Report to the University Senate
167th Plenary Fall Meeting
October 23-25, 2014
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry

I. President’s Report – Pete Knuepfer

Report highlights:

1. The Board of Trustees conducted a review of the Chancellor, and was pleased about her national recognition and what that has meant for SUNY. The Board is offering/has offered the Chancellor a new contract, which he believes is to be for 5 years.
2. Personnel changes for System Administration - Alexander Cartwright has been appointed SUNY System Administration Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor. Beth Bringsjord, has been appointed Vice Provost and Vice Chancellor. Jim Malatras left the position of Chief of Staff, called back to the Governor’s office to be Director of Operations for New York State. Stacey Hengsterman is interim Chief of Staff. Josh Sager is the new chief budget officer.
3. SUNY Canton - SUNY Canton received a terror threat through the anonymous social media site Yik Yak. The campus was locked down and the faculty and students were evacuated from the campus buildings. Police did a sweep through the buildings but nothing was detected. Chancellor Zimpher sent an email to campuses describing the incident and stating her office is working with Yik Yak on the issue. She is requesting campuses to report the approach used to dealing with these risks, i.e. Educating students on risk procedures, blocking anonymous social media sites, etc.
4. Sexual Assault – The Governor requested the Board of Trustees to develop overall SUNY policy for sexual assault. SUNY has convened a working group co-chaired by T. Good and P. Knuepfer. They have reached out to those within SUNY who are experts on the issue so that they may make an informed decision. P. Knuepfer requests the names of additional experts be passed to him.
5. TeachNY – With the implementation of the Common Core Standards in K-12 education, future NY students will have been educated according to that approach. It is expected that there will be some changes in the abilities of our future students, and SUNY should be prepared to appreciate and take advantage of the skills they should possess. An advisory committee has been formed in order to evaluate how teachers prepare teachers. The advisory committee is co-chaired by Tina Good and Peter Knuepfer. If anyone knows colleagues in teacher education, please pass along their names to Peter Knuepfer.

Open SUNY - The “first wave” of programs was approved last academic year, and the second wave of 56 programs from 17 campuses has just been announced. Though most student services must be handled by contributing campuses, SUNY is currently contracting with an outside vendor to cover a help desk 24/7. There is also a business tool available to help campuses evaluate the short- and long-term costs/benefits of online programs. SUNY is also

• helping facilitate the identification and development of digital materials and open education resources (Affordable Learning Solutions) for all courses, not just online courses.
• Student Mobility and Seamless Transfer – Right now there is an inability to change transfer pathways that were negotiated. Many if not most requests for program waivers have apparently been denied. Faculty on some campuses are questioning if they are being told to change major requirements for the first two years. Campuses should report issues with transfer pathways to P. Knuepfer.
• LICH – The Fortis Group is in agreement to provide healthcare at LICH site. Waiting for Attorney General and Controller to approve and finalize the proposal. LICH has a $240 million purchase price. 10% has been put down by Fortis Group. Another half will be put down on signing, and the last half at a later date. The dollar amount SUNY is liable for with LICH is estimated at $580 million. SUNY Downstate has been covering the cost of LICH operations. LICH originally had an endowment useable for operations. The previous owner spent down most of the endowment and SUNY spent down the rest. SUNY may agree to pay back roughly $100 million.

The Senate Executive Committee took up a resolution that calls upon SUNY to conduct an investigation of how the whole LICH purchase and subsequent closure occurred, in order to try to prevent such a fiasco from occurring in the future. Voting on the resolution resulted in a tie and the resolution failed to pass. Most of the facts are already in the public record, and therefore this would be an unnecessary expense. However, if one or more of the SUNY faculty would want to research the issue, there might be some limited funding to do so.

