Behrend Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, February 20, 2024
1:30–2:30 p.m.

I. Call to Order - Lena Surzhko-Harned, Faculty Senate Chair

  1. Approval of the minutes from December 6, 2023
    1. Motion: Jason Bennett
    2. Second: Michael Naber

II. Remarks from Chancellor Ford and Leadership Team

  1. Thanks to everyone for participating in the budget discussions. Involvement and advocacy are highly appreciated. Confirming that Margo will be here on 2/29 – wants to meet with Faculty Council in addition to open session for all faculty and staff. Better turnout, better we will be able to make our case.
  2. Discussions on how to create a large-scale computer science master’s degree at PSU – began with President Bendapudi and Provost Schwartz. Not trying to copy Georgia Tech, but are trying to create applied master’s program – Master of computer science programming (professional focus) and research based masters of computer science – both to be available through World Campus. The Professional program getting higher priority. Two leading campuses to develop – Great Valley is the lead. We will be a program partner. Curricular proposal is being created. Tentatively Fall 2025 launch. Research based masters at least one year after that. Provost Schwartz will need to decide to invest in creating the infrastructure and faculty hiring. Various other areas also involved.
    1. Our computer science program undergrad is ABET accredited. Not sure if UP is accredited. Unlikely we would pursue grad accreditation as it’s usually one level or the other.
    2. Budget model – commonwealth campuses don’t get credit for World Campus. Where’s the benefit for this?
      1. At the master level, you do get credit for headcount.
      2. Undergrad you do not.
      3. We want both student credit count in addition to headcount. We should get credit in the budget model.
    3. Full Chancellor’s Office Report Attached
  3. Thank you to those that attended the Fireside chat on the Academic Portfolio.
  4. $9.7 million in last cycle for research expenditures, up from $7. The goal is to get to 10. Keeps us at the highest campus, Harrisburg is close.

III. Reports from Committee Chairs on Committee Work

  1. Academic Computing, Elisa Beshero-Bondar
    1. Meeting right after this meeting – going back to school and collecting/reviewing survey responses. As of yesterday, each group has reported back. Documents are being assembled.
  2. Athletics, Adam Simpson
    1. 12 faculty mentors launching this semester. Faculty that volunteered to engage with athletics teams, extent of participation depends on faculty member. Handout/centralized information form for NSO advisors for how to schedule student athletes due to issues coming from students about not being able to take classes at certain times.
  3. Undergraduate Curricular Affairs, Glenn Kumhera
    1. Working on getting all schools on same page in terms of curricular process. Working with Microsoft Form to see what needs adjusted.
  4. Faculty Affairs, Lynne Beaty (Luciana Aronne reporting)
    1. Behrend petition to University Faculty Senate re: Funding for NTL Promotions
    2. Motion to investigate inequities in nontenure-line (NTL) promotion raises
      1. On average CWC getting 8%, Behrend has been sitting at 4% (or less)
      2. Motion is to have university Faculty Senate look at inequities, instead of putting burden of raises on campuses, to have centralized funding.
        • (1) Behrend has a big research component that not all other campuses have.
        • (2) Concern: Once you centralize it, you give up control. Losing autonomy.
        • (3) The NTL raises are coming from our own funds, which can impact merit raises.
        • (4) This would give us the money centrally, and then ends up in our budget. No loss of control – just transfer of more permanent dollars. Each campus is unique and this would help.
        • (5) Also asking for those who got promoted and didn’t get the 8% to be made whole.
      3. The motion: Investigate inequities in NTL promotion raises – centralized decisions and funding for NTL promotion raises, and retroactive salary adjustments.
        • (1) Centralized, future raises to be equitable, and past adjustments – VP Schwartz did mention working on NTL and centralized funds
      4. If they were to centralize – would likely give a uniform amount. Comp modernization did come to pass, gave us a chunk of money to fix it and it sits in our base budget. Took several years but did happen.
        • (1) Some campuses have slightly different process – some give a flat amount opposed to a percentage.
    3. Might be best not to wait. We could work through any questions on the back-end.
    4. Question is called – voting to send ballot to rest of faculty.
      1. Objections/discussion?
        (1) Motion carries.
  5. Graduate Affairs, Mike Rutter
    1. Everything proceeding according to plan.
  6. Research Committee, Babajide Osatuyi
    1. Council of fellows undergrad research awards – improvements to process is have a rubric considering that we have members from all four schools. Levels the playing field. Next year, proposed that rubric is included in instructions and that nominees CV also be included.
    2. Council of Fellows Faculty Awards - scheduled to be evaluated next month.
    3. You will be receiving a survey that covers three of the new charges for this year – please respond to them ASAP, highly appreciated. Looking for feedback on improvement on various mechanisms involving research and other.
    4. College wide research productivity reporting mechanisms – different modalities, might be best to start with low hanging fruit, what we already have. Research, equipment, grants, etc. Looking at how well system is currently representing things (pure.psu.edu).
      1. Maybe send to School Directors and have them guide faculty to the appropriate areas.
  7. Scholarships and Awards, Aimee Pogson—N/A
  8. Student Life, Michelle Cook & James Hodge—N/A
  9. Undergraduate Studies, Charlotte de Vries—N/A
  10. Institutional, Educational, and Diversity, Kyeiwaa Asare-Yeboah—N/A

