Minutes
University Assembly
Wednesday, October 27, 1999
Art Gallery, Willard Straight Hall
4:30–6:00 PM

I. Call to Order

D. Carlson called the meeting to order at 4:40 PM.

Attendance:

Present: Uzo Asonye, Matthew Banner, Dennis Carlson, Rong Fan, Josh Halpern, Katie Mayo, Caroline Salas-Humara, Gary Brandt, Linda Clougherty, Dawn Darby, Brian Goodell, Donald Barr, Alan Mathios, Subrata Mukherjee, Jeremy Rabkin, Peter Schwartz, Andy Vail, Cristen Gardner, Kristen Riley

II. Additions to the Agenda

J. Halpern requested a deletion to the agenda. He asked that the Holiday Observances ad hoc Committee report under Old Business be postponed until the next meeting.

III. Announcements

President’s Address

G. Brandt described the President’s Address that took place at Kennedy Hall on October 12. The members of the Employee Assembly dressed in red and seated people. The President addressed enrollment and benefits issues. He did not formally take any questions, but afterwards, mingled with the employees at a reception with pizza. G. Brandt remarked that this was a very successful event with almost 600 in attendance.

IV. Report from Chair

Assemblies Leadership Meeting with President and Executive Staff, November 2, 1999

D. Carlson said that at this meeting with Administrators, they hoped to discuss the important issues facing the campus. They will try to keep Assembly members informed of the administration’s plans. Communication between the Assemblies and the administration is a big issue, as it needs improvement.

V. Approval of Minutes

B. Goodell said that the text of the minutes on page 7 should be changed to “�but when five years have passed�”

J. Halpern made a motion to approve the minutes as amended. P. Schwartz seconded. The minutes of September 29, 1999 were approved as amended by acclamation.

VI. Open Forum

L. Clougherty announced that Benefit Services has sent out Open Enrollment packets to all employees concerning the upcoming open enrollment.

J. Halpern remarked that he believes another goal for the Assembly, along with diversity, should be awareness. This would include awareness of cultural difference and feelings about it. He cited incidences of gender discrimination and potential sexual assaults. He suggested that the UA implement awareness programs.

VII. Business of the Day

Faculty Senate 1999–2000 Initiatives, from Dean of Faculty Robert Cooke

Dean of Faculty J. Robert Cooke was invited to talk about the Faculty Senate Initiatives for 1999–2000.

Dean Cooke first described the composition of the Faculty Senate. It is a large group, with every academic department having representation. This Senate meets only four times per semester. In this body, the Dean of the Faculty is the spokesperson for the faculty.

Dean Cooke specified some of the issues being addressed by the Faculty Senate. One major theme for the Senate is to build a better Sense of Community. This would not only be among faculty, but between and among faculty and students, faculty and staff, and students and staff. A significant effort headed by Bob Harris and Bob Johnson from the Campus Climate Committee is to examine the issues of inclusion and diversity. The Committee’s Statement on Diversity and Inclusion, which is being presented to the Assemblies for endorsement, will be brought to the Faculty Senate on November 10, 1999. Dean Cooke predicted that this document would be well received by the Senate. He hopes the document will serve to initiate conversations on subjects that are traditionally avoided.

Another issue he spoke about is Student/Faculty Interactions. They are planning another forum for professors who teach large classes. Next semester there will be a meeting for teaching and learning, which will hopefully develop the best practices. They plan to ask each department for a statement of something they do that they’re proud of - something that creates meaningful faculty/student interactions. These will be combined into a Document of Best Practices.

Another issue is the Faculty’s Part in the Community. The most important part of this is to have a Faculty Senate that is able to express views of faculty and take action within those views.

One initiative which began last year was Faculty Forums. One of these forums was dedicated to discussing the reorganization of the Division of Biological Sciences. Another forum was held on Athletics and Physical Education. The faculty felt that the importance of intramural participation was being under-emphasized. The faculty also felt a concern about compromising admissions to increase inter-collegiate athletic standing. The faculty feels that Cornell’s high admission standards are not something they want to give up for athletic success.

The Faculty Senate now has a web site for Posting Information about forums and posting opinion pieces. This web site will allow the Senate to have more communication with the faculty. They have also asked President Rawlings to post his major address on the web site to allow feedback from the community. Recently, an online database was added of seminars taking place around the campus. This database now handles all activities on Cornell’s campus. They are working with CIT to develop a program to inform faculty members of programs. A person would enter a few keywords concerning what they are interested in and then would get a weekly e-mail listing the events matching their criteria.

Another issue is Faculty Salaries. There is some controversy concerning this topic, as higher faculty salaries translate into higher tuition. Pertaining to salary, though, Cornell is lower in relative standing to other universities. In the Statutory Colleges, the salaries are becoming less competitive, as they have not had an increase in three years.

