FACULTY SENATE
Minutes of April 4, 2006
(unapproved)

 

The Faculty Senate (FS) met at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, 2006, at the Center for Tomorrow to consider the following agenda:

1. Report of the FS Grading Committee - W. Baumer
2. Ryan McPherson, Asst. Vice President of Government & Community Affairs
3. Civil Engagement and Public Policy - N. Olsen
4. Approval of the minutes of March 7, 2006
5. Report of the Chair
6. Report of the President/Provost
7. Old/New business
8. Adjournment

Item 1: Report of the FS Grading Committee- W. Baumer

Professor William H. Baumer is chair of the FS Grading Committee. The Committee is recommending revisions to the following four policies:

Academic Second Chance Policy - The current policy was adopted in 2001 as a replacement to UB's earlier "Fresh Start" policy. Today's revision provides modifications requested by UB academic officers. It extends the delay after which a student may request an academic second chance.

The revised policy states:
"Any student whose initial study in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree at the University at Buffalo has been unsuccessful, i.e., has resulted in generally poor grades or uncompleted courses and may have resulted in academic probation or dismissal, may request an academic second chance and readmission as a matriculated student to baccalaureate study at UB. The student may request academic second chance readmission as of a term beginning at least five [5] academic terms after the student's last enrollment as a matriculated student at UB, unless very exceptional circumstances justify earlier re-entry. Normally the student will submit this request at least four [4] academic terms after the student's last enrollment as a matriculated student at UB. The request for an academic second chance must be supported with evidence of significantly improved ability to pursue baccalaureate study successfully. Such evidence may include, but is not limited to, successful study at another post-secondary institution, work experience, full-time voluntary service with an eleemosnynary organization, or honorable military service."

Course Repetition Policy - The revision improves and refines present policies to clarify requirements and prevent misapplications. It is in line with practices at most other universities.

The proposed policy says:
"A student may repeat a course to supplant a failing grade or to improve the student's record when the student's first enrollment resulted in a passing grade. These conditions apply:

• When a course is repeated, the grade and credits of the first enrollment no longer count towards general degree requirements and are excluded from the student's credits attempted, credits completed, and UB grade point average [gpa], even if the repetition grade is lower than the initial grade.
• When a course repetition results in a passing grade, i.e., a grade of "D" or higher, the grade and credits of this repetition count towards general degree requirements and are included in the student's credits attempted, credits completed, and gpa.
• Whenever a course repetition results in a grade of "F", the course may be repeated again. The credits and grade for each and every failed course repetition are included in the student's credits attempted and gpa. Failed repetitions negatively affect the student's gpa; multiple failed repetitions may result in academic probation or dismissal.
• When a course is repeated more than once and the last repetition results in a passing grade, the grade and credits for this last repetition count towards general degree requirements and are included in the student's credits attempted, credits completed, and gpa.
• Whenever a course repetition results in a passing grade, the course may not be repeated for credit. A student may, however, repeat again a course in which a passing grade has been achieved solely to demonstrate proficiency for a major or minor. Any such further repetition shall be required and approved by the department or program involved, shall carry no credit, but shall be included with the grade achieved in the student's record of study.
• When a course is repeated, S/U grading is not an option.
• Credits and grades of successfully repeated courses count towards major or minor requirements only at the discretion of the program."

Incomplete Grade Policy - The following revision pertains to the interim grade of Incomplete ['I']: "For all courses, an interim grade of Incomplete ['I'] may be assigned if the student has not completed all requirements for the course. The 'I' shall be accompanied by a default grade that shall become the permanent course grade of record if the 'I' is not changed by formal notice by the instructor upon the student's completion of the course.

Assignment of an interim 'I' is at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of 'I' is to be assigned only if successful completion of unfulfilled course requirements can result in a grade better than the default grade; the student should have a passing average [equivalent to a grade of at least 'D'] in the requirements already completed. The instructor shall provide the student specification, in writing or by electronic mail, of the requirements to be fulfilled.

The default grade shall become the grade of record if the 'I' is not replaced by a permanent grade within twelve [12] months after the close of the term for which the 'I' is assigned:
          Fall: the following 31 December
          Spring: the following 31 May
          Summer: the following 31 August
The instructor may set an earlier deadline for completion of the course requirements. If an earlier date for completion is set, the instructor shall inform the student thereof in writing or by electronic mail.

