FACULTY SENATE
Minutes of March 4, 1998 - (approved)
E-MAIL: ZBFACSEN@ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU
The Faculty Senate met at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, March 4, 1998 in Talbert Hall 107 to consider the following agenda:

1. Report of the Chair
2. Approval of the Minutes of February 4, 1998
3. Resolution on the Review by the Faculty Senate of Proposals for the Future of the University and Reorganization of Academic Units (Third Reading)
4. Student Access to Computing
5. Report of the President
6. Faculty Senate Committee on Public Service
7. Report on the SUNY Senate Meeting at Stony Brook

Item 1: Report of the Chair

A proposal on parking changes on the North Campus was distributed prior to the meeting; the Chair asked the senators to discuss it with their units and respond to it via the Faculty Senate Listserve, to be then transferred to Director Carmela Thompson.

Professor Nickerson also announced the annual meeting of the President's Review Board (PRB) with interested faculty on Tuesday, April 21, at 3:00 PM in 330 Student Union.

The UUP Center Chapter is organizing a workshop on promotions and permanent appointments, to be co-sponsored by both the Faculty and the Professional Staff Senates, to be held on March 16.

In his written report, Professor Nickerson noted the following items:

• The Chair congratulated the new SA President, Brendan Keane, and offered him the opportunity to cooperate with the Faculty Senate; another election is to be held this month.
• Representing the Faculty Senate, Professor Nickerson attended the "Networking for SUNY 2000" conference, aimed at facilitating conversation among students, faculty, and political leaders.
• The Graduate School Executive Committee passed a revised policy on outside readers for dissertations. In addition to a form which must be received prior to the thesis defense, the policy will also create a mechanism for the Dean of the Graduate School to use when an outside reader finds the dissertation unacceptable.
• The Office for Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action will relocate from Capen Hall to the Commons; the Chair joined others in voicing concern about the change from the original proposal (relocation to Crofts Hall).
• Professor Barry Checkoway (University of Michigan) will present a public symposium on "The Research University and Public Service" on Tuesday, April 7, 1998 in the Screening Room at the Center for the Arts.
• The Budget Priorities Committee co-sponsored with the Professional Staff Senate a budget workshop, which included a presentation by Senior Vice-President Wagner. The BPC is meeting monthly and is discussing policies for fees and their consolidation for billing purposes.
• The Academic Planning Committee met with the three deans of Arts & Sciences to discuss their approach, and the advantages and limitations to the Academic Information System being developed.
• The Committee on Research and Creative Activity met recently with Vice-Provost Triggle to discuss issues related to the reduction in sponsored program activity at UB.
• Professor Dickson announced a panel discussion in celebration of Women's History Month, sponsored by the UUP Center Chapter, tomorrow afternoon at Pistachio's; the topic will be "Leadership and Equity for Women". The event is open to the public.

Item 2: Approval of the Minutes of February 4, 1998
The Minutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of February 4, 1998 were approved.

Item 3: Resolution on the Review by the Faculty Senate of Proposals for the Future of the University and Reorganization of Academic Units (Third Reading)
The Senate voted to adopt by total substitution the revised resolution on Faculty Senate review. Professor Albini briefly presented the proposal and invited discussion. Professor Malone, addressing the first item which stipulates that an affected faculty review proposals in accordance with their bylaws and policies, asked what would happen if a faculty had no bylaws; he suggested deleting the italicized phrase. He also suggested adding to the phrase "within a reasonable period of time" the wording "as designated/determined by the FSEC". Professor Albini accepted both suggestions. Professor George argued in favor of keeping the bylaws clause; if a faculty failed to develop its bylaws, the Senate need not bother with its problems. Professor Batt agreed. Professor George, addressing the question of the necessity of the proposal, stressed that, without it, "we are totally at the mercy of the good will of the Provost, or President, or whatever Dean has a new idea as to whether or not he/she consults us". Until now, we had no framework or policy for advisement procedure.

The resolution, with the change in wording of the "reasonable period of time" clause, was approved by a voice vote.

Item 4: Student Access to Computing
In addition to distributing a "Concept Proposal on Universal Computer Access at UB" as well as an action plan of the Student Access Subcommittee (of the IT Steering Committee), Dean Tufariello delivered a presentation with overheads to argue the case for universal student access to computing.

He began by defining universal access in the words of William Graves (the former head of IT at the University of North Carolina) as "convenient and affordable access to a personal computer connected to the campus network at any time and from almost any place [the students] are working or studying". (He noted at this point that the Subcommittee did not necessarily endorse a laptop.) Reasons for having universal access include:

•           Personalization and customizaiton of instruction;
•           Relief from overcrowded inappropriately expensive public computing labs;
•           Enhanced employment opportunities for students after graduation;
•           Participation in the teaching and learning technological revolution;
•           Equity --- allowing ALL students, including the financially disadvantaged, to have access;
•           Marketing UB in a more favorable light, through training our students more effectively for their future.

