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College Council Minutes, September 22, 2021

Minutes
College Council
Wednesday, 9/22/21, 3:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Present:  T. Moretti, D. DeFino, M. Bard, A. Howerton-Fox, T. Kelso, E. Mariola, A. Rosenfeld, K. Geslak, C. Normil, J. Ford, A. Saccoman, S. Carey, D. Wheeler, L. Richardson, J. Stabile, T. Delgado, J. Gerometta, J. Haber, O. Huk, M. Malenbaum, N. Naqvi, J. Rosenberg, I. Stabell, A. Stackhouse, E. Procario-Foley, C. Winkler, M. Callaghan, M. Reilley, A. Schettini-Lynch
Excused: A. Aggarwal, M. Hughes, T. Lyle, M. Volza

T. Moretti called the meeting to order at 3:32. Quorum was met.

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the 5/5/21 College Council meeting were approved via e-mail on 5/10/21; minutes from the 5/19/21 Special Session were approved via e-mail on 5/20/21

Announcements:

The Deignan Institute for Spirit and Earth will host a dialogue entitled “Creating a New Ecological University for the Global Ecological Renaissance” this evening at 7pm via Zoom

Information Item: President’s Report

  • S. Carey thanked all of those who helped get the campus up and running following the tragic losses and devastation of Hurricane Ida
  • Enrollment is up 15% from this time last year, but retention is down slightly (largely due to the impact of COVID)
  • The College projects closing on the purchase of Concordia by the end of October
  • Searches for the Dean of the School of Health Sciences and the Head of the Nursing Program begin next week
  • The search for the new Vice President of Advancement is expected to commence shortly
  • The groundbreaking for Murphy Green took place this Sunday, with construction expected to begin shortly
  • The Board of Trustees approved a 2% across-the-board raise
  • The beverage plan will soon be restored in some form

Information Item: Provost’s Report

  • Faculty growth and development will be a key focus this year, with critical attention to advancing talent from recruitment to retirement
  • Student success continues to be a main priority, and this year we will pay particular attention to our “good-to-great” initiative, as well as maximizing campus resources
  • Efforts to support faculty and students in the use of our new degree audit system are underway
  • The new multi-factor authentication system will go live at 5am on 9/29; IT staff will be on hand in all buildings from 9/29 to 10/1, to assist with any issues
  • Six units of the School of Health Sciences are currently active, with an increase in year-to-date enrollments of 16%
  • Information reiterating Iona COVID-19 procedures and protocols is going out to all students today, and additional signage reminding community members of masking requirements is going up around campus
  • All campus gatherings in excess of 100 people must be cleared with the COVID Task Force
  • Current vaccination rates (fully vaccinated or first shot): Undergraduate students, 81%; Graduate students, 83.2%; full-time employees, 70% (full-time faculty, 80%)
  • Testing: unvaccinated students must be tested at least once every two weeks

Information Item: Core Curriculum Committee Report

  • CCC met on 5/6, 6/16 and 9/16
  • CCC met with COL 150 and Learning Community faculty on 5/14 to deliberate on the choice for the common read
  • The Cornerstone Learning Community Bootcamp took place on 6/28
  • The assessment subcommittee met throughout the summer; 20 faculty members joined CCC members to conduct assessments of Fall 20 and Spring 21
  • Future assessment will no longer be conducted through Watermark, but via Blackboard and Turnitin
  • Following the tragic death of our colleague, Fran Bailie, Ben Gaines was selected by Faculty Senate to serve in her stead on CCC

Information Item: Hynes Institute Report

  • On 9/22, Hynes held its second Lunch and Learn seminar on design thinking principles, facilitated by J. Williams
  • Hynes will host its first Community Meet-up on 9/22 at 6pm
  • Hynes is presently reviewing application for the fall cohort of the GaelVentures Incubator program, which will kick off the week of 9/27

Information Item: Report on MSCHE

  • The Self-Study report has been completed, and is going through final edits
  • A Self-Study Town Hall is scheduled for 10/21
  • The Self-Study evaluation team will make its virtual site visit 10/25-10/28

