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UNIVERSITY of MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 021253393

University Governance

Faculty Council

http://www.umb.edu/faculty_staff/faculty_council

Monday, September 10, 2012

1:30 - 3:30 PM

Chancellor's Conference Room

Minutes

Members present: Steve Ackerman (CSM); Jane Adams (CLA); Ann Blum (CLA); Jay

Dee (CEHD); Shoshanna Ehrlich (CLA); Pacey Foster (CM); Marilyn Frankenstein

(CPCS); Sari Kawana (CLA); Varda Konstam (CEHD); Lusa Lo (CEHD); Jessie

Quintero Johnson (CLA); Raymond Liu (UC); Margaret McAllister (CNHS); Celia

Moore (CLA); Stephen Mrozowski (CLA); Marc Prou (CLA); Esther Seibold (CNHS);

Yong-Chul Shin (CM); Amy E. Smith (MGS); Manickam Sugumaran (CSM); Stephen

Sutherland (CLA); Kiran Verma (CM); Jessica Whiteley (CNHS); Wei Zhang (CSM)

Representatives present: Greg Beck (Graduate Studies Committee); Michael Mahan

(PSU); Lynne Tirrell (BOT)

Ex Officio members: Keith Motley (Chancellor); Winston Langley (Provost);

I. Approval of the agenda

The chair called the meeting to order and announced several minor modifications to the

agenda. Due to a scheduling conflict, the Chancellor’s report was moved to the beginning

of the agenda. In addition, several additions were made to names on the Committees list,

including:

AAC: Remove Anamarija Frankic

ATC: Add Jonathan Chu and Heather MacIndoe

BPC: Replace Ex-Officio member, Neil Rosenburg with Susan Wolfe

GS: Remove Jonathan Chu and Molly Tschopp; change Ex-Officio member, Joan

Liem’s title to Special Assistant to the Provost; add Rita Nethersole

LC: Add Pacey Foster

DC: Add Jose Martinez

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WPC: Remove Anthony Petruzzi, and approve the addition of Harry Makrinos,

Stephen Sutherland, and Polly Welsh to as Ex-Officio members

The amended agenda was seconded and approved unanimously.

II. Reports

a. Chancellor - J. Keith Motley

Report: Welcome back to a new year and to the important work of the Faculty

Council. I look forward to sharing in the deliberations of this body, although I take

this opportunity to remind you that, at times, because of fund-raising and other

demands, I might have to be away during the academic year. Provost Langley will

represent me on those occasions.

1. CONVOCATION. We have our convocation, on Thursday, to which all of you

are invited. I will be focusing on the strategic plan and its meaning for our moving

forward as a university. The keynote speaker, Rosemarie Day, will focus on

healthcare—a subject which, as you know, has occupied the national attention for the

past three years.

2. GREETINGS FROM OFF-CAMPUS CONSITUENCIES. Since I last spoke to

this body, I have been to several areas of this country on fund-raising efforts. Each

time I return, I do so filled with expressed good will from alumni of the university.

This summer was no exception, and expressed greetings are sent to you and our other

faculty colleagues. You impact lives and are fondly remembered.

3. HONORARY DEGREES. As you know, each year at Commencement we confer

honorary degrees on some distinguished persons. We usually select persons from

among individuals recommended by a variety of constituencies, and we hope

members of this body will pay attention to the directions which my office has just

circulated.

4. REPORT CARD FOR THE UNIVERSITY. Among the changes the new

president is seeking to bring to the university is an annual report card. This report will

disclose the commitment of each campus to quality, impact, and efficiency, in the

following areas:

• Student experience and success;

• Educated workforce;

• World-class research and development enterprise;

• Enhanced social well-being;

• Good stewardship of state resources; and

• Telling and selling the UMass story.

We will keep you abreast of developments as we create a framework for our report.

5. STUDENT FEES. I know some of you had strong reactions to the increase in fees

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for students. I share your feelings, and that is why we have kept our promise to meet

90% of the financial needs of our students. This has not been easy because—as you

know—we cannot even pay our faculty from what the state now gives us for our

operating budget. In other words, the share of our operating budget that the state

provides is less than what we need to pay our faculty. So we must find monies from

elsewhere if we are going to offer our students a first-class education. What we must

collectively seek to do is to have the Commonwealth provide us with some additional

monies.

The Board of Trustees and the president have been working with the state on a

formula that could relieve some of the need for additional fees.

6. U.S.–CHINA ELECTRIC VEHICLE WORKSHOP. Among the events on

campus this summer was a workshop featuring U.S.–China vehicle and battery

technology. Leaders from academic life, industry, and government—from both

countries—were present, and our own colleague Professor Deyang Qu, of the

Chemistry Department, was leader of the event.

I am pleased that we at UMass Boston are part of this important technological co-

operation with stalwarts in the field such as MIT and Shingua universities, as well as

national laboratories including Argonne and Oak Ridge. I am also pleased to have

been present to participate in the activities.

7. NEW BUILDINGS. Since you left, we have also made some progress on our

planning for new buildings. You will note that work on General Academic Building

One will begin this fall, and it is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2015.

The planning effort has been long, but you will like the results of that effort.

8. CONGRATULATIONS TO:

a) Dr. Sarah Oktay and the Grace Grossman Youth Collaborative, a program of the

University of Massachusetts Boston's Nantucket Field Station, on winning the 2012

Human Diversity Award from the Organization of Biological Field Stations, an

association that supports the work of more than 200 biological field stations and

marine laboratories around the world.

b) Dr. Cedric Woods and the New England Native American Institute. The institute

and he played a major role in organizing and leading the 2012 annual meeting of the

Native American and Indigenous Studies Association. Held at the Mohegan

Reservation in Connecticut on June 3-5, 2012, the meeting was attended by hundreds

of visitors, some from as far away as New Zealand. Five research universities in New

England (Dartmouth, Harvard, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, and Yale) were co-

sponsors of the meeting, and their respective provosts participated. UMass Boston, in

addition, had a number of presenters at the meeting.

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c) Kudos to all associated with the creation of our website. As you know so well, the

need for schools, colleges, and universities to create and maintain websites of high

quality has become more and more important. Earlier this month, the Center for

Digital Education presented the "best of the web” awards in K-12 and higher

education. In the college-university category, the Rochester Institute of Technology's

College of Imaging Arts and Sciences and the Savannah College of Art and Design

won. UMass Boston's website received honorable mention.

