Academic Senate Meeting Minutes

Steering Committee Chairperson Dr. Scott Litroff called the meeting of the Academic Senate to order at 3:15 PM.  The meeting was held in hybrid format, with attendees both in M136 and ZOOM.  Chairperson Litroff chaired the meeting from M-136. 

I.  Attendance Total of 51 present 43 responses recorded on zoom 34 inperson and 9 online and 8 unable to log in to zoom recorded on paper. 

Absent: Nazmul Arefin, Raul Armendariz, Alisa Cercone, Charles Chiu Fu Chen, Stephen Di Dio, Margot Edlin, Gisette Forte, Kahlil Garner, Kristen Hoffman, Miguel Long, Philip Nelan, Andrew Nguyen, Josely Ojeda, Eily Parrinello, Sean Persaud, George Proteasa, Mahbubur Rahman, Kaskaran Singh, James Timbilla, Isabel Torres, Shekoyan Vazgen, Gilmar Visoni, Patrick Wallach

II.  Approval of the Agenda 

Chariperson Litroff used unanimous consent to approve the agenda with no objections.

III. Consideration of the Minutes from Marich 10, 2026

Chairperson Litroff approved the March 10th minutes by unanimous consent, with the amendment to remove Julian Jimenez from the list of absentees.

IV. Communications 

1. President Christine Mangino 
   The Senate received President Mangino’s Report 

   1. Dr. Mangino welcomed back faculty and staff from spring break and announced good news, CUNY Beyond, which is focused on aligning careers, career learning. industry partnerships. internships and workplace experiences, QCC will be getting funding for a minimum of three years for an Assistant Vice President for Career and Industry Partnership, a manager who would be a HEO associate,  a data analytics person, and 3  career advisors, and then 3 industry specialists. Funding starts July 1, 2026

      The position for the ABP position will be posted by tomorrow with the understanding that will try to hire somebody by July 1st, and then by the end of this month, we'll have the manager position posted.  There may be colleagues on campus that are interested so she encourages faculty and staff to share the news.

      This is an appropriate position for growth; it's over $5 million and does not come out of QCC's budget. Space for these new people is still being worked out.

      The mayor is going to be visiting our Kuferberg Holocaust Center for a private tour.

      Yesterday QCC was notified by one of our alumni, Ho Martin, that he received an NSF research grant for $159,000 to support his education at Purdue University which also includes a stipend. 

      Registration opened a week ago and we are currently down 500 students than what we had last year at this time for our continuing students. Dr. Mangino is encouraging faculty and staff to remind students to register. We have a number of students with outstanding balances, so remind them to go to the bursar so that we can work with them to help them figure out how to pay their bill.  Don't just tell them to go to the bursar to pay their bill, because if they don't have the money, they're not going to do that.

      Students email transitions happened over the break which caused a lot of chaos. IT help desk has been overwhelmed with the number of students needing help. It was a CUNY wide initiative to have the transition happen over spring break.

      Several reminders of activities that are happening starting this Thursday,

      • AAPI Heritage Month at 3:00 in the SUL. We hope people can join us.
      • This Friday we have a transparency series on complaint process, right? Who do you go to? Which office do you go to? HR will be there, and Student Affairs will be there, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion will be there to explain how it all works.
      • There's a new president for the association, American Association of Community Colleges. She is going to be in New York Friday, to meet with all the CUNY Community College presidents.
      • Also, on Friday we have a transparency series on the curricula data analytics.
      • Monday and Tuesday we have our ATD coaches visiting for their last time with us. We've been working with achieving the Dream for 3 years under a grant fund specific for their programming. We're going to continue our work with ATD because it's been really fruitful, but at a much less level so that we can afford it ourselves.
      • USF Liason Montly Report: 

        Emily Tai reported: City University of New York (CUNY) funding is determined through the New York State budget process, which begins with the Governor’s executive budget proposal, followed by separate proposals from the State Senate and Assembly. These are reconciled through negotiations involving multiple stakeholders, including CUNY and State University of New York (SUNY).

