Minutes of the Academic Senate
March 27, 2014
1. The meeting was called to order on March 27, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. by Chairperson Keith Ogawa. Roll was called and the following Senators were present: Chairperson Keith Ogawa, Interim Vice Chairman Charles Hamaker, Past Chairperson Claude Malary, Berna Aksu, Peter Freund, Laura Heid, Jeannine King, David Quijada, Martin Rokeach, Ronald Olowin and Parliamentarian Helga Lénárt-Cheng.
Also present were: Zeynep Atalay, Valerie Burke, Vice Provost Richard Carp, Provost Beth Dobkin, Sandra Mattar, Jim Sauerberg, Ted Tsukahara, Dean Roy Wensley, and Dean Steve Woolpert.
2. Minutes of the March 6, 2014 meeting were approved.
REPORTS
3. Chairperson’s Report – Chair Ogawa reported that he continues working on a document related to Intellectual Property Rights for Senate consideration at the April meeting. A meeting is scheduled with Human Resources Director Eduardo Salaz to continue the discussion of the relationship between the Staff and Faculty Handbooks on the subject of Intellectual Property Rights.
Chair Ogawa has conducted an open faculty meeting for each school regarding faculty well-being. An additional meeting is set for all schools on April 23 from 1-2 p.m. in Galileo 202. After the final meeting he will draft a summary for the Senate.
Chair Ogawa continues the dialogue with College Counsel Larry Nuti regarding the streaming and/or taping of Senate meetings. Will each new Senate need to vote on the subject of streaming? What are the requirements and/or risks? Senator Rokeach said he doesn’t see a problem with streaming the Senate meetings and he would encourage the Senate to approve this and begin streaming. Provost Dobkin suggested that should the Senate decide to go forward with taping or streaming meetings, the College Counsel would then review what would be required to minimize the risk. Perhaps the only issue would be to notify folks when they sign in that the meeting is being streamed and/or recorded.
Chair Ogawa reported that he received a letter from the Brothers of the Joseph Alemany Community in favor of a total ban on smoking on the Saint Mary's campus. The letter was addressed to the President and the Senate. A closed session will be held for interested persons to discuss the Smoke Free Campus initiative. Past Chair Malary will attend on behalf of the Academic Senate and report back.
Consent Agenda: The following proposals were approved unanimously by the Undergraduate Educational Policies Committee and accepted by the Senate on the Consent Agenda:
TRS 127 – In the Face of Mystery: Using Faith and Reason in the Search for God
Hist 114 – Warfare in Medieval Europe
Modern Math Major Proposal
Chair Ogawa noted that the Philosophy Department was consulted for TRS 127 proposal. The Modern Math Major Proposal redefined the curriculum and the department; changing a major and eliminating a Bachelor of Arts degree, changing concentrations to three emphases.
4. Committee on Committees (CoC) – Interim Vice Chair Charles Hamaker reported that the final ballot for the faculty elections is currently available online. Several offices have already been determined from the nomination round as several positions had a minimum number of candidates. Professor Hisham Ahmed is the Senate Vice Chairperson-elect. A few offices will not be filled by election as no candidates came forward; the Chair of the Senate will make appointments as stipulated in the Faculty Handbook.
The CoC is continuing its work of consulting the various Senate committees regarding reconfiguration of the eligibility criteria for each committee.
Regarding the unfilled positions, Chair Ogawa asked if it is the qualifications preventing faculty from putting their name forward, or the number of eligible faculty, or lack of interest? Interim CoC Chair Hamaker replied that the issues seem to be varied. For example, the KSOE position on the CSGB only has a minimal number of faculty qualified (must have taught three seminars). He said the Seminar Board has agreed that the position requirements need to be visited.