Questions: The Faculty Council did not have any questions for the Chancellor.

b. Chair – Manickam Sugumaran

The Chair welcomed the Faculty Council to his first Faculty Council meeting as the

new chair.

c. Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees – Professor Lynne Tirrell

Report: June and September Meetings

Top News:

Trustee Henry Thomas is the new Chair of the Board. He comes to the Chair

Position after having served as Chair of the Committee on Academic and Student

Affairs (CASA) so that bodes well for the university in a substantive way.

We are in the September cycle of meetings. CASA met on Sept. 5, 2012, and

approved two UMB programs, after an overview of each by Provost Langley.

o Ph.D. In Sociology—approved, now goes to full Board for vote.

o Ph.D. Applied Linguistics—approved, now goes to full Board for vote.

Back in June 2012, the Board very enthusiastically APPROVED two other

programs at UMB:

o M.S. in Exercise and Health Sciences AND Ph.D. in Exercise and Health

Sciences. Trustee Alice Lee said this was the best proposal she has seen so

far, very informative, professional, and sets the standard for new

programs.

o School for Global Inclusion and Social Development. Secretary of

education Paul Reville spoke enthusiastically about this new school and

sang the praises of the ICI.

2 new Chancellors:

AMHERST: Dr. Kumble R. Subbaswamy, a physicist (Ph.D. Indiana U), is the

new Chancellor of U Mass Amherst. He was elected a fellow of the American

Physical Society in 1992, serves on the American Council on Education, and has

a distinguished record of publications and professional recognition. Dr.

Subbaswamy’s previous post was provost at the University of Kentucky (2006-

2012), and before that he was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana

University (2000-2006), after holding the same post at University of Miami

(1997-2000). The Amherst faculty is optimistically excited about his appointment.

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DARTMOUTH: Dr. Divina Grossman (PhD in Nursing, University of

Pennsylvania) specializes in research on circadian rhythms and fever

management. She has a distinguished research record (authoring over 50 journal

articles and textbook chapters). Dr. Grossman arrives from Florida International

University, where she served as the founding Vice President of Engagement.

Previously, she was the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at

FIU. Like the faculty at Amherst, the Dartmouth faculty is optimistically excited

about their new chancellor.

System Report Card Coming The Intercampus Faculty Council has been asked to give

the President’s Office feedback on a draft of a system “Report Card.” We will be

meeting with Marcellette Williams and other members of the President’s Office on

Wednesday September 19, 2012, to discuss it.

NEW Appointment in A&F: Vice-President for Administration and Finance and

Treasurer, David Gray, left U Mass for his alma mater, Penn State. A search was

conducted, and Christine Wilda was promoted from within.

Meeting of the U Mass Board of Trustees, June 6, 2012, at U Mass Dartmouth

Board Resolution would keep fees at FY13 levels for FY 14-15, 15-16 if the state

gets to 50/50 levels. 2009 was last time the state funded us at or above 50% (52%),

dropped to 38%. We are currently saving $22 million annually from efficiency

efforts. In June, the president’s office reported flat state appropriation for 2 years.

Enrollment growth, inflation, collective bargaining, all increase the budget. FY 13

budget $2.88 billion was approved, which included raising fees.

Average FY13 FEE Increases:

Mass state universities: 6.3%

UMass peers 7.4%

National average 6.5 %

Regional publics 6.2%

Suggesting 4.9% increase, view it as minimally necessary to maintain quality.

Yield: a total revenue stream of $50 million.

Costs for UMB undergrads:

costs: $10,611/2011 $11,407/2012 $11,966/2013

Trustee Chair Karam emphasized the challenge to preserve access and maintain

quality. Same rhetoric: can't not raise fees because a decline in quality would

damage the UMass degree. High fees, high aid remains the model (but—I note—state

aid is flat and student numbers have increased). Chair Karam said that he thinks his

rich neighbors should have to pay more to go to UMass.

Alexa Marvell, newly elected UMB student trustee, urged them not to raise fees,

saying that voting for these increases is giving in to the state's neglect of Higher Ed.

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Secretary of Education Paul Reville, who represents Governor Patrick on the board,

said he appreciates the efficiency efforts, but opposes the increase because of the

timing. Is concerned with the changes in student loans which could be onerous.

The new fee rates passed.

June 2012 Audit Committee: Trustee Furman: WUMB radio station’s audit was

'unqualified' (good).

At the Administration & Finance meeting, June 5, 2012, President Caret reported

continuing dramatic declines in state support. Most of the growth in revenues are

“pass-thru dollars”. Can't balance the needs for access and quality with smoke and

mirrors, need real dollars. Three strategies for getting those real dollars:

1. Advocacy for state support to return to prior levels down $100 million in state support

in over 5 years, and we have absorbed over 7000 more FT students. Also going into

greater debt because we are paying for buildings, which historically has been the

state's job. There are new buildings opening with no revenues to run them. (So far,

the least successful of the 3 strategies.)

2. Efficiency and effectiveness: saved hundreds of million for the system. New IT, new

procurement, looked at a variety of energy conservation and purchasing programs,

tech initiatives, more. Will continue to be aggressive about this.

3. Growing other revenue streams, beyond the student fees. $600 million in R&D, $40

million in tech transfer, $300 million in consulting fees.

Efficiency and Effectiveness: Working on a variety of centralized programs. Most

notably, there is an E-procurement website in development, to be unveiled this spring,

supposed to offer an easy to use centralized system with all authorized vendors, all

the products, gives “an Amazon-like feel” for users, pays electronically and captures

discounts. Some other new programs they are putting in place: Strategic Energy

Program, University Travel Program—offering a single point of access, a system-

wide mobile device optimization project, and a university shared Security Operations

Center for Informational Technology

Questions: The Faculty Council did not have any questions for Lynne.

d. Representative from the Faculty Staff Union – Professor Marlene Kim

Prof. Kim could not attend the meeting, but sent the following report to all faculty:

Welcome back! I am filling in for Catherine Lynde as President of FSU this semester

while Catherine is taking a well-deserved sabbatical this fall. I want to especially

welcome the new members of FSU. Here is an update:

Raises: FSU members received several raises and will receive several more:

o 2.25% across-the-board increases as of June 30, 2012 (this appeared in

your July 20 paycheck).

