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College Council Minutes October 21, 2020

Wednesday, 10/21/20, 3:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Present:  T. Moretti, D. DeFino, D. Brophy, A. Howerton-Fox, M. Hughes, A. Kelso, E. Mariola, A. Rosenfeld, C. Normil, M. Wyden, J. Ford, C. Procario-Foley, S. Carey, D. Wheeler, R. Highfield, J. Stabile, N. Cosby, T. Delgado, C. Dougherty, J. Haber, M. Malenbaum, J. Meyer, N. Naqvi, J. Rosenberg, E. Procario-Foley, I. Stabell, A. Stackhouse, C. Winkler, M. Callaghan, J. Quintong, M. Reilley, A. Schettini-Lynch, D. Smith, J. Steele, K. Sullivan, P. Sutera, P. Tascio
Excused: H. Park

T. Moretti called the meeting to order at 3:30. Quorum was met.

Approval of Minutes:

Minutes for the 9/30 of College Council were approved via e-mail on 10/21

Announcements:

  • The Week of the Peacemaker is next week
  • The Office of Mission and Ministries is looking for folks to donate Thanksgiving baskets to its annual drive; given the economic toll of the pandemic, there is even greater need this year

Information Item: President’s Report

  • S. Carey shared his gratitude for the efforts of all students, staff and faculty during the pandemic, who allowed us to operate with minimal COVID-19 infections for the first nine weeks of the term, and who continue to support the work and mission of the College as we engage safety protocols following last week’s spike and subsequent pause; we are grateful that there were no serious infections, and that the protocols worked to stop the spread; as we learn from the experience, we continue to refine those protocols; we all look forward to returning to the classroom next week
  • As always, members of the Council and larger College community are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Carey with any questions or concerns

Information Item: Provost’s Report

  • Return to in-person teaching and campus activities is scheduled for 10/26
  • Since 7/1, the College has conducted 5,938 COVID-19 tests; there are currently 81 active COVID-19 cases, 13 non-active, and 23 scheduled to go non-active tonight; in the recent spike, the College has progressed from a high of 33 cases reported in a single day to fewer than 5 in the past week
  • This looks like a point source outbreak associated with a single [known] event, where number of cases rises rapidly to a peak and falls gradually, and the majority of cases occur within the incubation period of the disease; the College is carefully monitoring numbers to rule out the prospect of a propagated outbreak, where there is no common source and the outbreak is spread from person-to-person; to date, there has been no evidence of either a classroom-point or propagated spread
  • The College continues to monitor academic, public health, and economic indicators while we consider strategies moving forward
  • The College is also engaged in multiple ways to address the ongoing and beleaguering impacts of COVID-19, social, racial and economic injustices, and the economic crises facing the nation; this includes reckoning with societal forces that have historically disadvantaged and marginalized women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ folk 
  • Even in this challenging time, the Iona community persists: with events such as our Virtual Homecoming; with the tireless work of Student Services, Enrollment, Student Affairs, Residential Life, Mission and Ministries, Facilities, Libraries and IT, Security, Maintenance, Food Services; and faculty working together to develop and refine pedagogical approaches that meet our moment, and our students’ needs
  • Congratulations to Professors Delgado, Awosan, and Redcross on their selection for the Wabash Center's virtual symposium on "Becoming Anti-Racist and Catalyst for Change," scheduled to begin on 11/11
  • Thanks to those who helped prepare our grant proposal to the Mother Cabrini Foundation, to support IPE

Information Item: Core Curriculum Committee Report

  • CCC met on 10/1 and 10/15
  • The first-round application to the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation was favorably received, and CCC has been invited to submit the full grant application
  • CCC continues to work on course requests for core inclusion
  • A number of POI items are moving through the governance process, hopefully to be report on, at our November College Council meeting
  • All faculty and department chairs with courses involved in core assessment have been contacted and the e-portfolio has been opened for student uploads for Fall 2020
  • CCC is actively recruiting for faculty and courses for next fall’s Cornerstone Learning Community pairings

