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Approved Resolutions

140^th Plenary Meeting, College of Environmental Science and Forestry - April 9, 2005

• Sense of the Senate Motion
• Resolution in Support of Faculty Evaluation of Administrators
• Resolution on Academic Misconduct
• Motion from the Floor

University Faculty Senate
140^th Plenary Meeting
ESF
April 9, 2005

Sense of the Senate Motion
April 9, 2005

Respecting the New York College of Ceramics Faculty Resolution of February 23, 2005, the University Faculty Senate requests that the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York exercise direct intervention in the clarification of the college's governance, leadership, chain of command and the respective responsibilities of Alfred University and the State University of New York in overseeing its financial stability.

140-01-1 without dissent

University Faculty Senate
Goverance Committee
140^th Plenary Meeting
ESF
April 9, 2005

Resolution in Support of Faculty Evaluation of Administrators

Whereas over the past decade a movement towards greater accountability and transparency has occurred in higher education as elsewhere, and faculty evaluation of administrators is one response to this increased expectation, and

Whereas the opportunity to evaluate college administrators is an important faculty prerogative, which, if pursued carefully, can give faculty a stronger sense of participation in the governance of the college, and

Whereas evaluation of administrators by faculty works best when all parties involved consider it an attempt to improve the health and strength of the institution rather than targeting individuals,

Now therefore be it resolved:

That the University Faculty Senate affirms the prerogative of local governance bodies to engage in evaluation of administrators, in a manner and on a schedule of the body's own choosing, and

That the University Faculty Senate affirms the value, and endorses the practice of faculty evaluation of administrators on those campuses of the State University of New York where it is regularly and systematically practiced, and

That the University Faculty Senate recommends to the governance body of those campuses of the State University of New York that do not now regularly and systematically evaluate administrators that they make provision to exercise their prerogative to do so, and

That the University Faculty Senate recommends to all local governance bodies that their evaluation process and procedures be designed and reviewed in light of the best practices identified in the University Faculty Senate's Governance Committee Report, Faculty Evaluation of Administrators, presented at the Winter 2005 plenary, and

That the University Faculty Senate directs the President of the Senate to send copies of this resolution, together with the referenced report, to all local governance leaders.

140-02-1 without dissent

University Faculty Senate
Goverance Committee
140^th Plenary Meeting
ESF
April 9, 2005

Resolution on Academic Misconduct

Whereas, throughout its history, the University Faculty Senate has been an advocate for the highest standards of professional practice, and

Whereas academic misconduct on the part of SUNY faculty brings discredit to the campus, to the University and to the profession, and

Whereas State University of New York campuses have procedures in place to investigate allegations of academic misconduct, and

Whereas the existing collective bargaining agreement insures that persons accused of academic misconduct are afforded due process, and

Whereas public confidence in the University is eroded when there is an appearance that academic misconduct is not subject to transparency, and

Whereas the announcement of a finding of academic misconduct before the local campus governance body at the conclusion of the disciplinary process and after all appeals have been exhausted, is an appropriate venue for disclosure;

Now therefore be it resolved that the University Faculty Senate conditionally endorses the attached proposal by the Chancellor to require that a final determination of academic misconduct - after all appeals have been exhausted - be reported by the campus president to the faculty governance body during a scheduled meeting, and permitting further disclosure at the discretion of the campus president. The endorsement of the body is contingent upon the incorporation of additional language, either directly or by reference, carefully defining research, academic misconduct, and plagiarism, along the lines of definitions used by North Dakota State University.

Be it further resolved that the President of the Senate be directed to convey the conditional endorsement of the proposal to the Chancellor.

140-03-1 without dissent

DEFINITIONS USED BY NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
"Academic or scientific misconduct" shall mean fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, misrepresentation of sources, breach of confidentiality, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the scientific community for proposing, for conducting, or reporting research; or material failure to comply with a sponsor's requirements that uniquely relate to the conduct of the research. It does not include honest error, or honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data.

"Plagiarism" shall mean taking over ideas, methods, or written words of another without acknowledgment of and with the intention that they be credited as the work of the deceiver. Different academic disciplines may have their own separate definition which may add additional elements that need to be taken into consideration in an allegation of plagiarism. "Scholarly inquiry", "creative activity", and "research" shall be considered synonymous terms.

DRAFT POLICY ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT - PROPOSAL BY CHANCELLOR KING
1. In all instances where an affirmative finding of research or academic misconduct or plagiarism has been made by a disciplinary arbitrator for professional staff in the professional services negotiating unit or other forum for adjudication for professional staff not in the professional services negotiating unit, and is no longer subject to appeal [within the campus] under applicable appellate procedures, there shall be public disclosure of said findings. Such disclosures should be made only on days when regular classes are being held, and before an open, regularly scheduled meeting of the campus faculty governance organization. Other disclosure, if any, [should be] is within the discretion of the campus president, and 2. Whenever an allegation of research or academic misconduct or plagiarism is made against an employee on the professional staff. of the State University of New York, the President of the campus receiving said allegation, or designee, shall notify me, or my designee, within 30 days [, of the fact of the allegation,] of issuing formal charges to the employee regarding such allegations. [and] [t] Thereafter, the President, or designee, shall notify me or designee as to any findings and conclusions made by the arbitrator or other adjudicating authority, any penalties imposed in conjunction with such findings and conclusions, and the process for any public notification which was followed.

University Faculty Senate
140^th Plenary Meeting
ESF
April 9, 2005

Motion from the Floor

Moved, that the Operations Committee report on part-time and non-tenure-track faculty, referred to the Executive Committee for inclusion in the agenda of the Fall 2005 Plenary session of the University Faculty Senate.

140-04-1 without dissent