December 8, 2020

 

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

ZOOM MEETING 

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

 

Attendance:

Absences: 

Guests: 

 

OPEN FLOOR PERIOD:  2:00 - 2:05 p.m.

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 p.m.

CALL TO ORDER: 2:05 p.m.

1.    Approval of the Agenda for December 8, 2020

·       Sen. Gerber - Motion to amend agenda – insert item #11: Resolution in Support of AS-3462-20/FA: Request for Amendments to the Title 5 Ethnic Studies Changes

o   Second – Sen. Yee-Melichar 

·       Item addition was approved @ 2:07pm

·       Vice Chair Wilson – strike President’s report

o   Second – Sen. Gerber

·       Item removal was approved @ 2:08pm

·       Agenda accepted as amended @ 2:08pm

2.    Approval of the Minutes for November 17, 2020

·       Approved as submitted @ 2:08pm

3.    Announcements from the Floor

·       No announcements

4.    Reports

4.1. Chair Report

·       S82-92 has been removed from the policy archive – APC has consulted and agreed that it was never approved by the President at the time, and was therefore never an actual policy.

·       Chair Albiniak spoke to the challenges that present to all of us during these extraordinary times. He recognized the successes that we have had in Academic Senate during this past semester in support of our students and faculty and acknowledge all senators and our colleagues for their important work. He encouraged us to all reach out to colleagues and friends and attempt to connect

4.2. President’s Report

4.3. Provost Report

·       Sen. Summit – sharing some news from President Mahoney as well as Provost’s Office news. In the CO, there is talk about talking trying to offer as much face-2-face interactions in the fall 2021 semester as possible. Looking forward to finalizing the Portfolio of Imperfect Options and moving into the action phase.

·       Multi-factor authentication is on the horizon for our SF State.

4.4. Standing Committees

4.4.1.   Curriculum Review and Approval Committee

·       Sen. Hines – two items on the plenary agenda today. 

o   Sen. Grutzik – quick clarification that the degree is a B.S. The agenda says B.A. 

4.4.2.   Faculty Affairs Committee

·       Sen. Rubin – one item returning today regarding lecturer faculty. Hoping to move it forward quickly.

4.4.3.   Student Affairs Committee

·       Sen. Olsher – one item on the agenda today. Also working on policy regarding dropping students from classes for unpaid fees.

4.4.4.   Strategic Issues Committee

·       Sen. Goldman – one resolution regarding building operations, safety and communications today. The committee continues discussions about internationalization, financial transparency, campus climate and other important issues. 

4.4.5.   Academic Policies Committee

·       Sen. Stowers – two items from EPC. One item from APC regarding the time block policy. In general, there is a workgroup started to consider the Fall Recess break and impacts of that weeklong break. Also discussed petitions process and have handed the gathered information to Enrollment Management Committee.

Consent Agenda

5.    Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee (CRAC): 
Revision to the BS in Communicative Disorders (Degree title change to BS in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences)—consent item

·       Approved by consent @ 2:28pm

Old Business

6.    Recommendation from the Educational Policies Council (EPC): Proposed Discontinuance, Minor in Accounting—second reading

·       Sen. Stowers moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item.

·       No discussion

·       VOTE: item passed @ 2:30pm

7.    Recommendation from the Educational Policies Council (EPC): Proposed Revision to S19-255: Requirement for Baccalaureate Degrees, Majors, Concentrations, Minors, and Certificates, and Proposed Revision to S19-255: Appendices-Requirement for Baccalaureates Degrees, Majors, Concentrations, Minors and Certificates—second reading

·       Sen. Stowers moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item. 

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Gerber – speaking in favor of the item. Modification proposed does meet the requirements suggested in the upcoming resolution. This reflects the minimum compliancy and encourages all constituents to support this.

o   Sen. Collins – speak in favor of the item. The core competencies have an origin on our campus in our College of Ethnic Studies and have incurred expanded consultation. This is not just a system-wide policy but also something that is being modeled by what exists already on our campus. 

o   Chair Albiniak – speaking in favor. We are radically different from other campuses in terms of Ethnic Studies. It is very easy for us to implement and hopefully the CO will recognize this.

o   Sen. Le. – Speaking in favor and echo chair Albiniak in terms of implementation. Speaking as a faculty member of CoES, the core competencies are well founded and supported by the CoES and the CSU Council of Ethnic Studies. We are different from other campuses.

·       VOTE: item passed @ 2:40pm

8.    Recommendation from the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC): Temporary Modification of Academic Senate Policy #F15-160: Policy Resolution on Lecturer (Temporary) Faculty—second reading

·       Sen. Rubin moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Thomas – if Chairs are going to be asked to complete evaluations, this apparently asks them to do that without any student input.

§  Sen. Rubin – it gives the option or flexibility to choose

§  Sen. Thomas – concerned that we are setting chairs and lecturers up for a difficult situation.

o   Sen. Van Cleave – one clarification – we are trying to mirror what is done with T/TT faculty in terms of allowing faculty the option to include student feedback.

o   Sen. Hennessey – Did CFA express an endorsement in the current document?

