Arts & Sciences Senate
Minutes
October 22, 2012

I.  Approval of tentative agenda:  approved.

II.  Approval of minutes from September 24, 2012:  approved.

III.  President’s Report (T. Sears)

• Cluster hires program:   five proposals were successful and are in the process of being finalized.  They are in areas of A Photon Sciences Institute, Bio-molecular Imaging, Smart Energy Technologies, Political Economy and SoMAS Coastal studies and Engineering.
• Provost’s Distinguished Lecturer Awards:  Deadline for nomination materials for 2013 is at the end of January.
• Gen Ed is ongoing and is at the phase of gathering suggestions and recommendations.  Very aggressive timeline to get this instituted by next fall which means everything has to be in place by April for the publication of the new curriculum.
• The University Senate EC met with President Stanley on October 8th.  More on-line learning is probable in the future.   The Provost is setting up a committee to evaluate this.  The University strategic plan is exemplified by recent cluster hires.  The University continues to explore ways to make Stony Brook Southampton viable.
• Progress is being made on Gyrodyne issue.  Meetings between SBU and SUNY

Administration is on-going.

• Met with Benjamin Hsiao, Vice President for Research on October 15th.  He recommends that the University set a recommended minimum amount for RA stipends for future grant proposals.  The Research Foundation has implemented a single sign-in portal for principal investigators.  IDC redistribution is a facet of the new University budget model. 

V.  Report from the College of Arts & Sciences (N. Squires)

• The college had four divisions before 1994.  They were Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences and Math and Humanities and Fine Arts.  There were four Deans and four Assistant Deans.    In 1994 it was decided by President Kenny to combine all of the divisions into one single college with one Dean and fewer Associate Deans.   Overtime there has been more cohesiveness and interaction.  There are four operation areas:  Budget, Curriculum, Faculty Affairs & Personnel and Operations.
• Critical roles for CAS:  diversified education for the campus, basic courses in science, writing, and math for CAS and non-CAS majors, most of the summer and winter courses and revenues, world-class scholarship and recognition, etc.
• CAS Advancement has done very well this year.
• CAS International research institutes:  Turkana Basin Institute and the Institute for Conservation of Tropical Environments and ValBio.
• CAS teaches the most undergraduates at the University.
• Research revenue – 2011 direct costs by college and school:  2/3rd of departments do not bring in a lot of research revenue.
• Strategic goals for the future would be to increase interdisciplinary collaboration.  Some goals are to add teaching strength to departments stressed by high enrollment, increase rankings of departments by adding high-visibility scholars, increase opportunities for students to study abroad, etc.

VI.  Report from the Curriculum Committee (R. Calvin)

• Met 19 times during the 2011-2012 Academic Year.
• The CC continues discussions of the General Education review.  Met with Gene Hammond and Charlie Robbins to discuss the second phase of the review process.  The CC asked that the new steering committee include the Chair as the representative of the CC.    Would like to add new members to the committee to handle the workload.
• Approved 46 new courses and 1 new major and 5 new minors.

VII.  Report from the Director of the Faculty Center, Teaching, Learning and Technology (P. Aceves)

• The response rate for on-line course evaluations was dismally low.
• Gathering a lot of information from students.  Will be launching a campaign next fall which will include making it more accessible to students, setting up kiosks with laptops in popular student gatherings and small incentives.
• New questions are being worked on.
• Many faculty would like to go back to pencil and paper.
• In the process of selecting a new vendor.  Iphone apps are being considered.
• Need faculty help with boosting response rate.
•  A suggestion was made to make the PTC aware of the low response rates and what would happen to faculty members who depend on high response rates for promotion and tenure.

VIII.  Other business:  none.

Adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

Submitted by: 

Laurie Theobalt
Secretary