Baruch College Faculty Senate Plenary Meeting Minutes of April 2, 2015

MINUTES Senators Attending: E. Axelrod (Law), C. Bellamy (Soc/Anth), M. Carew (Eco/Fin), A. Croker (S/CIS), B. Ferns (S/CIS), K. Frank (ENG), R. Freedman (ZSB), M. Goodman (COMM), A. Grein (Mkt/Int’lBus), K. Guest (Soc/Anth), C. Hessel (Eco/Fin), D. Howard (Math), R. Jain (S/CIS), D. S. Johnson (PSY), G. Jurkevich (ModLang), S. Korenman (SPA), C. Kulatilleke (NatSci), A. Levitus (CNSLNG/PSY), T. Main (SPA), T. Martell (Eco/Fin), B. Murphy (HIS), J. O'Keefe Bazzoni (COMM), M. Ozbilgin (ACC), A. Pearlman (PSY), L. Rath (LIB), M. Seltzer (SPA0, P. Sethi (MGT), ) M. Stark (SPA),A. Vora (Eco/Fin), S. Wine (S/CIS), Yin (MGT). Senators Absent C. Christoforatou (ENG), S. Dishart (COMM), W. Finke (ModLang), C. Gengler (Mkt/Int’lBus ), D. Jones (PoliSc), W. McClellan (ENG), R. Ormsby (LIB), G. Petersen (Soc/Anth), J. Weiser (Law), S. Wong (MTH), J. Ye (ACC) , R. Yue (S/CIS) .

An additional thirty one officers and staff were present.

The meeting was convened at 12:45 p.m. in VC 14-250 by Professor Chris. Hessel, Chair of the Baruch Faculty Senate.

I. Approval of Agenda: The agenda was approved by assent. II. Approval of the Minutes: Minutes of Plenary Meeting of March 5, 2015 were approved by assent. III. Report from the Chair: Chairman Hessel Welcomed those attending and reviewed the Agenda for the meeting. He reported the new mandate to the faculty to develop a plan for the adoption of a resolution for the recognition of “experiential activities.” The details of this requirement will be posted for faculty consideration. Provost Christy commented that it is his belief that Baruch is already in compliance. In addition, the 2008 Baruch By-Laws set forth the policy of constraint of assignment of faculty generated course requirements, and the reassertion of that policy as any proceeds from such should be contributed to charity (see attached). A reminder that faculty should attend the Baruch general faculty meeting on April 16th. Finally that the general faculty will be asked to approve the proposed the changes to the Faculty Senate By- Laws. A question was addressed of the P.S.C. dues for additional teaching was explained by Professor William Ferns.

IV. Report of the Provost: Provost Christie reported on: A. Reminder about the COACHE Survey of Faculty Job Satisfaction, which closes on April 10. Our current response rate is 51%. Thank you. B. The committee that is developing the Baruch College Periodic Review Report to Middle States Commission on Higher Education will release its report for comment in mid-April. Comments from Baruch faculty and staff are welcome. C. We are completing the development of this year’s ‘progress report’ on our Faculty Diversity Strategic Plan. D. The search committee for the new dean for WSAS will be formed soon and begin to meet in May. Our goal is to release the position announcement in mid-August, and complete on-

1 campus interviews of finalists in December. This is important because our academic calendar does not engage many of our faculty during January.

Professor Peterson raised question as to the Provost’s policy regarding the achievement of the goal of twenty percent “hybrid” and “on-line”courses as set forth in the Strategic Plan across the board in all Departments. Provost Christy responded with his understanding of the “blueprint” in achieving the goal. Further, he asserted his belief that adherence to the strategy would provide the best opportunity to accomplish the goal. Professor Peterson implored the assembled faculty to be attentive to this discourse.

V. Report of the President; President Wallerstein was not in attendance. VI. New Business: A. The following Baruch representatives to the University Faculty Senate for the following year were nominated and elected: Professors Matt Edwards, Lisa Ellis and Cliff Wymbs with Professors Ted Henken and Nanda Kumar as alternatives. B. Assistant Provost Dennis Slavin introduced the background and purpose of the subsequent presentation on Student Evaluation.

