Student Affairs Committee

Student Affairs Committee 2023-2024

Mission:

The Student Affairs Committee will concern itself with student services and non-academic student programs, including athletics.

Corresponding Administrators:

Senior Vice Provost for Student Life

Members 2023-2024

Chair, Ivo Nedyalkov, CEPS
Katharine Winans, CEPS
Catherine Moran, COLA
Andrew Seal, Paul College
Renee Heath, COLA
Michael Leese, COLA
Michael Brian, CHHS
Jesse Bennett, CHHS
Sherman Bigornia, COLSA
 

Student Senate Representative, TBD
Graduate Student Representative, TBD

Standing Charges

Charges for Academic Year 2023-2024 

1. Identify how the Senate can support an initiative toward increasing knowledge of “safety net” services available to students.
2. Follow up on Motion Faculty Senate and Student Senate motions on Syllabi: 
   a.  Faculty Senate Motion XXIII-M28 on universal expectations for syllabi.
   b.  Student Senate RESOLUTION R.42.28 REGARDING PUTTING SYLLABI ON TIMEROOM. Evaluate ways to partner with Library and Departments to build a repository, of course, syllabi that is accessible to students. Develop appropriate messaging for that repository that includes a disclaimer about older syllabi potentially not being representative of the current course. 
   c.  Student Senate RESOLUTION R.42.30–ON ACADEMIC SYLLABI 28TH OF MARCH, 2021
3. Work with AAC to identify appropriate policy recommendations to deal with academic honesty and integrity issues that involve use of generative AI tools.   
4. Work with the administration on a broad initiative to update all student forms to mirror gender identity categories implemented in the WISE employee preferred pronoun and gender identity options. 
5. Engage with the Academic Affairs Committee regarding their committee charge on racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and explore how SAC can support those efforts with a focus on student diversity and student support. 
6. As required in the motion, report to the senate on outcomes from the Motion XXII-M15 on study away eligibility. 
7. Follow up on processes for recruitment and retention of international students: Motion XXIII-M4
8. Follow up on Motion about Academic Instruction during Curtailed Operations. 
9. Follow up on 2021 Motion toward a personalized, proactive, and holistic system of student support.
10. Collaborate with Dawna Perez or designee to understand how best to leverage the Knack tutoring program to maximize student success, focusing on key/gateway courses and at-risk students. 
11. Collaborate with the Student Success Steering Committee to identify issues related UNH student experience, especially of first years
12. Work with Provost and SAS to expand Testing Center capacity to meet the growing needs of our students. 

Student Affairs Committee 2022-2023

Mission:

The Student Affairs Committee will concern itself with student services and non-academic student programs, including athletics.

Corresponding Administrators:

Senior Vice Provost for Student Life

Members:

Co-Chair,Liz Harvey, COLSA
Catherine Moran, COLA
Robert Mohr, PAUL
Molly Dorsey, COLA
Kat Karaivanova, COLA
Co-Chair, Katharine Winans, CEPS
Maryann Clark, PAUL
Jessie Bennett, CHHS

Aashaya Rajbhandari, Student Senate Representative
Chelsea Cabal, Graduate Student Representative

Charges 2022-2023

1. Identify how the Senate can support an initiative toward increasing knowledge of “safety net” services available to students.
2. Follow up on Motion Faculty Senate and Student Senate motions on Syllabi:
   1. Faculty Senate motion on universal expectations for syllabi.
   2. https://unh.app.box.com/v/StudentSenateResolutionIndex/file/793389136451 Evaluate ways to partner with Library and Departments to build a repository, of course, syllabi that is accessible to students. Develop appropriate messaging for that repository that includes a disclaimer about older syllabi potentially not being representative of the current course.
   3. Student Senate RESOLUTION R.42.30–ON ACADEMIC SYLLABI 28TH OF MARCH, 2021https://unh.app.box.com/v/StudentSenateResolutionIndex/file/793384822102>
3. (carryover) Work with the administration on a broad initiative to update all student forms to mirror gender identity categories implemented in the WISE employee preferred pronoun and gender identity options
4. (carryover) Engage with the Academic Affairs Committee regarding their committee charge on racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and explore how SAC can support those efforts with a focus on student diversity and student support.
5. (carryover) Report to the Senate on outcomes from the motion on study away eligibility, as required in the motion.
6. Follow on processes for recruitment and retention of international students: Motion
7. Follow up on Motion about Academic Instruction during Curtailed Operations.  What are the expectations for Curtailed Ops in 2021/22? Is the 2021 motion understood by all?  
8. Follow up on 2021 Motion toward a personalized, proactive, and holistic system of student support.
9. Collaborate with the Student Success Steering Committee to identify issues related to the development and implementation of a 1^st year curriculum.
10. Collaborate with the Dawna Perez or designee to understand how best to leverage the Knack tutoring program to maximize student success, focusing on key/gateway courses and at-risk students.