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o Merit pay from a 1.25% pool, to be distributed sometime in September,

2012.

o 1.75% across-the-board raise as of July 1, 2012, to appear in your

paycheck soon.

o 1.75% increase in January 2013, from an across-the-board increase

(.50%) and a merit pool (1.25%).

o 1.75% across-the-board raise in July 2013.

o 1.75% increase in January 2014 from an across-the-board raise (.50%)

and a merit pool (1.25%).

At the end of these raises, members will have received approximately a 10% increase

in pay. More details are on our website.

More Travel Money: Tenure stream faculty have travel funds of up to $1000

per year in addition to the normal travel funds available in the colleges in the

past. Procedures will vary by college. Contact your College Dean’s office for

further information.

Parking Fees: We have yet to begin our negotiations on parking, which were

supposed to begin last April and end this October. We have asked the

administration for the same amount of time (approximately 7 months) to

negotiate once we begin these deliberations. We are bargaining in coalition

with the other campus unions on this matter, and have formed an organizing

committee, a bargaining team, and a research committee. If you can help in

any of these efforts, please contact us. If you have not signed our online

petition opposing parking fee increases, you can view and sign it at:

http://www.change.org/petitions/umass-boston-administration-stop-parking-

fee-increases If you can discuss the parking fee increase on video, please

contact Jessica.Downa@umb.edu.

We need a large turnout at the Chancellor’s Convocation on September 13 wearing

“No Parking Fee Increase” stickers to show our opposition to this. To participate

and/or obtain these stickers, contact us.

We have heard from many of you regarding this matter and value your input. The

FSU is in opposition to the university’s wanting to increase parking fees in the future

without having to negotiate these with the campus unions. This is an anti-union, anti-

labor stance and we will continue to oppose it

Bargaining is ongoing in three additional areas: distance learning; non-tenure

track faculty concerns; and faculty workload, research support and working

conditions. We will update you when there is something to report on any of

these.

Orientations for non-tenure track faculty are September 19th

, 12:15 to 1:45

(CC-2-2540) and September 25th from 12:30-2 (CC-2-2545). Information on

the contract, especially probation, how to get benefits, and university

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resources will be covered. These orientations are geared toward new and

probationary non-tenure track faculty.

Department Representatives: Those of you willing to be a conduit for

communication between your department and the FSU, consider volunteering

to be an FSU department representative. You would inform us of any

problems in your department and provide your department’s views on specific

FSU concerns. We promise to keep the duties minimal.

New Staff: Daniel Finn is our new part-time staff member and will be helping

with the administrative and clerical duties for the union.

Have an idea for the FSU newsletter? Contact our new newsletter editor,

Jennifer Berkshire at Jenniferberkshire@gmail.com.

This union is everybody’s union, and the more participation and dialogue we have,

the stronger we are. I encourage you to contact us with any concerns/ideas/thoughts

you have. We’re here for you.

e. Representative from the Professional Staff Union - Michael Mahan

Report: Members of the Professional Staff Union leadership team (PSU Chapter

Board) are hearing numerous concerns about the proposed parking fee increase from

students which amplify our own concerns about access, enrollments, and student debt.

We’re also hearing concerns from faculty about disincentives to come on campus

unless they absolutely have to as well as concerns from professional and classified

staff about having recent salary increases devoured by increasing parking fees.

Questions: The Faculty Council did not have any questions for Michael.

f. Representative from the Undergraduate Student Government - Jesse Wright

Report: Jesse did not have a report for the Faculty Council at this time.

g. Representative from the Graduate Student Assembly - To be determined

There was no representative present from the Graduate Student Assembly.

h. Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance - Ellen O'Connor

Report:

GENERAL UPDATES:

FY13 Budget: After many months of planning we were able to successfully develop a

balanced FY13 budget. For more details please refer to the Office of Budget and

Financial Planning’s website.

Human Resources – Personnel Update. Jeff McCue, Assistant Vice Chancellor for

Human Resources will retire on October 6th. Becky Hsu will act as Interim Assistant

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Vice Chancellor. A search for the new Assistant Vice Chancellor will begin in early

October.

Environmental Health and Safety – Recruitment for new Director. The Search for the

Director of Environmental Health and Safety is underway. The search committee

includes: John Hess, Biology Faculty; DeYang Qu, Chemistry Faculty; Shaun Curry,

Facilities; Anne Riley, Administration and Finance and Charleen Sotolongo, Director

of Environmental Health and Safety, UMass Medical School.

SPACE Committee

• The All Call Space Request effort resulted in 53 requests. Many having to do with

accommodations and modifications for 9/1 incoming faculty, which were deemed

a priority.

• In addition, 31 of the incoming 55 faculty required new space or adjustment or

modifications of existing space in anticipation of 9/1.

• Facilities in-house staff were able to complete all work in time for the start of the

semester.

• The Space committee will now begin to focus on all other requests.

• The Space Log can be viewed on the Facilities office website at

www.umb.edu/facilities.

Master Plan and Construction

• The Integrated Sciences Complex, construction continues. Anticipated opening

spring 2014.

• The Clark Center Gymnasium remains closed for renovations. When finished

later this fall the modernized 3,000 person facility will reopen for athletic and

other campus events, and will boast a new maple hardwood floor, upgraded

bleachers, and improved lighting and entryways.

• All on campus will benefit from an invisible but important electrical installation

that was completed this summer. Now a new reliable switchgear system powers

the entire university.

• Plans are under way to break ground on the General Academic Building No. 1 in

spring 2013 in the North Lot. The building has moved through schematic design

to design development which will be built in the North Lot. The General

Academic Building No. 1 is scheduled to open in summer 2015.

• The Utility Corridor and Roadway Relocation design has reached the halfway

point and is also slated to begin in the spring 2013 with a scheduled completion

date in 2015. Crews continue drilling on campus for needed soil testing as part of

design for the utility and roadway project.

• Also, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute construction continues behind Lot A.

Foundation work is wrapping up, and steel will be erected later this fall with

completion set for 2014.

• We will keep you informed about construction activity that may impact your daily

routine on campus through Construction Updates sent via email or on the

university’s webpage. Other service interruptions and advisories can be found on

the Facilities web page.

