2008-2009 FACULTY SENATE
California State University, Sacramento

AGENDA
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Foothill Suite, University Union
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

OPEN FORUM

CONSENT ACTION

REGULAR AGENDA

FS 09-24/Ex.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF APRIL 9, 2009

SECOND READING

FS 09-22/CPC/Ex.

CLASS SIZE, QUALITY, AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION TASK FORCE, ESTABLISHMENT OF

Background: In fall 2008, the Reading and Writing Subcommittee presented a number of policy suggestions to CPC to address issues of increasing class size in times of budget cuts. In Fall 2008 and spring 2009, the CPC discussed these policy suggestions and sought input from the campus through a variety of activities: the 2008 Senate Retreat, a campus survey focused on class size issues, and a class size summit. As a result of these activities, the CPC considered a number of policy suggestions: putting a hard cap on communication-intensive courses such as composition and Writing Intensive courses, asking departments to designate certain courses as “class size protected” to help deans and departments make informed decisions in meeting target FTES, and changing the way we label courses to reflect class size rather than pedagogical approach. The CPC believes that class size is a complex issue that involves policy, budget, space management, curriculum, and pedagogy, and that multiple stakeholders need to be included in the conversation before policy is proposed to the Senate.

The Faculty Senate recommends that a Class Size, Quality, and Resource Utilization Task Force be formed in Fall 2009 to report back to the Senate and Academic Affairs before the end of the Spring 2010 semester.

In its report the task force should consider:

1. Results obtained and proposals considered by the CPC to date

2. Strategies departments are currently using to deal with class size increases

3. Strategies other CSUs and other universities across the country are using to deal with class size increases

4. Processes departments and colleges engage in to determine which courses have their caps changed

5. Best practices in the design of large classrooms (i.e. Scale Up and other models)

6. The role of technology as a resource for instructors to meet the demands of large classes

7. The effect of technology on instructor workload in large classes

8. The interrelationship between each of the aforementioned items and the graduate programs on campus

The members of the Class Size Task Force should include:

· One designee from Academic Affairs

· One student representative

· The CTL director or a CTL rep

· The CPC chair or a rep from CPC

· The FPC chair or a rep from FPC

· The APC chair or a rep from APC

· One representative from ATCS

The Class Size, Quality, and Resource Utilization Task Force’s final report should include both a summary of their findings and recommendations to address class size concerns at CSUS.

FS 09-23/Ex.

BY-LAWS, REVISION OF

The Faculty Senate amends its By-laws as outlined in Attachment A.

FIRST READING

FS 09-25/GSPC/Ex.

GRADUATE STUDENT LOAN DEFERMENT POLICY

Background: As a result of the implementation of the CMS system, there has been improved coordination among units across campus. In particular, Financial Aid services is more directly allied with the tracking of the enrollment status of graduate students, and the CMS system does not recognize students who are enrolled in continuous enrollment units (599) through the College of Continuing Education to be making progress toward their degree. Hence, instead of maintaining their ability to defer their loans until after graduation, at the onset of the Fall 2009 term these students will be expected to begin repayment of student loans prior to their degree completion. Unless there is a change in campus policy, the Registrar will begin reporting to lenders that graduate students completing their culminating experience who are enrolled in 599 do not qualify for continued loan deferment.

The Graduate Studies Policies Committee recommends that current policy be amended to indicate that “graduate students enrolled in continuous enrollment and receiving an “RP” grade in their 500 units are considered to be full-time enrolled students at this university.”

The language above should be placed in appropriate documents to reflect current practice on the campus. No changes in length or eligibility for continuous enrollment are enacted by instituting this language. The language simply aligns the efforts of the Registrar’s Office, the Financial Aid Office, and the Office of Graduate Studies in their collective use of the CMS system.

INFORMATION

NEXT FACULTY SENATE MEETING: APRIL 23, 2009

1. Faculty Senate's home page:  www.csus.edu/acse, or, from the CSUS home page, click on Administration and Policy, then Administration, then Faculty Senate.

2. The Structure of Senate Meetings

3. Actions of the 2008-2009 Senate

4. Top Ten List of Things New Senators Should Know

5. Tentative schedule of Faculty Senate meetings for Spring 2009 (subject to change):

· Tu., 4/21/09 – 2nd meeting of Committee on Committees (3:00-4:00); Executive Committee from 4:00-5:00 · Th., 4/23/09 – 1st organizational meeting (nominations for Executive Committee positions) of 09-10 Senate (3:00-3:30); 08-09 Senate meets (3:30-5:00) · Tu., 4/28/09 - Excellence in Teaching and Faculty Service to the University and Community reception

· Th., 4/30/09 – Senate meets · Th., 5/7/09 – 2nd organizational meeting (elections for Executive Committee positions) of 09-10 Senate (3:00-3:30); 08-09 Senate meets (3:30-5:00) · Th., 5/14/09 – Senate meets · Th., 5/21/09 – tentative (finals week)