Faculty Meeting Minutes
October 6, 2023
Murray Aikins Dining Hall/Zoom
Dorothy E. Mosby, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs, called the meeting to order at 3:29 p.m.
President Conner then acknowledged the recent loss of our Skidmore colleague, Lisa Burke. A moment of silence was observed in her honor.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
DOF/VPAA Mosby asked if there were any corrections to, or comments regarding, the minutes of the Faculty Meeting held September 8, 2023. Hearing none, she announced the minutes were approved.
OLD BUSINESS
On behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee, Associate Professor Dominique Vuvan read the following Motion (see attached) that was introduced at the last Faculty Meeting:
MOTION: The Faculty Executive Committee moves that the 2023-2024 Faculty Handbook be adopted. The following link takes you to the 2023-2024 Faculty Handbook (showing tracked changes) as well as handbooks from previous years: http://www.skidmore.edu/dof-vpaa/faculty-handbooks.php
It was asked if the 2023-2024 Faculty Handbook would apply to non-tenure track faculty, or if they would remain under the old handbook until their contract has been settled. DOF/VPAA Mosby asked Vice President for Human Resources, Sarah Vero, to clarify the matter. VP Vero stated that the 2022-23 faculty handbook applies to all non-tenure track faculty, due to its being in place at the start of negotiations. Any changes in the 2023-2024 handbook that directly affect non-tenure track faculty may be subject to negotiations and will be addressed with the bargaining unit. There were no further questions or discussion, and the Motion was voted on and passed by majority vote.
NEW BUSINESS
There was no new business.
REPORTS
On behalf of FEC, Associate Professor Oscar Pérez-Hernandez presented the FEC report on Actions Taken as a Response to Faculty Feedback (see attached). There were no comments or questions raised in response to the report.
On behalf of the HHMI Working Group on Inclusive and Accessible Teaching and Learning, Professor Kimberley Frederick and Associate Professor Aarathi Prasad presented the working group’s report on its mission, the guiding principles it is developing for Skidmore, and opportunities for faculty engagement in this process.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
A Committee of the Whole was held in order to solicit discussion topics from the faculty for future faculty meetings (see attached). Associate Professor Dominique Vuvan was appointed Chair of the Committee of the Whole. A forty-minute time limit was set, and small group discussions took place both in person and on Zoom. At about the twenty-minute mark, members of FEC gathered themes from the small groups. At the conclusion of the Committee of the Whole, FEC reported out on these themes: the role of faculty in college decision making, resources and facilities for teaching and scholarship, the future of tenure at Skidmore, curricular issues, and how information is distributed to and between faculty. Assoc Professor Vuvan stated FEC’s intention to gather follow up details with an emailed survey, and to report back at the next faculty meeting.
TITLE IX REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES
Jude Klein, Assistant Director for Employment, Compliance and Workforce Diversity, re-stated the college’s commitment to a safe and equitable work environment. She also directed faculty to the updated versions of Skidmore’s required sexual harassment and workplace discrimination trainings in Oracle, now called Learn More Skidmore (see attached for complete details).
Joel Aure, Title IX Coordinator, reminded everyone of their reporting responsibilities under Title IX in the event a disclosure is made to them about a report of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or any form of sexual or gender-based misconduct (SGBM), including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (see attached for complete details). He encouraged anyone with questions or needing assistance to contact him or to stop by his office.
DEAN OF THE FACULTY AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS’ REPORT
DOF/VPAA Mosby began her remarks by stating her intention to begin holding open office hours in November. She followed up on the concerns about instructional spaces that had been brought up in the September Faculty Meeting by detailing the improved methodology that facilities and the registrar’s office are using to evaluate classrooms on campus, and to address all found issues in a timely and organized manner. DOF/VPAA Mosby alerted the faculty to the upcoming NACCC survey on behalf of Vice President for Strategic Planning Joshua Woodfork and Director of Institutional Research Joseph Stankovich, asking everyone to please take the time to fill it out upon receipt. This survey is part of Skidmore’s Racial Justice Initiative and participation in LACRELA, the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance, of which Skidmore is a founding member. This survey opens on October 10th and will close on November 7th.
DOF/VPAA Mosby then shared an update on the negotiating process for the Collective Bargaining Agreement with non-tenure track faculty. As part of this effort, the Office of the Dean of Faculty is hosting a number of round table discussions with chairs and program directors about the challenges and opportunities they face with the non-tenure track positions in their departments. Dean Mosby went on to recognize the work of Associate Professor Oscar Pérez-Hernandez and Senior Teaching Professor Diana Barnes for their efforts in arranging this semester’s series on social in/justice at the U.S.-Mexico border, also part of the Racial Justice Initiative. Having attended a few of the sessions, Dean Mosby was able to personally attest to their being wonderful. She also took a moment to acknowledge the contributions of the HHMI Working Group on Inclusive and Accessible Teaching and Learning. She reminded the assembled faculty that the next faculty meeting will include a Committee of the Whole discussion of the working group’s guiding principles. Dean Mosby then invited President Marc Conner to deliver his report.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Conner began his report by expressing his enthusiasm for the discussion generated during the Committee of the Whole, and an intention to be concise due to the short time remaining. He then took a moment to offer appreciation of the faculty art exhibit at the Schick Gallery. President Conner also gave thanks to Murat Yildiz for his help leading prayers at the service for Amadou Thiam, highlighting how appreciated this was by Amadou’s family. President Conner then noted that the Board of Trustees would be meeting between this faculty meeting and the next, and that he was looking forward to the Thursday night dinner for faculty and board members, and the ongoing work of helping the board to understand and get to know Skidmore’s faculty and vice versa.
President Conner then discussed the ongoing Visions and Values project to answer the question – what makes Skidmore unique? He noted that the Confirmation Survey has a robust response thus far, and that themes are beginning to emerge which will be shared with the college comprehensively after the winter break. President Conner pointed out that the college’s strategic plan has 18 months left, ending May 2025. As work begins on the next strategic plan, he emphasized that there will be many opportunities for faculty and other Skidmore community members to participate in its creation and, therefore, the future direction of the institution.
The President then asked Vice President for Strategic Planning Joshua Woodfork to speak more about the upcoming planning process. VP Woodfork invited the faculty to think about the mechanisms through which they can participate in this process, citing the heavy involvement of the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee in the last planning cycle, and the opportunities for other stakeholders to be involved as well. He noted that the College’s reaffirmation of accreditation through Middle States is coming up as well. VP Woodfork put out a general call for those members of faculty who have ideas and opinions about the future of the college to get involved in these upcoming institutional projects of planning, reaccreditation, and capital campaigns. President Conner then thanked VP Woodfork for his report and returned the floor to Dean Mosby.
Dean Mosby solicited questions and comments from the faculty at this time. An update was on the data breach last year, as well as on a purported lawsuit against Skidmore pertaining to the data breach. VP of Technology Dwane Sterling confirmed that all actions taken with regards to the data breach were approved by legal counsel, and were taken as quickly as was pragmatic and possible. VP Sterling deferred to VP Vero on the matter of a lawsuit against the college. VP Vero stated that there was no lawsuit against the college, but rather just a news story with inaccurate information. No other questions from the faculty were forthcoming.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:11 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nora E. Graubard
Senior Administrative Coordinator