September 18, 2012

SF State Academic Senate           

Seven Hills Conference Center – Nob Hill Room

9/18/2012

Academic Senate minutes

ATTENDANCE:

 

Absences: Alvarenga, Gabriela (abs); Cleary, John (abs); Drennan, Marie (abs) ; Flores, Oscar (abs); Ganji, Ahmad(abs) ;  Getz, Trevor(exc) ; Lewis, Julia (abs); Pelaud, Isabelle(abs); Stowers, Genie(exc); Wong, Les (exc)

 

Parliamentarian: Ray Trautman

 

Guests: Brian Beatty, Sacha Bunge, Gene Chelberg,  Jared Giarrusso, Helen Goldsmith, Ann Hallum,  Jason Porth, Shawn Whalen, Agnes Wong-Nickerson

 

OPEN FLOOR PERIOD:  2:00 - 2:10 p.m.

The Open Floor Period provides an informal opportunity for faculty members to raise questions or make comments directed to Senate officers or to university administrators.  Please arrive promptly at 2:00 p.m.

 

• (Senator Yee-Melichar):  Board of Trustees ratified the CFA Collective Bargaining Agreement; and just conferred the title of “President Emeritus” to Dr. Corrigan.

 

CALL TO ORDER: 2:15 p.m.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The following announcements were made:

1.     (Senator Holzman):  Senate is seeking volunteers to serve on the campus Sustainability Committee and Professional Development Council.  This committee meets last Friday of the month.  If interested please contact Barbara Holzman at bholzman@sfsu.edu

 

1. Approval of the Minutes for September 4, 2012

• This item was discussed.
• The following points were made:

1. Absence of Yee-Melichar is to be considered excused rather than absent.  These types of requests should be communicated to the Academic Senate Office.
2. The minutes are approved as submitted

 

1. Approval of the Agenda for September 18, 2012

• This item was discussed. 

• The following points were made:

1.     Move to amend the agenda (Ginwala) to strike/remove agenda item #8, seconded.
   1. Point of Information regarding the relevance and removal of agenda item #8  (Bettinger and Steier)
   2. Motion passes unanimously
   3. Agenda is approved as amended

 

1. Chair’s Report

• This item was discussed. 
• The following points were made:

1.   Welcome to new and continuing Senators Avani, Pelaud, Donahue, Baines
2.   Chronology of the Board of Trustees (BoT) agenda item related to curriculum change process, subsequent withdrawal of agenda item, and concern related to consultation.

 

 

1. Standing Committee Chairs & CSU Senate Reports

• This item was discussed.  Moved by (Steier)

• The following points were made:

1. (Chernoff):  APC agenda items under review are Basic review of BRC revisions; BoT agenda item which has been withdrawn
2. (Privé):  CRAC agenda items under review are online learning policy; course review policy
3. (Salama):  FAC agenda items under review are external letters related to RTP process and the WPF; Faculty Manual and relation to CBA and existing policies; examination of the WPAF and different models
4. (Lopez):  SAC agenda items under review are student representation/participation; collecting data on student services and resources; EBAC and Proposition 30 campaign
5. (Williams):  SIC agenda items under review are APRC charge and the committee’s place in the university structure; UBC and Senate’s role; awaiting release of the WASC report for review; and the discontinuance process as it relates to faculty
6. (Linder & Yee-Melichar):  Statewide Senators are reviewing legislative initiatives and budgets; review of Bill 340 on pension reform; AS CSU 309012 resolution in support of Proposition 30 (passed);   AS CSU 3093 Resolution opposing on Proposition 32 (passed) AS CSU 3090 Resolution in response to budget reduction strategy plan (unknown status); AB 2132 requiring CSU to adopt policy related to tenure and community service (currently under analysis); reviewing Academic Affairs Annual Report and initiatives:  AS CSU Resolution on original Board of Trustees (BoT) in response to original board item proposing to eliminate upper division GE (defeated);  AS CSU Resolution related to high unit majors (campus input desired); Resolution AS CSU support on Nursing baccalaureate program support.

 

 

1. Provost Sue Rosser – Report on Academic Affairs

• This item was discussed. 