On Student Evaluation: Arthur Downing presented on how instructors can use the reporting features in SmartEvals, Baruch’s online course evaluation system. Users can log into the system from the SmartEvals link under the “Login” tab on the College’s home page or by going to www.smartevals.com, clicking “login”, and selecting Baruch College. Faculty can provide students with these same login methods during an evaluation period. The default screen for instructors in SmartEvals is the EvalCenter. It contains a record of evaluations already completed, those in progress, and those that are scheduled. During an evaluation period instructors can see the response rates to date for their courses. The Preview link displays the evaluation instrument. SmartEvals allows for multiple instruments, although Baruch uses only one at this time. Under the See column the date for scheduled evaluations is only a placeholder for the release of results; it is not the actual release date. Clicking on the Reports link in that column retrieves the Custom Report, which lists for each question, the instructor’s mean and the distribution of responses in that class across the range of rating choices. By using the drop-down menus at the top of the screen the instructor can combine surveys across her/his courses and sections, which will recalculate these numbers. Any value that is highlighted in blue can be used to restrict the presentation of results to that sub- group of responses. There are 3 types of values that can be used to filter results in this way: (1) Responses to evaluation questions; (2) Data provided by Baruch – At this time we are loading student GPA and transfer status; (3) Data provided by SmartEvals – At the recommendation of faculty we are using student rating tendency. SmartEvals categorizes an individual student’s rating behavior along a range from very easy to very hard grader based on all evaluation ratings submitted by that student to date. SmartEvals provides several types of charts to display data in its reports. In the Custom Report there is a visual distribution of scores for each question along with a bar chart that the compares an instructor’s means alongside the

2 means for the department, school, and college. The Percentile Rank report shows where an instructor’s mean for each question falls in the top 30%, bottom 30% or middle range of the selected comparison group (i.e., department, school, or college by course level, semester or year). The Individual Evaluations report represents each evaluation submitted including the comments associated with it, while preserving the student’s anonymity. By clicking on the Excel icon in any report, the instructor can export it to PDF format to save or print.

Professor Frank commented upon the security provisions of the system. Professor Peterson commented that the overall evaluation process tended to grade instructors on average between 4.2 and 4.7 on a five point scale. Assistant Provost Dennis Slavin and Professor William Ferns responded to these and several additional comments on the process of Instructor Evaluation by students.

C. Announcements: None

Meeting Adjourned at 2:22 pm Respectfully Submitted

Michael G. Carew, Baruch Faculty Senate Secretary

3 Faculty Senate Plenary Meeting Minutes of April 3, 2008

Baruch College Textbook Adoption Guidelines and Procedures

Generally textbooks are selected by the individual faculty member, though in some cases a departmental committee or a committee composed of faculty teaching a course may select texts. While the adoption of course textbooks is a function of the individual faculty member and his or her department, certain College standards, CUNY policy guidelines and New York State Ethics requirements must be met.

I. Textbook Selection and Pricing

Faculty are responsible for ordering their own texts and providing textbook information to the Baruch College Bookstore in a timely fashion. In the event that a faculty member has not yet been assigned to a class, the respective department chair is responsible for providing the bookstore with the textbook information:

Faculty Responsibilities 1. Faculty may not engage in direct sale of instructional materials to students. 2. Faculty should be mindful of the cost of textbooks and strive to minimize the costs of textbooks for students while maintaining the quality of education and academic freedom. (See item 9 for the Bookstore’s responsibility to publicize comparative pricing information.) 3. Faculty are encouraged to provide access to required textbooks and other educational materials, if applicable, through library reserves, EReserve or similar arrangements. Faculty are also encouraged to consider electronic books, book chapters, electronic journal articles, and other digital materials provided through the library or on Blackboard sites for supplemental and core reading in support of classroom work. 4. Faculty members are encouraged to limit their use of new edition textbooks when previous editions do not significantly differ in content and the Baruch College Bookstore can ensure that an adequate supply of the older edition books are available. 5. When appropriate consideration should be given to adopting a common textbook for courses with multiple sections. The use of common course materials may have beneficial effects from both a pedagogical and market perspective. 6. An academic course-pack is a collection of materials (usually photocopied) used in the classroom, distributed either in book format or as class handouts. Most publishers grant "clearances" for course-packs—that is, for a fee, publishers give permission for their books or articles to be copied and distributed in educational contexts. Such clearances normally last for one semester or for one school term. After that, the instructor must seek clearance again. While the College encourages the use of course-packs, by placing an adoption for a bundled package, the faculty member affirmatively confirms his/her intent to use each item in the bundled package. If the faculty member does not intend to use all items in the bundle he/she shall notify the bookstore of the items required, and the bookstore shall order the individualized items when the store’s procurement is cost effective for both the students and the institution and such items are available from the publisher.

