ACADEMIC SENATE

 

MINUTES

 

November 1, 2007


 

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

Members Present:  Altar, Arnold, Bedell, Bhattacharya, Bruschke, Buck, Bullock, Carroll, Dabirian, Drezner, Fidalgo, Fromson, Gass, Gordon, Grewal, Guerin, Hewitt, Hickok, Jarvis, Junn, Kanel, Klassen, McMahan, Mead, Nyaggah, Oliver, Palmer, Rhoten, Sage, Shapiro, Smith, Spitzer, Stang, Stein, Taylor, Walicki, Williams

Absent:  Alva, Burgtorf, Green, Kantardjieff, Liverpool, McConnell, Pasternack, Randall, Richter

 

I.              CALL TO ORDER

         Chair Guerin called the meeting to order at 11:35 a.m.

 

II.            URGENT BUSINESS

         None.

 

III.          ANNOUNCEMENTS

Senator Hewitt reminded the body that the Sustainability seminars are open to the campus community and will take place next week on the following days:

o        Monday, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., Titan Student Union Theatre

o        Tuesday, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., KHS-199

 

Senator Bedell announced that on Tuesday, November 13th, the University is hosting Dr. Royce, Phi Beta Kappa Scholar. Her public lecture is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. in Pollack Library North.

 

Senator Junn invited all to the 20-mile Faculty/Staff Bike Ride beginning at 9:00 a.m. on November 10th. Tony Rimmer of the Faculty Development Center will distribute more information on this event today.

 

Senator Stein added that the University Club is also sponsoring a book group to launch next week on November 8th. The group will meet in the Academic Senate Chambers at 12:30 p.m. and begin with “Water for Elephants”.

 

Senator Fidalgo invited all to the University Club Holiday Party at her house on December 7th.

 

Dr. Lee Gilbert asked Senators to encourage qualified colleagues to apply for the position of Director of Freshman Programs, which was recently posted.

 

Senator Carroll announced that on Friday, November 9th, the Geography Department will host its annual “All Points of the Compass Symposium”. The keynote speaker is Keith Mountain, a geographer who specializes in climatology and glaciology. For more information, visit: http://geography.fullerton.edu/allpointsfall07.html.

 

IV.          STATEWIDE ACADEMIC SENATE REPORT

Chair Guerin reported that the campus Senate chairs will meet November 7-9, 2007.

 

V.            CHAIR’S REPORT

The President’s Enrollment Management Advisory Committee met with community college representatives, high school principals, and members of the community.

 

The Student Fee Advisory Committee met. The system has placed a moratorium on most student fees. The committee is investing this.

 

VI.          TIME CERTAIN

Time Certain

12:00 noon

Subject: ASD 07-167 CSUF Academic Senate Response to the CSU Strategic Planning Initiative, Access to Excellence

Chair Guerin thanked everyone for their input and the Executive Committee for reviewing draft.

 

M/S/P [Drezner/Fidalgo] to approve ASD 07-167 as edited. [Approved unanimously]

o        Page 6: Add closed bracket after “Greshen’s Law at work…”

 

VII.        NEW BUSINESS

7.1 ASD 07-150 ASCSU Consultation on Professional Fee for Graduate Business Degrees (Waiver)

Dean Anil Puri summarized and discussed the proposal for the professional fee for graduate business degrees:

 

o        Our need to maintain accreditation is a key justification for the proposed fee.

o        Accreditation requires that we have a sufficient number of qualified faculty. The accreditation body determines the qualification of a faculty member in terms of research and curricular activity, and professional involvement. Every business school that would like to obtain or maintain accreditation must comply with this requirement. CSUF is just barely meeting the criteria due to the competitive nation-wide market for qualified faculty members in business arena. It is often difficult for CSUF to offer competitive salaries to faculty due to funding. We also have trouble maintaining funding for research and curricular activities of our current faculty. The revenue from the proposed fee would help us supplement the state salary offers we make and support faculty research and curricular activities in the College of Business.

o        The proposed professional fee is $210 per unit. It would be imposed on only business graduate programs. Economics would be not included.

o        The current cost in the CSU for an MBA is very low compared to competing institutions, and would remain lower, if the fee was imposed.

o        MBA students, once graduated, have a higher earning potential and could afford the fee increase. Many students get their tuition partially or fully reimbursed.

o        25% of the revenue collected from this fee would be set aside for financial aid.

o        10% of the total revenue collected would be returned to campuses.

o        This fee will affect only about 500 out of 8,000 students currently in the CBE. Maintaining accreditation, supporting faculty research and professional activities would benefit all 8,000 students.

 

Dean Puri answered questions from the floor until the 12:00 noon time certain was reached. Conversation on this topic resumed after the time certain and after Dean Puri had to leave the meeting. After lengthy discussion, it was M/S/P [Kanel/Sage] to poll the body by hand vote on its collective opinion of the proposal. It resulted in 15 votes in support, 15 in opposition, and 6 abstentions. Many comments were made about the importance of maintaining accreditation, however many Senators were concerned about student affordability and the idea of assessing fees on students as a means to address the need for additional funds.

 

 

Item 7.2 was not discussed due to lack of time.

7.2 ASD 07-168 Revised UPS 300.018 Withdrawal Unauthorized – Issuance of WU Grade [ASC]

 

VIII.      ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 12:59 p.m.