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FACULTY SENATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Minutes of April 15, 2009
(unapproved)

 

           The Faculty Senate Executive Committee met at 2:30 PM on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009, in the Jeannette Martin Room of Capen Hall (567) to discuss the following:

1. Approval of the minutes of March 25, 2009
2. Report of the Chair
3. Report of the President/Provost
4. Middle States Review Update--Provost Satish K. Tripathi and Chief of Staff Beth Del Genio
5. Old/New business
6. Executive Session (if needed)
7. Adjournment

Item 1: Approval of the minutes of March 25, 2009.

The minutes were unanimously approved.

Item 2: Report of the Chair

• The chair announced that the FSEC would be needing a new secretary starting Fall 2009. He urged senators to nominate people.
• The Commission on Academic Excellence and Equity was charged and the first meeting has been scheduled.
• The last meeting of the FSEC will be on 29 April 2009.

Item 3: Report of the President/Provost 

n/a

Item 4. Middle States Review Update--Provost Satish K. Tripathi and Chief of Staff Beth Del Genio

Chief of staff Beth Del Genio updated senators about the Middles States commission on Higher education and gave an overview of the Report that, she said, would soon be posted online. She explained that the Middle States Commission is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and several locations internationally.

The Middle States Accreditation Activities include:
-The 10-Year Comprehensive Review (2004) (next one in 2013-14):  full-blown, comprehensive review
-5-Year Periodic Review (June 2009): part of UB’s re-accreditation
-Institutional Profile (Annual): quantitative piece that updates Middle States about any type of changes, enrollment figures, etc.
-Substantive Change Policy – namely Additional Locations (as necessary)

Focus of the periodic review is around institutional planning; the alignment of institutional plans with resources; institutional assessment; and the assessment of Student learning Outcomes.

The Overall Structural Framework, Dr Del Genio explained, includes the Articulation of UB vision and plans; the Alignment of plans and resources, and the Articulation of ongoing improvement. However, Dr. Del Genio added, the Periodic Report does not discuss the UB growth agenda, nor does it discuss the downtown campus. She then outlined the report structure:

Section I : Executive Summary

Section II: Summary Suggestions from the Decennial Self Study
- No recommendations for improvement
- Unanimously recommended reaffirmation of full accreditation

Section III: UB2020 Framework for Excellence
- Institutional Priorities including strategic strengths, undergraduate experience, graduate and professional education (from research to curriculum, decanal area long-term goals), international education, Study Abroad, International Enrollment, International scholarly and academic partnerships
-Supporting the Academic Enterprise through seed funding for research, the comprehensive physical plan (how the capital plan is supporting the academic mission), the education technology (IT transformation work, investment in core tech infrastructure, classrooms), Libraries (institutional digital repository, digitalization center, library annex)
-Realizing UB 2020 through the Increase of faculty strength, the Enhancement of the quality of academic programs, the Building of Strategic Strengths
The success of this plan, Del Genio emphasized, is contingent upon the continued support from SUNY; the prudent and strategic use of institutional resources; and collaborative engagement of deans and faculty.

Section IV: Enrollment and Finance Trends and Projections, especially enrollment and Faculty Growth; Right-size faculty based on UB’s complement of academic programs and enrollment, and a moderate growth plan that assumes full state and tuition funding

Section V: Assessment of Institutional Effectiveness and Student Learning, especially through Curriculum Oversight; Course and Teacher Survey (UB CATS); Academic Program Review; External Accrediting Agencies; General Education Assessment; Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment (critical thinking, written communication, mathematics) – GRE practice exam; National Survey of Student Engagement (level of academic challenge, active learning, student faculty interactions, enriching educational experiences, supportive environment)

Section VI: UB2020 Aligning Resources with the Vision for the University through Resource Management, i.e. Plan for the investment of new resources and reexamine the use of recurring base allocations of space and dollars; Devise efficient and creative approaches to operationalize resource development and investment strategies; Continue to monitor success and impact of plans and improve based on evaluations

Professor Gayle Brazeau emphasized the growth and development of UB’s Science Health Center as an element that we need to highlight as well as the variety of academic enrichment programs that UB has been incorporating (the Undergraduate Academies, CIRCA, the Honors System) as well as the sense of community that athletics has contributed to enhancing.

Professor Burkard mentioned the need to concentrate on the Celebration of Excellence event and its wonderful showcasing of undergraduate student research.

Chair Hoeing asked about student learning assessment, pointing out that since evaluations are not required, responses must be low. He asked whether anything had been done to address that. Dr. Del Genio responded that there is a director of assessment who has been spending time enhancing teaching and learning. “The idea,” she said, “is not to police but to help people think about these evaluations as terrific tools to enhance the teaching experience.”

Item 5. Old / New Business

Item 6: Executive Session (if necessary)

Item 7: Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:22 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Carine Mardorossian, Secretary of the Faculty Senate

 

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