January 31st, 2023

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday 31 January 2023

ZOOM MEETING

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: 2:05 PM

1. Approval of the Agenda for 31 January 2023  (Item 12 removed from agenda and postponed for further discussion.
2. Approval of the Minutes for 6 December 2022: approved
3. Announcements from the Floor: none
4. Reports
   1. Chair’s Report: various challenges, moment of silence for those we have lost, and for homes and other losses.  Exciting university retreat last week, thanks CEETL Director Wong and VP Erickson.  This was recorded.  

We are exploring making plenaries hybrid, please stay tuned. 

1. 2. President’s Report:  last week the board of trustees approved new residential hall, 65% of the cost is a grant from the state legislature.  Our enrollment is tied to affordable housing.  Fall of 24 will be ready.  Thanks again to retreat planners.  Covid is at all time low, now described as an endemic.  

The pandemic has accelerated a decrease in enrollment predicted originally to occur in 2035.  UC’s did not make their targets either.  CSU predicts 7% below target.  In 2019 we would have made our targets if we had maintained retention.  We have teams working on this.  The demand to reach our targets is not there.  The funding patterns need to be changed.  Beginning the 24-25 year the funding will be moved from underenrolled campuses to overenrolled ones.  We will align our costs without relaying on tuition dollars.  In 24-25 will be reduced 5% per year.  We are still a large university but are spending as if we were larger.  We are in line w other CSU’s.  We’ll host budget meetings at different levels to discuss and explain this. 

Senator Yee-Melichar: in the Governors proposed budget, he continued a multi-year compact re growing enrollment.  Will this change?  Interim Chancellor spoke about a re-allocation plan and that each campus will have a representative.

President Mahoney:  We will continue to get budget money from state budget, but its not enough.  Much of this money will go to southern California.  Let’s keep an eye on this.   Encouraging folks to attend next Thursday, one of 3 campuses to give thoughts re our next Chancellor. 

1. 3. Standing Committees
      1. Academic Policies Committee:  bringing two things: consent item Academic year 23-24 Calendar.  Online education policy back in first reading.  
      2. Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: International Relations (Distance Education Authorization), in second reading.

Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: MS in Quantitative Economics (Distance Education Authorization), in second reading.

Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: MA in Special Education (Distance Education Authorization), in second reading.

1. 1. 3. Faculty Affairs Committee: second reading policy on tenure density
      4. Strategic Issues Committee:  nothing today, hope to soon bring administrative review and administrative search policies
      5. Student Affairs Committee:  nothing today, working on a resolution to support additional faculty in CAS, representing the diversity of our students.  Also a unified grading policy and a policy on graduation (administrative streamlining).

Chair Goldman introduced the ExComm members to the plenary (besides committee chairs and ASCSU representatives).

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.

5. Formation of a new School of the Environment, from the existing Environmental Studies program, Earth & Climate Science department, and Geography & Environment department. The School will be in the College of Science & Engineering. Announced by Senator Hines.

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.

6. Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Updated University Calendar 2023-2024, consent item.  Senator Beatty uploaded the latest version, which will be posted on ILearn and Box.

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.

7. Recommendation from the Faculty Affairs Committee: Tenure Density Policy, in second reading.  Senator Rubin: this policy recommends an annual tenure density report.  Also recommends President and Provost work w Excomm and Budget committee to create a task force to recommend annual tenure density targets.  No comments or amendments.  Senator Gerber requests line numbers on these documents in the future.  Passes 41 for, 0 against, 8 abstentions.
8. Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee: Online and Distance Education Policy, returning in first reading.  Senator Beatty: two changes: include language around contact hours (lines 76-77 and 107).  Added the word ‘credential’ to lines 151 and 158.  Senator Trogu: line 107, course must meet 50% in person, suggests on-site.  Line 76: less than 50% needed for in-person, is this correct?  Senator Gerber: question on the 50%..one day a week in person, one day a week remotely, with on-site final exam. What actually counts for these contact hours?  Senator Wilson:  what about field trips?  Can on-site be problematic?  Senator Trogu:  only three alternatives listed in WASC document.  Final exams do not need to be in person.  Senator Yee-Melichar: speaks in favor.  Question re AI and artificial software (Course Hero or CHATGPT), do we need a clarification alerting to these situations?  Senator Enssani: further clarification on the percentages?  Senator Trogu:  explanation of distance education %’s.  Senator Beatty:  see clarification in the chat by Senator Harvey.  Most of the courses we are discussing are using online methodologies.  Senator Stein:  why did you remove line re tenure track faculty?  Senator Beatty: in revision, this didn’t seem to fit.  This item will return to the committee for review and return for second reading.
9. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: International Relations (Distance Education Authorization), in second reading.  No comments.  Passes 41 for, 0 against, 8 abstentions.
10. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: MS in Quantitative Economics (Distance Education Authorization), in second reading.  No comments.  Passes 44 for, 0 against, 6 abstentions.
11. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: MA in Special Education (Distance Education Authorization), in second reading. No comments.  Passes 46 for 0 against, 5 abstentions.
12. Recommendation from Executive Committee: Changes in bylaws to rename Curriculum Review and Approval Committee to Campus Curriculum Committee, allowing CCC to engage in business of the Enrollment Management Committee, and to increase membership in the Student Affairs Committee to include Dean of Division of Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning or designee (ex officio). A change in bylaws requires a 2/3 vote of members present; a quorum is required (50% plus one voting Senators must be present), returning in first reading. (REMOVED from agenda..postponed)

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 Old Business in Second Reading.

PRESENTATIONS

14. Senator Robert Keith Collins, Senator Nancy C. Gerber, and Senator Darlene Yee-Melichar, “Academic Senate CSU Report.”

See presentation on ILearn.  Questions: Senator Enssani re Resolution 359123which makes an arguments to create an executive order to access an oil/gas excess profit fee and use portions of this fee for public education.  Climate change is a critical issue for our state, gas and oil are used throughout the state, and every dollar the state invests in us brings back $6.83.  Senator Grutzik: myself and Senator Platas: our campus and GCOE is developing a brand-new pre-k accreditation and a new BA is coming.  We would like to write some comments for you. Senator Gerber: please let us know comments before our next committee meeting.  Senator Collins: there were 6 finalists from the trustee nominees including Senator Yee-Melichar, congratulations and good luck!

Adjournment: time approximate 3:52 PM

ATTENDANCE