One goal of universal access is to allow a faculty member to require every student in a class to perform certain computer-based tasks, among them the use of communications tools (such as e-mail), web-browsers, and document-preparation software.

Professor Tufariello pointed out that some universities already have similar policies. He focussed on two distinct models which might prove most appropriate for UB, the Wake Forest model and the Sonoma model.

The Wake Forest Model

• All freshmen are presented, when they arrive on campus, with and IBM ThinkPad computer with a software package containing Lotus Notes, MS Office, Windows 95, Netscape, and 28 other programs. The model is highly standardized, on the assumption that a single platform facilitates on-campus servicing of the computers, as well as student and faculty training and teamwork. A tuition increase of $3,000 a year finances the program, and comprises not only the cost of the computers, but also of service and infrastructure.
• Wake Forest doubled its IT staff [he noted that UB would not need to do this, since Wake Forest was farther behind and had to catch up], hired and placed academic computing specialists in clusters of departments (similar to our nodes), and developed a "STARS" program of resident Student Technical Advisors in teh dormitories.
• A student training program provides ThinkPad orientation, a technolgy guide to the World Wide Web, freshman seminars, on-line training, and help desks; faculty training also includes ThinkPad orientation, as well as introductions to the Wake Forest template, the STARS program, and CELI, or the Computer Enhanced Learning Initiative.
• Professor Tufariello described it as the "Cadillac" of universal access models, expensive but well-designed, perhaps more suited for private than for public institutions.

The Sonoma Model

• In contrast to the Wake Forest model, the minimum specification for computers is access to the Web, through Netscape, Internet Explorer, or a similar program. In this multi-vendor model, a student can use any computer. The Sonoma model is phased in over four years.
• Students have a variety of means by which they can afford a computer --- through outright purchase, through a loan program (through a local credit union), through financial aid, work programs, or loaner pools.
• Throughout northern California, the publicity of the program proved so positive that admission inquiries increased by 50%, leading to a record number of freshman applications, an increase in show rate, improved freshman and sophomore retention, an increased average student course load, and an increase in the number of students graduating in four years.

Despite the increases in cost, both programs led to increased enrollments and, consequently, enhanced images of the institutions. Dean Tufariello emphasized that, if we are to benefit in a similar fashion, we must act as quickly as possible; once all institutions implement such programs, the competitive edge vanishes.  The key to success of a model of universal access is faculty involvement and commitment.  Among its specific objectives, the University will

• expect all students to be able to access information and course material on-line;
• expect all students to have the necessary hardware and software to accomplish this;
• suggest specifications to students who purchase computers;
• develop programs to help ease the burden of computer purchase;
• develop and environment conducive to computer usage.

Since timing of the program is critical, the Subcommittee proposed upgrading the public sites by the Fall 1998 semester, piloting the program in Health-Related Professions and in Computer Science, and implementing the project in full by Fall 1999.

 The proposed resolution to develop and implement the universal access program met with full Senate approval. Professor George regretted that we did not start this ten years ago, and commented that student can now purchase more-than-adequate computers at cheap prices. Dean Tufariello agreed, adding that UB bears the responsibility of making deals with certain manufacturers to provide the University with computers at a discount.

Professor Sridhar stressed the necessity for investing in a solid base infrastructure to insure the success of the program; Dean Tufariello agreed, and reminded the Senate that increased enrollments would help offset some of the costs involved. Professor Regan called the Wake Forest model "ridiculously expensive" and suggested we set a benchmark of $1,000 for a suitable computer. Professor Wooldridge also supported the effort to keep costs down to an absolute minimum.

Asked how the model would address students whose work is largely visual (e.g., art students), Professor Tufariello replied that the Steering Committee would have to approach the different units and determine their specific computer needs. He added that there is no intention of eliminating the departmental labs, which are designed for special purposes, since students cannot buy computers capable of doing everything.

Professor Holstun asked if there were any data on problems related to class size; Professor Tufariello was not aware of any, but added that he did not get the impression at Cal State - Sonoma that class size was or would be increased as a result of implementation of the model.

Professor Schroeder noted the difficulty of logging onto the Web in the evening, and wondered how this would be amnaged, and what the costs would be. Dean Tufariello replied that the Committee is proposing, as a partial solution, an increase in the number of modems to handle the traffic.

Professor Malone wondered who would provide the required instruction for students who are not yet computer-literate; Dean Tufariello responded that several possibilities exist, in particular, the UB 101 course. Provost Headrick observed that, between Engineering, Computer Science, and Management, we are already teaching about 85% of our students a basic course in computers, at the freshman level.

