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The Arts and Sciences Council (ASC), October 15, 2019, 3:30-5:00, CASE E422

Meeting Minutes

Representatives present: Daniel Appelö, APPM; Tania Barham, ECON; Barbara Buttenfield, GEOG; James Cowell, LING; Erica Ellingson, APS; Michaele Ferguson, PSCI; Gerardo Gutierrez, ANTH; Lew Harvey, PSYC; Elizabeth Huard, SPAN; Peter Hunt, CLAS; Leslie Irvine, SOCY; Alison Jaggar, WGST; Daniel Jones, HNRS; Dan Kaufman, PHIL; Robert Kuchta, BCHM; Angelica Lawson, ETHN; Ramesh Mallipeddi, ENGL; Matt McQueen, IPHY; Christina Meyers-Denman, SLHS; Stephen Mojzsis, GEOL; Cecilia Pang, THDN; Lonni Pearce, PWR;  Roger Pielke, ENVS; Patricia Rankin, PHYS; Evelyn Shih, ALC; David Stock, EBIO; Rebecca Wartell, JWST; Tim Weston, HIST; Deborah Whitehead, RLST Annje Wiese, HUMN; Ding Xue, MCDB; Masano Yamashita, FRIT; Mike Zerella, RAPS

Representatives not present: Sebastian Casalaina-Martin, MATH; Tanja Cuk, CHEM; Françoise Duresse-Stimilli, AAH; Julie Lundquist, ATOC; Hanna Shell, CINE;  

Ex-officios: present:  Roshanne Ebrahimian, SAC; Robert Ferry, BFA; Kristy Tiampo, GEOL

Also in attendance:  Rolf Noorgaard, Jenny Knight, Jim White, A&S

The meeting was called to order at 3:31p.m.

Chairs remarks, Stephen Mojzsis

Mojzsis referred to the recent negative incident in the Engineering building. He encouraged the ASC representatives to examine the response of the students, faculty and administration and bring the conversation to their departments. More specific information on the incidents can be obtained from the Police Department, the Chancellor’s Office and The Daily Camera.

Mojzsis has been visiting department faculty meetings to discuss the role of the ASC, what the ASC has accomplished and what we hope to accomplish. A common response from faculty is that they want more reports from the ASC representative. The ASC Executive Committee suggests the representatives put themselves on the agenda of faculty meetings occasionally and collect comments and suggestions so the flow of information can go both ways. Mojzsis also hears overwhelming concern about lack of faculty voice in deciding campus policy and choosing administrators. How do we overcome the perception of lack of faculty influence? The ASC as well as the BFA serve in advisory rolls but, if a decision is made that faculty disagree with, there isn’t much to be done. Change in the college structure appears to be coming without much information in advance; Mojzsis hopes this will encourage more faculty involvement and an empowered faculty governance structure.

The Provost has said publically that the reorganization committees should be finished with their work at the end of the year; he will then make a decision.

Shall we propose that ASC and BFA members be members of departmental Executive Committees? The ASC Executive Committee wants to explore faculty governance enhancements and increased transparency in the university.

Dean’s remarks, Jim White 

ASC members are on some of the implementation committees and Dean White suggests they stay in contact. The Provost doesn’t share anything with the Deans that he doesn’t share publicly but Dean White agrees with Mojzsis that there will probably be a change in the college’s organization at the end of the year.

Transparency and a lack of trust is a big issue in the college and university; created by years of decisions made behind closed doors. Dean White is trying to make most decisions in the open with feedback from the units. The ASC Budget Committee has access to all budget information. If there are times that faculty members think the Dean’s Office needs to be more communicative; Dean White asked that you let him know.

Last year’s focus was on diversity and inclusion; this year it is student success while building on diversity and inclusion. The negative incident recently in Engineering is only one of many on campus and we should use them to shine a light on the bigger problem. The police should be called in all cases of harassment; the University’s influence doesn’t end at the edge of campus.  Please see the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance website for more information.

The requests for disability accommodations have been going up Wardenburg and Student Affairs have been doing a good job addressing student needs in dealing with the stressful atmosphere at University. Unfortunately, disability accommodations in the classroom have been faculty’s responsibility and when 20% of a class are requesting more time or a quiet space to take the test, it is an unacceptable burden.

