Members Absent: M. Friday, D. Smart, W. Silky, S. Abraham, and A. Chadaev

                        The meeting was called to order at 3:06 PM.

I.            Approval of Agenda

The agenda was approved unanimously.

II.            FA Chair’s Report – S. Camp

The Chair reported that there is a new Faculty Assembly url  <http://www.oswego.edu/assembly>.  She also reported that the Assembly will hear a finance report by Nick Lyons.  The FAEB developed the following questions for the Vice President to answer:           

               1. Could you summarize the 2005-2006 budget (system, tuition, continuing             education, ORSP, etc) and include monies to Oswego from the Construction             fund?

                2. Has the new BAP been approved?  If so, how do you believe it will affect             Oswego?

                    3. Does the new BAP recognize the difference in cost of labs in Technology,             Science, Broadcasting, Art, Computer Science etc?

                      4. How does Library funding fit into the new BAP?

                 5. Is there anything faculty can do in describing courses or programs that will             increase funding to Oswego?

                6. What is the status of computer rollover or a computer rollover plan?

7. What else should faculty and professional staff know to assist in maximizing our resources?

The chair announced that the College Hour Task Force Proposal would be dealt with after the VP report and elections.  She then gave a brief history of the College Hour.

III.            Reports of Councils, Committees and Task Forces

Personnel Policies Council met on Monday, November 7 and discussed the search for the Director of Research Administration and Development (formerly ORSP Director). They approved the call for nominations and decided that three committee members will be elected by Faculty Assembly at its' November 28 meeting.  PPC also discussed the voting status of ex officio members of councils and determined that the intent of By-Laws is clear -- namely that Ex-Officio members are non-voting, including all persons with Management Confidential (MC) status. The council agreed to change By-Laws to make this clear and agreed that an accurate list of MC and voting faculty must be published early in the Fall semester.

Academic Policies Council met Friday, November 4 and voted to accept the proposed routing forms pending inclusion of the revisions.  They also voted to accept additional courses for the Writing Arts Track in the English BA.  APC voted to accept an additional course, Pol 375: New York State Politics, to be included in the Public Policy Analysis list of electives in the Electives portion of the Public Administration and Public Policy Minor.  They voted to accept the proposal to rename the Biology Department as the "Department of Biological Sciences."  They also voted to approve changes to the BA in Art.  Their next meeting is Friday, November 18. 

Priorities and Planning Council met Friday, November 4 and approved a proposal from the department of modern languages to add cognate courses related to the culture of students' major languages.  They also approved a proposal from the department of political science to remove POL 300: New York State Politics from its "topics" designation and give it its own number.  PPC approved a proposal from the departments of Art, Music, Theatre, Psychology and Counseling and Psychological Services to mount a minor program in Creative Arts Therapy.  The committee also discussed and approved a proposal from the department of Art to separate their graphic design major from their track I studio category and place it in its own studio track.   

Graduate Council met Friday, November 4 and approved the following courses:

BIO 525            Evolution

CPS 505             Psychological Foundations: Psychopathology

CPS 508            Foundations of Mental Health Counseling & Consultation

CPS 512            Practicum in Mental Health Counseling

CPS 513            Practicum in Mental Health Counseling/Substance Abuse

CPS 515            Internship in Mental Health Counseling

CPS 516            Internship in Alcoholism/Substance Abuse Counseling

                        Also, the Graduate Council is providing a statement to Faculty Assembly             concerning the Council's Reporting Out Procedures (please see attachment I). 

Admissions and Student Services elected a chair, a reporter and a recorder and discussed some old business.

Undergraduate Curriculum Council met Friday, November 11 and elected P. Russo as chair.  They distributed a report to the Assembly including new course outlines approved and existing course updates approved (please see attachment II). 

Academic Outreach Council met and elected Jody Fiorini as chair, Rameen Mohammadi as reporter to Faculty Assembly, and Barbara St. Michel as recorder. Yvonne Petrella and Tom Ingram provided updates of Continuing Education projects and SUNY Learning Environments.  Y. Petrella also announced that Continuing Education will be relocating to the 100 level of the east wing of Sheldon Hall until the renovation of Swetman is completed. Relocation is expected to take place in December.  The committee decided to meet monthly at 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. Their next meeting is December 1, 2005. 

Hybrid Pilot Program approved another course for Summer '06 and reminded the Assembly that course proposals for Fall '06 are due in January. 

