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University Council Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Wednesday, 11/6/24, 3:30 p.m. Via Zoom

Present: A. Rosenfeld., D. DeFino, M. Bard, C. Carlson, M. Higgins, M. Hughes, Y. Kang, A. Qayyum, L. Paroski, C. DelliCarpini, L. Roca, S. Carey, T. Mulligan, J. DeMellis, K. Dhanwada, J. Stabile, C. Winkler, E. Procario-Foley, M. Beckwith, J. Robinson, C. Smith, I. Stabell, N. Vidal-Finnerty, M. Callaghan, J. Steele

Excused: O. Murillo, R. Richardson, M. Volza

A. Rosenfeld called the meeting to order at 3:34pm. Quorum was met.

Approval of Minutes:

Minutes for the 10/16/24 meeting of the University Council were approved via e-mail on 10/30/2

Announcements:

Michael Berenbaum will speak on “How Holocaust Education Must Change Because Our World Has Changed” in LaPenta Atrium tonight at 7:30, as part of Iona’s annual Holocaust commemoration

GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

Discussion Item: Q&A with President Carey

  • In response to a question about Iona’s strategic priorities, S. Carey highlighted the importance of effective faculty-student engagement, citing the commitment of resources to the Gabelli Center for Teaching and Learning, and in particular the work currently being done to realize the pedagogical opportunities of AI
  • In response to a question about how Iona might realize the goal of becoming an elite teaching institution, S. Carey emphasized the need to connect with our mission and identity as a liberal arts institution, where students engage with great ideas for life, not just for job training, and where we focus on pedagogical strategies for re-igniting our students’ natural curiosity
  • In response to a question about infrastructure plans as Iona works to scale up enrollments, S. Carey highlighted several major projects meant to improve the student experience (new dining hall, new green spaces, new advising offices, Gabelli Center), the addition of 15 new full-time faculty lines for SHS, and other plans to improve both residential and commuter student experiences
  • When asked about his conversations with various departments and offices around campus, S. Carey noted concerns about recent health care increases, and shed light on the significant challenges Iona faced in finding an insurer willing to take the university on as a client, given our cost ratios
  • In response to a question about how to address lack of student preparation for college-level work—which significantly impacts both effective learning and retention—S. Carey talked about the considerable lengths enrollment management undertakes to identify the best prepared students, while acknowledging the issue of high school grade inflation and the challenges it presents to reading transcript and testing data
  • In response to a question about AI training for staff, S. Carey deferred to J. Steele, who said that IT will be working with individual departments to customize training sessions

Information Item: Follett Access

  • Representatives from Follett presented data from Iona’s first three semesters using Follett Access, focusing on cost savings, low opt-out rates, Day One benefits, and options for courses where a significant percentage of students are never accessing assigned texts
  • Questions were raised about print options, the lack of transparency around the opt-out option (especially for new students), and whether access numbers equate to students meaningfully engaging with course materials

Information Item: Enrollment and Persistence

T. Mulligan offered a presentation on “Enrollment and Persistence,” which offered layered insights to retention trends, and University efforts to increase persistence; these included patterns along various socio-economic lines, graduation rates, and the significant fiscal implications of continued decline in graduate enrollments

REPORTS:

Information Item: President’s Report

No report

Information Item: Provost’s Report

The Presidential Speaker Series will sponsor a talk with Dr. Tom Chatfield on “Our Relationship with Technology,” on 11/12/24 at 5:30pm in Romita Auditorium; faculty are asked to strongly encourage students to attend

Information Item: Core Curriculum Committee Report

  • CCC met on 10/24
  • Recruitment of Fall 2025 COL 150 instructors and January and May assessment scoring continues
  • Preparations of Core assessment continue

Information Item: Reports from Constituent Assemblies

Faculty Senate

  • The Senate met on 10/31
  • A. Rosenfeld reported that T. Mulligan has agreed to hold upper-level course caps at precious levels
  • A. Rosenfeld reported on his meeting with the Provost, General Counsel and an RTA rep to reconcile edits to the Faculty Handbook
  • The Senate reviewed proposed changes to the University Council Constitution
  • The Senate selected members to serve on the Valedictorian & Faculty Speaker of the Year Selection Committee; and agreed to solicit self-nomination for the University Faculty Awards Committee from among previous winners

Staff and Administrative Council

  • SAC will be participating the Thanksgiving basket collection efforts
  • The Iona Pipe Band will be marching in this year’s New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade; a group of LaPenta students redesigned parade marketing materials in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce

Student Government Association

  • SGA meetings are held every Thursday at 3:30pm
  • This week’s meeting will take place at the Thomas Paine Museum, and will feature guests from the Thomas Paine Society

Information item: Reports from the Standing Committees

Committee on Rank, Tenure and Awards

  • RTA met on 11/4
  • The committee began its review of 3rd one-year contracts

Committee on Academic Affairs

  • No report

Committee on Budget

  • Budget met on 10/23
  • The committee voted on several graduate tuition adjustments for FY25-26
  • Room and board discussions will continue next meeting

Committee on Human Resources and Compensation

  • HR&C met on 10/25
  • C. DelliCarpini was elected chair
  • The recently formed Safety Committee was reviewed. J. Lykins and A. Navarrete are co-chairs.
  • The committee reviewed NYS Title IX regulation updates and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act; HR will be posting updates prior to 1/1/25
  • Iona will begin to offer a Roth IRA option beginning 1/1/25; details will be discussed during the November open enrollment period
  • The current Animals on Campus policy was reviewed and re-endorsed
  • NYS Sexual Harassment training will begin 11/4/24; Wellness Bingo runs 10/16-11/13/24; Open Enrollment runs 11/12-11/22/24; the Health Fair will be held on 11/18/24

Committee on Libraries and Information Technology

  • The committee met on 10/31
  • The EBSCO user interface has undergone a redesign
  • Resources and workshops for maintaining privacy when using AI are currently available
  • U Drives will be eliminated on 12/1/24; all contents should be relocated by users prior to that date
  • As of SP25, all courses will be created in Blackboard Ultra; training is available via Faculty Services
  • Instructions for technology use have been prominently posted in LaPenta and Kelly Center classrooms

Committee on Institutional Advancement

  • No report

Committee on Student Life

  • No report

Committee on Athletics

  • No report

Committee on Diversity

  • The committee met on 11/1
  • The committee discussed strategies for engaging more members of the Iona community in DEIB events and programming

Committee on Enrollment Management

  • No report

Committee for Environmental Sustainability

  • The committee met on 10/24
  • The committee received updates on the new green space in front of Doorley Hall, and new composting equipment
  • The Deignan Institute and Berry Forum reported on the 10/1 St. Francis Day Festival, as well as a presentation to Edmund Rice International/UN Human Rights Council Workshop on the climate crisis
  • Members of the GreenFaith Circle shared updates on the new Food Recovery chapter, including their efforts to coordinate with Chartwells
  • Several upcoming campus events on the theme of eco-justice were discussed
  • The committee discussed the inclusion of Iona’s land acknowledgement statement at campus events and in e-mail signatures


There being no other business, A. Rosenfeld adjourned the University Council meeting at 5:12pm. The final fall meeting of the Council will be held on 12/11/24.