College Council Meeting Minutes: May 5, 2023
COLLEGE COUNCIL
Tower Room, Doty Hall
May 5, 2023
PRESENT: Gidget Hopf
Judith Hunter
Alex Ruiz
Holly Salatel
Robert Wayland-Smith, Chair
STAFF: Denise Battles, President
Julie Buehler, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Joe Cope, Interim Provost
Kerri Howell, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Wendi Kinney, Chief of Staff
Ellen Leverich, Vice President for College Advancement
Heather Overholt, Executive Assistant to the President
Christie Reed, Administrative Assistant to the President
robbie routenberg, Chief Diversity Officer
Amy Sheldon, College Senate Chair
Costas Solomou, Vice President for Enrollment Management (via zoom)
Michael Taberski, Vice President for Student and Campus Life
GUESTS: Rob Doggett, Incoming College Senate Chair
Lindsey Graser, Enrollment Marketing Manager
Natalie Heller ’23, student
Jessica Savage ’98, President, Dixon-Schwabl
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Wayland-Smith called the meeting to order at 1:06 p.m.
Chair welcomed everyone to the final meeting of the academic year. The Chair welcomed our new College Council member, Holly Salatel. President Battles provided a formal introduction.
COLLEGE SENATE REPORT
Battles acknowledged Amy Sheldon for her four years of service as senate chair and introduced Rob Doggett, incoming senate chair.
Sheldon provided a Senate update. Five new programs have been added and five more are in the pipeline, 23 revised, 11 revisions in the pipeline. Adopted a new policy on microcredentials and badges. Reviewed transfer credit policy to recognize D+ and D- grades and articulate a commitment to seamless transfer. Revised the new general education curriculum (already!) aligning the SUNY DEI and social justice requirement with our diversity, pluralism, and power requirement. Enacted a pause on tagging of antiracism courses for one year to prioritize SUNY mandates. Approved a new policy for School of Business students instating a minor residency requirement, whereby 50% of the minor credits must be completed at Geneseo. Spring elections were held and four amendments were approved to address systemic bias in the tenure/promotion process. Sheldon offered her gratitude for the great welcome and collaboration with College Council the past four years.
CABINET/FACULTY/STAFF/STUDENT PRESENTATION
Rounding Up New Knights: How We Engage Students and Enroll a Class at SUNY Geneseo
Costas Solomou, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Kerri Howell ‘97, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Jessica Savage ’98, President, Dixon-Schwabl
Natalie Heller ’23, Social Media Intern
This topic was suggested by a member of Council and is tied to our strategic plan.
Solomou offered an overview of enrollment terminology. He then described the goals and success measures related to enrollment strategy. Our audience extends beyond high school students to include transfers, families, school counselors, teachers, alumni, and community-based organizations.
Howell walked Council through a variety of updates made to the Geneseo website to make enhance useability and information sharing for potential students and their families. Howell further shared how email and print campaigns we utilized to market Geneseo to prospective students.
Savage provided a summary of the digital campaign which had a goal to increase the number of inquiries in the prospective student pool through a halo effect of increased brand awareness, specifically among BIPOC and first-gen students in Erie, Monroe, and Onondaga counties. Data were shared showing outcomes of the investment.
Heller shared highlights of the social media strategy used in the marketing campaign.
As the recruitment cycle is ongoing, Solomou described the variety of in-person events which engage and showcase Geneseo, both on campus (such as tours) and on the road (such as college fairs). The campus visit experience was enhanced with additional branded signage, academic symposia, and programming on social-emotional wellness of students. Approximately 60% of the students who attended an admitted students day program have deposited.
Council members participated in an exercise generating words that come to mind when they think of Geneseo.
The presenters entertained Q&A from College Council.
STUDENT ASSOCIATION REPORT
Ruiz provided an update on the Student Association’s activities. He advocated for the urgency of finding an ongoing director of multicultural affairs. This role is critical to providing student support. Ruiz shared the challenges the SA has in identifying student leaders who are able to commit the time and energy to their roles. The SA is revisiting its funding model to support SA leadership positions. The SA is also undergoing a review and revision of its constitution. Ruiz was recently elected the SUNY student assembly president and will serve as a SUNY Trustee.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Battles shared a variety of institutional updates.
College Council Membership Update
Battles again welcomed our newest College Council member, Holly Salatel.
Strategic planning and the Equity-Centered Honors College vision
President Battles provided an update on the College’s strategic planning process. Plan implementation is underway with six priorities identified for immediate emphasis. We are accepting challenge grant proposals intended to foster plan progress.
Our engagement with the campus community around our equity-centered honors college vision continues. We’ve held multiple ideation and planning sessions, gathered input via suggestion boxes (physical and virtual), advocated at the state level for support, and incorporated our vision into various other campus programming.
Selected College updates
President Battles shared updates related to:
-Financial sustainability. Responses to our structural budget gap were discussed.
-Interim and ongoing Provost search
-School of Business Dean search
-Program development
-GREAT Day
Accolades
Battles highlighted a few of the many recent faculty, staff, student, and alumni achievements, awards, and recognitions.
The President entertained Q&A from College Council.
NEW BUSINESS
Council reviewed amendments to the Title IX Grievance Policy. The amendments respond to regulatory expectations that an institution have one policy that applies equally to students and employees.
Council reviewed the newly proposed policy on non-credit bearing microcredentials. This policy has been endorsed by Senate, cabinet, and SUNY legal counsel. This would enable Geneseo to offer non-credit bearing courses, programs, and learning experiences that generate a credential or badge. Many of these activities will emerge outside of academic affairs.
The Chair entertained a motion to approve the amendments to the Title IX Grievance Policy.
Discussion was held. Motion passed.
The Chair entertained a motion to approve the non-credit bearing microcredential policy. Discussion was held. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
CHAIR’S REPORT
The Chair entertained a discussion of the results of the annual survey of College Council members. Wayland-Smith invited Council members to bring forth any suggestions directly to him and to utilize the suggestion form in their folders to offer ideas for future presentation topics.
A suggestion was made to mark attendance as present/excused on the minutes to track meeting participation.
It was decided that next year’s meeting modality will remain the same: two in person meetings and two virtual meetings.
The minutes of the February 10, 2023 meeting were approved.
The meeting adjourned at 3:54 p.m.
Denise A. Battles Wendi Kinney
President Recording Secretary