Remarks from Chancellor John Ryan THE FUTURE OF SUNY As our SUNY campuses begin the fall semester, I want to commend all of our faculty, staff, and stakeholders for their superb work last year - work that is key to achieving our primary goal of providing each student with the highest possible quality education, one that is affordable, accessible and attainable. SUNY is one of the best higher education systems in the country and, as we move forward, we must focus on keeping the "public" in public higher education. That means staying affordable and accessible to all of New York's students. And at the same time, it is imperative that we continue to enhance the quality of a SUNY education and provide a holistic process that enables high levels of achievement for all our students. If we are not providing all of our students a top-quality education that is affordable, accessible, and attainable, we are not doing our job. It's that simple. This is the 11th time I have had the privilege of serving in a leadership position. Many were during my three decades in the United States Navy, then as the president of three colleges, and now as SUNY chancellor. Each new position has been accompanied by its own challenges and opportunities. In public higher education across the nation, one of the greatest challenges we face is maintaining a sufficient level of full time faculty. With our strong SUNY budget now enacted by our trustees, I am pleased that SUNY is able to move toward a major goal: hiring an additional 300-plus new full time faculty. While part-time faculty perform important service to SUNY, it is our full time faculty who expand our research portfolio, participate in university governance, and shape the culture of our campuses through their commitment to teaching and learning. SUNY's 31,000 faculty are already among the most efficient and productive in the nation, but we do not have enough of them. Moreover, less than 62 percent of our State-operated campus faculty are full time, whereas a decade ago, 74 percent were full time. Our part-time faculty do a wonderful job and the use of part-time faculty to meet particular institutional teaching needs is a sound fiscal strategy. However, when our FT/PT faculty ratio becomes skewed, it does our students a disservice by failing to provide them the highest quality classroom experience and exposure to, and mentoring by the seasoned professors they deserve. We can do better -and we will, starting this year. Our SUNY students are an incredibly talented and diverse group. Approximately 80 percent of SUNY students receive some form of financial assistance, whether they are receiving aid from Pell Grants or the State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), or are in a work study program. Combined with our low tuition and fees, these programs make SUNY both affordable and accessible. However, as higher education costs continue to rise and state budgets across the nation are increasingly strained, the need to implement policies that guarantee affordability and accessibility is becoming even more critical. Last year, SUNY Trustees proposed a rational tuition plan, which would prevent students and families from experiencing substantial, unexpected tuition increases as they have in recent years. This unfortunate practice is what I call "tuition roulette." A rational tuition plan would allow students and parents to plan, not just for one year, but for the length of their degree program, so that from the moment they enroll, our students would know precisely what their tuition bills would be for their entire degree program. No sudden hikes; no financial crises - just sound policy and a commitment to our students that would allow them to focus on their studies instead of worrying about future tuition rates. We will continue to pursue the adoption of a rational tuition plan with the governor and state legislature, and look forward to seeing it enacted. For a deeper and more long-term view of public higher education, I believe our state leaders need an impartial, bi-partisan, thorough analysis of SUNY - what SUNY is, what it's accomplishing and what we can and must do better. After the fall elections, I will urge our state leaders to establish a Blue Ribbon commission that would be made up of a cross-section of stakeholders: business leaders, experienced educators and administrative leaders from New York and comparable states, as well as both a student representative and an international higher education official. The commission would take a comprehensive look at what works best in higher education, not just in New York State, but throughout the country and internationally. After it conducts broad research on SUNY and best practices throughout higher education, the commission would make a series of recommendations regarding SUNY to the governor, the legislature, and SUNY Trustees. These recommendations could then serve as a blueprint for the future of the State University. One of the areas where SUNY's role is critical throughout New York State is in economic development. In each and every community where a SUNY campus exists, we are an essential economic engine that drives local economies and the State economy as a whole. Whether it's through the public-private partnerships at our Centers of Excellence; the cutting-edge research our professors are conducting throughout the system; workforce development at any of our institutions, but particularly at any of our 30 community colleges; or simply through active support in town-gown relations, SUNY is there, making a difference. Our goal is to be even more impactful in the coming years. Going forward, we need to continue to fuel economic development by producing graduates who meet the State's growing workforce needs in fields like healthcare, computer technology, engineering and education. We can also focus more of our campus research and community involvement on supporting regional economic priorities and challenges. Our talented SUNY professionals are indeed a great investment, one that will continue to provide solutions for New York State. With our first steps toward making both SUNY and each institution exceptional now underway, with the help of our Trustees' adoption of the 2006-07 financial plan and the addition of much-needed full-time faculty, we are off to a great start. I look forward to building on this progress with faculty, staff and stakeholders over the coming years as we join together to make SUNY the nation's premier public higher education system. John R. Ryan Chancellor Faculty Senate Bulletin The State University of New York University Faculty Senate Co-Editors NORMAN GOODMAN, Stony Brook JOE HILDRETH, Potsdam MARVIN LAHOOD Faculty Senate Assistant CAROL DONATO Editorial Board (Executive Committee) CARL WIEZALIS-President Upstate JOSEPH HILDRETH-Immediate Past President Potsdam NORMAN GOODMAN-Vice President/Secretary Stony Brook JAMES MCELWAINE-Immediate Past Vice President/Secretary Purchase JAMES HOLSAPPLE Upstate Medical