Guydosh's Report on 
The SUNY University Faculty Senate
Spring 2002 Meeting

I recently represented our Plattsburgh campus at the Spring plenary meeting of the University Faculty Senate in Alfred, NY. The University Senate was created to represent the voice of SUNY Faculty state-wide. It is composed of faculty representatives from each of the State University campuses and is organized much as our own local Faculty Senate. 

Much of the business of the meeting centered around two issues: a proposal by a private vendor to develop an internet based course in American History to satisfy the SUNY-wide general education requirement, and the recent comments of Trustee Candace deRussy concerning Black Studies programs.

The Global Education Network recently impressed SUNY administration with demonstrations of an internet based American History course.  The firm was then given access to SUNY communication facilities (including email) to recruit faculty to assist in developing modules for the course.  University Senators objected on two major grounds.  First, the project violated the principle of allowing campuses to develop their own general education courses.  There was fear that this was but another step in standardizing General Education across the system, and in particular using a methodology which would remove the course from control of local campuses.  Second, University Senators were greatly concerned about using an outside vendor to develop such a course and giving that one particular vendor preferential access to the SUNY communication system to recruit developers.  (You may not have seen the email from this vendor, since it was not widely available on our campus.  But you can see a copy on my web site.)  In his talk with the University Faculty Senate, Provost Salins was vigorously attacked for his encouragement of this American History Pilot Project.  Eventually, he agreed to suspend all participation by SUNY in the project.  He requested in return that the Senate not pass a formal resolution attacking his initial participation.

Senators were equally concerned about recent comments made by Trustee Candace deRussy concerning the academic value and rigor of Black Studies programs in SUNY.  Among two campuses which she singled out for attack, one did not actually have a Black Studies program, which did little to demonstrate her credibility.  The University Senate charged its President to communicate with the Board of Trustees, collectively and individually, decrying Trustee deRussy's comments.  The Senate pointed out in a draft of a letter "that it is in the interests of the State University that its programs be presented by all the University's constituent parts honestly, thoughtfully and accurately, that a trustee when making public statements should indicate clearly whether he or she is speaking as a private individual or as a representative of the Board..., and that a trustee who believes that there is an issue in SUNY that should be considered, should do so in a collaborative and constructive fashion together with fellow trustees, administration, and faculty."

During his visit with the University Senate, Chancellor Robert King again reviewed his ten strategies for advancing SUNY, about which I reported to you several months ago.  And he spoke again at considerable length about several of those strategies.  Being system wide strategies, none of them seemed to have any immediate impact on our own campus.  However, I will share some details with particular faculty who might have interests in some of them.  The Chancellor also mentioned the removal of two top officials from the SUNY construction fund for their apparent participation in a plan to award contracts to a friend of the Governor.  During questioning, the Senate again vigorously attacked the Global Education Network plan for a system-wide internet-based American History course.  The Chancellor was on the verge of requesting the Provost to cease involvement when he was informed by Vice-Provost Don Steven that the Provost had already agreed to do so.

In internal business, James McEwaine, a musician from Purchase, was chosen to replace Richard Collier of Albany as the Vice-President and Secretary of the University Faculty Senate.  The Comprehensive College Sector chose me to be their chair for a second year.  Senators from various sectors typically meet during the University Faculty Senate meetings to consider concerns related to their sectors to forward to the University Senate and to the Chancellor.  My web site includes a report on the issues considered by the Comprehensive College Sector.

As usual, these are all my own perceptions; other folks may have seen things differently.  Likewise, as I have said in other reports to you, I appreciate your confidence in choosing me to represent the Plattsburgh campus as your representative to the University Senate. And if I haven't talked with you otherwise, I would be pleased to provide you with more detail about any of the items in this report.