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Faculty Meeting Minutes

March 26, 2021

Michael Orr, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. 

DOF/VPAA Orr welcomed everyone to the third Faculty Meeting of the semester, noting that this meeting is occurring a week earlier than usual due to Good Friday falling on the first Friday in April, the day when the first April faculty meeting would typically be held.   He then announced that it will not be necessary to hold the make-up faculty meeting tentatively scheduled for April 9.  Next, DOF/VPAA Orr noted that there is an item on the Agenda that will require a faculty vote and reminded everyone of the voting process to be followed through theSpring.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

DOF/VPAA Orr asked if there were any corrections to, or comments regarding, the minutes of the Faculty Meeting held March 5, 2021.  Hearing none, he announced the minutes were approved.

OLD BUSINESS

Promotions Committee

On behalf of the Promotions Committee, Professor Barbara Black read the following motion that was introduced at the last Faculty Meeting (see attached):

MOTION: The Promotions Committee moves thatthe following edits be made to the Faculty Handbook (Part One, VIII, F. 2. vi.—p. 132). [Deleted language is struck through. New language in bold.]

1. All full-time faculty and those holding shared appointments in the departments concerned and in at least their third year of service (in ranks defined in Part One, Article VI [Appointments to the Faculty], Sections A [Tenure-Track Appointments] and E [Non-Tenure-Track Appointments], number 2b [Artist or Writer-in-Residence] shall be consulted and shall write letters to the Chair. The Department Chair must also request letters from Program Directors and from other Department Chairs if the candidate has offered courses in other programs or departments.In consultation with the candidate, the Department Chair may request letters from program directors and other chairs if the candidate’s affiliation with, or contribution to, another program or department has been especially consequential. If the candidate holds a proportional appointment, colleagues from both departments/programs must evaluate the candidate. Individuals writing letters of evaluation for the candidate shall clearly state whether they do or do not recommend promotion, and why, according to the criteria for continued service. The Chair’s letter shall present the Chair’s individual position as well as the department’s. All these letters shall be forwarded to PC.

Professor Black explained the rationale for the Motion. Although an opportunity for discussion was provided, there were no questions raised.  The Motion was voted on and passed by majority vote (after voting results were tallied over the weekend).

NEW BUSINESS

Appointments and Tenure Committee

On behalf of the Appointments and Tenure Committee (ATC), Associate Professor Sara Lagalwar introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION: the Appointments and Tenure Committee (ATC) moves to amend the 2020-2021 Faculty Handbook as follows, with changes highlighted by    strike through or in red:

Part Two, Section II.F.2.b., page 211

Members of ATC may not participate in the tenure cases of candidates with primary affiliation in their own departments/programs and a substitution will be made by the remainder of the Committee. In exceptional other cases of conflict of interest (for example when an ATC member and candidate serve the same academic program), ATC may substitute one or more members for a specific case.

Professor Lagalwar explained the rationale for the Motion.  Brief discussion was held on whether the faculty member under consideration for tenure would have a say in whether or not someone from the same department might be recused. There being no further discussion, the motion will lie over until the next Faculty Meeting.

Promotions Committee

On behalf of the Promotions Committee (PC), Professor Barbara Black introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION: The Promotions Committee moves that the Faculty Handbook (Part One, VIII, F. 2.viii.—p. 132) be amended as follows: [Deleted language is struck through. New language inbold. There are three housekeeping edits in underlined bold.]

Promotion files shall include the following:

1. an updated CV, which makes clear what has been achieved since the last promotion.
2. all scholarly, creative, or professional materials produced since the last promotion; the candidates may add some earlier materials for purposes of context or to show continued growth. The cCandidates may wish to seek letters from Skidmore colleagues outside their department/program qualified to speak to their professional accomplishment. Candidates may also wish to include a statement about achievements and works in progress.The candidate shall include a Research/Artistic Statement, which articulates the significance, scope, and future directions of scholarly/creative work.
3. the ten most recent consecutive semesters of teaching evaluations. For purposes of context, the candidate may wish to include other evaluations. The candidate shall also add copies of syllabi, and may include assignments and handouts. The candidate may also wish to append a statement about teaching goals and philosophy shall include a Teaching Statement, which articulates teaching goals and methodologies, and charts one’s development as a teacher over time. The file may include peer evaluations of teaching.
4. a cover sheet showing courses taught, sabbatical leaves, and any course releases over the previous six years.
5. service credentials presented within the context of the broad statements about service in Part One (Faculty Rights and Responsibilities), Article VIII (Evaluation of Faculty for Continued Service and Advancement in Rank), Section A (Tenure-Track Faculty, Community Service). The candidate may wish to provide relevant documents and seek letters from Committee Chairs or members who can speak about the quality and extent of service. The candidate shall include a Service Statement, which articulates service goals and accomplishments that demonstrate a record of sustained, significant, and effective service to the college.
6. Annual Reports for the past six years.
   
   ix. Candidates for promotion may solicit letters on their behalf from reviewers familiar with their credentials from outside the college. Such letters may come directly to PC, or go to the Department Chair or Program Director and then to PC as part of the candidate's dossier. Letters mandated by the department/program must also be transmitted to PC.