The conversation took place about the difficult issues of filling the committee positions. Feedback was requested about what can be done to force or encourage participation. Should more pressure be placed on promotion and tenured requirements? Dean Woolpert added that the Faculty Handbook stipulates that when faculty accept their contracts they promise to give their full and best efforts to fulfilling their responsibilities as assigned. Past Chair Malary said there are variables to be considered before we answer the question. The collapsing of graduate/undergraduate may have a positive outcome, as well as easing of the tenure requirement. Perhaps faculty are not fully aware of the consequences, the burden they place on other faculty. He suggested explaining to faculty that do not participate the weight they place on the remaining committee members, appeal to their professionalism. The Senate has not tried this approach.
Ted Tsukahara suggested that perhaps the structure needs to be revisited; there might be a better way. Jim
Sauerberg asked if there are just a few people that won’t take responsibility; how widespread is the problem? Chair Ogawa said the Senate also needs to note the service that goes on within the schools themselves and that is influencing service responsibilities.
Interim Vice Chair Hamaker added that very few faculty come forward for demanding assignments such as the PRC or Senate. Senator Freund said it could be instructive to pair the service question with the results from the FWC workload survey. Ted Tsukahara said the FWC will be looking at the survey on Monday and he will have more comments once the data is considered.
5. Strategic Planning – Past Chair Malary reported that the committee has met twice. The most recent meeting included an overview and updates about the Vision and Mission Subcommittee and a report of the Listening Sessions summaries and discussions. Development of strategic directives included three workgroups to review and prioritize proposed strategic directives. The Initiative Teams were formed. President Donahue reported on the Board meeting: Value proposition to create clarity about identity and aspirations.
The meeting then moved to a discussion of the draft of strategic framework. The key phrase is, “Having a select institution at a moderate price” how to make it less expensive and more selective. The Vision and Mission Subcommittee was formed to look at the document for review. Work groups will be formed to review and prioritize directives and possible initiatives. Faculty are needed for the following work groups, to be launched by April 1st.
1. Academic distinction
2. Student lifecycle
3. Responsibility for mission
4. Facilities and footprint
5. Messaging
6. Affordability
Provost Dobkin said she will meet with deans to come up with names of faculty to serve on the six committees. The groups are to meet over the next 6-8 weeks. The groups will come up with the main goal for the Steering Committee to consider.
6. Provost’s Updates – Provost Dobkin reported she made the recommendation to Mary McCall, Director of Faculty Development, to combine the Faculty Fund Committee and The Committee on Teaching Scholarship. She is trying to establish an internal faculty research grant process, up to $9000 for research activity.
OLD BUSINESS
7. Selection and Appointment Procedures – Chair Ogawa introduced the proposed Faculty Handbook Language revision for the Selection and Appointment Procedures. A MOTION was made by Past Chair Malary and SECONDED by Senator Heid to place the item on the table for discussion.
Chair Ogawa explained that the purpose of the revision is to provide consistency in the Faculty Handbook and bring the language up to current practices. A MOTION was made by Past Chair Malary and SECONDED by Interim Vice Chair Hamaker to consider the document statement by statement.
Following is the first page of the document as submitted for review.
Faculty Handbook 2013-14
2.3 SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES
2.3.1 SELECTION/APPOINTMENT OF RANKED FACULTY
1. Ordinarily, a search originates in and is conducted by an academic department or program. Before beginning the selection process, the department chair shall request the Dean of the School to secure written authorization from the Provost for a particular position, initiate the process by submitting a Faculty Line Request to the Dean of the School, who must then secure written authorization from the Provost for a particular position, while the President approves the total number of new positions. After written authorization from the Provost has been secured, the Dean will notify the department chair in writing and attach the documents listed below (2.3.1(3)). [note: such documents no longer exist] The chair bears responsibility for ensuring that the procedures below are followed, with particular emphasis upon selecting colleagues who support the mission of the College, meet the needs of the department or program, and help the College fulfill its commitment to diversity.
