Report by the 2016-2017 Chair of the University Senate
James Collins
Professor, Department of Anthropology
Strengthening shared governance
During the 2016-17 year, Campus Governance Leaders (CGLs) and the administration continued
to work to strengthen and institutionalize shared governance and “formal consultation” as
defined by the Faculty Bylaws of the University at Albany, Article I. Section 2—Rights and
Responsibilities of the Faculty.
1. After several years of negotiations on the issue, further progress was made on the nature
of Senate involvement in administrative review. It was agreed that three Senate
representatives, one each from the University Planning and Policy Council, Governance
Council, and Council on Assessment, would serve on the newly-formed Administrative
Assessment Advisory Council (AAAC). Joette Stefl-Mabry, Associate Professor of
Information Studies (CEHCS; UPPC), Ilke Kressner, Associate Professor of Languages,
Literatures and Cultures (CAS; Governance) and Penny Ng, Manager of Finance and
Operations, School of Education (SOE; Council on Assessment) were appointed to two-
year terms as Senate representatives on the AAAC, beginning the 2017-2018 academic
year.
2. Resumed regular, monthly CGL/Administration meetings, after a semester and summer
of ad-hoc scheduling in 2015-16. Regular meetings allow for a timely discussion of the
myriad governance issues that arise at an evolving R1 research university.
3. Further progress was made in defining the Senate’s consultative role in the creation,
renaming, major re-organization, or dissolution of academic units and programs. Progress
involved distinguishing clearly between administrative implementation and review of
proposals for academic programs, and identifying which administrative offices and
Senate councils needed to be communicating in order to strike the right balance between
expedited process and due deliberation.
4. Progress was also made in clarify the difference between and responsibilities for the
University and the Senate Handbooks. The former is a document maintained by the
Office of President, the latter is a document maintained by the Senate. Both were
confusing referred to and not reliably locatable on the Senate or other University
websites. The Executive Committee of the Senate and the Office of the President have
taken responsibility for updating their respective documents, while sharing information
and consulting with each other.
5. The Senate and Governance Chairs worked with the University Council to define, poll for
nominees, and elect faculty representatives to the 2016-2017 Presidential Search
Committee. They also organized a “listening meeting” between Part-Time Faculty and
the Search Committee Chair. The Search Committee was central to the process which
identified President Rodriquez for nomination and selection by the SUNY Chancellor and
Board of Trustees.
Fostering open communication
In an effort to keep the campus informed of the many campus initiatives, Senate meetings
included presentations and reports from special task forces and panels, and from administrators
appointed to newly-created positions:
Presentation on the University at Albany Foundation (W. Landon, Faculty
Representative)
Presentation on results of the University at Albany Faculty and Professional Staff and
Student Reports on the 2016 Survey on Shared Governance (Karin Reinhold,
Governance)
Presentation on the recent Albany Law School/University at Albany affiliation (Dean
Ouellette, Albany Law School)
Presentation of research on University branding campaign (J. Brennan, Vice President for
Office of Strategic Communication and Marketing)
Report from Faculty Representative to Athletics (R. Fogarty)
Promoting campus wide dialogue
In addition, the Senate organized and/or co-sponsored activities that worked to promote campus
wide dialogue on matters of common, critical concern. All three were recommendations made in
the Faculty and Staff and Student Reports on the 2016 Survey of Shared Governance:
Forum on Shared Governance, co-sponsored by the Senate Executive Committee and
Governance Council.
Second Forum on Contingent Faculty Concerns, co-sponsored by the Governance
Council of the University Senate and the Albany Chapter of United University
Professions
Forum on University Identity, co-sponsored by the Governance Council and the Office
of Strategic Communication and Marketing
Improving Senate capacity for and knowledge of shared governance
In accordance with Senate Charter X.1.3.3, reports of the second bi-annual Surveys of
Shared Governance were prepared, announced and made available to the Voting Faculty
in Fall 2016, and presented to the Senate in Spring 2017. Reports are at:
o
Faculty and Professional Staff:
http:/www.albany.edu/aims/assets/FinalReportFacSff16(1).pdf
o
Student:
http://www.albany.edu/aims/assets/FinalReport_SurveyStudents16(1).pdf
Reports were prepared by members of the Governance subcommittee on Assessment of
Governance and Consultation, the Governance Chair, and the Chair of Senate, and
presented to the Senate in Spring 2017.
Three Senate Forums were organized to discuss and debate recommendations made in
reports.
Responding to recommendations made in the reports that constituents need to be better
informed about Senate work, the Chair of the Senate resumed the practice of notifying
the Senate constituents – the Voting Faculty – of the date, time and location of each
(monthly) Meeting of the Senate, along with providing t meeting agendas.
