ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING
MINUTES
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
SEVEN HILLS CONFERENCE CENTER
NOB HILL ROOM
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
OPEN FLOOR PERIOD: 2:00 - 2:10 p.m.
The Open Floor Period provides an informal opportunity for faculty members to raise questions or make comments directed to Senate officers or to university administrators. Please arrive promptly at 2:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER: 2:10 p.m.
CHAIR’S REMARKS:
1. Thank you to all the committees, including the Executive Committee, for their work over the past two weeks. We are honored today by a first reading of the new mission statement from the Strategic Issues Committee, who did incredible work to bring this brief statement here for us to discuss. This statement will be changed over the coming months as a result of the input received from you. SIC will productively use the suggestions we provide them, and I hope you encourage your peers to participate in this discussion.
2. I sent an email to all faculty last week, and will continue to send monthly emails. If you have suggestions, I’d like to hear them.
3. I want to inform you that Ex Comm is in close communication with the unions representing faculty and staff, as well as with Associated Students and administration. We are working to build consensus and your assistance in those efforts is appreciated.
4. The results of last plenary’s poll are available on iLearn today, if you would like to consult them. We will probably have another poll in a few weeks.
AGENDA ITEM #1 — Approval of agenda for September 16, 2014 plenary session
Approved
AGENDA ITEM #2 — Minutes of September 9, 2014 plenary session
Minutes approved.
AGENDA ITEM #3— Report on Voter Registration Drive by Naeemah Charles, Vice-President of External Affairs, Associated Students Inc.
[Naeemah has been delayed; let’s table and move to item 4].
Returned to this item at 2:50PM- Naeemah Charles, VP External Affairs. Working on Voter Registration event. Cal State Student Associations made commitment to register 10% of our students to vote. Tell all students about this event, 1500 students need to be registered to vote by then!
AGENDA ITEM #4 — International Education Week by Jay Ward, Associate Director, Office of International Programs
Jay Ward- IEW, began in 2000 by Bill Clinton; has grown to large event celebrated in 100 countries around the world. This is our 15th year, and ours is one of the largest. November 17-21, the week before Thanksgiving break. Great opportunity to celebrate International Education and contributions it makes to our campus community and world peace. Share with colleagues, and encourage them to plan an activity or event during IEW. Open Classroom format on internationally related topic. 11/19 Cultural Fest on Malcolm X Plaza, international films and lunches and dinners; dance fest. AS passed resolution in support of IEW, we much appreciate that.
AGENDA ITEM #5 — Report by ASCSU Senators Darlene Yee and Robert Collins
Darlene Yee-Melichar- Report focused on standing committees and larger plenary. Resolutions they’d like to share with us: Approved 2, AS 3190 Commendation thanking S.D. Bechtel Foundation; AS 3191 Resolution changing opinion on AB46, information on online education in the system. Bill amended in legislature in ways that made it unsupportable.
Two resolutions in first reading, disseminated to campuses: need input about resolutions. Improving campus response to sexual assault and sexual violence. Gender Equity and Title IX- are being addressed systemwide. Faculty Affairs Committee chair provided her with information on importance of Academic Freedom on our campus.
CSU Search Committees- MPP positions- Vice Chancellor for HR, Loretta Lamb, from Minnesota system started early in semester. Also recruiting Asst. Vice Chancellor for Research Initiatives and Partnerships. Exec Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs- search firm met with statewide senators and provided job descriptions.
CSU Systemwide Committee on Online Education- Rob Collins. Expand access to CSU offerings, mission, and vision. Email Rob your experiences on how you ensure student success in online teaching.
General Education Advisory Committee- 4-year degrees at community colleges and how they implement GE requirements. Programmatic reviews of GE tied to WASC evaluation and competencies. Nice to see if anyone has best practices again.
Critical Thinking- are these expectations enough to grant waivers in GE curriculum. Email Rob at rkc@sfsu.edu if you have suggestions.
