April 4th, 2023

Academic Senate

Plenary Meeting Minutes

Tuesday 4 April 2023

Hybrid – Zoom & Seven Hills

2:00 PM

 

 

 

OPEN FLOOR PERIOD:  2:00 - 2:05 PM

The Open Floor Period provides an informal opportunity for campus community members to raise questions or make comments directed to Senate officers or to university administrators.  Please arrive promptly at 2:00 PM.

 

CALL TO ORDER: 2:14 PM

1. Approval of the Agenda for 4 April 2023: Approved at 2:15pm
2. Approval of the Minutes for 14 March 2023:  Approved at 2:15pm
3. Announcements from the Floor: EOS Center Open House
4. Reports
   1. Chair’s Report: Senate election nominations open through April 7^th.  Brought up AI/ChatGPT/machine learning.  How do we use this here at SFSU?  We would like to form a Task Force here at SFSU, please let me know if you are interested or have any ideas.
   2. President’s Report: WASC visit: take a moment to tell our story to the accreditors.  I’ll not be at the next plenary as I will join Advocacy Day in DC in person to talk about the CSU, financial aid for affordable state universities, and paths to citizenship for our dreamers.  Senator Yee-Melichar: AB1390 bill on service learning, bringing up several issues.  President Mahoney: has not yet discussed with Presidents, but realizes the issues and agrees the legislature should not do curriculum.  
   3. Provost’s Report
   4. Standing Committees
      1. Academic Policies Committee: Senator Beatty: no business today.  Administrative graduation and grading policies are being discussed.
      2. Campus Curriculum Committee: Senator Harvey: lots of business today, see below.
      3. Faculty Affairs Committee: Senator Rubin: no business today.  Working on Dept. bylaws and will present soon.
      4. Strategic Issues Committee: Senator Trousdale: no business today, working on administrative search policy
      5. Student Affairs Committee: Senator Olsher: bringing SFSU land acknowledgement and revised academic probation policy (change to academic notice).   

INFORMATIONAL ITEM

An informational item is a statement announcing the completion of a process, carried out in accordance with Senate policy, and requiring formal notification of the Senate at its conclusion.

There are no informational items today.

CONSENT ITEM

A consent item is one deemed by the Chair to be non-controversial, requiring no debate. Any Senator may call the item to the floor, in which case it is considered as new business in first reading. If no Senator calls it to the floor, it is considered approved. It may be read into the record, or we may move directly to the next agenda items.

                There are no consent items today.

CONTINUING (OLD) BUSINESS

Continuing (Old) Business involves items returning to the Senate, usually in Second Reading. Items in Second Reading belong to the Senate as a whole rather than to an individual or committee. Comments should be confined to those for or against or proposing specific amendments. Amendments and the final document are passed or not passed by majority vote.

5. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Apparel Design, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading (SENATOR HARVEY proposes batching all items here 5-11).  Reminds Senators of the stages that proposals go through towards ultimate approval.)

 

6. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Apparel Merchandising, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading
7. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Italian, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading
8. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Political Science, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading
9. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Cinema, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading
10. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Humanities, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading
11. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: Minor in Persian Studies, Distance Education Authorization, in second reading

 

Senator Yee-Melichar: spoke in support

Senator Collins: spoke in support

Vote: yes 45  no 0  abstain 1

NEW BUSINESS

New Business items are brought by a committee or individual to the Senate in First Reading, during which open discussion and debate may occur. We ordinarily limit each speaker to three minutes. Senators may yield their time to non-Senators if needed. The item is then returned to the Committee for further revision, to be brought back as Continuing Business in Second Reading.

12. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: Minor in Humanities, reduction in units required, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Harvey)  Senator Collins: any detractors?  How were DEI concerns brought into the discussion.  Senator Harvey: no detractors, and DEI concerns were discussed by the committee.  Senator Hennessey:  tried to make the minor less burdensome, does not recall DEI discussion.  Senator Collins: customary question, especially in this kind of curriculum change.

Senator Platas: HUM 500 was not found, is this course being created?  Senator Harvey: could be a cross-listing.  Guest: Bartholomew: see chat for proposed class with the GE chair.

