FACULTY MEETING

October 1, 2010
Gannett Auditorium

MINUTES

President Philip A. Glotzbach called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

President Glotzbach asked if there were any corrections or comments to the minutes of the Faculty Meeting held September 10, 2010. Hearing none, he announced the minutes were approved.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

President Glotzbach welcomed Alex Stark ’11, the new President of the Student Government Association, who introduced the members of the Executive Committee of the Student Government Association (SGA): Sulin Ngo, Vice President for Diversity Affairs; Jennifer Snow, Vice President for Communication and Outreach; and Alex Bland, Vice President for Club Affairs. Alex noted that the four other members of the SGA -- Logan Brenner, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Jono Zeidan, Vice President for Financial Affairs; Ali Drucker, Vice President for Residential Affairs and Libby Gronquist, 2010 Class President -- were not able to be present at today’s meeting.

President Glotzbach thanked Professor Lary Opitz for serving as parliamentarian for the past several years and announced that Professor Mark Huibregtse has agreed to serve as parliamentarian. President Glotzbach encouraged anyone else interested in serving as parliamentarian to let him know.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS’REPORT

In lieu of a formal report, Susan Kress, Vice President for Academic Affairs, announced that she had sent a bulletin on current news from Academic Affairs (see attached) via e-mail; she offered the opportunity for questions or concerns. There were no questions.

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES

Yvette Cortes, Assistant Librarian, read the following resolution into the record (see attached):

RESOLVED, that the Faculty of Skidmore College recommend to the Trustees the granting of the Bachelor of Arts degree to three students.

There was no discussion, and the motion was voted on and passed with all in favor.

OLD BUSINESS

Professor Reginald Lilly, on behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee, read the following Motion that was introduced at the faculty meeting held September 10, 2010 (see attached):

MOTION: The Faculty Executive Committee moves that the 2010-2011 Faculty Handbook be adopted. The following link takes you to the 2010-2011 Faculty Handbook (showing tracked changes) as well as handbooks from previous years: Skidmore College: Faculty Handbooks.

There was no discussion, and the motion was voted on and passed with all in favor.

NEW BUSINESS

I. Curriculum Committee

Associate Professor Lisa Aronson, on behalf of the Curriculum Committee, introduced the following Motion (see attached):

MOTION: The Curriculum Committee moves to eliminate the Biology-Philosophy interdepartmental major.

There was no discussion, and the Motion will lie over until the next meeting.

II. Faculty Executive Committee

Professor Reg Lilly, on behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee, (1) announced that Karen Kellogg has volunteered to work on the Governance website and (2) reported on the results of Round I elections.

Thereafter, Professor Lilly opened discussion of the difference between the organization of the disciplines as used in the governance system and the organization of disciplines adopted by the administration for roundtable discussions. He moved that the assembly form a Committee of the Whole to discuss this issue (see attached). Professor Terry Diggory was appointed as chair of the Committee of the Whole; a 20-minute time limit was set. At the conclusion of the Committee of the Whole, Professor Diggory reported on the discussion.

III. Sexual Misconduct Policy

Rochelle Calhoun, Dean of Student Affairs, presented the new Sexual Misconduct Policy and introduced the members of the Sexual Assault Task Force, who had assisted in the development of this new policy. Dean Calhoun’s report included the following:

• A community dialogue will be held on October 6, 2010, in which Saunie Schuster, who has served as a consultant to the Task Force both in training and the development of the policy, will be in attendance.
• The Sexual Assault Task Force began its work in September, 2009 when the Student Affairs Subcommittee of the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC) charged the Task Force to comprehensively review the current sexual assault policy and procedures.
• While reviewing the current policy, the Task Force gave regular updates to the Student Affairs Subcommittee of the IPPC; however, in April, 2010, when a Times Union story on sexual assault on college campuses featured a former student at Skidmore, it became clear that Task Force needed to hold a public dialogue. The Task Force hosted a public forum in April, 2010, which was followed by a successful rally on campus sponsored by the class of Professor Mary Stange.
• The early work of the Task Force was divided into four areas: intake, case management, hearing processes, and education of the community on the issue of sexual assault.
• Members of the Task Force described the various programs that they have been responsible for in educating the community on issues of sexual assault.
• Changes to the policy include:
  • the concept of “effective consent”;
  • a change of name for the policy to “Sexual Misconduct Policy”;
  • the creation of two new roles in the sexual misconduct response team: an advocate for the complainant and an advisor for the alleged perpetrator;
  • change in the standard of evidence from “clear and convincing” to “preponderance of the evidence”;
  • extension of the right to appeal not only to the complainant but also to the respondent;
  • a more formal hearing process;
  • creation of a culture of dignity and respect in the community regarding sexual relationships.

Julia Routbort, Director of the Counseling Center, reviewed the procedures that should be followed in the event that a student approaches a faculty member indicating that s/he was a victim of sexual misconduct and noted that the resources that are available to students in these cases are also available to faculty members. She further noted the policy makes a distinction between confidential reporting sources and private reporting sources and reviewed faculty reporting obligations (mandated reporters are those with administrative duties).

In response to questions about the impact the tragedy at Rutgers University might have on the policy, Dean Calhoun noted that the Bias Response Group is looking at issues of harassment and violence against students who are identified as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgendered and will be hosting a Community Partners meeting with members of the City Council, the DA’s office, the Mayor’s Office, and the Police Department to discuss harassment, assault, and “gay bashing.” In terms of active institutional response, Dean Calhoun noted that she has been in contact with the Pride Alliance about doing more work around that specific issue along with the Sexual Misconduct Task Force and the Bias Response Group.

Questions followed regarding a faculty member’s reporting obligations – and the legal and institutional provisions for confidentiality when a student reports an incident.

Dean Calhoun concluded by noting that a web site is being developed and brochures are being printed so that people who need information on these issues quickly have immediate access to it. There was applause for Dean Calhoun and her colleagues for the great work on the Sexual Misconduct Policy.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• On behalf of the Faculty Development Committee (FDC), Associate Professor Peter Stake announced a new grant funded by Skidmore’s Off Campus and Study Exchange and administered by the FDC and the Dean of the Faculty’s office, to provide $3,000 in support for faculty development at a summer travel seminar organized by the Council on International Educational Exchange (see http://www.ciee.org/ifds/seminars/index.html). FDC will be forwarding specific information about this new grant in the next few weeks.
• Associate Professor Philip Boshoff introduced Thaddeus Niles, the new ESL specialist, and thanked the members of the search committee.
• Associate Professor Monica Raveret-Richter announced three opportunities for women in STEM disciplines offered through the Skidmore Union Network (see Skidmore Union Network).
• Professors Bob Turner and David Vella announced that there will be a Faculty/Student Summer Research Fall Symposium held on October 8, 2010 in Gannett, at which the summer research students will present their research.
• John Weber announced upcoming events at the Tang.
• President Glotzbach encouraged everyone to take advantage of the many opportunities to attend events during Celebration Weekend. He also invited those who had recently published books to loan them to the President’s Office for display.
• President Glotzbach reminded everyone that today will be his last faculty meeting until he returns from his sabbatical in May. In the interim, he expressed his confidence in Susan Kress, who will be Acting President; Muriel Poston, Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs; Paty Rubio, Acting Dean of the Faculty; and Mark Hoffman, who will assume some of the duties of the Associate Dean of the Faculty. He encouraged everyone’s support for these colleagues during his much-appreciated sabbatical.
• Jeff Segrave, Dean of Special Programs, invited everyone to the post-faculty meeting reception being held on the second floor in the Murray Aikins.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:52 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Debra L. Peterson
Executive Administrative Assistant