• Collaborations - the Chancellor has pressed for closer ties between the stand-alone medical schools and the University Centers. It was suggested that Downstate /Albany and Upstate/Binghamton enter into collaborative agreements. Accordingly, Downstate and UAlbany have been in discussions about collaborations, and Susan Phillips (former Provost at Albany) has been assigned as VP for Academic Affairs at Downstate. Binghamton and Upstate are in talks about the shape of future collaborations. Though faculty members from all institutions involved have been brought into the discussion, there is no real interest in any deeper relationships.
• START-UP NY. Some 50 SUNY campuses have approved plans (or soon will). Was particularly impressed by the process that Binghamton has established to get faculty input into approving company proposals: a faculty committee that has veto power over proposals that are deemed not to fit with the campus mission.
• Upcoming Events:
• Nov. 7: "Protect, Use and Share Content in Online Education"; SUNY System Administration, Albany; organized by the FACT2 group
• Nov. 11-12: “Making Diversity Count: Ensuring Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Impact”; Albany Marriott; sponsored by the UFS and the SUNY Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Feb 10, 2015: “Graduate Research: Making a Difference in New York”: Legislative Office Building, Albany; sponsored by UFS
• March 20-21, 2015: 2nd Annual SUNY Voices Shared Governance Conference; location TBD.
• April 10, 2015: First SUNY Undergraduate Research Symposium; Brockport. Open to all undergraduate researchers.

II. Executive Committee Report & Introductions of Resolutions – Gwen Kay

Six resolutions were distributed that the executive committee wanted to see pass.

There was also a discussion regarding the effect of the Affordable Care Act on student work hours. The act requires “employees” over 30 hours be provided with insurance. Currently a student limited to 29 hours because of this. This is affecting some students’ ability to afford to stay in school.

III. Sector Sessions

The focus of the health sciences sector discussion was on the concerns brought forth by both SUNY Downstate and SUNY Upstate. Both institutions have been functioning with interim presidents. There have been no searches conducted for new presidents for either university, nor has a timeframe for a search been proposed. Most recently, SUNY Upstate’s interim president, who has been in the position for two years, was reappointed without an end date. This has caused concerned among the faculty as to why.
Additionally, the faculty has heard there have been ongoing discussions regarding the need for SUNY academic medical centers to have relationships with SUNY research universities. These discussions include the development of affiliation agreements between SUNY Downstate and SUNY Albany, and SUNY Upstate and SUNY Binghamton. These proposed relationships, combined with the lack of searches for new presidents for both medical centers, and the lack of a timeframe for the searches, have caused faculty at both Downstate and Upstate to feel uncertain about the future of their institutions.

IV. SUNY Student Assembly Report – Lori Mould, President

The SUNY Student Assembly has been working on the textbook affordability issue, childcare issues. It has bought in numerous speakers to explain SUNY issues more in depth to students. Students wanted to talk about academic advisement (not being advised properly). The Assembly has been working with Senator Gillibrand on statewide accountability issues. It has also been reviewing by-laws to work more efficiently. The Assembly also noted that campuses having been adopting the “It’s On Us” campaign against sexual assault.

V. Budget Report – Robert Haelen, Interim Chief Financial Officer; Josh Sager, Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business

A presentation was given on how the budget is formulated. The budget plan is reviewed 4 times a year. The Governor holds the entire state to 2% spending growth. There was also an explanation of state funds distribution, and the process of assessment review. A PowerPoint of the presentation will be provided to Senate for distribution.

VI. Networks of Excellence – Timothy Killeen, Vice Chancellor for Research & President of the Research Foundation

In year one there were 4 networks made up of 500+ faculty and $4 million to seed new research initiatives. The 4 networks were: 4E (energy, environment, economics, education), Health, Brain, and Materials & Advanced Manufacturing. The focus is on academic linkages, public/private partnerships, collaborative platforms through tech, data analytics, outside opportunities i.e. federal.

4E – Has $780k in funding and 80 faculty across 16 camps. Work focus is environmental.

Health – Has $900k in funding and 90 faculty across 9 campuses. Work includes drug discovery, novel antibiotics, handheld biosensors, 3D printing of tissue, organ transplant.

Brain – Has $808k in funding and 125 faculty across 8 campuses. Work in neuroscience. Has a summer program that received 72 applications for 13 student placements across 6 campuses.

