University Senate
Meeting Minutes
August 25, 2025, 3:30-5:00 PM (Hybrid Meeting Wang Theater & Zoom
Meeting)
Meeting called to order by Dr. Brenda Anderson, the University Senate
President, at 3:30 PM. A link to the meeting recording will be provided upon
request. A motion to approve the agenda and the minutes from May 5, 2025 carried.
Greetings from Brenda Anderson,
University Senate President
- Welcomed everyone to the first Fall
2025 University Senate meeting.
- Expressed appreciation for the
leadership and commitment to academic freedom shown by former Interim President
McCormick during his tenure.
- Introduced and welcomed Dr. Goldsmith
as the new president of the Stony Brook university.
- Encouraged engagement of more faculty
and staff in the Senate.
- The election of the next University Senate President was discussed, with nominations opening in October, introducing candidates in November, and voting scheduled for December 1st.
- Welcomed Jennifer Almquist as the new
Chief of Staff to the president.
- Announced there is a welcome
reception sponsored by President Goldsmith's office in the Wong Theater lobby
after the meeting.
Report from Interim President
McCormick
- Full written report can be viewed here.
- Shared her excitement about leading
Stony Brook University, emphasizing the importance of shared governance and
fostering a respectful and inclusive campus climate.
- Will work to identify ways to
effectively engage the University Senate and ensure members views are heard
and incorporated into the decision-making processes.
- Emphasized Stony Brook is committed
to free inquiry as the bedrock of education, and our interactions should be
guided by intellectual curiosity, care, and empathy because that is what
creates the dynamic, supportive, and welcoming environment that defines our
special community.
- Asked every member of the campus
community to familiarize themself with the university s policies for hosting
events, engaging in demonstrations, and the expectations for upholding civil
discourse.
- Will visit Albany in early-September
to meet with SUNY leaders.
- Stony Brook University is receiving a
third consecutive year of operating aid increases and $360 million in capital
funding for research facilities.
- The university is monitoring federal
policy changes impacting research grants and has established an emergency fund
to support graduate students and postdocs affected by grant terminations.
- Addressed concerns about academic
freedom and freedom of expression, emphasizing the university's commitment to
both safety and open inquiry while noting that discipline would be enforced for
policy violations.
- The State Department has revoked over
6,000 student visas this year as part of the Trump administration s broader
enforcement efforts.
- Is aware of the three SBU students
who recently had their visas revoked, potentially for minor infractions like
traffic violations, though the exact reasons are unclear.
- Will travel to Washington, D.C. later
this fall to visit members and senior staff of the New York congressional
delegation to advocate for Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine
federal priorities, including increased federal funding for science research,
student financial aid, and public hospitals.
- Announced Jane Savage will
join Stony Brook as the new vice president for human resources at the end of
September.
- Despite continued challenges at the
federal level, Stony Brook faculty continues to compete at the highest level as
demonstrated in the recent awards.
- Concerns about ICE activity on campus
and the need for clear differentiation between public and private spaces were
discussed, as well as the creation of a hotline for reporting ICE presence.
Report from Provost, Carl Lejuez
- Full written report can be viewed here.
- Announced that effective August 1,
Lav Varshney was named the inaugural director of the campus wide Artificial
Intelligence Innovation Institute, or AI3, and inaugural Della Pietra Infinity
chair.
- The Provost s Office hosted its
annual budget forum on Aug 14th.
- The provost shared details on trends
in hiring of faculty and staff over the last several years, changes in
enrollment of undergraduate and graduate students, and other key measures as
they relate to recruiting and retaining top-tier faculty and staff.
-
A delegation from SUNY Korea visited Stony Brook University on May
22nd and 23rd. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen connections and
foster collaboration between SUNY Korea and SBU.
-
Reported on faculty development initiatives, academic affairs
updates, and upcoming changes in the School of Communication and Journalism.
-
In collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and
Learning, we are offering a series of workshops tailored to academic
departments to explore how to use Generative AI tools in the classroom and for
course preparation, and bootcamps for academic staff about using AI to support
administrative tasks, streamline processes, and enhance student services.
-
Introduced Stony Brook Trustees Faculty Awards Recipients.
-
As part of a larger effort to update the Provost s Office website,
new pages about the Provost s Office role in Promotion and Tenure for assistant
to associate professor and associate to full are available.
-
This fall, the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs team will hold
four open sessions for faculty and staff interested in asking questions,
expressing concerns, or sharing ideas.
-
A second pop-up course, AI and You, will launch this fall after a
successful spring pilot of our first pop-up, Climate Change and You.
-
A pilot Student Experience Project (SEP) Community of Practice
cohort starts this fall. SEP is an evidence-based program that works with
faculty to positively impact retention, faculty satisfaction, and student
thriving.
-
Recent changes under the Better FAFSA, Better Borrowing (BBB)
initiative introduced major reforms to federal PLUS loan programs.
-
The Office of the Registrar is on track to publish the Spring 2026
Undergraduate, Graduate and Health Science Catalogs at the end of October,
prior to the start of the advance registration period.
-
Modern Campus Curriculum is set to launch during the Fall 2025
semester.
-
The Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 semester applications opened on
August 1st.
-
Dr. Ryan Braun has been hired as the inaugural Assistant Provost
for Academic Advising.
-
Visa and Immigration Services has continued to update information
via their website and through emails to students regarding the ongoing impacts
of the visa pause and regulatory changes.
-
SBU's Pre-College Summer (PCS) program hosted 270 participants
over three weeks from July 6 to 25.
Reports from UUP
- B. Kube - East campus
President
-
No presentation.
-
L. Melious West Campus UUP
President
-
Full
written report can be viewed here.
-
2025 - 2026 Fall Individual Development Awards (IDA) Program
application period will open on September 1, 2025; the 1st application period
will cover activities from 7/2/25-12/31/25.
-
Provided updates on upcoming events and committee sign-ups for the
fall semester.
Old Business:
-
No old Business.
New Business:
The first reading of In
Defense of Our Values, Democracy and Higher Education resolution was presented
by Jason Torre.
Tabled for the next
meeting.
Tabled for the next
meeting.
Nominations were sought
for alternate Senate senators.
Meeting adjourned at
5:00 PM.
Senate President: Brenda Anderson
Senate Secretary: Richard Stein