Faculty Meeting Minutes

March 4, 2016
Gannett Auditorium

MINUTES

President Philip A. Glotzbach called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

President Glotzbach asked if there were any corrections to, or comments regarding, the minutes of the Faculty Meeting held February 5, 2016.  Hearing none, he announced the minutes were approved.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

President Glotzbach addressed the current presidential election, stating that when you think that American politics cannot get any more bizarre – and, frankly, more concerning – it does.  It is safe to say that we have seen developments in the presidential primary races that not many of us could have predicted, a year or even six months ago.  In a column that appeared in the Saratogian, conservative political commentator Cal Thomas makes the following remarks about Donald Trump:

“Never in modern times has there been a presidential candidate who has hurled more personal insults and hurtful accusations at this fellow candidates and others who disagree with him.  It should embarrass a normal person, but Trump appears beyond embarrassment.”

Undoubtedly, not many people could disagree with this observation.  It wouldn’t matter, except that (a) Donald Trump is presently the frontrunner in the Republican primary race, and (b) his brand of rhetoric clearly has lowered the overall level of discourse to something that one might expect to see on a middle school playground – though to say that is actually insulting to middle-schoolers.  In any event, Trump’s candidacy has thrown the Republican party into turmoil, but the reverberations are extending far beyond that one organization.

In another recent column, Skidmore honorary degree recipient David Brooks comments more generally that we seem to give much less attention these days to philosophical or political theories in our public life – that “the forces of individualism that are sweeping through so much of society are also leading to the atomization of intellectual life.”  He sees less “clustering” around institutions such as magazines, intellectual movements, or intellectual traditions than twenty or thirty years ago.  The result, he believes, is less commitment to ideas – less belief combined with an element of passion.  While President Glotzbach does not know if what Brooks says is empirically true, it does have the ring of truth.  And we certainly have seen a significant displacement of contested ideas in favor of ad hominem attacks this year.

From another perspective, the turmoil we are seeing in this presidential election serves to emphasize the importance of what we are doing with our students.  President Glotzbach relayed a phone conversation with the father of a Skidmore grad – someone who was generous to us when his daughter was here and who has been even more generous subsequently.  The first thing he said was, “Thank God for independent colleges!”  He went on to talk about how important liberal education is today – especially in light of what we are seeing in politics. 

To the extent that we help our students see why ideas, principles, respect, and civility should matter in our public life, we are helping to prepare leaders who themselves should be less tolerant of politicians who fail to live up to these standards.  We do this work in our courses, in our labs and studios, on our athletic teams, through our mentoring, and in so many other ways.  But we also do it through the way we comport ourselves as we interact with one another – when we find ways to disagree forcefully but respectfully, without calling into question the personal worth of someone on the other side of an issue.  Though no human community can be perfect in this regard, I do believe that our way of treating one another – and with our students – has allowed us to focus on issues and not have to deal with the kind of disruptions so many other campuses have experienced.  President Glotzbach thanked everyone for being part of the potential solution to our national problem and not part of that problem. 

Thereupon, Mary Lou Bates, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, provided an update on this year’s admission cycle.  Since her last report, Admissions has completed Early Decision Round 2.  We had a record number of early decision applicants this year -- a 30 percent increase over last year.  For these students, Skidmore is their first choice.  In the past, we had been limited by the size of the pool and financial aid, and admitted about 40 percent of the class through early decision.  This year, depending upon the size of the class, we will have admitted about 50 percent of the class through early decision, on budget for the financial aid allocation.  This is going to positively impact our selectivity, which is one of the factors that folks look at as they are looking at colleges.  Last year, our overall acceptance rate was 37 percent.  This year, before the wait list, it will be about 30 percent.   Our record before that was 29 percent in 2008 but we ended up going to the wait list for 75 students that year because we had over predicted our yield.  While going to the wait list is an efficient way to keep your selectivity down, it is pretty labor-intensive.   Decisions will be mailed on March 25.  Vice President Bates said it looks to be another great class and she thanked everyone in advance for all their help in bringing the classes in every year.    A round of applause was given to Vice President Bates.

