College Council Meeting Minutes: September 30, 2022

College Council Meeting: September 30, 2022, 12:30–2:00 p.m.

New Academic Building, Room 1100

Present

Mili Makhijani, Esq., Chair
Melissa Archbold
Theresa A. Regnante
Phillip Elliot
Kimberly Cox, Student Representative

Chair Welcome

Chair Makhijani opened the meeting by welcoming members of the College Council and Cabinet to the first meeting of the academic year and acknowledging that everyone received a copy of the June 23rd College Council meeting minutes. Dr. Phillip Elliot made a motion to accept, seconded by Ms. Theresa Regnante.
Dr. D’Ambroise noted a correction on page 4, section IV should say, “The President shared that Dr. D'Ambroise has been elected to a second term as chair of Faculty Senate”, versus appointed. With that edit, the Council approved the minutes.

Report from the President

President Timothy E. Sams thanked Chair Makhijani and welcomed the Council members. Then, the President started his formal report on the following items:
- Institutional Achievements & Accolades
  - Recent rankings and awards:
    - U.S. News & World Report
      - #13 in Top Performers on Social Mobility in Regional Universities North
      - #45 in Top Public Schools in Regional Universities North
      - #124 in Regional Universities North
    - Forbes Magazine
      - Ranked among the 500 Best Colleges in America
      - Rankings based on the return on investment and outcomes they delivered for their students.
    - INSIGHT Into Diversity
    - Earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the 5th consecutive year.
    - One of only 102 institutions in the nation recognized.
      - Ms. Regnante asked if we had to use all the rankings for the U.S. World and Report. The President shared that you want to highlight all of them but added that the 124th ranking is a new one for the college. Vice President for Communications and College Relations Michael Kinane added that this was the first time in his 21 years that the college moved away from the lower tier that they won’t rank. The President added that the value of these rankings includes brand notoriety externally and allowing the College to work internally to make incremental changes to improve.
- Faculty/Staff Achievements & Accolades
  - Dr. David Glodstein, associate professor of accounting and founder of the College’s Justice for Fraud Victims Project, was named this summer the 2022 Educator of the Year by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
  - Dr. Renu Balyan, assistant professor in mathematics, computer, and information science, was part of a winning collaboration for an NSF grant titled Privacy Preserving Tutoring System for Health Education of Low Literacy Hispanic Populations” in collaboration with Cal State-Dominguez Hills, Northeastern Illinois University, and the University of Texas-San Antonio. The nearly $600,000 grant calls for the implementation and research of the effectiveness of online tutoring for low-literacy Hispanic breast cancer survivors.
  - Dr. Shebuti Rayana, also of the Mathematics, Computer, and Information Science Department, was awarded as a co-Principal Investigator a three-year NSF Grant titled "ACOSUS: An AI-driven Counseling System for Underrepresented Transfer Students” in collaboration with Northeastern Illinois University, University of Texas El Paso, University of Houston Victoria, and Cal Poly Humboldt. The $600,000 project aims to develop an AI-driven student counseling system by providing personalized readiness and success prediction and suggestions, primarily focusing on underrepresented transfer students.
  - Sociology Assistant Professor Dr. Curtis Holland published "Inequality, Identity, and the Politics of Northern Ireland: Challenges of Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation," His book delves into the obstructing impacts of class and gender inequalities and ethnic politics on the peace process in Northern Ireland.
  - Dr. Kinning Poon from the Biological Sciences Department has recently been awarded a two-year grant as Principal Investigator from the National Institutes of Health, division National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, to pilot spatial gene transcriptomics, which uses brain slices to examine global gene expression changes in discrete areas of the brain.
- Opening of School
  - Enrollment: 4266 total (4264 budgeted), 2nd highest % increase in SUNY for first time students
  - Campus Life - First Six Weeks Program
    - Student Affairs leads the First Six Weeks program to provide students with a connection to campus life, as the first six weeks is the period of transition for our new and returning students. From 8/27-9/21, the campus hosted 82 programs. Fifty-five of those events included student check-in features which show that we’ve touched 905 students through just those programs. By Saturday, October 8, we will have hosted 129 programs.
- Panther Pride Homecoming
  - Over 900+ registrants, compared to over 250 in 2019
  - New Student Convocation (Thursday)
  - Class of 2020 Celebration (Saturday)
  - Fraternity and Sorority Life Expo (Friday)
  - Panther Fest and Alumni Family Day (Saturday)
- New Centers on Campus
  - Center for Excellence for Veteran Student Services: The College was awarded in late September a 3-year, $538,000 U.S. Department of Education grant to create this center. We expect the CEVSS to increase the enrollment of veteran students, enhance the understanding and success of the veteran cohort on campus, and contribute to systemic change for this student population over time. Additionally, funding will support veteran employment on campus and for programming to support financial literacy, wellness, mental health, and resources for career planning and personal exploration.
