College Council Meeting: December 9, 2022, 12:30 pm
Student Union Multipurpose Room A
Present
- Ms. Mili Makhijani, Esq. (Chair)
- Ms. Melissa Archbold
- Ms. Kimberly Cox, Student Representative
- Dr. Phillip Elliot
- Dr. Nicolette Fiore-Lopez
- Hon. William A. Hohauser
- Ms. Martha Maffei
- Ms. Theresa A. Regnante
Chair Welcome
- Chair Makhijani opened the meeting by welcoming members of the College Council and Cabinet in attendance and shared her condolences on the recent passing of Dr. Calvin Butts III. She held a moment of silence in his memory.
- Chair Makhijani introduced the newest council member, Dr. Fiore Lopez. She received her Bachelor’s from Hunter College, her Master’s from NYU, and then her Ph.D. from Molloy University. She is a certified nurse and is currently the chief nursing officer at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson. Dr. Fiore Lopez shared to look into what kind of connections you have between graduates and undergraduates and look into a mentoring approach to want to go into graduate school.
- Acknowledging that everyone received a copy of the September 30th College Council meeting minutes. Ms. Melissa Archbold motioned to accept, seconded by Dr. Phillip Elliot. The Council approved the by unanimous vote the minutes.
Report from the President
- SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy Sams thanked Chair Makhijani and welcomed the Council members. He shared that Dr. Butts’ memorial will be on February 9 at the College. Then, the President started his formal report on the following items:
- Fall 2022 Experience
- Renewed, excited student energy
- Fall bash and fall break
- Return of homecoming
- Community participation in Tomorrow's Promise
- Athletics engagement and success despite facilities
- Fall 2022 Experience
- Changes in Administration
- Promotion of Angela Wambugu Cobb to Vice President of Institutional Advancement
- National searches are underway for the Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for Enrollment Management & Marketing, and Executive Director of Human Resources. These searches should conclude by January. Thank you to our interim leaders in these roles, Dr. Gail DiSabatino, Jeffrey Handler, and Dr. David Tomanio.
- Faculty/Staff Achievements & Accolades
- Dr. Fred Millan, a distinguished teaching professor of psychology, has been named by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as one of 39 fellows to its 2022-2023 Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazg. The program is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education.
- Dr. Jasmine Mitchell, associate professor in the American Studies/ Media and Communications Department, received the first-ever Oliver Scholars Alumni Award. Mitchell was one of three alumni honored for excelling at Oliver's core pillars of scholarship, leadership, and service. Founded in 1984, Oliver Scholars prepares high-achieving Black and Latinx students from underserved New York City communities for success at top independent schools and prestigious colleges.
- Recap “Tomorrow’s Promise” Event
- Thank the Council for their participation in the event.
- Ms. Wambugu Cobb shared that new relationships were made. In the next month, both her and the President's calendars will be filled with follow up with individuals that attended or were not able to attend but want to learn more.
- Eva McKend, who moderated the discussion with the President, spent time with the students earlier in the day, which was one of the highlights of her day.
- Child Care Center Grant
- The College has been awarded $1.5 million in state funding to build a childcare center.
- The funding is part of a $15.6 million funding plan to expand childcare services across New York's state university campuses, announced by Governor Kathy Hochul
- The college is in the early stages of planning the new center on campus, which could ultimately serve up to 100 children.
- Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff Jo-Ann Robinson and Dean of the SChool of Education Diana Sukhram are leading this effort.
- The center would serve the college’s faculty and staff, local families, and SUNY Old Westbury students with children.
- SUNY has made expanded childcare facilities a high priority, with the eventual goal of having one center available at every campus.
- Transfer Agreements
- The College has signed a new joint admission agreement with Suffolk County Community College, allowing students who complete their studies at Suffolk guaranteed admission into an array of programs at SUNY Old Westbury.
- This is the first time this agreement has been updated in more than 20 years.
- Suffolk students who graduate from more than 30 programs will be guaranteed acceptance to SUNY Old Westbury with their lower-level general education/core requirements waived if they transfer to SUNY Old Westbury.
- Those students, depending on their path, will have 24 majors and programs available to them at Old Westbury.
