Minutes: March 3rd, 2009

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2009

SEVEN HILLS CONFERENCE CENTER, NOB

HILL ROOM

2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER: 2:15

p.m.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

· March

is Women’s History month. The 2009 theme is, “Women Taking the Lead to Save our

Planet.”

· College

elections for Academic Senate and university committee appointments will begin

in early March. Immediately following the announcements of the college election

results, the all-university elections will be held.

· The

referendum to approve an amendment to the Faculty Constitution, to enlarge the

senate body by two members and increase the staff representation to three

members, was approved. There were 224.28 appointment-time-based “yes” and 49.6

“no” votes recorded from the 297 faculty who voted.

AGENDA ITEM #1—Approval of the Agenda for March 3, 2009.

The agenda was approved.

AGENDA ITEM #2—Approval of the Minutes for February 17,

2009.

The minutes of the February 17, 2009, Academic Senate

meeting were approved as amended.

AGENDA ITEM #3— Report from Joy Viveros, Academic Honors

and Fellowships Advisor: Introduction of the SF State Fellowship Office.

Joy Viveros, Ph.D., Academic Honors and Fellowships Advisor,

Undergraduate Advising Center, was introduced to the Senate. She reported on

the SF State Fellowship Office and the services provided to both undergraduate

and graduate students.

AGENDA ITEM #4— Report from Statewide Academic Senators:

Andrea Boyle; Jerald Shapiro; and Darlene Yee-Melichar.

Academic Senate California State University (ASCSU) Senators

Andrea Boyle and Darlene Yee-Melichar reported on recent resolutions approved

by ASCSU, a resolution in first reading, current systemwide committee

activities, and systemwide updates.

AGENDA ITEM #5— Recommendation from the Faculty Affairs

Committee: Adding Journal Editing as Professional Achievement and Growth,

Second Reading.

Senator Levy, on behalf of Faculty Affairs Committee, moved

that the Senate approve a revision to the Retention, Tenure, & Promotion

Policy (#S07-241), that journal editing be added to the list of possible

exhibits of professional achievement and growth.

The motion passed.

AGENDA ITEM #6— Recommendation from the Executive

Committee: Proposed Reapportionment for Academic Senate representatives,

2009-2010 Academic Year, Second Reading.

Senator Trautman, on behalf of the Executive Committee, moved

that the Senate approve an Academic Senate reapportionment that includes 9

at-large members and additional members to each college as follows: Behavioral

& Social Sciences, 3; Business, 3; Creative Arts, 3; Education, 2; Ethnic

Studies, 1; Health & Human Services, 3; Humanities, 5; and Science &

Engineering, 4.

The motion passed.

AGENDA ITEM #7— Recommendation from the Curriculum Review

and Approval Committee: Proposed Revisions to the Minor in Latin American Area

Studies, First Reading

Senator Shrivastava, on behalf of the Curriculum Review and

Approval Committee, moved that the Senate approve revisions to the Minor in

Latin American Area Studies, including a change of the name of the minor to

“Latin American Studies.” Senator Shrivastava yielded the floor to Abdiel

Oñate, Professor, History, and Director of the Latin American Area Studies

program, who described the revisions.

Questions and comments included:

• Why is
  
  the foreign language requirement changing from “intermediate level” to
  
  “basic” competency? How will the competency be demonstrated? The
  
  Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures could help develop
  
  instruments to assess foreign language competency.

• Should
  
  the list of faculty teaching courses in the minor program be included in
  
  the proposal?

• The
  
  foreign language requirements in several other minor programs offered by
  
  the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences were recently been reviewed
  
  by CRAC and the Academic Senate. Since the number of units in the minor is
  
  constrained, it is necessary to prioritize the desired requirements.

• Foreign
  
  language is not “extra”; it is an integral part of the minor.

The speaker’s list was exhausted.

AGENDA ITEM #8— Recommendation from the Curriculum Review

and Approval Committee: Proposed Revisions to the M.A. in Political Science,

First Reading

Senator Shrivastava, on behalf of the Curriculum Review and

Approval Committee, moved that the Senate approve revisions to the M.A. in

Political Science. Senator Shrivastava yielded the floor to James Martel,

Associate Professor and Chair, Political Science, who described the revisions.

Questions and comments included:

• Has
  
  the department considered alternatives to the GET or GRE to demonstrate
  
  entry-level writing proficiency?

• The
  
  department might want to reconsider the two methods proposed for
  
  demonstrating exit-level writing proficiency.

• The
  
  second purpose listed for PLSI 700 should be reworded (page 1, line 43).

The speaker’s list was exhausted.

AGENDA ITEM #9— Recommendation from the Student Affairs Committee:

Proposed Revisions to the Enrollment Management Committee Membership, First

Reading

Senator McCracken, on behalf of the Student Affairs

Committee, moved that the Senate approve revisions to Academic Senate Policy

#F02-222, Enrollment Management.

Questions and comments included:

• The
  
  change in membership could change the committee composition from a
  
  majority of faculty to a majority of administrators.

• Isn’t
  
  it better for the Vice President for Academic Affairs to appoint
  
  administrators to the committee, instead of listing specific
  
  administrative positions in the policy?

• Who
  
  will call the first meeting?

• Would
  
  the membership expansion cause the committee problems in reaching a
  
  quorum?

• Could
  
  some members from administrative positions be specified as non-voting
  
  members?

• Line
  
  33 should begin with a roman numeral “1” section identifier.

The speaker’s list was exhausted.

AGENDA ITEM #10— Recommendation from the Executive

Committee: Proposed Revisions to the Academic Search Policy, #S08-180, First

Reading.

Senator Rehling, on behalf of the Executive Committee, moved

that the Senate approve revisions to Academic Senate Policy #S08-180, Search

Committee for San Francisco State University Administrators.

Questions and comments included:

• The
  
  specification of timely opportunity to review candidate information is
  
  appreciated.

• Referring
  
  to item 4 on page 1 (lines 15-17) regarding the “unit” reporting to the
  
  search position, how will search committees for college deans be
  
  determined? The search committee for the dean of a college should
  
  specifically include department chairs, because chairs have specific,
  
  unique interactions with deans.

• The
  
  specification of timely opportunity to review candidate information is
  
  appreciated.

• The
  
  revision should be tabled until the search committee for a Provost / Vice
  
  President for Academic Affairs has concluded its task and reported to the
  
  Academic Senate..

• Some
  
  revisions are desired now. For example, the current policy does not afford
  
  students the opportunity to serve on administrative search committees.

The speaker’s list was exhausted.

AGENDA ITEM #11— Recommendation from the Faculty Affairs

Committee: Proposed Revisions to the University Tenure and Promotion

Policy—Program Directors Ineligible to Serve on UTPC, First Reading.

Senator Levy, on behalf of Faculty Affairs Committee, moved

that the Senate approve a revision to the Retention, Tenure, & Promotion

Policy (#S07-241), such that program directors who have responsibility for RTP

review would be ineligible to serve on the University Tenure and Promotions

Committee.

Senator Levy moved that the item be moved to second reading.

The motion passed.

The main motion, now in second reading, passed.

Chair Whalen declared the meeting adjourned at 3:56 p.m.