Concerned about delays over possible stumbling blocks, Professor Bloebaum urged that we simply affirm it as a good idea "and then just figure out what needs to be done" to implement the program on time. She added that support for faculty needs is critical, yet missing from the proposal. Provost Headrick agreed that connectivity is one of the key issues, and that some studies and estimates will be necessary to determine what we need in order to provide this. Also, if support is a priority, some reallocation of resources will no doubt be needed, "and every School will have to contribute in some way". He reiterated the importance of faculty using computers in their courses, particularly in freshman courses, and in all types of courses.

Senior Associate Vice-President Innus added that we must indicate to the students the benefits they will reap through universal access. On the issue of off-campus access, he noted that UB already has an excess of 400 modem lines, but observed that many institutions have already concluded that increasing the modem pool is not a viable solution. As a result, the IT Steering Committee is regarding this as an intermediate step toward finding an alternative solution --- a solution we must find before asking students to come to campus with a computer. Furthermore, some form of standardization is required to keep costs manageable.

Professor Regan noted that although class size is not an issue, office hours will increase through e-mail. He added that the proposed model fails to include wiring the dorms for Ethernet access, as is done at the Ivy League schools. He wondered whether UB and Adelphia Cable are working on upgrading from T-1 to T-10. Dean Tufariello said they are discussing this matter, but that the immediate concerns center on cost.

Professor Doyno reminded the Senate of the advance time needed for catalogs and publicity, and wondered how we would deal with part-time students under this program. The Provost commented that the number of part-time students has dropped drastically.

Professor Harwitz noted that, similar to the "freeway issue", there will never be a definitive solution to the connectivity and network problems; there will always be some crowding. Dean Tufariello suggested that one solution would be to have multiple access routes.

Professor Meacham underscored the Faculty Senate's responsibility to examine the issue closely, to speak out strongly in favor of it, and to act decisively on it; what matters is not computing and technology, but how we as faculty interact with our students, and how we teach. The Provost concluded the discussion by reminding the faculty that if they are not involved, the program will not work, despite all planning.

 Item 5: Report of the President

President Greiner first gave an update on the New Paltz situation. The Chancellor explained that his memorandum was an attempt to bring closure to the controversy, but by no means was intended to constitute a new policy; free speech continues to be governed by the current policies of the Trustees, as well as by State and Federal law. No campus president is expected to conduct prior review of the content of publications, conferences, or the like; however, the campus president is expected, when controversies arise, to handle these effectively and provide leadership and damage control. For other items (such as a recent Op Ed piece in a student newspaper) which may be offensive to people in the University community, as well as in the community at large, the President urged a better understanding of what constitutes civility. To this end, both he and Dennis Black, Vice-President for Student Affairs, "are pledging to work much more closely with student governments and other groups of students in the coming year" to see how to best address this issue as a community. One idea under consideration is to have a weekly column in the Spectrum in which some University official addresses a topic of central concern to students; another is to enhance students' knowledge of the history of the institution --- he cited as one example the fact that the pacemaker was invented by faculty in Engineering and in Medicine.

He announced the establishment of a day-care center on the North Campus by September 1998, to be located proximate to the arena, between the Triple Gym and Baird Point. The building will be a temporary structure, between 3,000 and 3,500 square feet in size, relatively inexpensive yet well-built and insulated, "a very attractive facility that will serve the needs of this campus".

As a final remark, he called for a meeting between senior administration and the Faculty Senate to discuss in detail two items, mission review and resource allocation methodology. The meeting would achieve two main objectives, that of informing the Senate of the University's plans to be presented in Albany, and of providing a rare opportunity to bring to agreement and closure the issue of the UB mission.

Item 6: Faculty Senate Committee on Public Service

Professor Frisch, Chair of the Public Service Committee, related that the Committee has worked closely with Dr. Gresham's office in identifying the need for more sustained discussion about the implications for public service as an opportunity for this University, as well as the need to work on a number of concrete problems involving personnel, leadership, and the role of both Associate and Assistant Professors in this institution with respect to public service.

It has also proven useful to work with the founding of the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), in which most of the concerns about public service and a need for a deeper understanding of its implications are grounded. The Public Service Committee hopes to make discussions of public service an integral part of the "culture-creating launch" of the CAS this Fall. The founding of the CAS constitutes "an extraordinary opportunity, and in many ways, a creating moment for us all to break out of some older ways of thinking and to really examine some newer possibilities that can reflect the diversity of our faculty". The Committee does not intend to sell public service, but to explore what it means and how it relates to the other missions of the University. The upcoming lecture and public symposium by Professor Checkoway should not be regarded as a one-time event, but rather an important dimension of our efforts over the next few years. He urged strong attendance.