The Faculty Senate has also addressed the Long-term Financial Health of the University. The tuition is being increased annually, but soon it will reach the point where people will no longer be willing to pay it. Dean Cooke believes that the University should start exploring alternative options now. On December 6 & 7, there will be a symposium, honoring former University President Dale Corson, on the future of the research university. Another event has been organized to discuss long-term financial strategy for the University. This would consist of former faculty Board of Trustee members, and would be headed by Professor Donald Holcomb, former Chair of Physics.

He also addressed Computing and Information Science and Distance Learning. The Senate has responded to a task force report that said Computing and Information Science is a major new initiative and the University must respond aggressively, but they shouldn’t move too quickly and create a new College. Dean Cooke stated that Distance Learning is going to affect everyone in the Cornell Community. It is going to change the way higher education functions. He believes that Cornell can significantly benefit from it. He wants Cornell to be a place that creates “multimedia, interactive, and digital textbooks for the next generation.” He hopes that this will produce income for Cornell, to take the burden off tuition.

U. Asonye asked Dean Cooke if any other schools have started substantial Distance Learning programs. Dean Cooke used the University of Phoenix, which has no residential faculty, as an example. Also, the South Western Governor’s Conference decided instead of building more campuses, they would spend their money for programs where people could learn in their homes. Dean Cooke explained that in the private sector, there is more human contact, so the system of awarding credit is in jeopardy. But, these kinds of programs on a large scale are far down the road. Small steps have been made, as some faculty teach classes simultaneously on five continents. Others bring in faculty from outside Cornell to share their knowledge. He also explained that the technology to make these kind of programs happen is already in place, but it needs more time to mature.

G. Brandt asked if it would be possible to hear the results of the meeting between the former members of the Board of Trustees. Dean Cooke explained that they are still in the discussion process and their first report will be in December. At the end of next semester, there will most likely be an Academic Leadership Series or a Forum to announce the results of their discussion. He also said that they are looking at new and different ways, like the Distance Learning, to relieve financial burden.

J. Halpern asked Dean Cooke to further expand on his letter read by Chair Carlson at the last meeting concerning Observance of Religious Holidays. Dean Cooke explained that it is his job to enforce both Cornell’s and the State of New York’s policy on religious holidays. His office sends a letter to every member of University faculty explaining the policy. This policy states that students may declare at the beginning of the semester what holidays they will be observing, and the professor can make arrangements based on that calendar. If a student has objections to the arrangement, that person may contact Dean Cooke’s office to negotiate a different arrangement. The observance of religious holidays would require losing a day of Independent Study and starting slightly differently, since the State of New York has a required number of days of instruction. Constraints to the schedule also arise from the athletics schedule and courses with live specimens. The final agreement would have to be within all these constraints. J. Halpern asked how a student might get a complaint addressed. Dean Cooke said that all complaints should be directed to his office and his office would deal with them. Dean Cooke’s office sends a list of holidays to the faculty, but there is no uniform policy on how faculty should deal with religious holidays.

U. Asonye asked Dean Cooke if the absence or tardiness of faculty members in committee meetings is a recurring problem. Dean Cooke’s advice is to attempt to make the meetings smooth and efficient and to make the best use of the faculty’s time while they’re there. Also, he suggested phoning the faculty member directly when their help is needed. He explained that if that doesn’t work, replacements can be appointed.

D. Carlson asked Dean Cooke if he felt the faculty was of the opinion that Cornell is leaning away from research and is much more a teaching institution. Dean Cooke remarked that most of the faculty doesn’t feel that way and all have a strong commitment to research. But he also feels time needs to be dedicated to the undergraduate and graduate students. He feels that these two ideas can interact favorably.

VIII. Old Business

Transportation Services Program Department

D. Carlson reported that the Executive Committee had a meeting with Fred Rogers, Senior Vice President and CFO, concerning the UA’s role would be now that Cornell Transportation is part of TCAT institution. During this meeting, the Executive Committee explained to Fred Rogers that the Program Document has not been passed by the Assembly. They expressed to him their concerns about the Program Document, TCAT, and Cornell’s role in the program. They decided to have regular meetings (once a semester) with the Transportation Advisory Committee and Cornell’s members of the TCAT Board.

U. Asonye stated that he will head a movement concerning the UA’s problems with the Transportation Services Program Document. Any person with ideas for resolution should contact U. Asonye.

B. Goodell said he has questions about the merger and what input the UA has. C. Gardner explained that the three Cornell representatives on the TCAT board would come once a semester to speak to the Transportation Advisory Board. This will allow the Transportation Advisory Board to keep informed as to what actions TCAT is taking and it would also allow them to express their concerns via these representatives to TCAT.

M. Banner questioned why Cornell agreed to the merger when it doesn’t appear that anyone benefits from it. D. Carlson explained that the merger provided centralization so that there aren’t three separate systems operating. The Omni Pass rate was also lowered, which would encourage people to ride the buses more, thus increasing the subsidization received from the state and federal governments.

D. Barr suggested waiting to continue the discussion in the next meeting.

Holiday Observance ad hoc Committee

Postponed until the next meeting.

