State University of New York
University at Albany
Fall Meeting of the Faculty
October 26, 2011
MINUTES
1.
CALL TO ORDER
Senate Chair, Dr. Susanna Fessler welcomed those in attendance and called the
meeting to order. Introduced herself She referred to the documents available at the door
which included the meeting’s agenda and the minutes from the Spring Faculty meeting
of April 6, 2011. Other informative materials are available on the Senate web site.
2.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
The first order of business was to approve the minutes of the November 3, 2010 Fall
Faculty Meeting. A motion to approve the minutes was made and seconded, and the
minutes were approved as distributed.
3.
MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR DECEASED COLLEAGUES
Dr. Fessler read the names of those colleagues who had died since the fall meeting. A
moment of silence was observed in their memory.
4.
REPORT TO THE FACULTY
Dr. Fessler introduced President George M. Philip, who delivered the following message
to the faculty:
President Phillip made his greetings and offered his thanks to the dedicated faculty, committed
staff and engaged students for bringing their vitality to the campus each day. The President
said that energy contributed to the success of Homecoming Weekend and the Fall Festival,
when more than 7,000 alumni, parents, community members and prospective students visited
the campus. The Admissions open house drew 1,400 prospective students. He thanked
everyone who worked hard to make the weekend a huge success.
President Philip welcomed new faculty and staff members. He encouraged them to take full
advantage of everything the University at Albany has to offer. The President thanked
department chairs for their invaluable service and the vital role they play in advancing the
University’s mission. President Philip offered congratulations to all colleagues who were
promoted or tenured over the past year. He expressed his thanks to the senior staff, deans,
University Senate and all of its councils and committees, as well as to the union and student
leaders for all their work. President Philip acknowledged that the 23,500 members of the
University family work together in assisting the University to achieve its mission of excellence
and make a difference in the lives of many.
President Philip recognized Wayne Locust for his valuable service as a superb leader for the
University’s enrollment management efforts. Mr. Locust has accepted a new position at the
University of Connecticut. The President asked everyone to join him in wishing Mr. Locust well.
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President Philip provided an update on the state of the University. He said the University has
faced some of the most difficult budget years in its history, losing over 40 percent of state
assistance since 2008 and resulting in a reduction of more than $45 million. These cuts have
affected every aspect of our academic programs and every corner of the University. Despite
these challenges, we have continued our never-ending pursuit for academic excellence, and
have demonstrated remarkable progress in research, learning and campus life. As a result of
the superb efforts of our faculty, research expenditures at UAlbany last year totaled a record
$450 million, the highest total by far among public universities in New York State.
We continue to take steps to strengthen the UAlbany experience for our students. This fall
incoming freshmen were able to participate in a greatly expanded array of living-learning
communities. These thematic-based communities help introduce students to the breadth of
academic, extracurricular, and social opportunities available at UAlbany, while uniting them
through common interests.
President Philip said through service and volunteerism, our faculty and staff are leading
hundreds of programs that engage businesses, governments, non-profits and communities in
meaningful ways. Students have also made an impact through community engaged service.
Last year an estimated 6,800 students participated in such events. These contributions helped
UAlbany gain a place on the 2010 U.S. President's Higher Education Community Service Honor
Roll. Our graduate and undergraduate student leaders -- Heidi Nicholls and Zafir Uddin – joined
President Philip in designating October as Community Service Month. From Hurricane Irene
disaster relief efforts to service fairs to playground restorations to sustainability efforts to Habitat
for Humanity, students and faculty work year-round to make a difference in our local and global
communities.
The President said our resolve and sense of community was clearly evident during this past
year. The University faced one of its greatest challenges ever – ensuring that UAlbany be
considered for Governor Cuomo's proposed economic development challenge which resulted in
NYSUNY 2020. Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and countless friends in the Capital Region
mobilized to forcefully make the case for UAlbany. They made the University’s and region’s
voice heard through thousands of calls and letters to the State Capitol. Business leaders,
school superintendents and local governmental officials advocated on behalf of our institution.
