February 15, 2022

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

ZOOM MEETING

2:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Attendance:

• Abeywickrama, Priya, LCA
• Hennesy, Logan, LCA
• Sinha, Dipendra, COSE
• Alaoui, Fatima, LCA
• Hines, Ellen, CoSE
• Smith, Ryan , LFCOB
• Albiniak, Teddy, LCA
• Holschuh, Carrie, HSS
• Stein, Marc, LCA
• Allen, Jace, LCA (Staff)
• Howell, Ryan, CoSE
• Stillman, Jonathon, COSE
• Ara, Mitra, LCA
• Hwu, Alex, CEL
• Stowers, Genie, HSS
• Banks, Dwayne, AR
• Kavuri-Bauer, Santhi, LCA
• Summit, Jennifer, Provost
• Beatty, Brian, GCOE
• Kingston, Christopher, LFCOB (Staff)
• Sveinsdottier, Asta, LCA
• Borjian, Homayoun Ali, GCOE
• Kleinrichert, Denise, LFCOB
• Takagi, Emiko, HSS
• Clemens, Christopher, LCA
• Le, Mai-Nhung , COES
• Thomas, Tom, LFCOB
• Collins, Robert Keith, ASCSU
• Lee, Yeon-Shim, HSS
• Trousdale, Alaric, SAEM
• Critchlow, Edwin , A& F Staff
• Linton, Anne, LCA
• Tu, Jenny, UE
• D'Alois, Roberta, LFCOB
• Lynch, Katie, SAEM
• Villanueva, Karen , CEL (Staff)
• Daus-Magbual, Arlene, SAEM
• Narkewicz, Victoria, GCOE (Staff)
• Ward, Samantha, HHS (Staff)
• Dollinger, Mark, LCA
• Nielsen, Karina, CoSE
• Way, Lori Beth, DUEAP
• Drennan, Marie, LCA
• Olsher, David, LCA
• Wilson, Jackson, HSS
• Gerber, Nancy, ASCSU
• Piryatinska, Alexandra, COSE
• Wong, Yutian, LCA
• Goldman, Michael, CoSE
• Ramirez, Gilberto, A& F Staff
• Woo, Jeannie, COES
• Guidara, Andrea, LIB (Staff)
• Rubin, Jasper, HSS
• Yee-Melichar, Darlene, ASCSU
• Harris-Boundy, Jason, LFCOB
• Scott, Michael, ORSP
• Harvey, Rick, HSS
• Seelye, Melissa, LiB
• Hellman, David, LIB
• Shapiro, Jerry, HSS

Absences:

• Ballard, Violet, GCOE
• \Jiang, Hao, COSE
• Platas, Linda M, HSS
• Bloom, Gilda, GCOE
• Mahoney, Lynn, President
• Segovia-McGahan, Gabriela, COES (Staff)
• Contreras, Raul, COSE (Staff)
• Musselman, Elaine, HSS
• Steward, Paul, GCOE
• Diamond, Morty, HSS
• Ochoa, Joshua, ASI
• Valencia, Jennifer, ASI
• Philot, Dae, ASI
• Zhou, Yi, LFCOB (on leave)

Guests:

• Bartholomew, Claude, DUEAP
• Johnson, Dane, LCA
•  Thomas, Rob, LCA
• Birello, Larry, SL
• Leffer, Madison, EP
•  Ward, Jay, IOP
• Borlase, Heather, EP&C
• Lockhart, Tara, LCA
• Weinberger, Christopher, LCA
• Chelberg, Eugene, SAEM
• Long, Jenna, EP
• Williams, Ingrid, HR
• Clavier, Sophie, Grad Studies
• Lyons, Monica, LFCOB
• Williams, Carl, EP
• Dewitt, Jane, DUEAP
• Mandolfo, Carleen, FA
• Wilson, Jeff, A&F
• Garcia, Jesus, A&F
• McVeigh-Schultz< Joshua, LCA
• Wong, Yim-Yu, LFCOB
• Ginwala, Cyrus, LCA
• Pratt, Janice, EP&C
• Hulick, Mari, LCA
• Shimanoff, Susan, LCA

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: 2:08 P.M. (following quorum check)

1. Approval of the Agenda for February 15, 2022

• Sen. Ramirez: motion to amend item 5, Academic Integrity Policy which says in first reading, however in second reading.  Motion seconded, passes 40/4/0.   Amended agenda approved at 2:09 p.m. 

