ACADEMIC SENATE

 

MINUTES

 

September 21, 2006

 

 

11:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.                                                                ACADEMIC SENATE CHAMBERS

Members Present: Altar, Alva, Arnold, Bedell, Bruschke, Buck, Dabirian, Drezner, Fidalgo, Fitch, Fromson, Guerin, Hassan, Hewitt, Holland, Jones, Junn, Kanel, Kantardjieff, Kirtman, Klein, Liverpool, Mead, Meyer, Nanjundappa, Napper, Palmer, Pasternack, Randall, Rhoten, Rumberger, Shapiro, Smith, Spitzer, Stang, Stein, Taylor, Vogt, Walicki, Williams,

Absent: Burgtorf, Gordon, Klassen, McConnell, Michalopoulos, Zhao

 

I.              CALL TO ORDER

Chair Guerin called the meeting to order at 11:30 a.m.

 

II.            URGENT BUSINESS

None.

 

III.          ANNOUNCMENTS

Senator Rhoten asked Senators to spread the word about a workshop sponsored by the Dean of Students Office entitled “How to Prepare for Your Thesis or Graduate Project”. Students can attend one of the following sessions:

·        Thursday, October 12, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Location: TSU, 1st floor, Gabrielino

·        Tuesday, October 17, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., Location: TSU, 1st floor, Hetebrink AB

 

Senator Nanjundappa reported on the progress of negations between CSU and CFA. He also reminded the body that John Travis will be providing a comparative analysis of the CFA and CSU proposals on Tuesday, September 26, 2006, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., in TSU Pavilion C. Results of the survey on CSUF as a Workplace for Faculty will also be discussed. He distributed a flyer about this special meeting and asked for RSVP’s by Friday, September 22nd, as lunch will be provided.

 

IV.         APPROVAL OF MINUTES

4.1 It was M/S/P [Pasternack/Fromson] to approve ASD 06-156 Academic Senate Meeting Minutes Draft 9-7-06 as submitted. (Approved unanimously)

 

V.           CHAIR’S REPORT

Chair Guerin acknowledged faculty who are serving as chairs of standing and general committees this academic year: Standing Committees: Paul DeLand (Academic Standards Committee), Hilla Israely (University Curriculum Committee), Irene Matz (Elections Committee), Tony Rimmer (General Education Committee), Jochen Burgtorf (Graduate Education), Charles Grieb (Information Technology Committee),  and Kurt Kitselman (Campus Facilities and Beautification Committee). General Committees: Richard Lippa (Faculty Personnel Committee), Louise Adler (Professional Leaves Committee), and Renae Bredin (Faculty Research Committee).

 

Chair Guerin also reported the following:

·        President Gordon is scheduled to give the “State of the University” address per BL 83-9 at the next Academic Senate meeting on October 12, 2006.

·        VPAA Smith announced the need to form two search committees: Director of Freshman Programs, campus search, and Director of Assessment, national search. He hopes to have both completed for Spring 2007.

·        External consultants have been contracted to conduct a market analysis of campus constituencies regarding the establishment of a Faculty-Staff University Club. The Senate Executive Committee has been asked to nominate senior and junior faculty to participate in focus groups, and has asked that the consultants meet with Senate Executive committee and Campus Facilities and Beautification Committee.

o       Senator Shapiro suggested that at least one member of the Emeriti be included on the committee for the focus groups for the University Club. Chair Guerin noted that this would be done.

·        We will elect a CBE faculty representative to the Faculty Personnel Committee during next week’s Special Election. The nominee is Mabel Kung (ISDS). Polls will open on Monday, September 25th and electronic voting will be available until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 28th.

·        Chair Guerin invited all faculty members to contribute to the Faculty Fund which is primarily used to send flowers or donations when a faculty member experiences illness or loss of a loved on in their immediate family, or in times of financial crisis.

        

VI.         STATEWIDE ACADEMIC SENATE REPORT

         Senator Pasternack reported the following:

·        The ASCSU Plenary was last Thursday and Friday.  At the plenary the Statewide Senate passed a resolution supporting Prop 1D and a resolution calling for transparency of executive compensation. There was a first reading on a resolution which would align high school requirements with those of the UC system.

