SUNY Oswego - Faculty Assembly: Minutes 02/02/04

February 2, 2004

February 2nd, 2004

Members Absent: Y. Petrella, M. Friday, A. Hurley, G. Graham, W. Silky, L. Hernandez, P. Cox, S. Fettes, R. Card, J. Brockway, B. St Michel, B. Randolph, M. Nelson-Richards

The meeting was called to order at 4:20 PM.

Approval of Agenda

The Agenda was approved unanimously.

FA Chair’s Report – S. Camp

S. Camp welcomed back the Assembly and thanked everyone for adjusting their schedules to accommodate the open forum for the Provost search. The meetings will return to the regular time and location for the February 16th meeting (305 Park Hall at 3 p.m.).

S. Camp noted that the Interim Provost, David King, will report on Academic Affairs on March 1st Faculty Assembly meeting.

S. Camp was unable to attend Faculty Senate in Oneonta, but Luther Peterson will give a report.

Please write to Jessica (godkin@oswego.edu) if you are still not receiving messages on the <assembly-list@oswego.edu>.

III. Faculty Senate Report- L. Peterson

(see attachment)

IV. Reports of Councils, Committees and Task Forces

A Laker Days announcement was given by S. Robinson. She reported on the variety of events that will be held, including a dog sled race and Oswego Idol. She encouraged all faculty to attend and interact with the students.

Graduate Council reported that they approved a revised VTP 585. There was a change in prerequisites.

Student Association reported that they are holding a meeting on February 9th, 2004 to discuss ways to improve life on campus for students with disabilities. They encourage everyone to come and participate.

UUP representative, G. Auleta reported the following:

1. UUP will host a visit by Bill Scheuerman, State-wide UUP President, at a reception/meeting on Wednesday, February 11th at 4pm. Complimentary beverages and snacks will be provided.

2. On January 27th, 2004 UUP hosted a Legislative Luncheon for leaders of the Assembly and Senate in Albany. At that luncheon, they discussed the UUP agenda with the legislators for the upcoming session. The discussion focused on the following: providing adequate funding for all of SUNY, restoring lost faculty and staff lines, ensuring that the hospitals continue as public institutions and as integral parts of SUNY, restoring funding for NYSTI and for EOP, and working to ensure a 70-30 ratio for full-time/part-time faculty and staff. There is every reason to believe that their efforts will be successful, but it may require considerable work on everyone's part, including participation and action by Oswego faculty and staff.

3. Negotiations are proceeding. The State and UUP are scheduled to meet at an increased level and rate over the next three weeks. The trend would suggest an interest in reaching an agreement on the part of the State. It is clear that issues connected to salary and to health benefits will loom large in any agreement. UUP will continue to make available as much up to date information as permitted by the framework of the negotiation process.

V. Unfinished Business

No action was taken and meeting was adjourned.

VI. New Business

There was no new business.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 PM.

ATTACHMENT:

Plenary Meeting of the University Faculty Senate SUNY Oneonta, January 30-31, 2004 Prof. Luther D. Peterson SUNY Oswego Faculty Senator

Because of Oswego County’s snow deluge, I was unable to leave until Friday morning, thus missing the morning session. Three items occupied the afternoon session: reports on the SUNY budget and an issue related to library acquisitions funding, and a discussion on system-wide student assessment. Brian Stenson, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business, placed SUNY’s budget in the context of a projected 5.1 billion dollar state government shortfall for fiscal 2004-2005. That problem, the subject of much hand-wringing from the governor, legislators, and the press, has led to proposed palliatives that could involve restructuring of Medicaid and health care and a much talked about 5% reduction in the budgets of almost all state agencies. Even with these and some other measure the shortfall is projected to be in the range of 2.8 billion.

The SUNY Board of Trustees (BOT, for short) has sent forth a request for at most steady-state funding from this past fiscal year, in line with the governor’s perceived position. SUNY central administration is going along with that, while requesting a 26 million supplement aimed at the core teaching segment—in my mind a rather insignificant amount within a total budget request of some 1.8 billion. Education has not been included in the mandated 5% reduction; how is SUNY to escape this? By diverting some new equipment monies, by continuing hiring freezes, by not offering retirement incentives, by not setting aside any reserves for salary increases, and by diverting some 25 million of "excess residence hall balances" for other campus purposes. Creative perhaps, but not comforting, to say the least.

Carey Hatch of the Office of Library and Information Services brought to our attention a looming problem in our means of procuring on-line access to some one thousand mainly scientific journals. Currently we have a contract with Elsevier for this a