University� Health Sciences RUNI MUKHERJI Old Westbury-University Colleges JOSEPH PETRICK Alfred� Technical Colleges AARON GODFREY Stony Brook � University Centers PEER BODE Ceramics� Special and Statutory Colleges ANNE HUOT KIMBERLY CLINE System Administration ERIC JOHANSSON Maritime (Campus Governance Leader Convener) President�s Corner Service for Society Dear Colleagues: I find myself at the beginning of my second year as your President of the University Faculty Senate. I remain challenged and highly-motivated by the opportunities presented by this elected office. The purpose of the Faculty Senate is that of shared governance. We share these governance activities and responsibilities with campuses and System Administration. Equitable sharing with administration requires significant investment by faculty and staff in the organization and operation of our local and state-wide senates. In many ways, the power of faculty derives from the number of faculty/staff engaged in the work of the senates and the single-minded unity of our colleagues. A few elected officers cannot achieve critical mass and effective quality work without the engagement of the majority. Where am I going with this, you ask? I�m asking all faculty and staff to consider his/her activity in all levels of governance with an eye to investing more in this area of service to your profession and your college or university. Do I expect all colleagues to be active in governance all of the time? No, I do not. But I do feel that all faculty/staff should engage in governance activities as time and opportunity allow. Few of us can do teaching, research and service simultaneously, but over time all of us have opportunity to do our fair share to contribute to the equation of shared governance. Autocratic administration is often the product of governance abrogation by faculty. We never want to abandon the opportunity to balance the discourse and decisions related to governance. Abrogating governance is abrogating faculty involvement in the decisions that define the university. �Many hands make light work�; many faculty/staff moderate the governance work commonly accomplished by the few. So much of the work of the university, including professional and community engagement, is classified as service. Without this service work, the university, especially the public university, cannot respond to the needs of our society. Great teaching is a core faculty responsibility. Research and scholarship are defining behaviors of the faculty, often prized for their economic impact on the university and the society. Service is coming into perspective with pedagogy and research as the pressing needs of our culture and society begs the assistance of the university staff. I have been openly discussing this balance with the Chancellor and the campus presidents, and all seem to appreciate and support this investment of precious faculty time. Recognizing and rewarding service, in a measure parallel with teaching and research, must become a predictable, recognizable practice from the department level to the level of the System Administration. We are not seeking to replace teaching or research with service, just to make a place for service in the equation: Faculty responsibility = pedagogy + research/scholarship + service. From a practical point of view we need faculty/staff to volunteer in greater numbers for project and committee work at both the campus and System levels. No one person needs to do all; just do some. As we reach out to you to serve on committees, run for office or engage in project work, please think twice about your decision. The strength of any college or university is found in the faculty; faculty define the institution. Service is a critical element of the faculty/staff profile. Carl P. Wiezalis, President University Faculty Senate Kudos to the University Faculty Senate (Joseph Petrick, Alfred State College) On Friday June 23, 2006, it was announced that Chancellor Ryan nominated John Clark to be the interim president of Alfred State College. Uma Gupta is resigning her position as president effective June 30, and has accepted the Chancellor's offer of a position to lead a system-wide initiative to increase the number of women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines throughout SUNY. I would like to thank University Faculty Senate for its participation in the process that has begun to resolve the conflicts at Alfred State College. In particular, I would like to thank Carl Wiezalis for his leadership and support throughout the last year. His efforts on behalf of the faculty at ASC are greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank all those who personally advised me at the Planning Session last September, as well as those who provided advice and support over the last nine months. The Visitation Team of Karen Markoe, Joe Hildreth, Runi Mukherji, Ron Sarner, Norm Goodman, and Kate Van Arnam is to be commended once again for their work which resulted in the Visitation Report. The folks at Alfred State are also indebted to Anne Huot for mediating. We also thank John Ryan for respecting the principles of shared governance and for his cooperation with University Faculty Senate. At the local level I would also like to thank CGL Jim Grillo for his leadership. The previous CGL Jeff Johnston is also to be commended for his efforts. University Faculty Senate does not often participate in such serious disputes between faculty and campus administration, and it is to be hoped that in future it will not have to. In the present instance it is owed a debt of gratitude for its involvement in the mediation of the conflict at Alfred State College. There is much work ahead, but in the meantime I thank the University Faculty Senate for its interest and support on behalf of the faculty and staff of ASC, and for its work in support of faculty through the System. Sincerely, Joseph Petrick From the Editors� Desk What we write in this column is our opinion � with no pretension to �gospel� truth. But this mediation is the result of well over a half-century of collegiate experience as student and teacher. What strikes me more than anything as I look back is the realization that so many things get in the way of our concentration on our life�s work � the teaching-learning process�that it is remarkable that we are able to think about it very much at all. I served as a chief academic officer along the way and every Monday the senior officers of the institution would meet with the President to discuss the state of the enterprise. Every Monday I would eventually have to observe that all that the others did and all that they gave great prominence to was ancillary to the teaching-learning process. All that anyone in the institution did was supposed to enhance the academic enterprise. Now, after a decade and a half in the University Faculty Senate, I have come to the same conclusion. With the agendas that are forced on us from every angle, it is a wonder that teaching and