FACULTY SENATE
Minutes of March 6, 2007
(unapproved)
The Faculty Senate met in the Center for Tomorrow at 2:00 PM on March 6, 2007, to consider the following agenda:
- Report from the Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee
Distinguished Professor Diane Christian, Chair - Interaction with Vice-President for Development Kathryn R. Costello
- Approval of the Minutes of February 6, 2007
- Report of the Chair
- Report of the Elections Committee
- Report from the Faculty Senate Computer Services Committee
Professor John Ringland, Chair - Adjournment
Item 1: Report from the Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee
As a standing committee of the Faculty Senate, the Academic Planning Committee (APC) is charged with examining any changes in academic procedure and structure; thus it recently dealt with the dissolution of the School of Informatics and the relocation of its constituent departments. It has also looked at the Uniform Data System situation concerning Rehabilitation Medicine; Professor Christian, Chair of the APC, did not go into any detail, but stressed the importance of protection of faculty rights to intellectual property. The Committee also submitted comments and suggestions regarding the second Memorandum of Understanding (MOU II).
Professor Christian is attempting to make the APC more pro-active in terms of academic planning. She volunteered to serve as Chair roughly five years ago, partly because she was “really sick of just checking out the embalmed bodies to see if they had been properly killed”; still frustrated, she asked the faculty to consider the issue and offer any ideas for a more positive and pro-active approach. As professional analytical critics, she continued, the faculty has generally been of a contesting nature --- which in itself can be good; however, it has also shown a more negative side in simply reacting with dissatisfaction. She commended the current leadership for being more interested in “collegial and cooperative models” --- but these tend to be more difficult to enact. The APC is currently examining possible pro-active tactics for integrating itself into the planning models for already in motion, and would welcome any suggestions.
In a recent conversation with Sean Sullivan, Vice-President for Academic Planning and Budget, she learned that, in securing grants, we receive a sort of “recognition reimbursement”, a monetary contribution form SUNY Central; she argued that for some faculty, this could serve as an incentive in beginning to change from a contesting culture to a more collaborative one. This contrasts sharply with the old attitude of some faculty, which was for the administration to “get us the money and get out of the way”; the incentive of having a more social function, as well as receiving a reward, might encourage them to become more positive, cooperative, and pro-active in their approach.
Professor Welch suggested both to the APC and the Admissions & Retention Committee that they might examine projections of service teaching loads for the faculty, and the limited number of spaces for additional students, that will inevitably accompany expansions proposed in our planning process. Professor Christian advised caution, since these are not primary, immediate concerns addressed in MOU II. Professor Welch asked whether the MOU II is currently accessible; Provost Tripathi responded that it is still in draft form, comments are still being solicited from various constituencies, and SUNY has not yet tendered agreement to post it electronically. It will be posted when made available.
Item 2: Interaction with Vice-President for Development Kathryn R. Costello
Kathryn R. Costello was appointed Vice-President for Development at UB effective September 1, 2006. She had previously served as Vice-President at five universities over the past 30 years; she has planned and implemented fund-raising campaigns that have brought in over $1 billion.
A local paper pointed out that the rate of increase in fund-raising had fallen below the national average this past year; Vice-President Costello suggested a few reasons for this. First, UB has a short history in fund-raising. Secondly, the new UB leadership has initiated an ambitious planning process; this typically creates a plateau in fund-raising. Often an institution will wait for some of the plans to evolve before it can make a strong case for support. Thirdly, there has been a change in leadership in Development. On the positive side, UB has created a new national development committee for the first time, one devoted to long-term development. The Committee heard from both the President and the Provost on the long-range plans, and so has a more defined idea of its mission than in previous development efforts. Having this additional tool in place which will “give us a real opportunity to excite people” to donate to the University.