Crystal Moore, Associate Dean of the Faculty, provided an update on Starbuck Center.  On February 24, James Bowers, New York State Senior Research Scientist from New York State Environmental Health and Occupational Epidemiology, gave a presentation to the community.  In terms of the industrial hygiene sampling data from 2012 pre- and post-construction in Starbuck, Mr. Bowers indicated that they were well below acceptable exposure limits. He also concluded that, from his perspective, the report written by Dr. Shields, the epidemiologist consulted in 2012, was well done.  Mr. Bowers was impressed that Dr. Shields was able to obtain as much confidential information as he did, making his report much more thorough.  Mr. Bowers reiterated in his presentation that he does not see the incidents of breast cancer in Starbuck as anomalous.  After reviewing the 2012 data, he indicated that he does not see any need for additional environmental or industrial hygiene testing.  He does appreciate the idea of re-testing though in light of three additional reports of breast cancer in the building, as that may alleviate anxiety regarding any residual toxins or incomplete testing, although there is no evidence at this point in time that is an issue.    Dr. Bowers also educated the community regarding breast cancer risk factors and indicated that overwhelming evidence indicates that predominate risk factor is based upon individual life style.  Although other factors such as familial history, genetic disposition, age of women at onset of menses, etc. account for only 25 percent of the variability in breast cancer rates, the remaining 75 percent have no clear identifiable causal factor.  Unfortunately, Saratoga County is one of the counties in New York State that has a higher incidence of breast cancer rates.  In terms of cancer registries, they collect incidence data by county of home address, not of work address, so that complicates trying to link exposure to one’s workplace.  Therefore, it is difficult to track whether a particular workplace, or even a specific building in a specific workplace, has an increased incidence unless reported to the health department as a possible cancer cluster.  Dr. Bowers also discussed the latency period for breast cancer, which is the period of exposure to disease causing agent and the appearance of symptoms, and that is at least 10 years. Therefore, given the overwhelming majority of those who have reported pre-cancerous cysts and breast cancers occurred in women who had not worked in Starbuck for more than 10 years, he believed there was little possibility of an exposure in the building to cause breast cancer.  Dr. Bowers also addressed concerns of historic use of lab chemicals in the building that could potentially contribute to breast cancer rates and stated that the chemicals used at the time the lab was functioning, which was formaldehyde and androgens, have no correlation to breast cancer.  Additionally, the space where the lab was located was renovated, and prior to the new occupancy, an industrial hygiene air sampling conducted in 2012 showed no evidence of those chemicals.  The Starbuck Steering Committee continues to meet and will soon begin interviewing industrial hygiene firms that do both environmental testing and health surveys.  The Starbuck Steering Committee will also include other illnesses in addition to breast cancer in that analysis, although Mr. Bowers indicated that he did not feel additional testing is necessary.  Dr. Moore concluded by reminding everyone that this has been very difficult and emotional for many people who work in Starbuck and our community as a whole. The College is doing all we can to give our employees in Starbuck and our community peace of mind that their environment is safe.  Dr. Moore thanked senior leadership for their help in this endeavor, the members of the Starbuck Steering Committee, and Loretta Greenholtz

On behalf of the Faculty Development Committee, Professor Greg Pfitzer announced that Professor Pushi Prasad was chosen as the Edwin M. Moseley Faculty Lectureship for 2016-17.  A congratulatory round of applause was given to Professor Prasad.

President Glotzbach reported that the Board of Trustees just completed their February meeting.  As has been the Board’s practice, they met off-campus for a retreat to allow some additional time for discussion, reflection, and strengthening relationships among our trustees.  He reported that:

• As previously announced, Linda Toohey is stepping down from the Board this coming May after serving fifteen years as a Trustee and the past four years as Chair.  As has been her practice, Chair Toohey was in attendance for the faculty meeting.  A round of applause was given to Chair Toohey to acknowledge her many contributions. 
• The Board unanimously approved W. Scott McGraw as chair-elect.  Scott McGraw is a Skidmore parent of a 2012 graduate.  He joined the Skidmore Board of Trustees in 2011, serving as chair of the investment committee and vice chair of the advancement committee and also sharing his expertise on the board’s executive, budget and finance, and strategic planning committees.  In taking on this new position, Mr. McGraw steps down as co-chair of the campaign committee but will continue to serve ex-officio.   Mr. McGraw and his wife, Cathy McGraw, served on or chaired the Parents Council for all four years their daughter was a student here, and they chaired both the Class of 2012 Parents Fund and the Annual Parents Fund.   A more detailed biography is available on the Skidmore website.
• The Strategic Plan was unanimously and enthusiastically approved.
• The Major Budget Parameters were approved.  As in the past, Mike West, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer, will provide a budget update at our April meeting.
• The Board approved a report responding to the recommendations of the Task Force on Divestment (TFD), which was made up of members of the faculty and staff, students, and one Trustee. In its report, which will be available on the TFD’s website, the Board expressed its sincere appreciation for the work of the Task Force and accepted its primary recommendation not to pursue a strategy of “full divestment from all direct and indirect investments in the securities of fossil fuel companies” at this time.   The TFD made six additional recommendations, of which the Board was able to accept three, at least in part: to identify an investment vehicle focused on fossil-free and clean tech industries; to collaborate with other higher education institutions to encourage the creation of such high performing “green” funds; and to report annually to the community on progress we are making in these areas. The Board also reaffirmed its strong support of the College’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and invest in clean energy and geo-thermal technologies.
• In addition to taking these actions, the Board engaged in substantive discussions about:
  • the Center for Integrated Sciences – specifically about how we might accelerate our timetable for this project, even in the absence of the major gift we have been seeking
  • facilities plans for Athletics; 
  • plans for the new Admissions & Financial Aid building; 
  • issues relating to diversity, inclusion, the protection of speech, and academic freedom.

