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Tentative Agenda
University Senate Meeting
September 8, 2014

I. Approval of Agenda
II. Approval of May 5, 2014 Minutes
III. Report of the President of the Senate (E. Feldman)
IV. Discussion with President Samuel Stanley
V. Discussion with Deputy Provost Rich Reeder
VI. Report from the Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education and Dean of the Graduate School (C. Taber)
VII. Discussion with Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, Sr. Vice President for HSC and Dean, School of Medicine
VIII. Report from the Athletics Director (S. Heilbron)
IX. Report from Capra (D. Dwyer and N. Goodman)
X. Report from UUP (A. Shertzer)
XI. New Business
XII. Old Business
XIII. Adjourn


University Senate
May 5, 2014
Minutes

I. Approval of tentative agenda: remove East Campus Report. Approved.

II. Approval of minutes from April 7: approved.

III. President’s Report (F. Walter)

  • Elections took place in April. Twice as many people voted as last year. There are still a lot of open seats. Had a number of write-ins.
  • A new mini survey will be coming out this fall. The subject is “what do you think about the senate”?
  • Transitions: Irene Stern and Jerry Stein are both retiring. W. Brent Lindquist is leaving to become the Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Tech University.

IV. First Annual University Senate Service Awards (E. Feldman)

The following services awards were given to the following committee members:

2014 Senate Awards

Nominee

Nominated By

Norman Goodman

Deb Dwyer - Capra

Maria Ryan

Thomas Robertazzi – Research Committee

Scott Sutherland

Anne Moyer – Undergrad Council

Pamela Wolfskill

Bill Godfrey – University Affairs

Deb Dwyer

Norman Goodman – CAPRA

Brenda Anderson and Jackie Collier

Marcia Simon – Graduate Council

Keri Hollander

Margaret Schedel – Information Technology

F. Jason Torre

Robert Shrock – Library Resources & Services

Robert Streb

Keri Hollander – Educational Services

Frank Fowler

Christine Pitocco – Student Life

Kenneth Lindblom

Andrea Fedi – SPD Council

Laura Valente

Robert Kelly – Administrative Review

Paul Siegel

John Murray – University Environment

V. Third Reading of Proposed Change to the Constitution (F. Walter)

Third reading and vote: all in favor, none opposed.

VI. Resolution on Extra Teaching (T. Robertazzi)

Norman Goodman proposed amendment: add summer and winter session. Include graduate students and adjuncts.

All those in favor of adopting resolution to be amended: all in favor: 25, opposed: 3. Resolution adopted.

VII. Stony Brook Minimum Grading (D. Assanis, C. Robbins and B. Hosch)

Fred Walter gave a bit of background: Back in February 2013, the senate voted 31 for, 1 against and 5 abstentions to accept the recommendation of the Undergraduate Council that there will be a minimum passing grade of C for courses in the Stony Brook curriculum.

Following that, the administration presented their case for rescinding the minimum passing grade resolution. They noted that:

  • The administration, with the involvement of the Senate, has been working on this program for six years.
  • Students are required to complete 18 of 19 learning objectives. They include Understanding Technology, Speaking Effectively Before an Audience, etc.
  • Currently required to receive a grade of C average in all coursework. New proposed standards require a grade of C or better in each of the 18 SBC objectives.
  • Stony Brook is the strictest among the four SUNY centers.
  • Current grading is consistent with majority of AAU institutions.

The Provost’s concerns are:

  • Going to have two Gen Ed models going at one time. Need to first assess curricular outcomes before raising minimum performance expectations.
  • Potential negative impact on graduate rates.
  • Negative impact on seat availability due to course retakes and space constraints.
  • Negative impact on students receiving financial aid.
  • There is a potential negative impact on graduate rates.
  • One out of seven students are affected.
  • Based on performance in DEC courses, 13% earned a C-. D+ or D each term.
  • Over one-third of students earned one or more grades of C-. D+ or D over the course of their undergraduate career.
  • To ease the transition, we should maintain the current standards: 2.0 overall GPA, C or better in major courses, C or better in Math, Writing and Foreign Language, D or better in 15 other SBC objectives. Before implementing changes, we should review curricular outcomes and student performance after one year.

