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Summary
- Abstract:
- The University Faculty Senate was created to centralize and govern all of the colleges throughout the SUNY system. This is an artificial collection assembled from the records held by University at Albany, SUNY representatives.
- Extent:
- 6.0 cubic ft.
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, State University of New York, University Faculty Senate Collection, 1944-2003. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the State University of New York, University Faculty Senate Collection).
Background
- Scope and Content:
The State University of New York, University Faculty Senate collection is an artificial collection assembled from the records held by University at Albany, SUNY representatives to the University Faculty Senate.
The bulk of the collection is taken from the office of Professor Joseph L. Norton, covering the years 1968-1974, and Dr. Robert B. Morris for the years 1964-1971. Other University at Albany Senators represented include Professors Paul F. Wheeler and J. Ralph Tibbetts. Correspondence will be found in files for individual senators interspersed with other material, such as hand written notations, that was assembled from various folders originally labeled miscellaneous.
This collection documents the activities of the University Faculty Senate and the University at Albany Senators from the first Senate Meeting in 1953 through the 1998 session. Contained in these records are reports; minutes; by-laws; correspondence; published material such as newsletters; directories; overviews and handbooks. The collection documents the growth of the University system through booklets, brochures, master plans, and organizational charts held by the University at Albany Senate Office. Also of note is a draft copy of a 1977 manuscript, possibly by John W. Spencer, entitled "Origins and Development, State University of New York".
During the 1970s the University Faculty Senate became increasingly involved in governance and assumed an important role in the operation of the State University of New York. After the passage of the Taylor Law in 1967, the University Faculty Senate faced many decisions over issues of collective bargaining, and the changing relationships between administrators, professional non-teaching staff and faculty. These areas of interest are reflected in such documents as the Report of the President, Frank C. Erk, at the University Faculty Meeting (February 1970) and in the Report to the Faculty Senate by Chancellor Ernest L. Boyer (1972) as well as the correspondence of the senators. Collective bargaining documents from the office of the President of the University and various committees such as the Executive Committee, Governance Committee, Personnel Committee, and material from the controversy over granting academic status to librarians are all noteworthy.
Covering over four decades, this collection documents an expanding university challenged by social change and innovations in education and the work of faculty, in Senate assembled, to meet those challenges. Academic freedom, race and gender issues, student activism, and the need to develop programs to meet the educational needs of an evolving society are well documented in the meeting minutes, reports, committee material and correspondence of the University Faculty Senate. Of particular interest is the material from the Undergraduate Program Committee which illustrates the creation and development of the University-wide workshop, "The Professor, the Student and the Learning Experience", (1969) in which can be seen the process of creating, developing, and producing the workshop as well as analyzing the end results.
Of particular interest in the administrative files is the lawsuit against members of the University Faculty Senate in 1971 during Frank C. Erk's term as president of the University Faculty Senate. In the lawsuit the New York City law firm of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays, & Handler, filed a lawsuit against Frank C. Erk, et al. in order to receive payments believed owed to the firm. The case relates to issues with the Public Employment Relations Board (P.E.R.B.) and whether the Senate was an employee organization qualified to represent employees of SUNY under the Taylor Law. The Taylor law affects the rights of employees of New York State.
- Biographical / Historical:
Prior to the establishment of the State University of New York (SUNY) as a system in 1948, most campuses had local faculty senates, assemblies, or other organizations. The University Faculty Senate was ultimately created to centralize and govern all of the colleges within the State University of New York system. The University Faculty Senate officially began when the State University Board of Trustees adopted a resolution approving the University Faculty Senate on October 8, 1953. With 26 recognized representatives from colleges in New York, system President William S. Carlson called the first meeting to order on December 15, 1953 at the Dewitt Clinton Hotel in Albany, New York. The University Faculty Senate by-laws state: "The Senate shall be the official agency through which the University Faculty engages in the governance of the University. The Senate shall be concerned with effective educational policies and other professional matters within the University" [The University Faculty Senate, State University of New York, 2001-2003, http://facweb.itec.suny.edu, 17 November 2003].