Dean White has asked department chairs to send Anna Jensen specific information on requests for accommodation; anecdotal information or hard data on number of accommodations requested or provided. Do you have a room available for students requesting a quiet room? How do you get proctors? Anna Jensen is distilling the information and will report to the ASC if requested.

Students coming from higher income areas have more information on their rights and are more likely to request accommodations than students from lower income areas.

When the college grows, the college receives more funding. Dean White is waiting to hear how much more money will be received this year; information show all three divisions have more students. The bulk of any additional funds will be used to address some of the issues brought up by the instructor task force.

Online Education Committee and Curriculum Committee  

The Online Education and Technology Committee made a recommendation to the Curriculum Committee to develop a policy for evaluation and control of College of Arts and Sciences online courses. There is a lot of uncertainty of how many of the courses are out there, who is teaching them, how they are being vetted. It remains to be seen how Continuing Ed works with the newly imagined E-School. The assembled representatives discussed the online courses being controlled by the departments; online courses having no designation that would diminish their value; online courses being a part of the faculty’s regular course load. Dean White encouraged the representatives to read the Online Committee’s report.

Discussion on the need for a new hoc committee in the ASC to supervise implementation of the Instructors Task Force report recommendations, Rolf Norgaard and Jenny Knight

Norgaard reminded the ASC representatives that the ASC endorsed a plan to continue with the recommendations of the Instructor Task Force. The task force recommendations need to survive any reorganization.

Norgaard feels there is a gap between the Personnel Committee and the Grievance Committee; where would a faculty member go concerning institutional problems with faculty? It has been suggest the ASC form a new, Faculty Affairs Committee where faculty can come with issues such as, “Are we happy with the way teaching is represented in promotion and tenure cases?” The committee should be composed of tenure track and non-tenure track faculty. 

Mojzsis explained that after a discussion in the ASC meeting, the proposal will go to the Executive Committee who will make a recommendation; that recommendation will be brought to the ASC: “We would like to form an ad hoc committee named_______with the charge of __________” and ask for ASC endorsement. To move from an ad hoc committee to a standing committee will take a change of bylaws.

New ad hoc committee to implement the College’s Strategic Plan, Michaele Ferguson

Michaele Ferguson and Elaine Paul chaired a committee to review the Strategic Plan and make recommendations for implementing it. One of the committee’s recommendations was to form a committee made up of equal numbers of faculty, staff and students to guide and monitor the implementation of the Strategic Plan. Because of the composition of this proposed committee, there will be increased communication between all the constituencies of the college and more opportunities for feedback. This committee will have a set of priorities given to them by the Strategic Plan Implementation Committee and will be expected to monitor the work of the three Provost’s restructuring committees, report to the college and to the Provost.

Structure and workings of the Staff Advisory Committee, Roshanne Ebrahimian, Miramontes A&S Program

The mission of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) is to address issues of importance to arts and sciences staff; to give timely feedback and make recommendations to the dean; to facilitate communication within the college; and to build community among arts and sciences staff and faculty. The SAC also receives applications for the College of Arts and Sciences employee of the year and makes recommendations to the Dean. They have 18 members. This year the committee is working on salary equity issues and the structure of the SAC. Mojzsis thanked Ebrahimian for the SAC’s participation with the ASC.

Formal vote to allow the ASC Executive Committee to empanel a new ad hoc committee to explore the role of Lecturers in the College and their relationship to the goals of the College’s Strategic Plan.

Mojzsis asked to table this agenda item; the Executive Committee isn’t prepared to present a motion. There were no objections to tabling this item until next month.

Council invited to be heard

Mojzsis, along with other council members, have been reviewing faculty governance structures at other Pac 12 institutions. He will be providing a report in the future.

Patricia Rankin brought a formal notice of motion that the ASC meetings go from 1½ to 2 hours. It appears there is more material to cover each meeting and with the impending reorganization, time will be needed for more substantive conversations. The motion was seconded and the floor was opened for discussion.

The assembled representatives responded negatively to this motion; issues brought up were difficulty in rescheduling teaching schedules, the possibility of leaving out opening remarks to provide more time for discussion, providing information packets and holding special sessions when needed. Rankin feels the faculty will need to examine the Provost Committee’s work on the reorganization and spend more time providing feedback.

Mojzsis asked the committee to think about this subject and be prepared to vote in November.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:01.

Minutes submitted by Janice Jeffryes