2. Approval of the Minutes for February 1, 2022

• Approved as submitted @ 2:10 p.m.

3. Announcements from the Floor

• Sen. Drennan: San Francisco International Arts Festival with Andrew Woods as director and reception on February 28^th.  Many ways to get involved even if not an artist.
• Sen. Goldman: Biology Professor Robin Crook was selected as a Paul Allen Foundation scholar that honored 23 scientists from around the world, including Jennifer Doudna, inventor of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.
• Sen. Yee-Melichar: nominations are due for distinguished faculty and staff on Monday March 28 at 9 a.m.  We want to recognize the hard work of our colleagues.

4. Reports

4.1 Chair Report

• Chair Albiniak: Met with CSU-wide Council of Senate Chair.  Point of privilege to acknowledge Sen. Collins birthday.  Discussed AB928 which requires reduction in units for transfer students.  Ethnic Studies units will be included and, the Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senates (ICAS) representing CSU, UC and CCC in California will meet to jointly solve problems.  EVC Alva (Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Students Affairs, Sylvia Alva), advocated to expand the Chancellors budget.  Also discussed the USA Today report about then CSU President, now Chancellor Castro handling of a report of sexual harassment.

4.2 Provost Report

• Provost Summit:
  • Waiting to hear from Board of Trustees regarding Chancellor Castro.
  • Reminded everyone about letter from Ingrid Williams about resources and offices on campus to a community free from harassment, discrimination and hostility.  Heather Borlase is out Title IX and DHR (Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation) coordinator
  • Fall 2022 academic planning focuses on building back as a campus, emphasizing student success and student mental health in the midst of the pandemic.  President Mahoney affirms that we are aiming to increase in person undergraduate offerings incrementally to 75% campus wide still again expecting a range from around 70 to 80% particularly in the lower division.  Follow our planning template for programs that want to turn to online education.  Looking forward to supporting in-person efforts and turning the page on the pandemic.

4.3 Standing Committees

4.3.1 Curriculum Review committee

• Sen. Drennan: Today bringing a degree title change from Health Education to Public Health; and a new minor in Video Game Studies.  In the pipeline we have a minor in Bilingual Spanish Journalism; a Master’s in Equity and Social Justice; revisions to the Doctorate in Physical Therapy; and discussion of an elevation of the Master’s in Educational Administration and Leadership.

4.3.2 Faculty Affairs committee

• Sen. Rubin:  Leave with pay and sabbatical policy to follow Sonoma State model.  Will refine criteria, balancing assessment on likelihood of achieving of sabbatical goals versus achieving equity in applicant awards.

4.3.3 Strategic Issues committee

• Sen. Goldman: Conversations around budget transparency.  The CSUEU staff union is underwriting a report by Mercer consulting firm that looks at all staff unions, and the status of CSU staff compensation.  Discussion asked all 13 members what they thought was important to the University today.  In summary, 8 of the 13 responded that there are still administrative barriers for international and non-matriculated students; a continuing perception of the bureaucratic nature of the campus; that there is a need for more grad student support; and there is a need to emphasize quality in our programs.  We are a high quality institution distracted by enrollment issues, so need to maintain our feet on the quality accelerator otherwise go the way of Sears and JC Penny.

4.3.4 Student Affairs committee

• Sen. Ramirez: Two policies in first reading and a policy now in second reading related to Academic Integrity.

4.3.5 Academic Policies committee

• Sen. Stowers: Two items in second reading: A proposed online education policy and, the EPC has items related to discontinuance.

OLD BUSINESS

Recommendation from Student Affairs Committee (SAC): Academic Integrity Policy in second reading.

