Academic Senate Meeting Minutes
May 13, 2025
Steering Committee Chairperson Dr. Litroff called the eight regularly scheduled meeting of the Academic Senate to order at 3:14 PM. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, with attendees in M136 and ZOOM. Dr. Litroff chaired the meeting from M-136.
I. Attendance
55 were recorded when attendance was taken, and 58 members of the Academic Senate were present during the meeting.
Absent: Nazmul Arefin, Charles Chiu Fu Chen, Lois Florman, Zivah Perel Katz, David Lieberman, Isabella Lizzul, Andrew Nguyen, Joselyn Ojeda, Sean Persaud, Sabreen Qaisar, Laura Rachiele, MD Mahbubur Rahman, Sharon Reeves, Mark Schiebe, Jaskaran Singh, LaKersha Smith, Celia Sporer, Julian Stark, James Timbilla, and Isabel Torres.
II. Approval of the Agenda
There are 2 additions to the agenda: informational item for the bylaws and credit for prior learning vote. Dr. Litroff used unanimous consent to approve the agenda.
III. Consideration of the minutes from April 8, 2025 (Attachment A)
One correction: the Standing Committee roster that was approved through unanimous consent, not the Senator-at-large seats.
IV. Communications from:
Our colleague is home from the hospital and doing well. On Thursday there will be the celebration of service in QPCA and acknowledgement of the colleagues who administered CPR.
There is filming to create a virtual tour of the campus for prospective students. Also, Wayfinding which is assessing where the signs on campus are and then plans to make it easier to find things on campus and fix the signage.
The elevator in the Administration Building was working and now it is not, and the company has been notified. There are computer replacements across campus for anybody who is still using Windows 10 will end in middle of October.
On Saturday, the governor released the budget and more information for QCC specifically will be shared.
There has been call looking for members of the senate and we all alternate positions are filled. There is a need for a secretary for the senate.
We do have two Jack Kent Cool Scholarship winners: Ieesha Ansar and Pedrocia De-Sosoo. Out of the 90 nationwide there are nine within CUNY and they receive $55,000 annually to help complete their bachelor’s degree.
We hope to see everyone at all the different celebrations across the campus in the next few weeks.
-
Communication from the Liaison to the University Faculty Senate - Dr. Emily Tai
The UFS met on May 6th for a plenary and much of the work was on elections. Information was shared about situations faced by students regarding Citizenship Now and the resources available for undocumented students. The Student Affairs Committee has put out blogs posts. There is a recommendation that faculty include something in their syllabus about resources for undocumented students and students facing legal issues. The two main CUNY resources as Citizenship Now and CUNY Clear.
There was a discussion of proposed revisions to the University Faculty Senate Charter and on issues under vote was the representation of contingent faculty but is not in the charter and is still under consideration.
The University Faculty Senate also approved the incorporation of two new standing committees: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Information Technology Committee saying that faculty have to be consulted in issues of information technology. This resolution is calling for a reinstatement of faculty input into major technological decisions. There is going to be a standing committee on Academic Policy which will forward recommendations to the Board of Trustees.
Anuradha Srivastava is circulating 2 surveys: advisement and the experience faculty have on advisement and the other survey is about promotion, tenure and support for research at community colleges.
Sixty-one grants have been cancelled across the campus. The University Faculty Senate Executive Committee issued a statement; Together We Stand and ask for everyone’s support.
Dr. Litroff thanked our outgoing senators and members, faculty governance and members of the standing committee for their service and welcomed incoming senators and including standing committee members and members of the FGL
As a reminder to standing committees that May is the month to select a chair and a secretary. Messages were sent to chairs and secretaries on the proper directions and procedures for electing new chairs and secretaries.
Today there will be elections for positions for Steering and three positions on the Committee on Committees
Dr. Litroff congratulated the May 2025 candidates for graduation, of which there will be a vote today. There will be an item added as an addendum to the Steering Committee monthly report which is a document that has been adopted at the beginning of the academic year. There is a total of 24 hours of reassigned time that is approved for this academic year and for the next year. In the Steering Committee there is a total of 12 hours – 4 hours to the chair, 4 hours for the vice-chair and 4 hours for the secretary. In the past there were hours for the Senate Technology Officer but in recent years, these duties were divided among the other members of the Steering Committee.
The Committee on Course and Standing, the chair currently has 1.5 hours of release time and the same will be requested going forth. The Committee on Admissions has 1.5 hours for the chair. Committee on Committees has 3 hours for the chair and Committee on Curriculum has 6 hours for the chair. The same will be requested for the next academic year as was done for this past academic year.
V. Senate Elections
- Senate Committee for 2025-2026
- Steering Committee Chair
Nomination for Scott Litroff and one vote cast on behalf of the Senate for Scott Litroff
- Steering Committee Vice-Chair
Nomination for Daniel Garbin and one vote cast on behalf of the Senate for Daniel Garbin
- Steering Committee Secretary – no votes cast. Need for further discussion
- Steering Committee Parliamentarian
Nomination for Rezan Akpinar and one vote cast on behalf of the Senate for Rezan Akpinar
- Committee on Committees – nomination of 3 senators
4 nominees: Rezan Akpinar, Rommel Robertson, Jodi VanDerHorn-Gibson, and Madeline Ruggiero
Votes:
Jodi VanDerHorn-Gibson: 49/57
Rommel Robertson: 46/57
Rezan Akpinar: 40/57
Madeline Ruggiero: 32/56
VI. Senate Consideration of May 2025 Graduate List - Attachment B
Dr. Litroff used unanimous consent.
VII. Monthly Reports
- Committee on Curriculum - Attachment C
- New Program - Business Data Analytics Program Proposal
- The motion passed unanimously.
Yes: 53
No: 0
Abstain: 0
- New Course: HE 115
- The motion passed unanimously.
Yes: 53
No: 0
Abstain: 0
- 4 New Program Revisions
- The motion passed unanimously.
Yes: 56
No: 0
Abstain: 0
- Committee on Bylaws: Attachment D
Bylaws Change Request Form Webpage
Yes: 50
No: 0
Abstain: 3 -Marvin Gayle, Laura Sabani, and JC Smallwood
VIII. New Business
- Motion for the Endorsement of the “Together We Stand” Statement – Attachment E
Yes: 52
No: 0
Abstain: 3: Jennifer Gliere, JC Smallwood, Zoom User
- Credit for Prior Learning Credential Report (Vote) - Attachment F
Yes: 50
No: 0
Abstain: 3 - Marvin Gayle, Laura Sabani, and JC Smallwood
Dr. Ian Beckford presented a report to the Academic Senate to show assessment protocols. There is a need for more artifacts to make the report more robust.
IX: Unfinished Business
There was no unfinished business.
Meeting Adjourned at 4:33 PM
Philip Nelan, Secretary