- In short, SUNY Suffolk students committing to SUNY Old Westbury will be able to maximize course offerings and ensure a smooth transfer process.
- Agreements with Kingsborough and Bronx Community Colleges are in progress.
Partnerships for Access
- The College has signed a new joint admission agreement with Suffolk County Community College, allowing students who complete their studies at Suffolk guaranteed admission into an array of programs at SUNY Old Westbury.
- Effective this November, SUNY Old Westbury became a partner college of TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college access and success program for immigrant students.
- As a partner college, SUNY Old Westbury can make available The.Dream.US’ National Scholarship to undocumented immigrant students with or without DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) or TPS (Temporary Protected Status) who came to the United States before the age of 16 and before Nov. 1, 2017.
- Through this partnership, TheDream.US will pay up to $33,000 cumulatively for tuition and fees toward a bachelor’s degree for every qualified student that applies.
- Reinforced our commitment to our Silcox Foundation partnership.
- In conversation with Orphan Starfish Foundation, an international organization that sponsors educational opportunities for orphans worldwide, to send their first three scholars to SUNY Old Westbury in the Fall. They come with funding, but more information will be shared at the next Council meeting.
Chair Makhijani asked when Dream.US will launch, and the President shared that in the Fall of 2023, and by that time, there will be a Vice President of Student Affairs.
- In conversation with Orphan Starfish Foundation, an international organization that sponsors educational opportunities for orphans worldwide, to send their first three scholars to SUNY Old Westbury in the Fall. They come with funding, but more information will be shared at the next Council meeting.
- Student Focused Efforts
- OW Model
- Class Deans for the four undergraduate years have been launched
- Building out the student development and success model to be launched in the upcoming Fall semester.
- Planning the launch of the first learning communities for next Fall semester, which includes one within the social and environmental justice center. This will allow us to market to students across the state that we have social and environmental justice living-learning community anchored by a full range of faculty who are in the same building.
- Multicultural Center
- Currently being worked on, but it is planned to be housed in the Academic Village and led by Student Affairs
- Social & Environmental Justice Center: Residential Component
- Addressing the needed Physical Improvements in the Academic Village (AV)
- Members of the Cabinet did a tour of the AV and were able to get a sense of the challenges that are repairable and addressable.
- Creation of a Student Affairs (OW) Support and Service Hub in the Student Union
- Housing, Career Services, Class Deans, First and Second-Year Experience, Student Organization Center.
- Providing more exposure and support to Food Pantry and support for other insecurities support.
- Wellness Center (Student Health Center and Counseling Center) in the Campus Center
- Enrollment Management
- New Admissions Center in the Student Union
- One Stop Student Solution Center
- Ms. Archbold shared that at the ACT Conference that she spoke with Chairman Meryl Tisch about putting more capital into student food and housing insecurity from that conversation Chairman Tisch agreed that will be a top-of-the-list priority for funding.
- Ms. Cox asked when the moves will take place, and the President responded that his preference is before the Fall of 2023.
- Looking Ahead: Key Dates and Activities Being Planned
- Wednesday, January 26, 2023: Start of the Spring Semester
- Spring 2023: Athletics facilities back online
- Thursday, February 9, 2023 – 5:30 PM: Campus Memorial for President Emeritus Calvin O. Butts, III
- Friday, April 14, 2023: Inauguration
- Wednesday, May 24, 2023: Commencement
- OW Model
- Working with the new Chancellor, John King
- Diversity/Equity: The President displayed the racial-ethnic demographic data and makeup of SUNY Old Westbury students, staff, and faculty. The President asked the Council the following question “What methods do you employ that ensure that traditionally underrepresented and marginalized community members are part of the central decision-making process of your organization; what recommendations do you have for OW?”
- Chair Makhijani asked what is the President’s targeted audience for underrepresented and marginalized community members. The President stated that his first effort is around race and ethnicity to make the case that we are a premier MSI, and in subsequent efforts, we will focus on other segments of our community. The President shared that the faculty senate sent him a resolution surrounding consultation for not only curriculum but for all other areas of the college. Simultaneously, other population segments of the college have shared that they are not feeling part of the decision-making process.
