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HomeAbout CommunicationsApril 2023 senate report

April 3, 2023: University Senate Report

Office of the Provost

Updates


Executive Searches and Leadership Updates

College of Business:

Haresh Gurnani was named dean of the College of Business, joining Stony Brook this July. Gurnani was selected following a competitive national search. He joins the university from Wake Forest University, where he holds several
leadership positions. Click here to read the full announcement. 

Graduate School:

The application period for the Dean of the Graduate School/Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education closed on Thursday, March 9. The search committee is in the process of reviewing candidates and assessing next steps. Finalists will engage with stakeholders across the university, including a public presentation open to all faculty, staff, and students. Click here to view more information.

Continuing, Professional and Executive Education:

The application period for the Vice Provost for Continuing, Professional and Executive Education closed March 30, and the search committee will begin reviewing candidates soon. This is being conducted as a national search, open to external and internal candidates. Click here to view more information.

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs:

The Provost’s Office has appointed a committee for our search for a Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and will open the position for application soon. As shared in our email announcing the call for applications, the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs role will focus considerable energy on development and refinement of academic policy and procedures with a particular emphasis on promotion, tenure, and re-appointments as well as oversight of curriculum. Click here to view the committee membership.

Vice Provost for Curriculum and Undergraduate Education:

The Provost’s Office will announce soon an Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. As previously announced, Elizabeth Newman, who has served as Vice Provost for Curriculum and Undergraduate Education since 2021, has been hired as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at University of Texas, Arlington. 

Dean Reviews:

As part of a new process, the Provost’s Office is conducting a five-year term review and mid-term formative feedback process to review performance of deans who report to the Provost.

    • Five-year Evaluative Review: The Provost’s Office is in the final stages of a five-year review of Dean Paul Shepson of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. The five-year review gathers evaluative feedback from faculty, staff, students, and administrators of a dean’s school/college, as well as other key constituencies including senior administrators of other campus units, relevant faculty from other schools/colleges, external stakeholders, and/or student leaders. This feedback provides valuable information to the dean in the development of their leadership, and to the provost who will decide on the reappointment of the dean for an additional leadership term. Regarding the details of the review, a committee was appointed to oversee the process. They are currently in the process of preparing a summary report to present to the provost. The report will be informed by feedback from stakeholders gathered via survey and/or interviews, a self-study provided by the dean, and key data points regarding major activities of the dean and the school/college. The survey period closed on March 27 for Dean Shepson, and the review committee is currently preparing its report.
    • Mid-term formative feedback: The Provost’s Office also is gathering mid-term formative feedback for Dean Nicole Sampson of the College of Arts and Sciences and Dean Laura Lindenfeld of the School of Communication and Journalism. Occurring at the mid-point of a dean’s five-year appointment, this process consists of an anonymous survey that is provided to the faculty, staff, students, and administrators of a dean’s school/college, as well as to other key constituencies including senior administrators of other campus units, relevant faculty from other schools/colleges, external stakeholders, and/or student leaders. The process is an opportunity to gather feedback for a dean to use in their leadership development. A mid-term review is valuable because it occurs at a point in a dean’s leadership where sufficient time has passed in the dean’s term to collect meaningful feedback, and sufficient time is left in that term tor the dean to have the opportunity to effectively use the feedback to understand what is going well and what can facilitate continuous improvement where challenges are identified. Surveys were sent to stakeholders of these two schools the week of March 27 and will be open for the next few weeks

Initiatives

Strategic Planning:

The Provost’s Office continues to lead the university’s strategic planning process. This semester, members of the REACH Visioning Committee were invited to continue their participation in the strategic planning committee, and select volunteers from the fall strategic planning town halls were also invited to join the committee. The Provost’s Office is working with the committee, university leadership, and facilitators from Huron to engage the community in reviewing the current state of the plan and developing next elements, including initiatives.

IDEA Fellows:

The hiring process for this cohort has concluded with several successful hires across all themes. The Provost’s Office plans to announce the complete cohort of hires in April. The full listing of themes and search committee members is available by clicking here.

