were interviewed on 1/23/12. The Council will choose one firm to conduct the Presidential
search.
The University Council requested that the Senate Chair put out a call for nominations for Professional Faculty,
one of whom will serve on the Presidential Search Committee. That call went out on 1/10/12, and the deadline
for nominations is February 3, 2012. The University Council will choose one person from among the nominees
to serve, in accordance with the Board of Trustees guidelines.
Because of restrictions on the number of e-mails that can be sent from one address in one 24-hour period, the
Senate Recorder has modified the way that messages will be sent out to the Senate and the SEC. As a recipient
you should notice little if any difference. However, if you experience any problems with Senate e-mail
messages please contact Gail Cameron.
Last semester a few people were inadvertently left off of the Senate distribution list. This error has been
corrected. In particular, Senator Wills requested that the Chair make a full report about why he was one of the
faculty who did not receive Senate e-mails. Below is that report.
At the beginning of every academic year, the Senate Recorder, in coordination with the Senate Secretary,
compiles a complete list of Senate members. This list is then used by the Recorder to set up an e-mail
distribution list for disseminating Senate materials. In Fall of 2011, a number of Senate seats were unsettled
at the beginning of the semester, including the undergraduate student senators, the graduate student senators,
the Senator from the School of Social Welfare, and one of the CAS at-large Senate seats. In the last case,
Brett Bowles had been elected in the spring of 2011 to represent CAS as an at large senator. However,
Senator Bowles took leave in Fall 2011 and did not contact the Senate to inform it of his inability to serve as
a Senator. Thus, at first Senator Bowles' name was on the distribution list. The Senate Chair received an e-
mail from the chair of LLC, informing her of Bowles' leave, on 9/2/11. She contacted the chair of the CAS
Faculty Council and requested that CAS replace Senator Bowles. Senator Wills was that replacement.
Confirmation that he was willing to serve came to the Senate Chair on 9/21/11. The Chair e-mailed the
Senate Recorder with this news immediately thereafter, and indicated that Senator Wills would also serve on
UPPC. The Chair explicitly asked that Senator Wills be added to the UPPC distribution list, but she
neglected to explicitly request that he be added to the Senate distribution list, also, assuming that this would
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happen as a matter of course. It was not until December 2011 that the Chair and the Recorder were made
aware of this omission, along with a handful of others. As soon as we were made aware of the situation, we
rectified it.
Report from Christine Wagner regarding the Presidential Search Committee:
Action of the Senate Executive Committee on Election of Teaching Faculty to the Presidential Search
Committee
A motion regarding eligibility to vote in the election of teaching faculty to the Presidential Search Committee
was made to the Senate Executive Committee by email on 1/26/12. The motion stated that all full time teaching
faculty on the Senate excepting those who are also administrators (as defined by being
Management/Confidential, not UUP) should vote. The motion was seconded and a vote was recorded by email
response. The motion passed on 1/27/12 with a vote of 11 Yes, 0 No, and 3 Abstentions.
Procedures for Ratifying the Election of the Teaching Faculty
to the Presidential Search Committee
Established and Approved by the Senate Executive Committee as of 1/30/2012
Vote of the Teaching Faculty of the Senate: According to the Senate Charter (X.1.4.2.5.5) if an election of the
Senate results in a tie, the Senate Chair will cast the winning vote. Because the Senate Chair and the Senate
Vice-Chair are nominees for the Search Committee, the Immediate Past Chair of the Senate will cast the
deciding vote at a special executive session of the Senate Executive Committee. The Immediate Past Chair will
not vote in the general election by the Teaching Faculty of the Senate.
Procedures for the Senate Executive Committee: In order to ensure that the guidelines for representation and
diversity as required by the Board of Trustees Guidelines and the Chancellor are met, the Senate Executive
Committee (SEC) has approved that the following criteria and procedures be used to methodically achieve such
representation and diversity on the Presidential Search Committee. These procedures will be implemented at a
special executive session of the SEC following the Senate election.
