October 15, 2019

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday, October 15,^, 2019

SEVEN HILLS CONFERENCE CENTER

NOB HILL ROOM

2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Attendance:

Absences:

Guests:

 

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 October 15, 2019

• Sen. Stowers: amend item 6 – amend dates to “Summer 2020 to 2021”
• Approved as amended @ 2:11pm

1. Approval of the Minutes for October 1, 2019

• One amendment – typo fixed
• Approved as amended @ 2:12pm

1. Announcements from the Floor

• none

1. Reports
   1. Senate Chair

• A&F is putting together a Housing Advisory Board – charged to provide advice about housing objectives and response to issues – will meet once this semester and set a future schedule
  • Academic Senate can nominate members – must have one of the following qualifications:
    • Residing in employee or family housing
    • Having knowledge of housing
    • Be a party directory impacted
• Call for nominations for exceptions assign time award has gone out. Information is on the senate website. Materials and signed cover sheet is due 5pm, November 8^th

1. Standing Committees
   1. Student Affairs Committee

• Fact finding on ways to support the Dream Resource Center.
• Heard from students about Title IX services and are looking into those issues
• Revision of the withdrawal policy, going to APC and EMC
• John Gates, interim AVP Fiscal Affairs about student fees
• Parental leave and support for students
• Revisiting the resolution supporting CAPS
• Needs of international students, and coordinating efforts from SAEM

1. Strategic Issues Committee

• Continue discussions about housing and budgeting
• Meeting with SEISU -

1. Academic Policies Committee

• Met with CRAC as EPC considered two discontinuances
• APC – discussed human subjects policy and are still fleshing out parts of those possible changes
• Maximum units in a semester policy

1. Curriculum Review and Approval Committee

• Met with APC as EPC considered two discontinuances
• CRAC – two proposals on plenary agenda today

1. Faculty Affairs Committee

• Bringing to next plenary: changes to RTP policy regarding how service is categorized
• Addressing discrepancies with Chairs/Directors
• Continued work on normative workload – survey has been sent out to Dean’s, and will likely be adjusted and pushed out to Chairs

1. Provost Summit

• Congrats on the College of Ethnic Studies Celebration Event on Saturday
• Student Success progress data is being gathered and will be distributed shortly. Colleges/units will be asked to revise student success plans based on the data.
• Looking into starting a Strategic Enrollment Advisory Committee
• New position on campus will be forthcoming - Academic Internship Coordinator

Old Business

1. Recommendation from the Executive Committee – Resolution Calling for CalPERS Fossil Fuel Fund Divestment– second reading

• Sen. Stowers moved the item to the floor and read the item
• Sen. Thomas: speak in strong support of the resolution. Often an argument against something like this often has something to do with fiduciary responsibility. However, there is a certain amount of volatility of these stocks are still considerable.
• Sen. Yee-Melichar: speak in favor of the resolution. Thank Senator Stowers for drafting and working with others on this resolution. Our campus should take a lead on this topic.
• Sen. Leopardo: speak in strong support of this resolution. Colleagues in the CoES are excited. We serve a diverse student body. People of color are disproportionately affected by climate changes.
• Sen. Sinha: perhaps we can get some more media attention for the resolution.
• Vote: Passed unanimously

1. Presentation of Academic Calendars for Summer 2020-2021– consent item

• Sen. Albiniak moved item to the floor
• Sen. Wilczak: Fall calendar is better than last. Too many Mondays were missing last year.
• Sen. Stowers: Can it be clarified what is being presented? It should be stated that APC will be working on inconsistencies in the policy.
  • Sen. Gerber: there are several issues. Last time we patched up holes instead of looking at it long-range. This semester a deeper investigation will be done in APC in the coming semester.
  • Sen. Pasion: are there two versions?
    • Sen. Gerber: only one is currently loaded on iLearn. Summer start date of June 1
  • Sen. Gerber: there is an added workday at the beginning of the semester
• Item adopted without objection as submitted

1. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Certificate in Cybersecurity for Managers– first reading

• Sen. Hines moved item to the floor and spoke to the item. This item passed CRAC unanimously.
• Sen. Thomas – ceded time to Lutfus Sayeed – the name should be changed
  • Chair Gerber clarified that we can change it in 2^nd reading
• Sen. Small moved the item to 2^nd reading – seconded – no senators opposed.
• 2^nd Reading
  • Sen. Hines: proposes the title change to “Certificate in Cyber Security Management”
    • No discussion
    • Vote: change is accepted unanimously
  • No further debate
  • Vote: approved with change unanimously

New Business

1. Recommendation from the Educational Policies Council: Proposed Discontinuance of the MS in Biology, Concentration in Microbiology – first reading

• Sen. Stowers moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item
• Sen. Stowers also clarified the reasons that units propose discontinuances.
• Sen. Way: Should be noted that sometimes we get pushed to look at our curriculum and it turns on well for everyone
• Sen. Hines: also support and commend the unit for the changes they are making.

1. Recommendation from the Educational Policies Council: Proposed Discontinuance of the MS in Biology, Concentration in Marine Biology – first reading

• Sen. Stowers moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item
• Returned to committee

1. Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Minor in Spanish–first reading

• Sen. Hines moved the item to the floor and spoke to the item
• Sen. Hulik: speaking in favor. Various roadmaps offers students flexibility
• Sen. Holmes: also support. Many employers are demanding this as a second language. It would be ideal to mirror this in other Colleges it would be great.
• Returned to committee

 

Presentations/Information Items

1. Lori Beth Way, Dean Undergraduate Education and Academic Planning

• Presentation on Institute for Civic and Community Engagement (ICCE) in terms of how it is working to help and how the current system came to be, including the EO mandates.
• Presentation on Syllabus Audit – one-time only and it was conducted because of WASC accreditation interim report. One noted WASC item was mandated student-learning outcomes on all syllabi.
• Presentation on EO 1110 and SF State’s response to the EO. Results of the new system are mixed. The co-requisite model seems less successful than the stretch model. However, more students than expected participated in Early Start.

1. Adjournment

• Adjourned @ 3:50pm

 

Notes on agenda items

Agenda Item 5

Given the impact of fossil fuel use on the global climate, and seeing that CalPERS has already divested from thermal coal companies, the Executive Committee is proposing a resolution that calls on CalPERS to divest from fossil fuel funds, following other organizations such as the University of California retirement system and the SF State University Corporation.

Agenda Item 6

According to the Senate policy #S19-242, each fall Academic Resources must present the calendar for the next two years for the Senate as a consent item as long as it follows the policy guidelines. APC will review the policy this semester to address some lingering concerns, and will use this opportunity to discuss the ramifications of the current policy with the full Senate before debating revisions within their committee.

Agenda Item 7

This is a new certificate proposed by the Department of Information Systems in the Lam Family College of Business. The Certificate expects to target both current students and working professionals of for-profit and non-profit businesses who wish to begin or expand their knowledge of Cybersecurity. The name has been changed to reflect concerns that its purpose will be misinterpreted.

Agenda Items 8&9

The Educational Policies Council (EPC) has recommended that the Senate approve proposed discontinuances to two concentrations in the MS in Biology. This is part of an overall restructuring of the MS in Biology that includes the revisions already approved by the Academic Senate.

Agenda Item 10

The Curriculum Review and Approval Committee (CRAC) is recommending approval of a new minor in Spanish.

Agenda Item 11

Dean Way and Associate Dean Jane DeWitt will update the Senate on the impact of Senate policies such as the internship policy and the recently completed syllabus audit. Time permitting, they will update us on the implementation of Executive Order (EO) 1110.