Responding to recommendations about improving the compensation, working conditions
and job security of Part-Time Faculty, Campus Governance Leaders continue to discuss
with the Office of the Provost and the President progress made by teams that are charged
with implementing recommendations from the 2015 Provost’s Blue Ribbon Panel on
Contingent and Part-Time Faculty and Professional Staff:
o
http:// www.albany.edu/.../Contingent_Faculty_Committee_Report_10-1-2015.pdf
In order to improve the transmission of information and practical knowledge about how
the Councils and Committees of the Senate function, the Chair of the Executive
Committee collected information from each Council or Committee Chair and its support
staff on their operating procedures documents. The SEC and Governance Council worked
with ITS and the Office of the President to establish group OneDrives for each Council
and Committee, so that files can be stored and transmitted annually to successive
Councils or Committees, thereby preserving an organization record that has previously
been inconsistently preserved and transmitted. The procedures files have been organized
into folders for distribution to each Council or Committee for 2017-2018 so that they can
be stored, updated, and available in the OneDrive accounts assigned to each Council and
Committee.
The Chairs of the Executive Committee and the Governance Council initiated contacts
with the Graduate Student Association and the Student Assembly Senate, in order to
communicate with GSA and SA leaders and Senators the importance of appointing
representatives from their organization to the University Senate, along with providing
additional graduate and undergraduate members to serve on University Senate Councils.
Legislation
The Senate approved proposals for six new academic programs or certificates, two amendments
to the Senate Charter, and five resolutions on academic freedom, graduate student representation
in shared governance, and support for immigrant and foreign students.
Bill 1617-01
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION MANAGEMENT
Approved by the Senate, September 26, 2016;
Approved by Interim President Stellar, October 4, 2016
Bill 1617-02
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.S.) PROGRAM IN GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION SCIENCE
Approved by the Senate, March 6, 2017;
Approved by Interim President Stellar, March 13, 2017
Bill 1617-03
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH B.A. / M.I.A. PROGRAMS
Approved by the Senate, April 24, 2017;
Approved by Interim President Stellar, May 4, 2017
Bill 1617-04
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.S.) PROGRAM IN DATA SCIENCE
Approved by the Senate, May 8, 2016;
Approved by Interim President Stellar, May 9, 2016
Bill 1617-05
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
LEADERSHIP
Approved by the Senate, May 8, 2016;
Approved by Interim President Stellar, May 9, 2016
Bill 1617-06
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A MINOR IN LEADERSHIP
Approved by the Senate, May 8, 2016;
Approved by Interim President Stellar, May 9, 2016
Charter Amendment 1617-01A
AMENDMENT RE SECTION IX OF THE CHARTER
Approved by the Senate, May 8, 2017
Charter Amendment 1617-02A
AMENDMENT RE UPDATES TO SECTION X.7 (CPCA)
Approved by the Senate, May 8, 2017
Resolution 1617-01R
RESOLUTION ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM POLICY
Approved by the Senate, September 26, 2016
Resolution 1617-02R
RESOLUTION ON ATTACKS ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM
Approved by the Senate, October 13, 2016
Resolution 1617-03R
RESOLUTION ON STUDENT REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNANCE
Approved by the Senate, October 13, 2016
Resolution 1617-04R
RESOLUTION: CONDEMNATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER ON IMMIGRANTS
Approved by the Senate, February 13, 2017
Resolution 1617-05R
RESOLUTION: AFFIRMATION OF UALBANY’S SUPPORT OF UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS AND
IMMIGRANTS
Approved by the Senate, March 6, 2017
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the dedicated individuals who served as Senators and as volunteers on Senate
Councils, Committees and sub-committees, and to the members of the Senate Executive
Committee: Walter Little, Diane Hamilton, and Latonya Spencer, SUNY Senators, Dylan
Card and Saben Durio, Interim President and President of the Graduate Student Association,
Felix Abreu, President of Student Association, and Council and Committee Chairs James
Mower and Alifair Skebe (CAA), Carol Jewell (CAFFECoR), Michael Jerison (CERS),
Daniel Fabris (COR), Louise-Anne McNutt (CPCA), James Fossett (GAC), Karin Reinhold
(GOV), David Mamorella (LISC), Karen Kiorpes and Christy Smith, (UAC), Ekow King
(ULC) and Cynthia Fox (UPPC).
Additional thanks to Karin Reinhold and to Cynthia Fox in their additional respective
leadership roles as Senate Vice-Chair and Immediate Past Chair, and to Senate Secretary Chris
Poehlmann who began his first term of Senate service, and to Elisa Lopez who serves as Senate
Support in the very best sense of the word.
The complete record of Senate activities for the 2016-17 year is reported on the Senate website:
http://www.albany.edu/senate/.