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• For a comprehensive listing of work accomplished by Administration & Finance

in FY2012 please view our website Annual Divisional Summary.

SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:

Stay clear of closed/restricted areas:

• The garages under the campus buildings;

• The Wheatley exterior brick staircase;

• Active construction sites:

o the Clark Gymnasium,

o the Integrated Sciences Complex,

o the Utility Plant Roof near the Healey Library,

o the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, located by Parking Lot A,

o two rigs drilling at various locations this month.

Emergency Preparedness. Emergency Preparedness efforts at UMass Boston continue

to be a top priority. Please refer to our website to learn about our emergency

preparedness efforts.

SERVICES AND HOURS OF OPERATION:

Transportation Services. A new pedestrian access way has been created between

parking Lots D and B, cutting down the time it takes to walk to campus buildings.

GPS System Now on Shuttle Bus. New advances in transportation services will help

students, faculty, and staff get to and from campus this semester including a new

shuttle bus GPS system that shows the buses’ real-time locations on the web at

www.transloc.com and through a free mobile app.

Hubway Bike-Share. In addition to the on-campus bike racks, a new Hubway bike-

share station has been installed near the Campus Center circle. View the Hubway

website to learn more about membership, passes and safety.

Parking. All parking lots are open for business. Credit cards are now accepted at

tollbooths, except Lot A and the Bayside parking lot. Lot B and Clark parking lots are

pass-only lots. A chart outlining payment options will be available on the Faculty

Council website.

We currently have 2,470 parking spaces available on campus, with 53 available

handicapped parking spots, exceeding our required amount by 17 parking spots.

Bursar

New services include:

• Direct Deposit Services for student refunds in WISER;

• Go Green – Go Paperless – paperless billing;

• interest-free monthly payment plan for tuition bills;

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• Grant access to parents or others to view student’s WISER account and/or pay

tuition bills.

Questions:

A Council Member asked: When the North Lot closes, will faculty be allowed

to park in the South Lot (the student lot)?

o VC O’Connor responded that there are alternatives to parking that are

currently being discussed, including the new Hubways bicycle system,

and the answer to this question cannot be discussed until further

negotiations are complete. The subject of whether faculty are welcome

or not welcome to park in the Student Lot was never negotiated with

the Faculty Staff Union.

i. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs - Winston Langley

Report: Good afternoon, to you, and welcome to a new academic year. As was the

case last year, this one will have some challenges which will exert demands on us. I

know, however, that we will meet those challenges and help lead the University on its

way to further academic development. I look forward to our work, together.

As was promised when I became provost, I will mention some achievements of the

past year. These will largely be on the website. I will also share with you some

developments, since we last met.

AY 2011-2012 AND SOME INTIMATIONS OF THINGS TO COME

1. ROUTINE MATTERS. In this area, we were focused on 4th year reviews, tenure,

and promotion cases. We also completed a number of post-tenure and academic

quality reviews. We had 23 4th year reviews, 19 tenure reviews, 8 appointments with

tenure, 9 promotion cases, and 8 AQUAD reviews.

2. INTELLECTUAL LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY. The Provost's Office made

contributions on several levels, in this area. Among them was the inauguration of the

annual conference, IDEAS BOSTON. We also lent support to the McCormack

Graduate School’s national forum on Civility and American Democracy, which took

place in February of 2012, to the Collaborative Institute for Ocean, Climate, and

Security's Global Conference on Oceans, Climate and Security, which took place on

campus and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library (May 21-23, 2012), and to the

Nantucket Field Station's sponsored conference on Biodiversity. The office also

sponsored a joint conference with the International Academy of Life Sciences, which

took place on campus from April 25th

to the 29th

, 2012.

Linked to this area of campus life is the work of the International Visiting Scholars

Academy (IVSA), which continued its work on trans-disciplinarity, with scholars

from abroad interacting with each other and with our own faculty and students. Last

year we had 26 such scholars.

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3. LOCAL AND GLOBAL COLLABORATION. We spent much of last year

speaking with local colleges and universities--from community colleges to research

universities--concerning possible areas of collaboration. For example, with Mass Bay

Community College, we are involved in a project, financed by the US Department of

Education, in Haiti; and we began work with Tufts University in working out possible

collaboration in pre-medical education. Abroad, we had visits to China to reinforce or

begin collaboration with universities in Beijing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Ningbo; we

also visited Brazil, and established the basis for collaboration with research institutes,

universities, or governmental agencies in Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and

Salvador. Planned collaboration with members of the local Brazilian community is

also something to which we have committed ourselves.

During the year, we also focused on the Board of Trustee approval of the School for

Global Inclusion and Social Development, which will bring to UMass Boston many

local, national, and global partners; and our work with the International Academy of

Life Sciences, as well as with the University of Hanover, enabled us to enrich our in-

the-process-of-approval doctoral program in Sociology, in the area of medical

sociology.

4. NEW UNITS ON CAMPUS. During the year, we did create some new units.

Among them is the Institute for International and Comparative Education, within

which we have the Center on US-China Educational Co-operation; the Kiernan

Center (within Joiner), the Center for Evidence Based Mentoring and the School for

Global Inclusion and Social Development.

5. INTERNATIONALIZATION OF CAMPUS. We continued that process last year

(in many forms, including increasing the number of students brought to join us by

NAVITAS, the number of our study abroad and exchange students, and the number

of students and faculty supported for research abroad experiences. In one of the

conferences mentioned, earlier--that of the International Academy of Life Sciences--

our students had a chance to interact with doctoral and post-doctoral students from

abroad, who were working at a number of U.S. universities and other research

institutions--University of California, San Francisco and San Diego, University of

Michigan, and Jackson Laboratories, for example. In the work of the International

Visiting Scholar Academy, mentioned earlier, we also have the furthering of this goal

and the creation of some new units, such as the Institute for International and

Comparative Education and the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development

is designed, in part, to support this process. The collaboration mentioned in number 3,

above, is also part of last year's work.