4 7. The faculty member will indicate whether textbooks are “required” or “recommended.” A textbook should be designated as “required” if, and only if, the faculty member intends to use a substantial portion of the book during the course.

Faculty Relations with the Bookstore 8. The Bookstore Manager will notify the faculty member promptly of any information received regarding the delay in shipment of a textbook or of the inability of a publisher to provide the textbook by a required date. The Bookstore Manager will obtain delayed books or substitute books by the most expedient means. When requested, he will attempt to obtain out-of-print books from alternate sources. 9. Increasing the availability of used textbooks, at discounts of 25% or more, significantly reduces the cost of textbooks. National demand for used textbooks far exceeds supply so early acquisition is essential. Having the textbook adoption information early also enables the bookstore to pay students the most for their used books and to acquire more used books. To ensure textbook adoptions are made with sufficient lead time to confirm availability and, where possible, to ensure maximum availability of used textbooks, the faculty, departments or schools shall submit textbook and course material adoption information to the Baruch College Bookstore as early as possible, preferably by the bookstore’s published dates: a. Fall semester adoptions by May 1 b. Winter intersession adoptions by October 1 c. Spring semester adoptions by Nov 1 d. Summer session adoptions by April 1 e. As soon as practical upon the late appointment of the course instructor 10. The Bookstore will provide to faculty and department chairs a list of the costs of their books in the prior term, per course, as well as benchmark averages for the College and colleagues nationally. 11. Though faculty members are responsible for reporting their best realistic estimate of the number of students expected in each course and section, the Bookstore, in fulfilling its contract, must make its own determination on the quantity of each text to stock. Factors used in making this decision include: each faculty member’s estimated quantity needed, sales history (if available), enrollment history (if available), student purchasing patterns, such as use of other book suppliers, and publisher information (e.g., restrictions on returns, minimum quantities required, discounts on volume purchases, response time to orders, etc.). If the Bookstore plans to order less books than indicated by projected course enrollment, they should notify the faculty of the potential shortfall in the supply of course materials available through the Bookstore. 12. The school curriculum committees are encouraged to review and establish reading load guidelines for undergraduate and graduate electives to ensure that course reading assignments are reasonable. In addition these committees should develop recommended guidelines for multi-section courses that would address the student cost of instructional materials.

II. Pedagogical and Financial Considerations

5 13. No employee at Baruch College shall demand or receive any payment, loan, subscription, advance, or deposit of money, services or anything, present or promised, as an inducement for requiring students to purchase a specific textbook required for coursework or instruction. An exception to this rule provide for faculty receiving sample copies, instructor’s copies, or instructional material from publishers for consider as potential textbooks or course material. However, such material may not to be sold. 14. Publishers are not precluded from a business relationship with units of the College (above the individual employee level) provided that relationship meets the standards specified in Baruch College's Policy on Business Agreements with External Entities. This policy states that “Any relationship between the College and an external organization that involves an exchange of money, goods, use of premises, and/or services requires a written agreement properly executed by both sides.” 15. There are no restrictions on the adoption of textbooks written by faculty members. In fact, Baruch College, as does CUNY, encourages faculty members to write and publish. However, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest by adopting a textbook they have written the textbook adoption process should be open and transparent. Faculty should request formal approval to use a textbook they authored from a departmental committee, such as the curriculum committee, charged with making an independent and objective reviews of textbooks selected. The author(s) of the textbook should not be part of the selection process. The existence of such a committee is necessary to prevent any conflicts of interest, perceived or real, from occurring. The selection process should be well documented with written critiques of all candidate textbooks. 16. Royalty payments a faculty member earns on textbooks used in a course taught by the faculty member are subject to the rules and policies of the City University of New York. Faculty are encouraged to consider donating royalties earned on books they use in courses to charitable causes as a way of separating pedagogical consider that benefit the students from financial consideration that benefit the individual faculty member.

