Recent Legislative Changes

Recent Divisional Actions:

The following actions were taken by the Academic Senate Santa Cruz Division at its regular meeting on May 15, 2020 and electronic ballot closed on June 1, 2020:

The following resolution was PASSED by poll of attendees: 131 In Favor, 0 Opposed.

Senate Resolution on Leadership 2020 (AS/SCP/1971)

Be it resolved: That the Santa Cruz Division of the Academic Senate would like to express its deep gratitude to Professor Kimberly Lau for her leadership as Senate Chair over the last two years: Chair Lau has been a principled and dynamic leader through two eventful years. She has been a steady presence through changes at the highest levels of campus leadership, and an ethical actor and guide throughout the annus horribilis 2019-20, which has (thus far) featured power outages, a lengthy wildcat strike, and a sudden plunge into remote instruction--and feverish planning for the future--in response to COVID-19. Chair Lau has worked tirelessly in her role as chief representative of our system of shared governance. Neither “tireless” nor “representative” is a metaphor: she attended 6:00 and 7:00 AM meetings to provide Senate input on critical and timely matters facing the campus, and she instituted, at the beginning of her term, a Senate/Administration buddy system to introduce new administrators to shared governance; she and VC-IT Van Williams were the inaugural buddies. Chair Lau is also known and admired for her ability to separate her personal views, those of the various bodies she represents, and those to whom she is representing the views of others. She is principled and fearless, an advocate for the rights of faculty and staff, and a trusted partner across constituencies throughout the campus. (The jury is out on whether her delicious scones and cookies are an innocent offering to colleagues, or a devilishly clever means of winning hearts, minds, and stomachs.) Chair Lau has performed all her duties honestly, proactively, and with the best interests of the division always foremost. For this service, in the most difficult of times, the Senate thanks Professor Kim Lau.

THE COMMITTEE ON FACULTY RESEARCH LECTURE nominated Jennifer González as the Faculty Research Lecturer for the 2020-2021 academic year. The nomination PASSED by acclamation.

THE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES 2020-21 Nominations (AS/SCP/1967), were approved by poll of attendees. 114 In Favor, 0 Opposed.

DETAIL OF BYLAW CHANGES PASSED BY ELECTRONIC BALLOT (closed June 1, 2020):

Legislation to Amend Bylaw 13.14, the Charge of THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDRAISING (AS/SCP/1968) The legislation PASSED. 236 In Favor, 11 Opposed.

13.14.1 There are at least six Santa Cruz Division members that include a representative from each of the academic divisions (Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Physical and Biological Sciences) and the School of Engineering. A representative provost from the Council of Provosts and the Vice Chancellor of University Relations (VCUR) are invited to sit with the Committee.

THE COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES recommended the following changes: Legislation to Amend Bylaw 13.18, the Charge of the Committee on Educational Policy and remove Bylaw 13.26 the Charge of the Committee on Preparatory Education (AS/SCP/1969). The legislation PASSED. 210 In Favor, 29 Opposed. 

13.18.11 The Committee may consider any issue regarding undergraduate preparatory and remedial education and its administration. It supervises the Analytical Writing Placement Exam and mathematics placement examinations. In consultation with the Writing Program, it proposes the means by which students may satisfy the University Entry Level Writing Requirement and it oversees Entry Level Writing Requirement instruction. It maintains a continuing study of preparatory and remedial programs at Santa Cruz. It performs such other functions concerning preparatory and remedial education as may be assigned to it by the Academic Senate or by the Santa Cruz Division. CEP will appoint a representative to UCOPE and that representative will communicate regularly with the campus ELWR Coordinator. (En 1 Sept 20)

THE COMMITTEE ON TEACHING recommended the legislation to amend bylaw 13.30, The Charge of the Committee on Teaching (AS/SCP/1970) The legislation PASSED. 229 In Favor, 18 Opposed.

13.30.1 There are five Santa Cruz Division members. In addition, there are one non-senate teaching faculty representative, one graduate student representative, and no more than two undergraduate student representatives. The Committee advises the Chancellor, Campus Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor, Vice Provosts, College Provosts, Deans, Departments and instructors on priorities, policies and strategies related to teaching, instructional support and outcomes. The Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Director of Learning Technologies are invited to sit with the Committee
13.30.2 The duties of the Committee include:

1) To consult with departments as to the form and use of any methods designed to evaluate faculty teaching performance and to recommend to the Academic Senate how such methods should be used in the evaluation of faculty members' teaching effectiveness. It is also responsible for formulating and evaluating campus policies governing the evaluation of teaching (including course evaluations), and consults with the administration on implementation and archiving of course evaluations.

2) To propose programs that will foster good teaching, and to stimulate and aid all departments in strengthening their efforts to foster good teaching.

3) To formulate general policies concerning instructional support activities on the campus, and to advise the administration regarding campus budgetary needs for instructional support.

4) To initiate, receive, and adjudicate Instructional Improvement Grant proposals, and to make recommendations concerning funding of such proposals to the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education. To establish policies for the adjudication of Instructional Improvement Grants, and to inform the Santa Cruz Division concerning those policies.

4) To select Faculty and instructors to receive Excellence in Teaching Awards and other awards as appropriate.

5) To collaborate and consult regularly with the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, with Information Technology Services, and with the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, in matters regarding teaching and instructional support.

TEXT OF RESOLUTION PASSED BY ELECTRONIC BALLOT: 238 In Favor, 35 Opposed.

(Moved from Floor) Faculty Senate Resolution: An Ethical Response to The Budget Crisis 

Whereas the state of California has deemed teachers and those employed in the educational sector to be essential workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic; 

Whereas lecturers teach over 30% of undergraduate student credit hours across the UC system; 

Whereas UCSC has a vital role to play in the COVID-19 recovery and in stabilizing our local community, in particular through teaching our students, conducting research, offering community and campus testing, and providing stable employment for campus employees; 

Whereas UCSC’s responses to COVID-19’s economic consequences cannot be primarily managerial but first and foremost must be guided by the progressive values UCSC proudly proclaims; 

Whereas UCSC cannot function without the labor of its teachers, teaching assistants, represented and non-represented staff, dining hall workers, researchers, librarians, bus drivers, grounds crew, custodians, and other workers; 

Whereas Santa Cruz is one of the top-five least affordable cities for renters in the United States and is in the least affordable county for renters in the state of California; 

Whereas top administrators at Harvard, Stanford, the University of Kansas, and elsewhere have taken large salary cuts in response to the COVID crisis;

Be it resolved that:

1. UCSC’s budget must be transparent, clearly describing all revenues and expenditures;
2. During the coming budget crisis, staff and faculty—both Senate and Unit 18 lecturers—shall be consulted regularly about proposals for layoffs and salary cuts;
3. A moratorium should be placed on creating new upper administrative positions (e.g. Vice Chancellors);
4.  If cuts are deemed necessary by UCSC, they should not come at the expense of UCSC’s existing workforce but should start with temporary cuts to UCSC’s highest salaries, and should be steeply progressive;
5. UCSC must commit to preserving job continuity. This year’s lecturers should be offered reappointment no later than June 30, 2020 (with additional hirings through Fall, as necessary) and ensured continuity of benefits during summer months.