College Council Meeting Minutes January 9, 2023

Mary C. Toale, Officer in Charge
Scott Furlong, Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management Kathleen Kerr, Vice President for Student Affairs
Victoria Furlong, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Mary Canale, Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement
Kendra Cadogan, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Jennifer Janes, Oswego Alumni Association
Elizabeth Dunne Schmitt, Professor of Economics, Faculty Assembly Chair
Wayne Westervelt, Chief Communication Officer

1. Welcome and Call to Order: College Council Chair, James McMahon called the meeting to order via Zoom Video Conference at 9:03 a.m.

2. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting: James McMahon asked for a motion to approve the minutes from the October 27, 2022 College Council meeting. Darlene Baker made a motion to approve; Tara FitzGibbons seconded. All were in favor. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved by the Council.

3. Code of Conduct – Proposed Changes: Kathleen Kerr, Vice President for Student Affairs was joined by Christy Huynh, Dean of Students; and Brandon Bennett, Director of Student Conduct to present on the role and purpose of the Office of Student Conduct and outline proposed changes to SUNY Oswego’s code of conduct.

Christy Huynh spoke on the mission of the Office of the Dean of Students and it being a central resource for all students, with a continuum of care and structures in place to

support them. Brandon Bennett touched on the philosophy of how the Student Code of Conduct works with students, stressing that it operates with empathy and compassion. He referenced that student conduct is an educational process that should promote self- efficacy, learning and growth; protect student rights and due process; connect students to resources; and be non-judgmental, fair and restorative.

Several changes were proposed to the current Student Code of Conduct and much discussion ensued, much of which centered around the incident review process, procedures, student rights, advisement, mediation and legal representation.

Brian McGrath made a motion to table the proposed changes to the Student Code of Conduct so that the Council could spend more time to digest, discuss and collaborate more fully as a priority project in the months ahead. Kristin A. Shanley-Graves seconded the motion. All were in favor.

4. Alumni Report: Alumna Jennifer Janes reported on the following items:
• The Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program continues to serve as a valuable

resource for students and recent graduate mentees, More than 150 alumni

volunteered their time to connect with more than 3,000 students.
• The Imagine 2023 program will take place Jan. 2 – Feb. 4, and will engage

current and prospective students, as well as recent graduates, through mentorship and networking opportunities with alumni, employers, student leaders, faculty and staff.

• Reunion Weekend 2023 is scheduled to be held in-person June 8 – 11, 2023.

• The Winter 2023 issue of the OSWEGO Alumni Magazine, focused on the theme

of “Change,” is slated to hit mailboxes in early 2023.

5. Faculty Report: Faculty Assembly Chair Elizabeth Dunne Schmitt gave a report that detailed the following.

• Curriculum Development: Twenty (20) new undergraduate courses/course revisions were approved.

• New Programs: A new minor in Actuarial Studies was approved.

• There is a new policy for new course and topic course offerings that limits the

number of offerings (2) before requiring approval (UCC or the Graduate Council). • Faculty have been busy with the election of new faculty members for the

Presidential Search and the review of academic officers
• Our Librarian/Archivist Zachary Vickery is helping the Faculty Assembly update

their archives in the Penfield collections.

Schmitt highlighted two of the many outside reports/presentations that were made to educate faculty representatives since the last College Council meeting, including a budget

presentation from Vice President Victoria Furlong on 11/7, and a facilities update on 11/28.

Schmitt concluded her report by highlighting what’s ahead in spring 2023, and referenced the Ad hoc committee for review and revisions of the Faculty and Staff handbook; the Task Force on renaming West Campus residence halls; and a report that details the vision for the modern university library as we plan for Penfield renovations.

6. Student Association (SA) Report: SA President Tom Ehrhard shared the report of the Student Association, highlighting goals and activities of SA and the student body.

• Strengthening relationships with all student organizations

• Working with Rice Creek and the Sustainability Office

• Continuing to secure a new Director of Finance

• Agreement reached with Campus Recreation regarding contingency funding.

• Directors helped with the HEERF Grants and to raise awareness for mental health

programs around campus; and participate in a stream cleanup.
• SA service on a multitude of campus organization boards has been going well

including multiple director’s participation on the Auxiliary Service’s board.

• By-Laws have been reviewed and multiple changes have been made.

• Continue to look into innovative ways for students to remain engaged in clubs and

organizations to keep their membership steady and/or increasing.
• Plan to work with the Office of Sustainability to reach a “green” certification for the

campus, including planting native grasses/trees, amphibian habitat construction, stream and pond cleanup, and a focus on reducing single-use plastics.

7. Campus Update: Office in Charge Mary C. Toale provided a campus update and briefed the members of the College Council on the status of SUNY Oswego’s enrollment, the university’s 2022-2023 budget, current searches, capital project updates, and various campus initiatives and upcoming events.

In her update, Dr. Toale highlighted the impressive fall 2022 incoming class (1,485 new students); uptick in students living on campus in residential housing (3,374 students in 2022); and continued efforts to improve SUNY Oswego’s first year student retention rate.

Dr. Toale also reported out on SUNY Oswego’s share of the NYS Budget as it relates to the funding ($471,000) of four new full-time faculty in computer science/software engineering, biology/Great Lakes, Business/Analytics, and Education/Higher Education leadership. She also provided details about the approximately $467,002 that SUNY

Oswego will receive for recruitment, student support services, academic programs and underrepresented minority student support.

Various capital updates were provided including information on the upcoming Campus wide Energy Master Plan, Academic Facilities and Residential Housing Master Plan, and Student Engagement Space. In addition, the following university initiatives were shared: University Designation; Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Campus Center; School of Business Executive Fellow; Class of 2021 Graduate Report; and Micron Strategy.

8. Old Business: Brian McGrath provided a report on the Presidential Search, sharing that the College Council and SUNY are working with a new search firm -- RPA Inc., a nationally recognized comprehensive executive search and consulting firm. McGrath added that there are new members serving on the current Presidential Search Committee, and that the College Council is excited about the process and the work ahead in finding our next President.

9. New Business: Vice President Mary Canale provided an update on the second School of Business Faculty Fellow – SUNY Oswego alumna Giselle Guerrero ‘09 from New York City.

Chair James McMahon entertained a motion to adjourn. Darlene Baker made a motion; Tara FitzGibbons seconded. All were in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 11:03 a.m.