·        The ASCSU Executive Committee is discussing a proposal by the Community Colleges to establish a C-ID numbering system

·        There will be a Statewide Conference on Campus Practices for Student Success in Los Angeles October 19 and 20, 2006.

·        There will be a task force to look at International Education.

·        ATAC is looking at the issue of distance learning and academic transformation through technology.

·        The Board of Trustees approved a new planning project to succeed Cornerstones.  There will be a large (approximate 45 person) steering committee consisting of eight faculty members and the Faculty Trustee overseeing this project.  There will be campus based meetings and the project will formally begin next month with results anticipated by May 2008.

·        Also provided at the Board of Trustees Meeting was:

o        A report by Mercer HR Consulting on CSU Presidents’ Compensation – showing CSU Presidents’ total rewards (compensation plus benefits plus perks) averaged 12% below CPEC comparison institutions.  The same report claimed faculty total rewards exceeded CPEC comparison institutions by 5%.

o       A presentation to Student recipients of the William R. Hearst/CSU Trustee Awards for outstanding achievement.  Among the recipients was our own Ben Davis, a student in the masters program in History.

o       A report on the legislative priorities of the CSU and the EAP program.  Of the students taking the exam, 25% were proficient in English (up from 23% last year).  There was some problem with scoring so that number will change once all the exams are scored.  Proficiency in math is 55% (compared to 56% last year).  Over 70% of the students eligible took the exam.  One problem with the exam is that students find out the results after the senior year has begun and it may be too late at that time to change their course schedule. 

 

VII.       TIME CERTAIN

Time Certain

12:00 p.m.

Willie Hagan, Vice President, Administration and Finance

Bill Dickerson, Executive Director, Auxiliary Services Corporation

Subject: AERA Project

VP Hagan spoke briefly about the need for faculty/staff housing to aid in recruitment and retention and mentioned that 11 projects that are currently in discussion. Executive Director Bill Dickerson described what the AERA project would entail, its status, and its location in relation to the CSUF campus. Currently, VP Hagan explained, the University has not taken a position in support or against the project. However, the University has conveyed a need for housing that is close to the Fullerton campus. And, if the project is completed, the University would like to have access to housing within the project. In 2005, the cost of these houses was projected at $350,000 for a 1,500 sq. ft. home in 2005. If the project was to move forward, it would be completed in 2009 at the earliest, making the homes approximately $370,000-$380,000 due to inflation. The houses would be sold as a ground lease, similar to the terms of University Gables and University Heights. Discussion of concerns with CSUF’s involvement with this project ensued and several issues were discussed, including the possibility of increased traffic near the site, the effect of building on a wildlife corridor, and the project’s SEA-TAC endorsement. VP Hagan and Mr. Dickerson addressed various questions from Senate members and members of the gallery noting, though, that CSUF’s decision to endorse this housing project will not necessarily influence whether or not AERA will move forward with the project.

 

This discussion resulted in the following action:

It was M/S/P [Bedell/Fromson] that the Academic Senate recommends to President Gordon that we not enter into an MOU agreement for housing in the AERA plan.

[Hand vote: 21 (Yes) – 7 (No) – 6 (Abstentions)]

 

VIII.     CONSENT CALENDAR

         The consent calendar (items 8.1- 8.5) was approved unanimously as submitted.

        

IX.         NEW BUSINESS

9.1     Nominees to Search Committees (Items 8.1 from Consent Calendar on 9-7-06)

·        It was M/S [Drezner/Pasternack] to approve item 9.1.

·        M/S/P [Bedell/Fromson to postpone approval of the nominees for the Search Committee for Internal Auditor until the next Senate meeting. (There was shared concern that all three of the Senate nominees were from the same College. The Senate Executive Committee will provide additional nominees.)

 

·        Noted was that it was not the intention of Senator Shapiro to pull the nominees for the Search Committee for Director of Media Relations from the consent calendar of 9-7-06. It was determined that this item is approved as part of the Consent Calendar of 9-7-06.

 

Due to lack of time, items 9.2 ASD 06-153 Resolution in Support of Proposition 1D and 9.3 VPAA Ephraim Smith: Status Report on Faculty Searches and Student Enrollment were not discussed and will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.

 

 

X.           ADJOURNMENT       

        Meeting was adjourned at 12:58 p.m.