November 17, 2020

 

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday, November 17, 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 November 17, 2020

·       Sen. Hines moved to change item #7 to be addressed at 3pm time-approximate. 

o   Second – unknown

o   Discussion – none

o   Change approved @ 2:07pm

·       Sen. Gerber moved to change item #14 to be moved to item #10 in the “old business”

o   Second – unknown

o   Discussion – none

o   Change approved @ 2:08pm

·       Approved as amended @ 2:06pm

2.    Approval of the Minutes for November 3, 2020

·       Approved as submitted @ 2;09om

3.    Announcements from the Floor

·       Sen. Goldman – the CSU has a system wide bio-technology symposium. This year will be in January. Will include current students, alumni and Sen. Goldman will be leading a session.

·       Sen. Chen – Karla Castillo (CAPS) would like us to know that undocumented students at SF State need your support. Please donate to the Continue the Dream Scholarship. Recipients graduate at a rate of 92%. 

4.    Reports

4.1. Chair Report

·       Greetings and welcome to everyone. 

·       Please sign up and distribute the link for the forum with Provost Summit. Topic will be an on-going discussion on the Portfolio of Imperfect Options. 

https://sfsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a9MUqITniwV9cmF

·       Faculty and University Retreat – Keynote will be a conversation between President Mahoney and soon-to-be Chancellor Castro on the topic of becoming an Anti-Racist University.

·       COVID numbers are going up and we all need to take care of ourselves. Please ensure that you are doing that, especially with the Fall Recess coming up.

4.2. Provost Report

·       Please come to the December 4^th open forum. Discussion about the Portfolio of Imperfect Options is an important conversation and everyone’s input is important. Everything is on the table in some ways, but everyone should know that some items are not currently being discussed. To be clear moving to a “4/4” model is not something we are considering at the moment. We believe we can meet our goals with other ideas.

·       Faculty stress is building due to the COVID numbers and the extended time in remote teaching modes. Please make sure you take care of yourselves. 

o   Sen. Stowers – Where can folks find the current version of the Portfolio of Imperfect Options? People need to see for themselves that the move to a 4/4 load is still on the table. 

o   Provost Summit – the Portfolio has not changed since the time it was first made public. It is in the senate record. We can add it to the chat now and we are working on making it available on the Provost’s website. A wholesale move to a 4/4 would not be a wise move.

4.3. Standing Committees

4.3.1.   Academic Policies Committee

·       Sen. Stowers – two items from EPC on the agenda today, two items from APC on the agenda today. See below. Other projects include online education policy to help with planning for classes regarding time online vs. time offline.

4.3.2.   Curriculum Review and Approval Committee

·       Sen. Hines – two consent items on the agenda today. Also 3 additional items on the agenda in second reading.

4.3.3.   Faculty Affairs Committee

·       Sen. Rubin – one item on the agenda today. See below.

4.3.4.   Student Affairs Committee

·       Sen. Olsher – no items on the agenda today. Continuing to work on updating the syllabus policy, dropping students with unpaid fees policy, and resolution to encourage more CAPS hires to support student mental health needs.

o   Sen. Hulik – one issue that has come up in LCA, now that withdrawals are over and some students have dropped out of touch. How do we reach those students and ensure that we treat them fairly. 

§  We are constrained by the policies of the CSU, but we have extended the deadline for the CR/NC. So the best we can do right now is to continue to reach out to those students.

§  Sen. Way – emphasize that the CSU is not allowing exceptions that were given last semester. The extended deadline for CR/NC is the most that we can do as a campus. 

4.3.5.   Strategic Issues Committee

·       Sen. Goldman – one item on the agenda today. Continuing work on resolution to ensure that working conditions are consistent with SF State’s values. Also continuing work on a number of other topics that have been on the committee agenda all semester. 

 

 

 

Consent Agenda

5.    Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Revision to the BS in Industrial Design: Concentration in Product Design and Development—consent item

·       No Discussion/Questions

·       Adopted @ 2:40pm

6.    Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Revision to the BS in Visual Communication Design—consent item

·       No Discussion/Questions

·       Adopted @ 2:40pm

Old Business

7.    Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: New BA in Ethnic Studies—second reading _**time approximate 3pm

·       Sen. Hines moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item before ceding time to Dean Sueyoshi to speak further to the item.