Protocenter Applications for Quantum Information Science and Technology:

Following multiple conversations this past fall with members of the quantum research community at Stony Brook, led by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research, the university is moving forward with funding “protocenters” as part of a QIST Consortium. A protocenter represents the planning stage in a QIST research program. Based on the success of each protocenter in key domains including the generation of cutting-edge research and external funding, each has the potential to grow into a university-recognized center within the QIST Consortium. Up to 2-3 protocenters will be funded in this round, with at least one additional funding round in the near future. Click here to view the full announcement, which was shared with faculty on March 24. 

Academic Programs       

 Recently approved programs:                   

 Engineering Artificial Intelligence MS (New Program)

 

Faculty Affairs

Faculty Accolades; 2023 FACT2 Excellence Awards:

The FACT2 Excellence in Instruction Awards, Excellence in Instructional Support Awards, and Excellence in Administrative Leadership Awards are SUNY system-level honors conferred to acknowledge and recognize consistently noteworthy achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence. These awards underscore SUNY’s commitment to the use of technology to support instruction, research, and service. Through these awards, SUNY recognizes its Instructional Faculty, Technology Support Professionals and Administrative Leaders.

This year, Stony Brook won 2 out of the 3 State-Operated and Statutory Campuses Awards:

  • FACT2 Excellence in Administrative Leadership: State-Operated and Statutory Campuses

      • Award Winner: Dr. Stacey Jaffee Gropack, Dean of the School of Health Professions, Stony Brook University
  • FACT2 Excellence in Instruction: State-Operated and Statutory Campuses

      • Award Winner: Santina Abbate PhD, MPA, MS, RN, NE-BC, Stony Brook University

Navigating SBU:

The Office of the Provost continues to run this orientation program for junior assistant professors. A workshop run by the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) together with the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) on “Brightspace” addressing the new learning management system was offered on March 3, 2023. This session was open to lecturers in addition to junior assistant professors.

Additional sessions of the Navigating SBU program on topics of interest for our junior faculty will take place biweekly during the academic year. Upcoming sessions include experiential learning workshops and career conversations. A detailed schedule is
available on Faculty Pathways. We keep on encouraging our assistant professors to take advantage of this opportunity not only to learn about resources and best practices but also to connect with peers.

We note that these workshops are open to any faculty member interested in participating. For more information, please contact faculty_affairs@stonybrook.edu.

Emerging Leaders:

Emerging Leaders is a program for associate professors at Stony Brook University who have been nominated by the Deans of Colleges and Schools from West and East campus. The program is designed to support the next generation of higher-education leaders in research, education, and administration. Discussions and workshops are part of the program and revolve around various themes including strategic thinking and decision-making, teamwork, career pathways, and managing conflicts. A wide range of topics are addressed through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to further our institutional pathway towards equitable success. At the end of this three-semester program, participants will complete a leadership project under the guidance of university leaders.

A panel of leaders on March 31, 2023, addressed their career paths and leadership opportunities with the participants.

Next offerings of this program will include ways to promote teamwork and an end of the year retreat.

Reminder of awards nominations:

  • Trustees Awards: Stony Brook Trustees Faculty Awards support promising early career faculty, and provide research, scholarship and art-making funding opportunities. Five Stony Brook Foundation Trustees Faculty Awards of $20,000 each are competitively available. Please click here for additional information.
      • Deadline: April 15, 2023.
  • CELT Celebration of Teaching Awards: These awards acknowledge the efforts of Stony Brook educators who use exceptional teaching practices, dispositions, and proficiencies. Awardees demonstrate outstanding passion for teaching; personal concern for students; and a devotion to inspire and nurture a learning desire in their students. For additional information or if you would like to nominate an educator, email celt@stonybrook.edu with any questions.
      • Deadline: April 28, 2023.
  • Outstanding Lecturer Awards: The Provost’s Outstanding Lecturer Award recognizes the University’s appreciation of a faculty member’s significant and ongoing contribution/s to the missions of the University. The Provost’s Outstanding Lecturer Award shall be considered an accolade granted to a fulltime Faculty Lecturer at Stony Brook University, based on significant contributions to the university, as evidenced by the quality of the individual’s teaching, service, and related professional development. For additional information or if you would like to nominate a Lecturer, please click here.
      • Deadline: April 28, 2023.

