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Faculty Senate Executive Committee Report on Activities

Detailed report on academic planning, teaching, technology, international education, and more.

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Faculty Senate Executive Committee Report on Activities

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  1. Faculty Senate Executive Committee Report on Activities (Oct. 2006 – Apr. 2007) Prepared by : Stella N. Batalama, Assoc. Prof. Department of Electrical Engineering University at Buffalo UB Engineering Faculty Meeting April 11, 2007

  2. Overview • Academic Planning Committee • Committee for Teaching and Learning • Graduate School Executive Committee • Workstation Standardization • Final Exam Scheduling • University Bookstore • Center for Academic Development Services • Office of Disability Services

  3. Make UB one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies • Centralized Advertisement / Centralized Recruitment • Initiatives for Undergraduate Education • Mission Review – Memorandum of Understanding • President’s / Provost’s Report on Governor’s Budget • Miscellaneous

  4. Academic Planning Committee (Prof. Diane Christian, FS APC Chair, English, CAS) • Dissolution of the School of Informatics • Dept. of Communication is relocated to the College of Arts & Sciences. • Dept. of Library and Information Studies is relocated to the Graduate School of Education.

  5. Committee for Teaching and Learning (Prof. James Jensen, FS T&L Committee Chair, CSEE, SEAS) • Educational Technology Program (ETC - est. 1999). • Center for Teaching and Learning Resources (CLTR - est. in 2001 in place of Office for Teaching Effectiveness that was est. in 1990 and closed in 1995 due to budgetary concerns). • Currently no staff in CTLR, no director for ETC. • FSEC passed a resolution that CTLR services are considered essential component of University excellence and requested on going plans (e.g. merger plans) be shared at the point of creation with the Faculty Senate Teaching and Learning Committee.

  6. Graduate School Executive Committee • Speak Test and Scores • Evaluates general speaking skills; required for all assistantships. • Scores range : 20-60 (<50 : teaching demonstration, departmental screening, ESL sources recommended – 5 courses available). • International Education Snapshot • UB ranked #10 in USA for international enrollment. • UB ranked #1 among public universities for international enrollment as percentage of total student body. • Fall 2006 : 13.16% of UB’s enrollment is international; 59% of UB’s intl. population is grad.; 23% of UB’s grad. enrollment is international.

  7. Workstation Standardization (Dr. Peter Rittner, Assist. Dean for Education Technology, CAS) • Team of 14. • Detailed recommendations (involve non-research supported computers ~18,000) • Institute systematic 4-year refreshment cycle. • Leverage university buying power via several large purchases annually. • Promote de-facto hardware and software standards. • FSEC comments/suggestions • Not everybody will agree to a certain product based on a discount price. • Negotiate with the vendor to purchase certain number of units. • Leasing of computers (impractical due to State’s annual budgeting process). • Full report www.buffalo.edu/ub2020/itst/files/WorkstationStandardizationReprot.doc

  8. Final Exam Scheduling (Dr. Terri Mangione, Senior Assoc. Vice Provost) • Current process/SW is 15 years old with default 3-hour exams and double-seating test location different from course location; final exams are scheduled before Drop/Add period ends; student-centric (tries to eliminate conflicts based on the courses a student is enrolled). • Approval for a new final exam scheduling process: Course-centric (?). • Need for a 3,000-seat testing facility (?!).

  9. 134 centrally scheduled, 152 departmentally controlled (will be shared for more effective scheduling). • 47 rooms seat >50; 26 rooms seat >100 students. • Fall 06 / Spring 07: 2,415 / 2,438 courses were scheduled. • Aesthetic renovations seating capacity reduction by ~10%. • Classroom utilization in North Campus (excl. Ellicott complex) exceeds 67% (national benchmark over a 45-hr week). • Classroom data:

  10. University Bookstore • Faculty can negotiate with publishers to customize textbooks to include only material needed ( money savings for students). • If faculty indicates to bookstore in writing that a textbook will be used again in subsequent semesters, bookstore pays students for a used book about half the price of a new.

  11. Center for Academic Development Services (CADS) (Dr. Henry Durand, Senior Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Ed.) • Provides services and opportunity programs to talented disadvantaged students (low income, first generation, students with disabilities or minorities). • Major functions • Individualized and targeted admissions. • Academic counseling and advising. • Academic enhancement and enrichment. • Internships. • Academic support services. • CADS provides services to about 3,000 students (works with $5M in operating funds, monitors $25M in financial aid).

  12. Office of Disability Services (Director Mr. Randall Borst) • Ensures accessibility and usability of all programs, services and activities of the University by people with disabilities. • Coordinates equal opportunity in education, campus life, and university employment for qualified individuals with disability. • At UB about 500 students with disabilities (learning, mental, vision, etc.) .