Professor Black explained the rationale for the Motion. Brief discussion was held concerning whether the proposed changes are consistent with ATC requirements, with the chair of ATC indicating that ATC had made similar revisions to its guidelines for compiling tenure files and that it planned to continue to work on revisions to the Faculty Handbook.  There being no further discussion, the motion will lie over until the next Faculty Meeting.

OTHER

Faculty Development Committee

On behalf of the Faculty Development Committee, Associate Professor Silvia Carli announced that Professor Daniel Nathan has been awarded the Edwin M. Moseley Faculty Lectureship for 2021-22.  Professor Carli then read a citation honoring Professor Nathan (see attached).   A virtual congratulatory round of applause was given to Professor Nathan.

Updates

Joshua Woodfork, Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity, shared a video introducing the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) survey that students will be invited to complete.  This survey builds on the results of the 2019 HEDS Diversity and Equity Campus Climate survey and will help Skidmore gain deeper insights into racial climate on campus and better equip our campus to respond to student experiences involving bias, discrimination and harassment.  He then asked faculty if they would encourage their students to participate in the survey or possibly even allow students time to complete the survey at the end of a class session. VP Woodfork indicated that he would send a follow-up email request with further details. 

VP Woodfork then reminded everyone about the HEDS survey completed during the spring 2019 semester. He announced that a website will soon be created that will introduce the HEDS survey and share the results from the survey.

Thereafter, VP Woodfork announced that Anita Jack-Davies of Queens University in Canada has been appointed as Skidmore’s Deputy Chief Diversity Officer and inaugural Director of the Center.  He thanked Sarah Delaney Vero, Interim Director of Human Resources, for all her assistance in working through the layers of bureaucracy required to hire someone from a different country during a pandemic as well as the members of the search committee.

VP Woodfork concluded his update by reporting that the search for the Director of Student Diversity Programs is still ongoing.  It is anticipated that an appointment will be made in the near future.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Marc Conner thanked VP Woodfork for his work relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, and noted that the NACCC Survey and the College’s participation in the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA) are crucial components of the ongoing racial justice initiative.  As we move into the spring semester, President Conner said there will be opportunities for conversations about how we have done with the racial justice initiative this year, what areas need more attention, and how we want to move forward next year. He indicated that he had been thinking about the need for additional emphasis on the experiences of persons of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent. He then provided the following updates:

