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Approved Resolutions

141^st Plenary Meeting, Empire State College - October 27-29, 2005

• Proposed Resolution on the Academic Bill of Rights
• Resolution in Support of NYS College of Ceramics
• Resolution on the Appointment of Interim Presidents
• Resolution to Reinstate the Faculty Exchange Scholars Designation and Program
• Resolution on Funding for the University Faculty Senate
• Resolution on Campus Support for Official Travel of University Faculty Senators
• Resolution on Rational Library Funding

University Faculty Senate
Academic Diversity and Responsibility Ad Hoc Committee
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON THE ACADEMIC BILL OF RIGHTS

WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York has referred consideration of the "Academic Bill of Rights" to two of its standing committees, the Student Life Committee and the Academic Standards Committee, and

WHEREAS, the "Academic Bill of Rights" would introduce inappropriate, possibly illegal, external political considerations into SUNY personnel decisions, student group funding decisions, and the creation of course content, and

WHEREAS, current policies and regulations of the State of New York, the State University, and its constituent campuses, including Article XI, Title I of the Policies of the Board of Trustees and the University Faculty Senate's "Statement of Professional Responsibilities and Rights" (Governance Handbook), protect and promote academic freedom for both faculty and students, and

WHEREAS, the University Faculty Senate of the State University of New York remains committed to upholding and preserving the principles of academic freedom and faculty responsibility as contained in the 1940 American Association of University Professors' Statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure with the 1970 Interpretive Comments; and

WHEREAS, the University Faculty Senate reaffirms the responsibility of faculty to develop and establish hiring criteria for faculty positions; that these criteria must derive exclusively from the professional standards set forth by scholarly/professional organizations and by campus faculty (according to the established shared governance processes of the University); and

WHEREAS, the University Faculty Senate reaffirms the distinctive "obligation" of the faculty to "participate significantly in the initiation, development and implementation of the educational program," (Article X, Policies of the Board of Trustees), and

WHEREAS, the University Faculty Senate supports the AAUP March 4, 2004, statement, "Controversy in the Classroom," including the assertion "that instructors should avoid the persistent intrusion of matter, controversial or not, that has no bearing on the subject of instruction."

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the University Faculty Senate of SUNY strongly oppose the proposed "Academic Bill of Rights" and urges the Board of Trustees to reject it as policy, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President of University Faculty Senate of SUNY distribute this resolution to the Chancellor, the SUNY Board of Trustees, Campus Governance Leaders and Organizations, and SUNY Presidents.

141-01-1 Resolution on the Academic Bill of Rights
Passed without dissent

University Faculty Senate
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

Resolution in Support of NYS College of Ceramics

Whereas the University Faculty Senate of the State University of New York is deeply concerned by the treatment of our colleagues at the NYS College of Ceramics (NYSCC) at Alfred University.

Whereas the University Faculty Senate supports the actions of system administration and the SUNY Board of Trustees in their efforts to restore the College's SUNY identity and the integrity of the College's governance as originally intended by the laws establishing the statutory colleges.

Be it resolved that the University Faculty Senate endorse the NYSCC faculty's principles of:

1. Support for the NYSCC statutory mission
2. Support for a stand-alone NYSCC unit head in the college that is a joint appointment by SUNY and AU
3. Support for statutory faculty's participation in the search for a NYSCC unit head
4. Support of meaningful shared governance including participation in policy development, strategic planning, budget process, etc.
5. Support for SUNY representation on the Alfred University Board of Trustees, and

Be it further resolved that the University Faculty Senate encourage the campus governance bodies to support their colleagues at Alfred Ceramics by endorsing this resolution and writing letters of concern and support to appropriate officials, including but not limited to the Governor, Legislators and SUNY officials.

University Faculty Senate
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

Resolution on the Appointment of Interim Presidents

Be it resolved campus governance organizations should be formally consulted and involved before an Interim President and Unit Head is appointed.

University Faculty Senate
Awards Committee
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

Resolution to Reinstate the Faculty Exchange Scholars Designation and Program

WhereasWhereas the Faculty Exchange Scholar program was created in the early 1970s with the dual objectives to enrich the intellectual environment in the State University of New York and to recognize faculty prominence among its ranks, and

Whereas the program recognized prominence within SUNY through conferral of the designation of Faculty Exchange Scholar to scholars who had distinguished themselves regionally, nationally and internationally in their respective fields; and

Whereas the program supported the travel-related costs of Faculty Exchange Scholars for inter-campus visits to increase contact and communication between campus faculty and prominent SUNY scholars; and

Whereas the program was discontinued in the mid-1990s because of an interruption in funding;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the University Programs and Awards Committee recommends the re-institution of the Faculty Exchange Scholar program and restoration of its funding; and be it further

Therefore Be it Further Resolved that the practice of recognizing SUNY faculty prominence with the designation of Faculty Exchange Scholar be reinstituted; and

Therefore Be it Further Resolved that the University Faculty Senate recommend to Chancellor Ryan that he have the program reinstated and that it continue to enrich and stimulate the intellectual vibrancy of the University and enhance disciplinary scholarly growth, both hallmarks of the original program.