Over 250 community and business leaders endorsed not one - but two full-page newspaper
ads. These efforts paid off when the Governor introduced NYSUNY 2020 in May, allowing for a
five-year, rational and predictable tuition plan for all SUNY campuses. The plan promises to
enhance our academic and research missions, while ensuring access and affordability for all
students. In addition, the Governor challenged the four University Centers by offering $35
million in capital funding and an “academic excellence fee” IF we could develop a university and
economic development growth plan. In June, the Legislature passed the historic NYSUNY 2020
legislation. In July, the University Centers were asked by the governor to submit our NYSUNY
2020 plans and we made presentations to the SUNY Board of Trustees in August. The next
step is to present our plan to the Governor and secure final approval.
President Philip shared some of the outstanding points of the University’s NYSUNY 2020 Plan,
also known as UAlbany Impact. Guided by the University’s Strategic Plan, UAlbany Impact is a
blueprint to build the University over time. The plan calls for:
growing enrollment by 1,350 students;
strengthening existing merit-based scholarships in addition to the new statutory TAP
credit program;
adding 187 new faculty positions across the university in areas of strength and demand;
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adding 355 research support staff and 203 other support staff;
providing $7 million in graduate student support;
generating $115 million in cumulative research funding over five years;
constructing a new, state-of-the-art $150 million biomedical and information innovation
research plaza.
The President said UAlbany Impact is an ambitious plan to strengthen our academic enterprise,
create jobs, attract new research funding, and spur economic revitalization in our region and
state. President Philip thanked everyone who has helped to advance NYSUNY 2020 and the
UAlbany Impact plan. Over time, NYSUNY 2020 will provide a vital, much-needed boost for
UAlbany. President Philip said further reductions in next year’s budget are not anticipated but it
is important to recognize that we are still working through the substantial cuts in state
assistance the campus has suffered. As the University transitions through these budgetary
challenges, NYSUNY 2020 will begin to allow us to plan for growth and a brighter future, and
over time, help us achieve the key goals of our strategic plan. It will provide new opportunities
to build on our many strengths, better serve our students, advance new learning and discovery,
and contribute to the economic growth of our region and state.
President Philip reminded everyone that the hard work of moving our University forward has just
begun. As we await final approval of our NYSUNY 2020 proposal, we are working on the
implementation phase of our strategic plan. A number of initiatives have been selected to
advance in the next two years including:
Undergraduate Academics
Student Engagement, Advising, Mentoring, and Support
Student Recruitment and Enrollment
Graduate Education
Research
Keeping Pace with Emerging Technologies
Faculty and Instructional Development
A steering committee and working groups have been formed to address each of these areas,
and an evaluation plan will measure how well we are doing. He thanked everyone currently
working to implement our strategic plan and said the work is critical to the future success of our
university.
President Philip reported that the tuition increase enacted this year is providing resources to
implement priorities. He said efforts are ongoing to identify other funding sources both within
the University and beyond to achieve operating efficiencies and cost savings which would lead
to the investment of more resources in our academic enterprise. These efforts include:
The hiring of a consultant to examine UAlbany's administrative structure. That review is
underway.
The implementation of a new University-wide email system that will save our campus
$150,000 in annual operating costs plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment
costs.
The continuation of the energy conservation initiative launched several years ago which
has generated close to $3.5 million in savings. These conservation efforts have also
had meaningful environmental sustainability impacts with:
heating usage decreasing by 9 percent,
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electricity usage down 12.5 percent, and
our carbon emissions print decreasing by 15 percent.
President Philip said in addition to these efforts, green building design elements are being
incorporated in all new construction underway on campus to allow for improved energy savings
and to promote sustainability.
At the System level, President Philip said we are participating in the Chancellor’s Campus
Alliance Network initiative. The idea is for campuses to find ways to collaborate on
administrative functions in order to increase efficiencies and identify savings that can be
redirected to strengthen academic opportunities. He said the campus community will be
updated on future developments. Ultimately, the goal is to take advantage of opportunities to
better serve our students.
The President took a moment to highlight some of the extraordinary research and scholarship of
our faculty, which distinguishes our university in many ways. As evidenced by the record level
of research expenditures last year, UAlbany faculty continue to be successful in attracting
funding to advance new discovery and learning across a broad range of fields. Our faculty are
exploring such significant issues as terrorism, climate impacts, financial market regulation,
cybersecurity, disaster recovery efforts, exposure to the chemical BPA, childhood obesity,
autism, home care for older adults, an initiative called buckybowls and much more.
