This legislation was created on Wed, 05/12/2010 - 2:20am.
This legislation is in the Approved by Senate state.
This has been approved by the Senate and is pending a decision by the Executive Board at this point.
WHEREAS the Student Association is looking forward to a new positive, open, and cooperative relationship for the next President of SUNY New Paltz; and
WHEREAS SUNY Administration President Steven Poskanzer recently announced his departure from SUNY New Paltz; and
WHEREAS President Poskanzer failed to disclose his role in the investigation into the previous SUNY Administration President, Roger Bowen; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer refused to work with the Student Association to ensure that the SA President will address each semester's graduating class as he or she is mandated to do by 42nd Student Senate Resolution 16; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer failed to provide for adequate student representation on a number of councils and committees, such as the former Capital Planning Council which made many essential decisions about the future of the SUNY New Paltz campus (see: 42nd Student Senate Resolution 10); and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer has failed or refused to make or assist in making the specific changes to food service delivery called for by this body in 41st Student Senate Resolution 1; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer has refused to support change to the "no second chance" drug policy and refused to bring this policy up-to-date with the rest of the SUNY system as called for by this body in 41st Student Senate Resolution 6; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer refused to take corrective action after the termination of Rachel Lagodka, even after the Senate asked him to in 43rd Student Senate Resolution 35; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer attended multiple United University Professions management meetings and hosted a number of "breakfast meetings" at which they made numerous disparaging and false statements about student leaders, events which the Student Senate does believe to have occurred on the basis of sworn testimony offered by Professor and Director of the Honors Center Jeff Miller and Distinguished Service Professor Peter Brown; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer failed to take corrective action or investigate misconduct within the SUNY Administration surrounding the Student Association election in Spring 2006 as called for by 44th Student Senate Declaration 3, refusing even to address hundreds of students who occupied the hallways outside his office; and
WHEREAS the administration under President Poskanzer used official, student-and-state-funded, e-mail lists to all students and faculty of SUNY New Paltz to campaign in favor of the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act (S - 6607 --A / A - 9707 --A) despite this body never having weighed-in on the matter and strong official opposition from the faculty union; therefore the 49th Student Senate proposes
A Resolution
Be it RESOLVED: that the 49th Student Senate wishes to create institutional memory surrounding the events which occurred under the administration of President Poskanzer; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the Senate expresses that the instatement of a new university president represents an opportunity to take the following necessary actions; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the conduct of the investigation called for by this body in 44th Student Senate Declaration 3 into the suspensions of former SA President R.J. Partington III, then-Student Assembly President Daniel Curtis, and then-SA President Justin Holmes; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the administration offers reinstatement to Rachel Lagodka as a member of the faculty as called for by 43rd Student Senate Resolution 35; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the Senate calls for a re-examination of the academic status of former SA President R.J. Partington III and award him a Bachelor in Arts Degree if warranted; and
Be it RESOLVED: for the re-consideration of the SUNY New Paltz Administration's support of the Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act; and
Be it RESOLVED: Any other actions as are necessary to resolve the issues mentioned in the preambulatory clauses of this document; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the Senate expresses concern to ensure such conduct as occurred during the Presidency of Steven Poskanzer not recur at the SUNY College at New Paltz; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the Student Association hopes there will be more communication and cooperation with the next President of SUNY New Paltz concerning, but not limited to:
Any removal or additions to the Student Union.
Any redirection of “marketing initiatives” for SUNY New Paltz.
Removals or additions to any Academic departments or programs.
Any further expansion of the SUNY New Paltz campus.
Any new structural or operational changes to Students Activities and Union services.
Listening and working with the requests from the Student Association.; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the that Senate recognizes the systemic problems inherent in the SUNY system in regards to the delivery of higher education and does not place blame on any singular individual; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the Senate wishes Steven Poskanzer well and believes that in the absence of the political influences inherent in the SUNY system, he can leave behind the conflicts that characterized his tenure at New Paltz and be a force for positive change during his tenure at Carleton College.; and
Be it RESOLVED: that the Senate expresses that specific knowledge of this legislation and the events to which it makes reference represent essential knowledge to those responsible for seeking out a new President for the SUNY Administration at SUNY New Paltz.
