Meeting called to order by Presider, Julee Miller

Quorum established at 4:23 p.m.

Senators Present: Steve Dixon, Donna Dougherty, Joan Erickson, Linnea Goodwin Burwood, Terry Hamblin, Ursula Herz, Kim MacLeod, Leslie Mokay, Kathleen Ogborn, Mike Spisto, Jeff Stedman, Marsha Stock, John Taylor, Jack Tessier, Carolyn Tolley, Mary Wake
Absent: Sean Babcock, Douglas Dune, Lori Osterhoudt, Linda Weinberg
Visitors: Rick Golding, Mike Branigan

The minutes from the January 28th, 2008 meeting were approved the deletion of K. DeZur from the absent list as she is on sabbatical.

Budget and Planning Committee

• Highlights: new format; the Committee did not prioritize needs
• Themes and goals:
  • 11 common themes or goals that describe the affected units
  • 2.5% decrease across the board
  • renovations-some are in the capital plan and some don't fit the budget
  • programs-trying to grow the programs but not all units had justification for what they asked for; they need documentation for their requests
    • additional programs/BBA programs need additional staff and resources
    • difficult to get students into classes because of limited class selection
• all documentation acquired helps with issues of retention and providing quality services
  • health services had an increase in students requiring their services while services available in the local community continues to decrease
• online work may help with overworking in many offices
• Unit plans-can be seen in Confluence-give comments on your own unit's plan' next unit plan is due September 30th, 2008.
  • best unit plans were those with input from many members of the unit
  • unit plan training will be scheduled during obligation period at the end of the spring semester
• Note: T. Hamblin asked how the 2.5% decrease would affect the goals that were suggested; response: until the NYS budget is passed, everything is put on hold.
• Note: J. Taylor suggested that visiting the www. supportSuny.org-use an off-campus computer
  • B & P still working and have been asked to find an overarching goal for the whole campus to work on
• April 17th-19th the SUNY Plenary will be hosted by SUNY Delhi and will allow the campus to be showcased
• Note: L. Mokay questioned the section of Assessment and Retention that states "Retention's goal is to graduate students that have been served well by both the academic and service communities on campus" and the implication that students only come to SUNY Delhi to graduate.
• Note: J. Tessier asked what portion of the budget comes from tuition. response: the B & P Committee is not privy to this information; there is a point where the number of students on campus becomes inefficient; there is 109% occupancy in the dorms
• B & P will return to the Senate in April

Curriculum Committee

The following proposals presented to Senate were approved by Curriculum Committe

• CC07-08 Liberal Arts & Science HIST 135 Contemporary America as an on-line course
• CC07-09 Liberal Arts & Science A new course GOVT 250/350 Middle Eastern Politics
• CC07-10 Nursing & Allied Health A new course NURS 302 Nursing Research
  CC07-11 Liberal Arts & Science A new course SCIE 105 Integrated Science
• Motion to accept all proposals.
• The motion was seconded and approved.

Academic Policy Committee

The following changes to Academic Policy were approved by the College Senate with noted comments or changes:

• Changes to Academic Policy 1.36 (p. 45)
  • 1.361 addition to beginning of the paragraph
• 1.385 deletion and addition to matriculated status to Academic Policy 1.385-A (p.57)
  • Note: L. Mokay suggested returning to the old interpretation that a student only needs to get two Cs to comeback.
• Reordering Academic Policy 1.39 (p. 58-60) and the accompany Table of Contents and Addition of Petition to Graduate Form to Appendix
  • Note: S. Dixon suggested grammar that all instances of "they" be changed to "he/she" in the new paragraph A "Petition to Graduate"
  • Discussion on the need for verification of graduation candidates by Scholastic Standing and if this is asking too much of one person from each department;
  • Note: M. Branigan asked if this situation can be solved by asking the Deans Council to send out information and verify that the faculty fulfills their responsibility?
• Change to the definition of the term Individual Studies (p. 14) for clarification
• 1.364 deletion and addition to Academic Honesty 
  • "The college assumes that teaching and learning take place only in an atmosphere of intellectual honesty. As teachers and students have come together for the mutually agreed upon purposes of teaching and learning, the college expects that each approaches the classroom experience with the intention of open and honest intellectual pursuit. As part of the process, teachers shall clearly describe at the outset the means of evaluating students in this pursuit and students shall, in these evaluations, give an honest accounting of their growth and development. Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty are strictly prohibited. Any violation will (suggested change to may) may be met with penalties ranging in severity from a grade of zero for the work involved to a grade of F for the course and possible suspension from the college."
• Addition to Academic Policy 1.31 Definition of Terms (p. 14)
• Change and addition to Academic Policy 1.35-1-K Audition Courses (p. 35)
• Deletion to Academic Policy 1.35-2-A-3-a-2 Challenge Examination (p. 40)
• Addition to Academic Policy 1.36-J Requirements for Notification of Allowed Absence (p. 47)
  • Trying to ease the use of this policy by using "Delhi Today" to notify faculty of groups of students who are engaged in school activities-list should be followed up by a list of no shows

The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

Next Meeting: Monday, March 10th, 2008.