  - Multicultural Center: Planned to be established in the Academic Village’s Roosevelt Hall, we hope to create an inclusive space for members of the campus community to explore, learn, and share their cultural identities and differences with one another. The Division of Student Affairs has been soliciting input on how to bring this center to life from the campus community and hopes to finalize its plan soon.
  - The Center for Innovation, Workforce Development, and Entrepreneurship: The College in May submitted a proposal to Nassau County for funding to assist in the creation of this center. This workforce development initiative will provide training, education, and support services to combat socioeconomic and education barriers for marginalized individuals, including formerly incarcerated individuals, differently-abled people, low-income, under/unemployed individuals, and BIPOC. A decision on our request is pending.
    - Chair Makhijani asked for any update on the athletic field construction. The President shared the latest update he has heard is that it will be ready by Spring 2023, but if they don’t plant the seeds, it won’t be done until the end of the Summer.
    - Ms. Regnante asked if there was any lead for the Veteran Center. Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael Kavic shared that Dr. Assistant Vice President for Student Success Cris Notaro is running this effort and will oversee the implementation, with support from various departments in Academic Affairs. Ms. Regnante added that she has connections within several organizations in the nonprofit sector in veteran work in Nassau County and stated she would be happy to work with Dr. Notaro to build that bridge. Mr. Kinane added that the grant helps to fund the outreach person. Dr. Elliot added that he has connections from his time as County Executive and would be happy to help as well. Ms. Regnante recommended that the college try to hire a veteran for the outreach position to help build trust when it comes to outreach.
- Panther Pantry Update
  - This Fall, the pantry has seen an increase in visits
  - Fall '22 (first five weeks): The pantry had 248 visits
  - Fall '21 (first five weeks): The pantry had 45 visits
  - Some of the grants and donations that the pantry received recently include:
    - Stop & Shop School Pantry Program -- received grant for $7,500
    - Shoprite -- allocated money through their "Partners in Caring Program" with Island Harvest
    - Faculty member Lisa Payton raised $2,500
    - Student Government Association donated $2,000
    - The JCC Community Needs Bank donated 150 bags of personal care products
    - The Jericho School district is currently running donation drives for the pantry
    - A monthly on-campus food drive rotating through different departments will continue throughout the year.
- University Status
  - The SUNY Board of Trustees approved the move for 10 of the 13 comprehensive colleges on September 21st. The school will be officially SUNY Old Westbury. More information will be forthcoming on the next steps in a future meeting with the Chancellor and Comprehensive Presidents.
- The President yielded his remaining time to Jeffrey Fischer Smith, vice president for institutional advancement, to discuss Introduction to Timothy E. Sams Event on November 16, 2022.
  - Mr. Fischer Smith shared that the Institutional Advancement Team could not wait until the Inauguration in the Spring to introduce Tim to the local community. The target audience is key business leaders, community members, philanthropists, influencers, elected and agency officials, and friends on Long Island or in the neighboring community. The President will be introduced and interviewed by a journalist that knows the President for 40 minutes, and then a reception to follow. Mr. Fischer Smith asked the Council to identify and share the names of 5 individuals to invite to the event and how they would want the invitee to receive the invitation (from the College, from the Council member, etc.).
    - Chair Makhijani asked about the reasoning behind why this event is free. Mr. Fischer Smith said this event is a welcome/friend-raiser, and it is better to ask them for money/donations later when they are engaged with the college. He added that in the packet, there is information about fundraising events.
    - Ms. Regnante suggested that the college ask the President of LIA to host the event to bring more business leaders to come. The President agreed and added that this gets around his concerns about leveraging his membership at LIA. Additionally, he shared that he asked when he became a member of LIA for them to diversify their membership, and they have responded to that ask, and having the President of LIA host can be seen as part of it.
    - Mr. Fischer Smith and Ms. Angela Wambugu Cobb, senior associate vice president for institutional advancement, shared that they will be reaching out to the Council for their respective lists of invitees for the event. Invitations will be sent via email, and some individuals will be invited via hard copy. They asked if the College Council could also co-host the event with the College Foundation. Chair Makhijani stated that if it is not a fundraising event, they can cohost, but also to consider who else would be hosting the event from the Foundation and their position/roles.