For the coming year, we will be seeking to increase the number of study abroad and

exchange students, the number which will have opportunities for international

internships, the number of faculty and students gaining research experiences abroad,

and the number of IVSA scholars coming to the campus. We will also be seeking to

establish a European office, to have undergraduate academic programs in global

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affairs/international relations approved, begin the process of modifying our curricular

offerings, so that they bear a greater correspondence with the evolving global order,

and pursue the strengthening of our existing academic programs. Increases in our

library holdings (archival and other), consistent with this process and goal will

likewise be an important feature of the coming academic year's work.

6. STRENGTHENED TIES WITH NANTUCKET. We moved, as promised, to

improve the housing of the Field Station, the infrastructure of the Station, and began

exploring the prospects of establishing a satellite campus on the island. Several

discussions with the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, REMAIN, and other

entities, on the island are continuing.

7. SUPPORTED POST-MASTER'S CERTIFICATES. We received grants for two

such certificates--one on early childhood education, and, the other, a transition

leadership track in Special Education. Both are grant-funded and need to begin

courses in October of this year.

The President's Office gave expedited approval to the proposals, and so did the Board

of Higher Education. Both programs are schedule to begin in a timely manner,

assuming ratification by the Faculty Council.

8. PROGRAM READINESS OF APPROVED PROGRAMS. As you know, having

programs approved by our Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education does

not complete the process in program development. Those approved programs must be

made ready for students and faculty (especially when new faculty have to be recruited

for them) for their timely curricular introductions.

In the case of programs, which were scheduled to begin their curricular offerings in

September of 2012, they were ready for students and faculty. Among such programs

are: the undergraduate programs in Communication and in Engineering, the graduate

program in Applied Economics, and the four doctoral programs in the Brian Sciences,

in Business Administration, Counseling and School Psychology, and Global

Government and Human Security. There were also other programs which came into

being.

9. PROGRAMS IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE OR ON THE WAY TO BHE.

Among the programs approved by relevant campus bodies and are on their way to

final approval are: that in Exercise Science (a doctoral program), which was approved

by our Board of Trustees and is awaiting final approval by the BHE; that of a doctoral

program, in Applied Linguistics, which was approved by a subcommittee of the

Board of Trustees and is awaiting action by the board; and the doctoral program, in

Sociology, which was also approved by a subcommittee of the board and awaits

faction by the full board.

10. PROGRAMS IN THE PIPELINE. The office has also been working with

academic units on programs which are either working on their final proposals or those,

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to be sub-mitted to the Faculty Council, or which have completed or are working on

preliminary proposals. These are programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels,

and they reflect the emphases which we have incorporated in our strategic plan.

11. ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES. We had a number of administrative changes,

during the year. Professor Anna Madison assumed the leadership for the College of

Public and Community Service, replacing Professor Carroy Ferguson; Professor

Emily McDermott replaced Professor Donna Kuizenga, as Dean of the College of

Liberal Arts, and Professor Kuizenga was appointed to the position of Special

Assistant to the Provost for Assessment and Planning; Dean Philip DiSalvio replaced

Interim Dean Dennis Maxey, after a successful national search; and Professor Zong-

Guo Xia became Dean of Graduate Studies, as we moved to combine the work of the

principal offices for research and graduate studies.

The Dean of the McCormack Graduate School for Policy and Global Studies went on

a leave, and Professor Connie Chan was appointed at Acting Dean.

12. SEARCHES. We completed or began a number of searches, during the year. First,

we recruited a permanent dean for the College of Education and Human

Development; and, with the help of a search firm, also recruited a permanent dean for

the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. There are on-going searches for directors

of our Program in Women in Politics and Public Policy, as well as of the Joiner

Institute.

13. FACULTY RECRUITMENT. We had one of the most successful year, in faculty

recruiting. We had a total of 50 new members (38 tenure track and 4 with tenure).

They came from 14 different countries, from among the most outstanding universities

throughout the world, embodied a ratio of 54 percent female, 26 percent persons of

color. New faculty came from 14 countries.

14. NEW DEAN. We appointed Dr. William Kiernan as dean of the newest academic

unit, on campus, the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development. He will

continue to hold his position as Director of the Institute for Community Inclusion.

We are in the process of integrating our programs, which focus on the environment,

on the campus. During the past year, we continued work in this direction, and we will

have a plan for your discussion early this fall.

15. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE FSU. We also entered into certain negotiations

with the FSU, and realized some success, on those negotiations. I think the Union will

agree with this statement. There are a number of issues which are left to discussed,

and we look forward to our having a successful conclusion on them.

16. SOME GOALS FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR. There are a number of goals,

apart from those earlier mentioned or alluded to. Among them are: gaining of Board

of Trustee support for our planned Honors College; the sharpening of our academic

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focus in the sciences; the furthering of our identity as a campus which takes inter- and

trans-disciplinarity seriously; the further grounding of our sought identity as a

university where one wants to go to study the environment; improvements in our

assessment regime; and increasing our retention/graduation rates.

SOME CONGRATULATIONS. Congratulations, to:

a) Brian Halley, the UMass Press Editor here on campus, on being chosen as

Chair of the Program Committee for next year's annual meeting of the

Association of American University Presses, with the support of Peter Dougherty,

Director of the Princeton University Press and this year's President of the

Association. Not only is he tasked with creating the committee, which he will

chair, but setting the agenda for this major meeting, in which participants from

many areas of scholarly publishing consider the international innovations and

challenges in publishing and disseminating scholarship.

You should know that UMass Press is one of 100 university presses making titles

available to libraries as e-books, which is really part of the University Content

Consortium available through Project Muse--collaboration between publishers

and libraries to make the content of scholarly materials available to students and

others.

b) Andrea Leone, a 2012 graduate of UMB, who has been awarded a

Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship and will spend next year teaching

English, in Rome, Italy. Congratulations, also, to the English Department and to

the College of Liberal Arts.

c) Daren Kew, Professor in the Department of Conflict Resolution, Global

Governance and Human Security, the McCormack Graduate School for Policy

and Global Studies, for his appearance before the U.S. Congress, the House

Foreign Relations Committee, on the recent spate of religious violence in Nigeria.

d) Office of International and Transnational Affairs and Professor Hyun, for

its support of Brazil's Science without Border Program and our having four of

those students with us this year. They are with our departments of Physics,

Mathematics, Biology, and Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences. All their

expenses are paid by the Government of Brazil.

e) The Pension Rights Center (associated with our Gerontology Institute), for

its work with the Illinois Pension Assistance Project, to help retires enjoy the

fruits of their pension. Our Pension Rights Center oversees the New England

Pension Assistance Project.

f) Professor Haeok Lee, from our College of Nursing and Health Sciences,

on her public campaign in Cambodia concerning the importance of data. Her

"Tell-A-Friend about Data is Power," part of her research, was featured on radio

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and TV broadcast, in that country.

g) School for Global Inclusion and Social Development, on its being featured

by the publisher, Elsevier, as the developer of the Elsevier/Direct Course’s

College of Employment Services curriculum. This curriculum is designed to train

professionals and families who support people with intellectual, developmental,

and physical disabilities.

h) Professor Wei Zhang, from the Chemistry Department, on his joint grant

(funded by Santander) with Professor Helio Stefani of the University of Sao Paulo,

Brazil. This is a Green Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry collaboration between

UMass Boston and the University of Sao Paulo.