learning get as much of an airing as they do. What I would like to discuss for a moment is my feelings about what are the marks of an educated person. What I hope follows from this is a number of conversations about how we would get our students there. The first mark would be the ability to do something after graduation, and the knowledge and skill to do it well � from a core that would help one to live intelligently, and a major that would lead to a lifetime of professional excellence. Wouldn�t it be rewarding to help someone become �a teacher�s teacher,� or �a nurse�s nurse,� or that kind of accolade in any field. The second mark would be the ability to know one�s self. A kind of wit or perspective that enables one to see themselves clearly. There is nothing more debilitating than self-delusion. The more one knows about other cultures and other peoples, about the geography and history of the world, the more likely that person will be able to shed a narrow parochialism and provincialism for a kind of sophistication that puts their own origin, background, and beliefs in perspective. The third mark is the ability to think clearly � to be able to tell the difference between humbug and truth. It probably takes a great deal of knowledge and some healthy skepticism (and some great teachers) to get to this mark. This is something that is sorely needed in the complex world of today in which one is continuously bombarded with conflicting information. The fourth mark is the ability to continue to educate one�s self for a lifetime. We can�t teach everyone everything, but we probably can stimulate their intellectual curiosity and at least generally point out some educational avenues so that they can go on by themselves. The fifth mark is the ability to communicate clearly � through the spoken word, the written word, symbolic actions, and the ability to listen. Some carefully read and corrected essays and essay questions in every discipline would probably help. As the printed word continues to fade for our students in the onslaught of the various electronic media at their disposal, maybe we ought to emphasize more than ever the power of the well-chosen word. The ability to communicate is the heart of any human relationship. The sixth mark is what I call �imaginative sympathy� � putting one�s self in another�s shoes � a kind of compassion that the Dalai Llama recently made the center of his message during his visit to the University at Buffalo. He made a very strong statement to all present, including Chancellor Ryan and President Simpson, that this characteristic should be the central concern of all education. The seventh mark would be the ability to find joy in life � through knowledge of the great legacy of human endeavor. The human mind is a magnificent entity, and the teaching profession, dedicated to enriching human minds, is, in my opinion, the most glorious of all professions. It has been my lifelong pleasure to be associated with members of the academic community in their pursuit of truth and the challenge of passing that truth to future generations. Our engagement in a continuous dialogue about the marks of an educated person and how we might enable our students to attain those characteristics should continue to enrich us, our students, and that academic world that is our home and our life�s work. Marvin LaHood Introducing Risa Palm I am honored and pleased to join the State University of New York�s (SUNY) administrative team, and am grateful for all the support Chancellor John Ryan and the SUNY Board of Trustees have given to me. I am a native of Minnesota. My collegiate education was at the University of Minnesota where I got a B.A. (history), M.A. (geography) and Ph.D. (geography). I taught at Normandale Community College (Bloomington) and after my Ph.D. became an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley. I have held tenured positions as professor since 1982 at the University of Colorado (Boulder), Oregon (Eugene) and North Carolina (Chapel Hill). My scholarly work focuses on urban geography and earthquake hazard response. Most recently I was Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at Louisiana State University (2003-2006). While at LSU I implemented a strategic plan to improve both teaching and research. I also began an interdisciplinary program in Chinese Business and Culture that provided support for new faculty appointments and undergraduate student visits to China. Prior to that I served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1997-2003), Dean, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon (1991-1997), and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1987-1991). I am excited about the future of SUNY and I look forward to working collaboratively with all of our campuses to achieve SUNY�s goals, building upon the work of my predecessors. In the next issue of this publication I will write about some specific goals including attracting and retaining the best faculty and researchers, cultivating the China initiative, and forming even stronger partnerships among related programs throughout the SUNY system. I very much look forward to working with you in taking the State University to the next level. RESOLUTIONS PASSED Resolution on Establishing a Web Site to Advertise Graduate and Research Programs throughout the SUNY System Rationale: The SUNY System has a wide variety of graduate programs presented by the Research Centers and by the Comprehensive Colleges. One of the priorities of the system is to recruit students from many different geographic locations including New York State, nationally and internationally. Having a central location that describes the numerous graduate and research programs available throughout the system and that has a URL of campuses by which more information is available is needed. In the past, SUNY published a publication that described such programs. The cost of such a paper publication today is considerable and it would be difficult to keep it current. Having a central website would help all of campuses with graduate programs. We understand that Central Administration is currently working on such a web site. It is important that a high priority be given to this project and that the University Faculty Senate receives regular reports on the progress of this project. Resolution: Be it Resolved that the University Faculty Senate recommends to the Chancellor that a web site describing graduate and research programs in the SUNY system be completed and updated regularly. Be it Further Resolved that reports of the progress of the web site project be provided regularly to the University Faculty Senate. (passed without dissent) Chancellor�s Ryan�s Responses to Recent Senate Resolutions Resolution 142-01-1 � Resolution to Restore Conversations in the Disciplines Support to Recent Funding Levels (from the Farmingdale Plenary meeting, January 2006) The Conversation in the Disciplines program, established in the mid-1960s, has consistently been a valuable