• The following points/highlights were made:

1. Report posted on iLearn for review by senate body.
2. Welcome of new President, Deans, Administrators and 27 tenure/tenure-track faculty this Fall.
3. 1/23 - 24/2013 Faculty Research and Creative Activities retreat announced coordinated by AVP, Jaylan Turkkan.
4. 3/6 - 8/2013 EER visit from WASC.  Final accreditation visit for SF State University.
5. Management by attrition philosophy reviewed through budget crisis.  Tenure-track faculty numbers have gradually decreased during the same period of student increases in population.  Increased number of lecturers during this time was the strategy to manage increased students on the campus.
6. 30 hires (2009), three hires (2010), hires of 21 (2011) and 27 (Fall 2012).  Net loss of 9 tenure/tenure-track faculty due to 17 resignations, 17 retirements, and 2 deaths from 2011/2012 to 2012/2013.  College based statistics are available on the iLearn site.
7. Approval of 41-42 new tenure/tenure-track hires for 2012/2013.  Additional parameters must be discussed on the 100 ‘game changers’ outlined in the President’s welcome.
8. Additional faculty accomplishments were noted. 
9. Numbers of Tenure and Promotion were provided:   2010/2011: 70 went up for tenure and/or promotion, 7 cases were denied, 1 received tenure without promotion; 2011/2012:  70 went up for tenure and/or promotion, 14 cases were considered for discussion, 7 cases were denied, 2 went up early and can reapply, 1 receive no on both tenure and promotion, 1 received tenure without promotion, 1 was denied promotion to full professor, and 2 received tenure and promotion.
10. Questions related to:  timeframe for hiring the 100 ‘game changers’; trends from reviewing faculty attrition (money, public school environment in San Francisco, professional expertise/environment); Degree awards increased higher than student increases;  Tenure and Promotion updates; Proposed impact of Proposition 30 failure and hiring initiatives; impact on the student experience.

 

1. Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee:  Proposed Revisions to the S11-255, Section II.B Minimum grade requirement in all Basic Skills courses (Areas A1-3; B4) in General Education at San Francisco State, Minimum Grade Requirement, 1^st Reading

• This item was discussed.  Moved by (Chernoff)

• The following points were made:

1. Highlights of changes were discussed including:  half grades ending at the grade of C; giving an option of ‘credit/no credit’; line 29 (“In any” and line 32 (The requirement will go into effect…”)
2. Concerns regarding C- grades and whether that will lead to credit for the course; grade inflation and the impact of NC rather than a C- or lower on GPA; Education on GE requirements to those lecturers in these courses; Review of the entire grading systems may be necessary; Should a grade of C be required for credit for undergraduate courses; The student experience should be prioritized when examining this issue

 

1. Recommendation from the Executive Committee:  Proposed Resolution in Support of Proposition 30, Schools & Local Public Safety Protection Act, 1^st Reading

• This item was discussed.  Moved by Executive Committee (Holzman)

• The following points were made:

1. (Holzman) cedes time to Jared Giarrusso, Office of Government Relations.
2. Polling has been fairly static (55% approval; 30-40% disapproval), 60% approval is desirable when examining polling numbers.
3. There are 11 ballot measures along with 7 measures in San Francisco.  This is a complicated ballot.
4. K-12 support may be split with another competing ballot measure
5. Coalition around Proposition 32 which may also not be as strong.
6. Wide belief that if Proposition 30 does not pass, the trigger cuts may be much greater due to the state budget assumptions are off.
7. Questions to this item centered around:  resources for knowledge and information; what are the guarantees that appropriations will be made to higher education if Prop 30 passes;
8. Moved (Salama) to second reading, seconded
   1. Motion passes
9. Moved (Holzman) to approve the resolution, seconded
   1. Motion passes unanimously

 

Recommendation from the Executive Committee:  Proposed Resolution on the Board of Trustees Proposal to Eliminate 9 Units of Upper Division GE, 1^st Reading

• This item was not discussed. 

• The following points were made:

1.     This item was removed through amendment of the agenda.

 

1. Agnes Wong-Nickerson, Associate Vice President of Fiscal Affairs – Report on Bookstore

• This item was discussed. 

• The following points/highlights were made:

1. Review of the presentation currently on iLearn, specifically:
   1. Review of the process for Request for Proposals (RFP) leading to the selection of Follett Higher Education as the managing group.
   2. The transition was a change of management, not a change of ownership; SF State still owns the bookstore.
   3. Number of titles available has increased from 100 to 2,000 titles;  $10,000 scholarship; current employees retained under Follett; Early adoption program will remain; $600,000 investment by Follett  into the bookstore; Bookstore advisory Committee will be formed to review partnership
2. Update on the current transition from the Franciscan Shops to Follett Higher Education management, specifically:
   1. Transition has been going well.
   2. Commitment to the campus and providing service remains.
   3. Digital resources are much broader with the new management.
3.   Questions to this item centered around:   The current status of Franciscan Shops reserve; the length of the contract (5 years); concern related to special orders; viability of prior/outstanding gift cards; identification of textbook adoption dates; rental agreement on the space in the Cesar Chavez Student Center location;  

 

1. Adjournments

• This item was discussed.  Moved (Steir), seconded.

 

Adjournment:  4:17 PM