Materials and Advanced Manufacturing – Has $710k in funding and 50 faculty across 8 campuses. Work includes Bio/Green Manufacturing.

The networks were a part of the Governor’s research agenda and were driven by Chancellor Zimpher. Chancellor Zimpher has been championing extending to this initiative to 6 networks to include Arts & Humanities and Teaching. It is also planned to expand to student involvement and public/private partnerships. It is intended that these networks should become self-sustaining.

VII. Provost Office Report – Alexander Cartwright, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

The System Administration has 60 days to produce a sexual harassment policy for all of SUNY.

Open SUNY – has been expanded with 56 additional certificate programs across 17 campuses. The number of faculty participants has increased to 750.

TeachNY Advisory Committee has been created.

Seamless Transfer update – SUNY leading committees (1400 Faculty were involved). Transfer paths are posted online. A database has been built which will be released to community for input. Provost is open to discussion. Each campus should have a liaison to deal with transfer waivers for seamless transfer.

VIII. SUNY Excels Performance Management System Presentation Nancy Zimpher, Tim Killeen, Alex Cartwright, Beth Bringsjord

Chancellor Zimpher informed the Senate that New York State has turned a $9 billion deficit into a $6 billion surplus. SUNY must start focusing past the next five years as SUNY 2020 monies have started to be spent. The Chancellor questions whether SUNY were to hit certain targets that feed the economy, would the state invest more in SUNY? She feels it is better for SUNY to develop a performance based budgeting process rather than having one developed and proposed for us. This is the guiding principle for SUNY Excels. Access, Completion, Success, External Investment/Research, Engagement (Economic, Societal, and Cultural Impact).

SUNY Excels matrix distributed. (Complete details regarding SUNY Excels can be found http://www.suny.edu/impact/performancemanagement/)

IX. Sector Sessions with Chancellor Nancy Zimpher

The Sector conducted its Q&A with the Chancellor.

The Chancellor was questioned what metrics will be used for performance and whether there will be money reward for improvement or budget cut if standards not met. It also questioned what will happen to lesser performing schools and whether suggesting performance-based funding will open the door for performance funding of everything in SUNY.

Chancellor Zimpher responded that they will use metrics to measure campuses that work in order to get good data for evaluation. The decision regarding rewards/penalties is uncertain, but it doesn’t make a difference. Even if there were no funds, would campuses want to get better at these things? Lesser performing schools could use this as protection in that they can show they are trying to get better. It can be used as a swing around in case the Governor tries to do anything. As far as opening the door on performance funding, other states are already doing it. It is only a matter of time before it comes to New York.

The Chancellor was questioned as to the possibility of speeding up approval times for program to which she responded that the layered approval process is slow through all of its layers and a dual approval process is on the wish list.

The Chancellor was questioned as to once assessment process is in place, can it be assessed and changed. She responded that, yes, the assessment system can be evaluated and tweaked. And they are trying to find a middle ground between metrics that cover all and those that are specific.

The University Centers sector noted that libraries are suffering from lack of funding and Elsevier, graduate assistant salaries are inadequate and faculty salary has stagnated. The Chancellor was asked what she could do to turn this around.

The Chancellor responded that they had an analysis of library issues and they need a new solution. She has no answer. System is also aware of the underfunding of graduate students.

A representative from The College of Ceramics noted that it is supposed to be referred to under Alfred’s webpage. He then brought up the Alfred webpage, and when clicking the link for the College of Ceramics, showed the link goes to an Alfred page with no content. The Chancellor responded that there is a taskforce for Alfred and that the lack of page content is a problem and will work on with Alfred.

The Chancellor was questioned whether there is a business plan for Open SUNY. She responded that Open SUNY is a big bet, but Moodys has been complimentary to Open SUNY.

The Health Science Centers sector noted that Downstate and Upstate feel uncertain about the future and asked the Chancellor to please be candid about their respective relationships to Albany and Binghamton. In addition, faculty at Upstate are concerned about the fact that the interim president has been reappointed without an end date, and that there has been a lack of timeframe for the president search. Please explain why the interim president’s appointment has no end date and what is the timeframe for conducting the search?