Student Affairs Committee 2021-2022

Mission: 

The Student Affairs Committee will concern itself with student services and non-academic student programs, including athletics.

Corresponding Administrators:  

Senior Vice Provost for Student Life

Members: 

Funso Afolayan COLA
Andrew Coppens, COLA (Fall 2021)
Michael Gass  CHHS
Elizabeth Harvey COLSA
Marc Herold, PAUL
Catherine Moran, proxy for Rebecca Glauber, COLA, Chair
Kristen Mallet, proxy for Don Robin, CHHS (Fall 2021)
Amy Ramage, CHHS 
Allison Wilder CHHS
Student Senate Representative, TBD 
Graduate Student Representative, Chelsea Cabral

Charges 2021-2022

1. Continue presentation of Resolution On Faculty Responsibility and Authority Over Course Content, Pedagogy, and Modality.  This was put on the table at the first meeting of the current Senate on May 10, 2021.  
2. Identify how the Senate can support an initiative toward increasing knowledge of “safety net” services available to students. 
   1. From 06/04/21 email from Andrew Coppens: A few weeks ago I met with Kate Ziemer and Joan Glutting, to discuss Joan’s efforts to develop and expand “safety net” services for UNH students (e.g., supporting homeless students, food pantries, Swipe It Forward, etc.). Joan was interested in exploring support from the Faculty Senate toward increasing both student and faculty knowledge of these services as well as lowering barriers to student utilization where possible. For example, we discussed syllabi language or a MyCourses pop-up notification that could directly link students to food and housing security support at known times in the semester where these realities become especially challenging (e.g., late Fall semester). 
3. Follow up on Motion Faculty Senate and Student Senate motions on Syllabi:  
   1. Facutly Senate motion on universal expectations for syllabi.
   2. Student Senate R.42.29–REGARDING PUTTING SYLLABI ON TIMEROOM https://unh.app.box.com/v/StudentSenateResolutionIndex/file/793389136451 
   3. Student Senate RESOLUTION R.42.30–ON ACADEMIC SYLLABI28THOF MARCH,2021https://unh.app.box.com/v/StudentSenateResolutionIndex/file/793384822102 
4. (carryover) Work with the administration on a broad initiative to update all student forms to mirror gender identity categories implemented in the WISE employee preferred pronoun and gender identity options 
5. (carryover) Engage with the Academic Affairs Committee regarding their committee charge on racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and explore how SAC can support those efforts with a focus on student diversity and student support. 
6. (carryover) Report to the Senate on outcomes from the motion on study away eligibility, as required in the motion. 
7. Follow on processes for recruitment and retention of international students. 
8. Follow up on Motion about Academic Instruction during Curtailed Operations.  What are the expectations for Curtailed Ops in 2021/22? Is the 2021 motion understood by all?
9. Follow up on 2021 Motion toward a personalized, proactive, and holistic system of student support. 

Student Affairs Committee 2020-2021

Mission: 

The Student Affairs Committee will concern itself with student services and non-academic student programs, including athletics.

Corresponding Administrators:  

Senior Vice Provost for Student Life

Members: 

Chair,  Andrew Coppens, Education COLA 
Eshan Dave, Civil and Environmental Engineering, CEPS 
David Feldman, Mathematics and Statistics CEPS
Harriet Fertik (Fall proxy, Gregory McMahon) Classics, Humanities, and Italian COLA 
Rebecca Glauber, Sociology COLA 
Marc Herold, Economics PAUL
Katerina Karaivanova, Psychology COLA
Bill Woodward, Psychology COLA 
Student Senate Representative, TBD 
Cassie Manning, Graduate Student Representative
Allison Wilder, Recreation Management & Policy HHS (served until 11/2/20)

Standing Charges 2020-2021

1. Review the actions of the state legislature regarding possible votes on the permissibility of carrying firearms on campus. Report as necessary.  Rationale: The faculty require advanced warning if major changes to campus firearms policies are in the offing.