• Since the last Faculty Meeting, there have been several exciting events on campus, including the Robert George and Cornell West event, the Harder Lecture given by Guy Mastrion, and the faculty panel on international perspectives on the Trump presidency.  In addition, athletic events and competitions started again, with extraordinarily scrupulous care and attention to safety. The opportunity to participate in and attend events forms a large part of the student experience and we are trying our best to provide these experiences for our students.
• President Conner reported that hehas now met with 38 academic departments and programs so far, with two more to go.  While these occasions have been quick introductory meetings, they have been a great way for him to start to get to know the faculty and the wonderful work that is being done.  He also remarked that he had received an amazing tour of the Saisselin Art Center and the Schick Art Gallery; that served as a reminder to him that he has just barely scratched the surface of our campus community and how excited he is to take further steps in getting to know the campus.
• COVID numbers continue to be encouraging, with the number of positive cases still in single digits and low quarantine numbers overall.  Comparing our COVID numbers with our peer schools, even those that are being just as careful with safety protocols as we are, our numbers are the envy of other schools.  Our students’ behavior and the ways they continue to support safe practices are of critical importance.  President Conner stated that he is cautiously encouraged as the COVID vaccine is becoming more widely available.  He noted that Rutgers had recently announced that it would be requiring all students to be vaccinated and that we will follow their experience closely and see how other schools are handling required vaccinations and the legal challenges of doing so.
• The campus master planning continues with a Community Kickoff meeting for faculty, staff and students on April 5 at which representatives from Ayers Saint Gross (ASG) will present an educational session about campus master planning and explain how it relates to strategic planning and capital projects.  Pat Fehling, Associate Dean of the Faculty and co-chair of the Campus Master Planning Task Force, reported that the task force has been fully constituted and  has been meeting on a routine basis. ASG has requested numerous documents, reports, and statistics to help them learn about us. The Campus Master Planning Task Force will be helping to schedule focus group meetings with ASG through May and is working on developing a website for the campus master planning process.
• Plans for holding an in-person Commencement for the Class of 2021 are in the works.  Diane O’Connor, Interim Vice President for Communications and Marketing, provided an update on the planning, noting that a team of faculty, staff and students is meeting to discuss logistical challenges and to build on best practices and traditions, while also thinking creatively about COVID-related health and safety measures.   The in-person commencement ceremony, with the location still to be determined, is scheduled for Saturday, May 22.  All health and safety protocols as stated by New York State will be followed; due to health and safety restrictions, family and guests will not be permitted to attend and only a limited number of faculty and staff will be able to attend.  It is anticipated that the live stream of the ceremony will be enhanced with robust virtual components.  Interim VP O’Connor noted that President Conner is currently leading an effort, in conjunction with other New York Six college presidents to advocate for specific and updated guidance from NYS for college commencement ceremonies.
• Regarding an in-person Commencement for the Class of 2020, President Conner has been in contact with the class representatives and plans are being discussed to hold an on-campus celebration in May or June of next year.
• Admissions is working hard to finalize the incoming class.  All the regular decision announcements were sent out last week, and outdoor admissions tours have resumed with the extraordinary safety protocols that we outlined last year that saw us enroll a very large, robust class despite only 40% of them having visited campus. Of our accepted pool right now, only 10 - 20% have been to campus so far.  As campus tours are very important in enrolling a successful class, we are trying  to provide tours as best we can while also holding many virtual events. President Conner expressed his thanks to faculty for their assistance with the virtual academic showcases.
• The search for the Vice President for Advancement is on track.  The search committee will review all applicants during the first week of April, and will conduct semi-finalist interviews in mid-April.  In late April and early May, a small number of finalists will be invited for interviews, though it is unlikely that there will be an in-person component to those interviews.  President Connor hopes that an appointment can be made by the middle of May.
• The search for the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students is also ongoing.  The search committee has been meeting with the search firm, and the advertisement is ready to be posted imminently.  Outreach to prospective candidates will begin soon, with an anticipated appointment in mid- to –late-June.
• Addressing the work of the Healthcare Working Group (HWG), President Conner stated that the process has been the most collaborative and transparent process that he has seen a community adopt to address the growing health care challenges that nearly all institutions currently face.  Unfortunately, no matter what decisions are ultimately made regarding the array of options presented by the HWG, healthcare will still cost all of us somewhat more; however, the college will do what it can to provide more options and to keep the increased costs as manageable as we can.

In concluding his updates, President Conner congratulated Dan Nathan on his award and invited any questions or comments.  Brief discussion was held concerning accessibility for virtual programming (closed captioning), the possibility of workplace health initiatives and programs that could potentially reduce health care costs, and ensuring that physical spaces on campus meet ADA compliance during the campus master planning process.

DEAN OF THE FACULTY AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS’ REPORT

DOF/VPAA Orr announced that Terri Mariani has been appointed as Senior Administrative Coordinator in the Office of the Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, assuming the position vacated by Brooke Toma.  As many may know, Terri has extensive experience at the College in Dining Services, Student Affairs and Human Resources, and Terri is a welcome addition to the office.

DOF/VPAA Orr then reminded everyone of the email that was sent to faculty earlier in the week regarding the Mellon Grant to support pedagogy clusters focused on the development of the Bridge Experience (BE) or Fundamental Quantitative Reasoning (FQR). He noted that the deadline for applications for the final round of applications for Mellon-supported faculty development funds is April 1, 2021. He thanked all departments and programs for their efforts to develop courses for the new curriculum as well as the Curriculum Committee for expediting its work to approve these course proposals. DOF/VPAA Orr encouraged anyone with questions to reach out to Eric Morser, Director of the Bridge Experience.

Thereupon, DOF/VPAA Orr provided an update on summer planning. He stated that his office and Human Resources will be reaching out to department chairs, program directors, and other offices in academic affairs to gather information about the number of faculty and staff who will need to regularly work on campus this summer, to determine how many will need routine COVID testing.   With respect to commencement, as President Conner noted, we are still hoping to have some faculty representation at commencement.  In that regard, Michael Arnush, Associate Dean of the Faculty, has been reaching out to department chairs and program directors to identify individuals to serve as representatives for their department and program.  We are hoping to be able to have, at a minimum, one representative from each department and program at the event, assuming this is consistent with the regulations we are expecting to receive from New York State shortly.  He encouraged everyone to complete that process so we can move forward with planning.

There being no further business, DOF/VPAA Orr adjourned the meeting at 4:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,