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University Council Minutes, October 19, 2022

Minutes
University Council
Wednesday, 10/19/22, 3:30 p.m.
Via Zoom

Present: D. DeFino, D. Brophy, M. Bard, B. Gaines, A. Howerton-Fox, A. Kelso, E. Mariola, , A. Connolly, K. Geslak, L. Derenzis, A. Saccoman, M. Gioiosa, J. Carroll, M. Newell, L. Poupis, A. Aggarwal, N. Naqvi , T. Mulligan, L. Richardson, K. Dhanwada, E. Procario-Foley, C. Winkler, M. Callaghan, N. Kane
Excused: M. Veyvoda, B. Sanner, J. Haber, M. Volza, E. Muller, C. Andruk, S. Carey, J. Stabile

D. DeFino called the meeting to order at 3:34. Quorum was met.

Approval of Minutes

Minutes from the 9/28/22 College Council meeting were approved via e-mail on 10/7/22

Announcements

  • Religion and Democracy on Tuesday, 10/25 at 7:30 in LaPenta 105

Information Item: President’s Report (M. Callaghan reporting)

  • Ongoing work on campus: launch of academic programs in the health sciences, evaluating campus spaces and the Iona real estate portfolio, planning for the centralization of student services, and taking a look at graduate admissions and programs.  Fundraising is another major initiative this year, and an announcement will be made related to gifts to the university
  • Committee for the Provost Search has been seated and will have its first meeting on Friday Academic Search has been engaged to assist with the process and is expected to be completed in the Spring semester
  • Interviewing is ongoing for head coach positions for Men’s Lacrosse and Women’s Acrobatics and Tumbling
  • Alumni and Family Weekend events were well done across the board
  • This weekend the first of two Fall Open House events will be held
  • On 10/20, Iona will be hosting Cardinal Dolan and more than 175 Catholic Schools in the New York Archdiocese to celebrate “Spirituality Day”

Information Item: Provost’s Report

  • Iona was awarded the TRIO McNair from the Department of Education, $1.3 million to support efforts in preparing students from underrepresented backgrounds for doctoral studies over the next five years.
  • The Faculty Development Series led by Nadine Cosby hosted Teaching and Learning luncheon today on innovation and collaboration
  • DIEB initiatives—Cornerstone signature event this week with Mandell Crawley, Chief Resource Officer with Morgan Stanley
  • Honors program review is underway led by interim Associate Provost T.J. Moretti; co-chairs are B. Gaines and A. Rosenfeld. The task force is meeting weekly and hosted a faculty town hall and a separate student town hall to date
  • Academic programs are working on Provost Planning Policy and Budget Reviews (P3B). Meetings began the first week of October with each department chair and will continue throughout the month 

Information Item: Core Curriculum Committee Report

  • The committee met on 10/6
  • Faculty recruitment for Columba Cornerstone has begun.  There are 18 sections covered by 16 faculty, and 18 connecting learning community courses. Thirty complete learning communities are needed, and ideally, 2 additional free-standing COL 150 sections for transfers
  • The infrastructure for Fall assessment is being set up, and soon an announcement will be sent to full-time faculty asking for assessment  volunteers for January and/or May assessment sessions

Information Item: Reports from Constituent Assemblies

Faculty Senate

  • The Senate met on 10/2
  • The Senate hosted T. Mulligan who responded to questions about student accommodations, faculty individual development plans, and the planned shift to professional advising
  • D. DeFino reported on his meeting with the chairs of the elected governance committees to discuss ways of coordinating our work more productively and efficiently
  • The Senate is planning to hold a faculty town meeting to solicit ideas for how to address workload requirements at Iona, and in the evolving higher ed landscape
  • The Senate will survey academic departments to get a sense of their projected faculty and resource needs over the next five years
  • The Senate filled recently vacated faculty seats on CAA and RTA
  • The Senate selected from self-nominations, a slate of five faculty to serve on the Provost Search Committee

Staff and Administrative Council

  • SAC met last week
  • Br. Bray committee is working on the survey which will be sent out next month
  • Committee created to review constitution in continued discussion of changing to a 5-year term instead of the current 3 years

