University at Albany, State University of New York
Governance Council
Friday, October 2, 2009
Eric Lifshin, Chair
Minutes
The meeting convened at 4:00 pm
MEMBERS PRESENT: Erin Bell, Ray Bromley, Nan Carroll, Richard Collier, Jane
Domaracki, Reed Hoyt, Sung Bok Kim, Eric Lifshin, John Pipkin, Daniel White
MINUTES:
The minutes of September 18, 2009 were approved.
CHAIR’S REPORT BY ERIC LIFSHIN
Chair Lifshin informed that the four amendments to the Senate Charter approved by the 2008-
2009 Senate have not been approved by the President. He briefly recounted the issues raised in
meetings of current Senate Officers and the last several Senate Chairs with the President and
Provost. The President has requested Lifshin to review the UA Faculty Bylaws and Senate
Charter to see if he notes lack of conformity with the SUNY Board of Trustees’ Policies
document. He has agreed to do so but indicated to the President that his comments and opinions
cannot be construed as representing either GOV or the Senate. The Chair will keep GOV
informed as these matters develop.
NEW BUSINESS:
CERS Ad Hoc Committee Membership
Several members explained the background and issues that resulted in the Senate’s decision last
spring that CERS and GOV would create an Ad Hoc Committee report under CERS to deal
with the need to rewrite the procedures concerning cases of alleged breaches of ethics in
research and scholarship. GOV is asked to contribute one or two members, as will CERS, along
with University Council and some representation of Senators who were outspoken on the issues
involved at the Senate debate that led up to the decision to create the Ad Hoc Committee.
The suggestion was made that the Interim VPR be added as a member of the ad hoc body.
Mindful of the “distance” that must be kept between CERS itself and the VPR’s office, there
was some debate on this but the council voted 9 to 0 with one abstention that CERS consider
adding the Interim VPR to the list of members of the Ad Hoc Committee.
As for GOV’s representation on the body, two members of GOV were nominated and approved
unanimously (10-0-0). It was agreed that Dick Collier will inform CERS Chair John Monfasani
of the council’s decisions and that Eric Lifshin will contact the two GOV members who were
nominated but were not present and urge them to accept the nomination.
Recommendation of Members for the Committee to Select DTP and DSP:
John Pipkin noted that nowhere in the Senate’s bill that revised and defined the DSP/DTP
selection committee is there mention that a Distinguished Professor can serve in lieu of a DTP
or DSP. He indicated that he confirmed this with Bill Hedberg. Council members noted this
severely limits choice, particularly to achieve any desired “balances” on the selection
committee, disciplinary and otherwise, and at the same time have a healthy turnover of
membership. It was further noted that the list of Distinguished Service Professors who are still
full-time Teaching Faculty at the University is particularly short.
The council members nominated two people for the committee; each person was approved
unanimously (10-0-0). It was agreed that the Chair will relay this information to the President
and would raise the issue of considering Distinguished Professors in lieu of a DSP or DTP.
Because there are so few DSP and DTP recipients at the University, the council also asked the
Chair to recommend that the President consider making the nominating opportunity more
public through a dedicated web page which, in the interest of transparency and matching the
practice of Senate and student governance bodies, University Council, UAS and similar
entities, that the names of selection committee members be made public.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 5:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted by
Dick Collier, IR (Interim Recorder)
