On Thursday, Nov. 14th, delegates from the Queens College Academic Senate assembled in lecture room 170 of Kiely Hall for a monthly review of curricular and departmental policies concerning the QC student community.
The Academic Senate is responsible for overseeing localized proposals and policy revisions that relate to the QC community. This includes QC’s admissions process, the nomination of departmental deans and other delegates, requirements for the completion of degrees, and the curricular expectations of students. At the November 14th meeting, the senate passed an amendment to the classroom recording policy, heard from QC Provost Patrice Price on the appointment process for the Dean of the School of Business, and discussed universalizing QC’s course numbering system across all departments of studies.
The senate adopted an amendment to the Queens College Recording Policy which, when originally adopted by the senate in February, stated,
“Audio or video recordings of all or parts of classes at Queens College may not be made without permission from the course instructor(s).” The newly adopted amendment now prohibits photography alongside audio and video recording unless prior written permission is given by the instructor.
Subsequently, senators in attendance raised questions on the status of the search for the next dean of QC’s School of Business, which comes after a sizable donation from an anonymous party. Sari Kisilevsky, QC associate professor of philosophy, calls on the senate to ask if they may “provide more details of the search and the job description.”
QC Provost Patricia Price stated:
“So, we have the job description posted … one of the things that the Dean of Business will do is probably more actively fundraising than the other academic deans. The initial duties of this Dean are going to be weighing the School of Business for accreditation. Typically, schools of business that are legitimate are AACSB [Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business] accredited. That’s a fairly long-time horizon. I think we’re looking at about seven to eight years, from the start of the dean to actual accreditation of the School of Business.”
In addition to these preliminary responsibilities, the provost reinstates the traditional expectations that deans must carry in managing budgets and assisting with hiring faculty. Noting the search firm WittKieffer and its assistance with the search process, Price said, “My hope and expectation is that we will have a dean [for the School of Business] here on the ground sometime in the summer of 2025 in our office.”
Professor Kisilevsky and Professor Swedell followed up with the provost to ask for clarification on the role of the donor within the search and whether the donor influences the search for the School of Business’ next dean.
“If you’re concerned about the donor picking the dean, that’s not going to happen. I’m the hiring manager, and ultimately I decide and counsel the President about who the next team is and who will be driven primarily by our academic needs,” Price said.
Following this, the Senate shifts its attention to the proposed motion regarding course numbering. Thomas Ort, professor in the History department, asks for the Senate to explain “the background of this motion and why it is necessary to propose this motion.”
“We’ve had courses that are delayed,” said Chairman Kevin Ferguson speaking on behalf of the English department, “CUNY first, course logs, Brightspace… really limit, in practical and fundamental ways, our ability to have you make curricular decisions.”
With no objections, the motion to streamline the current course numbering system passed with unanimous consent.To review the full audio recording from Nov. 14th or past Academic Senate meetings, visit the Senate’s archived recordings. The next Academic Senate meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Dec. 12th, at 3:35 PM in Kiely Hall room 170.
