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Faculty Senate Executive Committee

Minutes of March 25th, 2009
(unapproved)

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee met at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, March 25th, 2009, in the Jeannette Martin Room of Capen Hall (567) to discuss the following:

1. Report of the Chair
2. Report of the President/Provost
3. Update on Campus Childcare—Pat Logan, director, and Donna Gierke, Assistant Director
4. Old/New business
5. Executive Session (if needed)
6. Adjournment

Item 1: Report of the Chair
n/a

Item 3: Report of the President/Provost
n/a

Item 4. Update on Campus Childcare—Pat Logan, director, and Donna Gierke, Assistant Director

Pat Logan and Donna Gierke gave senators an update on campus childcare at UB and reported on the process of renovation and expansion that is currently ongoing. Pat Logan, director of Campus Childcare, explained that

• the mission of UB’s Buffalo Child Care Center, Inc. is to provide quality, affordable care and education for the families of the students, staff, and faculty at UB.
• It is a non-profit independent organization that serves UB and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. It opened on the South Campus in 1985 (where it has a licensed capacity of 90) and on North campus in 1998 (North campus is licensed for 54).
• The Center enrolls children aged 6 weeks to 5 years and is open Monday through Friday from 7:15am to 5:45pm, all summer long (it closes on the same holidays as UB).
• It is accredited by the National Association for Education of Young Children, Pat Logan added, and has therefore undergone a rigorous process of accreditation.
• 75% of the teaching faculty and administrative staff have college degrees with half of those including Masters, and BA, mostly in early childhood education or child development.
• The Curriculum is based on play, Logan explained, because children learn through play, discovery and exploration. The staff gives them choices, follows their lead, and facilitates activities by helping them formulate questions.
• Logan also emphasized the “homey” atmosphere that greets the children everyday with muted greens, yellows and blues as well as couches and plants, not to mention the loving staff whose interaction with kids has impressed many a visitor.
• Last but not least, Logan stated, the diversity of the 35 faculty and administrative staff of the UBCCC is noteworthy. 50% of the teaching faculty includes people who are African American, Latino, and Asian. The teaching faculty also includes five male teachers, while 35% of children enrolled in UBCCC are African-American, Asian or Latino.
• The center is used by several departments across campus for observations of young children. It is a training site for UB, Erie Community College Early Childhood program, Canisius, and Buffalo State College.
• Both North and South campus have a waiting list for enrollment. Wait time depends on the age group and schedule that is desired. There are 60 people on the infant waiting list (6 weeks to 18 months); 40 for the toddler room (18 months to 3 years); 10 on the preschool list (3-5 year olds)
• 2/3 of the families served are faculty/staff and 1/3 are UB students. The center has no control over this distribution since it enrolls people on a first come, first serve basis.

Pat Logan emphasized that the Center is there to support the UB community and does so by offering

• financial funding for student parents
• an open door policy—families come for lunch with their children
• on site childcare

Donna Gierke, the assistant director, then reported on the renovation and expansion of the current buildings. “The University is in the process of renovating our South Campus building and expanding our North Campus site,” she said. “Our North campus site is currently licensed for 54 children,” she added, “and after expansion, we will be licensed for 135, with 4 infant classrooms, 3 toddler ones, 3 preschool classrooms and an afterschool program. The New North Campus site will have skylights, 4 gyms, a parent room, staff room, meeting room, and 4 outdoor spaces.” She explained that the South Campus facilities were originally “temporary buildings” and that they would be renovated to include new windows out of which children will be able to see, a new exterior, roof, and upgraded heating and alarm systems. The South Campus will continue to be licensed for 90 children.

Gierke concluded by providing a timeline for these developments from Fall 2008 to March 2010 when the expanded North Campus site opens.

Item 5. Old New Business

Item 6: Executive Session (if necessary)

Item 7: Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:29 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Carine Mardorossian, Secretary of the Faculty Senate

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