Information Item: Hynes Institute Report

  • Hynes Curriculum Committee met on 10/19 
  • The Hynes Institute setup and started student advisement for our new academic programs (BA in Entrepreneurial Leadership, BBA in Entrepreneurship)
  • Aligning curricular and co-curricular programming with community engagement/support allowed us to build a stronger sense of community and student support this semester
  • Hynes held its second Mentor Meetup on 10/8, introducing the GaelVentures Virtual Incubator Cohort
  • On 10/13 we held our 4th Lunch & Learn seminar on the topic of "Racial and Gender Equity Through Allyship in Academia"

Information Item: Report on MSCHE

  • Most Middle States Working Groups submitted their detailed chapter outlines with timelines and lists of potential evidence on 9/30. The Steering Committee co-chairs reviewed the outlines and send feedback via email on 10/15
  • We are working hard to fill a vacancy in the Standard VI working group to help them continue their work
  • Middle States is capable of doing remote site visits, if necessary

Information Item: Reports from Constituent Assemblies

Faculty Senate

  • The Senate met on 10/8; the following matters were discussed
  • The number of positive COVID-19 cases, and the college’s plans for moving to remote learning
  • The HR Policy on remote teaching accommodations
  • The important role faculty have to play in any search for academic administrators
  • The Faculty Survey, which will be ready to send out during the Spring semester.
  • Concerns over student engagement, especially given the continued migration of students to Zoom for mixed-mode classes
  • After the 10/8 meeting, T, Moretti and D. DeFino attended the 10/17 meeting of SGA meeting to discuss faculty-student engagement in the classroom

Staff and Administrative Council

  • SAC met on 10/15
  • The committee discussed the conferral of the Br. Bray Awards, which would typically have happened last May
  • Concerns were expressed about the hiring of the Associate Dean of LaPenta without constituting a hiring committee including members of the College constituencies
  • The committee considered the issue of dropping in-person enrollment in mixed mode courses, and its impact on teaching styles, student engagement, and anxieties around safety
  • Discussed HR expectations for staff following the winter break, and staggering on-campus staffing to keep offices open, while maintaining social distancing in workspaces

Student Government Association

  • SGA met three times since last CC
  • T. Moretti and D. DeFino were invited to discuss classroom engagement, communication issues, and supporting student success
  • A new VP for Communications and two new Senators were elected
  • SGA continues to push for more virtual events to encourage more student engagement
  • SGA will be co-hosting Circles of Support with the Counselling Center
  • SGA is currently editing its By-Laws, to clarify some of the language, and to formalize a requirement that all clubs must participate in a leadership series

Information item: General Assembly Q&A

  • A student asked whether COVID-19 testing will continue as before in Arrigoni. D. Wheeler responded in the affirmative
  • Several faculty raised concerns and objections about the timing and content of the HR adjunct faculty form surveying interest in Spring 21 teaching. The form was not vetted by chairs prior to distribution (many learned of it only after it had been distributed to adjuncts; most have long since assigned courses to adjuncts); the form arrived long after the HR form for full-time faculty seeking accommodations for the spring the form is significantly different from the full-time form (for example, it does not include the option of requesting accommodation; and despite several direct requests to HR, the Senate adjunct representative (D. Brophy), has been unable to get any clarification on the policy.  D. Wheeler agreed to take these comments under advisement, and reach out to D. Smith regarding options for adjunct faculty
  • A student asked about interruptions to work study monies while the campus is in COVID-19 lockdown, and why the College did not arrange for virtual work during this period.  D. Wheeler will talk with SFS about options moving forward that conform with federal guidelines, including the possibility of allowing work study students to make up missed hours when the campus re-opens
  • A student asked whether the P/U grade option would be available for the Fall 20 term.  T. Moretti answered yes, pending College Council endorsement (see voting item below).  A. Stackhouse described the proposal, recently passed by CAA, which would make P/U available for the fall and winter intersession terms.  A discussion followed, where the student concerns urging the decision were outlined, clarifications made about how the policy would be applied, and concerns expressed about what this would mean for students who had already withdrawn from courses, unaware that this policy was being considered
  • A student asked whether information would be shared about the incident(s) that led to the two-week campus lockdown, or its consequences: J. Quintong said that such information could not be shared, due to privacy protections