The Chancellor responded that yes, there are affiliation discussions happening that Upstate and Downstate are a part of. However, though she is aware of the discussions, she does not want to get in the way of discussions.

Regarding the president, Chancellor Zimpher first explained that it is her understanding that interim president for SUNY Upstate was not given an end date in order to make it easier to begin the search for the new president at any time. She has been told the president search was to be initiated this fall, but as there are discussions regarding relationships/affiliations with Downstate/Albany and Upstate/Binghamton, the proper wording for the position description must be determined based on these discussions.

The Campus Governance sector questioned whether the Chancellor would open dialog with presidents regarding appointments to positions which reduce faculty because of transfer. The Chancellor responded that if waiver process needs review, System needs data. Campuses should also get a representing group to see how students are feeling about seamless transfer.

When questioned as to what direction the Chancellor has given presidents regarding faculty input into budget, she stated she would be sending a letter to the presidents regarding the processes for shared governance.

X. Faculty Council of Community Colleges Report - Tina Good, President

Funding for the SUNY Voices initiative of $75k has been awarded.

The Council passed the following resolutions:

1. Taskforce for more funding. Community colleges are seeing a drop in enrollment.
2. Governor always eliminates funds for childcare. Legislature always restores, but never increases. (Ask for more childcare centers.)
3. Seamless transfer – asked for criteria which justifies waivers.
4. Argue AAS degrees should not be in transfer requirements. They are not transfer degrees. Middle States is starting to weigh in on community college curriculum.
5. Endorsed academic freedom statement.
6. Develop best practices on concurrent enrollment for students taking college courses in high school.

XI. CUNY University Faculty Senate Report – Terry Martell, Chair

There has been a significant increase in part-time students. Students are transferring in so many courses that they have minimum course load to fulfill degree requirements. Need to require pre or co-requisites.

CUNY’s goal is to talk to central admin before problems become too big. There is active enrollment dialog. Also concerns with assessment and academic freedom. Working on executive compensation plan to get effective chancellor.

XII. UUP – Fred Kowal, President

There has been a decline in focus on the education process and more focus on assessment. Governor’s “finish in four” initiative states if a student does not finish in four years, they complete the remainder of their coursework for free.

Instead of UUP saying no, it needs to come up with new ideas.

XIII. Resolutions – All resolutions were passed. Full text will be available on the website.

Resolution on Sexual Assault Prevention

University Faculty Senate endorses and supports the SUNY initiative on sexual assault response and prevention; and recommends to the Chancellor that SUNY System Administration and Special Adviser Linda Fairstein work in collaboration with the University Faculty Senate in the development and implementation of effective and fair policies and procedures to meet the goals of the Board of Trustees resolution.
Resolution Requesting All State University of New York Campuses Offering Athletics Create Programs to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Athletes, Coaches, and Staff
and to Prevent Anti-LGBT Bias and Discrimination in Athletics

University Faculty Senate requests that SUNY System Administration, through individual campus Presidents and their designees, work with Directors of Athletics and Student Government organizations to develop systematic programs that support LGBT athletes, coaches and staff and prevent any anti-LGBT bias and discrimination in all sports on each of its campuses, and this program be instituted by the 2015-2016 school year.

Resolution on SUNY Excels Performance Measurement System
Support of the SUNY Excels program by the University Faculty Senate is contingent upon satisfactorily addressing the following:

• Both individual campuses and the SUNY system engage all participants in governance including faculty, staff and students in the development and implementation of campus specific performance measures that are integrally linked to their unique institutional missions;
• Each campus, through the existing shared governance process(es), and SUNY carefully assess the impacts of pursuing conflicting performance measures simultaneously;
• SUNY and its respective campuses, through the existing shared governance process(es), select and use measures which directly support the core academic missions of the institutions;
• SUNY and its institutions, through the existing shared governance process(es), systematically review the validity and reliability of their performance measures on an annual basis; and,
• SUNY adopt procedures for amending performance measures and their systems as part of a process of continuous improvement for the System and its campuses.