Questions: The Faculty Council did not have any questions for the Provost.

j. Office of Diversity and Inclusion - climate survey - Juan Nunez

Chief Diversity Officer Juan Nunez presented a Frequently Asked Questions document to

the Faculty Council about a climate survey that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will

be conducting this fall.

Questions:

A Council Member asked: What is the background for this survey? Are there

any assumptions being made, or is it empirical?

o Juan responded that they are making no assumptions at all; that they

would like to get a sense of the climate of the university right now.

Juan provided a PowerPoint presentation to the Faculty Council, which can be found on

the Faculty Council website.

k. 2012 University Athletic Advisory Board Report - Charlie Titus and Laurie Milliken

Laurie Milliken gave a brief introduction of the Athletic Advisory Board and its purpose:

As a member institution of Division III in the National College Athletic Association,

UMass Boston is committed to best practices and the highest standards for our

Intercollegiate Athletics program and our Intramural and Recreation programming as

well. NCAA member universities and colleges strive to make athletics participation an

integral part of the student’s educational experience.

The purpose of the Athletics Advisory Board is to assist the Division of Athletics and

Recreation, Special Projects and Program in meeting these aspirations and in doing so

within and in support of the overall mission of the University of Massachusetts Boston

and its strategic plan. Board members provide guidance to the VC for Athletics and the

senior leadership team on issues of importance; participate in special events each year;

and assist and advocate in promotion of the athletic and recreation program with both

internal and external constituents.

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The board serves to assess the need for additional athletic facilities, to review the mission

of intercollegiate athletics and recreation at the university, to evaluate whether current

policies and practices are consistent with that mission, and to recommend any needed

changes in the mission or the strategies to achieve it.

The University Athletics Advisory Board meets twice per year (once/semester) to review

proposed policies and procedures for the division, current and new sport offerings, issues

related to student‐athletes, and yearly athletic events. The board will assist in making

recommendations and proposed changes to the VC for Athletics.

Vice Chancellor Charlie Titus provided a PowerPoint presentation to the Faculty Council,

which can be found on the Faculty Council website. He also went through the main

points of the presentation with the council.

Questions:

The Provost asked: Will the baseball field be available for academic

conferences?

o Vice Chancellor Titus responded that they will look into adding a

room large enough for academic conferences.

Connie Chan, the Chair of the Athletic Advisory Board commented that the board is

made up of faculty, staff, and coaches. The faculty were vocal in matters associated with

students coming to class, keeping up their GPA, and other academic issues.

--

III. Motion to approve the minutes of May 7, 2012

The motion to approve the minutes was seconded and approved unanimously.

IV. Approval of Faculty Council Standing Committees

Motion: To approve the membership of the following standing committees of the

Faculty Council.

In addition to the changes indicated by the Faculty Council Chair, a Council Member also

indicated the following change that need to be made:

BPC: Change Adenrele Awotona’s affiliation to the Center for Rebuilding

Sustainable Communities After Disasters

The Council Member also asked whether the vacant slots on the standing committees can

be filled. The Faculty Council Chair responded that he will send an email to the deans to

look for faculty to fill these vacant slots.

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A Council Member asked if it was appropriate for the Gen Ed Ad Hoc Committee to

remain on the Standing Committees list, as it is ad hoc, and not a standing committee.

The Faculty Council Chair responded that we would remove it from the Standing

Committees list. This list will be updated based on the changes and available on the

Faculty Council website.

The motion to approve the membership of the standing committees of the Faculty

Council was seconded and approved unanimously.

V. Summer approval:

The Faculty Council Executive Committee members in consultation with Dr. Gregory

Beck, the Chair of the Graduate Studies committee, in an emergency situation during

summer break, acted on the following two proposals and approved them provisionally

under the condition that these two proposals will go through the normal governance

process in the fall of 2012.

1. A proposal for a post-master’s certificate program in early childhood education

and care that has resulted from a Department of Education $1.5 million grant

award to UMB. The complication is that the Department of Education wanted the

certificate program up and running this fall (in order to make full use of the

federal Race to the Top Funding they have received). This grant funded Post-

Masters Certificate Program will offer 4 graduate courses in a hybrid format to

three cohorts of students who all have master’s degrees.

2. A Transitions Leadership track and Certificate program associated with the MEd

in Special Education that was funded by a five-year grant.

The Faculty Council Chair also added that if the proposals had not been acted upon, the

grants would have been in jeopardy. He reiterated that this item is not meant for approval,

just to inform the Faculty Council.

VI. Motion from the General Education committee:

Motion 1

To approve Art 262L/Classics 262L from College of Liberal Arts, for satisfying the

Arts Distribution requirement.

Rationale: Under the Faculty Council’s Distribution Guidelines (rev. 2006), Arts and

Humanities courses must provide students with “significant opportunities to investigate a

variety of ways in which aesthetic, moral, intellectual and/or spiritual aspects of the

human condition are articulated, and to understand such humanistic modes of inquiry as

historical research and analysis and interpretation of texts, ideas, and symbolic

expression.” Courses in these areas must also “devote substantial attention to assisting

students to identify and explore the values which underlie philosophical, historical,

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and/or literary expression.” Arts courses “must lead students to examine expressive

modes and formal structures of at least one major area of artistic endeavor, such as

literature, architecture, music, painting, sculpture, or theatre.” The Distribution

Subcommittee has reviewed the course thoroughly and found that the intensive study of

sculpture and architecture provides these opportunities, grounding the investigation of the

forms in an exploration of classical Greek philosophical views of the nature and potential

of humanity in nature and culture, and providing a thorough presentation of the technique

of analysis of architecture and cultural representation. The Distribution Subcommittee

has also determined that the course provides intensive instruction in the requisite two

General Education capabilities, Critical Thinking and Effective Communication (Oral

Communication).

