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University Council Meeting Minutes - February 26, 2025

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Leadership

Wednesday, February 26, 2025
9:00 am - 11:00 am, MCC Room 114 and via Zoom video conference

Attendance

College Council Members Present

In-person: Richard Farfaglia, Tara Fitzgibbons, Carol Bradlinski-Watros, Aiden Wilson

On Zoom: James McMahon, Christine Patrick, Brian McGrath

Absent: Darlene Baker, Kristin Shanley-Graves

Cabinet Present

In-person: Peter Nwosu, Jamal Coleman, Kristi Eck, Scott Furlong, Vicki Furlong, Kendra Cadogan, Kathleen Kerr, Cory Bezek, Murat Yasar

On Zoom: Karen Crowe, Heath Wood

Invited Guests Present

In-person: Gwen Kay

On Zoom: Jennifer Janes

Additional Attendees

In-person: Zachary Vickery, Rich Bush, Christy Huynh, Brandon Bennett

Minutes

1. Welcome and Call to Order - James McMahon, College Council Chair

  • Call to order time 9:13 am by James McMahon

2. Approval of Minutes of September 26, 2024 - James McMahon, College Council Chair

  • A motion to lead the approval of the minutes - Tara Fitzgibbons
  • Second the motion - Christine Patrick
  • All in favor

3. New Business – Resolution

4. Revised Code of Conduct

Here is a brief summary of the discussion during the meeting.

  • Kathleen Kerr - So we are back again to talk about the code of conduct, and I'm going to turn it over to my colleagues. But I want to give you some context. There's a couple things that these code changes are striving to address. We were asked by President to review the code, to ensure that the code of conduct is in alignment with Title 6, also in alignment, with Title IX. And our new policies on free speech which were passed by the President's Cabinet last summer. While we were doing this work, of course, the Title IX 2024 guidance was vacated. And so, these changes in this current code have been made to the 2020 code that you all approved in June of 2020 and June of 2022.
  • Brandon Bennett went through slides, below is a brief summary of what was discussed:
    • Title VI, Bias, and Free Speech updates
    • Title IX modifications
    • Expansions of due process protections
    • Inclusion of newly created and revised policies
    • Recommendations from the Office of Student Conduct
    • Recommendations from SUNY Office of General Counsel (OGC)

5. Student Association Report – Aiden Wilson

Here is a brief summary of the discussion during the meeting.

  • Past:
    • 3 New Organizations per semester
    • Organizations approved during Fall:
      • Disability Pride
      • Paws @ Oz
      • Pre-Law Society
    • Workflow process through Laker Life
    • Sustainability Initiatives
  • Present:
    • First meeting held February 11th
    • Approve constitutions
    • Club application open from January 27 to March 28
    • SA Recognized vs Campus Recognized
    • Bylaw Revisions - SAPB structure
    • Election timeline
    • SUNY Student Assembly
  • Future:
    • Ozfest - Artists have signed offers, Contract review
    • Budget Council
    • Capping traveling, dinners, decorations, etc.
    • Restructuring financial process and staffing

6. Alumni Report – Jennifer Janes

Here is a brief summary of the discussion during the meeting.

  • Alumni Engagement’s most recent events have included the December Commencement Eve Reception to welcome December graduates into the Alumni Association, as well as NYC Career Connections in January with a series of activities involving both alumni and students in Manhattan
  • Reunion Weekend 2025 is scheduled to take place June 5 - 8, and will include celebrations for 15 class anniversaries, as well as 5 milestone anniversaries for mini-reunion groups
  • A new Director of Alumni Engagement was named in mid-December – Mike Paestella, who joins University Advancement after more than 23 years at SUNY Oswego in Student Affairs

7. Faculty Report – Gwen Kay

Here is a brief summary of the discussion during the meeting.

  • Track Task Force Updates:
    • Haudenosaunee Task Force - Some of the names of streets, roads, buildings, are equally offensive, in fact, and should be changed ultimately, that happens that has to be made by everyone who's part of the college, the University Council. So, there are lots of pieces there, and we know that conversation needs to happen with the Haudenosaunee elders as part of that also, because if we do change name, there needs to be larger conversations.
    • Civic Engagement Task Force - The civic engagement task force has 4 things that they are specifically charged with. They are preparing a campus definition for civic engagement. There’s a lot of talk about civic engagement, politically, socially, and civically. They are also going to recommend curricular and co-curricular learning outcomes.
  • Faculty Governance Beyond Campus:
    • SUNY Disability Fellows Program - SUNY has now run multiple fellows programs. And the idea is that we have experts from across SUNY, who are used as resources to help people all across SUNY with whatever that issue is. So last year was the 1st year that we had DEI fellows, and 2 of them were from Oswego.
    • SUNY Civic Engagement Fellows Program
    • Public Good U (Feb 7-9, 2025)

8. President’s Report – Peter O. Nwosu

Here is a brief summary of the discussion during the meeting.

  • Announcement of the Administrative Appointments of Heath Wood, Karen Crowe (title changed), Murat Yasar
  • Good News – Facilities:
    • SUNY Oswego’s Facility Master Plan Update – Academic Master Plan, Residential Master Plan, Energy Master Plan
    • Sustainability - Governor Kathy Hochul Announces $150 Million Investments in Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Funding to SUNY (Stony Brook, University at Buffalo, Binghamton & Oswego) and CUNY Campuses
    • Geothermal System - SUNY Oswego: The campus will construct a geo- exchange field system for a geothermal network to improve operating efficiencies, lower operating costs, and reduce greenhouse gas and other 5 pollutants for the benefit of the campus and larger community. The project will result in an extensive underground utility infrastructure and central plant and building-level equipment conversions, which are required to continue converting the campus plant to sustainable measures. Project cost: $25m+
    • Hewitt Hall – Currently under construction; the next phase is scheduled for August 2025. Project cost: $80 million.
    • Mahar Hall – Construction is set to begin in Fall 2025. Project cost: $68 million.
    • Lanigan and Penfield – The program study is currently underway, with Phase I design set to begin in Fall 2026 and Phase I construction scheduled to start in Fall 2027. Project cost: $110 million.
    • Culkin Hall – The project scope includes a comprehensive replacement or upgrade of the building's base mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, as well as extensive renovations to the basement and first-floor levels. Project cost: $30 million.
    • Projects’ Total Cost – $313 million (Does Not Include Equipment and Furniture).
  • Discussion of Planning Process and Timeline of Strategic Plan
  • Karen Crowe discussed the Community Engagement & Perception Survey:
    • Why This Matters:
      • Part of the Hometown University initiative
      • Surveyed 113 Oswego County residents (Oct–Nov 2024)
    • Goals:
      • Measure community awareness & attitudes toward the university and replicate every three to five years
      • Identify ways to boost engagement
      • Find the best outreach methods
    • Focus on physical markers to promote commitment to the region:
      • Billboards: 5 locations throughout the county, contracted for a year; renewable
      • Banners: City of Oswego initiative starting late March; banners in Washington Square Park and Franklin Square
    • Next Phase: Improve promotion of SUNY Oswego events and programs to a wider audience throughout the county
  • President Nwosu discussed the Executive Actions and Campus Climate
  • President Nwosu discussed Regional and National Recognitions:
    • Appointed by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul to serve on the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNYREDC)
    • Selected to Chair the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) National Committee on Student Success
    • Named to Chair the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Evaluation Team for Indiana University of Pennsylvania Reaffirmation of Accreditation

9. Adjournment - James McMahon, College Council Chair

  • Motion to adjourn – James McMahon
  • Second the motion - Tara Fitzgibbons
  • All in favor
  • 11:12 am meeting adjourned