Resolution on Affordability of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials

The University Faculty Senate (UFS) asks the Chancellor to work with campus Presidents to implement the Student Assembly of the State University of New York’s Resolution #1314-40; and the UFS asks the Chief Academic Officer on each campus to work with the Campus Governance Leader to consider faculty to adopt textbooks from all phases of Open SUNY Textbooks and other

open textbook sources and be encouraged to author such resources; and t the UFS asks the Chief Academic Officer on each campus to work with the Campus Governance Leader to increase faculty knowledge of low or no cost textbook alternatives.

Resolution on Reduction on the Maximum Working Hours for Student Assistants

The University Faculty Senate requests that SUNY System Administration work with the State of New York to remove the limitation on student assistant working hours; and the University Faculty Senate urges the Chancellor to support any and all other efforts to provide students with insurance options so that student working hours not be limited.
Resolution in support of expanding SUNY undergraduate research and creative endeavors

The University Faculty Senate supports the goal of expanding research opportunities for undergraduate students; and supports our colleagues in their efforts to strengthen curricula that prepare students for undergraduate research; and supports our colleagues in their efforts to further develop creative ways to infuse undergraduate research into existing curricula, and where appropriate, to provide extracurricular research opportunities; and encourages SUNY and campus administration to provide greater resources (funding, time, space, credit), to our colleagues who regularly inspire, educate, and mentor undergraduate researchers.

Resolution on Naloxone Availability (Introduced as New Business)
University Faculty Senate requests that SUNY Administration ensure that all SUNY campus police units and campus First Responders have access to and are stocked with naloxone and are trained in its use for emergent administration; and that campuses work to prevent substance abuse in our campus communities.

XIV. Committee Reports

Diversity and Cultural Competence Committee – Noelle Paley
Committee Goals for 2014-15:

• The committee aims for a successful proposal of the System-wide LGBT Athlete Ally resolution with follow up and implementation of supportive Athlete Ally behaviors, programs, and commitments across the SUNY system. The committee would like to see the SUNY System to be the first academic system in the country to have every campus actively hosting an athlete ally commitment program.
• The committee is happy to facilitate the system wide diversity survey in January 2015 with a report to the senate body at the Fall 2015 plenary
• The committee is excited to see the system wide diversity conference come to fruition on November 12-13 at the Making Diversity County: Ensuring Equity, Inclusion, Access and Impact Conference. Registration is still open but space is becoming more limited as the date nears.
• The committee is planning training for the CDCC on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in Spring 2015 and making a recommendation for an executive committee and senate body training with the same focus in Spring or Summer 2015. The committee will research and propose both trainings in Fall 2014.
• The committee will be working to establish an articulation of the scope of system-wide and local need around marginalized populations that would benefit from the consideration and resources of the CDCC including but not limited to veterans, international students, non-majority faith and non-faith identities. These populations will be integrated into the ongoing conversations and initiatives of the committee.
• The committee will be following up with the senate body on the status of the Making Diversity County recommendations on their campuses.

Ethics and Institutional Integrity Committee – Joe Marren

Committee Goals:

• Develop guiding principles document expressing commitment to the development of an ethical framework for SUNY.
• Survey of academic ethics activities across the campuses.
• Bullying Hazing document in collaboration with Student Life Committee
• Academic freedom document in collaboration with Governance Committee
• Academic integrity education/policy, possible project in collaboration with Student Assembly.
• Development of Electronic Privacy policy in collaboration with System and SUNY Counsel

Governance Committee – Peggy De Cooke
Committee Goals for 2014-15:

