Report on the Nov 7-9, 2007 meeting of the Statewide Academic Senate CSU
Reported by Steven Stepanek
Resolutions Passed:
1. AS-2812-07/FGA Regarding CSU 2008-09 Budget Priorities – urges the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees to adopt the following prioritized list as their highest budget priorities for 2008-09:
a. implementation of ACR 73 – a plan to increase the number of tenure-track positions
b. request monies from the Legislature above the Compact for an additional 1% compensation
c. fully fund enrollment
2. AS-2813-07/AA/FA/FGA Textbook Affordability – endorses exploration of alternative publishing methods
3. AS-2815-07/FGA Opposition to the State Ballot Initiative “Community College Governance, Funding Stabilization, and Student Fee Reduction Act” – the concern is the impact of the proposed changes to the State Constitution to achieve funding stability
4. AS-2819-07/FA Board of Trustees and Chancellor Office Attention and Response to Faculty Votes of No Confidence – addresses concerns over how the Chancellor’s Office has handled recent faculty votes of no confidence regarding campus presidents at Sonoma and Sacramento
5. AS-2821-07/FA/AA/FGA/TEKR Access to Excellence Strategic Plan – addresses concerns regarding the current Access to Excellence draft report
Resolutions Under Consideration of Importance to CSUN:
1. AS-2817-07/AA Drops, Withdrawals, Incompletes and Repeats – a reply to the Task Force Report that recommends the creation of a minimum set of standards for the CSU
2. AS-2825-07/FA/FGA/AA Business Professional Fees – opposes the recommendations of the report from the CSU Colleges of Business for the creation of special students fees to support professional programs in Business; recommends the Chancellor’s Office explore other funding avenues to address the issues raised by the Business Colleges
Other Items of Interest:
1. Proposed changes to E.O. 595 (General Education requirements) will be presented and discussed in the coming months; at this time the pending changes are believed to be minor
2. Continued activities to refine the implementation of LDTP; plans to re-brand the program’s name as the project’s significance as a lower division curriculum plan grows (consideration as the major cores for AA degrees; transferability within the CSU)
3. Plans to have a State Bill proposed during the next legislative session to creating nursing programs in the CSU; initial plans are for about 3 campuses to participate
4. Merit of allowing high school Career Tech Courses to meet CSU (and UC) admission requirements; within the CSU, the Admissions Advisory Council (on which I serve) will be asked to address this issue during its next meeting
5. From the CFA report: several campuses are requesting the right to ban the administration of on-line student evaluations of faculty; under Article 15.19 of the Contract, a CFA/CSU committee has been formed to look into the issue
6. From the CFA report: workload is the primary issue confronting faculty
7. From Craig Smith, Faculty Trustee: concerns about the possible 10% budget cut; issue of quality education in a tight budget; faculty workload issue and ACR 73
8. Points from the presentation by State Senator Jack Scott: these are “bumpy times” in higher education funding; possibility of 10% cuts; increased health costs; increased prison budget; importance of accountability in higher education; importance of LDTP; importance of the new Ed.D. programs in the CSU, the attempts to legislate for creation of Nursing programs; need to be prepared for the possibility that the Governor may ask in Jan 08 that the CSU Compact be temporarily deferred