Avner Aronov

The meeting included discussions and actions on several key items. A minute was read to mark the passing of Professor Franco, and honorary gavels were presented to former Chairs of Faculty Council. The council discussed the events that transpired on the Brooklyn College campus on May 8, 2025, including the campus response to the encampment, the decision to call the police, and related issues such as the Brooklyn College Events Protocol, the Henderson Rules, student reactions, free speech, and campus safety. The latest slate with changes was passed. Degree Lists 2025/11 & 12 were approved. Curriculum Document 289 and Curriculum Document 440 with changes were approved. The "Resolution to Build a New York State Alliance in Defense of Higher Education, Academic Freedom, and Research as Public Goods in a Democratic Society" was passed. A motion was approved to move the remainder of the governance work to the first meeting of the fall 2025 semester.

The meeting included discussions on campus resilience, noteworthy news, faculty, staff, student, and alumni excellence, and the strategic plan. Campus resilience involved restricted access, hybrid courses, and bell tower work. The college has a COVID-19 response team and a campus reentry plan. Noteworthy news included Brooklyn College's rankings and accolades. The strategic plan focuses on student success, including stronger retention and graduation numbers, enhanced diversity, and support for internships and transfer students. The college's anti-racism agenda and a new website were also mentioned.

The meeting included good news about the college, faculty and alumni excellence, and new support for student staff and faculty. It mentioned the long-awaited renovation of the new golden coppola and clock tower atop the library building, the Brooklyn College Cancer Center's all-new advisory board, and the new dean's advisory council at the Kaplan School of Business. The Office of Diversity and Equity has developed new specialized training for faculty to address bias against minority students in online classes. Brooklyn College received a 1 million grant of support for transfer research from the Andrew Mellon Foundation.

The meeting included discussions on the importance of voting in the university faculty senate elections, updates on the Brooklyn College regulations for pass/fail grades, and a report from the administration. The administration's report covered fall planning, the authorization for online classes, and the focus on increasing in-person presence on campuses in the fall. There were also discussions about the use of federal stimulus monies and the challenges related to space and budget.

The meeting included discussions about the election of two members to the committee on committees. Chairpersons were reminded to have a student on their undergraduate curriculum committee. An invitation was extended to Anthony Brown to give an anti-buyers lecture at department meetings. The president apologized for a miscommunication regarding the cancellation of a previous meeting and discussed work with transfer students, focusing on the development of dashboards to track transfer credits and student performance. Fundraising efforts were highlighted, with a focus on supporting faculty working on diversity issues and addressing critical student needs through emergency funds and completion grants. New support for students, including hiring psychological counselors, opening the campus health center, increasing access to the food pantry, opening computer labs, enhancing academic support services, and offering child care opportunities, was discussed. Concerns about faculty isolation and mental health were addressed, with community-building activities being developed. Anti-racist work in academic affairs, including addressing equity gaps in student achievement and promoting anti-racist pedagogy, was also discussed.