Items of Collegiality:

1. UUP acknowledges Management’s cooperation with the MOA Regarding Possible Adjustments to Tenure Clock Timelines, and Re-appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Review Materials, allowing the exclusion of CTE results for the Fall 2020 semester, at the discretion of each individual faculty member, and we thank you for reinforcing this cooperation to all three Deans.
2. UUP thanks Management for sharing the documents AFAC Pandemic Response and SUNY Cortland Fall Wind Down and Winter/Spring 2021 Operations Plan (December 10, 2020 version) for our input.
3. UUP acknowledges Management’s facilitation of our first COVID-19 testing protocol consultative meeting on December 17.
4. UUP acknowledges Management’s consideration of UUP’s Resolution on Mutual Aid.

New Business:

1. Cabinet’s decline to support Resolution on Mutual Aid prepared/presented by UUP:
   1. Points of Clarification:
      1. UUP would like to convey that while we recognize that the resolution is vague in wording, we had no idea that the Cortland Foundation would generate the payroll directly, for such a donation program, only that they would collect the donations, and then they would transfer the funds to some account or other that could be earmarked for employing otherwise unemployed Part Time members.

1. UUP would like to clarify that we are not suggesting that overstaffing the college is the solution to keep members employed; we submit that keeping more faculty employed allows the college to hold smaller classes, which is positively associated with both quality of education and marketability of the college.

• For Further Discussion:
  • UUP thanks Management for their intention to hire Part Time folks who are unemployed or underemployed as workers for the Testing Center, and Quarantine and Isolation Programs: Is there a way that the folks who apply and are hired for this program can be made benefits eligible?

1. In lieu of a program such as presented in the resolution, UUP seeks management’s collaboration in promoting the VRWS as a means to support the retention of Part Time faculty, by identifying some way to earmark some portion of those funds for this express purpose.

• COVID -19 Vaccination Process at Cortland:
  • Who on Cortland’s campus will be responsible for our COVID-19 vaccination process, if anyone?
  • Has Cortland been chosen for a vaccination distribution site?
    • If so, is there a plan in place for the operation of this center? Does it involve UUP members?
  • UUP strongly encourages our Student Health Services folks and Student Facing folks be vaccinated first; when can we expect this may occur?

• UUP understands that two “pacing” or “reading” days have been added to the spring 2021 academic calendar.
  • By what process were these days added?
  • Aside from the Faculty Senate representatives, what members of the faculty were consulted?
  • UUP understands that the days are Tuesday, March 9, and Wednesday, April 14; when will this be communicated to faculty, who are planning their Spring 2021 syllabi?

Old Business:

1. Online Course Teacher Evaluations:

1. As a part of this process, faculty do not seem to have been fully informed or notified about when CTEs were released with links to the students, or the timeline for completion; faculty have informed UUP that no CTEs were completed, and were unable to mention their availability during class time. How does administration plan to address these issues for the spring 2021 semester?

• UUP has some concerns/recommendations about the AFAC Pandemic Response (White Paper):
  •  The paper stipulates, “Generally, the AFAC urges all levels of personnel review to be cognizant that the pandemic has affected faculty members in different ways, some are more able to cope with the changes and uncertainty than others, and faculty with school-age children have been given an added burden in terms of their education. As a result, we ask all levels of review to exercise compassion and flexibility regarding requirements for personnel decisions for all candidates.  Deficits in the candidate’s record clearly due to the pandemic should not be used to deny support for reappointment or continuing appointment.”

1. UUP would like to know more about how “clearly due to the pandemic” will be defined, qualified, and determined.

1. Will individual Personnel Committees be making such determinations? If so, how will equity in such decisions be maintained?

• Planning for Spring 2021:
  • Has SUNY approved the plan?

• Can you discuss any features of the plan at this point?

1. Testing Protocol?
   1. Reporting?
   1. Enforcement?
   1. Screening?
   1. Residence Hall Density?
   1. Staffing, especially for Q & I duties?
   1. Server Capacity?
   1. Designated learning and social spaces (besides dorm rooms)?

• Has administration thought about a point or threshold at which they might delay beginning or resuming in-person instruction, or move to a study-in-place position?

• 2020 DSI discretionary awards, or plan to distribute award letters:
  • With the announcement of the Feb/March 2021, time line for distribution, may we have a more specific date of when distribution at Cortland will occur?

• Is the salary compression analysis for Cortland complete?

• Has Management reached out to professional members about short-term duties related to COVID-19 and not being evaluated upon those? If not, when do they plan to do so?

1. The priority of COVID-19 and duties related to it will reach the one-year mark before the end of the spring 2021 semester. Will you further advise all professionals to reach out to their supervisors regarding these duties becoming long-term?

• UUP has some concerns about the planned suspension of graduate programs and its impact on the positions of UUP members:
  • Has management consulted Deans, Department Chairs, and/or Faculty in making any decisions about suspending programs?

1. UUP understands there was no consultation with Faculty or Chair in deciding to eliminate the MSED in Adapted Physical Education Program.

• Is there a formal process in which the college engages before programs are suspended?

• What other programs have been suspended 2019-2021? How and when have departmental faculty been informed about these determinations?

• Does management further intend to begin the process to have those programs deactivated?