The motion to approve Art 262L/Classics 262L from College of Liberal Arts, for

satisfying the Arts Distribution requirement was seconded and approved unanimously.

Motion 2 and 3

World Cultures Distribution requirement

Rationale: The Tan Document requires that courses receiving the World Cultures

designation - 1. Include explicit consideration of at least one of the following topics:

meanings of culture, relationships between language and culture, concepts or processes of

cultural change. In treating these topics courses should make students aware of the

problems arising from ethnocentrism. 2. Include explicit focus on comparison between or

among cultures. Students should be actively engaged (through writing, discussion, or

other appropriate experiences) in identifying and understanding features of cultures other

than their own (e.g., literary and artistic production, religious and mythic traditions,

family structure, politics, economic behavior, adaptation to environment, both natural and

human).

Motion 2

To approve Health and Medical Geography course, EEOS 256 from College of

Science and Mathematics, for satisfying the World Cultures Distribution

requirement.

Discussion: EEOS 256 gives students the analytic tools to understand the variability of

health, medicine and disease in a variety of world regions and countries, approaching

them in light not only of geographical techniques for understanding the environment and

resource use but also of cultural structures such as religion and belief systems, family,

and tradition. As such it provides a method and experience for addressing ethnocentric

assumptions and attitudes toward health and a framework for examining cultural change.

The Distribution Subcommittee has found that the course provides thorough training in

Verbal Reasoning (Critical Thinking) and Quantitative Reasoning.

Motion 3

To approve Seminar in World Music, Music 315, for satisfying the World Cultures

Distribution requirement.

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Discussion: Music 315 gives students methodology for describing varied cultures’ music

and applies that methodology to several disparate cultures, so as to provide insight in the

description of a culture’s music in an analytic framework. The course also places the

music of disparate groups in their own sociocultural context. As such it provides students

with the capability to address claims of superiority of one culture’s music over another.

In that many music majors become teachers, this course provides training in addressing

problems of cultural difference in pedagogy. The Distribution Subcommittee has

reviewed the course thoroughly and found that it provides training in two capabilities,

Verbal Reasoning (Written Communication) and Effective Communication (Oral

Communication).

The motions to approve Health and Medical Geography course, EEOS 256 from College

of Science and Mathematics, for satisfying the World Cultures Distribution requirement

and to approve Seminar in World Music, Music 315, for satisfying the World Cultures

Distribution requirement were seconded and approved unanimously.

Motion 4

To approve Introduction to Computation with Python, CS 108 from College of

Science and Mathematics for satisfying the Mathematic /Technology distribution

requirement.

Rationale: The Tan Document requires that technology courses in the

mathematics/technology distribution meet the following requirements: i. The course

should have computing and information technology content as its main focus.

ii. The course should develop students’ competency in the critical practice of technology

in order to further knowledge, advance real‐ world applications, or enhance creative

expression. iii. The course should engage students in an examination of the ethics, rights

and responsibilities of decision‐ making within the digital domain.

The proposed course provides thorough training in computer science, with a critical

exploration of the limits of quantitative computation, and, for real-world problems, the

effects of abstraction. DNA-matching and automated dictionaries provide real world

applications. Finally, the course will conduct an ongoing examination of problems of

rights, responsibilities ethical issues in current events. The General Education Diversity

Subcommittee has reviewed this course thoroughly and finds that it meets the

requirement of providing training in quantitative reasoning through its emphasis on

quantitative computation and in the educational use of technology through its focus on

computer modeling.

The motion to approve Introduction to Computation with Python, CS 108 from College

of Science and Mathematics for satisfying the Mathematic /Technology distribution

requirement was seconded and approved unanimously.

Motion 5

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To approve Biomimicry, UC 111, for satisfying the Natural Science Distribution

requirement.

Rationale: Under the Tan Document, courses satisfying the Natural Science Distribution

1. . . . should have natural science content as a central focus. 2. . . . should have a hands-

on, inquiry-based component, so that students actually engage in the process of

investigation. This component would not necessarily take the form of a traditional,

weekly, experimental laboratory; “inquiry” experiences might also be developed, for

example, through take-home experiments, visits to museums or other field sites with

specific objectives, data analysis, computer-based experiments, or brief in-class

experiments. The course should be designed to provide experience in scientific inquiry,

analysis, and problem-solving. 3. . . . should engage students in reflection on the

relevance and value of science to society and/or culture, as well as to the uses and abuses

of scientific understanding and investigation.

Biomimicry is a new and still-emerging approach in the natural sciences and engineering

that seeks to identify patterns in Nature that may serve as models for human innovation,

and in particular, for the development of sustainable approaches to social needs. The

course has natural science content as its focused, and the syllabus illustrates a range of

field trips and hands-on, inquiry-based activities that will provide experience in scientific

inquiry, analysis, and problem-solving, as the Tan Document requires. It is particularly

well suited to teaching the use of scientific understanding for social needs, with writing

assignments that emphasize the value of natural models to problems of sustainability.

The Distributions Subcommittee has reviewed the seminar thoroughly and finds that it

provides the requisite instruction in the General Education capabilities of Critical

Thinking and Effective Communication (Written and Oral Communication).

The motion to approve Biomimicry, UC 111, for satisfying the Natural Science

Distribution requirement was seconded and approved unanimously.

VII. Motion from the Library committee:

(1) To formally adopt the Proposed Guidelines for ScholarWorks@UMass Boston

(2) To establish a campus Committee on Scholarly Communications

(3) To adopt a campus-wide open access policy with a no-questions-asked opt-out option

Motion 1: That the Proposed Guidelines for ScholarWorks@UMass Boston, prepared by

a committee appointed by Provost Winston Langley and chaired by Professor Kenneth

Rothwell (Classics), be formally adopted by the University of Massachusetts Boston. The

Proposed Guidelines are available for review here:

http://blogs.umb.edu/archives/scholarworks

Motion 2: That the University of Massachusetts Boston establishes a Committee on

Scholarly Communication, which will report jointly to Faculty Council and the Provost,

to mitigate issues concerning scholarly communications and open access publications at

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the University of Massachusetts Boston, particularly as they pertain to ScholarWorks, the

University’s institutional repository.

