Plenary Minutes, March 8, 2016

ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

Tuesday, March 8, 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: Castillo, Karla (exc); Collins, Robert (abs); Cortez, Ron (abs); Fraser, Paulina (abs); Hasheminia, Hamed (abs); Hill, Lorna (abs); Hoxter, Julian (abs); Kakar, Venoo (abs); Le, Mai Nhung (exc); Lebuhn, Gretchen (abs); Rosegard, Erik (abs); Sanders, Alison (abs); Shapiro, Jerry (abs); Wong, Les (abs)

Visitors: Ann Hallum, Alex Katz, Robert Ramirez

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• E. Goldstein:  Thanks senators for their service this year.  Ask for nominations for committee positions that are open.

AGENDA ITEM #1—Approval of the Minutes for February 23, 2016

• Approved as submitted.

AGENDA ITEM #2—Approval of the Agenda for March 8, 2016

• Approved with amendment to add new Item #9 Resolution in Support of Budget Transparency.
• Correction to Item #6: should read, “paired courses”.

AGENDA ITEM #3—Chair’s Report

• Start with an exercise: Objective reality is always colored by the lens through which it is viewed.  Recent events reflect a call for a shift in favor of shared governance.  All agree that 1. There is not enough funding for all programs 2. There is a need for budget transparency.  There is also a larger issue of protecting Academic Freedom. 
• Resolution from the Chair of the CSU Academic Senate is read.

AGENDA ITEM #4—ASCSU Report

• Senator Ritter:  AS3236 Reaffirming principle of shared governance.  Passed unanimously. 
• AS3244 Support for requiring a 4^th year of high school mathematics quantitative reasoning. After two hours of discussion. Motion passed.
• AS3245 Resolution on faculty representation on campus honorary degree committees.  Passed unanimously.
• AS3251 In support of increased funding for RSCA program. In first reading.
• Senator Yee-Melichar:  AS3246 Resolution to prevent workplace bullying within CSU community. Passed.
• AS3248 Resolution on 2016 legislative advocacy positions.  Passed.
• AS3250 Resolution regarding evaluation of online teaching.  In first reading.
• AS3252 Proposed Calendar for the 16-17 Academic years. Passed.
• The CSU 2016 Summer Institute is being planned.  Theme:  Faculty Excellence and Student Success.  Dates: July 12-14 at CSU Chancellor’s office in Long Beach.
• Senator Gen:  Disappointment about adding a 4^th year of mathematics.
• Senator Yee- Melichar:  Many Senators agree with this perspective.  There was a 2-hour discussion on this resolution.
• Senator Hanley:  Concur with Senator Gen. 
• Senator Bloom:  concur that 3 years of math is enough.  Issue is of lack of qualified math teachers.
• Senator Davila:  related daughter’s experience in high school with unqualified math teacher.
• Senator Toporek:  UCs are already requiring 4 years- any discussion of this?
• Senator Ritter:  yes- all these issues were discussed.  Consensus was that this move might improve K-12 funding for mathematics.
• Senator Steier:  NY Times article about high school math.

AGENDA ITEM #5— Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Proposed 2016-2017 Senate Meeting Schedule (first reading)

• Senator Hackenberg:  moves item.  Speaks to item.
• Senator Sabee:  check dates? 
• EG:  confirms that dates on proposal are incorrect.
• Senator? :  can we revise start time of plenary and committees to 2:10?
• Chair Carleton:  will revise and correct the proposed schedule.

AGENDA ITEM #6— Recommendation from Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed revision to the Paired Courses policy (first reading)[time certain: 2:40]

• Senator Pasion moves item.  Speaks to item.
• Senator Pasion:  yields floor to Associate Dean Robert Ramirez:  on behalf of COSE speaks against revision.
• Senator Mitchell:  Question about percentages in wording.
• Senator Pasion:  yields to Ellen Hinds, Chair of Graduate Council:  In support of revisions, which represent 2 years of work by the Graduate Council.
• Senator Gerber:  Revisions need more clarity. 
• Senator Steier:  Paired courses are linked with insufficient funding.
• Chair Carleton:  proposed revision will be passed back to committee.

AGENDA ITEM #7— Recommendation from Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Variable Topic and Experimental Courses policy (first reading)

• Senator Pasion:  Moves item.  Speaks to item. 
• Senator Gerber:  clarification that there was never a policy?
• Senator Pasion:  A policy has never been approved.
• Senator Summit:  Agrees.  Were guidelines but not policy.
• Senator Mays:  May be additions in the future.
• Chair Carleton:  the proposed policy will come back in second reading in next plenary.

AGENDA ITEM #8—Recommendation from the Student Affairs Committee: Proposed revision to the Board of Appeals and Review Policy (consent item)

• Senator Schwartz:  Moves item.  Speaks to item.
• Senator Robertson:  the proposed new language implies plural.
• Senator Davila:  “their” is now proper as a singular.
• Approved by acclimation.

New AGENDA ITEM #9:  Resolution in Support of Budget Transparency

• Senator Hanley:  Moves item. Speaks to item.  Reads Resolved part of the resolution.
• Senator Davila:  in support of resolution. 
• Senator Robertson: Have never heard concerns about this issue before in this body and why now that there has been media attention?  Concerns about resolution being too emotional and unfocused.  Concern about the creation of another Senate committee.  Supportive of the concept but this resolution might be too premature.
• Senator Yee- Melichar:  How does this proposed new senate committee differ from our University Budget committee (UBC)?
• Senator Hanley:  members of UBC are not asked to make recommendations. One of the existing Senate committees might be converted.  Other CSU campuses do enjoy a different level of participation in the budget.
• Senator Reyes:  will there be representation from every college on this committee?
• Senator Hammer:  moves to second reading.  Seconded.
• Senator Gerber: against move to second reading.
• Senator Yee- Melichar:  against move to second reading.
• Move to second reading defeated.  Resolution will revert to Ex-Comm for future work.

AGENDA ITEM #10 —Standing Committee Reports

• Academic Policies Committee
•             Senator Hammer:  continue work on the Probation policy.  Continue work on             policy revisions to CWEP. Creation of new Athletic Advisory board pending.
• Curriculum Review and Approval Committee
•             Senator Pasion:  will be reviewing proposals once they are submitted.
• Faculty Affairs Committee
•             Senator Trogu:  continue work on revisions to RTP policy. 
• Strategic Issues Committee
•             Senator Azadpur:  continue review of all policies and relevant committees.  Work on Affirmative Action policy to bring up to date.
• Student Affairs Committee
•             Senator Schwartz:  work on support for Student success and graduation       initiative.  Work on revising short-term loan policy.

AGENDA ITEM #10—Adjournment—no later than 5:00pm

• Adjourned at 3:15.