Graduate Faculty Council Meeting Minutes: January 30, 2002


Whetten Graduate Center, Room 200
3:00 P.M.

  1. The meeting was called to order at 3:05 P.M. by Associate Vice Provost James Henkel.
  2. Newly elected and reelected members were recognized.
  3. It was moved, seconded, and passed on a voice vote to approve as distributed the minutes of the 10-31-2001 meeting.
  4. An election was held to fill two seats on the GFC Executive Committee. The following were nominated: J. Garry Clifford, Erling Murtha-Smith, and Emilio Pagoulatos. There being no further nominations, voting was by paper ballot. J. Garry Clifford and and Emilio Pagoulatos were elected to serve three-year terms.
  5. J. Henkel distributed copies of the schedule of campus visits of the three finalists for the position of Executive Director of the Office for Sponsored Programs.
  6. Interim Vice Provost Ian Hart introduced Cynthia F. Jones, Director of Career Services, who addressed the Council concerning the resources made available to graduate students by the Department of Career Services. Following a Power Point presentation, Jones answered questions from the floor.
  7. J. Henkel reported on the status of the implementation of the PeopleSoft student records and course registration computer system.

    Following the report, there was discussion about various aspects of the implementation and about the adequacy of
    available resources to support the new system. Areas of serious concern emerged.

    As a result of the discussion, E. Schultz moved the adoption of the following resolution:

    WHEREAS the interminable response time of PeopleSoft during student registration
    Fall 2001 generated considerable student and faculty frustration, and
    WHEREAS the Graduate Faculty Council is deeply concerned that the PeopleSoft
    system does not have adequate computing resources for its full implementation, and
    WHEREAS providing adequate resources may require the investment of considerable
    additional funds at a time of University operating deficits and cancelled capital
    improvements; therefore
    BE IT RESOLVED that the Graduate Faculty Council suggests that the implementation
    of additional modules (i.e., admissions, billing, and financial aid) be delayed until
    adequate resources are available, and
    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Graduate Faculty Council recommends that further
    major investment in the PeopleSoft system take place only in full consultation with
    appropriate faculty bodies.

    The motion was seconded (E. Pagoulatos), and it was discussed. It was agreed by consensus that the resolution (if
    adopted) would be sent to President Austin, Chancellor Petersen, Vice Chancellor Maryanski, and Vice Chancellor
    Kobulnicky.

    The vote was called. The motion to adopt the resoltion passed on a voice vote with one nay and one abstention.

  8. A. Frogley raised for discussion as a matter of old business the proposal to modify the University calendar that has been formulated by an ad hoc committee of the University Senate. He noted that there are several areas of concern about the proposal that are shared by faculty members in a wide variety of disciplines. One such area of concern is the proposal to shorten considerably the intersession period in January. Doing so would take from faculty members much needed time for research and for professional activities. W. Abikoff noted that the Graduate Faculty Council is the most effective single voice of the Graduate Faculty at large and that the Council should consider taking a position in this matter. E. Pagoulatos recommended that the GFC Executive Committee consider the matter at its meeting on 2-8-2002 and draft a statement concerning this matter on which members of the Council then can vote via e-mail. It was agreed by consensus to proceed in this manner. A straw vote was nearly unanimous in expressing serious concern and reservation about the proposal as it currently is drafted.
  9. Adjournment was at 4:55 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Thomas B. Peters
Secretary

Present:

  • Abikoff, W.
  • Albert, A.
  • Barnes-Farrell, J.
  • Basu, A.
  • Brody, H.
  • Brown, R.
  • Byrne, T. (alt)
  • Calabrese, A.
  • Clifford, J.G.
  • Cournoyer, D.
  • Cusson, R.
  • Frogley, A.
  • Geary, S.
  • Haller, K.
  • Hasson, S.
  • Higonnet, M.
  • Karan, O.
  • Klein, L.
  • Linnekin, J.
  • Makriyannis, A.
  • Maresh, C.
  • Marsden, J.
  • McAvoy, R.
  • Pagoulatos, E.
  • Rios, D.
  • Schultz, E.
  • Sheehan, N.
  • Shvartsman, A.
  • Silbart, L.
  • Stern, D.
  • Troyer, J.
  • Warner, G.
  • Wilburn, R.

Graduate School:

  • Hart, I.
  • Henkel, J.
  • Peters, T.

Speaker: Cynthia F. Jones, Director of Career Services

Regrets:

  • Herzberger, D.
  • Kream, B.
  • Maxwell, G.
  • Mukhopadhyay, N.
  • Strausbaugh, L.
  • Streifer, P.