IV. Faculty Senate Updates

  1. Special Senate meeting – cooperation on budget.
  2. Accountability proposal passed.
  3. Provost mentioned that at meeting coming up next week is likely to discuss NTL and centralized funding. Advising, professional advising.
  4. Senate in general:
    1. Adding ‘top committee items’ to Canvas – top 3 – 4 items every single Senate committee is working on. If you think there’s something that’s of interest to Behrend, you have to let the Senators know. These will give you a heads up as to what’s coming up before they hit the floor.
      1. Module “University Faculty Senate” – then listed underneath.

V. Behrend Faculty Response to the University Administration

  1. Faculty Side:
    1. Several faculty members wanting to write their own messages, encouraged.
    2. Not sure what to write, Lena has ‘talking points’ or ‘messages/questions’ that talk about ways to highlight the uniqueness of Behrend in Western Pennsylvania in addition to the budget model and unfairness.
    3. Who to send to?
      1. Anyone. The President, VP, Margo, Board of Trustees, etc.
  2. Response from Faculty Senate
    1. Statement questioning the budget model that we would like to send to multiple parties before Margo’s visit next week. Include Shelly Stein if sent before the 2/27 Senate meeting.
    2. Matt and Lena working on a document and will decide how to circulate.
      1. Sooner we get out there having University Faculty Senate discussing this the better. We need to make a case that these issues impact all of the Commonwealth campuses.
      2. Is there a way to show solidarity with the other campuses in this correspondence.
      3. The tone of the document is not Behrend specific – focus on equity, fairness, possible calculation errors, assumptions, etc.
  3. Goal to get balanced budget by 2025. Simulations have been done.
  4. Drafted letter will go to Faculty Senate Canvas page – as a discussion board. All comments will need in by Friday, to send to Shelly alone for advice before we forward onto the rest of the parties.

VI. Campus visit by Vice President DelliCarpini on February 29

  1. Agenda for Margo’s visit soon – draft that includes meeting with SGA leaders, faculty council, open session for everyone on campus. Along with tours, Council of Fellows board members, etc.

VII. Updates from Ad Hoc Constitutional Reform Committee, Jason Bennett

  1. N/A

VIII. Old Business

  1. N/A

IX. New Business

  1. Fayette campus – Rally for campuses 2/28 at noon. Rally of support to show importance of campuses. No official format. Loosely organized effort, counting on decentralized efforts of each campus.

X. Adjournment

  1. Motion: Jason Bennett
  2. Second: Elisa Beshero-Bondar

Attachments:

Chancellor’s Office Report

Penn State Behrend Faculty Senate Meeting
February 20, 2024

University Budget Challenges.

Chancellor Ralph Ford thanks faculty members who were able to participate in discussions over the past several weeks on the budget challenge that the University is facing. The turnout and engagement have been excellent, and your interest and involvement are appreciated.

While the challenge is substantial and Behrend will need to play a part in meeting it, we are a highly successful college on many fronts with growing enrollments—achieved collectively and positioning us well for the future. As the University communications have conveyed, enrollments are down among the Commonwealth Campuses as a whole, but several campuses are growing and present opportunities for future investment. As we advocate for such investment in Behrend, we must continue to work with others across the University to identify collaborative strategies and operating efficiencies to address budgetary challenges while meeting our mission.

Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses Margo DelliCarpini will be visiting Behrend Thursday, February 29. This will be Dr. DelliCarpini’s first visit to campus, and she will hold an open session with faculty and staff. As that date nears, we will send further details. Faculty members are highly encouraged to attend and participate in the discussions.

Master of Science in Computer Science Initiative.

Greg Filbeck reports that, at the request of the president and provost, Behrend is participating in a plan to develop a new professional master’s program to be delivered through World Campus beginning Fall 2025. Penn State Great Valley and Penn State Behrend are the lead partners in developing the program. Other partners are Penn State Harrisburg, the College of IST, and the College of Engineering.

Western Campus Strategies.

Greg also reports that a group representing a cross-section of Behrend units visited Penn State Beaver January 30 to explore strategies for strengthening 2+2 opportunities between the two campuses. A visit with Penn State Shenango is scheduled for March 1.