·       Discussion 

o   Sen. Ramirez – thank you to CRAC. Have some hesitation about this program due to the access of financial aid options. Can this be amended to state-side so that financial aid can be used. CEL sometimes is more expensive and the student is not eligible for financial aid. 

§  Dean Sueyoshi – for a student who wants to attend part time, we have run the numbers and the difference is very small. If a student wants to enroll full time, we would recommend that students re-apply and re-enroll. But this program is meant specifically for students that do not want to attend full time. 

o   Sen. Gerber – we do have BA degrees for matriculated students. This is intended for a different audience. It will likely be more appealing to folks who have full time jobs and cannot attend in person or full time. It fills a necessary niche.

o   Sen. Carillo – have a slight hesitation because CEL should have other ways to utilize federal aid. 

o   Sen. Le – this is a great opportunity for students who have complicated lives and this will be extremely beneficial to students who are already serving the community. Many students are caring for their families and working and this program is for those particular students. Strongly support the program because it can offer an excellent way for students to advanced their existing careers.

o   Sen. Stowers – very impressed at the “thinking outside the box” and offering a different model of education for students that may not have considered returning to finish their degree.

o   Sen. Ramirez – the idea of the program is good, but unsure about how is will be financed by state funding. Would prefer that it lived state-side so that students had more funding options. 

o   Sen. Wilson – is there an avenue for students to translate into a regular degree program if a student wants to re-enroll?

§  Dean Sueyoshi – yes, students can transfer at any time

o   Sen. Way – this was added at the CO level. If we would like to offer it on state-side as well we can do that, but need to go through a different process. The intended audience is important to remember. 90+ units and looking to finish. They are likely to take only one class, probably in the winter or summer sessions

o   Sen. Stowers – do we have any other degree completion programs on campus.

§  Dean Sueyoshi – No. CJ will be offering one shortly.

§  Sen. Way – confirmed

§  Sen. Stowers – it is important to give this a try. It is a new area for us and we need to see if this will work.

·       VOTE

o   Item approved @ 3:11pm

8.    Recommendation from Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: New Graduate Certificate in Computational Linguistics—second reading

·       Sen. Drennan moved the item to the floor and Sen. Hines spoke to the item

·       No discussion

·       VOTE

o   Item approved @ 2:43pm

9.    Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Elevation of the BA in English: Concentration in Creative Writing to a BA in Creative Writing—second reading

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

·       No discussion

·       VOTE

o   Item approved @ 2:46pm

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

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

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Gerber – agree that it should stay in first reading. CFA has also weighed in on this recently and all of the feedback needs to be considered. Strongly in favor of the resolution too.

o   Sen. Way – SF State’s equity for lecturers is good, but we have a long way to go in terms of the way that we evaluate them. Especially with how much we rely on SETEs. We should really consider how other campuses review peers and offer professional development for lecturer colleagues. 

·       Item returned to committee @ 2:51pm

New Business 

11. Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee: Proposed Revision to S20-242, Academic Calendar Policy—first reading

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

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Gerber – speaking in favor of these changes. It is challenging to find a middle ground but these changes will hopefully limit the changes necessary in the future.

·       Sen. Gerber – move to move the item to second reading

o   Second – unknown

o   No discussion

o   Moved to second reading @ 3:21pm

·       Discussion in Second Reading

o   Sen. Gerber – support the changes and urge colleague to approve.

·       VOTE

o   Item approved @ 3:22pm

12. Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee: Proposed Adoption of the Fall 2021-Spring 2022 Academic Calendar, Proposed Adoption of the Fall 2022-Spring 2023 Academic Calendar, Proposed adoption of Summer 2021 Academic Calendar—first reading

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

o   APC suggests that we discuss the Fall Recess in the future.

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Wilczak – we don’t want to have a discussion now regarding the Fall Recess.

o   Sen. Gerber – Fall Recess has been an issue for a while.