Committee Vacancies

Not addressed

IX. Constituent Assemblies Reports

Faculty Senate

News of Faculty Senate was address in Dean Cooke’s presentation.

Employee Assembly

D. Darby explained that the CCC Diversity and Inclusion statement would be reviewed at their next meeting. The Assembly is also working to meet the objectives discussed at the Advance.

Graduate & Professional Student Assembly

D. Carlson reported that John Schwarz, the GPSA President, resigned due to personal reasons. The Vice President, Stefan Hames, has taken his position and a new Vice President, Patrick Carr, has been elected. The GPSA is currently working on setting the GPSA Student Activity Fee for the next two years. They have also been working on changing their Charter to coincide with the President’s financial demands. They’ve also been addressing ways to get better publicity for the Assembly.

Student Assembly

K. Mayo reported that the SA has been working on authorization of the Student Activity Fee. All parts were authorized with the exception of Students Helping Students. They are also working on legislation to increase awareness of bias-related incidents.

X. New Business

Campus Climate Committee’s Draft Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

D. Carlson noted that its purpose today was not to approve or disapprove this document, but instead to offer feedback and opinions.

P. Schwartz explained that the CCC is bringing this document to each assembly for endorsement. He pointed out that this is not a policy statement, but is instead a statement of sentiment.

J. Rabkin remarked that this statement is very abstract and he questioned its usefulness. He also questioned whether the intent of the “Open Minds” portion of the statement means to encourage people to listen respectively or if it intends to crack down on those who aren’t listening respectively.

P. Schwartz responded that its intention is to facilitate the discussion of any topic civilly. He feels individuals should be allowed to express their ideas freely, no matter what they are.

J. Rabkin questioned whether the phrasing of the document adequately illustrates the ideas it represents.

D. Barr questioned its purpose - what is it supposed to accomplish?

D. Darby explained that the CCC hopes this will lay the framework to begin discussion and education on issues related to bias and what the campus climate should be.

U. Asoyne pointed out that this statement has come a long way and he commends everyone who worked on it. He also remarked that because of the nature of the issues being addressed, the statement must be abstract.

A. Mathios noted that statements of sentiment could have lasting influence. He cited Ezra Cornell’s “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study” as an example.

Ronald Booker, Campus Climate Committee member and Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, pointed out that it is important for the statement to be vague. As a result, the statement is non-directional and can be used by any group on campus. He said its simplicity allows it to be applied to any view someone might wish to discuss.

J. Rabkin commented on the sentence “Cornell stands for civil discourse, reasoned thought, sustained discussion and constructive engagement without degrading, abusing or harassing others.” He felts the last three adjectives were modifying a kind of discourse, but no mention of obstructive actions were made.

G. Brandt asked for a definition of the word equity as used in the sentence “Our legacy is reflected in the diverse composition of our community, the breadth of our curriculum, the strength of our public service, and the depth of our commitment to freedom, equity and reason.” Ronald responded that it means equal access regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.

G. Brandt also commented on the sentence “Cornell stands for civil discourse, reasoned thought, sustained discussion and constructive engagement without degrading, abusing or harassing others.” He commented that the last part of “�without degrading, abusing or harassing others.” does not help the intent of the sentence. He feels the first part of the statement is positive, but the last part changes the tone to a more negative one.

B. Goodell pointed out that the statement is still positive with the last part, because of the work “without.”

U. Asonye remarked that the three words “�degrading, abusing, or harassing�” give “teeth” to the statement, and make it less abstract.

J. Rabkin said that one likely interpretation of the sentence, “Cornell is committed to maintaining a supportive environment that opens doors, opens hearts, and opens minds,” is that the University is more concerned about supporting people who may have been offended than they are about allowing openness. He feels the University should first be concerned with maintaining free speech.

D. Darby explained that the reason for the abstractness of the statement is to allow for subjective interpretations.

R. Booker commented that at this point, no one should get hung up on the little subtleties of the statement, but instead should encourage the community to use this to open a civil dialogue once they feel they have been offended.

M. Banner stated that he appreciated all the hard work put into this statement by the CCC and he supports the ideas of diversity and inclusiveness. He is disgusted with the bias incidents at Cornell and would like to see Cornell as a place with zero tolerance for bias. He doesn’t believe the proposed statement addresses that issue. He also feels that for a statement to be effective and to have longevity, it should be short and concise: he suggested “Cornell University supports diversity and inclusiveness and to this end bias incidents are unacceptable and will not be tolerated on campus.” He remarked that this would then bypass the free speech issues that causes conflicting ideas.

R. Fan stated that this statement is more a University Statement rather than a Diversity Statement, as it explains what the University wants to do. She remarked that it’s not narrow enough to follow in practice and not to the point.

D. Darby explained that the statement is being presented to the Assemblies and the feedback will be shared with the committee once everyone has seen it. If any person has additional comments on the statement, they should be directed to P. Schwartz or D. Darby.

XI. Adjournment

D. Carlson adjourned the meeting at 6:05 PM.