resource in heightening SUNY�s visibility and accentuating its prominence across the higher education community as well as enhancing scholarly development and academic discourse across the system. This competitively awarded conference grant program has traditionally been funded at the $30,000 level. However, in the late 1990s several of the Conversations enjoyed such p[prominence that the program�s funding was increased to $50,000 per annum. The recent constraints on SUNY�s operating budget, however, forced a return to the original funding levels. Should SUNY�s budget permit, I would support the reinstatement of the $50,000 annual funding level for the program. Resolution 142-01-1 � Special Resolution (from the Farmingdale Plenary meeting, January 2006) I am delighted that the Faculty Senate passed a resolution recognizing the work of Peter Salins as University Provost. We are all indebted to his focus on academic excellence and the impact it will have on the University for years to come. Resolution 143-01-1 � Resolution to Establish a Website to Advertise Graduate Research and Programs through out the SUNY System (from the Plattsburgh Plenary meeting, April 2006) As part of a comprehensive redesign of its overall data information systems, System Administration has developed a new database for tracking the University�s academic programs, the Academic Program Enterprise System (APES). In the APES system the University has, for the first time, a complete, accurate and dynamic record of all its academic programs, in every sector and at all award levels. As part of the APES project, we have begun to develop tools for campuses and prospective students to use in accessing directly information about the University�s academic programs. The gradate program search website is one of the first of these tools to be developed. The site is currently undergoing final technical adjustments before being made available in a test version for campuses to review. We anticipate that the test version will be available this summer and that the final version of the site will be unveiled in the fall. The site will enable prospective graduate students to search for graduate programs by campus, discipline, title, level, and award, and will provide links for each program to the campus� graduate studies webpage. Moreover, because the graduate program search function is performed directly on the APES database, it will automatically be updated in real time as the University modifies its record of graduate programs through the normal review of academic program proposals. This promises to be a genuinely useful resource not only for prospective graduate students, but also for campus faculty and staff, who will be able to use it for advisement and as an information resource for program development. I am delighted that the Senate views this project favorably. I have asked the Provost�s Office to include the President of the Senate when it reports to the University that the website is ready for review and comment. Highlights of the Fall Planning Meeting Standing Committee Agendas for 2006-2007 University Programs and Awards Committee (Sandra Michael, Binghamton) At the September Planning Meeting, the Committee met, reviewed its agenda, and planned for the work to come this academic year. The Committee especially welcomed its new System Liaison, Pamela Sandoval, replacing Ginette Chambers who has since retired. Mrs. Chamber�s former areas of responsibility with the Committee, however, have been reconfigured so that three individuals from the Provost�s Office will assume the various major functions: * Distinguished Faculty Rank Dr. Pamela Sandoval, Assistant Provost, P-16 Education * Conversations in the Disciplines (CID) Dr. Jennifer Clarke, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Education and Comprehensives Colleges * Chancellors Excellence Awards Mrs. Yvette Roberts, Staff Assistant, Provost�s Office The Committee has discussed or plans to discuss the following, among others: * Chancellors Awards to ensure that nominees for the Faculty Service Award are full-time teaching/instructional faculty. The Committee will so revisit the timetable for someone to receive a second or subsequent Award in another category. * Distinguished Service and Teaching Professorships � likewise, to ensure that nominees are full-time teaching/instructional faculty. The Committee will also revisit the current policy prohibiting someone from holding more than one distinguished faculty rank. * University Faculty Senate Awards � refine the wording of the SENATOR EMERITUS AWARD to indicate that the recipient should be a retired member of the SUNY faculty; develop another awards to honor faculty service beyond the level recognized by the CHUGH AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO FACULTY GOVERNANCE. * Other - Ms. Carol Donato, President Carl Wiezalis, and Committee Chair Michael are finalizing development of a newly approved award to recognize outgoing committee chairs, and possibly other categories of service. Activity related to the Conversations in the Disciplines (CID) Program mainly involves our plan to develop an online review procedure for the Committee. Dr. K. Rajasethupathy from Brockport will be the primary developer of the program and closed website. This should save considerably on copying, collating and mailing efforts. The longer-term goal is to also develop an online submission procedure for the proposals. Because we should be able to accomplish so much of this year�s agenda by email discussion or conference calls, our only scheduled in-person meeting is June 4, 2007, to hold the final review panel for the CID proposals. Dr. Deborah Smith from Empire State College has agreed to host this meeting in Saratoga Springs, and Dr. Clarke who will oversee the CID for the Provost�s Office has been included in these plans. Governance Committee (Ron Sarner, SUNYIT) The committee has five items on its agenda for the 2006-2007 academic year: * Complete and publish the Governance Handbook. * Review and revise the protocol for �campus visitations� to help resolve disputes on a campus between the administration and the governance body. * Investigate the feasibility of a faculty leadership development program in conjunction with the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell Univesity. * Complete work on a set of guidelines regarding campus �self-proclamations.