Thereafter, as was reported to the community in a previous Semester Update in February, Skidmore received notification from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) that the organization would investigate a complaint from a student regarding the College’s response to a sexual assault complaint in 2014.  President Glotzbach said that, at this point, we have provided the requested documentation to the OCR and are actively cooperating in the investigation. Since these investigations typically take from six months to several years to complete, we do not expect to be able to report more to the community for some time, but we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

In addition, President Glotzbach reported that the search for the new Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs has been formally launched.  The firm of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates has been retained as our search consultants.  Following consultation with Human Resources, the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), and the Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure (CAPT), members of the search committee are as follows: Mary Lou W. Bates;  Gail Cummings-Danson;  Corey   Freeman-Gallant; David C. Howson; Terri Mariani, Tashawn Reagon '16; Natalie A. Taylor;  Charles Tetelman '16; and Joshua Woodfork.  Because of President Glotzbach’s travel schedule, Joshua Woodfork will chair the committee, and Natalie Taylor will serve as Vice Chair.  President Glotzbach expects this process to conclude by the end of the semester. 

Now that the search for the new Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs is underway, President Glotzbach stated that the search for the Vice President for Communications and Marketing will be launched shortly. More information will be forthcoming at a later time.

As a follow-up to the email sent by Professor Mark Hoffman requesting participation in the Senior Administrative Review of Vice President for Advancement Michael Casey.  President Glotzbach encouraged everyone to participate as these reviews are both important and valuable. 

In concluding his report, he congratulation Coach Joe Burke and the Skidmore Men’s Basketball team on winning their second straight and fourth overall Liberty League title.  The 18-8 Thoroughbreds won their final 6 games and 11 of their last 13. They will play Franklin & Marshall in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament at Tufts.

Following his report, President Glotzbach opened the floor for questions.  Discussion ensued with regard to the status of the fundraising for the CIS as well as the Board’s decision not to divest from fossil fuels. A request was made to have a Committee of the Whole discussion about the latter matter at the next faculty meeting.

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

Beau Breslin, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, congratulated Professor Pushi Prasad on her award.   He introduced Xiaoshuo Hou, as the holder of the new Frances Young Tang Chair in Chinese Studies.  Associate Professor Hou holds a joint appointment in Sociology and Asian Studies.

DOF/VPAA Breslin reminded everyone that the Middle States team will be visiting Skidmore starting Sunday, March 6.  He encouraged everyone to attend the Middle States closing meeting on Wednesday, March 9 at 10:00 a.m. in Gannett where Janet Riggs will discuss the team’s finding.

In addition, DOF/VPAA Breslin announced that an open forum will be held on March 23, 2016 from 4-5 p.m. in Gannett to discuss the recommendation of the Enrollment Management Group that Skidmore College adopt a test-optional policy.  

DOF/VPAA Breslin also announced that Professor Corey Freeman-Gallant will step down from his role as Associate Dean of the Faculty in spring 2017.  He paid tribute to Dean Freeman-Gallant for all that he has accomplished while in this role, from shepparding Project Vis, creating MDOCS, SEE-Beyond, and Helios, to QR reform, new student orientation, and reviewing course caps.  His contributions to and impact on Academic Affairs are not quantifiable.   A standing ovation was given to Dean Freeman-Gallant.  DOF/VPAA Breslin will issue a call for nomination shortly to fill this position.