 

Enrollment Management

Registrar

Spring 2023 Deadline dates:

  • March 31:
      • UG -Course Withdrawal: Last day students can process a withdrawal from individual courses(es) via SOLAR. "W" (withdrawal) will be recorded on transcript. Changes must be processed by 4:00 PM
      • UG - Section/Credit Change: Last day to submit a Section/Credit Change Form to Registrar
      • UG - GPNC: Last day students can select Grade/Pass/No Credit (GPNC). Changes must be processed by 4:00 PM Non-petionable
  • April 3:

      • Advanced Registration: Begins for Summer/Fall 2023 according to enrollment appointments
      • Final preparations are in progress to support timely registration-this is our top priority.
      • Course space assignment and adjustments are underway to meet deadlines.
  • April 12:

      • Graduation Application for Publication: Last day for Spring /Summer 2023-degree candidates to apply for graduation and be included in the commencement publication. Students apply via SOLAR

Fall 2023 (through Fall 2028) Fall Break date changes:

    • Fall 2023 Break- to take place Monday, October 9 - Tuesday, October 10:

School of Dental Medicine, School of medicine, School of Health Professions (*Classes in session. Please contact the program for additional information.)

Graduate Degree Audit

  • Graduate degree audits are live. Changes to support approved curriculum adjustments and maintenance will be ongoing.
      • Due to staffing vacancies, there may be a delay in replies. Please bear with us as we transition and onboard new staff.

Financial Aid

  • Implemented MainStay Chatbot to help with customer service
  • Collaborated with Undergraduate Admissions with three admitted student presentations. This was a change from previous years. The goal was to have these admitted student sessions earlier to assist students in reading their award notifications, asking their questions earlier, and hopefully leading to recruiting students.
    • Understanding the FA Award Letter - 287 of 483 guests attended - This session reviewed our award letter line by line while discussing the different financial aid awards.
    • Understanding Financial Aid - 65 of 163 guests attended - This general financial aid session targeted new students who had not begun the financial aid process.
    • Financing Your Education - This was more of an international admissions event. Still, we organized the event with admissions because we felt international students should know they can apply for scholarships on Scholarship Universe.
  • In February, our work-study students made 324 phone calls to students alerting them of outstanding documentation. This assisted in our proactive efforts to help students have their aid processed before enrollment registration and housing deposit deadlines.

Domestic UG Admissions

  • Admissions hosted our first in-person counselor event since COVID. We welcomed 25 school counselors from across Long Island and NYC for a meet and greet with our admissions staff, a panel discussion about programs for the undecided student, and a tour of campus.
  • Stony Brook was selected to host the SUNY OpInform this fall where school counselors from around the state will visit campus for information about SUNY, updates about EOP and Financial Aid, and Stony Brook specific information.
  • Planning is well on its way for Admitted Student Days on April 15 and 22 with over 1500 students having already RSVPed.
  • Spring Travel has begun with counselors meeting potential students at college fairs and visits across the United States and internationally.

International Admissions

  • 120 + virtual and in-person recruitment events to date during Spring semester and more to come in Asia, Middle East, S. America. Latin America, North America and Oceania.
  • Hosted students and counselors from Escola das Nacoses High School in Brazil while in the US for Model UN.
  • Co-presented with Financial Aid this month to International admitted students virtually on Funding your Education
  • Organized a counselor event in Micronesia with a full training day of workshops.

Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions

  • CAS integration into Slate continues. We are in the final testing phase of DICAS (Dietetic Internship and the new Master's in Professional Nutrition Practice), and CASPA (Physician Assistant). The project is set to conclude once testing has been completed in mid-April.
  • Graduate Recruitment for the spring is being planned and coordinated. GHSA will be participating in multiple Career Expo fairs along with some departments, focusing on specific programs (e.g. computer science and technology, psychology, science and environmental studies, and social work). We are also coordinating with the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) to arrange for some graduate programs to attend the 2023 SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC) being held on April 14, 2023. This year's event is being run by an SBU Ph.D. alum.

 

Graduate School

Conversations in Graduate Education

  • We will be hosting two workshops on Equity in Graduate Admissions on April 12 and 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. via Zoom. 

The Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT)

  • Will be held on Wednesday, April 5 from 10-2 in the Wang Center Lecture Halls. Come hear doctoral students from across campus present their dissertation work in engaging, three-minute presentations!

DegreeWorks

  • Now available to Advanced Graduate Certificates and Masters programs. This degree audit and advising tool allows graduate students and programs to easily track progress and to see what degree requirements remain. DW will create efficiencies in our degree clearance processes and procedures.

 

Global Affairs

  • Upcoming international student success workshops for both Graduate and Undergraduate students. Please encourage international students to attend.
  • Recruiting will begin soon for International Friends & Family Community Members for AY 2023/24. SBU faculty and staff are encouraged to participate. Visit the website for details.
  • IEC University Preparation (UP) Program - Rebranding of IEC program to allow conditionally admitted students to enroll in 1-2 select academic courses while engaged in the highest level of IEC language training course.
  • Ongoing preparation for the first cohort of SBIAHU students to arrive at SBU for summer/fall 2023. Expecting approximately 30 total students across the 3 disciplines.

 

Institutional and Educational Effectiveness

Middle States Accreditation Guided Discussions, April 11-21

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend a series of guided discussions in which working groups will present preliminary reports and recommendations, gather initial responses, and answer questions from community members. Seven discussions –
one for each Middle States standard – will take place from April 11 to April 21. To sign up for these events, please register or follow the registration link at https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/middlestates/resources/communications.php.

New Academic Policies

Academic Program Assessment Policy

The Provost’s Office constituted a University Assessment Council in December to lead campus-wide assessment efforts. Composed of 16 faculty members representing our schools and colleges, along with five administrators within the Provost’s area, the Council’s first priority was to develop and implement an institutional policy for student learning assessment. The policy has been shared with Deans, Department Chairs and Assessment Coordinators and their feedback has been integrated into the policy. 

Department/Program Review Policy

In September, the Provost’s Office in consultation with the University Senate convened an ad hoc committee of six department chairs to establish a department/program review process. Members were Andrew Newman (English), Chang Kee Jung (Physics & Astronomy), Wali Karzai (Biochemistry & Cell Biology), Leonie Huddy (Political Science), Joe Mitchell (Applied Mathematics &
Statistics), and Stella Tsirka (Pharmacology). This committee has completed its work to recommend a policy and a template for reviewing SBU department/programs. The policy has been shared with Deans, Department Chairs and Program Directors and their feedback has been integrated into the policy.

General Education Assessment Initiative: Guided Conversations

In consultation and support of Stony Brook’s Assessment Council, the Office of Educational Effectiveness (OEE) will be assessing our Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) courses this spring through guided conversations. OEE will work with
Assessment Coordinators to identify 5 faculty in their departments to participate in 45-minute conversations with groups of two or three faculty. Faculty will be asked to discuss their assignments in relation to their SBC outcomes and provide counts of student achievements on a designated scale. More information can be found on the OEE website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/oee/

Academic Program Assessment Report Collection

In the fall, OEE started working with Assessment Coordinators to design and implement assessment plans. Assessment Coordinators were asked to measure one program learning objective. Of the 199 reports required, we have received 137 (68% collection). Assistance to complete reports is available from the Office of Educational Effectiveness (OEE): educationaleffectiveness@stonybrook.edu