Information item: Reports from the Standing Committees

Committee on Academic Affairs

  • CAA met on 10/20
  • The Committee approved a proposal to include the P/U option for all Fall 20 and Winter Intersession 20-21 courses

Committee on Budget

  • Budget met on 10/7 and 10/14
  • A modest increase in tuition and fees was approved
  • A modest increase in room and board was approved
  • A discussion of the 2018 study on differential pricing was initiated, then tabled

Committee on Human Resources and Compensation

  • HR&C met on 10/18
  • New members from SGA and SAC were welcomed
  • The committee reviewed the revised Harassment Policy, and how it applies to employees as well as students
  • The committee received an update on the retirement plan changes
  • The committee was updated on Paycom, the new Human Resources Management (HRM) provider

Committee on Rank, Tenure, and Awards

  • No report

Committee on Libraries and Information Technology

  • The committee met on 10/13
  • Libraries is currently working on its five-year review
  •  IT is finalizing discussions with vendors regarding two-factor authentication, with roll-out planned for November and December
  •  IT is developing plans to empanel a strategic innovation committee to gather ideas from faculty members about how to better incentivize and create excitement around the use of technology in learning

Committee on Institutional Advancement

  • Advancement met on 10/20
  • In the first third of the fiscal year, the Iona Forever campaign raised $4 million 
  • The annual Alumni Golfing Event at Wingfoot occurred in October – Iona’s first in person fundraiser since March 
  • Last weekend was Iona’s first virtual Homecoming; actually had more alumni attend virtually than in person in the past

Committee on Student Life       

  • Student Life met on 10/16
  • K. O’Sullivan recapped his first year in Enrollment Management, including a 16% increase in enrollment with an average 3.4 GPA, and the importance of academic and social engagement for retention
  • J. Quintong introduced himself, and discussed the importance of extracurriculars to recruiting and retaining students
  • Current and future social plans were discussed
  • The committee reviewed Chartwells’ efforts to serve the College during the pandemic
  • Concerns about student engagement were discussed

Committee on Athletics

  • Athletics met on 10/6
  • Advising is well underway, with more than 60% of student athletes registered for spring courses, and advising staff meeting with all student-athletes with midterm course grades of D or F
  • Student athletes continue to engage in virtual and campus service wherever possible
  • Athletics continues its voter registration push, with hopes of achieving 100% registration; no athletic activities will be held on 11/3, Election Day
  • Athletics training has been suspended while the campus is in virtual mode; Athletics will continue to monitor conditions

Committee on Diversity

  • COD met on 10/7
  • The committee reviewed the progress of the Chief Diversity Officer search
  • The committee continues work on draft anti-racism recommendations for the Chief Diversity Officer
  • The committee discussed various anti-racism initiatives, including the Anti-racist Teaching and Learning Community, and the SGA anti-racist Town Hall
  • Committee members voted their membership into working groups on Community Outreach, Resources, and Policy

Committee on Enrollment Management

  • CEM met 10/8
  • Admissions, Financial Aid and Advising discussed the successes of last spring’s recruitment drive, including exceptional performance in terms of both the size and average GPA of the entering class, and growing interest in the Honors Program; this year’s recruitment strategies were also outlined, including virtual open house, in-person events, and one-on-one counselling sessions with Admissions, Financial Aid and Advising

Committee for Environmental Sustainability

  • No report

Action Item: Extending the P/U Grading Option

  • A proposal to extend the P/U grading option, first introduced in the Spring 2020, to Fall 2020 and Winter Intersession 2021 was brought forward by CAA.  The proposal passed unanimously
  • Item closed

There being no other business, T. Moretti adjourned the College Council meeting at 5:06pm.  The next College Council meeting will be held on 11:18 at 3:30 via Zoom.