COVID-related charges 2020-2021

1. Monitor (in collaboration with the Research and Public Service Committee) impacts of global pandemic on UNH international students
2. Follow up with PACS to learn about their telehealth efforts and any concerns meeting students’ needs during this global pandemic. 
3. Follow up with CFAR to learn about their efforts provide remote services and any concerns meeting students’ needs during this global pandemic

Other charges: 

1. Follow up on the work of the syllabus guidance committee that was formed due to COVID to see if this committee-based process for standard syllabi language can be integrated into a long term process
2. Follow up on Motion XXIII-M9 on the need for a test proctoring facility.  What is the status of the test proctoring facility?  Will it be available for Fall 2020? 
3. Make sure that gender question is removed from student evaluations of teaching per Senate motion
4. Consider universal changes to student forms that mirror gender identity categories implemented in the WISE employee preferred pronoun and gender identity options
5. Follow up with Director of Enrollment Management on Test optional admissions process and discuss any changes being made the recruitment and enrollment that take into account COVID disruptions for HS seniors. 
6. Engage with the Academic Affairs Committee (Joe Dwyer) regarding their committee charge on racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and explore how SAC can support those efforts with a focus on student diversity and student support.
7. (added January 2021) Faculty should lead when decisions are made about how we teach moving to a post- pandemic environment. Review UNH core mission and values and consider a resoluXon that reaffirms faculty’s role in pedagogical decisions.

2020-2021 Charges 

To be determined 

Student Affairs Committee 2019-2020 

Mission: 

The Student Affairs Committee will concern itself with student services and non-academic student programs, including athletics.

The Student Affairs Committee is encouraged to invite a Student Senate observer to its meetings.

Members: 

Chair, Bill Woodward, Psychology  COLA
Martha Byam, Social Work  HHS
Susan Endrizzi, Theatre & Dance   COLA
David Feldman, Mathematics and Statistics CEPS
Harriet Fertik (fall proxy Gregory McMahon), Classics, Humanities, & Italian Studies  COLA
Jennifer Davis, UNH School of Law          
Lori Hopkins (Fall proxy Pam Ikegami), Languages, Literatures, & Cultures   COLA
Katerina Karaivanova, Psychology  COLA
John Miller, Kinesiology  HHS
Nena Stracuzzi (Fall proxy Catherine Moran), Sociology   COLA
Elsa Upham (Fall proxy Gayle McIntyre), English COLA 
Elza Brechbuhl, Student Senate representative
Lauren Breza, Graduate Student Representative

Corresponding Administrators:

Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Services

Recurring Charge 

1. Review the actions of the state legislature regarding possible votes on the permissibility of carrying firearms on campus. Report as necessary. 

Rationale: The faculty require advanced warning if major changes to campus firearms policies are in the offing.