University Faculty Senate
Governance Committee
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

Resolution on Funding for the University Faculty Senate

Whereas the University Faculty Senate is recognized in the Policies of the Board of Trustees as the governance organization for the State University of New York; and

Whereas the University Faculty Senate makes a significant contribution to the vitality of the State University of New York; and

Whereas funding for the operation of the University Faculty Senate is derived from per Senator assessment to the campuses; and

Whereas that assessment has remained unchanged at $3,000 per Senator for many years; and

Whereas the operational costs of running the Senate, including the cost of travel incurred by the Senate's officers and its committee members must be accommodated by the funds raised through the assessment; and

Whereas costs of travel and supplies have continued to increase, particularly with respect to the rate that the Senate must pay in reimbursement for the use of personal vehicles; and

Whereas without additional funding the activities of the University Faculty Senate will have to be reduced to the detriment of the University; and

Whereas the funding situation for the University Faculty Senate can be ameliorated without unduly burdening any of the campuses, now

Therefore Be It Resolved that the University Faculty Senate requests the Chancellor to raise the campus assessment to $5,000 per Senator annually, effective July 1, 2006.

141-05-1 Resolution on Funding for the University Faculty Senate
Passed without dissent
October 29, 2005

University Faculty Senate
Governance Committee
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

Resolution on Campus Support for Official Travel of University Faculty Senators

Whereas the Policies of the Board of Trustees (Article VII) establishes the University Faculty Senate as the official governance body of the State University of New York and fixes the membership of the body; and

Whereas the Policies of the Board of Trustees (Article VII, Title D, Section 1) mandates a minimum of two plenary meetings of the University Faculty Senate annually and authorizes such additional meetings as may be called by the Senate's Executive Committee; and

Whereas for the Senate to function effectively representation from all campuses in the persons of the Faculty Senator or Alternate Faculty Senator is necessary; and

Whereas it is the responsibility of the campus administrations to provide for the ordinary expenses incurred by senators in conjunction with their travel to meetings of the University Faculty Senate; and

Whereas anecdotal evidence suggests that not all campuses are fulfilling their financial responsibilities to provide funding to permit their senator(s) to attend meetings, now

Therefore Be It Resolved that the University Faculty Senate requests that the Chancellor of the State University of New York communicate with the campus presidents, reminding them that the University Faculty Senate is a body established by the Board of Trustees to carry out the governance functions of the university, and further reminding them that membership in the body is also mandated by Board policy, and that it is the expectation of the University that campuses will provide for the normal travel expenses incurred by senators in conjunction with their attendance at meetings of the University Faculty Senate.

University Faculty Senate
Operations Committee
141^st Plenary Meeting
Empire State College
October 29, 2005

Resolution on Rational Library Funding

Whereas, annual costs for research journals have increased between 8% and 10% per year for the last seven years, significantly exceeding the rate of increase of the national Higher Education Pricing Index (HEPI); and

Whereas, annual costs for all library materials have increased at approximately twice the rate of inflation for the same period (1998-2005); and

Whereas, library acquisitions budgets across SUNY have lost purchasing power relative to inflation during that period; and

Whereas, the University Faculty Senate Task Force Report on Rational Fiscal Policy (January 2003) and the Chancellor's Rational Tuition Plan both call for increased State funding for SUNY, including increased funding to cover mandatory, fixed and inflationary costs in SUNY's operating budget;

Therefore Be It Resolved, that the University Faculty Senate reaffirms its support of the Rational Fiscal Policy and Rational Tuition Plan, and urges that State funding for SUNY be increased annually in accordance with the university's mandated operating costs, based on needs analyses and inflationary factors; and,

Be It Further Resolved, that the University Faculty Senate urges that State support for SUNY library acquisitions, specifically, be increased annually at a rate consistent with the actual costs of these acquisitions; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the University Faculty Senate urges that State support for library acquisitions include a one-time "catch-up" sum of $8 Million to overcome the shortfall in acquisitions accrued over the past seven years, with this "catch-up" being necessary to restore SUNY collections to a level consistent with the university's goals of excellence.