Drafted by the Education Policy Subcommittee of the Faculty Senate, March 27, 2008 Approved by the Faculty Senate, April 3, 2008

6 Draft CUNY Policy on Faculty Assigning for purchase their own works in classrooms

From Philip Pecorino and Karen Kaplowitz

The Faculty of CUNY affirm Academic Freedom in the responsibility and rights of faculty to choose materials to assign to their students and to require for purchase by the students in their courses. As professional educators, faculty should avoid the appearance and the reality of any conflict of interest in making such determinations. When faculty create materials and derive revenue from their sale and, either as individuals or as members of a group, make the determination to use materials that they have created in their own classes, then that portion of the revenue they derive from the sale of books to their own students should be directed to a program for the use or support of students over which the authors have no control or influence. Such programs may include but are not to be limited to student scholarships and emergency funds at the college at which they teach.

Whenever materials that are created by a faculty member are to be used in multiple sections of a course only some of which are taught by that faculty member, then the decision concerning which work is to be used must be made by an official group of faculty of the department and not by any single faculty member, not even the department chairperson. Even in these cases, the portion of the revenue they derive from the sale of their own materials to their own students should be directed to a program for the use or support of students over which the creator has no control or influence.

7 Th e F a c u l t y S e n a t e The City College of New York

Resolution against profit-making in the distribution of course materials Whereas, the mission of City College is to serve economically disadvantaged students; such students have great difficulty purchasing course materials such as textbooks, and

Whereas, the Faculty and the College Administration have an obligation to provide syllabi and course information sheets at no cost to students,

Resolved, that faculty and departments in the College may not make a profit from course materials sold to students, either directly or through the bookstore. Any monies collected from students should be for necessary class expenses and should be so used, and,

Be it further resolved that the College should not enter into agreements with publishers or vendors that provide profits to individual departments for course materials. Furthermore, any existing contracts that provide profits to departments for materials should be cancelled at the earliest possible time. This resolution was adopted at the Plenary Meeting of the CCNY Faculty Senate on April 24, 2014 by a vote of 33:2:2 (quorum = 32 senators, requires 32 votes for

8 adoption.)

9 This is the language on experiential learning. It was part of the budget bill which is now law. It requires CUNY to pass a Board Resolution by June 1, 2015. The actual plan does not have to be developed until June 1, 2016. Given what is involved, one year is not a lot of time. I would think individual colleges would be starting to sort out the issues soon. There are many issues which will have to be addressed at the individual campus level. I suggest you monitor this process closely. PART Q Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new paragraph f-1 to read as follows: Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the city university of New York board of trustees shall pass a resolution by June first, two thousand fifteen, to develop a plan to make available to students enrolled in an academic program of the city university of New York beginning in the two thousand sixteen--two thousand seventeen academic year, approved experiential or applied learning activities. Such experiential or applied learning activities may include completion of activities related to students' program of study, including, but not limited to, service-learning activities completed as part of a course, or unpaid internships, faculty-supervised undergraduate projects and activities leading to publication of research in journals or similar publications, production or performance of creative works, and iterative "co-op" partnerships that explicitly link the curricula to a temporary paid position in industry or the public sector. Such plan, to be completed by June first, two thousand sixteen, shall be developed in consultation with university faculty senate, the university student senate and other stakeholders. Such plan shall define: approved experiential or applied learning activities, methods of faculty oversight and assessment and collecting and reporting data associated with such experiential or applied learning activities. Such plan shall have each college examine the feasibility of including such experiential or applied learning activities as a degree requirement. Such college shall examine its ability to administer and provide such opportunities to students; the local community's capacity to support such experiential or applied learning activities; the impact such requirement would have on the local workforce, if any; potential for such a requirement to enhance learning outcomes for students; and whether adding such a requirement would cause potential delays in graduation for students. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2015.

10