February 17, 2003

Academic Senate to meet on Feb. 19

The UCSC Academic Senate meets at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19, at Kresge Town Hall. The agenda is available online. George Blumenthal, Senate chair, has sent the following letter to members of the Academic Senate about the issues to be discussed:

Dear Colleagues;

The attached reports represent the careful consideration of important issues by our Senate committees, and these reports will enable you, in an informed way, to participate in campus discussions about the budget, admissions, physical planning and growth.

During times of budget constraint, the interdependencies of UC with the state economy are felt most acutely. Navigating this crisis successfully will require creativity.

Difficult decisions will be made by our campus leaders. Through an active collaboration with our administration, the Senate must work to ensure both that faculty priorities are understood and that these priorities play a central role in the decision-making process. In the coming months each of you will be involved in countless discussions about the campus changes required to respond to California's economy. The reports in this agenda can serve as background to these deliberations.

We are also about to experience significant changes in the admissions process, both at our campus and at the systemwide level. Our Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid has created a comprehensive review plan, which was discussed last fall in a Senate forum. This plan sets forth the criteria by which UCSC will choose among UC-eligible applicants. Meanwhile, BOARS has a proposal for achievement tests for all UC applicants, which you will hear about at the meeting as well.

On a somewhat broader venue, Senate colleagues are asking that we consider a resolution putting the Santa Cruz Division on record as opposing military intervention in Iraq. We will consider this matter under New Business.

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