Cristy Jensen - Tom Krabacher - Louise Timmer

This is the first in a series of short, user friendly newsletters to provide an update on actions taken by the Statewide Senate and identify emerging issues which we, as your elected reps, feel are important. We're committed to doing this 5 times each academic year after our bi monthly plenary meeting. We welcome your comments and questions!

• Executive Committee (elected)
• Academic Affairs Committee
• Faculty Affairs Committee
• Fiscal and Governmental Affairs
• Teacher Education and K-12 Relations

In addition to committee assignments, each Senator serves on a variety of statewide committees, commissions, task forces, etc. During this year, we have the following assignments:

Tom Krabacher, member of Fiscal and Governmental Affairs Committee, the General Education Subcommittee, and the Master Plan Revision Working Group.

Louise Timmer, member of Teacher Education and K-12 Relations Committee, Commission on the Extended University, Advisory Board of Institute of Teaching and Learning, IMPAC committee, Governor's Teaching Fellowship Review Committee, Forgivable Loan/Doctoral Incentive Program Selection Committee, CPEC Networking Access and Resources.

Cristy Jensen, member-at-large, Executive Committee, Academic Technology Advisory Committee, Joint UC/CSU Graduate Board, California Post-Secondary Education Commission (Senate observer), Intersegmental Council of Academic Senates, and Co-chair 2000-2001 Academic Conference.

Passed a resolution "Urging Outside of Bargaining Assessment of Merit Pay Policies" which asks the parties to explore the experience with the merit pay system and consult with other CSU constituencies and experts.

Introduced a first reading item for action at March plenary which affirms the Senate's May 1998 Merit Pay Task Force report making specific reference to the principles contained in that report and urges all parties to recognize that the RTP process is a merit system and should be used as a model for further merit-based compensation programs. The Merit Pay Task Force Report may be accessed from www.calstate.edu/tier3/AcadSen/

Passed a resolution encouraging continued cooperation with Community College faculty on transfer process issues. This resolution supports the faculty led intersegmental discussions on lower division major preparation coursework. Louise is involved with the nursing and related disciplines work in this area (see IMPAC below).

The Fiscal and Government Affairs Committee monitors and makes recommendations on CSU budgetary matters, particularly those affecting academic instruction; it also supports the statewide Academic Senate's positions and policies before the California Legislature. As part of the latter, the Committee monitors and reports on the status of legislation moving through the Assembly and Senate that affects education issues (particularly higher education and the CSU) within the state. This requires periodic visits to state capitol during the academic year to meet with legislators and their staff.

• The proposed revision of the California Master Plan for Higher Education;
• Allocation of the additional 2% needed to fully fund the agreed upon 6% faculty salary increase (CSU and Senate priority);
• Acquiring funding to cover the higher costs of graduate FTE;
• Obtaining resources to help new faculty cope with high housing costs around the state.

The Executive Committee of the Senate has organized a workgroup to formulate an initial strategy for faculty response to proposed legislation authorizing the CSU to award a Applied Doctorate in Education. The group will include the Chairs of Fiscal and Governmental Affairs Committee, the Teacher Education and K-12 Relations Committee and two members from the Executive Committee.

The Senate has invited the CFA and the Chancellor's Office to join a Task Force to examine the changing nature of faculty workload. The study is viewed as a base for improving support, resources, and reward systems. The group, composed of four senate reps, four CFA reps, three Provosts, and three Chancellor's office reps, is working on a draft survey of faculty.

Bob Buckley is one of two campus senate chairs on a newly formed task force examining faculty retirements and increased recruitment needs in the system. It follows the tri-partite representation as in the Workload Task Force above.

Two hundred -fifty fellowship recipients have been recommended to Governor Davis. Fellowships of $20,000 will be awarded to students in teacher preparation programs who commit to teaching in a

Greg Wheeler, Geology, will discuss the Placer Hall partnership with the US Geological Survey at the Senate's Academic Conference Feb 28-March 2 in San Diego. Conference title: Strategic Partnerships: Critical to Education in California.