The top reason people give, she continued, is because they are asked to give --- asked by the right people, at the right time, for the right causes, and for the right amount of money. The key is to get all the “rights” right. Vice-President Costello decided to work for UB in large part because, she said, this University has under-realized its potential in this important area of development; UB 2020 , a planning program of depth and scope unparalleled at other institutions, provides an ideal opportunity for fund-raising. Breaking from the older formulation of a vision statement --- “To create believers in the University at Buffalo” --- Vice-President Costello formulated her own: “The University at Buffalo should be a top choice for philanthropists”, since it plans to become one of the top research institutions in the nation. The mission of development is to advance the University by creating partnerships, providing opportunities for meaningful and enduring engagement among the University’s internal and external communities through communication and alumni outreach, and by securing philanthropic and strategic investments.
She warned that philanthropy, being market-based and focused on particular interests, can/will not meet everyone’s needs. Adding a note of humor --- and realism --- she presented to the Faculty Senate a few key definitions she developed over the years:
- Fund-Raising: A series of miserable failures followed by a few brilliant successes, all of which were accidental.
- Philanthropy: The mystical mingling of a joyful giver, an artful asker, and a grateful university.
- Development: A lifelong process of building support based upon a long-term, positive, and mutually beneficial relationship between a donor and the university.
She added that “many of the best gifts that you will get will come from people who have not necessarily been huge givers up until this point”. She also emphasized the long-term nature of development --- “this is a marathon, not a sprint”.
Fiscal Year 2007 goals for development include $51,560,072 in commitments and $32,905,342 in collections; as of February 2007, commitments totaled $19,221,352 and collections $17,808,521. Among AAU institutions, the mean for gift totals for 2005 was $140,266,575, and for the 25 th percentile, $63,082,397; the total for UB that year was $27,807,240. Vice-President Costello believes we should be raising $100,000,000 per year, with a smaller goal of $60 million over the next few years.
Professor Welch asked that the Faculty Senate leadership consider ways in which the faculty could work more creatively in forwarding this cause and assisting the deans in the development efforts just outlined. Vice-President Costello agreed that faculty should be involved in very specific ways; her own best experiences in fund-raising always involved direct knowledge of and interaction with individual faculty members. She supported the idea of a faculty committee on development, to serve as a sounding board for some of the planning. The faculty should also play a direct role in creating the energy inside the institution for the “family portion” of the campaign --- i.e., the faculty should be donors to the place where they work and in which they believe; this would send out the right signal to outside communities.
Professor Anderson asked if there were any broader campaign to support undergraduate education, rather than endowed chairs and the like. Vice-President Costello guessed that a large portion of donation would go to endowments, but that Development is always looking for undergraduate scholarships. The primary task is to find where the donor would most like to give the money. Professor Brazeau asked Costello to comment on building loyalty among current students; she responded that the culture of philanthropy means making students and their parents aware of its importance by getting them involved in student alumni activities. We must also create an expectation that they stay engaged and will continue to give to the University. Professor Rittner asked how her office specifically intended to approach alumni. Vice-President Costello answered that we need to do several things, among them “training” faculty to become more comfortable in “working with major-gift prospects”, as well as to continue the annual campaign for raising smaller donations.
Item 3: Approval of the Minutes of February 6, 2007
The Minutes of the Faculty Senate meeting of February 6, 2007 were approved as circulated.
Item 4: Report of the Chair
The Graduate School Executive Committee met last week and discussed issues concerning the Graduate Faculty. Upon appointment to a full title at the University, the individual is entitled to membership on the Graduate Faculty; the member must be in the computer system, which occurs on the first day of service at UB. If a faculty member transfers from one unit to another, the second unit needs to reaffirm that they want that faculty member on their graduate faculty. In another point on the agenda, Keith Otto (Intensive Language) and Steven Shaw (International Education) reported on requirements for international students at UB and on the availability of help to improve their ability to speak. Shaw talked also about recruitment of international students.
The FSEC recently heard from Dean Nils Olsen, Chair of the Corrigan Review Committee, who reported on the current review by the group on the Athletics program at UB [FSEC Minutes from 2/21, Item 2]. It also heard from Associate Vice-Provost Mangione about final exam scheduling and the need to revise/replace the old scheduling program [FSEC Minutes from 2/14, Item 5].
