October 4, 2016 Minutes

 

 

 

 

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

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.

ATTENDANCE:

Absences: Cook, Dave (abs); Denetclaw, Wilfred (exc); de Barro, Jose (abs); Hasheminia, Hamed (abs); Holton, Thomas (abs); Konopka, Ethel (abs); Le, Mai Nhung (abs); Lebuhn, Gretchen (abs); Nizzardini, Richard (abs); Robinson, Nancy (abs); Solomon-Rice, Patti (abs); Tanner, Kimberly (exc); Zavala, Maria (exc);

 

Visitors: None

ANNOUNCEMENTS

·          The Economics department is sponsoring the Second Annual Betty Blecha Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series featuring Dr. Raj Chetty, Professor at Stanford and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship awardee on  Friday Oct. 14,  6-7:30pm  in McKenna Theater.  The topic is Improving Equality of Opportunity in America.  The flier is posted on the Senate ILearn page. 

·         The  Administration and Finance department announces the SF State Women’s Leadership Conference on Oct. 21 at Seven Hills Conference Center. This all day event is free and open to all faculty staff and students.  Registration starts Oct. 5 at 10 am.  adminfin.sfsu.edu/content/womensleadershipconference.

·         There will be a field trip to the Mashouf Wellness Center today after adjournment.

AGENDA ITEM #1—Approval of the Minutes for September 20, 2016

·         Approved as submitted.

 

AGENDA ITEM #2—Approval of the Agenda for October 4, 2016

·         Approved as submitted.

 

AGENDA ITEM #3—Chair’s Report

·         Proud of Senate and SFSU.  At the last Plenary Sen. Yee-Melichar reported on resolutions approved and in process from the  quantitative reasoning task force and requiring a 4^th year of high school math for admittance to the CSU.  This report promoted discussion in and after the last Plenary.  Concerns were raised that this requirement would restrain or penalize disadvantaged students and would further restrict  eligibility for the CSU. Our senators  saw this as a social justice issue.  A long email discussion ensued resulting in the conclusion that   AS 3244-16 has been poorly crafted and needs to be responded to.  Steven Filling, immediate past chair of ASCSU will be coming to our Senate to discuss these resolutions and our concerns at the next Plenary on Oct. 18.  This issue will also be brought up at the All Chairs meeting next week in Long Beach.  Our concerns have been translated into action.

 

AGENDA ITEM #4—Information Item: Standard Time Block Task Force Report

·         Sen. Rosegard gave a summary of the Task Force Report.  The report is uploaded on the Senate ILearn.

·         Sen. Williams:  Strategies for implementation?

·         Sen. Gen:  Schedule moving forward; timeline for when things are happening; opportunity for community input?

·         Sen. Toporek:  Difference between grad versus undergraduate programs? 

·         Sen. Steir:  Hard to get T/TT faculty to start classes started before 11:00 n the morning?

·         Sen. Rem:  Inequity in space allocation across the campus? 

·         Sen. Y-M:  Is 50 minutes the hour? 

·         Sen. Foley:  Were students part of the conversation for the Task Force?

·         Sen. Toporek:  60 minute hour would impact ability to travel between classes.

 

AGENDA ITEM #5— Recommendation from the Faculty Affairs Committee: Proposed Revisions to the Retention, Tenure, and Promotion Policy (first reading)

·    Sen. Sabee moved item and spoke to the item.

·   Sen. Yee-Melichar::  Suggestion for  Page 3 lines 73 and 76:  change to “the arbitrator should be the University Council.”  RE the Chair letters: past practice that the if the department chair is the same or lower rank they do not write a letter for the nominee.

·   Sen. Bloom:  Re Line 66-67:  are conflict of roles versus conflict of interest defined?. In  Line 73-75  conflict of interest is defined only as financial- is this the only definition?

·   Sen. Howard:  There are  other kinds of role conflicts.

·   Sen. Bloom:  FAC should more clearly define conflict of interest and conflict of roles.

·   Sen. Reyes:  If faculty can never evaluate professors of greater rank that leaves faculty powerless.

·   Sen. Gen:  From a Human Resources perspective- a person of lower rank cannot evaluate a person of higher rank.

·   Sen. Howard:  Cannot see  a lower ranking person evaluating a higher-ranking person.

·   Sen. Collins:  Context for lines 47-50:  in some departments there has been a shift from old guard to new guard.  Some departments may not have full professors to evaluate.

·   Sen. Toporek:  In cases where the Chair does not evaluate does this not leave a missing link in the evaluation process?  How does this affect the WPAF of the person under evaluation?

·   Sen. Mayes:  The CBA says Chairs may offer evaluative letters.  Chairs are not obliged.

·   Chair Carleton: Item is remanded back to committee for further work.

 

AGENDA ITEM #6—Committee Nominations

a.    Board of Appeals and Review nominations. (2 Plenary appointees; faculty – 2 years)

i.         Samuel McCormick from Communication Studies

ii.        Patrick Tierney from Rec, Parks, and Tourism

·    Dr. McCormick has not confirmed so his election will be postponed.

·   Dr. Tierney is appointed.

b.   Enrollment Management Committee nominations. (1 Plenary appointee; faculty & chair – 1 year)

i.         Rene Dahl from CAD

·   Dr. Dahl is appointed.

 

AGENDA ITEM #7—Standing Committee Reports

Academic Policies Committee

·         Had a report from Lori Beth Way on the Ad Astra program.

·         The Task Force report on standard start times was discussed.  Guests have been invited.

·         Work continues on the modification of the course repeat  and withdrawal policy.

Curriculum Review and Approval Committee

·         Discussed  substantive versus non-substantive guideline change.

·         Worked on cross-listed courses guidelines. 

·         Procedures and processes regarding discontinuance are being reviewed.

Faculty Affairs Committee

·         Continue to work on proposed changes to the RTP policy.

·         Continue work on GTA tuition remission.

Strategic Issues Committee

·         Resolution in support of  Prop. 55 crafted.

·         Had a discussion with Alan Young.  Next week will have a discussion with Provost Summitt.  Questions are solicited for these discussions.

Student Affairs Committee

·         Last week and next week have guests from ASI on the topic of how to get more student involvement in the Senate and its committees.  May change SAC charge to coincide with the by- laws of ASI.

·         Had further discussion of the inclusion program and a possible resolution to support it.

 

AGENDA ITEM #8— Adjournment—no later than 5:00pm

·         Adjourned at 3:10 pm.