ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING
MINUTES
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
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 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: 2:10 p.m.
1. Approval of the Agenda for November 14, 2017
· Agenda was approved as submitted.
2. Approval of the Minutes for October 31, 2017
· Minutes were approved with the following revision: under item #8, “Sen. Bloom spoke in support of the amendment, citing the importance of Health & Wellness in understanding about alcohol abuse” was replaced by “Sen. Bloom spoke in support of the amendment, supporting the staff of the Wellness Center in their work on alcohol abuse education and the importance of educating students about alcohol poisoning”.
3. Announcements from the Floor
· Sen. Williams made an announcement about the Ambassador Program, where students, faculty, and staff become Certified Wellness Ambassadors, and announced a BREATHE drive for donations of mint-sized tins to address the smoking-related litter problem on campus.
· Sen. Roehrman announced that renowned scene designer and art director David Gropman will be speaking at the Little Theater on 11/15 from 1 – 2.
· Vice-Chair Albiniak made an announcement about the upcoming faculty retreat on Jan. 18: “Celebrating the Public University: Fostering Success in a Times of Uncertainty.”
4. Reports
4.1. Chair
· Chair Gerber reminded senators about the Year of Conversation events and International Education Week. She also announced the formation of an Anti-Bullying Workgroup and solicited volunteers to serve on the workgroup.
4.2. Standing Committees
4.2.1. Curriculum Review and Approval Committee
· Sen. Stowers reported that CRAC approved the minor in Comics Studies and worked on the field trip policy.
4.2.2. Faculty Affairs Committee
· Sen. Roehrman reported that FAC approved the policy on RTP that appears today before Senate in first reading and is working on issues with the e-portfolio submission of WPAF’s and also the leave-with-pay policy.
4.2.3. Student Affairs Committee
· Sen. Williams reported that SAC is working with the Student Advisory Committee and on issues of student housing.
4.2.4. Strategic Issues Committee
· Sen. Gen reported that SIC is working on the Administrative Search Pool policy.
4.2.5. Academic Policies Committee
· Sen. Wilson reported that APC is working on the large on-line course policy and on BRC proposed changes.
5. Robert Nava, Vice President for Advancement –Report on Advancement Plans and Activities
· VP Nava gave a presentation on advancement, an update about the Bold Thinking campaign.
· Sen. Sinha asked whether stock options could be provided for donors.
· Sen. Wilson asked how athletics might play a role in advancement campaigns.
· Sen. Stowers asked for clarification on slide 9 in VP Nava’s presentation. VP Nava answered that Genetech, Salesforce, and Biorad are some of the companies with which SF State is seeking to work and described what “other groups” meant on the slide in question.
· Sen. Yee-Melichar asked what efforts were being made to leverage alumni/ae and how we could involve emeritus/a faculty and staff.
· Sen. Williams asked what falls under “student support” on slide #10. VP Nava described the importance of programs like Guardian Scholars and Project Rebound. Sen. Williams talked about issues with basic needs for students, including food insecurities and housing.
6. Senators Collins, Reyes and Castillo - College of Ethnic Studies letter to the Provost and presentation to the Senate on October 17, 2017 (postponed from October 31, 2017)
· Sen. Castillo reminded senators of the presentation by the chairs of the College of Ethnic Studies in the Open Floor Time and ceded his time to the chairs of the College of Ethnic Studies to present their information as an agenda item.
· Sen. Reyes, Director of Cesar Chavez Institute, presented data about inequities in the allocation of resources to the College of Ethnic Studies.
· Prof. Martinez, Chair of the Latina/o Studies Department and Prof. Fischer, Chair of Africana Studies Department, presented data about student success and classes from the College of Ethnic Studies and also about the need for increased resources for the College of Ethnic Studies.
· Prof. Fischer, Chair of the Africana Studies Department, and Prof. McDougal, Director of the Black Unity Center, spoke about what they titled the “Africana Studies Effect,” an increase in success for African American students regardless of major when they take classes in Africana Studies.
· Prof. Ferrera, Director of Race and Resistance Studies, addressed the process that representatives of the College of Ethnic Studies have been pursuing so far, and called for the Senate to take action.
· Sen. Collins asked why the SIC or the Task Force formed between the president and the College of Ethnic Studies have not been successful in solving the problem. Sen. Reyes answered that the task force never came together, and that SIC focused more generally on budget transparency.
· Sen. Foley thanked the students in the room for their participation and asked for more details about what actions the Senate can take to support the College of Ethnic Studies.
· A statement was read from students involved with the Black Unity Center, which urged SF State to address funding gaps for the College of Ethnic Studies.
· Prof. Fischer pointed out shortfalls in staffing and shortfalls in faculty hires in the College of Ethnic Studies.
· Prof. Ferrera asserted that the agreed-upon outcomes from the end of the Hunger Strike have not yet been met.