The Senate meets twice a year with special meetings as needed. University representatives of a state-operated unit serve a term of three years and can serve consecutive terms. To ensure that concerns and issues are resolved the Senate operates via committees. Some of the committees include the Committee on Undergraduate Education, Committee on Expanding Educational Opportunity, and Committee on Professional Rights and Responsibilities.
As the university grew new programs and policies were implemented in response to societal needs. In the 1960s the University dealt with radicals disrupting classes in order to get their messages out. The wages and integration of the workforce, specifically the construction crews on SUNY campuses, have been an ongoing issue since the 1960s. Affirmative action became such a strong topic for SUNY that by the 1970s Chancellor Earnest L. Boyer received letters charging reverse discrimination.
During his tenure, Chancellor Samuel B. Gould advocated communication between students, faculty, and administrators as a result of the civil unrest on college campuses around the country. In 1968, a conference was held on teacher-learner relationships in undergraduate education. Faculty, administrators, and students were invited to attend the conference. Officially called the Faculty Senate Workshop on "The professor, the student and the learning relationship", the conference took place June 17-18, 1969, at State Quad on the University at Albany campus. The conference stressed communication issues between students and professors. It was resolved that an open and honest line of communication would have to be established to successfully destroy views of professors in a superordinate role while students held subordinate roles. The conference advocated ending the ideal of the student as subordinate in order to prevent young adults from carrying that view of themselves into their communities and employment after college.
This collection includes information on how SUNY spent and invested its money as well as administrative functions. The meeting minutes of February 1985 indicate that the Senate resolved to cease investing in companies doing business in South Africa in order to express their disapproval of the policy of apartheid in South Africa at the time. Other issues considered during meetings included librarians receiving academic rank and privileges, salary issues, and other professional policies.
In 1991, recognizing the needs of a changing society, the Board of Trustees and the Chancellor of SUNY developed a new plan to prepare the students and the university for life in the next century. In order to reach this vision the university would have to utilize five basic principles. The principles were:
- To provide access to the university to a range of people seeking entry to public higher education.
- To concentrate on methods to raise the general knowledge of undergraduates especially their performances in math, science, and technology.
- To promote collaborative efforts between the university and government and private industry in the areas of applied and basic research.
- To meet the needs of the state by becoming more involved in health care, economy, and social welfare.
- To develop better management practices to handle funds received to subsidize the state budget from philanthropists, foundations and corporations.
The University Faculty Senate continues to provide leadership to the colleges of the State University of New York while providing a forum for representatives to discuss their concerns. Today the University Faculty Senate includes 45 senators as well as student representatives.
- Acquisition information:
- All items in this manuscript group were donated to the University Libraries, M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, by University Faculty Senators from the University at Albany.
- Processing information:
Processed in 2003 by Ellen Ronnlund and Kenyetta Russell.
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized as follows:
- Sub-series 1: Directories, 1953-2002
- Sub-series 2: Handbooks and Reports, 1967-1992
- Sub-series 3: Master Plans, SUNY, 1967-1975
- Sub-series 4: Newsletters, 1964-1978
- Physical location:
- The materials are located onsite in the department.
Subjects
- Subjects:
- Africana Studies
State University of New York SUNY, Central Administration
Education
Academic librarians -- Faculty status.
Collective bargaining -- New York (State)
Education, Higher -- New York (State)
Universities and colleges -- New York (State)
Wages -- New York (State)
State University of New York -- Directories.
State University of New York -- Faculty.
Universities and colleges--Administration - Names:
- State University of New York, University Faculty Senate
State University of New York. Faculty Assembly.
State University of New York News.
Foster, Arnold.
Morris, Robert.
Norton, Joseph.
Tibbetts, Ralph J.
Carlson, William S. (William Samuel), 1905-1994.
Boyer, Ernest L.
Wheeler, Paul F.
Spencer, John W.
Erk, Frank C., 1924-
Contents
Access
Using These Materials
- ACCESS:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Access to this record group is unrestricted.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, State University of New York, University Faculty Senate Collection, 1944-2003. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the State University of New York, University Faculty Senate Collection).