•  Sen. Ramirez moved the item to the floor at 2:36 PM and spoke to the item. Guest speaker Larry Birello also spoke to the item and how it aligns with other CSU campuses.  Sen. Ramirez added a friendly amendment to correct the words ‘witnesses by interviewed’ to ‘witnesses be interviewed’ on line 22.  Sen. Yee-Melichar offered a friendly amendment on line 32 to add a hyperlink for the reference to EO 1098, as well as add the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) on line 210 (on the list before the University Library).  Sen. Young seconded.  Sen. Gerber spoke against the motion because does not feel necessary to make the list of groups larger or longer without a clear linkage to the policy.  Sen. Stein had a point of information about the process for electing a library representative.  Sen. Nielson offered perspective that ‘research misconduct’ could fall under the academic integrity policy and therefore could include ORSP as well as the Library.  Sen. Goldman spoke in favor of the motion reiterating Sen. Nielsen’s point.  Sen. Scott added that when someone falsifies thesis data that ends up being published in the library, there are linkages to the policy.  Vote on friendly amendment 32/12/7 (Y/N/A) at 2:49 PM.  Sen. Harvey proposed another friendly amendment related to adding the Graduate College of Education to line 209 on the list.  Sen. Critchlow seconded.  Vote on friendly amendment 42/0/5 (Y/N/A) at 2:55 PM  Editorial change on line 235 carries.
• VOTE on item: 47/0/3 (Y/N/A) at 2:55 PM
• Shift to item 12, Guest presentations by speaker Heather Borlase, who introduced team members Maddison Leffel, Jenna Long, Jenice Pratt and Carl Williams.  Described the CSU policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct and sexual exploitation added as a new violation to dating violence, domestic violence stalking and retaliation, with a focus on targeted prevention efforts.  Sen. Gerber added to welcoming the team.
• Shift to item 13, presentations by Sen. Way, and Guest speaker Jane Dewitt about the WASC 10 year review. (see slides).  Summarized how 38 people in various working groups contributed sections that were collated into the full draft.  Next step is to circulate the draft and asking for feedback by March 1 before sharing with entire campus in April in preparation for an April 5-7 site visit with esteemed colleagues on the accreditation review team (see slide).  Ultimately, completion date is in August.  Each section of the report was summarized on the slides.  Participants in the process commented was fun especially when they learned things about SF State they did not already know.  Truly a community effort and many thanks to everybody who is on a writing committee, particularly the co-chairs.
• Shift back to Old Business, items 6 to 9
• Recommendation from the Educational Policies Committee (EPC): Proposal for the Discontinuance of the Certificate in Genetic Engineering—second reading.  Moved by Sen. Stowers at 3:18 PM
  • Sen. Goldman: on behalf of the Biology department I'd like to speak in favor of this item. We do feel that this is the right decision at this time.  Vote called. 
• VOTE on item: 45/0/2 (Y/N/A) at 3:20 PM
• Recommendation from Educational Policies Committee (EPC): Proposal for the Discontinuance of the Certificate in Biotechnology—second reading.  Moved by Sen. Stowers at 3:21 PM
  • Sen. Goldman: Just as with the last proposal I'd like to speak in favor of this item. Vote called. 
• VOTE on item: 45/0/2 (Y/N/A) at 3:22 PM
• Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee (APC): Proposed new policy, S22-XXX Credit Hour Policy—second reading.  Excellent example of shared governance working with Assoc. Dean Dewitt in drafting a policy related to defining credit hours.  Moved by Sen. Stowers at 3:23 PM.  Vote called.
  • VOTE on item: 40/0/3 (Y/N/A) at 3:24 PM
• Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee (APC): Proposed Revision to S21-264 Online Education Policy—second reading.  Two kinds of revisions.  (1) Clarifies that faculty who wish to use online class recordings must get consent of everybody along with signed recording release forms before sharing outside of a class, with the exception of sharing for the purpose of program/course/peer reviews.  Added a sentence that recordings cannot be shared by students without explicit consent of the faculty member and anyone present.  (2) Online modality is determined by faculty member and program chair based on evidence the modality is suited to learning outcomes.  Decided on a semester by semester basis and inform the College Deans and Councils via the schedule building process.  Because we currently do not have state authorization agreements for online courses, if you want to do an online course, then you are limited to students enrolled in the state of California. Policy is excluding students studying outside of the United States.  Moved by Sen. Stowers at 3:26 PM.  Before debate, point of information:
  • Vice Chair Wilson: On lines 343-346, is the intention to refer to residents?
    • Sen. Stowers: Law reads location, not residence.
    • Sen. Way: Based consumer protection laws called ‘Sarah’ agreement which is this reciprocal agreement where you can have students from their states take your online education., however California is not a member of those agreements so it’s where they are located, not their state of residence.
  • Sen. Critchlow: editorial amendment around line 340, should say ‘schedule building process’ not ‘scheduling building process.’
    • Sen. Drennan: highlighted the relevance of the schedule building process starting with faculty and program chairs.