N. Lyons- Finance Report

N. Lyons discussed the operating budget, BAP II, and the budget request.  He then answered questions from the Assembly.

L. Peterson- Senator Report

(see attachment III)

IV.            Elections

1.   Elections for vacancies on FA Councils and Committees

The following people were elected to FA Councils and Committees:

            Undergraduate Curriculum Council

                                    T. Kubicki (technology)

Task Force on Academic Administrative Officer Review

Arts and Science: N. Weiner (Honors/Sociology)

Library: J. Nicholas

Business: B. Freidman (Marketing & Management)

Education: S. Kane (Curriculum & Instruction)

Professional Staff: P. Bevans (Experience Based Education)

V.            Unfinished Business

1. There was a motion to accept the College Hour Task Force recommendation on a trial basis starting in the Spring of 2007 using alternating semesters with Tuesday at 12:45-2:05 in the Fall and Wednesday at 12:40-1:35 in the Spring.  An amendment was made to make Tuesday in the Spring and Wednesday in the Fall.  The amendment failed 13-20.  A motion to table the item then failed.  The original motion was then voted on and was approved 24-17. 

VI.            New Business

There was no new business.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:13 PM.

Attachment I- Graduate Council Reporting Out Procedures

            There are several types of curricular and policy issues that Graduate Council reviews that do not require a vote of Faculty Assembly, as they are informational only.  It is necessary to report these items out in order to make the changes in the catalog.  Therefore, Graduate Council is proposing a Reporting Out Policy to inform the Assembly of the work of the Council and clarify a request for action.

Formal Report- Items included under the formal report require Faculty Assembly action.  These documents will be provided for the FA review and subsequent voting in two weeks. 

Informal Report- Informational reports pertain to document/policy approval by Graduate Council that do not require Assembly vote.  The following is a list of common items:

Program Announcements: These are program concepts that need to be shared with other SUNY units

The simple rewording of catalog copy for clarity and for consistency.

The deactivation of programs due to lack of students, at the request of a department or dean.

Course substitutions, internal to the department, that do not result in total credit hour change.

The elimination of program tracks that do not result in total credit hour change.

Attachment II- Undergraduate Curriculum Council

1. New course outlines approved (UCC representative in parentheses). We approved 9 new course outlines.

Ant 450--Borders of Self, Life, and Culture (Atri)

Art 324—Introduction to Book Arts (Zakin)

Art 445—Sculpture III (Zakin)

Art 471—Senior Seminar in Contemporary Art and Design (Zakin)

Bio 110—Biology Seminar (Wenderholm)

Com 490—Communication in Service Learning (Atri)—Approved 5/3/05—needs to be reported out to FA

Csc 322—Systems Programming (Wenderholm)

Edu 303—Field Placement I: Observation and Participation (Russo)

Phl 498—Capstone Seminar in Philosophy

2. Existing course updates approved.  We approved 1 existing course change/update.

Art 359—The Arts of Sub-Saharan Africa (Zakin)

3. Courses returned for minor revisions: We reviewed and then tabled 4 courses in order to obtain more information, or revisions. Necessary revisions included missing or unclear info in the catalog description, the prerequisites, when the course will be offered, the course description, and/or the references.  The department chair will be notified by a UCC representative.

4. Approval of new course outlines (recently received, and revisions received).  We approved 7 new course outlines.

Ant 310 Research Methods

Ant 354 Forensic Anthropology

Art 375 Theories of Diverse Sexuality—to be cross-listed with Eng 375

Gst 304 First Year Peer Advisement Program

Phl 309 Logic, Language, and Thought

Psy 363 Cognitive Neuroscience

Spa 480 Capstone Seminar

5. Approval of Existing Course Changes.  We approved 7 existing course changes/updates. 

Art 310 Drawing II—course outline update

Art 345—Sculpture II—course outline update

Art 350—Italian Renaissance Art—course outline update

Art 351—Northern Renaissance Art—course outline update

Art 353—Twentieth Century Art—course outline update

Art 400—Figure Drawing II—course outline update

Art 401—Figure Drawing III—course outline update

6.  Returned for revisions or clarification. We reviewed and then tabled 10 courses in order to obtain more information, or revisions. Necessary revisions included missing or unclear info in the catalog description, the prerequisites, when the course will be offered, the course description, and/or the references.  The department chair will be notified by the UCC representative from that area.

Attachment III

As customary, the plenary opened Friday morning with a welcome by the president of host institution, here Dr. Joseph Moore of Empire State College, Saratoga Springs, speaking about the concept and mission of this non-campus branch of our state university.

