Minutes: February 8th, 2005

ACADEMIC SENATE

MEETING

MINUTES

for

TUESDAY,8 FEBRUARY  2004

Meeting

Attendance:

CALL TO ORDER: 2:13 p.m.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chair Colvin made several

announcements:

• She is looking forward to
  
  a positive and productive semester with the Academic Senate.
• The March 8, 2005 Academic
  
  Senate meeting will be convened as a campus “town-hall” meeting from 2:00
  
  p.m. - 4:00 at a venue to be announced.  Vice President for Administration
  
  and Finance, Leroy Morishita, will report on the proposal to revise the
  
  campus master plan.
• Senator Avila has resigned
  
  her position in the Academic Senate.  The SAC elected Senator Fehrman to
  
  complete her term as chair.  The Senate Office is working on identifying a
  
  replacement to finish her Academic Senate term.
• The Academic Senate will
  
  be hosting a meeting of area California Community College representatives
  
  and campus faculty to discuss the Lower Division Transfer Project (LDTP)
  
  on February 25, 2005.  Department Chairs not already involved in the LDTP
  
  are encouraged to attend in order to gain perspective on what might be
  
  coming their way.  For more information contact the Senate Office.
• An Academic Freedom Forum
  
  is being convened at San Jose State University on February 11, 2005.  For
  
  more information, see www.sjsu.edu

CHAIR’S REPORT

Chair Colvin introduced a

resolution on honoring the planners of the Asilomar Faculty and Staff

Development Retreat January 2005.  Small tokens of appreciation were presented

to Vice Chair Williams and Executive Assistant Sposito.  The body recognized

the resolution by applause.

AGENDA ITEM #1—APPROVAL of

the AGENDA for FEBRUARY 8, 2005

Approved.

AGENDA ITEM #2—APPROVAL of

the

MINUTES for DECEMBER 14,

2004

Senator McKeon asked that

her votes be recorded.  She also asked that the roll call votes be included in

the minutes.  Chair Colvin reported that the roll call votes are included in

the online version of the minutes.  Senator Stowers also requested that her

votes be recorded.

The minutes were approved as

amended.

AGENDA ITEM #3—REPORT from

the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:  RE PATH to GRADUATION TASK FORCE

Senator Meredith reported

that the Provost had established a small taskforce to identify barriers to

graduation and make recommendations for improving campus graduation rates.  The

members include Caran Colvin, David Abella, Brett Smith, Jo Volkert, Helen Goldsmith,

and David Meredith.  The taskforce will report to the Provost and Academic

Senate with its recommendations.

AGENDA ITEM #4--REPORT from

STATEWIDE SENATORS: STATE OF THE CSU

Senators Gregory, Yee and

Williams reported on the January 2005 meeting of the Statewide Academic

Senate.  Resolutions on academic freedom have been passed by the statewide FAC,

including opposition to SB 5A.  Others issues being considered by FAC include:

barriers faced by international faculty, students and guest lecturers; faculty

workload issues related to ADA compliance and course materials; and the current

threat to CALPERS. Issues being considered by the statewide Academic Affairs

Committee (AAC) include: supplemental criteria for GE review; review of

advising requirements throughout the CSU and the role of advising in RTP; the

impact of athletic team participation on academics; and the possible

development of applied clinical doctorates.  The statewide AAC passed a

resolution supporting the benefits of community service and service learning,

but declined to require student participation for graduation.  Senators were

advised to take the threat against CALPERS seriously and to consult the media

as well as other sources for updates.

AGENDA ITEM #5—REPORT from

the CURRICULUM REVIEW & APPROVAL COMMITTEE:

GAY, LESBIAN, AND BISEXUAL

STUDIES MINOR TITLE CHANGE

Senator Boyle reported on

changing the name to more accurately reflect the current state of the field. 

The new name is Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Minor.

AGENDA ITEM

#6—RECOMMENDATION from the EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COUNCIL: DISCONTINUANCE of the

MINOR in CALIFORNIA STUDIES, 1ST Reading

Meredith, Abella M/S/P

Senator Meredith introduced

the proposal on behalf of the EPC.  The EPC voted 14:5 in support of

discontinuance.  Senator Meredith indicated that representatives for the proposal

and rebuttal were present.

Associate Dean Dawn Terrell

from the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences presented a summary of the

proposal to discontinue the Minor in California Studies.

Associate Professor Lee

Davis, Director of the California Studies Program, presented the rebuttal. 

Also speaking on behalf of the rebuttal were: President of the California

Studies Student Association; Professor Richard Walker, Director of the

Institute on California Studies at U.C. Berkeley and Past President of the California

Studies Association; Laurie Pitman, SFSU donor and volunteer; Professor Roberto

Rivera, Acting Chair, Department of American Indian Studies; Professor Brenda Cochrane,

Director of the Labor Studies Program; and Professor Robert Cherny, Department

of History and Past Chair of the Academic Senate CSU.

Senators Steier, Abella, and

Gerson spoke against the proposal.  Senator Stowers spoke in support of the

proposal.  Senators Chen and Ulasewicz posed questions.  The item will return

in second reading on February 22, 2005.  Senators Ulasewicz, Chelberg, and Gerson

along with Professor Cherny remain on the speakers’ list.

The motion will return in

second reading.

Respectfully submitted by

Senator Gene Chelberg

AGENDA ITEM #7 —ADJOURNMENT

4:03 p.m.