2. The department chair, in consultation with the ranked faculty in the department or program and the Dean of the School, appoints a Search Committee, chaired, whenever possible, by a tenured faculty member. In extraordinary circumstances (e.g., when hiring for a new program), an academic Dean may initiate a search. In such cases, the Dean shall appoint a faculty chair of the Search Committee. The Chair who will carry out the search process; under these circumstances, the Dean maintains responsibility for ensuring that procedures are followed. In any case, The Committee shall include a faculty member from outside the department, preferably one from outside the School. The roles, duties, and rights of the Search Committee member from outside the department or School shall be equal to those of the other members of the Committee. For primarily traditional undergraduate appointments, the Committee should include a faculty member who has taught in and will represent the Collegiate Seminar. Search Committees should be comprised of a minimum of five voting members.
Past Chair Malary opened the discussion about the role of the committee member from outside of the department. There does not seem to be consistency on all search committees, it is often a very sensitive issue. Vice Provost Carp added that a faculty member is tenured to the College and not tenured to the department. Provost Dobkin said many faculty have reported that they feel like secondary citizens when they are the outside member on a search committee. The proposed language attempts to validate that the voices and responsibilities are to be equally shared.
There were several amendments/revisions offered and discussed. The following paragraphs are shown in their final version as amended by the Senate:
1. Ordinarily, a search originates in and is conducted by an academic department or program. Before beginning the selection process, the department chair submit a Faculty Line Request to the Dean of the School, who must then secure written authorization from the Provost for a particular position, while the President approves the total number of new positions. After written authorization from the Provost has been secured, the Dean will notify the department chair. The chair bears responsibility for ensuring that the procedures below are followed, with particular emphasis upon selecting colleagues who support the mission of the College, meet the needs of the department or program, and help the College fulfill its commitment to diversity.
*2. In extraordinary circumstances (e.g., when hiring for a new program), an academic Dean may initiate a search. In such cases, the Dean shall appoint a faculty chair of the Search Committee. The Chair will carry out the search process; under these circumstances, the Dean maintains responsibility for ensuring that procedures are followed.
3. The department chair, in consultation with the ranked faculty in the department or program and the Dean of the School, appoints a Search Committee, chaired, whenever possible, by a tenured faculty member. The Committee shall include a faculty member from outside the department, preferably one from outside the School. The roles, duties, and rights of the Search Committee member from outside the department or School shall be equal to those of the other members of the Committee. For primarily traditional undergraduate appointments, the Committee should include a faculty member who has taught in and will represent the Collegiate Seminar. Search Committees shall comprise a minimum of five members: with equal votes.
(*The paragraphs were reconstituted, creating one additional numbered paragraph, #2 above. The remaining paragraphs
are to be renumbered accordingly.)
Discussion was suspended on the remainder of the document, to be continued at the April meeting.
8. Proposal for Structure of the Core Curriculum Committee - Chair Ogawa introduced the following proposal, submitted from the Core Curriculum Committee.
Language governing the Core Curriculum Committee
The following is the language initially approved by the Academic Senate December 6th, 2010, with revisions prompted by March 24th, 2011 Senate actions incorporated. The language contained suggestions that it was to be reviewed after three years.
The CCC considered it, and produced this document at its March 4th and March 18, 2014 meetings. At that second meeting it voted in favor of the revision shown. (The changes recommended by the CCC are in bold and strikeout.)
The CCC recommends that this document be adopted by the Academic Senate as the governing document of the CCC as of July 1 2014, and that it be reviewed by the CCC and Academic Senate in 2016-2017.
I. Overall Structure
Core Curriculum Committee (CCC)
· 1 Chair of the Core Curriculum Committee
· Will be a tenured, undergraduate faculty member chosen for a multi-year term
· The initial chair will be selected by a search committee made up of two members each of the Senate, UEPC, and CCIC. This initial director will be appointed for a 5-year term
· Subsequent chairs will serve for 3-year terms on the recommendation of the CCC, the Senate, and the UEPC
· Will chair the CCC
· 6 ranked, undergraduate faculty members
· 2 from each SOLA, SOS, and 1 from SEBA, each elected by the ranked faculty in that school, and 1 selected from ranked faculty at-large
· Elected for 3-year, staggered terms
· The structure to be reevaluated on a 3 year cycle.
· Permanent ex Ex-officio & non-voting members
· 1 Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academics or designee