Information Item: Reports from Constituent Assemblies

Faculty Senate

  • The Senate met on 9/9
  • T. Moretti provided updates on the Self-Study process and the Budget Prioritization Task Force
  • The Senate reviewed AY priorities from its summer retreat
  • The Senate filled vacancies in the following committees: Enrollment Management, HR&C, Budget, Core
  • The Senate appointed A. Eodice to serve on the Board of Trustees Facilities committee.
  • The Senate discussed HR&C concerns regarding HR policies drafted and implemented without HR&C involvement
  • The Senate reviewed its preliminary recommendations regarding the size and faculty distribution of college-wide committees, the procedures and purpose of the College Council, and ways to strengthen and streamline shared governance processes

Staff and Administrative Council

  • No report

Student Government Association

  • SGA meets weekly
  • SGA has four main goals for the year:
    • Civic Engagement (including Constitution Day activities on 10/17)
    • Health and Wellness focus on COVID-19 (safe return to in-person classes and events)
    • Double Pell Initiative (in partnership with the CFO)
    • Streamlining SGA Internal Operations (including making  club funding, the Interest group phase, and the inter-club council operations more efficient)
  • SGA Senate elections are expected to be completed by 10/1

Information item: Reports from the Standing Committees

Committee on Rank, Tenure and Awards

  • No report

Committee on Academic Affairs

  • No report

Committee on Budget

  • Budget met on 9/8
  • T. Delgado was re-elected chair
  • In preparation for the work of the coming year, the committee reviewed and discussed the Vision and Values Statement, the committee charge, the schedule of meetings and key agenda items, the expense budget area rollup, the revenue breakdown, and comparative pricing for peer and local institutions

Committee on Human Resources and Compensation

  • HR&C met on 9/17
  • J. Haber was re-elected chair
  • The committee voted unanimously for a 2% across-the-board salary increase, retroactive to 7/1/21 for staff and 9/1/21 for faculty
  • D. Wheeler presented an update on COVID; he was asked why masks were only mandated in classrooms, and replied that they could be mandated for buildings as well; he was asked whether faculty would be tested as well, and replied that an announcement was forthcoming
  • NYS Harassment Training will begin shortly
  • Searches are underway for the Dean of Health Sciences and Vice President for Advancement

Committee on Libraries and Information Technology

  • LIT met on 9/22
  • Repairs due to Hurricane Ida water damage continue in Ryan Library
  • The art exhibit in Lynch Pavilion includes a 400-year-old painting by Dandini, recently identified by T. Ruggio at the Holy Name Church of New Rochelle
  • The College will switch over to One Login effective 9/29 at 5am
  • The Design Studio program will continue this year, under the direction of A. Iodice

Committee on Institutional Advancement

  • Advancement met on 9/13
  • The Iona Forever campaign has surpassed its $150m goal
  • On 9/19, a garden party was held to celebrate the fundraising successes of Advancement, totaling over $200m in endowed scholarships, learning environments, clubs, and faculty enrichment
  • Summer alumni events included a Yankees/Mets game and the trustees’ invitational golf outing
  • Fall alumni events will include the roll-out of a mentoring program, Homecoming, a football reunion, and breakfast with Santa
  • Other suggested events: involvement in the US Open, an event to welcome our new basketball coach, and a virtual 5K

Committee on Student Life

  • No report

Committee on Athletics

  • Athletics met on 9/21
  • All teams finished the Spring 21 term with GPAs of at least 3.0
  • Fall seasons have begun, along with conference play
  • COVID vaccines are mandatory for all student athletes, and all attendees at live sporting events
  • The committee discussed implications of the new Name, Image and Likeness legislation

Committee on Diversity

  • COD met on 9/15
  • A. Aggarwal and T. Lyle were elected co-chairs
  • N. Cosby has taken on a new position in the Provost’s Office, but will continue to serve on COD
  • COD set the meeting schedule for the year, and brainstormed major goals

Committee on Enrollment Management

  • No report

Committee for Environmental Sustainability

  • No Report

Discussion Item: Land Acknowledgement Statement

  • N. Naqvi, M. Nadel, and K. Deignan offered a presentation on the context and text of the Statement, which will come up for further discussion and a vote at the next Council meeting

There being no other business, T. Moretti adjourned the College Council meeting at 5:06 p.m. The next meeting of the Council will be held via Zoom on 10/13 (General Assembly).