COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE SUMMARIES
UNIVERSITY SENATE – December 18, 2006
As submitted to Dick Collier, Secretary, University Senate
CAA (Council on Academic Assessment) -- William Lanford, Chair
The CAA is working on the following topics: CAA has completed reviewing assessments of Spanish and
French. CAA is currently reviewing assessments for Biology, Mathematics, and Geography and Planning.
A schedule for assessment of Project Renaissance has been developed. This should allow CAA to receive a
full assessment report during the present academic year.
The Council has begun discussion of providing comparative data that would allow individual course
instructors to better understand their own student course evaluations. UPC has also raised this topic. Bruce Szelest
has formed a committee involving CAA, UPC, and Institutional Research to discuss what can be done. The
committee has had its first meeting.
The Council also discussed possible changes in procedures that might make assessments more effective,
including involvement of a Council member from the beginning of the process (department self-study), to the end
(reporting to the CAA).
COR (Council on Research) -- Andrew Haas, Chair
Vice President Videka gave a report on the status of the Indirect Cost Recovery at UAlbany. She noted also
that the 2005-06 Council on Research approved a recommended proposal for revision to the ICR Distribution policy,
which is currently under consideration.
Mary Louise Mallick, former Secretary of the Senate Financial Committee, was introduced. She will
oversee the development of the East Campus. The Council on Research voted to forward the Conference/Journal and
FRAP Committee’s recommendations for funding to the Vice President for Research.
The Voice of the PI Forum was held on December 5. The forum was a joint collaboration of Lynn Videka,
Vice President for Research, Kathy Lowery, Vice President for Finance and Business and Cheryl Frye and David
Strogatz, Co-Chairs of the Researchers Liaison Committee, a subcommittee of the Council on Research. A summary
of the forum will be sent to deans, department chairs, and PIs. Those who were not able to attend can share their
ideas and insights at http://www.albany/research.edu
CPCA (Council on Promotions and Continuing Appointments) -- David Shub, Chair
Nothing to report.
GAC (Graduate Academic Council) -- Sally Friedman, Chair
At the November 30 GAC meeting, two items took up most of the agenda. GAC voted to agree to a request
to suspend admissions to the PhD program in Organizational Studies (a request also being considered by UPC). The
Council also engaged in a lengthy discussion (to be continued) reviewing the writing proficiency requirements for
international students. Finally, because GAC sponsored the relevant Senate bill, the Council briefly began a
discussion of GAC’s ongoing role in monitoring the activities of the recently created ombuds office for graduate
students.
GOV (Governance Council) -- Reed Hoyt, Chair
The proposed amendments to the University Senate Charter were e-mailed to University Senators.
LISC (Council on Libraries, Information Systems, and Computing) – Daniel White, Chair
LISC met on Nov. 17, 2006 to continue discussion about a resolution for e-mail as an official means of
communication. No action was taken at the time of the meeting. The Dean and Director of Libraries provided an
extensive report about the state of affairs in the University Libraries. This report will be available in the minutes
posted on the Senate website. Highlights from this report include: Libraries were able to maintain rank as a top one-
hundred library in a report by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) that appeared in the Chronicle of Higher
Education, the Libraries will announce the need to begin the process to trim subscription costs in January (the
shortfall is again in the $500,000 zone), and Final exam week the University Library will be open 24/7.
Dean D”Andraia indicated that on Tuesday, 12 December the University Library began operating on a 24 hour
basis. Preliminary data show that students are making good use of the Libraries during these times. Dean D’Andraia
notes “Tuesday night more than 400 students entered the building between 1:00AM and 7:00AM Wednesday, 13
December over 1000 students entered the building between 1:00AM and 7:00AM. Students used study space on all four
levels of the University Library. At 2:00AM, 95 % of our computer work stations were in use. At 3:00AM, about 90% of
our computers were in use. Our data indicates students were accessing resources on line throughout the night. Students
also checked out all available lap tops on Wednesday night.”
The CIO has also reported a very positive response to her request for student involvement in a Student
Advisory board. There were over 100 responses and the CIO’s staff is developing ways to include all of these
students in the advisory process.
LISC will begin meeting again in late January or early February.
UAC (Undergraduate Academic Council) – John Monfasani, Chair
The UAC approved three proposal to bring to the Senate for a vote: One concerns a revision of post-
matriculation transfer credit policy; another is a revision of the membership of the Honors College's Governing
Board; and a third is a revision of admission requirements to the School of Busines. The texts have been distributed
electronically to members of the Senate.
Also, the UAC has under discussion the issues of how particular courses get accepted as Uni 150 and of the
reform of Gen Ed requirements.
ULC (University Life Council) – Joan Savitt, Chair
ULC has no bills to present at this point. It is struggling with how to implement a mandatory health insurance
rule without pricing students out of our market, having learned that Albany is already more expensive that any of the other
SUNY university centers and also having learned that our financially poorest students already have a $1000 gap between
their maximum aid and our current costs. The Council would like to bring to the table a question about how Albany might
work to reduce its other fees. Who sets the comprehensive fee now? Who could change it?
UPC (University Planning and Policy Council) – Steven Messner, Chair
UPC met on November 30. The Council approved a proposal to create an Undergraduate Ombuds Office.
This proposal will be introduced as a bill at the December Senate meeting. The council also discussed a proposal
from Professor Gary Yukl, Director of the Organizational Studies Doctoral Program, to suspend admissions to that
program. Professor Yukl and Dean Marjorie Pryse attended part of the meeting to provide background information
and to answer questions from council members. The council voted unanimously to recommend that the Senate
approve the proposal to suspend admissions to the Organizational Studies Doctoral Program.
CAFFECoR (Committee on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Expression, and Community
Responsibility) -- Lawrence Snyder, Chair
The Chair of CAFFECoR met Thursday with Erika Snyder, a reporter for the Albany Student Press, ASP.
She will be writing an article soon on academic freedom, political correctness, and the possible role of CAFFECoR
for undergraduates.
CERS (Committee on Ethics in Research and Scholarship) -- Elga Wulfert, Chair
Nothing to report.
