Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,
On behalf of Provost Nevarez, in support of your Department Chairs and Directors, and in the spirit of information-sharing, I am forwarding you some of the highlights from the February Chairs & Directors meeting. The following are three items we felt would be of the most interest to you. We’ve included a brief synopsis of each and links to additional information. Please let your Chairs know if you have additional questions about these topics, so they can assist you.
New Limitations on Streaming Media Licenses
Dean Amy Kautzman of the University Library shared that the costs associated with streaming media for instruction have skyrocketed this year, from $10,000-14,000 over the past few years to $56,000 this fiscal year (to date). Because this is unsustainable, the library has developed new criteria for licensing streaming media. Specifically, courses will be capped at 10 streaming titles per course per semester; faculty will be capped at a budget of $4,500 for streaming licenses per faculty per year; and licensing fees will be capped at $300 per title per year. In addition, feature films may be unavailable for streaming, but may be available as DVDs for viewing in the Library. These limitations may require faculty to revisit their approach to including media in their courses, so we wanted to be sure you have this information as early as possible. Find out more here.
Findings on Student, Staff, and Faculty Digital Tools and Communications
Associate Vice President for Academic Technology Peggy Kay introduced Shannon James, a consultant who has been analyzing our student e-lifecycle business process in order to offer recommendations for alignment with the University’s Strategic Plan. The overarching goal is to improve student, staff, and faculty experiences with digital technologies and tools, business processes and workflow, and student-focused communications. Ten recommendations were highlighted in her presentation, such as making more effective use of the MySacState portal to communicate personalized information to students. This report will help inform a multi-year initiative through 2028.
Faculty Housing - Nine Ten Place Presentation
UEI Executive Director John Melikian, Director of Marketing Services Angela Rader, and Director of Real Estate Services Patrice Griffith presented information on Nine Ten Place, a faculty and staff housing complex under construction just on the other side of the Guy West Bridge. There will be 29 units available, roughly half 1-bedroom and half 2-bedroom. Construction is running on time, with an anticipated opening in Summer 2024. Apartments will be available for 6-12 months, renewable up to 24 months, with a primary goal of assisting new faculty hires in transitioning to Sacramento. Units that are not used by incoming faculty will be available for other faculty and staff. You can find more information and a link to an interest form at the Nine Ten Place web page.
Do you have a suggestion for an issue you would like addressed at a future Chairs and Directors meeting? Fill out our survey here.
Wishing you well, and we’ll be back in touch next month with highlights from our March meeting.
Rebecca Cameron
Interim Vice Provost for Faculty Success