·       Sen. Hulik moved to move the item to second reading.

o   Second – unknown

o   No discussion

o   Moved to second reading @ 3:29

·       Discussion in Second Reading

o   Chair Albiniak – thank you to APC

·       VOTE

o   Item approved at 3:30pm

13. Recommendation from the Educational Policies Council: Proposed Discontinuance, Minor in Accounting—first reading

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

·       No Discussion

·       Returned to committee @ 3:33pm

14. Recommendation from the Educational Policies Council: 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—first reading

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

·       Discussion

o   Chair Albiniak – since we passed our resolution in opposition, there have been several other campuses who expressed the same sentiment. I stand in support for this.

o   Sen. Gerber – we may need to revisit this. 19 of 23 CSU campuses are in opposition to the EO. We are hoping that the CO listens and we can implement on our own.

·       Sen. Stowers ceded time to Char Hughes

o   Char Hughes – BRC supports our campus and we are hoping that the CO allows us to lead the way in an area that we are already clear leaders.

·       Sen. Le – At the BoT meeting today, there were so many people (students including) speaking to this item. We are the leaders in this area of expertise and we should take a stand to say “we are different” and we believe in shared governance. If we don’t make a stand we are complicit.

·       Item returned to committee @ 3:44pm

15. Recommendation from the Strategic Issues Committee: Resolution Thanking SF State Employees During COVID-19 Crisis—first reading

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

·       Discussion

·       Sen. Nielsen moved to move the item to second reading.

o   Second – Sen. Hines

·       No discussion

·       Moved to second reading @ 4:10pm

·       Discussion in second reading

o   Chair Albiniak – extending continued thanks to all essential workers.

·       VOTE 

o   Item approved @ 4:12pm

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

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

·       Discussion

o   Sen. Richards – want to support Sen. Yee-Melichar’s nomination. She has always been supportive, even before it was popular.

o   Chair Albiniak – to be clear, we are gathering information as part of the packet that must be submitted on her behalf

o   Sen. Stowers – she is so knowledgeable and have so much experience that she would be a fabulous faculty trustee! She is the kind of person that deserves to be in a position like that and we deserve to have that sort of representation.

o   Sen. Wilczak – she has served as a mentor and we all know her experience.

·       Returned to committee @ 4:18pm

Presentations

17. Presentation by Jeff Jackanicz, Vice President University Advancement and Andrew Harris, Dean College of Liberal & Creative Arts on naming Marcus Hall (time certain: 3:45)

·       Dean Harris first announced the recent passing of BECA colleague, Paromita Sengupta.

·       Dean Harris, reminded the senate body about the generous gift of $25m from George and Judy Marcus and the many ways that their gift has impacted the College. 

·       AVP Jackanicz described the naming process and offered to answer any questions about the naming of the building and the process involved. 

·       Chair Albiniak noted that while we have a process for College re-naming, this is a new process 

·       Sen. Riggs – Long overdue in terms of seeking donations. Curious to know what the process is if something comes out in the future that goes against the values of SF State. 

o   AVP Jackanicz – the CO has a recently established policy that allows for campuses to remove a name under certain circumstances. So there are ways in which we could revoke or reverse the naming, if ever necessary. 

·       Sen. Drennan – what sorts of things put people’s names forward as a potential for building naming. 

o   Dean Harris – when I met with BECA I did not know, so will defer to AVP Jackanicz

o   AVP Jackanicz – there are very few circumstances in which a non-donor could be considered for building-naming. Most of the time there would be a financial outpouring connected with the naming, although there might be exceptions in certain circumstances.

·       Sen. Wilczak – the Marcus gift has been really transformative. It has allowed the College to do things that line up with the mission of the campus. For example both endowed chairs in Cinema are in areas of expertise that reflect the mission of our campus. 

·       There was a short discussion about the need for an official vote. AVP Jackanicz asked that the senate submit a vote, even if it is not necessary.

o   Sen. Yee-Melichar – confirmed that a vote is need.

·       Sen. Way moved to endorse the naming of the new SF State building to be the official full name: "The George and Judy Marcus Hall for the Liberal and Creative Arts," informally as "Marcus Hall."

o   Second – unknown

·       VOTE

o   Item approved @ 4:05pm

18. Adjournment @ 4:19pm