-Accepted and approved 2/27/19
Minutes from the meeting of the Macaulay College Council
March 28, 2018
Lecture Hall, 6-8pm
Members Present: Joseph Ugoretz, Mary Pearl, Darren Staloff, Regina Bernard, Mike Benediktsson, Grazyna Drabik, Elizabeth Reis, Roni Natov, Jonathan Peters, Douglas Cohen, Ira Bloom, Lisa Brundage, Kelly O’Donnell, Owen Gutfreund, Gillian Stewart, Richard Ocejo
Members Absent: Jennifer Ball, Nicolette Tepenu, Madhav Bhatt, Jonathan Penuela, Alexandria Brown-Panisse, Genevieve Buccigrossi, Christine Chow
Others/Guests Present: Amanda Hick, Diane Phillips, Wynter Greene, Benjamin Ross, Lev Sviridov, Eileen Makak, Robert Small, Eli McClain, Chrystle-Claire Greene, Geoffrey Glick
Introductions and Attendance:
Welcome from Dean Pearl to our college council.
Approval of Minutes:
Discussion/review of previous minutes from 10/13/17 meeting. Discussion of the bylaws and how we may improve. Due to this meeting’s lack of quorum, it was notated as being an open discussion meeting. The URL to review previous minutes:
eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/collegecouncil
Election of Council Secretary:
Darren Staloff volunteered and was unanimously elected.
Dean’s Report:
Dean Pearl provided updates and began a discussion on Macaulay’s institutional governance. This being a joint effort among several parties: faculty, academic, staff, administrators, and the CUNY trustees.
Faculty governance was discussed. Faculty members have primary responsibilities:
• Determine the curriculum, subject matter, methods of instruction, and other academic standards and processes.
• Establish the requirements for earning degrees and certificates.
• Exercise, where the faculty deems it appropriate, primary responsibility for determining the status of colleagues, especially appointment and reappointment.
• Establish procedures for awarding honorary degrees, promotions, sabbaticals, research support, and other rewards or prerequisites.
In this capacity, faculty bodies are essentially making collective recommendations to the administration and governing board on academic standards and policy, and on faculty status matters.
Discussion of Macaulay’s revised By-laws: April 2013, Macaulay’s revised By-laws established a College Council to be Macaulay’s governing body, with the role of the council being:
• Formulate educational policy and develop standards for admission, academic performance and degree requirements for students and establish standards for the appointment and reappointment of faculty consistent with the Bylaws and policies of the CUNY Board of Trustees and other CUNY policies and procedures
• Approve programs and curricula
• Recommend to the Dean and the CUNY Board of Trustees the granting of undergraduate degrees to qualified candidates (for which only the Dean and faculty members of the College Council may vote)
• Recommend to the Dean and the CUNY Board of Trustees the granting of University honorary degrees
• Consider any other academic matters and make recommendations to the Dean and the CUNY Board of Trustees
• Establish or abolish such standing or temporary committees as it deems necessary and consider reports and recommendations of those committees
• Recommend revisions to the governance plan
Advisory groups also play a role in Macaulay’s management, and include:
• the Macaulay College Foundation Board, which consists of members of the philanthropic community dedicated to raising funds for the college
• the Macaulay Advisory Council, which consists of members appointed by the dean from the worlds of business, arts, professions and other sectors who advise the Dean with respect to the non-academic programs of Macaulay Honors College
• the Directors Council, consisting of the Dean, the Associate Deans, the Campus Directors, and other persons designated by the Dean, whose members advise the Dean with respect to the policies and operations of Macaulay Honors College. Campus Directors, who are appointed by the president of each of the participating colleges after consultation with the Dean, are responsible for coordinating the programs at the college with Macaulay Honors College and the other participating colleges
• and the Scholars Council, the body of elected student representatives from each participating campus, whose members advise the Macaulay administration on student issues related to academic affairs, campus affairs, community service, and student life
Strategic Planning Process:
• co-chaired by Director of IR Diane Phillips and Coordinator of Dean’s Initiatives Su Ng to manage the strategic planning process.
• website: https://macaulay.cuny.edu/about-macaulay/macaulay-honors-college-strategic-planning/
• Chancellor’s Priorities for MHC (which underlie and inform Macaulay’s Strategic planning):
o Outstanding STEM education signature
o STEM student developments: STEAM festival, ASRC and NY Genome Ctr days
o Diversity: Transfer program with BCC and BMCC
o Financial sustainability
o Institutional Effectiveness
Dean Pearl discussed the Bridge Scholars Program:
• Bronx Community College and Borough of Manhattan Community College transferring to Lehman College
• 20 students maximum
Discussion of financial sustainability:
• Streamlined administrative structure
• Fundraising
• Academic innovation
• Cultural accountability
• Student services increased
Approval of June Graduates:
• Motion to approve en masse the list of June graduates – approved.
Committee Elections:
a. Curriculum Committee: Grazyna Drabyk, Owen Gutfreund, Lisa Brundage, Elizabeth Reis, Kelly O’Donnell, Regina Bernard, Darren Staloff, Joseph Ugoretz
b. Admissions Committee: Lisa Brundage, Gillian Stewart, Douglas Cohen, Ira Bloom, Joseph Ugoretz
c. Appointment Committee: Roni Natov, Elizabeth Reis, Joseph Ugoretz, Jon Peters
Presentation on the Macaulay GPA Requirement:
• visual presentation given (slides attached and posted)
• once a committee is formed, Diane Phillips will kindly need to provide data
• this would be JUST for the Macaulay degree (no change to any campus requirements)
Formation of ad hoc committees:
a. Governance Amendment/Revision: Ira Bloom, Joseph Ugoretz, Lisa Brundage, Mike Benediktsson
b. GPA Requirement Amendments/Revision: Owen Gutfreund, Lisa Brundage, Kelly O’Donnell, Joseph Ugoretz, Elizabeth Reis, Gillian Stewart, Regina Bernard, Javiera Morales-Reyes
New Business:
• Recommendation from Owen Gutfreund: the inclusion of directors/advisors in ad hoc groups. Dean Pearl acknowledged this suggestion and agreed to bring it up at a future Directors Council meeting (Directors/advisors, if joining ad hoc groups, would not have voting status)
• Discussion for student input, will attempt to recruit student representatives via electronic vote for committees.
Public Comments:
• Hunter student Eli McClain requests that the Student Council and Macaulay make a stronger effort to alert all students of these meetings. Future Council meetings will be announced in Macaulay Monday, in addition to the notifications already in place.
There being no further new business, the College Council meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted:
Darren Staloff, Secretary (by Amanda Hick)