  13. Among services provided (per individual student eligibility) are those related to classroom/testing accommodations: • Availability of peer/instructor notes. • Assistive devices/sign interpreters. • Access to calculators or computers. • Extended time (x2) for testing and uncharged breaks. • Reduced setting (due to destruction). • Advocacy for Universal Design Design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extend possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Only federally sponsored research center for universal design is at UB (Dept. Architecture & Planning).

  14. Make UB one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies (to work for) (Scott Nostaja, Interim. Vice President for HR) • FSEC questioned: Is it a feasible/achievable/reasonable goal? • Path for UB to become just eligible for consideration for the Fortune’s list might be beneficial (right/better programs and facilities e.g. wellness program, day-care center, parking, etc.). • FSEC questioned : How many universities are in this list? Answer : None (Harvard is thinking of trying).

  15. Centralized Advertising / Centralized Recruitment • Collective, e.g. School-wide advertising (electronic and/or conventional) – in addition to discipline based advertising. E.g. CAS advertised collectively listing Depts. that are currently hiring. • Development of advertising tool-kit to help academic units (with consistent logos, templates, fonts etc.). • UB – Jobs: Automatic recruiting process.

  16. Initiatives for Undergraduate Education (Dr. M. Ryan, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Ed.) • Discovery Seminar Program • Targeted to 1st and 2nd-year undergraduates. • 1 credit-hour course, meets once a week (50 min), class size ~15, standard letter grading. • Benefits to students: engage with a faculty around a thought-provoking/challenging topic in a small group setting. • Benefits to faculty: sharing the passion for particular scholar interests. Seminars are taught as course overload ($500 award for faculty). • Fall ’06 / Spring ’07 / Fall ’07: 4/18/27 seminars. • More info: http://discoveryseminars.buffalo.edu

  17. Undergraduate Academies Scholarly communities composed of faculty, students and staff with shared goals and interests : (i) Civic Engagement; (ii) Research Exploration; (iii) Creative Exploration; (iv) Global/International Issues • The Academies are directed by a Steering Committee. • Each Academy has certain mission/goals and defined outcomes; it is designed by a Master Scholar (faculty) and a Board of Fellows. • No requirements for membership but certain requirements should be fulfilled if a documented recognition for student participation is established (e.g. on transcripts).

  18. Mission Review II – Memorandum of Understanding • Document Objectives – Chancellor’s side • Clarify campus goals (2006-2011). • Build campus and academic program quality – meet demand and avoid duplication across SUNY. • Increase inter-campus collaboration. • Built case for investment from State government.

  19. Document Objectives – UB’s side • Articulate academic direction, campus goals and strategies to pursue these goals. • Show performance consistent with UB 2020 directions. • Assure funding and flexibility to enable and reward our achievements. • Two Initiatives • Enrollment growth (10,000 students by 2020). • Right sizing (UB student/faculty ratio = 27.65; average ratio of comparably sized public peers = 21.59).

  20. President’s/Provost’s Report on Governor’s Budget • Budget emphasized preK-12, not higher education. • Governor appointed task force committee to study how to “make SUNY from a fine to a great system” (committee membership restricted to non-SUNY employees).

  21. Until committee’s output is available, budget has been generally good given that this is the 1st for this Governor. • Fully funded cost of living on salaries (about 5% increase, on average, including union contracts, and merit increase). • Chancellor proposed $10M for expansion/enrollment growth/full time faculty UB may get about $1.3M (it will cover 400 of about 1,000 students that are not funded currently). • $ 2.3M for education opportunity centers. • $ 6M for ATTAIN Program (economic growth for technologically disadvantaged places). • $ 6M for Empire Innovation Program (UB gets $1.6M). • UB requested funds for planning ($10M); alumni arena renovations; UB gateway for downtown area; translation research building in downtown.

  22. Miscellaneous • President’s report on University matters • A critical issue for UB is differentiation among research and non-research-oriented SUNY campuses in terms of mission, policy and budget. • Provost’s report on 2020, interdisciplinary centers etc. • Hiring in strategic strength areas are to be considered above and beyond. • Hiring in traditional areas are decided at the Dean’s/Chair’s level. • FSEC suggested circulation to all faculty, once a year, of an email that lists new faculty hirings and highlights those on strategic strength areas.

  23. Incorporate the discipline in the awarded degrees (currently only Ph.D., M.S., or B.S. designation is present). • Something to Feel Good About … • Among several parameters that determine the State budget allocated for UB is sponsored research dollars. • Federal funding produces by far the most NY-State matching funds (matched at 20%); NY-State funding produces the least NY-State matching funds (matched at 5%). • Looking for UB Pictures or UB-logos/Templates? Go to http://www.buffalo.edu/creativeservices/ and click -- UB Marketing Toolbox -- Photo- Database

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