Student Government Association

  • SGA is working on creating a twofold streamlined governance structure for more data on engagement and activity of our clubs and students while also creating a structure of communication to help understand our campus climate better
  • New club formation—completed process with the Dean of students to encompass a more streamlined structure: creation of shared email between DOS, Student Affairs Department, SGA
  • The following groups are officially recognized Club Interest groups: Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Esports, Weightlifting, Women’s Softball, Irish Dance, Pep Band, and Nursing Association.
  • With the expansion of two departments on campus PA and CS, there has been the creation of CSAC and SPAA
  • The next town hall will present a finalized version of the Recognition Packet for student groups to maintain recognized  status on campus
  • Clubs and organizations will be subjected to an audit system
  • SGA is researching competing schools to create a case study of stipend allocations to other student governments and student leaders
  • SGA is still undergoing the rewriting of our constitution to align with various changes

Information item: Reports from the Standing Committee

Committee on Rank, Tenure and Awards

  • RTA had a procedural meeting on 9/19
  • On 11/14 RTA will review third one-year contracts and clinical renewable contracts

Committee on Academic Affairs

  • CAA met on 10/12
  • The committee discussed but did not vote on procedures for CAA.  The chair intends the procedures to be voted on in the next meeting on 10/25
  • CAA approved some changes to new course proposal forms that are meant to reduce errors in new course proposals without creating extra work for faculty
  • The committee voted to delay proposed changes to the Honors Core until it gets the new Honors Program from the Honors Task Force

Committee on Budget

  • Budget met on 10/5  
  • Budget discussed enrollment information, tuition, and room and board

Committee on Human Resources and Compensation

  • No report

Committee on Libraries and Information Technology

  • No report

Committee on Institutional Advancement

  • Advancement met on 10/13
  • The committee was informed of the following updates: Advancement is getting closer to 1% of their 6% Alumni Participation Goal; the unrestricted annual fund is expected to be trending ahead soon; Athletics fund is doing well at $400,000 of the $1,000,000 goal; there has been $6 million in new pledges exceeding Advancement’s $4 million goal
  • The Bronxville campus construction was discussed; Iona is generating income from some of the space including the Concordia Conservatory, the athletics fields, and the tennis center.
  • David Nielsen, currently at Purchase College, will be joining Iona on 11/14 as the Assistant Director of Student-Alumni Programs and Gaels Go Further Mentor Program
  • The committee is looking forward to hearing the assessment of Alumni and Family Weekend in terms of how it contributes to Advancement goals at our next meeting

Committee on Student Life

  • No report

Committee on Athletics

  • Athletics met on 10/18
  • Ending of the Fall sports regular season and beginning of the playoffs are underway.  Notable wins for Iona include women’s soccer, Iona swimming and Iona golf winning the UCD challenge.  Women’s volleyball is in second place in the MAAC.
  • Community service of multiple teams is underway to support local charities such as New Rochelle Gullota House.  Other teams are supporting various Health and Wellness charities.
  • A collaboration is underway with New York Presbyterian to support student athlete needs in areas of sports medicine, nutrition, and sports psychology.
  • Multiple renovations of the Bronxville campus sports venues are now complete and teams such as volleyball and baseball are using those spaces.

Committee on Diversity

  • No report

Committee on Enrollment Management

  • No report

Committee for Environmental Sustainability

  • Committee met on 10/19
  • Committee discussed involvement of the COES in the week of the Peacemaker
  • Earth and spirit partnered with Mission and Ministry on 10/4 for the St. Francis Day event to conclude Season of Creation  There was a planting ceremony for native species River Birch.
  • Hynes Fellowship and Student Club Fellowship continues this year and focus will be on Student Clubs along with analysis of results from the sustainability study
  • Chairs met with the new COO M. Smeriglio
  • Bronxville Task Force on Climate is look for a representative from Iona
  • Mediation Garden now on hold as the plan has broadened to include the removal of the small building at the eastern side of the space to make the garden larger
  • The committee continued discussion about the need for recycling awareness on campus

There being no other business, D. DeFino adjourned the University Council meeting at 4:04 pm. The next meeting of the Council will be the General Assembly on 11/9/22.