Faculty Update 3-9-12
Hello all --
(emailed to the faculty on 3/9/12)
Apologies for the long gap between communications from your faculty chair! And apologies for the length of this message. You can also read this message, and other musings, at the faculty chair blog, http://www.sonoma.edu/senate/chair/
Lunch conversations about SSU's academic identity: The February 24 lunch was canceled in favor of an open forum with the visiting CSU Faculty Trustee, Bernadette Cheyne of Humboldt. We had a good conversation about challenges facing the CSU in general, and tried to give her a feel for the characteristics that make SSU stand out. She was grateful for all the feedback she received during her 2-day visit.
No drop-in lunch March 12: We had scheduled a lunch for this Monday, March 12, but we are canceling it in favor of the Access and Equity presentation, "Remediation as a Civil Rights Issue," in Schulz 3001, noon-1:30 p.m., Monday, March 12. The Provost and I both feel that this is an important event for us to attend.
Lunch schedule for the rest of the semester: All drop-in, bring-your-own-food, noon-1 p.m., in the Faculty Center, Schulz first floor; hosted by Provost Rogerson and me (* indicates that the President plans to attend):
Budget: The State budget situation continues to be clear as mud. The governor's January budget proposal for 2012-13 includes a flat budget for the CSU (making permanent the $100 million "trigger" cut that happened this year, as well as the original $650 million cut) as a best case scenario; in his proposal, if voters don't approve a tax measure at the ballot box in November, the CSU would be cut by an additional $200 million.
The additional $200 million, on top of the $750 million total cut this year, would be undeniably disastrous. Many of us believe/hope that the governor is trying to focus the pain of the budget mess in areas that people who vote will notice, in order to build the case for fixing the "structural" problems with California's budget.
My understanding, from the President's comments at Senate and Executive Committee, is that all campuses have to submit plans to the Chancellor's office to implement the full cuts - $650m + $100m + $200m - but the implementation of the last $200m would likely begin in Spring 2013. This would mean a Fall 2012 semester roughly similar to Fall 2011.
The legislature is beginning its work on the many pieces of the budget, but it probably won't be in the news much until the governor releases his "May revise" budget, after which the full legislature will take up the budget in earnest.
In the meantime, count on many doom and gloom scenarios being floated. Also count on - and participate in - lots of political action to try to produce a better budget outcome.
The Provost has asked the Senate Budget Subcommittee (augmented by two department chairs) to hold broad conversations and provide him with "guiding principles" to use in making budget decisions in Academic Affairs. The Committee is taking up this task, trying to figure out the type of "principles" that would be most helpful to the University. The first one, of course, is that all decisions should rest on the University's sole mission of preparing students. Watch for and participate in these discussions.
Green Music Center The GMC's opening classical music season was announced at a press event at noon today, and should be listed soon at http://gmc.sonoma.edu/ . Tickets go on sale March 25; students will have a 50% discount, and faculty/staff a 20% discount. Subscription tickets to the Santa Rosa Symphony are already available.
The GMC Advisory Board meets today as well, and the University Affairs Committee has a proposal on the agenda to add substantial support for the academic program associated with the GMC to the Advisory Board's list of fundraising priorities. To date, fundraising has all been aimed at construction and, more recently, operating costs of the Center.
Elections You received notice of the election results in the Spring 2012 faculty governance elections; I'd like to thank those who stepped forward to help guide us all through tough times and exciting re-imagining.
If you haven't voted in the constitutional amendment ballot, please do so! (Sign in to moodle, choose Academic Senate Elections as the course, and it'll be obvious how to proceed.)
Commencement Watch for a separate email about participating in commencement ceremonies. It really means a lot to our students for us to be there on their big day.
If there are topics you'd like to see addressed in these infrequent emails, please let me know!
Ben Ford
2011-12 Chair of the Faculty
(emailed to the faculty on 3/9/12)
Apologies for the long gap between communications from your faculty chair! And apologies for the length of this message. You can also read this message, and other musings, at the faculty chair blog, http://www.sonoma.edu/senate/chair/
Lunch conversations about SSU's academic identity: The February 24 lunch was canceled in favor of an open forum with the visiting CSU Faculty Trustee, Bernadette Cheyne of Humboldt. We had a good conversation about challenges facing the CSU in general, and tried to give her a feel for the characteristics that make SSU stand out. She was grateful for all the feedback she received during her 2-day visit.
No drop-in lunch March 12: We had scheduled a lunch for this Monday, March 12, but we are canceling it in favor of the Access and Equity presentation, "Remediation as a Civil Rights Issue," in Schulz 3001, noon-1:30 p.m., Monday, March 12. The Provost and I both feel that this is an important event for us to attend.
Lunch schedule for the rest of the semester: All drop-in, bring-your-own-food, noon-1 p.m., in the Faculty Center, Schulz first floor; hosted by Provost Rogerson and me (* indicates that the President plans to attend):
- Friday, March 23*
- Tuesday, April 10
- Monday, April 23*
- Monday, May 7
Budget: The State budget situation continues to be clear as mud. The governor's January budget proposal for 2012-13 includes a flat budget for the CSU (making permanent the $100 million "trigger" cut that happened this year, as well as the original $650 million cut) as a best case scenario; in his proposal, if voters don't approve a tax measure at the ballot box in November, the CSU would be cut by an additional $200 million.
The additional $200 million, on top of the $750 million total cut this year, would be undeniably disastrous. Many of us believe/hope that the governor is trying to focus the pain of the budget mess in areas that people who vote will notice, in order to build the case for fixing the "structural" problems with California's budget.
My understanding, from the President's comments at Senate and Executive Committee, is that all campuses have to submit plans to the Chancellor's office to implement the full cuts - $650m + $100m + $200m - but the implementation of the last $200m would likely begin in Spring 2013. This would mean a Fall 2012 semester roughly similar to Fall 2011.
The legislature is beginning its work on the many pieces of the budget, but it probably won't be in the news much until the governor releases his "May revise" budget, after which the full legislature will take up the budget in earnest.
In the meantime, count on many doom and gloom scenarios being floated. Also count on - and participate in - lots of political action to try to produce a better budget outcome.
The Provost has asked the Senate Budget Subcommittee (augmented by two department chairs) to hold broad conversations and provide him with "guiding principles" to use in making budget decisions in Academic Affairs. The Committee is taking up this task, trying to figure out the type of "principles" that would be most helpful to the University. The first one, of course, is that all decisions should rest on the University's sole mission of preparing students. Watch for and participate in these discussions.
Green Music Center The GMC's opening classical music season was announced at a press event at noon today, and should be listed soon at http://gmc.sonoma.edu/ . Tickets go on sale March 25; students will have a 50% discount, and faculty/staff a 20% discount. Subscription tickets to the Santa Rosa Symphony are already available.
The GMC Advisory Board meets today as well, and the University Affairs Committee has a proposal on the agenda to add substantial support for the academic program associated with the GMC to the Advisory Board's list of fundraising priorities. To date, fundraising has all been aimed at construction and, more recently, operating costs of the Center.
Elections You received notice of the election results in the Spring 2012 faculty governance elections; I'd like to thank those who stepped forward to help guide us all through tough times and exciting re-imagining.
If you haven't voted in the constitutional amendment ballot, please do so! (Sign in to moodle, choose Academic Senate Elections as the course, and it'll be obvious how to proceed.)
Commencement Watch for a separate email about participating in commencement ceremonies. It really means a lot to our students for us to be there on their big day.
If there are topics you'd like to see addressed in these infrequent emails, please let me know!
Ben Ford
2011-12 Chair of the Faculty
Leave a comment