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Arts & Sciences Senate
HomeRecordsSenate Minutes2014 2015September 23 2014

Arts and Sciences Senate Agenda
Wang Center, Lecture Hall 1 
September 23, 2014

3:30-3:35 
Approve Agenda 
Approve Minutes from April

3:35-3:40 President’s Report 
    More consultative, less informational 
    Committee Vacancies 
    Introduce Dean Kopp 
    
3:40-4:00 Dean’s Report 
4:00-4:20 Discussion / Questions

4:20-4:25 Tenure Revamp Proposal Presentation - Trevor and Michael 
4:25-4:50  Discussion

4:50 Vote on Tenure Revamp 

4:55 New Business? Next meeting appropriate to discuss new 29-hour work week? 
______________________________________________________________________________
A&S Senate Meeting
Minutes
April 21, 2014

I.  Approval of tentative agenda:  approved.

II.  Approval of minutes from March 24, 2014:  approved.

III.  Senate President’s Report (T. Sears)

  • This will be Nancy Squires last report as Dean
  • Interviewed two candidates on campus for the CAS Dean position.
  • Club Red has been well attended at the Simons Café. 
  • Elections have begun for the A&S Senate and the University Senate.
  • ARC Mini survey coming up in early May.
  • The University Senate established an ad hoc Personnel Policy Committee.  It will work with the Office of the Provost and the Promotion and Tenure Committee.  Grew out of concern that some faculty hired in various cross-disciplinary areas were not well-served.
  • Stony Brook is projected to face a 2% budget shortfall in the coming year.  This may also impact the proposed graduate student stipend increases.

IV.  Standing Committee Reports (AJC, CASA and FRRP)

Academic Judiciary Committee:

Reported accusations (spring 2013):  107
Appeals:  20
Waived right (no hearing):  87
Guilty at hearing:  13
Not guilty at hearing:  7

PTC:  The PTC is feeling overwhelmed by the amount of cases.  They had to deal with 33 cases (17 NSM, 6 SBS, 7 HFA).

V.  CAS Dean’s Report (N. Squires)

  • Three has to be a better way to make sure everyone gets accurate information.  Need to improve communication:  University Council, SBU website, emails from administrators, CAS Chairs meetings, A&S Senate and University Senate meetings to department faculty and staff.
  • There are things you don’t know about CAS but need to. 
  • CAS provides departments with:
    • Knowledge about policies and procedures
    • Coordinated vision for curriculum
    • Maintenance of dept. budget accounts
    • Coordination of searches
    • Mentoring of junior faculty
  • There is a lack of budget information.
  • AA/EEO takes so long because the process and goals designed serve to meet federal, state, and SUNY requirements.  Ensures adequate outreach and excellent applicant pool.  CAS is fast if the departments follow the rules.  Short cuts slow process up.
  • What can be done to improve communication?  Rotate Senators more often.  Bring more information to senators.  Have senators bring the information to their departments.
  • The Senate President should go to every department to their faculty meeting and talk to them as to why it is important that they become more engaged.

Norman Goodman proposed a resolution regarding Dean Squires leadership:

“The Arts & Sciences Senate applauds the leadership that Nancy Squires provided during her tenure as Dean of the College, particularly for her style of openness and transparency as well as her obvious respect of the value and integrity of the faculty and professional staff.”

Motion to accept resolution was passed unanimously.

VI.  Report from VP for Administration (B. Chernow)

  • There is a lot of construction going on at the University.  Some is for new buildings, other for critical maintenance.
  • On average, we would get $75 Mil from SUNY every year for critical Maintenance (fixing windows, leaky roofs, fixing sidewalks, etc).  Last year we received no money because of a judgement against the university when we purchased land for the R&D park.
  • $94 Mil was taken from our capital budget.  This stopped all projects.  It stopped the rehab of the Union, repairs to the Chemistry roof, and 150 other smaller projects.
  • The Department of Budget gave us $60 Mil last years (of the $98 Mil they took).  This money was allocated to do the electric feeders all over campus.
  • Senator LaValle and the Governor appropriated $64.7 Mil.  Found out that we do not have $64.7 Mil worth of spending authority.  The spending authority (otherwise known as cash) that the University has is approximately $22 Mil.  This means there is no money for any new projects.

 

Trevor Sears introduced Margaret Schedel, the new incoming President of the A&S Senate.

VII.  New Business:  no new business.

VIII.  Old Business:  no old business.

 

Proposed Changes to membership to PTC
Under section 2.C of the By Laws, replace section 2.C.a with:

  • The Promotion and Tenure Committees (PTC) shall consist of two (2) sub-committees which will provide recommendations on the following faculty appointments:
    • promotions from Assistant to Associate Professor with tenure
    • promotions from Associate to Full Professor and new appointments with tenure
  • Each sub-committee will consist of six (6) voting members that are elected tenure faculty
    • two representatives each from:
      • the humanities and fine arts;
      • the social and behavioral sciences;
      • the natural sciences (one from physical sciences or mathematics and one from biological or marine sciences);
    • one voting, elected non-tenured tenure track faculty representative to serve on committee (1);
    • In case of a tie vote in committee (2), the Chair of the other sub-committee will be asked to participate as seventh member.
    • The Chairs of both committees shall serve on the Executive Committee of the Art & Sciences Senate.
  • No person can be a member of this committee in a year in which his/her candidacy for promotion or continuing appointment will be considered by the committee. If a member becomes such a candidate, s/he must resign from the committee.

 

Senate Minutes
Senate Minutes