§  Sen. Rubin – the changes have been communicated. The CFA wanted to exclude the student evaluations, but we believed that removed agency from lecturers. Other than that, there was agreement. 

o   Sen. Thomas – it seems that the faculty who have the most issues are the same that will choose to exclude their student evaluations. This is unfair to chairs, because there will be a few instances where it will prevent chairs from protecting students from certain lecturers.

o   Vice Chair Wilson – is there no student input available if a lecturer chooses that option?

§  Sen. Rubin – the only input would be informal and not include TEEFs.

o   Sen. Hulik – also agree that this creates a difficult situation for chairs

o   Sen. Drennan – line 43 – was this line written deliberately to narrow the comments to remote instruction?

§  Sen. Rubin – it was just meant to encourage faculty to gather some information about how things are going.

o   Sen. Harvey – Was there a decoupling of the comments from the quantitative results considered? 

§  Sen. Rubin – did not consider separating.

o   Sen. Thomas – support provision F with is about flexibility. In general, I am not in support because there is no way to consider student input of any kind.

o   Sen. Stowers – we need to clarify that item E is not really an item, and there are two section headings without text.

§  Move to amend and eliminate headings that refer to empty sections – Eliminate line 48 and line 55

·       Second – Sen. Harvey

·       VOTE: amendment approved @ 3:02pm

o   Sen. Drennan – move to amend line 43 to read: “Lecturer faculty are encouraged to solicit informal, anonymous feedback from students to include in their PAF either in addition to or in lieu of SETEs.”      

§  Second – Sen. Van Cleave

§  Sen. Harvey – there may be a conflict of interest

§  Sen. Rubin – this would 

§  Sen. Wilczak – speaking against the amendment. If the point is to gather information for chairs, there are now two optional ways, but possibly no way to get chairs information.

§  Sen. Drennan – only removed the part about remote instruction because is seemed to invite critique of online instruction. 

§  Sen. Van Cleave – the original policy does not include the part about the PAF.

§  Sen. Rubin – in section B is it referring to a formal process, this part refers to an informal process. 

§  VOTE: amendment rejected @ 3:08pm

o   Sen. Thomas – move to amend line 53 to add in “F. No periodic performance evaluations for lecturer faculty in either 1-year or 3-year appointments will be conducted for the 2020-21 academic year.  All lecturer faculty will be presumed to have performed at a satisfactory level for purposes of annual review.”

§  Second – Sen. Bloom

§  Sen. Van Cleave – no problem with the wording, but does it conflict with the language on line 29 or 46?

§  Sen. Rubin – point out that this differentiates between 1 and 3 year lecturers and it should be noted that we couldn’t manage all exceptions and situations.

§  Sen. Hennessey – support this, particularly because the current student evaluations are being considered for revision. 

§  Sen. Stowers – including this amendment would create inconsistencies with previous items. In particular the items that refer to the CBA.

§  Sen. Thomas – yes the earlier references would likely have to be removed.

§  Sen. Bloom – point of information – is there a way that we can send this back to FAC?

·       Chair Albiniak – this is the last plenary of the semester. 

·       Sen. Rubin – if we do not pass these today, evaluations will proceed without any flexibility.

§  Sen. Thomas – to confirm, if we do not pass this, the TEEFs will automatically go into the PAF?

·       Sen. Rubin – yes, correct.

§  VOTE: amendment approved @ 3:20pm

o   Sen. Rubin – propose an amendment to delete lines 46-47

§  Second – unknown

§  VOTE: amendment approved @ 3:21pm

·       VOTE: item approved with amendments @ 3:22pm

9.    Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Proposed Resolution in Support of Darlene Yee-Melichar’s Nomination for CSU Faculty Trustee—second reading

·       Vice Chair Wilson moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Stowers – Sen. Yee-Melichar would do a fantastic job representing our campus and faculty in general.

·       VOTE: item approved @ 3:24pm

New Business 

10. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee (CRAC): New Self-Support Version of the existing BA in Criminal Justice Studies (Fully Online)—first reading

·       Sen. Hines moved the item to the floor and cedes time to Prof. Snipes who spoke to the item. 

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Ramirez – hesitation stems from a fiscal perspective because all online only degrees are only through CEL.

§  Sen. Hines – appreciate the concern. There is a difference between the CEL degree previously discussion. There is a stateside version of this same degree.

§  Dean Alex Hwu – the online degree students are provided with as many services as possible.

o   Sen. Peirce – the financial implications are a concern. Financial aid doesn’t cover CEL degrees so financial access must be considered. Also a question: Is this program going to be considered to be eligible for financial aid?

§  Sen. Hines – this is specifically geared to working professional who wants to finish the degree. 

§  Sen. Pierce – yes, it is about accessibility, not about the degree program.

§  Sen. Stowers – support this, but it is important that the campus that provide alternatives. This is a different kind of model…a cohort, which likely means more resources, and the need for more finding.