  • Sen. Hwu: propose amendment starting on line 337.  “Through expertise in their field, faculty and departments are best suited for determining the content, pedagogy, and modality of individual courses offered in the degree programs.  A committee of department faculty will propose the learning mode of courses (or sections), degrees, and certificate programs to be offered by the department, which will be approved by the department chair and the college dean or designee. Courses can be approved for multiple learning modes.”  Seconded (Sen. Harvey), 3:36 PM.  Discussion. (Sen. Way seeds time to Guest speaker Carleen Mandolfo).
    • Guest speaker Mandolfo: Three points to make.  This policy will, at times, create challenges for chairs, who have broader oversight of particular needs but sometimes struggle to enforce those particular needs in the face of departmental cultural and or personnel pressures.  Secondly administrators, even more so than chairs have a broad view of what is required to sustain or build institutional health in terms of the curriculum, broadly speaking.  It is it possible to maintain this vision at the level of individual courses and most courses and I'm not saying all, but most courses, can be taught effectively in different modalities. So I’d want to be sure that there was a case that really could be made or, that would need to be made that a course had to be taught remotely for pedagogical reasons.  Lastly, and perhaps most concerning, is this policy is at odds with the CBA 20.2.b(a) which stipulates that quote “the instructional assignments of individual faculty members will be determined by the appropriate administrator after consultation with the department chair or designee and/or the individual faculty member.”  The Chancellor’s office consistently insists that instructional assignments include modalities.  The collaborative approach that this article reflects addresses the concerns that I mentioned above, in my second point about overall institutional vision.  Faculty rightfully control the curriculum at the department level but faculty desires for a particular modality just merely need to be balanced with broader institutional needs like enrollment, for instance that's the end of my remarks, thank you.
  • Sen. Drennan: Student learning should always be at the top of decision making.  When decisions about class schedules are made based on modality and class size rather than having teacher presence, then students are not going to succeed.  In an asynchronous online writing class of 50 students there is no way to adequately respond to discussion forum posts and blog posts and whatever else you've got going every week and keep a sense of community building and keep that mode of learning going, which is so crucial, whereas maybe you could do it if you had 25 or 20 students.  When faculty are left out of the decision making process of modality and class size, it's a little bit of an uphill swim, I guess, to try to keep the learning always at the forefront.
    • Sen. Hwu: The amendment was written to propose a way of shared governance so that faculty can propose and a department chair can be informed and make decisions in terms of course or section when offered in other than the face to face modality.
    • Sen. Stowers: First, if you look at line 347 where it says, will be approved by the Department chair, I thought that that said, the department chairs, as in a College Council. That's really the only way that would make sense, because the previous line says that degrees and certificate programs and learning modes are etc. are to be offered by the Department, so the department chair was already involved, and so I would say to Senator Hwu that line 347 should say ‘by the Department Chairs.’  My second point is to respectfully disagree with VP Mandolfo.  When I am assigned to teach a class, that does not include instructions about how I'm going to teach it.  It is up to me to decide the pedagogy and as the provost said earlier we need focus our concern for student learning and student learning is determined largely by the pedagogy and how a faculty member teaches the content.  Are we going to agree with the idea that the instructional assignment of individual faculty members includes how I'm supposed to teach that class?  I think that can only really be determined by faculty and departments, who understand the field.
• Sen. Wilson: Face-to-face may not always be the best learning mode.  Concern that if a Department proposes a learning mode and a Dean disapproves, then what?  How can courses be approved in a timely fashion?
• Sen. Harvey: Concern similar to Sen. Wilson and Sen. Stowers about who makes decisions.  Propose on line 347 making stating ‘chairs’ and adding ‘program directors’ as an editorial change.  Sen. Stowers and Sen. Hwu accepted editorial change stating ‘chairs and program directors on line 347.
• Sen. Asta: It would be too cumbersome and also not called for that each and every course and the way in which that course content is taught go through the chairs Council in a particular college.  Faculty are experts in the field and can determine the modality that works best for learning.  Deliberate value judgement that the policy belongs with value judgement and the determination be made by experts in the field.
• Sen. Allen: Now people ‘want’ to go online and the college forces people to go face-to-face.  It used to be the opposite, where faculty felt forced to go online.  Also, lots of faculty do not understand the vaguery of the 11 learning modes.  We need to make sure you do or do not need a particular class each semester.
  • Sen. Hwu: Deans council talked about shared governance process to insure student success.  The goal is to have a process for making determinations.
  • Sen. Stowers: College councils were included in the amendment to communicate with the Deans and to have more than one person, a single dean or chair, to be involved in the schedule building process. SJSU policy calls out the Assoc Deans and asks them to be involved in the schedule building process.  Some colleges use their College Councils more as a curriculum building council.  There is difficulty when trying to work out a policy like this.