� * Begin the development of a resource bibliography on dealing with �difficult� campus presidents. Graduate and Research Committee (Peter Nickerson, Buffalo) There are four items on this committee�s agenda for the coming year: * The committee will work with the SUNY Research Foundation to put together a symposium on research. * It will follow-up on the University Faculty Senate�s resolution on creating a SUNY web site to facilitate the recruitment of graduate students. * The committee will continue its interactions with the deans of the Comprehensive Colleges as well as those from graduate and research institutions on ways of facilitating quality research on the campuses. * It will review a previous template for providing teaching instruction to all Ph.D. candidates as part of their graduate training. Operations Committee (Maureen Dolan, Old Westbury) OVERVIEW: The Operations Committee has five projects in-progress. Two of these (Associate Faculty and Faculty Diversity studies) are scheduled for completion by January 2007; the other three projects (Library Resources, Strategic Energy Issues, Follow-up to �Big Dig�) deal with evolving issues and may continue into next year. At the meeting on September 15, the committee�s Liaison to System Administration, Dan Sheppard (Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance) presented materials on the enacted budget for 2006-2007. Dan also introduced his assistant, Wendy Gilman, who will be available to the committee for data analyses. The Operations Committee is fortunate to also have an additional representative from System Administration, Carey Hatch, serving as Special Advisor in Library and Information Technology. AGENDA for 2006-2007: * Complete the Associate Faculty Project by January 2007. Chuck Moran will revise his preliminary report on Associate Faculty and re-circulate to committee members for comments. The many issues involving Associate Faculty range from working conditions, academic quality and strategies for improved integration of Associate Faculty into fabric of academic community. Feedback from Executive Committee and Senate will determine if follow-up study is needed. * Complete the Faculty Diversity project by January 2007. Jim Dawson and Tom Schroeder are working with three years of IPEDS data (2001, 2003, 2005) breakdown of full-time and part-time faculty by gender and ethnicity. Recent efforts have focused on reconciling this data with other sources. Since Ron Sarner (now Chair of Governance Committee) produced similar longitudinal studies when previously Co-Chair of Operations Committee, Jim and Tom will consult with Ron on reconciliation of data and appropriate form of narrative for their report. * Library Resources: o The Library Subcommittee (Marilyn Kramer, Ziya Arnavut, Joe Petrick) will work with Carey Hatch on developing recommendations for electronic resources - including issues of access, funding and digital collections. A survey of Library Directors is being explored. By decoupling issues of access and funding from collaborative acquisitions, a resolution may be prepared in time for Fall Plenary. * Strategic Energy Issues: o Prepare a �How to Guide� for campus faculty and students, with suggestions on how to create a green campus - including tips for energy conservation, energy awareness, sustainability, research and funding opportunities and possible links to general education curriculum. The committee also proposes a SUNY/UFS Conference on �The Nexus of Energy/Environment/Public Health/Public Policy. NYSERDA can be approached as a possible co-sponsor; additional funding may be available from other sources such as NYPA, LIPA, DASNY, NYPIRG, private utilities or the Research Foundation. The conference can highlight the transformational opportunities of new [green] energy policy, and include regional initiatives, climate change research, and experts from across disciplines. This project involves a collaborative effort with SUNY Energy Task Force established in Fall 2005. Maureen Dolan, who presented the White paper on Strategic Energy Issues in SUNY at Winter 2005 Plenary, was appointed to SUNY Energy Task Force and invited to the Board of Trustees� Finance Committee meeting for presentation of draft SUNY Energy Policy. * Follow-up to �Big Dig�: o The committee will continue working with Dan Sheppard and his office on a follow-up project, following the presentation by Runi Mukherji at the Spring 2006 Plenary of the Preliminary Final Report on the �Big Dig�. In order to understand the causes and effects of the staffing patterns found (in particular, substantial increases in NTP: non-teaching professionals), it is necessary to have campus-specific data. NTP is a generic title and function varies. Since staffing patterns and trends have implications for governance, academic organization, campus missions, quality of instruction, retention, etc., the Operations Committee is prepared to work with representatives from Governance and Undergraduate Committees on the follow-up project. A new title and focused project design is needed for this follow-up project. Student Life Committee (Edward Feldman, Stony Brook) The Student Life Committee has had a major turnover in membership for the 06-07 academic year. The Committee chair and only one member are returning. As a result, some of the committee's agenda items for the previous year will have to be renegotiated with the new Committee at the September Planning Meeting. The one returning member, Ray Krisciunas (Canton), was heading a subcommittee that was exploring "positive traditions" on our campuses and this issue will continued to be investigated by the Committee. Ray has developed a standardized questionnaire and divided the state into sections. Subcommittee members will conduct phone interviews with faculty, students and student affairs professionals at most campuses to learn what are the traditions at these campuses that create an esprit de corps. The committee plans to catalogue these activities so that other campuses can see if they can be imported to their campuses. With the addition of Jim Holsapple from the Upstate Medical to the Student Life Committee, the committee will also explore the possibility of expanding the smoking ban beyond the residence halls to whole campuses. There was some controversy in the Executive Committee as to whether this should be the function of the SUNY Faculty Senate, but the committee will discuss this further. We will also explore offering academic credit to the President of the Student Assembly, since this position has taken a toll on the two previous presidents. It may be less an issue for the current President. Exploring mental health and substance abuse problems on campus were agenda items last year, but the committee will have to re-discuss these items during the next academic year. Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Committee (Janet Nepkie, Oneonta) The committee will be working on a number of projects during the 2006-2007 academic year: * Completion of a SUNY Internship Guide as a resource to campuses. * Follow-activities to the successful �Academic Integrity Conference� held in March, 2006 (see a brief description of the conference elsewhere in this Bulletin). * Explore the concept of �service learning� and its implementation on campuses. * Consider the affordability and access of a SUNY education in general and also with respect to specific academic majors. * Study the impact of assessment of general education requirements * Discuss modes of facilitating an international learning experience for undergraduate students. * The use of NSSE in assessment and retention programs. * Examining the �first year experience.