                  We then got down to business with the first report by Faculty Senate President Carl Wiezalis, elected  to the position at the Spring Plenary in April.  He began by commenting that he would like to focus some attention during his presidency to the needs and desires of emeriti faculty, and to creating what he called a “satisfaction index,” surveying SUNY alumni perhaps five years out from graduation for what they are doing and their evaluations of their educational experience.  He then turned to the by now protracted dispute between Alfred University and its SUNY statuary college of ceramics faculty,  voicing a bit of optimism that with the heightened involvement of central administration, particularly the interim appointment of Vice-Chancellor Elizabeth Capaldi to oversee the statutory college, the situation may be improving.  Turning to the “Academic Bill of Rights” issue, Wiezalis noted that Trustee Fr. Crimmins, chair of the Academic Affairs committee, is focused on academic integrity by students, but will be reporting to the Board of Trustees on the bill of rights at their December meeting. 

                  Next on the agenda was the report of the FS Executive Committee, by the Vice-Pres. and Secretary, Achim Koeddermann:

                  • noted improved relations between FS and central administration, and strides made in                                     connecting with UUP, CUNY Faculty Senate, and the university -wide Student Association.

                  • the extending of the campus deadline for submitting revised GenEd assessment plans to                                     Feb. 15, announced by  Provost Salins earlier in the month, is because mechanics of the                                     thing haven’t been resolved.

                  • announced and urged campus support for the Academic Integrity Symposium, March 23-                                    24, 2006.  SUNY Central is supporting it, and Fr. Crimmins has responded favorably.

                  The afternoon session began with a budget report by  Dan Sheppard of Central Administration’s Finance and Business office:

• Interim Chancellor Ryan’s visits to local campuses has resulted in the budget staff pouring over what they have learned about space needs, energy costs, faculty ratios, transfer problems, and in general needs resulting from efforts to improve the quality of our educational product.

                  • regarding energy increases, $230 million budgeted for this year, and now need thirty                                     million more.  His office projects a 22% ($40 million) increase for the next budget year.

                  • all together, for energy, staffing, quality, public service, central administration is asking for                   a $150 million increase for next year.

• countering rumors to the contrary, Sheppard stated that no campus will be reduced in its research funding.  Performance reward monies will be taken from the increase in the budget.

                  Sector (university centers, comprehensive colleges, medical centers, etc.) reports of current concerns followed by comments by Acting Chancellor John Ryan  followed.  Highlights:

                  • In response to a university center concern about capital needs for renovating facilities,                                     especially science laboratories, Ryan mentioned a $450-550 million bonding requisition,                                     hoping it will be accepted.

                  • Ryan expressed satisfaction with the Mission Review II process, speaking particularly                                     about faculty input into the process.

• responding to a comprehensive college concern, Ryan made a pledge of full transparency in central administration actions.

• BAP II: our goal is to obtain much more money from the state.  Nobody is going to get less money, and he expressed optimism that we will get more money.

                  • Concerning the high rate of adjunct instructors to full-time faculty, Ryan said this was his                                     number one priority issue: our faculty is our number one treasure, and we need to hire                   more full-time faculty.

                  Next up was University Provost Peter Salins:

• Salins expressed pleasure with the Mission Review II process.  His team has now visited all but two campuses, faculty input has been good, and he hopes to have the process finished by early 2006.   Extolling the results, he said it gives central administration a better picture of what is going on with respect to issues like enrollment selectivity, graduation and retention rates, research possibilities, construction needs and financial needs, and therefore they can advocate for the university better.  

                  • speaking to specific needs, he recognized (1) that for university centers to expand                                     research, they need more money for graduate student stipends; (2) for undergraduate                                     baccalaureate campuses there has not been provision for budget increase for enrollment                                     growth.  With more community college students to be admitted along side more coming                                     from high schools, SUNY should no longer force the colleges to take non-budgeted                                     additional students without more money.

                  • expressing an old theme of his, Salins continued by urging further effort to synchronize                                     programs between community and four-year institutions.

                  • turning to academic technology, he spoke to the challenge of keeping up to date, and                                     with satisfaction that SLN II enables a more complex, and therefore better, mixture than                                     simple online colleges.

• another old theme is the necessity to upgrade our teacher training programs. SUNY trains a half of the teachers in New York State, and we therefore must take responsibility that our    schools send out the best trained and prepared teachers in the country.  We are not doing that yet.  We need to recruit more into the field, especially people with different profiles. We need for this regional partnerships so that nearby campuses coordinate their programs, forming consortia of SUNY campuses working with local school districts.