Motion 3: That the University of Massachusetts Boston adopts a campus-wide open

access policy with a no-questions-asked opt-out option for faculty members and

researchers. A proposed draft of this open access policy is available here:

http://blogs.umb.edu/archives/scholarworks

There were no members of the Library Committee present at the Faculty Council meeting

that were willing to speak to these motions. The Faculty Council Chair moved to

postpone these motions until someone from the committee is present. This move to

postpone was seconded and approved unanimously.

VIII. Motions from the Graduate Studies Committee

Motion 1 (Motions 1 and 2 are related motions)

To approve the following program change: Change the Special Topics rubric (597, 697,

797 and 897) to allow each program to have its own Special Topics courses with

maximum flexibility as appropriate to experimental and entrepreneurial course

development. Although some of these elements are generally in place, this proposal

would make these elements consistent across all graduate programs.

Motion 2

To approve the following policy change: Change the Independent Studies rubric (595,

596, 695, 696, 795, 796 and 895, 896) to allow each program to have its own

Independent Study courses with maximum flexibility as appropriate to meeting the

unique circumstances and opportunities of individual students.

The Graduate Studies Committee Chair, Professor Greg Beck, spoke to these two

motions and indicated that they came from the dean’s offices as a way to standardize

them across campus. He also commented that the approval of these motions would help

the Registrar’s office, in that the naming would also be standardized.

There was discussion between the Council Members and the Graduate Studies

Committee (mainly Greg Beck and Rita Nethersole) with the following questions being

asked:

Can a student take the same special topics course, and repeat it for credit? The

wording in the description has false implications by not being specific.

o The GSC responded that a student can repeat a course with the same

number, but the topic and course name has to be different.

The wording is unclear; is it a matter of changing a semicolon to the word “only”?

o Council members responded that this proposal would not be adequate.

The wording, especially in #3 of the description of the proposal, is too global

without qualifications. The first sentence in particular would be confusing to

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faculty, staff, and students.

Does this proposal also indicate that a student who fails the special topics course

is allowed to repeat it?

o The GSC responded that this proposal would make 597, 697, 797, and 897

all repeatable.

In terms of Special Topics and Independent Study Courses: many departments

have different numbers for the fall and spring semesters; will there be different

numbers for each semester?

o The GSC responded no.

Could we find out why a student is only limited to 4 special topics courses?

o The GSC responded that they don’t want a student to build their

curriculum on special topics, as this would undermine the integrity of the

curriculum. They also want to discourage faculty from building their

curriculum around special topics.

What is the current limit?

o The GSC responded that it varies from department to department.

o A Council Member commented that he had seen this type of situation

happen in the past with a Biology graduate student.

A Council Member commented that in some departments, they have new faculty

teach new courses as special topics in their first year, as a way to turn the course

into a regular course. Could a student be damaged by this, or could this impact

enrollment for new faculty. Is there a way for these special topics to rollover as a

new course on the transcript?

o The GSC responded no, but there could be changes.

A Council Member commented that they originally thought it would be a matter

of language, but it is actually a multilayered conversation about policy and the

meaning of special topics courses. Is it a policy or a matter of clarifying elements

across graduate programs? It would be helpful to understand this better.

Could a limit on special topics be stepping on the rights of departments, since

they are not being consulted?

o The GSC responded that when a new course is proposed, the syllabi go

through Faculty Council, so there is less of a need for special topics in the

amount of courses.

A Council Member commented that these issues have already been discussed by

the Graduate Program Directors many times, and they have had a part in shaping

this proposal.

The Faculty Council Chair called for a motion for the Graduate Studies Committee to

resubmit proposals for motions 1 and 2 and postpone these motions. The motion to

resubmit and postpone was seconded and approved. There were two council members

that did not approve.

There was further discussion on the following topics: variable credits, restrictions on the

number of independent study courses, clarifying the issue of what is solved by

standardizing the number of these types of courses across departments, and the level for

independent study: master’s vs. doctorate.

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Motion 3

To approve the following program change: College of Management

Change the Clean Energy Certificate to a freestanding certificate. The certificate program

has been restricted to existing graduate students at UMass-Boston. We have had a

number of requests from other people with undergraduate, graduate, and even PhD

degrees to take the certificate. They want an additional qualification to pursue a career in

the clean energy or sustainability area. Some are looking for an extra qualification to

advance in their existing place of work, some to change career paths.

This revision is to enable the certificate to be taken by students not currently enrolled in a

graduate degree program. Students will apply using the standard online application for

graduate certificates. Admitted applicants will hold at least an undergraduate degree from

a recognized institution. Students will be admitted on a case-by-case basis, based on their

academic background, work experience, and expression of career goals. The Graduate

Programs office, College of Management, will handle the admission and certificate

granting process. The chairs of the departments of Management and Marketing, and

Environmental Earth and Ocean Studies (Drs. David Levy and Robyn Hannigan) will

approve applications, and develop guidelines for routinizing admissions as the program

grows.

The Graduate Studies Chair clarified that this program change would allow any student to

take the Clean Energy Certificate, rather than solely College of Management students.

A Council Member asked for further clarification, in that the Graduate Studies Chair

explain what he meant by “anybody.” Another Council Member asked whether the same

pre-degree requirements would be required.

The Graduate Studies Chair responded that the student would still need to have a

Bachelor’s degree (not a Master’s), and would need the approval of the chairs of both the

departments of Management and Marketing, and Environmental Earth and Ocean

Studies.

The motion to Change the Clean Energy Certificate to a freestanding certificate was

seconded and approved unanimously.

Motion 4

To approve the following new course:

College of Liberal Arts

LATIN 688 – Initial Licensure Practicum

The motion to approve LATIN 688 was seconded and approved unanimously.

IX. New Business

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The Faculty Council Chair asked the Faculty Council if there was any new business, and

no Council Member indicated that they would like to add anything.

X. Motion to adjourn

The motion to adjourn was seconded and approved unanimously.