Charges 2019-2020

1. Research and report on the costs and benefits of providing more resources to the Center for Academic Resources (CFAR) taking into account the recent report prepared by ASAC.  Please attempt to report by the first September Senate meeting.
2. Report to the Senate on mental health services being provided for students, including issues relating to the prevention of mental health crises and the promotion of coping skills. Consult with the director of Psychological and Counselling Services (PACS) as well as with the Dean of Students.
   1. Rationale: As is true of universities across the US, UNH faces the need to address and meet the needs of an increasing population of students with mental health challenges. It is central to the academic mission of the university to facilitate the full and healthy participation of these students in the academic program.
3. Research and provide a report to the senate about whether there are increasing numbers of students coming to UNH with executive functioning challenges; how support services in PACS and CFAR currently work with these students; and if there are best practice models that offer recommendations regarding improvements to our current support systems. Consult work that began last year by SAC.
   1. It is a strategic priority at UNH to enhance student success and well-being. There is growing data to suggest that students are coming to college less prepared to manage their academic lives. An increasing number of students have IEP and 504 plans in high school, which offer important support for students and create lines of communication between school administrators, teachers, and parents. Many students will lose those supports when they come to college.  
4. Report on the support being provided to faculty by the administrative leadership and student support services to help implement the numerous accommodations provided to students in the context of Student Accessibility Services (SAS).
   1. Rationale: As the number of students requiring accommodations increases at UNH, faculty find themselves in the very difficult position of being asked to provide accommodations without the training or resources that are necessary to implement these accommodations. The faculty senate is fully committed to helping these students to the extent that is possible, but also recognizes that in order for faculty to meet these needs, it is necessary for the administration and student services to provide substantially greater training and resources
5. Investigate the purpose and value of standardized student evaluations for instruction, particularly those provided to students in a digital format. Consider alternative means of achieving the goals embedded in student evaluations including 1. going back to the older system of paper-based evaluations, or 2. revising the entire system of student evaluations, so that they become departmentally based with the evaluations designed and administered directly by the individual departments to meet the specific pedagogical and disciplinary concerns of the departments. 
   1. Rationale: There is considerable concern among the faculty that the movement from paper-based to electronically-based evaluations has led to an overall deterioration in the value of these instruments for their stated purpose of providing insight to teachers regarding their pedagogical approach. This is true for several reasons including the decreasing participation of students in these evaluations, and the potentially inappropriate contexts in which evaluations are being completed. Another concern among faculty is that electronic evaluations are being used by administrative leadership for purposes other than for which they were intended. There is a broader concern among the faculty that our current system of evaluations, which provides a one-size-fits-all approach with putatively objective numerical information, does not serve its intended purpose of providing valuable feedback to instructors regarding their teaching. Finally, it is important to know that evaluations may have a role in grade inflation
6. Monitor the current campus climate initiative on diversity and inclusion is working to address the concerns of underrepresented students.
   1. Rationale: As UNH continues its emphasis on student success and retention, it is important that we understand the perspective of all of our students and strive to ensure that all students feel welcome on campus.
7. Continue to work with Terri Winters, assistant vice provost for digital learning and communication, regarding updates to male/female self-identifying question on student evaluation form.
   1. Rationale: UNH has begun to include additional categories beyond male and female to its admissions forms, and there is a concern to provide consistency in all UNH documents that require self-identification.
8. Review and report on the outcome of the four-semester pilot program on changes to GPA requirements for study away programs (See Faculty Senate Motion # XXII-M15, dated May 22, 2018)
9. (added on 09/13/19)  The Dean of Students office has provided proposed wording for syllabi describing UNH’s chosen name policy. Please review the policy and the wording provided, work with the Dean of Student’s office to address any concerns and questions, and provide the Senate with a recommendation about endorsing this language.  
10. (added 09/13/19)  Consider proposal to free instructors particiapting in the Early Assessment Pilot from having to complete the mandated mid-semester report.  Present motion as soon as possible in order that the change can go into effect this semester.

Charges for Academic Year 2018-2019

1. Report on mental health services for students, specifically what is being done to prevent crises, for example promoting coping skills.  Assess whether the restructuring of the Counseling Center into PACS (Psychological and Counseling Services) has benefitted students and their academic performance. Report in March.
2. Analyze and assess the growing issues around Student Accommodation Services. Specifically, there is great concern that there is not adequate support for faculty in terms of the growing number and difficult cases of special accommodations for students. Full report in February.
3. Make recommendations about methods of increasing the percentage of students who complete online evaluations.
4. Review the period when student evaluations are available, including whether a flexible release at the instructor’s direction is possible, and make recommendations about the timing of student evaluations.
5. Review Student Senate Resolutions on universal syllabi and make recommendations to the full Faculty Senate. Report by October.
6. Review the Student Senate motion advocating for students following sexual abuse and, if appropriate, create a motion.
7. Monitor state legislature for possible votes regarding guns on campus. Report as necessary.
8. Follow up on the proposed policy concerning animals on campus. Report as necessary.
9. Monitor how the campus climate initiative on diversity and inclusion is working to address issues of underrepresented students and their ongoing social and classroom struggles.
10. Indigenous Peoples Day: Review the proposal to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day; working with the authors of the proposal (Lana Peshkova, Casey Golomski, and Megan Howey), as well as with other key stakeholders (Monica Chiu and the central administrative leadership), consider the benefits and negatives of such an action. Provide motion or report to Faculty Senate by April.

Standing Charge

The charges from the Agenda Committee shall comprise the major and first-order work of the Student Affairs Committee. However, the Committee may pursue additional issues in pursuit of its mission, stated above. If the additional issue interferes with the timelines stated in the charges above, the Committee must receive permission from the Agenda Committee before proceeding. If the additional interest does not interfere with the established timelines, the Committee must inform the Agenda Committee.

Student Affairs Committee Membership 2018-19

• Susan Endrizzi, Theatre & Dance, COLA, chair
• Martha Byam, Social Work, CHHS
• Harriet Fertik, Classics, Humanities, & Italian Studies, COLA
• Katya Karaivanova, Psychology, COLA 
• John Miller, Kinesiology, CHHS
• Evangelos Simos, Economics, PCBE
• Richard Smith, Natural Resources & the Environment, COLSA
• Nena Stracuzzi, Sociology, COLA
• Elsa Upham, English, COLA
• Bill Woodward, Psychology, COLA
• Graduate Student Senate Representative

• Audrey Getman, Student Senate Representative