� * Working with System Administration on K-16 issues, especially as they relate to academic success in college. Reports on Joint UFS-Administration activities Implementing the recommendations of the Provost�s Advisory Task Force on Faculty Development (Fred Hildebrand, Assistant Provost): The emphasis of the implementation report was for continuous support of faculty development by providing information to candidates for faculty positions on the expectations for faculty performance, New-faculty Orientation programs, and a peer mentoring system that helps to provide a clear understanding of the necessary criteria and procedures for promotion and tenure. A Faculty Development Council was established, with considerable overlap in membership with the Provost�s Advisory Task Force on Faculty Development to support these efforts on the campuses. Academic Integrity Conference In March 2006, the University Faculty Senate and the State University of New York hosted symposia in Albany on �Academic Integrity A New Look at Law, Policy and Practice.� Academic integrity is the critical foundation of the research, scholarship and instruction, the core functions of higher education. Faculty and administrators are constantly exploring ways to answer the challenges and respond to the opportunities for academic integrity, especially those presented by new technology in today�s educational environment. Almost 200 people attended the symposia to hear experts address the issues facing campuses, faculty and students. A number of key issues of academic integrity were addressed through the presentations of three widely-recognized experts in this field: Dr. Don McCabe, a Professor of Management and Global Business at Rutgers University, presented his views on Academic Integrity � Student Attitudes and Engagement focusing on topics that included the impact of the Internet, faculty perspectives and response, strategies and resources available at The Center for Academic Integrity. Dr. McCabe�s work has been published widely in business, education and sociology journals, and he is the founding president of the Center for Academic Integrity. Gary Pavela is an attorney and the Director of Judicial Programs and Student Ethical Development at the University of Maryland - College Park. His presentation focused on recent data on the extent of college student cheating and the effectiveness of measures to combat it. He provided an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of traditional honor codes, and an overview of the "modified honor code" concept as implemented at the University of Maryland, the University of Colorado, and the University of California at Davis, among others. Kenneth Crews is the Samuel R. Rosen II Professor in the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and in the IU School of Library and Information Science. He directs the Copyright Management Center based at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). He educated the audience on plagiarism, copyright ownership, students, faculty, staff and the university and academic integrity, institutional policy and related legal issues (library issues, ownership of student, staff and faculty works of authorship, privacy laws, electronic transmission of protected works, etc.) In addition to these excellent presentations, there were several papers presented by faculty from various campuses of the State University as well as the Rochester Institute of Technology. The topics included: * Academic Ethics and Integrity for the Criminal Justice Student by Steven V. Gilbert, Assistant Professor Criminal Investigations, Department of Public Service, SUNY Canton * Changing Cultures: Building a Campus Academic Integrity Policy by Gerald Benjamin, Dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences, SUNY New Paltz and Richard Kelder, Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, SUNY New Paltz * Strategies for Obtaining Meaningful Student Responses in Educational Assignments Required in Findings on Academic Dishonesty by Dr. Steve Tyrell, Vice President for Student Affairs, Alfred State College * Reciprocity and Academic Integrity by Wade Robison, Ezra A. Hale Chair in Applied Ethics, Rochester Institute of Technology * Buying A�s and Counting FTE�s: Plagiarism, Consumerism, and the Economics of Higher Education by Michael Murphy, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, SUNY Oswego * Plagiarism, Publishing and the Academy by Daniel Harms, Coordinator of Instruction Librarian, SUNY Cortland * Integrity, Academics and Relationship Boundaries by Leslie A. McCulloch, Assistant Professor, Counselor Education and Korni Swaroop Kumar, Associate Professor and Chair, Criminal Justice, SUNY Brockport * Promoting Academic Integrity on Campus: � A Personal Code of Values and Academic Integrity� by David Bozak, Associate Dean, SUNY Oswego Credit for arranging this important conference is due to the University Faculty Senate Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policy Committee and also to the SUNY Chancellor�s Office and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges. SUNY Task Force on Energy and the Environment UFS President Carl Wiezalis and Maureen Dolan (Old Westbury) represented the faculty on the SUNY Task Force on Energy, which was expanded to include the �Environment.� The Task Force was very ably lead by co-chairs Neil Murphy, President of SUNY ESF and Ray Cross, President of SUNY Morrisville. The SUNY staff member, who has day-to-day responsibilities for energy issues in the System, was Joe Fox. The Task Force began meeting last Fall and met regularly through the Winter, Spring and into the Summer. A draft report has been sent to the campus presidents for reaction and to the Finance Committee of the SUNY Board of Trustees. The full Board of Trustees is expected to receive the report at their November meeting. The final draft is expected to be made public after that time. SUNY is the largest consumer of energy in New York State. Think about that. The numbers will be made available with the report. Suffice it to say that we have reason to be concerned about energy availability, energy costs and energy sources. Environmental impact is a consequence of energy production, no matter the form. Conservation of precious and costly energy can help, but this may require capital investment in �green building� design and construction as well as behavioral adjustment by student, faculty/staff and administration. The age of cheap fuel is behind us. We must now prepare for future limits on finite fossil fuel and the pollution associated with this use. Change requires research and development. As the largest comprehensive public university in the United States and the world, SUNY has the need and hopefully the resources to address many, if not all, of the issues and challenges associated with energy and the environment. New and Returning (Re-elected) Senators 