Fred Walter thanked Jerry Stein, who will be retiring, for his thirty years of service to the university.

A resolution was brought to the floor by Norm Goodman:

The University Senate applauds Fred Walter for his thoughtful, sensitive, and effective leadership of the University Senate on behalf of the faculty, professional staff, and students.

All in favor.

VIII. New Business: no new business.

IX. Old Business: no old business.

Meeting adjourned.

Submitted by:

Laurie Cullen
Secretary


Report to the Stony Brook University Senate
Dr. Kenneth Kaushansky, Sr. Vice President for HSC and Dean, School of Medicine

September 2014

Educational Activities

Two weeks ago 128 students took the Hippocratic oath as part of the School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony

The new LEARN curriculum was instituted Fall semester. Adjustments have been made to the joint SoM/SDM classes

SoN has adjusted grading scale because of a change in the State licensure pass rate

SHTM continues to grow their enrollment at the Southampton campus

The Stony Brook Family Medicine residency has been transitioned to a joint program with Southampton Hospital and practices on that campus

Stony Brook has co-founded a new Internal Medicine residency at Mather Hospital

The new Stony Brook School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences continues to receive endorsements from the SUNY Provost Office, outside evaluators, and will be launching the search for a Founding Dean upon final approval within about two months

Clinical Activities

Our clinical practices have grown by another 10% this year, and finished the year with a positive bottom line; we are exploring an additional, large multidisciplinary practice site in Commack.

The Stony Brook University Hospital expanded FY2014 admissions by about 1500, contributing to our remaining “in black ink” despite ongoing budgetary cutbacks.

Stony Brook Medicine has completed negotiations with Southampton Hospital, has presented to the Department of Health, the Division of Budget, and is awaiting final approval from the Board of Trustees to submit the affiliation agreement for final approvals (OSC, AG, CON from DoH) and implementation.

Stony Brook Medicine is also negotiating with several other community hospitals to join our network

Stony Brook Medicine was chosen to lead all of the 130 healthcare institutes in Suffolk County in Medicaid Redesign; the planning grant was approved and partially funded, with the final applications due in December. We are staffing up to manage this $400M-$500M, 5 year project.

Construction on East Campus

The final bid for the majority of construction of the MART and SBUH/CH Bed Tower was accepted last week, and we are close to budget (1% over) and very close to being on time. The foundation is now being poured, with all site work (excavation, retaining walls, drainage, sewage, electrical feeders) and roadways prepared. MART opening is planned for late Spring 2016 and the hospital for late Fall 2016. There will be a groundbreaking event for Children’s Hospital on September 24th at 11 AM.

Construction for the new research laboratory (just east and north of the tunnel under Niccols) is on schedule and on budget, with a planned completion of June 2015. The steel is going up at present

Construction of a new F18 PET tracer laboratory within the DLAR space on HSC Level 1 will be completed end September, enabling the synthesis of new positron emitting tracers for animal and human scanning.

Construction will soon begin on a new wing for the Long Island State Veterans Home; the new wing will be initially used to rotate wards to allow renovation of each wing of the entire Home, and when completed, the new wing will house expanded Day Care facilities.

Personnel

The new Chief of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Bettina Fries, has arrived (http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/news/medical/140819chiefFries.php).

The new Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. TJ Gan, has arrived (http://anesthesia.stonybrook.edu/faculty/gan)

The new Chief of Cardiology and co-Director of the Stony Brook Heart Institute, Dr. Javed Butler has arrived (http://stonybrookcardiologyfellows.com/2014/07/javed-butler-named-chief-of-cardiology/)

The search for the new Dean of the School of Dental Medicine is now interviewing candidates