ACADEMIC SENATE MEETING

MINUTES

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007

SEVEN HILLS CONFERENCE CENTER, NOB HILL ROOM

2:00 – 4:10 p.m.

 

 

ATTENDANCE:

 

 

 

Avani, Nathan

Gomes, Ricardo

Robertson, Bruce

 

Behrooz, Maziar

Hayes, Nancy

Shapiro, Jerald

 

Bloom, Gilda

Kohn, Jim

Sheldon, James

 

Bollapragada, Ramesh

Levine, Josh 

Shrivastava, Vinay 

 

Boyle, Andrea

Linder, Martin

Smith, Alastair

 

Chattopadhyay, Sudip

Luna, Debra

Steier, Saul

 

Chelberg, Gene

Mahan, Dianne

Stowers, Genie

 

Cheung, Yitwah

McCracken, Bridget

Suzuki, Dean

 

Chou, Fangyu

Meredith, David

Trautman, Ray

 

Collins, Robert

Minami, Masahiko

Ulasewicz, Connie

 

Danner, Don

Modirzadeh, Hafez

Van Dam, Mary Ann

 

Dariotis, Wei Ming

Moody, Laura

Whalen, Shawn

 

DuVal, Derethia 

Rehling, Lu

Yang, Nini

 

Fielden, Ned

Quita, Isabel

Yee, Darlene

 

 

 

 

Absences: Armenta, Isidro (abs); Corrigan, Robert (exc); Davis, Harvey (Skip)(exc);

 

Fuentes, Enrique (abs); Gemello, John (exc); Gonzales, Dan (abs); Hood, Pamela (abs); Hubbard, Donna (abs); Jaimes-Guerrero, A.J.(abs); Jones, Terry (abs); Landry, Lynette 

 

(exc);Morishita, Leroy (exc); Neely, Francis (abs); Rothman, Barry (abs); Saffold, Penny (exc); Salama, Mohammad (abs); Taylor, Don (abs)

 

 

 

Guests:  Bob Cherry; Ann Hallum; Helen Goldsmith; Elise Wormuth;  Caran Colvin; Sheldon Axler; Beverly Voloshin;  Nelson Graff

 

 

Enjoyed a musical performance by Senator Hafez Modirzadeh.

 

CALL TO ORDER: 2:19 p.m.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1.   Steve Kawa, the Executive Director for the Willie L. Brown Jr. Leadership Center, was introduced to the Senate.  Mr. Kawa said that the goal of the Center was to foster opportunities for SF State students with local government agencies. More information about the Center can be found at: http://www.sfsu.edu/~wbcenter/index.html  

2.   Deadline for Distinguished Faculty Awards, Friday, December 14, 2007

3.   Holiday Reception immediately following todayÕs meeting

AGENDA ITEM #1—Approval of the Agenda for December 11, 2007

The agenda was approved by unanimous voice vote.

AGENDA ITEM #2—Approval of the Minutes for the November 27, 2007

Minutes are attached on GREEN.

Senator Fielden asked that comments he made from the floor at the November 27 meeting be included in the minutes. Secretary Meredith said that the minutes for November 27 would be revised to include his remarks. With that change the minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote.

AGENDA ITEM #3—Report from Oswaldo Garcia, Focus the Nation Teach-In, January 30, 2007

Professor Garcia previewed this event for the Senate. More information can be found at: http://bss.sfsu.edu/envstudies/climate.html

 

AGENDA ITEM #4—Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Proposed Resolution on Focus the Nation on Climate Change Teach-In , 1st & 2nd Readings

Senator Whalen moved the Resolution for the Executive Committee. It passed on a voice vote with abstentions.

AGENDA ITEM #5—Recommendation from the Academic Policies Committee: Proposed Policy on Graduate Continuous Enrollment , 1st Reading—proposal to be heard no later than 2:35 p.m.

The Senate held a long and vigorous debate on this issue. Supporters of the policy said that it would bring graduate policies in line with undergraduate policies and encourage graduate students to complete their degrees; those opposed said that the policy was punitive toward graduate students and failed to take into account the many good reasons students have for taking temporary leave from their studies. The debate terminated at 3:20 because of a time-certain for the next item. Senators Steier and Levine remained on the speaker's list.

AGENDA ITEM #7—Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Revisions to the MS Degree in Computer Science, New Concentration in Computing and Business 1st Reading—proposal to be heard no later than 3:20 p.m.

Senator Linder moved the proposal for the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee. Senator Steier moved the item to second reading, with a second from Senator Shrivastava. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The proposal then passed by unanimous voice vote.

AGENDA ITEM #8—Recommendation from the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee: Proposed Revisions to the BA Degree in English, New Concentration English Education, 1st Reading—proposal to be heard no later than 3:40 p.m.

Senator Linder moved the proposal for the Curriculum Review and Approval Committee. Senator Steier moved the item to second reading, with a second from Senator Avani. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The proposal then passed by unanimous voice vote.

AGENDA ITEM #6—Recommendation from the Executive Committee: Proposed Academic Senate Reapportionment, 1st Reading

Senator Meredith moved the recommendation for the Executive Committee. As the time for adjournment, 4:00, had been reached, Senator Steier moved to extend the meeting for five minutes, with a second from Senator Chelberg. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The item will return for second reading at the next Senate meeting.

AGENDA ITEM #9—Adjournment—no later than 4:00 p.m.

Senator Steier moved to adjourn, with a second from Senator Rehling. Their motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The Senate adjourned at 4:10 PM.