Faculty Senate diversity committee report for march 23, 2012
x / Michihiro Ama,Languages / E / Gabe Garcia, Health Sciences,
3rd Co-Chair / x / Natasa Masanovic, Languages, 1st Co-Chair
x / Gabrielle Barnett,
Liberal Studies / x / Susan Garton,
Education / x / Sudarsan Rangarajan, Languages
--- / Yong Cao, Business / x / Beth Graber,
English
(Kachemak Bay) / x / Rena Spieker, Nursing
E / Ping-Tung Chang, Math (Matsu) / x / Hiroko Harada,
Languages / x / Mary Weiss, Nursing
(Bethel)
x / Herminia Din,
Art Education / E / Sun-il Kim,
Computer System Engineering / --- / Yelena Yagodina,
Mathematics
--- / Kevin Dow, Accounting / x / Paul Landen, Psychology
(Kenai)
x / Patricia Fagan, Languages, 2nd Co-Chair and Secretary / x / Sean Licka,
Art History
Consultants and Representatives
x: Marva Watson, Director, Campus Diversity & Compliance Office
* x=Present *E=Excused *---=Not Present
I. Review of Agenda for March 23, 2012: Unanimously approved with no additions proposed.
II. Review of FSDC Meeting Minutes from February 17, 2012: Although not a current member of the Faculty Senate Diversity Committee, Dr. Susan Kalina, Co-Chair of the International and Intercultural Laboratory Task Force and Guest Co-Presenter for the FSDC 3/23 meeting, requested that two sentences from Section V be stricken from the 2/17/2012 minutes: IILTF Co-Leaders, Marva Watson and Susan Kalina, are consulting with Deans and Directors to determine the direction of the Office of International Affairs which is currently lead by an Interim Director. FSDC and IIL Inventory Task Force member, Gabrielle Barnett, noted that a website collection is underway in which Mission statements and Student Learning Outcomes for all programs and departments across campuses are being reviewed and coded for intercultural and international content. The Faculty Senate Diversity Committee members yielded to this proposed revision, hence the record now effectively reflects such elimination. No additional changes were suggested by FSDC members, and the minutes were unanimously approved thereafter.
III. Invited Guest Speaker Presentation: Susan Kalina and Marva Watson, Co-Chairs, UAA International and Intercultural Laboratory Task Force. The leaders of this initiative were pleased to inform the FSDC that the IILTF is concluding a very successful year two at UAA with a culminating visit from members of the American Council on Education to the UAA Campus on Friday, April 6, 2012. ACE representatives will meet with separate groups of leadership including faculty as well as administrators from Student Affairs and the Chancellor’s Cabinet, after which the council’s findings will be submitted in a report to the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The IILTF Co-Chairs reviewed the charge of the laboratory’s endeavor. The Task Force is charged with guiding the institution through the following three critical requirements of the Laboratory:
1) finalizing UAA's international/intercultural student learning outcomes,includinga discussion ofindicators of success;
2) conducting a campus-wide inventory of international activities; and
3) designating priorities and producing a plan to advance them.* *http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/iil/taskforce/index.cfm
Upon the establishment of the six UAA International and Intercultural Learning Outcomes, which can be applied across the entire university, whether at the administrative, faculty, staff, or student level, the institution demonstrated its commitment to a shared process within a comprehensive learning community; that is, the Task Force invited to the table all voices, perhaps those never directly called upon before. To date, the subcommittee dedicated to the campus-wide inventory has exceeded all expectations, providing snap shots and creating reports of priority areas tied to Learning Outcomes—indeed innovative tools which are expected to impress the representatives of ACE. Finally, the Task Force will bring forth a set of formal recommendations for the entire institution gathered from the open fora and retreats. Long-term initiatives will be proposed to the incoming Provost, although the Co-Chairs reiterated that it is important to note that faculty will always sustain efforts in governing its own curriculum. Additional information regarding the vision and specific learning outcomes of UAA’s International and Intercultural Laboratory Task Force can be found via the following link: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/iil/.
IV. Revision of FSDC Mission Statement: The 1st and 2nd Co-Chairs, after having reviewed the suggestions submitted by a number of members, drafted the following FSDC Mission Statement and presented it to the committee for approval:
“The purpose of the Faculty Senate Diversity Committee is to support the initiatives of all faculty members across the University of Alaska Anchorage Campuses in promoting diverse and inclusive educational experiences.”
All FSDC members present at the meeting voted, and the Mission Statement—as presented—was unanimously approved.
V. New Business: Current 1st and 2nd Co-Chairs, Natasa Masanovic and Patricia Fagan, respectively, will be relinquishing their FSDC leadership roles upon the closure of AY 2011-12. Present FSDC members are encouraged to self-nominate, taking the lead in supporting diversity-related issues for all faculty members at UAA. FSDC members were requested to submit nominations to both Co-Chairs by Tuesday, April 10. Voting for 2012-13 Co-Chairs will take place during the final FSDC meeting of the semester, Friday, April 20.
VIII. Informational Items:
ü Shirin Neshat’s Films on Gender and Identity—Rapture, Fervor, Women Without Men, Turbulent, and Soliloquy—February 13-March 9, Kimura Art Gallery, were powerful. Our sincerest thanks to Dr. Sean Licka!
ü NCBI Welcoming Diversity and Prejudice Reduction Workshop for UAA Staff and Faculty, Friday, March 30, 8:55 a.m.-4:15 p.m., Commons 106.
ü The UAA Human Services Club presents the 11th Annual Chili Challenge and Auction with proceeds to benefit the Mary Magdalene Home, Friday, March 30, 5:15-8:30 p.m., Student Union Den.
IX. Remaining Spring 2012 Meeting, Friday, April 20, 3:00-4:30 p.m., GHH 103.
X. Meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Patricia Fagan, Ph.D.
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