2006-2007 System Administration Kimberly Cline University at Albany R. Michael Range Binghamton University Joseph Goldman University at Buffalo William Baumer (2nd term) Peter Bradford Stony Brook University Aaron Godfrey SUNY Brockport Ken O�Brien (2nd term) Cortland College Mary Ware SUNY Fredonia Cheryl Drout SUNY New Paltz Rose Rudnitski SUNY Oswego Margaret Ryniker Purchase College James McElwaine SUNY Morrisville J. Thomas Hogle (2nd term) Upstate Medical University Sara Grethlein Maritime College Barbara Warkentine (2nd term) SUNYIT Doug Eich (2nd term) Cornell Ag & Life Sciences Tom Zitter Cornell Human Ecology William Rosen Cornell Veterinary School Dorothy Ainsworth Highlights of the 143rd Plenary Meeting April 7-8, 2006, Plattsburgh State College University Centers Sector (William Baumer, Buffalo): The University Centers nominee for the Executive Committee for the term 1 July 2006 - 30 June 2008 is Senator Aaron (Bill) Godfrey, University at Stony Brook. Graduate assistantship policies and practices were compared. The standard pattern is to award assistantships only to students pursuing the Ph.D. unless the M.A. or M.S. is the capstone degree in the discipline. Cooperative libraries acquisitions programs should be guided in both development and operations by campus librarians and faculty, not �central office� administrative decisions. These programs are not to supersede acquisitions essential to campus programs; they are to achieve the most effective support of instruction and research that finite resources will provide. Adjunct faculty are considered to be all those [except graduate assistants] who hold full- or part-time non-tenure-track appointments and have instructional responsibilities. The issues involved with these positions, difficult to address, may be summarized in two questions: What is the correct balance between these and tenure-track faculty? How can they be integrated into programs? It was suggested the Senate Bylaws be modified to separate the position of Vice President from that of Secretary, and that candidates for President and Vice President be encouraged - perhaps required - to present themselves for election as a team. This would recognize the multiple requirements now facing the President and permit these to be divided between President and Vice President. The Centers Senators recognize the �Big Dig� of the Operations Committee as basically a resource allocation issue involving multiple competing concerns almost certainly not susceptible of any simple response. The University Centers Senators share the concern that there is no faculty representative on SUNY�s Provostial search committee and urge remedy of this. Health Sciences Sector (Peter Nickerson, Buffalo): Meeting State Needs: It is projected that there will be considerable shortages of health care professionals in medicine, nursing, dentistry and the allied health area. The health sciences sector suggests that SUNY should provide central goals in cooperation with appropriate state agencies to meet these real shortages and to cooperate with the state to secure resources to help meet educational needs by having space and faculty resources needed to train additional students in these areas of need. For medicine, the American Association of Medical Colleges is considering recommending increasing the size of medical schools by 30%. The number of practicing physicians is projected to decrease from retirements for example. Currently in internal medicine residencies of primary care area almost one-half of the slots are filled with international medical graduates supporting a need for more American-trained graduates. We hope that SUNY Central Administration will help to facilitate solutions in this area of projected shortages. SUNY Faculty Senate: The sector also would like to be involved in producing a SUNY Health and Wellness newsletter starting perhaps with a column in the University Faculty Senate Bulletin. There is considerable expertise in research and clinical care throughout our SUNY system. Our sector has experience in such areas as admissions to medical and dental schools for example. In cooperation with the University Centers Sector, we have provided campuses where we have plenary meetings the opportunity for SUNY Faculty from the health sciences sector attending the plenary to meet with undergraduates with an interest in the health sciences or graduate programs. We want to continue to offer this expertise. The sector would also like to recommend to the chancellor that faculty governance be involved in selection of faculty representation for the search committee of the SUNY Provost. Finally, has there been thought about the method for distribution of additional faculty for research funded by the state budget? Will MOU II be employed in the process? The representative to the executive committee next year for the health sciences will be Professor James Holsapple from Upstate Medical University Specialized and Statutory Colleges (Douglas Eich, SUNYIT): Discussions in the sector meeting for the specialized and statutory colleges echoed the themes in the plenary as a whole. Senator Peer Bode discussed the appointment of a new unit head at NYS COC at Alfred, and shared his faculty's guarded optimism for the future, as well as their ongoing concerns about a functional relationship between the campus and System Administration. Our sector had our own discussion of textbook pricing as well, and we were all concerned about the strategies of textbook publishers and the financial burden imposed on students, particularly in fields like fine arts and the sciences. We then returned to a topic of earlier sector meetings: the preponderance of "interim" and "acting" appointments at the senior administration level on each of our campuses, and our ongoing concern about the lack of both institutional memory and momentum when turnover at the highest levels becomes the norm. We also talked briefly about BAP II and the desire within our sector for an equitable formula, as well as our concern that it remained a "work in progress". Finally, Peer Bode was elected to represent the sector on the Executive Committee. Campus Governance Leaders Report (John VanderLippe, New Paltz): The CGLs have a number of concerns, some of which we raised at the January plenary, some of which we discussed Friday afternoon in our sector meeting: 1. We would appreciate an update from Chancellor Ryan on issues we raised in January: a. Changes in the position of Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management? * Chancellor Ryan responded that he is waiting until a new Provost takes office before deciding on any changes in the position. He mentioned that he thinks it might be most efficient to divide the functions of the VC for EM, but that will depend on the particular experience and expertise of the new Provost. b. Decisions and plans regarding the Empire Innovation Program? * Chancellor Ryan responded that the funding for hiring new Research Professors has not been secured, so no decisions have been made. He said that he thought that the first priority, should funding be secured, will be to hire researchers for the medical and research sectors, but he also said that he would seek ways for the program to benefit all sectors. He also noted that the initial funding is insufficient to maintain or expand the program. c. Faculty Evaluation of Administrators? * Chancellor Ryan reiterated his belief in 360 degree evaluation of all senior campus and system administrators, and believes that evaluation at the campus level is essential. He promised to emphasize to campus presidents the importance of this process. 