Minutes: February 11th, 1997

Minutes of the February 11, 1997 Senate Meeting

The Academic Senate was called to order by Chair Mark Phillips at 2:10 p.m.

Senate Members Present: Eunice Aaron, Sanjoy Banerjee, Paul

Barnes, Patricia Bartscher, Gerrie Baughman, Marian Bernstein, Janet Buchholz,

Yu-Charn Chen, Robert Cherny, James Collier, Jerry Duke, Gerald Eisman, Ken

Fehrman, Newman Fisher, Helen Gillotte, Helen Goldsmith, Peter Haikalis, Ann

Hallum, Jennifer Hammett, Caroline Harnly, Mary Ann Haw, Marlon Hom, Bonnie

Homan, Rick Houlberg, Todd Imahori, Dane Johnson, Herb Kaplan, James Kelley,

Thomas La Belle, Wanda Lee, Lois Lyles, Hollis Matson, Eugene Michaels, Joel

Nicholson, Abdiel Oñate, Mark Phillips, Mario Rivas, Anita Silvers, Peggy

Smith, Dawn Terrell, Lana Thomson, Thaddeus Usowicz, Marilyn Verhey, Patricia

Wade, Kenneth Walsh, Mary Ann Warren, Penelope Warren, Nancy Wilkinson, Yim

Yu Wong, Darlene Yee.

Senate Members Absent: George Woo(exc.), Sally Berlowitz(exc.),

Jay Schrock(exc.), Elisabeth Prinz, David Hemphill(exc.), Alfred Wong, Roberto

Rivera, Will Flowers(exc.), Gary Hammerstrom(exc.), Don Scoble(exc.), Robert

Corrigan(exc.), Michelle Cheng, Lee Sprague, Eric Hammer, Raymond Pestrong(exc.).

Senate Interns Present: Jaymee Sagisi, Sabrina Mehrok.

Guests: G. West, A. Silvers, G. Johnson, G. Whitaker, V. Lane,

J. Kassiola, V. Thompson, S. Peregoy, M. Peña.

Announcements and Report

Chair's Report

  • The Senate has several new senators this semester:

    At-Large: Herb Kaplan/BECA and Ray Pestrong/Geosciences

    Presidential appointee: James Collier/University Advancement

    College of BSS: Abdiel Oñate/History

    College of BUS: Joel Nicholson and Yim Yu Wong (both from International

    Business)

    College of S&E: Paul Barnes/Biology, Gerald Eisman/Computer

    Science, and Newman Fisher/Mathematics

    College of HHS: Janet Buchholz/Counseling

    CIC Interns: Jaymee Sagisi and Sabrina Mehrok

  • The Faculty Affairs Committee has an especially large workload this

    semester since they will be dealing with revisions to the PSSI policy, teaching

    effectiveness, and RTP; therefore

  • Ad hoc committees have been formed to discuss in greater depth PSSI

    issues, lecturer issues, the Leave with Pay policy, and the policy on the

    review of department chairs;

  • Two faculty meetings have been scheduled for faculty feedback

    on the PSSI policy (Thursday, Feb. 13 from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday,

    Feb. 19 from noon - 2:00 p.m. in the Verducci Room of the University Club);

  • The Senate now has a Web Site: http://www.sfsu.edu/~senate. Special

    thanks to Monica Jáquez/Senate Office, Dale Berglund/Academic

    Computing, and Julianne Tolson (a.k.a. The Websterina!)/Academic Computing;

Agenda Item #1 - Approval of Agenda for Meeting of February 11, 1997

The agenda was approved as printed.

Agenda Item #2 - Approval of Minutes for Meeting of December 19, 1996

The minutes were approved as printed.

Agenda Item #3 - Report from Vice President La Belle

Vice President La Belle reported that CUSP seeks to enhance the campus

through incremental change. It is process-oriented, using problem solving and

brainstorming. Some of the major concerns of CUSP are internationalization,

user-friendliness, links to the community, academic excellence, teaching and

learning strengthening, non-discrimination and multi-cultural base for the campus.

Cornerstones is composed of four non-negotiable system-wide assumptions

-- a strong baccalaureate for the 21st century; the need to respond to an increasing

student population with the same quality and a similar resource base; accountability

to the citizens of the State for quality and resources; and a link for the University

to the economy through graduate and professional education. It is efficiency

and resource driven with quality, access and cost being major concerns. This

says almost nothing about the changing environment and little about development

and support of faculty. This also implies a new need to fund, based on something

other than "seat time."

The Statewide Academic Senate review of the Baccalaureate is based

on assessment. This un-links credits to learning and focuses on teaching students

rather than classes. It suggests three levels of baccalaureate - general, technical

and specialized.