13. Recommendation from the Student Affairs Committee: Revision to S21-275 Academic Probation and Disqualification Policy, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Olsher)  Minor revision with a major change in name.  minor updates but primarily Academic Probation is changed to Academic Notice.  This addresses the connotations of probations.  Other CSU’s have made this change as well.  This is the most widely used alternative in Universities across the countries.  Senator Wilson: how is this term being presented to students, how will they understand what this term means?  Senator Stein: missing words in track changes.  Senator Gerber: Enough time to implement by Fall 2023? Senator Lynch: believe enough time to implement.  Senator Grutzik: a doctoral student is working on this issue that might be useful. 
14. Recommendation from the Student Affairs Committee: SF State Land Acknowledgement Resolution, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Olsher) Senator Steward will speak to this.  Thanks to Senator Collins for encouraging.  Senator Steward: statewide Senate has proposed each campus put together their own unified land acknowledgment.  He read from the acknowledgement rationale and document.  Senator Olsher: does call for acknowledgement for Senate meetings.  Senator Le: supports, important to acknowledge and gives us meaning.  Senator Collins: thanks for bringing respect to the original inhabitants and proposes that this be revisited every three years.  Also would like to include Senate committee chairs.

 

15. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: BA in Labor and Employment Studies, Distance Education Authorization, in first reading (Senator Harvey brings to the floor and would batch 15, 16, 17, 18)
16. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: MA in Creative Writing, Distance Education Authorization, in first reading
17. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: MFA in Creative Writing, Distance Education Authorization, in first reading
18. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: MA in Humanities, Distance Education Authorization, in first reading

 

Senator Wilson: discussion on financial or cultural impact of DEA.  Senator Harvey: will bring these back to the committee.  Senator D’Alois: DPRC staff, students who have dispensations to take remote classes wish for more remote classes.  Are seriously looking at impacts on student success.  Needs to bring in IT on these issues.  Need to identify the IT needs of departments for DEA’s. 

 

19. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: Certificate in Music/Recording Industry, BECA, CPaGE to State Support, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Harvey) Senator Hines: was there a similar program cancelled several years ago by EPC?

 

20. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: Minor in Prison Re-entry Studies, Criminal Justice Studies, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Harvey)
21. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: Minor in Entrepreneurship, Business, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Harvey)
22. Recommendation from the Campus Curriculum Committee: Minor in Creative Writing, new program, in first reading (brought to the floor by Senator Harvey) follows from changes in the MA and MFA

 

PRESENTATIONS

23. Noah Price, Dean of Graduate Division, “State of the Graduate Program.” Time approximate 3:15: Co-presenter Dr. Ernita Joaquin: presentation has been uploaded to ILearn. 
24. Senator Robert Keith Collins, Senator Nancy C. Gerber, and Senator Darlene Yee-Melichar, “Academic Senate of the California State University (ASCSU) Report.” Time approximate 3:30: presentation has been uploaded to ILearn.

Adjournment: Time 4:09 PM

POST-PLENARY FLOOR PERIOD

This is an informal opportunity for senators and guests to meet, exchange information, or follow up on items or questions emerging from the meeting. It will ordinarily run for thirty minutes from the end of formal business, but not beyond 5:00 PM, if people remain online.

 

CHAT

 

14:17:08 From  Guest Jane DeWitt : Staff forum: Thursday April 6th 11:15 – 12:00 HSS 154

 

Student forum: Thursday April 6th 11:15 – 12:00 LIB 244

 

Faculty forum: Thursday April 6th 2:00 – 2:45 HSS 154

14:17:23 From  Guest Jane DeWitt : Reminder of the open forums this week.

 

14:18:29 From  Senator Lori Beth Way : Thanks to everyone who has helped with the WASC preparation and will be attending meetings this week!

 

14:21:24 From  Senator Lori Beth Way : https://sfsu.app.box.com/s/77nj2siv04h1ecqvkgkvd5v1swo0k2yl

14:21:30 From  Senator Lori Beth Way : That’s the report.

14:22:21 From  Senator Darlene Yee-Melichar : @Senator Way- many thanks to you, Dr. DeWitt and your faculty and staff teams for your amazing work on our WASC accreditation process and report! 😉

14:25:02 From  Senator Rick Harvey : @Senator Way, echoing Senator Lee-Melichar, the campus has many things to be boastful about, including the shared and generative processes that went into making the report.  Thanks for the excellent work.

14:25:27 From  Senator Lori Beth Way : Thanks for the thanks y’all!

14:25:37 From  Senator Darlene Yee-Melichar : https://www.google.com/search?q=ab+1390+service+learning&rlz=1C1GCEB_en…

14:32:50 From  Senator Rick Harvey : (1) Associate Deans; (2) DUEAP; (3) Grad Council; (4) Curriculum Committee; (5) Senate 1st reading comments and questions; and, (6) 2nd reading, approval; followed by (7) Provost, (8) President, (9) WASC, (10) Chancellor’s Office and finally (11) Implementation, typically the next semester.