2. We asked Chancellor Ryan to talk about his vision, plans and concerns for the new SUNY Provost. What kind of Provost would the Chancellor like to work with, and how does he perceive the relationship between Chancellor & Provost, and between Provost & Faculty? What programs would the Chancellor like for the new Provost to initiate, abandon, continue? * Chancellor Ryan said that he definitely wants a Provost with a strong academic background, which he said he himself does not have. 3. The CGLs expressed their strong feeling that governance should be represented in the process to choose a new Provost. We also asked the Chancellor to commit to involving governance in the search process for all senior system administrators in areas of significant concern to faculty. * Chancellor Ryan reiterated that he thought it essential to create a search committee for the new Provost � the first such search committee in living memory, and that he had chosen people for the search committee who were not from SUNY central administration, but who had experience as Provosts in their own right, or some other experience or expertise that would be useful for the search committee. He said that if the Senate feels strongly about having governance represented in the search process, he was open to discussion. He also responded that he is open to discussing with faculty governance the search process for other senior level administrators, but could not commit to any decisions at this moment. 4. The CGLs share the concerns expressed during the plenary sessions on Friday and Saturday that the system representatives were not present and meeting with faculty, and what appears to be reduced commitment of system leadership to work with the UFS, and shared governance. 5. We asked Chancellor Ryan about the timeframe for completion of the campus responses to the MRII MOUs, pointing out that as MOUs arrive on campuses at the end of the semester it is important to ensure that faculty governance is involved. * Chancellor Ryan responded that it is important for the MRII process to be completed before Provost Salins leaves office, and for MOUs to be signed. He noted that since MRII has been under negotiation for many months, he feels that campuses should be able to complete the process and returned signed MOUs in a timely fashion. Chugh/University Faculty Senate Outstanding Service Award Professor Ron Sarner, Distinguished Service Professor at SUNYIT in Utica/Rome and a member of its faculty for 32 years, is the second recipient of this award, which is to be given to SUNY faculty or staff who have made significant and sustained contributions to faculty governance at both the campus and system levels. The award, which consists of a plaque and a $500 monetary award, was presented to Professor Sarner by University Faculty Senate President, Carl P. Wiezalis, at the Senate�s Spring Plenary Session at SUNY Plattsburg on April 7, 2006. President Wiezalis remarked that �Professor Sarner is a dedicated professional who consistently works for the improvement of public higher education in all that he does.� Ron Sarner has a long history of outstanding work in faculty governance. At SUNYIT, he chaired the Faculty Assembly during the 1977-78 academic year, and from 2004 to the present. He was on the SUNYIT Faculty Assembly Executive Committee from 1982 to 1988, and from 1993 to the present. His SUNY University Faculty Senate service spans 25 years and includes, among other responsibilities, several terms as a senator and alternate senator from SUNYIT and the Sector Representative for the Specialized and Statutory Colleges on the Executive Committee. He has been a member and chair of the Operations Committee, a member of the Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Committee, and currently chair of the Governance Committee. University Faculty Senators 2006-2007 SUNY System Administration Anne Huot Kim Cline University at Albany R. Michael Range William Lanford University at Binghamton Joseph Goldman Peter Knuepfer University at Buffalo H. William Coles William Baumer Henry Durand Peter Bradford University at Stony Brook Aaron Godfrey Norman Goodman Tom Smalling Ram Srivastav SUNY Brockport Kenneth O�Brian Jennifer Lloyd Buffalo State College John DeNisco David Carson Cortland College Mary Ware Empire State College Philip Ortiz SUNY Fredonia Cheryl Drout SUNY Geneseo William Gohlman SUNY New Paltz Rose Rudnitski SUNY Old Westbury Runi Mukherji College at Oneonta Achim Koeddermann SUNY Oswego Margaret Ryniker SUNY Plattsburgh Ray Guydosh SUNY Potsdam Jacqueline Goodman Purchase College Jim McElwaine Downstate Medical Center Elizabeth Kornecki William Solomon Upstate Medical University James Holsapple Sara Grethlein Alfred State College Joseph Petrick SUNY Canton Karen Spellacy SUNY Cobleskill Barbara Brabetz SUNY Delhi John Taylor SUNY Morrisville Thomas Hogle College of Environmental Science and Forestry John View Farmingdale State College Kathleen Jacquette Maritime College Barbara Warkentine College of Optometry Rochelle Mozlin SUNY IT Douglas Eich NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred Peer Bode NYS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University Tom Zitter NYS College of Human Ecology at Cornell University William Rosen NYS College of Industrial & Labor Relations Richard Hurd NYS College of Veterinary Medicine Dorothy Ainsworth Campus Governance Leaders 2006-2007 Convener Eric Johansson, Maritime University Centers Albany Diane Dewar Binghamton Gary James Susan Strehle Buffalo Lawrence Labinski Peter Nickerson Stony Brook Bernard P. Lane University Colleges Brockport Jeff Lashbrook Buffalo Susan Leist Cortland Melvyn King Empire State College Leslie Ellis Fredonia Mary Carney Geneseo Dennis Showers New Paltz John VanderLippe Old Westbury Maureen Dolan Oneonta Robert Compton Oswego Susan Camp Plattsburgh Ray Guydosh Sam Northshield Potsdam Anne Righton Malone Purchase College Ronnie Halperin Health Science Centers Optometry Jay Cohen Upstate Medical James Vossler Colleges of Technology Alfred Jim Grillo Canton Ken Erickson Cobleskill Angelika Hoeher Delhi Julee Miller Morrisville Anne Englot Specialized Colleges Environmental Science & Forestry William Shields Farmingdale Robert Simins Maritime Eric Johansson SUNYIT Ronald Sarner Statutory Colleges Ceramics at Alfred Glenn Zweygardt