Faculty Senate Meeting - April 24, 2002

Original Minutes from 4-24-2002

Attendees: Kurt Anderson, Tom Apple, President Linnda Caporael, Gary Gabriele, Mike Hanna, Bob Messler, John Mitchell, Jon Newell, Peter Persans, Curtis Powell, Mark Rea, Susan Sanderson, Trina Sego, Susan Smith, Don Steiner, Bruce Watson.

4-24-2002 Agenda

Approval of the March 27, 2002 and 4/10/2002 Minutes

Reports from Standing Committees

Review of Elections - Peter Persans

Sexual Harassment Policy - Professor Hanna and Vice President Powell

Adjournment

Approval of the March 27, 2002 Minutes and 4/10/2002 Minutes

The minutes of the March 27, 2002 as well as the General Faculty Meeting minutes of 4/10 were accepted.

Reports from Standing Committees

President Caporael brought the meeting to order at 2:05pm and asked for the standing committee reports. There were no reports from the P&T, Curriculum, nor Planning & Resources committees.

Review of Elections – Peter Persans

Vice President Persans stated the proposed amendment to add a representative of the clinical faculty from Rensselaer Troy to the Faculty Senate was overwhelmingly approved.

Susan Smith, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Biology Department, Troy, and also the Department of Engineering Science, Hartford, presented a brief history of Rensselaer at Hartford. Trina Sego continued, bringing the Hartford issues up-to-date and summarizing the report from the Ad Hoc Committee. (Report attached) Senate members had further questions and discussed more fully the committee's report touching on their vision for where Hartford will be in the next five years, governance issues, transition strategies, questioning the need for a national search, the possibility or appropriateness of a multi-tiered faculty, fair play, and the tenured/tenure track issues.

A motion was made to notify the Provost's Office to look into the suggestion that the required contract renewal procedures for clinical faculty at Rensselaer are not being followed. The motion was seconded and approved.

President Caporael verified to the Ad Hoc Committee that Hartford transition issues would be the first item on the agenda for the 2002-2003 Faculty Senate meetings.

A motion to accept the election results was seconded and approved.

Sexual Harassment Policy – Mike Hanna and Vice President Curtis Powell

Mike Hanna, member of the Diversity Committee, and co-chair of the Campus Life Subcommittee Assessment Task Force presented the recommendations given to the Diversity Committee on the topic of the campus climate in regard to sexual harassment issues. (Report attached)

Vice President for Human Resources, Curtis Powell reported on the new policy changes regarding sexual harassment reporting procedures.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4pm.