New Business

Chair Makhijani started her report by sharing a couple of upcoming dates for the Council to be aware of.
- College Council and College Foundation lunch at the President’s House on October 18 between 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM and Wednesday, November 16 at 5:30 PM is the Meet the President event.
Council Members General Remarks
- Dr. Elliot asked about any changes to the demographic makeup of the students with the enrollment growth this year, compared to years prior. He also asked for an upcoming meeting to hear more information about the placement of students after graduation. Lastly, he asked for an update and conclusion around the conversation about distance learning.
- Ms. Regnante asked for an update on past Student Government Association President, Kalief Metellus. The President shared that he is still upstate, but now teaching middle school at a charter school.
  - Vice President for Enrollment Services Jeffrey Handler shared that the demographic data of the students is very similar to past years, with many first-generation students and racially diverse (about two-thirds Black and Brown). Mr. Kinane added that we do not have the final data yet due to holdovers. Last Fall, the college was at 28% Hispanic, 22% White, 24% Black/African American, and ~11%-15% Asian. This qualifies the college as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AAPISI), which opens a variety of funding options for the college to explore. Mr. Kinane added that over his 23 years at SUNY Old Westbury, our racial demographic mix has always stayed in the same ranges (nothing wider than 5% changes). Dr. Sams shared that the last time he looked at the enrollment numbers we had were around 30% Black/African American, 27% Hispanic, and 12% Asian.
Faculty Senate Chair Report
- Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Jennie D'Ambroise shared the following in her report.
  - The Faculty Senate has been working on an extensive bylaws review, which means that various committee practices are being reviewed and updated. This includes reporting to mentoring of the next committee chair.
  - The strategic planning process is just getting started, and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will be meeting with the President to discuss the next steps involving the community in the process.
  - The Planning and Budget Committee was established as a Presidential Committee last year as a temporary measure, but the best practice is for it to be part of the faculty bylaws and operate as a college-wide committee. The Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the Planning and Budget Committee Chair, Dr. Roger Mayer, met to update Dr. Mayer on the history and background of the committee. It is the goal that they will start the process of getting the Planning and Budget Committee into the bylaws
  - Chair Makhijani asked if the Council is needed for any bylaw changes for Faculty Senate. Dr. D’Ambroise shared that there are no items that fall under Council consideration. Chair Makhijani added that it is only for issues or items related to students that would need to be brought to Council.
- Alumni Representative Report
  - Alumni Association President Lionel Chitty was not present for the meeting.
- Student Government Association Report
  - Ms. Cox shared the following in her report:
    - Last week the Student Government Association hosted SGA Week, where they host a plethora of events that allow students to engage and have fun with SGA. It also provided SGA to listen to students through an Open Forum event. At this event, they received a mixed review of how they believe school is going for them, which included;
    - Positive reviews of the food service options on campus
    - Concerns and complaints regarding the bus schedule and advising, which Ms. Cox is starting to work on.
      Increase of students coming to events. For example, on one day, SGA had about 500 attendees at their two events.
      - Ms. Regnante asked if for the buses if she was referring to the NICE bus. Ms. Cox shared that she was referring to the campus shuttle and added that the drivers do not seem to follow the schedule, which includes the app not working, buses being 10 minutes late, or coming too early. Ms. Cox is working with Transportation Services to get a new app that might be better.
      - Chair Makhijani shared that Ms. Regnante has offered to partner with NICE to try to assist. Ms. Regnante added that she has a strong relationship with the President of NICE, and she believes they would be willing to work with Transportation Services and explore various options. Mr. Kinane added that the campus shuttle is scheduled around the academic schedule, and sometimes students coming off the train station might arrive when the N20 is not there yet. Additionally, the campus shuttle makes a couple of stops along the way off campus, and then it makes stops on campus. Mr. Kinane wanted to connect with the President of NICE to see if there was a way for the buses to circle campus (add to the N20 route). Dr. Bever shared that 20-23 years ago, this came up in a meeting, and he remembered that because we are a state facility, and the buses are a county service, they could not mix the two. two. Dr. Elliot added that John Brennon, Operations Manager, worked with him to navigate the compliance issue in a similar situation, and he would be able to make an introduction.
      - Ms. Archbold asked if students were feeling better emotionally, and that is why they are coming to events now. Ms. Cox was not sure why they were coming out to events more. She believes the further we get away from COVID and online learning, the more they are willing to come outside. SGA and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) have also asked the students what types of programs they want, which helped as well.

Open Meeting

Chair Makhijani opened the floor for public comments.
Ms. Regnante asked if the pantry on campus has the distinction of being a community pantry so it can accept donations from Long Island Cares and Long Island Harvest. Mr. Kinane shared that LI Harvest helped to set it up. Ms. Regnante then asked if it received weekly donations from LI Harvest. Mr. Kinane stated that he was unsure if the volume required weekly donations, but Randy from LI Harvest does still support the pantry. Ms. Regnante added that the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant from the region (Nassau & Suffolk County) is pretty big, and it is under America’s Recovery plan. Additionally, many organizations have supplemental food cards, and the pantry might be able to get a $10,000 food card. Ms. Regnante suggested that the college reach out to LI Harvest to see if they could convert their grant to food cards. Ms. Wambugu Cobb added that Claudia Newman is the one leading the food pantry now, and they get monthly donations. The money they received from Stop and Shop was from LI Harvest.
Ms. Archbold asked for an update on the kitchens in the residential halls. Vice President for Business and Finance & CFO Ms. Santana shared that the college hired a contractor for the kitchens. Unfortunately, they finished the project but not to the college’s specifications. Right now, the college is in a dispute to get that resolved.
Chair Makhijani shared that the next meeting is scheduled for December 9 from 12:30 to 2 PM in the Student Union Multipurpose Rooms.
Hearing no other comments from the floor, Chair Makhijani asked for a motion to adjourn. Ms. Archbold moved the motion to adjourn, and Dr. Elliot seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Meeting adjourned at 1:52 p.m.