Last month, Governor Cuomo announced an international high-tech group's $4.4 billion
investment to develop next-generation computer chip technology in New York State. Our
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering – already a global center for nanotechnology
research and development – is playing a major role in this newest initiative.
In an effort to continue to grow and strengthen our research enterprise, the University hosted
the National Science Foundation and all of its directorates last week – the first time NSF had
been in New York State in four years. The aim of NSF Day was to better position our
researchers, educators and scientists to be more competitive in vying for federal research
funding. Almost 300 faculty and researchers from 30 institutions of higher education in New
York and three other states participated. President Philip congratulated the many faculty
members who participated in this important day.
Notwithstanding the importance of sponsored funds in the current fiscal environment, we
recognize that scholarship is not merely about grants. Through books, journal articles and other
scholarly publications, UAlbany faculty are sharing the results of their inquiries – and further
strengthening the reputation of our University. Recent faculty books examine such topics as
moral and legal issues surrounding life before birth; ethnic media; Mesoamerican civilization; the
roots of modern Yiddish, econometrics; the Medieval church; and the rise of Mexican
industrialism, to name just a few. In the faculty activity reports for this past year, 55 books were
published, 156 book chapters, 650 academic and professional journal articles, 52 conference
proceedings, 54 book reviews, and 17 encyclopedia articles. In addition, our arts faculty offered
87 performances and 16 exhibitions.
UAlbany faculty also hold leadership positions in scholarly societies and were the recipients of
countless awards recognizing their contributions. Together, the pursuits of research and
scholarship demonstrate the excellence, impact and tremendous breadth accomplishments.
President Philip referred the list of awards received by UAlbany faculty through the Research
Foundation last year and encouraged everyone to take a copy available at the door. It is only
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chapter one of a wider effort to recognize the important contributions UAlbany faculty are
making in discovery and the dissemination of knowledge.
President Philip also referred to Open Access Week, an event being celebrated at many
campuses to advocate for free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research,
and the right to use and re-use those results as you need. The University Libraries and several
UAlbany faculty members are actively involved in this effort. In this upcoming video, they talk
about their own efforts to broaden the reach of their work through open access. This "open
access" initiative certainly has broad potential benefits for our communities. On many other
fronts, as well, our UAlbany faculty, staff and students are deeply engaged in our communities.
Some examples include:
Our new Small Business for Economic Development program – SEED, for short;
the Science and Technology Entry Program;
University Chamber singers;
the Albany chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy;
the School of Social Welfare's 2011 Summer Study Tour to Africa;
the Career Opportunities in the Accounting Profession program; and
projects by faculty and students in both the philosophy, and geography and planning
departments, that focus on helping Albany's South End neighborhood.
These are just a few examples of how our UAlbany community is making a difference in
communities here and around the world.
President Philip referred to progress being made in efforts to create a 21st century learning,
living, and research environment that meet the needs of the UAlbany community. This is
plainly on display for all to see with the significant amount of construction that is taking place
across the campus. The new home of the School of Business is under construction to the
western side of the entry plaza and is on schedule to open in fall of 2013. On the southeast
side of campus, new apartment-style student housing, Liberty Terrace, is rapidly taking shape
and is expected to open for the start of next fall. In the planning phases are a number of other
projects:
The first-ever "gut renovation" of one of our four residence hall towers.
An expansion of the Campus Center
Upgrades to the athletic facilities;
Relocation of the data center.
The ultimate goal of all the construction is to create an environment that enhances the academic
and student experience at UAlbany. President Philip said UAlbany is rising and moving ahead
thanks to our collective efforts. He added that the University is poised to meet the changing
needs of our students and our society by efforts to:
Provide our students with strong foundations for success.
Inspire and motivate others in our shared pursuit of new knowledge and discovery.
Through everyone’s efforts, UAlbany has a tremendous impact throughout our region, state,
nation and the world. Before concluding, President Philip recognized University Senate Chair
Susanna Fessler. Susanna, thank you for your outstanding leadership and the new ideas you
have brought to the table. President Philip concluded that the best and brightest days for
UAlbany lie ahead through our shared commitment.
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There were no questions for President Philip and he returned the program to Dr. Fessler.
5.
OTHER BUSINESS
Dr. Fessler inquired if there was any other business. There was not motion for further
business.
6.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no additional business, a motion to adjourn was made and seconded, and
the meeting was adjourned.
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