Criteria: The number of teaching faculty from the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) on the Search Committee
shall be no more than four (4) and no less than two (2).
• Procedure: Should the election result in more than 4 CAS faculty members on the Search Committee,
the CAS Faculty member(s) with the fewest votes will be replaced with the faculty member(s) from a different
School/College with the next largest number of votes.
• Procedure: Should the election result in less than 2 CAS faculty members on the Search Committee,
the non-CAS Faculty member(s) with the fewest votes will be replaced with the faculty member(s) from CAS
with the next largest number of votes.
Criteria: At least one member of the Search Committee shall be female.
• Procedure: Should the election result in six male faculty members on the Search Committee, the male
faculty member with the fewest votes will be replaced by the female nominee with the greatest number of votes.
Criteria: No two teaching faculty on the Search Committee shall be from the same department.
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• Procedure: Should the election result in two faculty members on the Search Committee from the same
department, the faculty member from that department having the fewer votes will be replaced with the faculty
member from a different department with the next largest number of votes.
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Should meeting one criterion violate another criterion, the procedure shall be repeated until the violated
criterion is met.
In the event of a tie between nominees with the next largest number of votes, the Immediate Past Chair shall
cast the deciding vote.
UFS (University Faculty Senator’s Report) –Daniel D. White, J. Philippe Abraham & Shadi
Shahedipour-Sandvik, SUNY Senators
The SUNY Senators attended the SUNY Winter Plenary at Cornell University on January 26, 27, and 28th 2012.
There were two resolutions considered and passed at the plenary. The titles of the resolution appear below and
will be reproduced in the next SUNY Senator report. In short, the SUNY senate supports the idea that equitable
access to higher education should be afforded to all residents of the State of New York. The Senate also
expressed grave concerns for the process by which the CUNY administration circumvented faculty to approve a
new general education policy called “Pathways.” Of particular interest to UAlbany is the fact that the Board of
Trustees has passed a new set of guidelines by which campuses must abide when searching for a new president.
The University Center representatives asked the Chancellor to address a concern that professional faculty raised
about their representation on presidential searches. The guidelines indicated that one professional or staff
member should be on the search committee but there is no parallel process similar to the teaching faculty
process whereby professionals may elect their representative.
Resolution supporting the Board of Trustees’ January 25, 2012 resolution “Equitable financial and educational
access to higher education for New York’s undocumented immigrants” (The DREAM Act).
SUNY University Faculty senate resolution on CUNY’s failure to use the principle of shared governance in
establishing a new curriculum.
GSO (Graduate Student Organization) – Heidi Nicholls, GSO Representative
The RGSO training was held on January 23rd and funding applications have been submitted for review. The
graduate student groups will receive their award notifications on February 10th. A call has been issued to fill
the MCAA position which we hope to have in place by the end of February. In the meant time the executive
board has and will continue to work together to provide both MCAA sponsored events and monies (i.e. this past
weekend we sponsored and participated in the Indian Republic Day at the Hindu Cultural Center as well as an
upcoming International Dinner). Our next Assembly Meeting will be held on February 3rd (more to report
then!).
SA (Student Association) – Bryant Barksdale, Student Association President Designee
Nothing new to report.
CAA (Council on Academic Assessment) – Adrian Masters, Chair
At its meeting on 12 December the CAA approved the program review reports for LACS, Educational
Psychology and Counseling Psychology.
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CAFFECoR (Committee on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Community Responsibility)
– Aran Mull, Chair
Three training sessions were held with the Department of Residential Life staff addressing First Amendment
and Academic Freedom issues in the residential hall environment.
CERS (Committee on Ethics in Research and Scholarship) – Carolyn MacDonald, Chair
The CERS chair met with the senate chair, university counsel, the VPR and the chief of staff to discuss changes
in the misconduct policy. Some compromises were proposed to be brought to the president. CERS is awaiting
a reply.
