FACULTY MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 5, 2001

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the September 7, 2001 faculty meeting were approved as written.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Studley began her comments by noting how sobering the events of September 11 have been, and how the ensuing uncertainty reinforces the importance of moving forward to focus on our most important priorities. President Studley then introduced a draft of the plan, “The Strategy for Skidmore”, which had been sent to the Skidmore community by the Institutional Planning Committee and is available on the Skidmore website in a form that allows the community to make comments.

President Studley explained that this initial draft of the document would be shaped, based on comments, discussion and further work on the proposed priorities during the fall, into a clear, action-oriented plan that will be used to guide directions for the College for the next decade. Teams, based on appropriate standing committees whenever possible, will develop more specific recommendations for the major goals identified in the current draft. Each team will endeavor to outline the timetable, costs, and policy decisions related to each of the major goals. She invited comments from faculty members to IPC generally and to any of the work groups on all aspects of the draft.

Later this fall the teams will share their recommendations with IPC and the community. These recommendations will form the basis for IPC and President Studley to prioritize the goals outlined in the draft. In December and January, the priorities and specific action steps will be incorporated into a final draft for circulation to the community for another round of review, comment, and revision. The plan will be presented to the Board of Trustees in February.

Apropos of the reference to the Board, President Studley informed the faculty that Joan Layng Dayton ’64 will be ending her tenure as Chair of the Board at the end of this academic year. Susan Corbett Thomas ’62 will replace her as Chair. Joan, who is in her sixteenth year on the Board and chaired the Journey Campaign and presidential search committee, agreed to an additional year beyond her first three-year term. She has agreed to work with the College on the next campaign. Other new board members this year are: Peter Wan ’95, Linda Toohey and Dale Conron Ahern ’75.

There followed a short discussion of the draft strategy. Professor Odekon recommended that the document speak more directly to the meaning of the liberal arts and the role of scholarship. President Studley agreed that the reference to information technology (page 6) was ambiguous and would be clarified. She thanked the many people, starting with the Summer Planning Study Group and IPC, who have worked on this project over the past year and who will work on the next steps.

Michael Casey, Vice-President for Advancement, said the ultimate Strategy for Skidmore will give the President and Office of Advancement directions that will be used in shaping fundraising objectives during the upcoming campaign. There is no specific timetable for the campaign nor has an amount to be raised been decided; those will be determined largely by the needs of the College. The uncertain economy should not affect the amount of money raised, but it will may affect the length of time needed to raise the funds.

DEAN OF THE FACULTY’S REPORT

Dean John Berman said that this was the last time that Claire Demarest would be taking minutes at the faculty meeting, as she will be leaving the Dean of the Faculty’s office to take another position at Skidmore.

He thanked Sue Bender, Roy Ginsburg, Joanna Zangrando, Steve Hoffmann, Joel Smith, Gabrielle Daniels, Deborah Hutton, and student David Lowe for putting together the successful panel discussion around the events of September 11.

The Tang exhibit, “Paradise Now,” has received very favorable reviews.

Corey Freeman-Gallant, Assistant Professor in the Biology Department, received a $650,000 grant over three years to work with students in his research and teaching;; Mark Tetel, Assistant Professor in the Biology Department, received a $100,000 grant; and David Karp, Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work, received a grant with the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation to work with Skidmore students on campus judicial reform.

Dean Berman pointed out that investing in the faculty is one of the key items of the Strategic Plan. The teacher/scholar is the heart of Skidmore College, and the plan is to enrich the environment for intellectual engagement between faculty and students.

NEW BUSINESS
On behalf of the External Master of Arts Program in Liberal Studies, Professor Ron Seyb made the following motion:

RESOLVED: That the faculty of Skidmore College recommend to the Trustees the Granting of the Master of Arts Degree to five students.

• Michael Lloyd Davis
• Jacquelyn Gentile
• Joshua Levitt
• Susan B. Shadle
• Jane A. Wilson

The motion was seconded, and it carried with all voting in favor.

RESOLVED: That the Faculty of Skidmore College recommend to the Trustees the granting of the Bachelor of Arts degree to two students and the Bachelor of Science degree to seven students.

Bachelor of Arts

• Audra Bruno
• Teri Vito
• Bachelor of Science
• Emerson P. Curley
• Roberta Wells Famula
• Siobhan M. Kieras
• Jennifer A. Mitchell
• Ariana Richards
• Dianne T. O’Donnell
• Mary Elizabeth Winn

The motion was seconded, and it carried with all voting in favor.

On behalf of CFG (Committee on Faculty Governance), Professor Mark Huibregtse made the following motion:

The Committee on Faculty Governance moves that the following anachronistic references to the CAPT Review Committee be removed from the Faculty Handbook.

Part One, VIII. E. 2., p.119, currently reads as follows:

The CAPT shall annually disseminate its calendar, its operating code, and the CAPT Review Committee (until 2000-2001 when the Tenure Appeal Committee supersedes the CAPT Review Committee) operating code to all faculty.

The new language would read as follows:

The CAPT shall annually disseminate its calendar, its operating code, and the operating codes of the Tenure Review Board and Tenure Appeal Committee to all faculty.

Part Two, II. F. 2 Membership (of CAFR), p. 210, currently reads as follows:

Six members of the faculty, none of whom is on the CAPT, the CAPT Review Committee, the Tenure Review Board, the CAS, or the Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee, at least two of whom are untenured at the time of their election and two tenured, each to serve a three-year term and each from a different department; and no more than six students, selected by SGA.

The new language would simply omit “the CAPT Review Committee,” from the above.

The motion was seconded and the motion carried with all voting in favor.

OLD BUSINESS

At the September faculty meeting, Professor Huibregtse presented two motions on behalf of CFG.

Motion 1. The Committee on Faculty Governance moves that the description of the Faculty Development Committee (Part Two, II. F. 10., page 214) be revised as follows (additions are shown in bold; deletions are italicized and underlined.)

10. Faculty Development Committee (FDC) – Elected

Function: To advise the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty on faculty development policies; . . .; to select the annual Edwin Moseley Faculty Research Lecturer and the recipient of the Ralph A. Ciancio Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Membership: Four faculty members with tenure, one each from the areas of the humanities, the natural sciences, the pre-professional programs, and the social sciences, each member to be elected for a two-year term; the Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty for Faculty Development and Sponsored Researcha representative of the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the faculty, non-voting.

Motion 1 carried with all voting in favor.

Motion 2. Contingent upon the adoption of the first motion, CFG moves the adoption of the 2001-02 Faculty Handbook. (See Attachment A for the complete list of changes.)

Motion 2 carried with all voting in favor.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Professor Susan Kress appealed for contributions to the Skidmore Employees’ Scholarship Fund. This fund supports local students in need of financial aid in order to attend Skidmore. One student will be named as a recipient of the scholarship for every $10,000 in commitments received. Last year two students were supported with 15 percent of the Skidmore community donating to the fund.

David Miller on behalf of the Department of Art and Art History, cordially invited the faculty to the opening reception of the annual art faculty exhibition at the Schick Gallery following the faculty meeting.

 

Respectfully submitted,
Claire Demarest
Executive Secretary
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and
Dean of the Faculty