§  Sen. Yee-Melichar – also speaking in favor. There are more and more opportunities for a wider variety of students to pursue degrees.

o   Sen. Hines – move to moved the item to second reading

§  Second – Sen. Wilczak

§  No discussion

§  VOTE: item moved to second reading @ 3:39pm

o   Sen. Ramirez – is there a way to add an amendment regarding financial recommendations for students?

§  Chair Albiniak – typically items from CRAC do not entertain amendments due to the extensive consultation.

·       VOTE: item approved @ 3:41pm

11. Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Resolution in Support of AS-3462-20/FA: Request for Amendments to the Title 5 Ethnic Studies – first reading

·       Sen. Gerber moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Yee-Melichar – speaking in favor of the resolution. It mirrors the sentiments of the campus as well as many other campuses in our system. Will have suggested amendments in second reading: Would like to add to the distribution list, the CSU BOT and CO.

o   Sen. Le – this articulates well with the opinions of this campus and the CSU Council of Ethnic Studies.

§  Sen. Wilczak move to move the item to second reading

·       Second – unknown

·       VOTE: Moved to second reading @ 4:00pm

o   Chair Albiniak – we have a very strong position on this campus and it is important for us to pass this soon so that it can offer support to other campuses that might need that support. Encourage everyone to push back on curriculum changes that do not come from the faculty.

o   Sen. Yee-Melichar – move to amend the resolution to add CSU Board of Trustees and the Chancellor’s office to the distribution list.

§  Second – Gerber 

§  VOTE: amendment approved @ 4:02pm

o   Sen. Hennessey – move to amend line 22 to add the word “Senate” after the word Academic.

§  Second – unknown

§  VOTE: amendment approved @ 4:04pm

·       VOTE: Item approved as amended @ 4:04pm

12. Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee (APC): Proposed Revision to F18-277: Standardized Time Blocks for use in Course Scheduling—first reading

·       Sen. Stowers moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Wilczak – want to point out that the way that it is phrased it allows bichronous classes to be scheduled without exemptions if they fall within the existing time blocks.

·       Returned to committee @ 4:08pm

13. Recommendation from the Strategic Issues Committee (SIC): Resolution on Building Operations and Communication of Public Health & Safety Matters—first reading

·       Sen. Goldman moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item

·       No discussion in first reading

·       Sen. Hulik move to move to second reading 

o   Second – unknown

o   VOTE: item moved to second reading @ 4:11pm

·       Sen. Hines – very excited about this resolution and support it.

·       No discussion in second reading

·       VOTE: Item approved @ 4:12pm

14. Recommendation from the Student Affairs Committee (SAC): Resolution Acknowledging Increased Student Advisory Participation Concerning Student Fees—first reading

·       Sen. Olsher moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Ramirez – support this resolution fully. Acknowledging the change and trying to encourage the change on other campuses is really important.

o   Sen. Bloom – support this resolution as well. Line 32 President Mahoney’s name is misspelled.

o   Sen. Collins move to move the item to second reading

§  Second – Sen. Hulik

§  No discussion

§  Item moved to second reading @ 4:18pm

o   Chair Albiniak – speaking in favor. As someone who sits on the SFAC, this current group of students is particularly exceptional and sets the bar high for future students members.

o   Sen. Hulik – especially on policy decisions, the more transparent we are, the better. Students can understand better the situation when they are given more information. Support this resolution.

·       VOTE: item approved @ 4:20pm

15. Recommendation from the Executive Committee (Ex Comm): Proposed Missed Class Time Policy—first reading

·       Vice Chair Wilson moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item and then ceded time to senate guest, Nicole Bolter.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Wilczak – find this overly board but also oddly specific. Definitions of phrases like “close relation” and others need to be clarified. Most faculty are probably pretty flexible. Extended absences are not defined. Would suggest a quantifiable minimum like 10% of class meetings. Regarding the types of activates…wasn’t the 

o   Sen. Bloom – there is already an absence policy. How is this different than what already exists? Or is this specific to athletics and other school-sponsored events.

§  Ms. Bolter – the language in the bulletin does address athletics, but some faculty do not adhere to that, so that led to the desire for a policy. 

o   Sen. Hines – usually want less rules for students, not more. Just because we have a policy does not necessarily mean that faculty will follow it!

·       Returned to committee @ 4:30pm

Presentations

16. Presentation by Jason Porth, Vice President of University Enterprises, “Updates from University Enterprises”—time certain: 3:30-3:45

·       VP Porth shared with senate a slide show regarding all of the various changes to infrastructure on campus including the new housing building and the various retain spaces involved and the LCA/BECA building and the upcoming demolition of the east wing of the Science building. He discussed funding sources and the considerations that UCorp has made during the planning and implementation of all of the various projects. 

·       He also touched on the plans for the downtown campus.

o   Sen. Bloom – when will be have input on the businesses going into the retail spaces at 2 Varela (Manzanita Square). Would encourage mom-and-pops instead of Amazon.

§  VP Porth – the constituents always consider those options, as they are part of the fabric of SF State. However, the general SF State community will have an opportunity to submit their opinions in the near future.

17. Adjourned @ 4:30pm