• To finalize a resolution concerning the timely presentation of resolutions to the Executive Committee for evaluation and inclusion on the UFS agenda.
• To examine the basic tenants of academic freedom with the goal of expanding the scope of a committee document drafted last year (e.g., what is/is not academic freedom, the freedom to speak on governance issues, separation of roles – that of private citizen versus that of University employee). The committee will work with past Governance Committee Chair S. Mozlin.
• To address the role of contingent faculty in shared governance, and provide guidance to campuses on constitution of fair service (e.g., whether and how contingent faculty should be afforded the option to give their time in governance service) and level of involvement in campus governance (e.g., within programs or departments or at the institutional level, how votes should be counted).
• To respond to concerns raised on several campuses about the role of faculty consultation in administrative searches (excluding Presidents

Graduate and Research Committee – Rosalyn Rufer

Committee Goals for 2014-2015 (or subcommittees*):

• 2015 Graduate Research Poster Session February 10
• Committee: Scott Goodman, Justin Shanley, David Allen, Chris Connor, and Josh LaFave plus Tim Tryjankowski and Jim McElwaine as suggested by Carol
• Purpose – to showcase graduate research completed during the 2014 calendar year.
• Objectives
• Outreach to legislators
• Work jointly with Undergraduate Committee to address how/whether event should be modified, evaluate effectiveness of program
• Liaison to RF Undergraduate Research Symposium
• Liaison – Scott Goodman
• Purpose – to report back to our committee best practices and ways in which we can support undergraduate research
• Complete Graduate Student engagement in NYS
• Committee – Rebecca Marinoff and Martin Kaczocha working with Kathleen Caggiano-Siino, Taya Owens, and Phil Ortiz
• Purpose develop a best practice report on how to keep our Graduated Students employed in NYS
• Objectives – to increase response rate from Alumni Surveys with the help of Pete and CGL
• Objective – to survey deans to identify what is currently being done and after the data is analyzed write up a best practice report
• White Paper on how we teach our graduate students to teach
• Committee: Rebecca Marinoff and David Allen
• Purpose – report for the bulletin
• Objective – identify what are the current practices for teaching our graduates to teach and develop a white paper on the subject.

• Feasibility of System-wide or multi-campus IRB
• Committee: Kathleen Caggiano-Siino, Taya Owens, Rosalyn Rufer, and Shishir Singh
• Purpose – identify the feasibility for a campus wide IRB
• Objective – identify system wide IRBs and see if what they are doing can be applied to SUNY and the Research Foundation
• Create a Student Handbook on Grant Writing
• Committee: Rosalyn Rufer, Jian Cao, Rebecca Marinoff, Anthony Hay, Martin Kaczocha, Subrata Shaa, Lu-Ru Zuao, Kathleen Caggiano-Siino
• Purpose- Engaging graduate students to apply for NSF, NIH, and other fellowships;
• Objective - work with RF to create a booklet on how to obtain grants; share with undergraduate programs and policy committee. (expect two year completion)

• Work with Operations Committee to better “define” postdoctoral students
• Committee: Lu-Ru Zuao Kathleen Caggiano-Siino
• Purpose: Current postdoctoral students fall in the gray area as neither a student nor an employee
• Objective – better define the position and identify the best compensation packages.

Operations Committee – Tom Sinclair
Committee Goals for 2014-15:
A white paper on budget transparency. Despite the size and complexity of SUNY’s budget and those of its campuses, the practices related to publishing budgeting and finance information vary widely across the system. The Operations Committee will examine current practices within SUNY and compare them with established best practices used by other public universities. Addenda will evaluate the financial stresses on the system’s libraries and discuss financial transparency issues related to university foundations.
Study on the composition of SUNY faculty. Periodically, the Operations Committee has conducted a study of the composition of faculty on SUNY campuses and we will undertake a similar activity this year. As methods of instructional delivery and types of programs change, the mix of full- and part-time faculty and their respective roles may also change. Impacts on the gender and diversity of campus faculty will also be reviewed.

SUNY- Excel, a performance measurement system proposed for all campuses. The Committee will closely monitor the proposed adoption and implementation of a performance measurement system by SUNY system and its campuses. Of particular interest will be the role of faculty governance organizations in the process.
Continuing discussions on other topics. Developments with respect to Start-Up NY, SUNY’s budget and OpenSUNY will be matters of continuing discussion by committee members in the coming year.

