In today’s Academic Senate session, the body reviewed prospective proposals for a new B.S. in Quantitative Economics, a simplified range elevation process for lecturers, and a new camera policy for online courses that would allow for a “Cameras On” mandate. The Senate also voted in favor of sending up a lecturer representative to the statewide Academic Senate to give lecturers a greater voice in the CSU’s shared governance.

New Quantitative Economics Degree Pathway on the Horizon

The chair of the University Educational Policies Committee (UEPC) Michelle Perea Ryan presented a resolution to add a Quantitative Economics B.S. program to Stan State’s curriculum.

This program will be focused on the traditional economic courses with the addition of mathematics and statistics courses to prepare students for emerging job markets such as data analytics.

Perea Ryan argued that this resolution would enhance the university’s competitiveness by drawing in students interested in STEM fields. She also noted how no additional courses would need to be added to the curriculum as all courses that make up this program are already provided in the current curriculum.

A concern raised by Senator David Colnic, the chair of the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee, was that since other newly implemented programs have had difficulties being appropriated the proper funding, that he calls on the administration to make sure it’s fully supported.

“Our main concern is that we’re starting a program in that we’re supporting them for the long haul,” Colnic said.

Senator Emma Joy Jampole also spoke in favor of the new program, comparing it to how the music department has both a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts program which are valuable in how they can cater to different students’ interests and career prospects.

This resolution will be voted on in the next Senate session in two weeks.

Proposed Simplification of Lecturer Range Elevation Policy Would Give Lowest Paid Faculty Raises Without the Headache

Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC) chair Senator Marina Gerson brought this resolution to the floor which would simplify the range elevation process to be in accordance with the recent bargaining agreement with the CSU administration.

This resolution would make it so lecturers are no longer required to submit a file to a review committee and find recommendations from other faculty in order to be approved or denied for a range elevation.

According to Gerson, lecturers are already reviewed regularly, and so the new system should be set up where lecturers will be emailed when they are eligible for their range elevation. Lecturers are eligible after they have put in enough WTUs and hours worked.

The Senate plans to vote on this resolution in two weeks.

New Camera Policy for Fully Online Courses Brought to Floor, Allowing for Instructors to Mandate Students to Have their Cameras On Full-Time

Ayuba Seidu, the chair of the Academic Technology and Learning Committee, brought a resolution that will lead to instructors being able to mandate students to have their cameras on during class time for online-only courses.

They did state that this will lead to online courses being listed with a warning saying they “may” require the use of a webcam during the class session.

The reason for this is that some faculty members find it difficult to connect to students personally during online courses. Faculty members also state that they worry about the health and safety of students who do not have their web cameras on.

Some concerns did arise about the requirements for instructors to provide accommodations to students who have a reasonable scenario where using a camera would be an issue. The concern lies in the fact that this will lead to inequity, and a student with their camera off may draw attention and upset some students who will ask why one person allowed an exception.

This resolution will return to the Senate in two weeks with possible revisions for a vote.

Lecturer Representation

The Faculty Affairs Committee brought a resolution to the floor which calls for the selection of a Lecturer representative from Stan State to represent the faculty in the Academic Senate of California State University (ASCSU).

This comes after a call by the statewide Academic Senate body for all campuses to select a lecturer representative to serve on the ASCSU to build a lecturer electorate.

This resolution will begin the process of selecting a lecturer representative.

Lectures have traditionally not served on the ASCSU, but as the most vulnerable faculty members financially and in terms of job security, faculty unions have been calling on governance across the CSU to grant them a greater voice in decision making.

This resolution ultimately passed with no dissent.

Election Season Begins at Stan State as ASI Asks for Student Candidate Applications

The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) reported that elections are open for and close on March 9th. Any student who is interested in running for a position on the Board of Directors can fill out the form on their website. Students will vote either in-person or online from April 16th to 17th.