The Chair provided updates on activities of some Faculty Senate Committees. At a recent meeting of the Computer Services Committee, Dr. Peter Gold reported on the UBCATS on-line course evaluation system; the Committee also discussed the anti-plagiarism Turnitin program and privacy. The Affirmative Action Committee is working on a guide for recruitment and retention, and will interact with Vice-Provost for Faculty Affairs Finley at the end of March. The Athletics and Recreation Committee met on Monday talked about recreation and how to better understand the needs and current availability and diversity of the program. The Committee also discussed helping the Division of Athletics in the academic aspects of course development. The Academic Planning Committee reviewed the recent progress on the placement of Library & Information Studies; Vice-Provost and Interim Dean of the School of Informatics Finley met with the Committee. The FSEC voted to receive the Committee’s report. The Elections Committee is to report on the elections for SUNY Senator and UB Senate Chair (Item 5 below).
The Chair has invited recently appointed SUNY Provost Risa Palm to interact with the Faculty Senate, and is trying to arrange for her to attend one of the final two meetings of this academic year.
Item 5: Report of the Elections Committee
The Secretary announced that Professor Marilyn Kramer won the election for SUNY Senator; Professor Hepfer announced that Professor Hoeing won the election for Chair of the Faculty Senate.
Item 6: Report from the Faculty Senate Computer Services Committee
Professor Ringland updated the Senate on the current activities of the Computer Services Committee (CSC). First is the IT Strategic Transformation, a process that is part of UB 2020 that includes several facets:
- Workstation standardization, under team leader Peter Rittner; a report has already been submitted to, and approved by, the Executive Technology Advisory Group (ETAG). Proposals include a four-year refreshment cycle for machines, and an attempt to standardize the software platform for each operating system used on campus;
- Server and services consolidation;
- Shared services desk, an effort to consolidate help services;
- Conversion of phone systems to VOIP [Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol)];
- Several other items, including the Strategic Information Reporting Initiative.
The CSC is also examining the new federal e-discovery rules which went into effect in December 2006; these could “potentially impose a tremendous burdens” on the University; for example, in cases of lawsuits, the purging of -up systems must be suspended. The University is currently developing protocols and procedures to deal with such eventualities. A recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Don’t Delete”, stated that the university should dispel any expectations of privacy on the part of the faculty and staff members, and that the university should describe the college’s right when there is a need to inspect faculty’s home computers.
Of particular concern to the CSC are personal privacy issues surrounding the software program TurnItIn , a “massive, privately-owned database” used to detect plagiarism. Among specific potential problems is the vulnerability to government intervention and the sale of students’ papers to other parties. Professor Ringland added that the “long-term chances of a security breach … are extremely high”. Although technically a legal service --- it does not violate FERPA [the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act] because the work is ungraded upon submission and is therefore not part of the students’ academic record ---, Professor Ringland feels the program violates the spirit, if not the letter of FERPA. After discussion with Rick Lesniak, Director of Academic Services in CIT, it was decided not to use the program in conjunction with Blackboard . The Committee is looking around for alternatives to TurnItIn .
The CSC is also monitoring “iTunesU”; the University has a plan to outsource podcasting of course material to Apple via this service. The Committee has submitted a list of ten questions to CIT --- among them, why they are outsourcing in the first place; why they are using a system that does not use open standards; what rights we are surrendering when course content is submitted; and what mechanisms exist for getting out of the agreement.
Other activities of the CSC include discussion of a 5-year public computing plan; development of computer security guidelines; examination of a new file-sharing tactic of the RIAA [Recording Industry Association of America] as well as the curtailed Fair Use standards of the DMCA; examination of bills introduced in Congress regarding open document standards and net neutrality; and consideration of the extension of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which now mandates the ability to remotely tap not only phone lines, but data/internet lines as well.
Professor Ringland invited anyone with concerns in these areas to share them with the Computer Services Committee.
Item 7: Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Hoeing,
Secretary of the Faculty Senate
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Faculty Senate Officers
Peter Nickerson, President (P)
Robert Hoeing, Secretary (P)
Guests
John Simpson, President
Satish Tripathi, Provost
Kathryn Costello, Vice-President for Development
Diane Christian, Academic Planning Committee
Will Hepfer, Elections Committee
John Ringland, Computer Services Committee
Barbara Burke, EDAAA
Sharon Nolan-Weiss, EDAAA