· Chair Gerber called for the Senate to focus on what the Academic Senate, specifically, could do to address the issue.
· Sen. Collins discussed an equity issue across campus, which came about through the process of restructuring the colleges.
· Chair Gerber agreed that this equity issue would be good to put on the agenda for future senate meetings.
7. Michael Scott, Associate Vice President of Research and Sponsored Programs – Update on ORSP
· AVP Michael Scott gave a presentation on the working of ORSP and how ORSP contributes to student success and campus experience.
· Sen. Yu expressed support for the ORSP staff and concerns about understaffing. She asked how the Senate could help to support the staff.
· Sen. Hines described her experiences as the chair of IRB and the hard work done by members of IRB, and surmised that the number of exemptions will decrease. She recommended that the number of people involved in IRB increases.
· Sen. Lopez asked for clarification about stipends versus assistantships and asked about whether undocumented students could receive assistantships from grants. AVP Scott answered that federal funds cannot go to undocumented students. Sen. Lopez asked whether state and local funds could go to undocumented students. AVP Scott answered that stipends might be awarded and pointed out issues with Human Resources rules.
8. Senators Yee-Melichar, Collins and Sinha - Report from the Academic Senate of the California State University
· Sen. Yee-Melichar, Collins, and Sinha presented an update from the ASCSU. Three resolutions were approved, including a resolution about standards for quantitative reasoning, a resolution to recognize and commend first responders in the Sonoma Fire Emergency, and a commendation for faculty trustee Steven Stepanek. They requested feedback on three resolutions, one on shared governance and consultation, one about expanding Project Rebound, and one that proposed an alternative process for C-ID Course Review. They also requested feedback on a report of the Task Force for a Sustainable Financial Model for the CSU and on the CSU Sustainability Committee: Campus as Living Lab.
· Sen. Foley announced that representatives from SF State will be attending CSSA and asked whether there were issues that the ASCSU senators wanted to be brought to the CSSA.
· Sen. Reyes asked where to find the sustainability report. Sen. Yee-Melichar answered that it can be found on the Academic Senate ilearn site.
9. Laura Lisy-Wagner, Secretary – Committee on Committees Report
· Secretary Lisy-Wagner presented a report from the Committee on Committees. Among the findings, she asked for committee chairs to follow through and submit end-of-year reports each year.
10. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Master of Science degree program in Business Analytics (second reading)
· Sen. Stowers moved the item and spoke in favor of it, reminding the Senate that CRAC has discussed and unanimously approved of it.
· Chair Gerber called the question and the motion passed unanimously.
11. Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Resolution in Support of Maintaining Social Justice Procedures for Increasing Rent in University Owned Rental Units (first reading)
· Chair Gerber moved the item and spoke in favor of it, giving context to its development and the concerns that motivated it. She recommended that senators take the two weeks between first and second reading to carefully read through resolutions and talk with campus constituencies to think through the issues involved.
· Sen. Scott pointed out that half of our incoming faculty live in university housing.
· Sen. Yee-Melichar spoke in strong favor of the resolution and pointed out the role that housing plays in the university’s strategic plan.
· This resolution will return at the next plenary.
12. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Minor in Comic Studies Analytics (first reading)
· Sen. Stowers moved the item and spoke in favor of it, describing the innovative process by which this interdisciplinary proposal came about.
· Vice-Chair Albiniak spoke in favor of the program, based on the connections to both aesthetics and policy in the program
· Sen. Howard asked for clarification about what will happen if someone adds to the program, if they are still reaching out to more faculty. Sen. Stowers answered that changes to the program could come in at a later time, but that this was the basic proposal.
· Sen. Williams spoke in support of the program, especially because of the use of comics in teaching about health issues.
· Sen. Mooney spoke in support of the program, and highlighted the innovation of the proposed program and possible community connections.
· This recommendation will return at the next plenary.
13. Recommendation from the Faculty Affairs Committee: Proposed Changes to the Retention, Tenure and Promotion Policy (first reading) - #F17-241
· Sen. Roehrman moved the item and spoke in favor of it, and described as the major change the issue of FERP faculty serving on RTP committees or on UTPC.
· Sen. Reyes asked about the role of the chair on RTP committees, especially in smaller departments. She cited examples where the chair served on the committee but did not write a separate letter. Sen. Roehrman answered that the lines in question were not the parts that FAC is revising. Chair Gerber suggested that FAC look at that language when they reconvene.
· Sen. Thomas asked whether new materials can be submitted at the time of the RTP committee’s review. Sen. Roehrman confirmed that they cannot.
· Sen. Bloom asked whether lecturers under review are ineligible to serve on department review committees. Sen Roehrman answered that the policy was not considered to be about lecturers.
· These policy revisions will return at the next plenary.
14. Adjournment
· The meeting was adjourned at 4:36 P.M.