Agenda Item #4 - Report from Statewide Senators

Statewide Senators Cherny and Aaron commented on the CSU Academic Senate's

meeting of January 23-24, 1997. A summary of the meeting, as prepared by Lester

Pincu, CSU Fresno, was distributed. (Copies are available in the Academic Senate

Office, ADM 552.)

Items presented included

  • Vice Chancellor West's intention that the CSU close all gaps (not salaries)

    in the budget;

  • The Channel Islands Campus appears on the list of campuses from the Chancellor's

    Office and a statement should be available by July.

  • Board of Trustees Chair Martha Fallgatter is committed to support for the

    CSU system and has very successful fund-raising capabilities.

  • President Clinton appointed President Corrigan to an Education Committee.

    The action plan of this committee includes an increase in work study funds.

Phillips questioned where the Statewide Academic Senate is in relationship

to Cornerstones and merit pay. Cherny responded that Cornerstones

has only an indirect relationship to the Statewide Senate and encouraged everyone

to read the Statewide Senate web site. He also referred to Action Item #4 of

the January meeting calling for funding to evaluate the impact of the Performance

Salary Step Increase Program and First Reading Item #1 which calls for a task

force to develop alternative merit pay systems.

Agenda Item #5 - Proposal for a Master of Arts in Education: Concentration

in Language and Literacy Education

CRAC Chair Ann Hallum introduced this item and introduced Suzanne Peregoy/Elementary

Education and Associate Dean of Education Vera Lane as resources. This replaces

and expands upon an existing MA in Education concentration in Elementary Education

with an emphasis in reading. The proposed degree is designed to serve K-12 and

adult education MA candidates. It has two 12-unit emphases -- an early literacy

emphasis and a cross-cultural language and academic emphasis that deals with

students who are learning English as a second language. Students may earn reading

and language arts specialist credentials along with the MA. There are no resource

implications and some of the courses may also be used by students seeking other

credentials. As no one was on the speakers list in second reading, M/S/P (Kelley,

P. Smith) to close debate. The item was approved unanimously.

Agenda Item #6 - Proposed Policy on the Use of Undergraduates in the Classroom

APC Chair Peggy Smith introduced this item and emphasized that the

concern was that undergraduates are being given credit rather than pay for assisting

in classroom instruction. After lengthy and extensive consultation, this proposed

policy seeks to assure that an undergraduate earning credit for a course will

have a valid learning experience. This policy does not cover graduate students,

undergraduates working through work study, or paid teaching assistants.

Matson proposed as a friendly amendment, and APC accepted, that the

3rd paragraph on page 2 read: "The Course Review Committee must approve

the establishment of each '685' course."

Kelley questioned the intent to always have the faculty of record present

since undergraduates can be hired as lecturers in laboratory sessions. Smith

responded that this policy deals only with students who are paying to take the

'685' course for credit, not those being paid to teach.

Yee suggested that we need to help faculty with instructional support

as enrollment and class sizes increase. This proposed policy provides enhanced

learning opportunities for students in '685' courses. Cherny asked the

committee to consider comparing this course to an internship course, to consider

a maximum number of units for enrollment, and is there a parallel policy for

graduate students. Usowicz suggested that the policy could assist in

labs when appropriate staff is present. Imahori emphasized that this

policy was not written to encourage the use of undergraduates in classrooms.

A maximum number of units was not given since in certain curricula, learning

could continue if the course was taken in different areas within the same department.

La Belle stated that the only rationale for this policy is one of student

growth and development, not resource concerns. Cross-age tutoring and peer tutoring

are valid ways for tutors to learn.

Matson asserted that some departments do not allow Credit/No Credit

courses in the student's major and this proposed policy requires that '685'

courses be taken Credit/No Credit. She also questioned who should determine

the learning objectives for a department specific '685' course since the policy

is contradictory. Furthermore, not all departments can afford to provide formal

training to a small number of students. Gerrianne Johnson/Speech emphasized

that this is not a workload reducer for the faculty of record if a valid learning

experience is provided for the student. Goldsmith indicated that the

maximum number of units was toward a degree; any additional units would be taken

at the student's own initiative. The labs in the policy are required labs. The

training provided to students would not be proscribed by the policy.

Barnes raised questions about liability, particularly in labs. M.

Warren was concerned that it is risky to use unpaid undergraduates as classroom

assistants since it conceals the actual workload. Hammett questioned

if the policy would permit an undergraduate to lead a group discussion of the

material without the faculty of record being present. Sometimes this can lead

to better discussions on certain topics. Lyles recommended that the use

of undergraduates in the classroom should be rejected. No policy is needed.

M/S/P (Aaron, Gillotte) to send the policy back to committee.

The Senate was adjourned at 3:53 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Bonnie Homan

Secretary to the Faculty

Meeting Date (Archive)