CUNY Academic Commons

Friends:

I am truly sorry to inform you that Martin Burke, Chair of the University Faculty Senate (UFS), has decided not to reappoint me to represent the UFS on the Committee on Academic Technology (CAT).

I attended the meetings that led to the creation of CAT and have served as faculty representative of Queensborough Community College (QCC) and then the UFS to allow QCC colleagues to represent the college faculty when I could serve as the UFS representative.  Jonathan has informed me that “In an effort to honor the collaborative means through which the University Office works with various constituent groups partly through having an evolving committee membership, your engagement with the group will not be extended.”

Wendy Ford is now serving well as QCC Faculty representative.  I have no desire to have any colleague asked to leave or be removed from their positions on CAT.  So, having no constituent group to sponsor me I find my service now coming to end just 4 semesters from my retirement at the end of Spring 2023.

I think I have served the purposes for which CAT was created over these years and hope some others might agree.  I have learned much from my colleagues and I am grateful for their contributions to myself and to CAT.

Over my time with CAT I have worked hardest, I think, at seeing that potentially useful and important information would be disseminated to those who might have interest in it or benefit from it.  I hope that others will continue those efforts.

I most regret not being able to see through to completion the effort to have a CUNY Inventory and Catalog of Academic Technology completed (one of my dreams for CUNY and AT).  I thank Brian Cohen and Steve Walsh and their staff for their work on this to this point and hope that together with all the members on the CAT subcommittee on Academic Technology it will soon be completed.

At the last meeting of the CUNY IT Steering Committee I was made aware, and I am confident that all of you will soon be fully informed, of the changes going into effect with CUNYfirst as far as the User Interface by the end of Spring 2022.  I should think that this presents not only a challenge to adequately inform faculty of what they will need to know but also it might provide an opportunity to make what changes there can be to enlarge the information presented to students via CUNYfirst related to the modality of instruction, something that was discussed at CAT and which I pursued with Jonathan. Students should be made clearly informed of not only the required texts or materials but the instructional methodology.   There is room with CUNY first for doing this.

Both Lisa Rose (UFS Representative on the IT Steering Committee) and myself, I believe the only faculty at the meeting, immediately volunteered to assist CIS as best we can with the design of the training program for faculty to support a smooth transition and limit difficulty in navigating the new UI during Spring of 2022 when grades will be input and the information on offerings for Summer and Fall 2022 are entered along with other information faculty are expected to enter.  Depending on just how the training program will be handled there may be some value in having a larger faculty involvement in the design and testing of the training program for faculty users.

I wish you all the best.  I have actually taken the opportunity to serve my colleagues and the university as a privilege and found some satisfaction in so serving and so it is with sincere regret that I find I now must take my leave from all of you.

Be Well and Stay Safe and take some solace in knowing that your contributions are appreciated by those who know you and what you all do for our colleagues and our students and our University.

Phil