Dr. Gresham, Interim Vice-President for Public Service and Urban Affairs, noted that universities, as traditional repositories of the intellectual resources of a community, bear the responsibility --- and have a unique capacity --- of helping to generate solutions for many of the complex needs of our society. She shared a quote by Samuel Capen: "Urban universities possess another special advantage: They are never left long in doubt as to what the public wants them to do, and the tasks demanded of each one are [...] determined by the occupations and interests of the city in which it is located. The obligation to render these services --- to Buffalo, in this case --- constitutes a first mortgage on the University's resources." She noted that her Office was created in 1993 to try to advance the University's public service mission, not only to the city any more, but to the entire region of Western New York. Calls for expert service pour into her Office daily from people frustrated by their own efforts at solutions; she cited several examples and displayed a collection of contributions to public service that the University community has performed over the past three years. Yet another compendium of public service by UB faculty is planned for publication. It is time again, she argued, "to give really serious consideration as to how he articulate the public service agenda at UB". From the information garnered from the different ways we perform public service for the community, she offered a working definition for Public Service:

Public Service is service that is based on scholarly expertise that contributes to the overall mission of the University. It includes activities which represent sustained contributions that can create new knowledge, train others in a discipline or area of expertise, aggregate and interpret knowledge so as to make it understandable or useful, or disseminate knowledge to appropriate users or audiences.

Our public service activities, for which we seldom receive due credit, are critical to the perceptions of the quality of this institution, and just as important to those who sponsor them. Public Service will not replace teaching and research, but rather serve as a "vehicle for scholars to test hypotheses, improve theories and provide thoughtful and creative and much-needed solutions to problems that we face".

 Item 7: Report on the SUNY Senate Meeting at Stony Brook

Professor Welch invited discussion of Professor Fisher's report on the SUNY Senate meeting at Stony Brook; there was none.

 The meeting was adjourned at 4:00 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert G. Hoeing

Secretary of the Faculty Senate
 

PRESENT:
University Officers: W. R. Greiner, T. Headrick
Faculty Senate Officers: P. Nickerson, R. Hoeing
Arts & Letters: V. Doyno, M. Frisch, , J. Holstun, J. Rickard
Dental Medicine: R. Baier, M. Easley, G. Ferry
Educational Studies: L. Klenk, B. Johnstone, L. Malave, T. Schroeder
Engineering & Applied Sciences: D. Benenson, C. Bloebaum, W. George, S. Mohan, M. Ryan, R. Sridhar
Health-Related Professions: L. E. Gosselin, S. Nochajski, J. Tamburlin
Information & Library Studies: G. D'Elia
Law: L. Swartz
Management: J. Boot, J. Newman, C. Pegels, R. Ramesh
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences: B. Albini, R. Batt, S. Gallagher, C. Leach, B. Noble, S. Rudin, A. Saltzman, H. Schuel, C. Smith, M. Spaulding, A. Vladutiu, A. Wakhlo
Natural Sciences & Mathematics: J. Berry, P. Calkin, M. Churchill, M. Cowen, J. Faran, C. Fourtner, M. Ram, K. Regan, S. Schack
Nursing: M. Johnson, P. Wooldridge
Pharmacy: R. Madejski
Social Sciences: J. Charles-Luce, P. Hare, M. Harwitz, J. Lawler, P. Luce, J. Meacham, C. Sellers, S. Singer, P. Zarembka
SUNY Senators: M. Jameson, D. Malone, C. Welch
University Libraries: J. Adams, C. Densmore, W. Hepfer, M. Kramer, D. Woodson

GUESTS: Joseph Tufariello, Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Voldemar Innus, Senior Associate Vice-President
Robert Straubinger, Chair, Faculty Senate Computer Services Committee
Mary Gresham, Interim Vice-President for Public Service and Urban Affairs
Jeanne Dickson (University Libraries) EXCUSED: Arts & Letters: J. Ludwig
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences: D. Amsterdam
Social Sciences: : D. Banks ABSENT: Architecture: M. Hadighi
Arts & Letters: A. Efron, N. Grant, M.-E Gutiérrez, M. Hyde, R. Mennen
Dental Medicine: A. Aguirre, R. Hall
Educational Studies: L. Yang
Medicine & Biomedical Sciences: M.Acara, M. Alashari, E. Fine, W. Flynn, S. Greenberg, R. Heffner, F. Schimpfhauser, J. Sulewski, , B. Willer
Natural Sciences & Mathematics: S. Bruckenstein
Pharmacy: N.
Social Sciences: H. Calkins, B. Smith
SUNY Senators: J. Fisher

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