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University Senate
Meeting
April 5, 2010

I. Approval of Tentative Agenda: approved.

II. Approval of Minutes from March 1, 2010: approved.

III. Senate President’s Report (M. Schwartz)

  • The Executive Committee has drafted and broadly supports a resolution on PHEEIA and will be presented at the May Senate meeting.
  • Mandated PHEEIA Survey – in the midst of analyzing the data.
  • The State-wide Faculty Senate has also drafted a resolution on PHEEIA.
  • Looking at the possibility of a resolution from the GSO and USO.
  • Draft report and resolution on Songdo project should be ready by May meeting.
  • Draft Report from the Southampton TF also to be finalized.
  • Constitutional reform committee to meet this month.

Lawrence Martin congratulated Provost Eric Kaler on his election to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Election to the Academy is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an Engineer.

V. Provost’s Report (E. Kaler)

  • Announced three Provost’s Lecture Series
  • The annual Stony Brook Gala will take place on April 22nd and will honor Albert Einstein Professor Emeritus C.N. Yang, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist.
  • Budget: Little change in budgetary outlook. Looking at anticipated $30Mil cut to Stony Brook. One casualty is the further expansion of Songdo.

VI. UUP Report - Not available.

VII. New Retirement Programs for SBU Faculty and Staff (L. Johnson)

  • Provides opportunities for Faculty and Staff.
  • There are two retirement incentive programs. The Voluntary Separation Program: those eligible are all West Campus, HSC, and Stony Brook Southampton full-time faculty, professional UUP represented, Management Confidential and Classified Service employees (all bargaining units), who meet the eligibility criteria may apply for the program. The John S. Toll Professorship: This program is entirely voluntary and is open to all full-time faculty and librarians who have at least ten years of full-time service at Stony Brook University and who are age 55 or older.
  • Provost, Deans and Chairs will be looking at what their needs are in terms of post retirement opportunities.
  • Human Resources will hold plenty of informational sessions.
  • These incentives are for Stony Brook employees. There are no State incentives.
  • University Hospital is not participating in the Incentives.

VIII. Negotiations with RA Union (L. Martin and N. Daneau)

  • Meeting once a week (four hour sessions).
  • Negotiations are being conducted in good faith in accordance with the National Labor Relations Act.
  • There are five committee members from the Research Foundation at the negotiation table.
  • They are resolving a lot of issues.
  • There are 11 tentative agreements. There are open non-economic issues and Open Economic proposals. Tuition and fees are the big issues.
  • Salary support: $30K max and exceeding this requires Graduate School approval with a $19K minimum RF annual salary.
  • It will take 1-2 years before inception of bargaining 10 executive labor contract.

X. Research Survey (D. Schneble)

  • Why this survey? Now is the time for faculty to provide input about important research matters at SB with the new transition in leadership.
  • The University Senate Research Committee designed the survey in 2008/09 in consultation with the former VP for Research.
  • There were 2,728 recipients with 588 responses (21.5%).
  • Survey question main categories: Startup packages, funding opportunities, Proposal writing and submission, grants and other research support and research atmosphere on campus.
  • Gave an analysis of open questions.
  • Dr. Schneble explained the findings and outlined the recommendations of the Research Committee.
  • To view the whole survey, Research Committee Recommendations and the OVPR Responses to Observations and Recommendations, please go to: http://www.stonybrook.edu/research/. The report is under Policy New & Updates.

Meeting Adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Submitted by:

Laurie Theobalt
Secretary
University Senate