Programs and Awards Committee – Bruce Leslie
Committee Goals for 2014-15:

Programs Sub-Committee will review the Conversations in the Disciplines (CiD) program toward possibly recommending major reforms for 2016-2017 award criteria.

• Review the 40+ year record to consider whether its original purpose is still relevant as the program was designed to bring former teachers college faculty up to speed in their discipline on as many campuses as possible.
• Examine the existing policy of identical $5000 awards and consider a variety of Awards. Fewer awards of larger amounts might provide more ‘bang for the buck’.
• Electronic communication provides possible ways to increase participation and impact.
• The original ban on pedagogical topics will be reconsidered with the possibility that topics integrating disciplinary knowledge and pedagogy be made eligible.

Awards Sub-committee (Mark Warford, Chair) will examine administration of Chancellor’s Awards

• Due to concerns as to whether faculty input is adequate in some campus nomination processes, it will gather information thru GCLs.
• Once campus feedback is evaluated, the Committee will consider whether any policy or procedural changes are necessary.

Oversee administration of the Conversations in the Disciplines (CiD) program

• The Committee will review the current procedures with an eye to clarifying language to

correct problems observed last year.

• Raise the CiD profile, especially with a goal of a more timely rollout this year and finding ways to communicate directly to faculty rather than through administration.

Review the policies and procedures for Chancellor’s Awards & Distinguished Professorships:

• For the 2015-2016 cycle, review DPs. No problems are apparent, but there are areas in which language could be clarified.
• For the 2015-2016 cycle, review the first administration of the CA for Adjunct Teaching. As a new program, lessons need to be learned. In particular, there is confusion about defining ‘adjunct’ including an apparent error that bars full-time non-tenure track faculty and leaves them as the only group ineligible for any CA.
• For the 2015-2016 cycle, review the first administration of the Senate’s new CA for Shared Governance. As another new program, and one totally under Senate purview, it needs to be reviewed carefully.
• For the 2016-2017 cycle, review the CAs for Scholarship & Creative Activities,

Teaching, Faculty Service, Professional Service, and Librarianship. Once the sub-committee on faculty participation in CAs reports, the Committee will consider possible policy recommendations on procedural changes.

Student Life Committee – Kelley Donaghy
Committee Goals for 2014-15:
The committee has resolved that there are two primary aspects of their charge, student completion and student health and safety. The following goals fall into one or the other of these categories.

• Textbook Affordability
• The committee will continue to advocate for affordable solutions to the high prices of print textbooks.
• Student Working Hours
• A fall Human Resources document limited the number of student assistant working hours to 29 hours per week. The committee is concerned that this may decrease student persistence.
• Drugs and Alcohol
• At the fall meeting the committee met with a Department of Health representative to learn more about the rise of Heroin usage. The committee plans to disseminate helpful information throughout the year to faculty on how they can help combat student heroin usage.
• Sexual Assault
• The committee plans to work with SUNY in the development and implementation of effective and fair policies and procedures to meet the goals of the October 2, 2014, Board of Trustees resolution.
• Hazing and Bullying
• A “white paper” is expected in time for the January Plenary, this is being jointly written with the Ethics Committee.
• Workshop on the Role of Faculty in Student Life
• Upon meeting with the Chief Student Affairs Officers in June, the committee realized that there is a great deal of variety with respect to the faculty involvement in student life. To better understand the role of faculty in student affairs, a workshop involving faculty, student affairs professionals and students will be organized for spring of 2015.
• Veteran’s Affairs Survey
• Recognizing the larger number of veterans that will be returning to SUNY campuses, the committee expects to deploy a survey intended to focus on student support services designed for student veterans in November 2014.

Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Committee– Dan White

Committee Goals for 2014-2015:

• Review and revision of the Internship guide
• Undergraduate Research: analysis of what we do and how we do it
• Service learning: analysis of what we do and how we do it
• Competency-based assessment: development of resources for broader understanding