                  • assessment.  Salins said it is not a mandate, but a partnership to which we have all                   signed on.  Turning to the cost, he promised that all costs, whether for standardized or                   locally designed exams,  specifically attributable to the testing will be funded by central                                     administration.  There are now nationally normed tests for the three fields (critical thinking,                                     written communication, mathematics) that have been approved.  Nationally recognized                                     authority Trudy Banta will be featuring our assessment program in an upcoming issue of                   her journal.

                  Rounding out the day’s program, immediate past FS president Joe Hildreth spoke briefly about the new chancellor search process.  He is serving as co-chair of the fourteen member advisory screening committee, of which three members are faculty (another of which is current FS president Wiezalis).  The committee is now reviewing candidate materials, expects to interview candidates in December, and hand their  recommendations to the Board of Trustees in January.

                  The concluding Saturday morning session is when committee reports and resolutions occur:

                  • Executive committee motions (1) that campus governance be consulted and involved                                     before interim presidents be appointed, and (2) in support of NY State College of Ceramics                   at Alfred University, especially for a “stand-alone NYSCC unit head ... that is a joint                                     appointment by SUNY and AU,”  for statutory faculty’s participation in the search for that                   unit head, shared governance, and SUNY representation on AU’s board of trustees.  Both                                     passed.

• Programs and Awards Committee.  Distributed a list of Conversations in the Disciplines for this academic year, urging participation in them and applications for next year.  Presented a  resolution for SUNY to reinstate the Faculty Exchange of Scholars program that was discontinued in the 1990s for lack of funding, noting the beneficial effect of the program on the intellectual environment of the SUNY system, and the recognition it offers to scholars among our faculty who are designated Faculty Exchange Scholars.  Motion passed.

                  • Governance Committee.  Discussed the ongoing project to evaluate administrators,                                     stating that local campuses will be  surveyed to determine what systematic evaluation is                                     being done.  (I have subsequently responded to that survey.)  Presented resolutions to                   increase local campus fees for the FS, and to remind campus administrations where                   faulted that they are to fund the expenses of FS senators for participation in FS plenaries.                    Both passed.

• Graduate and Research Committee.  Reported that they are studying graduate education needs of the state, and opportunities for interdisciplinary research among the comprehensive colleges, graduate and medical centers.

                  • Operations Committee.  Working toward a Spring 2006 final report on the use of adjunct                   and associate faculty in SUNY.

                  A major concern for this committee is the alarming situation of library acquisitions funding                                     within SUNY and among its campuses.  Everywhere funding has not kept up with the                                     inflation rates for journals and books, and does not reflect our increasing needs for                                                       databases.  Some campus libraries have actually seen reductions in acquisitions budgets                                     (senator’s comment: as we know, most prominently Old Westbury and Oswego).

                  Therefore Operation Com. presented a resolution that state support of SUNY library                                     acquisitions “be increased annually at a rate consistent with the actual costs of these                                     acquisitions,” and that the state “include a one-time ‘catch-up’ sum of $8 Million to                                                       overcome the shortfall in acquisitions accrued over the past seven years, with this ‘catch-                  up’ being necessary to restore SUNY collections to a level consistent with the university’s                   goals of excellence.”  Motion passed.

                  (I would mention here that under New Business I asked the committee to consider  a                   motion for increased funding for the central administration’s Office of Library and                   Information Services to negotiate and pay for some of the very expensive databases used                   by all campuses.)

                  • Student Life Committee.  Has subcommittees studying “positive traditions” on local                                     campuses that help define those campuses and enhance the spirit of their students,                                     retention issues, and mental health issues among students.

                  • Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Committee.  The committee will be                                     presenting the 2-day symposium on Academic Integrity, March 23-24, 2006 (mentioned                                     above, p. 1, under the report of the FS Executive Committee).  The symposium is                                                       supported by FS and SUNY central and endorsed by the chancellor.  Presenters are                                     Donald L. McCabe, founding president of the Center for Academic Integrity, Gary Pavela of                   the University of Maryland, and Kenneth Crews of Indiana Univ.-Purdue Univ. of                                                       Indianapolis.

• Academic Diversity and Responsibility Ad Hoc Committee.  Spoke to (currently)  conservative (indeed neo-con) journalist David Horowitz’s disingenuous and very disturbing “Academic Bill of Rights,” and offered a motion offering a  number of “Whereas” clauses listing the problems with ABOR and resolving that FS “strongly oppose” it and “urge the Board of Trustees to reject it as policy.”  Motion passed.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. L. D. Peterson