        Recent trends show increased collaboration between the Senate and Assembly in supporting both CUNY and SUNY, rather than treating funding as a zero-sum issue. Leadership from both systems often jointly advocate for shared priorities.

        At the March UFS plenary, Interim Senior Vice Chancellor and CFO Kenneth Godiner provided an update on the state budget:

        • Positive developments:
          • Strong gubernatorial support for higher education.
          • Significant funding for the Higher Education Services Corporation, including expanded Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) access for part-time students.
          • Proposed initiatives include:
            • Free community college for high-demand fields
            • Artificial intelligence programs
            • Career readiness and microcredentials
            • CUNY Reconnect (re-enrollment initiative)
            • Early childhood education workforce development tied to childcare expansion
          • Continued capital funding for infrastructure and maintenance.
        • Key concern:
          • The Governor proposes funding approximately 50% of the cost of the current collective bargaining agreement, while the Senate and Assembly support full funding.

        Additional discussion points included:

        • Ongoing concerns about capital funding adequacy and maintaining “state of good repair.”
        • Remarks from James Davis (Professional Staff Congress) regarding union concerns about budget negotiations.
        • A proposed charter revision to formally include contingent faculty in governance, aligning with American Association of University Professors (AAUP) best practices.
        • A resolution from the Committee on Student Affairs encouraging live, unscripted student speeches at commencement ceremonies.

        Faculty were encouraged to engage in advocacy by contacting their State Senate and Assembly representatives regarding budget priorities, particularly in light of potential fiscal pressures such as federal Medicaid funding reductions, which may impact higher education funding.

   2. Steering Committee Report: 

      The Steering Committee thanked all participants who completed the annual Academic Senate survey, which focused on standing committee member experiences. The survey concluded on March 31, and results will be presented at the May Senate meeting.

      The committee also acknowledged the work of the Committee on Committees and the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC). The FEC has completed its elections, and the Committee on Committees has finalized the proposed standing committee rosters, which were presented for Senate approval. Upon approval, the committee lists will be shared with the college community, and transition planning with incoming members will begin.

      A reminder was issued that annual reports from all standing committees are due by Commencement. This adjusted timeline, implemented in recent years, allows for more timely review and feedback by the Steering Committee. Additional reminders will be distributed as the deadline approaches.

      The Steering Committee announced that elections for the Steering Committee and any open seats on the Committee on Committees will take place at the May meeting. All current and incoming senators are eligible to run. Members interested in serving are encouraged to speak with current leadership for more information and to notify their department chairs to support planning and scheduling.

V. Monthly Reports 

• Committee on Committees: 

  A correction was noted in the Admissions Committee roster: Susanna Jones was replaced by Sarbani Goshal to address a duplication in committee assignments.

  The Committee on Committees (CoC) also clarified adjustments related to the recent reduction in the number of standing committees from nine to six. Careful planning was undertaken to ensure that future committee cycles remain consistent and sustainable, particularly in maintaining a predictable rotation of membership. These adjustments were made to avoid complications for future CoC members and to ensure continuity in committee operations.

  It was further noted that the restructuring required balancing the number of members rotating off committees each year, which varies depending on committee size. The CoC worked to standardize this process as much as possible under the new structure.

  Following discussion, a motion was made and seconded to approve the standing committee rosters. With no further discussion, the motion was put to a vote with 49 votes recorded with 49 yes 0 no motion carried

  The Steering Committee also encouraged ongoing dialogue from committees regarding membership needs. Any proposed future changes to committee structure or size should be submitted as formal proposals for Senate consideration.

• Curriculum Committee: 

  The Committee on Curriculum presented several proposals from the Department of Engineering Technology.