- Ms. Regnante shared that if you lead in a way that you are trying to get as much feedback as possible, how much more does the college need to do in seeking a greater level of feedback? If you state what the challenges are and then what the solutions are, then the faculty/staff can bring forth specific solutions because often, these conversations are happening all the time. As the leader, you will hear it enough and know what you need to implement or need to do something differently. In addition to looking at the demographic data of graduate students, it is also important to measure post-graduate employment. Chair Makhijani added that the President spent much time as a new leader listening to people at every level before he started implementing.
- The President shared that he is interested in it being more than how good of a leader he can be and the messages he can send, but the measurable data (i.e., student completion, employment, graduate degrees) to remove the roadblocks that may exist.
- Dr. Elliot shared that there are some systemic reasons why the numbers do or don’t look like are. Additionally, economics will have an influence on if a student can go into a graduate program. The economic divide in Nassau County and Long Island shows itself in these numbers, but getting a job post-graduation can give students some revenue to continue their education. When you do workforce analysis, what percentages are minorities in management and supervising positions, rather than what staff you have?
- Faculty Senate Chair Jennie D'Ambroise added that is not an evaluation of one person that we want to think bout but it about everybody in the institution. The timelines or structures of the institution are what we need to try and figure out to be better aligned with DEI. Even with the DEI courses and training that she has experienced, she is still not aware of what mechanisms to put in place to solve these problems.
- Chair Makhijani shared that the former Chief Judge charged Jay Johnson to look into the court system and identify any DEI issues, which resulted in a 100-page report. This Jay Johnson report identified many shortcomings in the court system, including staffing.
- The President asked if the members could craft an email and share what is happening in their organizations to ensure this DEI-J effort to ensure.
- Diversity/Equity: The President displayed the racial-ethnic demographic data and makeup of SUNY Old Westbury students, staff, and faculty. The President asked the Council the following question “What methods do you employ that ensure that traditionally underrepresented and marginalized community members are part of the central decision-making process of your organization; what recommendations do you have for OW?”
Chair Report
- Chair Makhijani started her report by sharing that she will skip the Old Business portion of the meeting and have it ready to discuss for the next meeting.
New Business
- Faculty Senate Chair Report: Dr. D'Ambroise shared that there have not been any major changes or updates from her last report.
- She has been partnering with Provost Duncan Quarless to address some issues on distance learning and creating a joint faculty governance committee to figure out how we can advertise the various modalities in a way that meets the needs of both faculty and students.
- Alumni Representative Report: Alumni Association President Lionel Chitty shared the following in his report:
- The Alumni Association looks forward to working collaboratively with Institutional Advancement.
- The Alumni Association will put together programming in 2023 to get more traction and attention to the college in the community and Nassau County.
- Student Government Association Report: SGA President Kimberly Cox shared the following in her report:
- Student Government Association is going through transitions as some of the student representatives graduated in December, and she is working to fill those positions. Last week SGA had an emergency General Assembly meeting to review three different resolutions that were all passed. One was a wet campus resolution that was mostly based on research and was sent to the Dean of Students to start working on implementing it. A wet campus is having alcohol on the campus. The second resolution was regarding volunteering, allowing people to experience SGA without committing to a position. The last resolution was a DEI position for the SGA executive board.
- Dr. Elliot asked about the current rules concerning cannabis on campus. Additionally, Ms. Regnante asked if all SUNY campuses are dry or just SUNY Old Westbury. Hon. Hohauser added that if you make the campus wet, how will you implement it? The President shared that higher education is all over the map on this issue. What is important first is the health and safety of the students, and then SUNY policies that the college must adhere to. None of the colleges could ever say it supports underage drinking in any structural way. Regarding the issue of smoking on campus, SUNY is still trying to figure this out. Mr. Kinane added that SUNY campus buildings are smoke-free facilities, and it does not matter what smoke product is.
Open Meeting
- Chair Makhijani opened the floor for public comments.
- Ms. Regnante recommended that the President meets with the President of Erase Racism, as it would be a good opportunity to collaborate and think about some of the DEI work together
- Seeing no other comments from the floor, Chair Makhijani asked for a motion to adjourn. Ms. Regnante moved the motion to adjourn, and Ms. Cox seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Meeting adjourned at 1:59 p.m.