COR (Council on Research) – James Castracane, Chair
The Council on Research met on December 12th and considered multiple agenda items:
Associate VP Bob Webster reported on the status of the Research Working Group participating in the
implementation of the University’s Strategic Plan. He also reported on the University’s receipt of
approximately $3M from the State’s first economic development grant. The funds were targeted on the RNA
Institute and East Campus for core biotechnology initiatives.
The Benevolent Awards review sub-committee recommended 8 applicants for funding totaling $3,500 and the
Conference/Journal Support Award sub-committee will provide $2,500 to its lone applicant.
The FRAP-A sub-committee will meet January 19th to review its 15 applications. Recommendations will be
discussed at the next (2/2/12) COR meeting.
The Excellence in Research and Creative Activities sub-committee forwarded 3 recommendations to VPR Dias.
CPCA (Council on Promotions and Continuing Appointments) – Christine Wagner, Chair
CPCA has completed the review of fifteen cases during the fall semester. Provost Phillips attended the
December 12th meeting during which general issues pertaining to the preparation and evaluation of promotion
and continuing appointment cases were discussed. The first meeting of the spring semester will occur February
3rd, 2012.
GAC (Graduate Academic Council) – Tim Groves, Chair
The GAC met on December 16, 2011. The Committee on Appeals and Academic Standing presented its findings
on three appeals cases. Following discussion of the details, the GAC voted to approve all three sets of findings.
There are presently no further cases pending. The GAC currently has no bills to bring before the Senate.
GOV (Governance Council) – Andi Lyons, Chair
During the GOV Council's last meeting in December, we decided in principle that the proposal for a Charter
Amendment on the formation of a new Senate Council was almost ready to move forward. Subsequently,
through email, the Council voted to approve the proposed Charter Amendment and related guidelines, and
moved that they be sent for inclusion as an agenda item at the next SEC meeting. On January 23, the Chair and
members of the Committee on Administrative Assessment attended the SEC meeting to present the proposed
Charter Amendment and Guidelines, and to answer any SEC questions regarding this matter. The SEC voted in
favor of moving the proposed Charter Amendment and Guidelines to the full Senate for consideration. In
keeping with the required three weeks advance notice for any proposed Charter change, the materials will be
sent out to the full Senate for consideration at the March 5 meeting.
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LISC (Council on Libraries, Information Systems, and Computing) – Nancy Newman, Chair
On Dec. 12, LISC established a schedule to address several Information Technology issues. The IT
subcommittee will meet on Jan. 17 to discuss the CIO’s revision of the “Responsible Use” policy with Chris
Haile and Lisa Trubitt. We have asked Counsel John Reilly to discuss UAlbany’s protocol for handling FOIL
requests of faculty email and other issues raised by Steve Worona at UFS at our Feb. 6 meeting. Dean Casserly
gave an overview of the Library’s users’ survey. The results showed a desire for expansion of the collections
and other resources and more graduate student orientation sessions. The Strategic Plan Working Group on
Emerging Technology will share salient items from its idea list with LISC later this spring through Chris Haile
(Chair) and our liaison, Bruce Dudek.
Members of IT met Jan. 17 and 25 to discuss revisions to the "Responsible Use" policy. Chris and Lisa will
present a penultimate draft to the subcommittee in early February.
UAC (Undergraduate Academic Council) – JoAnne Malatesta, Chair
The Undergraduate Academic Council met on both December 12th and December 15th to review the general
education proposal from the General Education Committee. After discussion and agreement to slight revisions,
the UAC voted to approve the proposal with one member abstaining. The Chairs of UAC and the General
Education Committee are now working on the final version of the proposal. The proposal will be forwarded to
UPPC no later than early February with the goal of bringing the proposal to the Senate as soon as possible this
semester.
ULC (University Life Council) – Yenisel Gulatee, Chair
ULC is currently in the process of planning the Spring 2012 meetings.
UPPC (University Planning and Policy Council) – Eric Lifshin, Chair
UPPC met on 1/27/12.
We developed an initial draft of a campus impact form to arrive with any bill forwarded to UPPC for comment
from SEC. This form will be further studied by UPPC members and then presented to SEC for further
discussion.
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