CCSU Faculty Senate Meeting

                                                           April 10, 2006, 3 pm

                                                               Vance 105

 

1. Approval of Minutes of March 13 , 2006

 

2. Announcements

 

            T.Craine (President, Senate)

            C.White (President, CCSU -AAUP)

 

3. Unfinished Business

 

4. New Business 

a.        Senate Elections committee (S. Osterreich)

Elections for offices of Senate President, Vice-President and Secretary

 

b.       SUOAF Sabbatical Leave committee report (S. Petrosino)

The committee is comprised of the following members:

 

Drina Lynch, Enrollment Center

Christian Gutierrez, Admissions

Elizabeth Hicks, Advising

Susan Lesser, Continuing Education

Susan Petrosino, Registrar and Committee Chairperson

 

We convene on an as needed basis when proper documentation is submitted to the committee for its review.  We have entertained three such requests over the past twelve months with the following results:

 

1.   A request for a 6 month leave that was recommended by the committee and approved by Dr. Arends

2.   A request for a 6 month leave that was recommended by the committee and approved by Dr. Miller

3.   A request for a one year leave that was modified by the committee with its recommendation for a 6 month leave.  This was denied by President Miller.

 

We are an advisory board only and the ultimate decision is made by the University President.  We do not have a set of bylaws, but rather operate according to the directive in the SUOAF Collective Bargaining Agreement, section 24.8 on pages 67-68.  Out of respect for the privacy of the individuals involved, I have not included names of the people who requested the sabbatic leave.

 

c.        Committee on Committee report on UAB (S.Cohen)

 

d.       Grade Appeals committee report (D. Spector)

 

The Grade Appeals Committee meets in response to appeals filed by students in accord with the CCSU grade appeals policy, as published in the catalogue.  As of this writing, the committee has met 4 times this academic year and has considered 10 cases.  The committee reports its decision regarding each case to the student filing the appeal, the professor whose grade is appealed, the department chair, the dean, and the provost.  In cases in which the committee recommends a grade change, the final decision is made by the provost.

 

e.        International Area Studies committee report (R. Benfield)

 

f.         Appointments & Personnel committee report (C. Barrington)

 

Motion: Committee work with Anne Alling, Vice-President for Human Resources,CCSU, to develop a protocol for university-wide appointments that will "institutionalize" a more transparent process.

 

g.        Constitution/Bylaws Committee report (R. Wolff)

Part-time faculty representation on the Senate

Here is the proposed language submitted to us for the Constitution

 

3.1.2

There shall be representation of the part-time faculty on a proportionate basis, elected in the spring semester of even numbered years. The election of Senators from the part-time faculty will be conducted by the Senate Elections Committee.

3.1.2.a

Each school shall be entitled to one Senator from the part-time faculty for every sixty (60) courses/sections (or fraction thereof) taught by the part-time faculty in that school. No more than two (2) Senators from the part-time faculty may come from the same department.

3.1.2.b

Senators from the part-time faculty will serve a term of two years, commencing in the fall semester after having been elected the previous spring. Senators from the part-time faculty may not be full-time employees at any other institution of higher education.

 

With respect to these proposed clauses, teaching load hours - not courses - should be used as the basis for the calculation above. We suggest renumbering the clauses (e.g., from 3.1.2.a to 3.1.2.1, which seems more consistent with the document's numbering system).

 

Here is the proposed language for the Bylaws:

 

1.1.1

In the spring semester of each even-numbered year, the President of the University shall verify to the Senate Elections Committee the number of Senators to be elected from the part-time faculty, based upon official data from the University's Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness. Each school shall be entitled to one Senator from the part-time faculty for every sixty (60) courses/sections (or fraction thereof) taught by the part-time faculty in that school.

 

Here there are problems.

 

¨      The language should parallel that of 1.1 if possible. It should not specify the source of the President's data.

¨      Practically speaking, the load data available in spring are from the previous semesters. The spring load credit report is not finalized in time to serve as the basis for elections.

¨      The clause repeats information to be included in the Constitution.

 

We recommend the following language instead:

 

1.1.1

In the spring of each academic year, the President of the University shall provide the Faculty Senate President with part-time load credit data for the previous two semesters. The average of these figures will serve as the basis for the apportionment of part-time representation in the Senate.

 

Please also note:

 

 

h.      Curriculum Committee report (T. Burkholder) 

http://www.ccsu.edu/curriculum/senate_reports/05_06/mar.html

 

i. University Athletic Board report (P.Osei)

 

 

5. Adjournment