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Minutes for March 19, 2003 A meeting of the University Senate was held at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2003, in Maxwell Auditorium. Present were: Chancellor Shaw; Senators: Aboutaha, Akande, Anderson, Arvas, Backx, Barth, Bennett, Bernard, Breese, Brzozowski, Buissereth, Burdick, Caldwell, Carter, Carty, Cavanagh, Cihon, Cooper, Cote-Arsenault, de Berly, DeVault, Diaz, Donovan, Dudczak, Easton, Elin, Flusche, Freund, Gates, Gensemer, Gilman, Gorovitz, Graham, Greenberg, Hamilton, Heydweiller, Hinchman, Hogan, Hollenback, Horwitz, Hovendick, Johnson, Kelly, Kenn, Kinsey, Kosar, Lantier, Legaspi, Letterman (M.), Letterman (R.), Lloyd, Maghran, Marcoccia, Maroney, Martin, Morris, Mulconry, Murphy, Olson, O'Rourke, Peck, Pellow, Perdue, Pilgrim, Robertson, Rodriguez, Rosenzweig, Rubinstein, Schiff, Sellars, Sherman, Simonds, Strodel, Thau, Thomson, Tinney, Toth, Trento, Urtz, Velu, Vidali, Waddy, Weaver, Webber, Wells, Wilbur, Williams, Zacharia, Zaima. Presiding Officer: Chancellor Kenneth Shaw On motion duly made and seconded, it was voted to approve the minutes of the University Senate meeting of 12 February 2003, as written. The Chancellor then called Agenda Committee Chairman Nahmin Horwitz to present the report of the Agenda Committee. Prof. Horwitz began his report by announcing that the Office of Human Resources had extended TIAA/CREF benefits to some part-time faculty members, and asked Benefits director Myra Johnson to speak briefly about it. Ms. Johnson said that in 2000, the Committee on Services to the Faculty and Staff discussed their concerns about benefits for part-time faculty, especially TIAA/CREF. She said that subsequently the Office of Human Resources offered the benefit to part-time faculty and staff members. She said that any part-time faculty or staff member who worked the equivalent of 750 hours per year would receive an 11% contribution to TIAA/CREF. She gave a brief explanation on how the number was arrived at, and said that it was done year by year. Prof. Horwitz thanked Ms. Johnson and continued his report with notice of a proposed bylaw amendment, changing the name of the Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Concerns to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) Concerns. He told senators that the proposed amendment would be submitted for a vote at the April meeting. Prof. Horwitz then made a motion and the body approved the following calendar of meetings for 2003-4;
Horwitz ended by telling the body that a representative from Bond, Schoeneck & King would be present at the end of the meeting to discus senators's concerns re: the USA PATRIOT Act. The Chancellor then called Prof. Elizabeth Toth, who presented the report of the Curriculum committee, which included a motion to approve new courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, changes in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and program name changes in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the computer graphics and industrial design programs (changed to Computer Art and Industrial and Interaction Design, respectively). The motion carried. The Chancellor called on Prof. Paula Johnson, who presented the report of the Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Concerns. She highlighted the items that committee had focused on during 2002-3, which included the Vision Fund grant which had enabled the committee to begin a process of self study and faculty and curricular development. In the discussion, a senator asked whether the committee intended to look into the matter of the Dept. of Defense's policy on gays in the military. Johnson said that the committee did intend to look into this as well as many other issues. The Chancellor called Ms. Geraldine de Berly to present the report of the Committee on the Library, which was a summary of its work during 2002-3. A senator asked about plans for the first floor renovation of the first floor of Bird, and Associate Vice Chancellor Michael Flusche was asked to respond. Flusche said that Design and Construction had begun to look at how it could be done. Another senator asked about the contractor for journal subscriptions that had recently gone bankrupt, and what would happen as far as money paid for journal subscriptions went. De Berly said that many of the journals involved had agreed to forgive the cost for the current year. The Chancellor called on Prof. MaryEllen Letterman, who presented the report of the 2002-3 work of the Committee on Administrative Operations. Among the items she highlighted were progress made due to the South Campus Welcome Station (burglary and larceny down by 50-60%, e.g.), and a small increase in funds, renovation and a planned move for the Counseling Center. The Chancellor called on Ms. Linda Straub to present a report from the Committee on Services to the Faculty and Staff on the recently implemented phased retirement plan for faculty. She said that the idea had come out of one of the task forces on work life issues, and that Director of Wage and Salary Administration Roger Casanova was responsible for coordinating the program. In response to a question of when a phased retirement plan would be extended to staff members, Straub said that the committee would begin considering it at its next meeting. The Chancellor then called Prof. Larry Elin, to present the report of the Committee on Academic Affairs. Prof. Elin announced that the SU Scholars for 2003 had been chosen, and read off their names, as follows:
Elin then made a motion to endorse a name change in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, from Department of Speech Communications to Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies. In the discussion, several questions were raised, including:
A senator rose to call the questions, and the body voted to close debate. The motion to endorse the department name change carried. The Chancellor called Prof. Fred Easton to present the report of the Committee on Computing Services. Easton called Prof. Eileen Lantier from the committee to read a statement in memoriam, as follows: The Senate Computing Services committee mourns the loss of Beth Ruffo and wishes to acknowledge her many years of dedicated service to faculty computing. Beth's tireless support of faculty in their use of technology to support teaching and learning significantly contributed to the academic environment at Syracuse University. She will be missed. In his report, Easton told senators that if a committee wished to establish or update a web site, the chair should contact Katherine Vetter in the University Senate Office [x2254; kmvetter@syr.edu]. In the discussion, a question was raised about computer clusters that were reserved for classes but not in use, and asked the committee to look into the matter. In response to a reminder about online file trading in the report, University Librarian Peter Graham cautioned senators not to lose sight of the fact that some online trading was allowed by copyright law. The Chancellor urged senators to read copies of the memo sent to all students from Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Barry Wells, and to faculty and staff from Vice Chancellor Deborah Freund and Vice President for Human Services and Government Relations Eleanor Ware (appended), that had been distributed at the door. He then introduced Mr. Tom Smith, an attorney from the Bond, Shoeneck, & King law firm, who had been invited to speak to senators about the institutional implications of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act. Smith gave an overview, including what had existed before and how the powers of federal agencies had been broadened by the Act. In the discussion many questions about what to do if a federal agent came to one's office asking for student or employee records. Smith said that in the unlikely event that any member of the University community was presented with a request for information on SU students or employees, the agent should be referred to Associate Vice Chancellor Michael Flusche, who was authorized to receive such requests or court orders. In the discussion, the University Librarian said that frontline library personnel would be receiving training in how to respond to such requests, and also reminded senators that according to the Act staff members were not allowed to speak of such requests to anyone--not just to the person being investigated. He asked what a library staff person was to do if such a request was made and Mike Flusche was not available. [The Chancellor asked Flusche to work out a protocol whereby anyone needing it could have immediate access to him.] Other questions raised included:
At the conclusion of Smith's presentation, Prof. Nahmin Horwitz asked him if he would write up a report of the information just presented for distribution to senators, and he agreed. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Teresa Gilman University Senate Recorder 
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