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FACULTY SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes of April 1, 2009
(unapproved)

 

            The Faculty Senate Executive Committee met at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, April 1st, 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 Dining and Shops—Executive Director Jeff Brady
4. Old/New business
5. Executive Session (if needed)
6. Adjournment

Item 1: Report of the Chair

The chair reported that

• the Spring Open House was a success.
• The Celebration of Academic Excellence will take place instead of the FS meeting next week.
• The General Education Task force had its initial meeting this past Wednesday.
• He met with Dennis Black and Greg Newman: the Bookstore Advisory Group is being revived.
• The two Town Hall Meetings are coming up
• Next Wed., the FSEC will meet with the provost in executive session.
• Today, there would be a brief executive session.
• On the last Meeting of the FSEC on 4/29, there will be a demonstration of the new FS website.

Item 3: Report of the President/Provost 
The Provost confirmed that significant budget cuts to SUNY were to be expected for next year even though the state legislators have yet to approve Governor Paterson’s proposed budget for 2009-10. He emphasized that despite emails that have been sent and that may be claiming otherwise, the budget problems are still here. “Even if you don’t include the tuition sweep, we still have about $50 million in cuts to our campus-related fees and other self-generated revenues, in taxes on research and in reductions to some university-wide programs,” the Provost explained.

If the sweep goes through, he added, the state could keep up to 80 percent of the revenues generated by SUNY’s recent tuition increase, which amounts to an extra $63.5 million in lost funds. In 2008-2009, “state support was $1.282 billion,” the Provost said. “For 2009-10, it’s $1.116 billion, not including the mandated salary increases.” Last year, the $21 million in permanent cuts was bridged using one-time reserve funds. The provost emphasized that it would not be possible to do the same in the second year of budget cuts. He also mentioned the sharp drop in value in UB’s endowment. He said that UB is looking at anywhere from $12 to $18 million “depending on how you look at the numbers.” The only comforting prospect in the midst of all these negative scenarios, the provost stated, is that Albany is no longer considering implementing the cuts that were going to affect high-profile research centers such as the MCEER or the Research Institute on Addictions.

Item 4. Update on Campus Dining and Shops-Executive Director Jeff Brady; Anita Hathaway
Jeffrey Brady, executive director for Campus Dining and Shops reported on the recent changes, additions, and renovations at CDS.

• Updated their missions statement to “our primary purpose is to offer a variety of high quality, high value, and innovative dining options designed to fit the varied lifestyles and nutritional needs of the University community”
• Updated the uniforms, rebranded themselves and put out a new color,
• Installation of new eateries including a restaurant specializing in Asian cuisine, Jump Asian
• Installation of several Tim Horton’s outlets across campus: at the Student Union, in the Baldy walkway, Jacob center, installed at Farber
• Introduction of a Mongolian Grill thanks to which students can pick their own fresh ingredients and have them be cooked in front of them
• Implementation of a trayless service: Goodyear went trayless in Fall 08 and in January 2009, Red Jacket did too (significant cuts in water and chemical usage ensued; garbage pick up cut by 20%!)
• The launch of a successful weigh-the-waste campaign so UB could see how much waste is being produced
• Extended Ellicott Food Court hours with 150 new seats and tables to accommodate students and new reach in coolers, walking coolers with beverages accessible 24/7
• Extended Student Union hours now open 8-4 Sat and Sun
• Relocated Freshens, remodeled and revised the menu. Baked subs available with fresh salads.
• Tiffin room new wooden chairs + plants
• Remodeling of Capen with the new Capen Café
• Installation of a new freezer and purchase of two new delivery carts in the stadium
• the complete renovation of the main conference room in the Center for Tomorrow
• the creation of an on-campus web-based pizza delivery service for faculty, staff and students, Incredibullpizza.com, with no delivery charge (cars fueled by state gas)
• the development of a 8.75 percent discount service for faculty and staff who put cash on their UB cards

Anita Hathaway, the dietician for CDS, discussed the green initiatives and “greener thinking” adopted by CDS, including

• eliminating trays in all dining halls to reduce waste.
• New meal plan levels that include 7, 10, 14 meals per week
• Buying from and supporting local farmers and food manufacturers
• switching to single-napkin dispensers,
• offering discounts to student using refillable travel mugs,
• campus recycling
• the composting program (composting of leftover food)
• cutting back on the consumption of styrophone

Item 5. Executive Session

Item 7: Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 4:04 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Carine Mardorossian, Secretary of the Faculty Senate

 

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