A student may not re-register for any course in which the student has an interim 'I'. When a student graduates, an 'I' grade in any course included in the student's degree program shall default to the permanent grade. If a student is continuing in a combined or multi-degree program, e.g., receiving a B.A. in a B.A./M.A. program or an M.A. in a Ph.D. program, any course for which the student has an interim grade of 'I' that is not included in the course constituting the student's degree program shall be excluded from this provision but shall remain subject to the maximum time limits.

For all undergraduate courses the default grade accompanying an interim grade of 'I' shall be any one of 'B', 'C', 'D' or 'F'. For all graduate courses the default grade accompanying an interim grade of 'I' shall be 'U'. Neither 'A', 'P', nor 'S' shall be assigned as a default grade."

Prompt Grade Submission Policy - The proposed revision aims to be more realistic than the 1987 policy it replaces. It says:
"Faculty shall submit grades for all courses within seven days [including weekends and holidays] after the last day of the term's final examination sessions or the last day of classes of a term not having separately scheduled final examination sessions. Courses offered in a non-standard term, e.g., a non-standard summer session, may have a shorter time for grade submission. Grades may be obtained by students and advisors, through MyUB and DARS, the day after they are submitted."


Item 2: Ryan McPherson, Asst. Vice President of Government & Community Affairs

Assistant Vice President McPherson reported that the NYS Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences will hold its gala opening on June 2nd. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is expected to be attended by congresspersons Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer, and Tom Reynolds, is the first of many events that will be held throughout June to commemorate the opening of the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex. There will also be a series of life sciences education programs (6/6-10), a public open house (6/11), a life sciences academic & industry symposium (6/13-15), a business partners day luncheon (6/15), a lecture series (6/19-21), and a Buffalo Niagara Bio-Network summit (6/27-28). Additional information is available on the Center's Web site <http://www.bioinformatics.buffalo.edu/>.

The Web site is a portal to resources that can be useful to many faculty and the community.

The legislative budget that was recently passed in Albany is the most favorable to higher education in 20 years. It's still subject to Governor Pataki's vetoes, however, so we won't know the final budget for a while longer.


Item 3: Civil Engagement and Public Policy - N. Olsen

Dean of the Law School Nils Olsen said that civil engagement and public policy are strategic strengths identified in the UB2020 planning process. It's an area that encompasses so many disciplines that a group of faculty and administrators from seven schools and several CAS departments collaborated to produce a white paper that is truly an inclusive endeavor.

The white paper calls for the creation of a Service-Learning Research & Development Center, an Institute for the Study of Law and Urban Justice, a Public Health Policy Institute, and an interdisciplinary graduate program in public policy studies.

Seven strategic opportunities are identified in the civic engagement and public policy white paper:

• Economic development and technology transfer
• Law and social justice
• Water resources
• International and cross-border issues
• State, local, and regional governance
• Public policy studies

The white paper is available online at the UB2020 Web site.


Item 4: Approval of the minutes of March 7, 2006

The minutes were approved as distributed.


Item 5: Report of the Chair

The Chair's report was distributed with the agenda. Highlights included:

• The chair of the President's Review Board (PRB) and the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs will hold a meeting for interested faculty at 2 p.m., May 3rd, at 330 Student Union. This annual meeting is held in response to a resolution of the Faculty Senate.
• The Graduate School Executive Committee met recently. Topics included NRC assessment; the new office for postdoctoral education, which is headed by Associate Dean Marilyn Morris; and revised SUNY regulations regarding undergraduate and graduate characteristics for diversity.
• CIO Voldemar Innus has left UB for a position at Buffalo State College. The FS Information & Library Resources Committee will continue to work with Interim Director of University Libraries Steve Roberts, and the FS Computer Services Committee will work with Acting CIO Elias Eldayrie.
• The FS Computer Services Committee has monitored numerous issues including: the iprint pilot project that will begin allocating a page quota this fall; options for replacing the Webmail and Mulberry e-mail systems; the switch from Ultraseek to Google as UB's search engine; and additional/upgraded technology-equipped classrooms.