Darlene- systemwide committees- Academic Conference Implementation Committee- providing space and dialogue between faculty and trustees, students and administration. Program hosted and funded by the chancellor, Long Beach, Nov. 13-14, 2014. Conference will be videotaped and shared throughout the system.
Institute for Teaching and Learning Advisory Board, Joint Graduate Board, Sustainability Committee. Exec. Vice Chancellor Smith allocated additional $250M to campuses for sustainability. We got 4 grants last year.
Student Success Fee disparities among the various campuses and how this disproportionally affects our campuses. BoT wants input, Trustee Work Group, seeking input from faculty, students and staff across CSU. Exec Committee had discussion today, would like to seek your input, comments, and suggestions about SSF. We are in the process of developing a resolution, opportunity to comment and let BoT know where we stand on it. Inequity issue, may be other ways we can reexamine and rebench money that comes to our campus.
Following reports, there were questions and discussion on the various items.
AGENDA ITEM #6 — Report on Collective Bargaining by Sheila Tully, President, SF State Chapter of CFA
Sheila Tully- Were in bargaining last week; will have a conference call tonight at 7PM, so everything may have changed. Presented to SF Labor Council last night, asked for their support and got it. Significant differences in proposals, and inequities within salary structure. First is stagnation, no increase in 7 years. No SSI’s, people not progressing through the ranks. Salary inversion, people hired in lower and now faculty here longer make less- “experience tax”! $16K less than someone hired two years ago!! This is hurting faculty morale.
Misclassification of lecturers with PhD’s- lecturers hired at range L, the lowest. Hire lecturers at Range A, and then move up into Level B.
Compression- senior faculty at top of range that can’t go anywhere because of salary caps. We want to deal with the way salary increases are dispersed. 3% with no SSI in years 2-3- this is chancellor’s idea. We can’t accept this, bargaining for 3-year contract.
Significant issues around workload. Chancellor acknowledging we have workload issues. Reed wouldn’t acknowledge this. Hope there will be movement on Chancellor’s side. Asking for a solidarity pledge.
CFA estimating our proposal would cost 4-3-3. This is the most transparent negotiating process Tully has been part of. Not good strategy to put out numbers at this point.
What about our last contract and people who didn’t get equity in last contract? What’s in place now- did have Equity 2 and 3 at the discretion of the President. We did have an Equity 2, all wrote for implementation of Equity 3. CFA on each campus offered to meet with each campus. No President agreed to Equity 3.
AGENDA ITEM #7 — Proposal for a new Minor in Animation, Cinema Department, from Curriculum Review and Approval Committee
Approved as consent item.
AGENDA ITEM #8 — Nominations for Senate Representatives, Board of Appeals and Review (BOAR)
Senate successfully nominated representatives but they haven’t been informed. Will notify you at next meeting after people have agreed to serve. Sen. Steier nominated and willing to serve on BOAR!
Sen. Collins nominated Andrew Jolivette.
AGENDA ITEM #9 — SF State University Mission Statement from Strategic Issues Committee
Chair Vasche- move into first reading, comes from Standing Committee, does not require second.
Wong and Getz brought statement to SIC a few weeks ago, before opening up and getting feedback:
1. Asked to provide concise statement
2. Theme one subcommittee, five core values – community, courage, equity, resilience, life of the mind or intellectual activity
3. Need to address not only traditional audience but also additional stakeholders; large alumni, local business, SF Bay community, foundation board.
President Wong wants Senate to steward this process.
Later drafts will include supporting material explaining statement. Expressing the values now, then put more detail into the mission statement.
Teaching has always been a priority for SFSU. Examined mission statements of range of universities. Wanted to avoid reductive thinking. Going for breadth of vision, not series of buzz words.
AGENDA ITEM #10 — Adjournment—no later than 5:00p.m.
Meeting adjourned at 3:30PM.
Respectfully submitted by Eileen Levy, Secretary, Academic Senate