Chair: Dr. Susan Camp

Recorder: Sarah Lewis

The meeting was called to order at 4:06 P.M.

 I. Approval of Agenda

The agenda was approved unanimously with the switching of the Faculty Senate Report and the President’s Report. 

 II.  Approval of Minutes of General Faculty Meeting of September 21^st, 2009

The minutes were approved unanimously.

III. Faculty Senate Report

A full Faculty Senate Report can be found here.

President Stanley began her report by discussing the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act, or PHEEIA.  She stated that the PHEEIA was something that emerged from the 64 campus tour.  She also stated that the Budget Task Force was charged with how to allocate SUNY’s 90 million dollar mid-year deficit reduction among the campuses. The Budget Task Force was also asked to think about flexibility issues for SUNY as they began to prepare the budget request for 2010-11.This act, she continued, was something that came from collaborations among SUNY, CUNY, and DOB and is approved by all SUNY Presidents. 

She continued to talk about this Act by stating that it would take our funding off the state budget, and would ensure that tuition money stays within the SUNY system and cannot be swept into the State budget after it has been appropriated.  This Act would give fiscal security and peace of mind to parents of potential SUNY students, especially during the current economic situation in this country.  President Stanley continued that this act might allow our campus to decide to treat tuition like how the “Oswego Guarantee” with room and board here already works.  She stated that the “Oswego Guarantee” has had an excellent track record since its conception 12 years ago.  President Stanley wants people to become informed on the benefits of this Act to students and their families, the SUNY workforce, and to New York State. 

President Stanley continued discussing the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act by stating this would help alleviate the internal challenges that medical and comprehensive colleges have with other colleges in the SUNY system when it comes to issues dealing with the procurement.  If differential tuition is put in place, there will also be controls that would accompany this to keep affordability in mind.  

She then continued to report about the PHEEIA by stating that there are only a few states in the entire Union that do not give this freedom to its state colleges.   She stated that this would keep the state from raising tuition when the budget is in the “hole” and sweep tuition from state schools to help balance the state’s budget.  President Stanley is actively lobbying for this Act to be passed, and stated that this Act would move us from a pre-audit system to a post-audit system, which would include us in the other 46 states that have post-audit already in place. 

She then talked about how this Act will allow public/private partnerships with campuses, and allow for Project Labor Agreements for construction projects that are going on around the campuses, so that the money that is put into these projects would use local labor, and keep the money within the local economies around the campuses. She concluded that it was time to lift the strings that bind the SUNY campuses, and let the schools be free and independent, and create a divergence between campus generated funds and state funds, because she stated that the tuition sweep that has been plaguing the SUNY system the last few years must be halted.

President Stanley then continued her report by discussing the budget.  She stated that the 2009-2010 deficit reduction is permanent with a cut of 90 million dollars. She then stated that the collective bargaining, fringe benefits, inflation and energy cost are 98.4 million dollars for the colleges.  Also the increased tuition share will be 16.7 million dollars.  However, the reduction in state operational budget is 117.9 million dollars, and that the gap closing state-wide personal service action will be a cut of 30.9 million dollars.  She stated that there are no figures out yet for the campus, the following numbers are just ballpark numbers that the budget office has estimated based on preliminary numbers from SUNY.   For the percent of the 2009-2010 Deficit Reduction Program that SUNY Oswego will have to cut, will be $416, 000.  The approximate reduction for SUNY Oswego will be 2.2 million dollars of the 117.9 million dollars state operated campuses are being cut.  The amount of money that SUNY Oswego will receive from the tuition share program will be $570,000, and the projected money from the tuition increase for the 2010-2011 school year is $788,000.   The estimated cut that this campus might face is at the low end 1.26 million but will likely be closer to 2.2 million dollars. The campus will once again look to reserves to help mitigate the cut.

She then continued her report to discuss enrollment for the spring and applications for the college.  She stated that the number of applications for incoming freshman in the fall is increasing, and she hopes and believes that the number of applicants will surpass the record-breaking number of applicants from last year.  She also stated that there are currently 6,629 full-time students enrolled for the spring semester, with an increase of 158 students, and 1,046 part-time students enrolled for the spring semester, with a decrease of 28 part-time students.  The total credit hours being taken for this semester is 101,158; which is an increase of 1,653 hours. 

She then discussed the Chancellors Strategic Planning Process.  She stated that will be interesting to watch it form and then happen, and that faculty can go to the SUNY site for strategic planning, and listed there are the people that are involved with the strategic planning from each campus.

President Stanley then discussed the upcoming Middle States reaccreditation visit that will be happening in Spring 2012.   The Co-Chairs are doing well with the tasks that have been set forth for them. A survey will be taking place this spring, along with a visit from Middle States in April 2010.  The small class initiative keeps people involved, which she stated that in 2009, 50% of all classes were below 20 students, and that the goal for 2010 is to have 53% of all classes below 20 students. 

She then went on to state that there are new initiatives, including the Summer Scholars Program, which is being funded at $50,000 by the Development office, which will include faculty-student scholarly activities to take place in the summer of 2010, and that SCAC will award grants.  There will also be a Summer Science Immersion Program, supported by an agreement with the Syracuse Academy of Science for students interested in the STEM fields.  Also in the works is the Global Laboratory, which she then thanked everyone for getting this up and going.  This program will be available all over the world it is a component of the Possibility Scholarship initiative. 

She then concluded her report with various upcoming events and happenings around campus.  She stated that The Village is moving right along for its opening in the Fall of 2010, and there is expressed interest with students about moving to the Village.  She also discussed the groundbreaking of the Sciences Complex, which will be happening sometime this spring.  She then stated that for Commencement this Spring, Secretary of the Army, John McHugh will be the keynote speaker for the morning Commencement.  Also, author Naomi Wolf will be speaking at both Commencements.  She then ended with some quotes that reflected on her encouragement for people to begin to think about new education delivery methods for the 21^st century.  How will we educate the next generation of students?

Mr. Ihlow began his report by discussing that for the latest budget, there has been a $118 million cut to SUNY, and over 2 years, SUNY has absorbed $528 million of $2 billion cuts that have faced state agencies.  He also stated that the cuts to SUNY are 24% of the cuts to state agencies overall. In 1991, the state funded 75% of SUNY operating budget, now students pay over 50% of that same cost.  He stated to the Assembly that faculty should fax legislators about these cuts. To find out who your local legislator is, visit either uupinfo.org or uuposwego.org, which
is the new Oswego UUP website.

He also stated that IDAP Award due dates will be announced on the web soon.  Also, he reported that the UUP newsletter was emailed in December. It is also on the UUP Oswego website. You can also call the office for articles.

Lastly, he wanted to remind the Assembly to make sure that you are a member.  He stressed that it is important to sign membership cards and to talk to colleagues and make sure that they have signed the backs of their union cards and that they should check and make sure that they are a member of the UUP.

VI.  Chair Report - S. Camp           

The chair began her report by welcoming back everyone and stating that Senator Gwen Kay and she returned from University Faculty Senate Saturday afternoon.  She stated that important items of interest include; general education, higher education act being proposed to the state legislature, budget, and new COO.

Dr. Camp then asked faculty to be aware that we have many programs and program revisions in the council pipeline right now.  She stressed for everyone to please talk with your colleagues about shepherding these through governance so that all can be dealt with this spring.

VII.     Unfinished Business                                            

                        There was no unfinished business. 

VIII.    New Business

                        There was no new business.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:17 P.M.