Concluding his report, he announced that that, at their February, 2016 meeting, the Board of Trustees granted tenure, effective immediately, to Associate Professor Ben Bogin, Asian Studies Program; Professor Eliza Kent, Department of Philosophy and Religion; and Associate Professor Matt Wilt, Department of Art.  Further, the Board of Trustees granted tenure, effective immediately, and promotion to Associate Professor, effective June 1, 2016, to Hope Casto, Department of Education Studies; Masako Inamoto, Department of World Languages and Literatures; and Kelly Sheppard, Department of Chemistry.  A congratulatory round of applause was given to these faculty members. 

OLD BUSINESS

There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS

Committee on Educational Policies and Planning

On behalf of the Committee on Educational Policies and Planning (CEPP), Associate Professor Kelly Sheppard introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION:  The Committee on Educational Policies and Planning (CEPP) proposes that Skidmore College terminate its current affiliation with the British American Drama Academy (BADA) for the Shakespeare Programme in London based on the recommendation of the Office of Off-Campus Study & Exchanges and the Advisory Committee on Off-Campus Programs (ACOP). 

Associate Professor Sheppard made a motion to waive the layover period.  Unanimous consent was given to waive the layover period.  There was no discussion, and the motion was voted on and passed with all in favor.

Thereafter, Associate Professor Sheppard announced two department name changes: the Government department will be known as the Political Science department and the Environmental Studies program will be known as the Environmental Studies and Sciences program. 

In addition, Associate Professor Sheppard thanked everyone for the feedback that has been provided on the curriculum models that were presented.  CEPP is reviewing the feedback and will provide an updated curriculum model later this semester.

Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure

On behalf of the Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure, Professor Mehmet Odekon introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION: The Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure proposes the following changes (added language in red) to the Faculty Handbook Part One, Section VIII, Article E.5.j (Procedures for Tenure, p. 129) and Part One, Section XIII, Article F.2.a.xiii (Procedures for Promotion, p.134):

j. Candidates recommended for tenure shall have access to written materials in the tenure file immediately after the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs has made the recommendation known to the candidate, with the exception of solicited letters of evaluation written by department colleagues, departmental colleagues required to write in accordance with department or program personnel procedures, colleagues internal to the college, or colleagues external to the college, which shall remain confidential. These materials may only be reproduced by hand written notes.

and

xiii. Candidates (recommended or not recommended) for promotion shall have access to written materials in the promotion file immediately after the Dean of the Faculty/Vice President for Academic Affairs has made the recommendation known to the candidate, with the exception of solicited letters of evaluation written by department colleagues, departmental colleagues required to write in accordance with department or program personnel procedures, colleagues internal to the college, and colleagues external to the college, which shall remain confidential. These materials may only be reproduced by hand written notes.

A request was made as a friendly amendment to add an explanatory sentence indicating that unsolicited letters are not confidential.  The Motion will lie over until the next faculty meeting.

Curriculum Committee

On behalf of the Curriculum Committee, Associate Professor Larry Jorgensen introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION: The Curriculum Committee moves that Skidmore College create an Environmental Science Major as part of the Environmental Studies and Sciences Program.

Associate Professor Jorgensen announced that a discussion forum will be set up to provide for feedback on the new major.  An email will follow shortly with directions on accessing the forum and submitting feedback.  The Motion will lie over until the next faculty meeting.

OTHER

On behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), Professor Denise Smith provided an update on faculty governance reform and the current elections. She reported that there is a great deal of participation in the new governance structure.  This year’s elections, there are 64 people who are in the total pool, comprised of senior tenured faculty, junior tenure-track faculty, and non-tenure faculty as well some faculty that are on phased retirement and some who are volunteering to serve.  She reviewed the building of the ballots and the rules for the ballots and reported that the ballots were mostly filled with first and second preferences.  This year’s elections are going well with nearly 200 faculty members voting; this compares to 160 last year.

Going forward, FEC will seek to clarify faculty handbook language, alignment of committees and subcommittees, update operating codes, reconsider the timing of elections, and further reduce faculty governance on committees.  Open fora has been scheduled for Friday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m. and Monday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. to discuss these matters.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Associate Professor Caroline D’Abate invited everyone to attend the annual F. William Harder Lecture scheduled for March 21, 2016 at 5:30 pm in Gannett.  Leila Kamal, Vice President of Design and Expertise at EYP Architects and Engineers, will give this year’s lecture.
• Paul Calhoun, Dean of Special Programs, invited everyone to a reception in Zankel Hall immediately following the faculty meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:37 p.m.