 

 

14:44:22 From  Guest - Claude Bartholomew : HUM 500 : Imagining New Futures: Capitalism, Climate, Technology

14:45:28 From  Guest Jane DeWitt : In GE for UDC

14:45:58 From  Guest - Claude Bartholomew : Here is the proposal for those interested: https://nextbulletin.sfsu.edu/courseadmin/?key=9123 Let me know if you run into any issues accessing the record

14:46:52 From  Senator Rick Harvey : Thanks for all of the good comments about the Humanities minor in 1st reading, which will be brought back to committee for further discussion.

14:49:16 From  Senator David Olsher (he/him/his) : That is the Fullerton White Paper on Academic Notice (above)

 

15:08:40 From  Senator Brian Beatty : Academic Technology already supports online capacity for all courses online (even f2f courses have Canvas or iLearn shells), so there is not likely to be an impact, but it should be looked at.

15:10:28 From  Senator Roberta D'Alois : Good ot know Senator Beatty

 

15:24:14 From  Senator David Hellman : Can we get a copy of these slides so I can share it with my library faculty? Thanks

 

15:27:35 From  Senator Rick Harvey : @Senator Wilson: Thanks, Jackson for the reflections and comments.  The question is really good.  How would we know that the DEAs have impacted areas of scarce resources?  As Mike pointed out, the entire campus under COVID moved to educate using Zoom.  Arguably, the campus was able to offer classes well from a ‘technology’ or AT standpoint.  The AT resource question that I think about is the extent to which the campus can offer ‘hybrid’ classes well, when needed, for those instructors who have been trained in handling simultaneous online and in-person instruction.  The next question that is raised relates to the resources of CEETL to continue ‘quality assurance, quality improvement (QA/QI) professional development for instructors who could benefit.  The last set of resources to consider includes the quantitative measures  of student attainment, such as asking whether having a Distance Education Authorization, in addition to affording greater course planning flexibility, also supports student success related to retention and graduation as well as other the student experiences such as getting regular and timely class support.

 

15:36:41 From  Senator Fatima Alaoui : Very thankful to the graduate division for all their tireless labor; and thank you for highlighting the urgency of supporting grad coordinators.

15:36:47 From  Senator Darlene Yee-Melichar : Thanks to Dean Price and Dr. Joaquin for their informative and interesting Graduate Studies presentation today!  👏

15:37:57 From  Senator Rob Collins, ASCSU : Thanks! Very informative!

15:38:22 From  Senator Emiko Takagi : Thank you for the very informative presentation and your hard work!

15:38:31 From  Senator David Olsher (he/him/his) : Many thanks to Dean Price and Dr. Joaquin for the information you gathered and the important insights into needed support for grad programs!

15:38:33 From  Senator Gabriela Segovia-McGahan (AA/S)   to   Mirna Vasquez(Direct Message) : Question for the Graduate Coordinator presentation folks: When Graduate Coordinators are assigned from department faculty, what structure and budget is or will be in place for the support staff that is required for it? It seems that this is college-level work and even if faculty are from a specific department, that work should remain at the college level.

15:38:39 From  Senator Gabriela Segovia-McGahan (AA/S) : Reacted to "Many thanks to Dean ..." with 👍🏼

15:38:43 From  Guest Ernie Joaquin, MPA Coordinator : Thanks! Please email us any questions ejoaquin@sfsu.edu

 

15:42:12 From  Senate Head Table 2 : great job Ernie and Noah! (from Ellen)

15:43:27 From  Senate Head Table 2 : congrats Senator Yee-Melichar!!

15:43:55 From  Senator Fatima Alaoui : That’s amazing! Congratulations on the nomination Senator Yee-Melichar!

15:45:40 From  Senator Gabriela Segovia-McGahan (AA/S) : Congratulations on the nomination, Senator Yee-Melichar!

15:56:07 From  Senator Nancy Gerber : @Jackson there are in a folder in the ASCSU section of iLearn called “ASCSU first reading resolutions in progress”

15:56:43 From  Senator Jackson Wilson (he, him, his) : Reacted to "@Jackson there are i..." with 👍

15:58:02 From  Senator Nancy Gerber : There is a pdf listing all our agenda items below the copy of our presentation.

15:58:15 From  Senate Head Table 2 : FYI this is in a separate section entitled: Information from the Academic Senate CSU (ASCSU)

15:58:18 From  Amy Sueyoshi : My colleagues are asking if there is any muscle behind the "condemnation" of duplicate degrees at the community college. Do you know?

 

16:01:37 From  Senator David Olsher (he/him/his) : Thanks to our ASCSU senators for this report and for the important work you are doing!

16:04:36 From  Senator Jackson Wilson (he, him, his) : thank you

16:06:34 From  Senator David Hellman : The New York Times has an excellent spotlight section on AI here (reminder: all members of the campus now have access to free NYT subscriptions) - https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/artificial-intelligence

ATTENDANCE