  • Course Revisions (4 total): ET375, ET481, ET712, and ET721
    Four course revisions involved updates to course descriptions to correct errors or better align with course content, as well as prerequisite adjustments to either improve student access or strengthen academic preparation. A motion was made and seconded to approve the course revisions. With no further discussion, the motion was put to a vote with 48 votes recorded with 48 yes 0 no motion carried
  • Course Conversion (Experimental to Regular):
    One course was converted from an experimental offering to a regular course. The course focus was broadened from AI Game Design to AI Software Development to better align with the needs of the EMAAS program. The title and description were updated accordingly, and certain prerequisites (ET 574 and ET 502) were revised to be co-requisites. A motion was made and seconded to approve the conversion of the course from experimental to regular. With no further discussion, the motion was put to a vote with 46 votes recorded with 46 yes 0 no motion carried.
  • New Course Proposal:
    A new course, ET600: Gen AI Real-World Skills for the Future, was proposed and approved. The course is designed to align with current industry standards and workforce demands, incorporating input from industry and apprenticeship partners. It will be a 3-credit course (2 lecture, 2 lab) with no prerequisites or co-requisites, focusing on applied AI concepts and project-based learning.A motion was made and seconded to approve the new course. With no further discussion, the motion was put to a vote with 49 votes recorded with 49 yes 0 no motion carried.
  • Program Revision (EM-AAS):
    A comprehensive program revision was approved for the EMAAS program. Key changes include:
    • Program name change from Internet and Information Technology to Artificial Intelligence
    • Increase in minimum math requirement to MA 440
    • Addition of new required courses (ET600, ET601, ET756)
    • Introduction of specialized concentrations, including:
      • General AI
      • Machine Learning Engineering
      • AI Engineering
      • Cloud Engineering
    • Reorganization of existing courses into concentration areas to better reflect evolving industry needs

  A motion was made and seconded to approve the program revision. With no further discussion, the motion was put to a vote with 47 votes recorded with 47 yes 0 no motion carried

VI. Unfinished Business No unfinished business

VII. New Business

• Library Amnesty Program:
  Christine Kim (Library) announced a two-week library amnesty program running from April 13 through April 25. During this period, overdue books and materials may be returned without late fines, and records will be cleared. Replacement fees may still apply for lost or damaged items. Faculty were encouraged to remind students to return overdue materials.
• Art & Design Student Exhibition:
  Kathy Wontrecht (Art & Design) announced the annual student exhibition, scheduled for April 21 from 4:00–6:00 PM in the art gallery.Social Science Research Symposium:
  Jeff Jankowski (Social Sciences) announced a research symposium taking place the following day, featuring a presentation by Trevor Milton on institutional racism and community-based responses. The event will be held in LB29 from 12:10–1:00 PM.
• Middle States Self-Study Update:  Representatives reported strong progress on the Middle States self-study. A successful writing retreat was held in March, and second drafts of all seven working group chapters have been submitted. A town hall will be held on April 22 at 3:00 PM to share updates with the campus community. Final drafts are expected by early fall, with the accreditation site visit anticipated in Spring of next year.
• Student Government Elections:
  Dashanna Jennings (Student Government) announced upcoming student elections, to be held April 22–29. Students will receive voting information via email.
• Faculty Evaluation Survey:
  A reminder was issued regarding an open survey on faculty evaluation forms. Faculty were encouraged to complete the survey and share it with colleagues. A follow-up email reminder will be distributed.
• Standing Committee Leadership Elections:
  Faculty were reminded that standing committees must elect a chair and secretary for the upcoming academic year by May 19. Only incoming committee members may vote, and quorum must be met. Committees were encouraged to coordinate transitions between outgoing and incoming leadership.
• Faculty Member-at-Large Election Results:
  Results of the Faculty Member-at-Large elections were announced via email to the faculty.
• Campus Event Highlight:
  A recent performing arts event at QPAC was highlighted, featuring student participation and alumni performers. The event was recorded and will be shared online to broaden access to campus programming.

Meeting Adjourned at 3:48 PM 

Minutes respectfully submitted by Barbara Rome