Arts and Sciences Senate
Minutes
February 15, 2010

I.  Approval of agenda:  Remove III.  Report of the CAS.  Dr. Squires unable to attend.  Approved.

II.  Approval of minutes from November 23, 2009:  approved.

III.  Report of the University Libraries (A. White, Interim Dean and Director)

• Daniel Kinney is serving as Deputy Director for the Library in HSC.
• The Provost has created a New Library Advisory Committee stemming from the Library Review last fall.  The Provost’s charge is the review and analysis of organization structure and budgeting processes.  There is no relationship to the University Senate Library Services Committee
• Three phases:  information gathering and assessment (individual meetings with every employee in the Library), external advisory consulting and external consultant facilitators.
• Studying the impact of digital shift on budgets.  Reduction in one-time purchases.  E-books become subscriptions.   The issues of long-term storage vs. long-term access is being taken into consideration.  Associated hardware and Software technology upgrades are also part of the equation when you move from print to digital.
• Update of Collections Department operations.  Create a task force to review operations.  Two questions:  What items do we collect and how should funds be allocated?
• There are collaborations between the Melville and the HSC Libraries. 
• Improved and updated inter-library loan policies.  Better coordination of web interfaces.

V.  Report of the PTC (G. Matthews)

• The Biographic Form is now posted on the A&S Senate Website and can be filled out online and printed.
• Made several small changes to update the file. 
• Made the form more user friendly for candidates.
• The form is now an official A&S Senate document. 
• The Dean’s office has replaced the document on their website with a link to the A&S website which is:  http://www.stonybrook.edu/senatecas/ (click on Key Senate Documents).

VI.  Report of the Curriculum Committee (E. Chang)

• The committee met 26 times during the 2008-2009 academic year.
• New courses added in Anthropology (7), Art (9), Asian and Asian American Studies (7), Undergraduate Biology (1), Chemistry (2), Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (3), Geosciences (1), International Academic programs (2), Journalism (2), Music (1), Physics and Astronomy (2), Psychology (3), Stony Brook Southampton (20), Theatre Arts (4), Undergraduate Academic Affairs (1) and Writing (4).
• Provost Kaler formed a special committee to look at General Education, but not to “review the DEC”.  This rationale for a review is founded on the need to update the curriculum to for the 21st century and the perception that DEC requirements are one of the examples by which Stony Brook BA graduation requirements are perceived to be onerous, lead to decreased graduate rates, and in turn affect SB’s reputation among potential undergraduate applicants.
• Committee is busy and is overwhelmed. Trying to streamline the work. 

Motion was made to accept the Curriculum Committee Report:  All in favor.

VII.  Report of the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Policy Committee (H. Silverman)

• SBSH representation on the A&S Senate:  FT faculty members appointed primarily to SBSH shall be represented on the SBU A&S Senate (and therefore also on the University Senate).  FT SBSH faculty members shall be candidates for positions as At-Large Senator and on Standing Committees according to their primary disciplinary expertise (NSM, SBS, HFA). SBSH shall have one “departmental” senator to serve on A&S and University Senates.

Kane Gillespie felt there should be no more than one member from Southampton on any one standing committee from Southampton.  There could be a potential for ½ the members on a committee to be from Southampton although the probability was slim. 

Robert Kerber suggested that in the event some of the improbable delicate questions we should trust the EC to rule wisely.

Hugh Silverman asked for a vote on whether it should read “no more than two faculty members from Southampton on any one standing committee” or “no more than one faculty member from Southampton on any one standing committee”. 

Senate voted on having no more than “one” faculty member from Southampton on any one standing committee.

Vote:  all in favor, 1 abstention, none opposed.

• Statement on Academic responsibilities of Tenured Research Faculty.  This document addresses the role of the research expectations of its tenured faculty in the areas of teaching and service.  Dr. Silverman thanked the committee on construction of this document over the past year.  Please read the report and get back to Dr. Silverman with comments by this Friday and the committee will then produce a final copy.  There was much discussion on page 4, V. C. regarding the word “unilaterally”.  Any concerns should be addressed to the committee.
• Status Report on the Senate Position on Cross-Departmental Secondary Academic Appointments.  This was passed by the A&S Senate last year.  The Provost has agreed to it and will post it on his website.
• Status Report on the Senate position on the Title of Senior Lecturer.  The key point is instead of thinking of this as an appointment that looks anything like tenure has been the problem with Human Resources.  Dr. Silverman, Nancy Squires, and Aimee De Chambeau met with the Provost and he came up with the idea to think of this more as a distinguished professor type of title for significant outstanding contributions in that category. 
• Status Report on the Preparation of Guidelines for Tenure and Promotion at SBSH.  Bob Reeves is chairing a committee at Southampton and they have been drawing up guidelines.

All in favor to accept the FRRP Committee Report: All in favor.

Meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Submitted by:

Laurie Theobalt
Secretary