Item 6: Report of the President/Provost

Provost Satish Tripathi presented "A Framework for the Future of Undergraduate Education: A Strategic Plan." The framework will enable UB to develop a comprehensive plan for providing a distinctive undergraduate experience for our current and prospective students. We want their experience here to be characterized by:

• Inquiry & discovery - an astute ability to investigate and discover, to interpret facts, and to discern among competing claims.
• Service to the community - purposeful engagement to benefit members of the community.
• Leadership - contributing to the betterment of society as informed, enlightened, thoughtful, ethical, and active citizen leaders.
• Leadership - contributing to the betterment of society as informed, enlightened, thoughtful, ethical, and active citizen leaders.
Global citizenship - civility of discourse and the valuing of multiple perspectives, ideas, and cultures to inform understanding and responsible decision-making.

UB will seek to provide this unique experience by offering general education courses that incorporate our strategic strengths, learning communities of first-year students based on similar thematic interests, and opportunities for undergraduate involvement in faculty research projects.

We will offer honors and scholarship programs and leadership opportunities through Leadership House and the Leadership Peer Educator program. Global citizenship will be promoted through study abroad opportunities and by recruiting more international and out-of-state students.

Benchmarking will be based on student learning outcomes, enrollment, persistence rates, and graduation rates.


Item 7: Old/New business

None


Item 8: Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Will Hepfer
Secretary of the Faculty Senate

ATTENDANCE (P = present; A = absent; E = excused)

Chair - P. Nickerson
Secretary - W. Hepfer (Absent - minutes were prepared from a recording)
Parliamentarian - W. Baumer
Architecture & Planning - GS Danford (P)
Arts & Sciences - S. Bennett (A), R. Bobe (A), J. Buscaglia (A), J. Campbell (P), M. Churchill (P), V. Danilovic (P), L. Dryden (P), J. Faran (P), S. Gabriel (A), R. Giese (A), R. Hoeing (E), E. Juarros-Daussa (A), C. Lamb (P), M. Lo (P), A. Markelz (A), N. Matthews (A), J. Mendoza (A), S. Rothenberg (P), SD Schack (P), N. Shiode (A), L. Simms (P), D. Street (A), K. Takeuchi (E), J-C Thill (A), G. Timler (P), R. Woodard (P), J. Yu (P)
Dental Medicine - P. Bradford (P), M. Donley (E), G. Ferry (E), E. Pantera (A), J. Zambon (P)
Education - M. Kibby (A), J. Lee (P), L. Malavé (A), T. Schroeder (P)
Engineering & Applied Sciences - P. Alexandridis (A), C. Alphonce (P), C. Basaran (P), G. Dargush (P), K. Lewis (P), D. Pados (A), A. Titus (P) , R. Wetherhold (P)
Informatics - J. Ellison (P)
Law - S. Ghosh (A), T. Miller (A), J. Milles (P)
Management - J. Boot (A), S. Gunn (P), W. Lin (P), M. Trivedi (A)
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences - D. Amsterdam (P), M. Dayton (A), W. Fiden (P), E. Fine (A), W. Flynn (A), L. Harris (A), J. Hassett (A), L. Hernan (A), P. Joshi (P), T. Langan (A), V. Li (A), A. Manyon (A), N. Miele (A), R. Noble (A), A. Posner (E), J. Sauret (A), J. Sharp (P), G. Snyder (A), J. Springate (A), G. Sufrin (A), F. Velazquez (P), A. Weinstock (A), B. Weinstock-Guttman (A)
Nursing - C. Curran (A), P. Wooldridge (A)
Pharmacy - G. Brazeau (A)
Public Health & Health Professions - K. Personius (A)
Social Work - B. Rittner (P)
SUNY Senators - W. Baumer (P), HW Coles (P), H. Durand (P), P. Nickerson (P)
University Libraries - J. Adams-Volpe (P), HA Booth (A), M. Kramer (P), D. Tao (P) University officers - President J. B. Simpson, Provost S. K. Tripathi

Guests - M. Cochrane (Reporter), K. Lanier (EDAAA), R. McPherson (Govt. & Community Affairs), S. Nolan-Weiss (EDAAA), N. Olsen (Law), M. Ryan (VPUE), K. Saunders (VPUE)

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