Chair Albiniak: Vote called  to amend lines 343 to 348 which would replace the earlier language highlighted in yellow on the screen. 

• VOTE on item: 21/16/11 (Y/N/A) at 4:00 PM
• Sen Stowers: Move to table the item and move back to committee.  Second,  Vote called 4:02 PM 
• VOTE on item: 36/6/5 (Y/N/A) at 4:03 PM

Shift to New Business item 10, 4:04 PM

Recommendation from Curriculum Review and Approval Committee (CRAC): Proposed Degree Title Change from the Bachelor of Science in Health Education to Bachelor of Science in Public Health—first reading (un-marked version)

• Sen. Drennan: Degree title change from the bachelor of science and health education to the bachelor of science in public health that comes to us and first reading. Item moved to floor.  No debate.  Back to committee.

Recommendation from Curriculum Review and Approval Committee (CRAC): Proposed Minor in Video Game Studies—first reading 

• Sen. Drennan: Despite what it's called the minor and video game studies, is really not intended to teach students how to make video games, for anyone wondering why there aren't any computer science classes in it.  It's not a game production program. It's really more of an add on to students who are majoring in any major really were aspects of video game design or narrative or music or game culture or the social aspects and impacts of game culture.
• Guest speaker Christopher Weinberger: What's exciting us is the collaborative potential of this program it connects lives and interest of students with ongoing studies, research projects and disciplines that are thriving here at State while also building a bridge into really vibrant fields of study and industry, and one of the thrills of working in the consortium has been encountering the wellspring of interest, not just among students but also faculty.
• Sen. Allen: Wholeheartedly would love this. I would have loved to have this this aspect as a student when I was a student in communication studies as a graduate student.
• Sen. Alaoui: Such a holistic perspective that I haven't seen before in other programs.

Chair Albiniak: See no other speakers, then we'll go ahead and return it to the committee and we are at agenda item number 14. Adjournment 4:14 PM.

POST-PLENARY FLOOR PERIOD: until 5:00pm

The Post-Plenary Floor Period provides an informal opportunity for senators and guests to meet, exchange information, or follow up on items or questions emerging from the meeting.