The Academic Senate
The Academic Senate is Pratt’s faculty/administration governance body, which represents faculty, chairs, and staff who teach at the Institute. The Senate acts as an advisory body to the Board of Trustees and the administration, making direct recommendations to the President and Provost without review by any intermediary.
The responsibilities of the Senate include reviewing academic policies and procedures; reviewing curricula and academic programs and structures; reviewing course additions and changes when those additions and changes impact the requirements of existing or proposed programs; providing support and advice for department- and school-level curriculum committees on curriculum development and review; reviewing academic services; establishing committees on appropriate subjects; assisting with the formulation of the structure and procedures of search committees for deans, vice-presidents, the provost, and the president; nominating faculty and chair membership of those committees; and interviewing finalists for those positions; nominating, along with other Institute bodies, faculty and chair members of Board non-standing committees; nominating, along with other Institute bodies, faculty and chair candidates for faculty trustee positions; and electing faculty and chair members of Institute committees.
The Faculty Handbook provides faculty members with policies and information governing academic life, faculty governance, and faculty rights and responsibilities.
Executive Committee
Heather Lewis, Co-President (Professor, Art and Design Education)
Zach Slanger, Co-President (Visiting Instructor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
Melissa Brown, Financial Officer (Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, Libraries)
Sebastian Kaupert, Information Officer (Adjunct Associate Professor, Undergraduate Communications Design)
Gina Gregorio, Outreach Officer (Adjunct Professor—CCE, Fashion)
Matt Garklavs, Parliamentarian (Electronic Resources Librarian, Libraries)
Senators
Each department has representation on the Senate, in addition to at-large representatives for full-time faculty, part-time faculty, chairs category, and staff who teach. Senators and alternates are elected every three years according to procedures described in Senate Bylaws. The current roster of senators is available at prattsenate.org/roster.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee consists of Senate officers, committee chairs, and other delegates elected by the Senate, as well as one non-voting member selected by the Provost in consultation with the Senate President. Delegates need not be senators to be elected.
Members
- Heather Lewis, Co-President (Professor, Art and Design Education)
- Zach Slanger, Co-President (Visiting Instructor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
- Missy Brown, Financial Officer (Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, Libraries)
- Sebastian Kaupert, Information Officer (Adjunct Associate Professor, Undergraduate Communications Design)
- Gina Gregorio, Outreach Officer (Adjunct Professor—CCE, Fashion)
- Matt Garklavs, Parliamentarian (Electronic Resources Librarian, Libraries)
- Chris Collette, Chair of the Academic Policy Committee (Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Information)
- Deb Caponera, Chair of the Institute Curriculum Committee (Assistant Professor, Associate Degrees)
- Rosetta Elkin, Chair of the Institute Assessment Committee (Professor, Graduate Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design)
- Mark Rosin, Senate Research Liaison (Associate Professor, Math and Science)
- Jeffrey Hogrefe, Senate Engagement, Culture, and Community Liaison (Professor, Humanities and Media Studies)
- Liz Knauer, Chair of the Distinguished Teacher Award Committee (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
- Swati Piparsania, Chair of the Research Recognition Award Committee (Assistant Professor, Industrial Design)
- Karolina Koczynska, Chair of the Academic Service Award Committee (Assistant Professor, History of Art and Design)
- Irene Lopatovska, Chair of the Faculty Development Fund Committee (Professor, School of Information)
- Aileen Wilson, Steering Delegate (Chairperson, Art and Design Education)
- Ann Holder, Steering Delegate (Associate Professor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
- Damon Chaky, Steering Delegate (Associate Professor, Math and Science)
- Russ Abell, Provost’s Council Representative (Executive Director of Libraries, non-voting)
Institute Curriculum Committee
The Institute Curriculum Committee (ICC) fulfills the Senate’s responsibilities for curriculum review, making its recommendations to the Provost and reporting them to the Senate at the next regular Senate meeting, and for curriculum support.
Members
- Xue Snow Bai (Assistant Chair, Creative Enterprise Leadership)
- Deb Caponera, Chair (Assistant Professor, Associate Degree Program)
- Amelia Carley (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Foundation)
- Annie Coombs (Visiting Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
- David Dixon (Visiting Associate Professor, Fine Arts)
- Lisabeth During (Associate Professor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
- Andrea Katz (Adjunct Associate Professor, Fashion)
- Alex Liebergesell (Professor, Graduate Communication Design)
- Ali Sengul (Assistant Chair, Humanities and Media Studies)
- Morgan Võ (Critical and Inclusive Pedagogy Librarian, Libraries)
- Sarah Wilkins (Adjunct Associate Professor—CCE, History of Art and Design)
- Chris Sula (Associate Provost for Academic Affairs)
- Peg Fox (Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs, non-voting)
- Denise Mngo (Director of Academic Assessment, non-voting)
- Leslie Gerber (Associate Registrar, non-voting)
Institute Assessment Committee (IAC)
The Institute Assessment Committee shall fulfill the Senate’s responsibility for receiving and reviewing program assessment plans and annual reports and convening, developed jointly with the Office of the Provost, an annual Institute-wide assessment event to present and discuss a summary of the annual assessment work.
Members
- Alex Austin (Student Success and Assessment Librarian, Libraries)
- Rosario D’Urso (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
- Rosetta S. Elkin, Chair (Professor, Graduate Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Design)
- Kara Hearn (Chairperson, Film and Video)
- Gaia Hwang (Chairperson, Graduate Communication Design)
- Karolina Koczynska (Assistant Professor, History of Art and Design)
- Craig McDonald (Associate Professor, School of Information)
- Corinne Ulmann (Adjunct Professor – CCE, Foundation)
- Chris Sula (Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, non-voting)
- Denise Mngo (Director of Academic Assessment, non-voting)
- Deb Caponera (Chair of Institute Curriculum Committee; Assistant Professor, Associate Degrees; non-voting)
Academic Policy Committee (APC)
The Academic Policy Committee (APC) facilitates the Senate’s responsibility for reviewing academic policies and procedures, making its recommendations to the Senate.
Members
- Chris Collette, Chair (Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Information)
- Cheryl Costello (Art and Design Liaison Librarian, Libraries)
- Anselm Dastner (Visiting Instructor, Undergraduate Communications Design)
- Sacha Frey (Adjunct Assistant Professor—CCE, Humanities and Media Studies)
- Andrea Merkx (Adjunct Associate Professor—CCE, Foundation)
- Eric Moed (Visiting Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
- David Smucker (Assistant Chairperson, Social Science & Cultural Studies)
- Jane South (Chairperson, Fine Arts)
- Aileen Wilson (Chairperson, Art & Design Education, School of Art)
- Donna Heiland (Provost, non-voting)
Faculty Trustees
Corinne Ulmann (Adjunct Professor—CCE)
Jason Lee (Associate Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
Board Committee Faculty Appointments
Academic Affairs
Voting Members
Jason Vigneri-Beane (Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
Analia Segal (Adjunct Professor—CCE, Fine Arts)
Observers
Joyce Yu-Jean Lee (Assistant Professor, Foundation)
Caterina Y. Pierre (Visiting Instructor, History of Art and Design)
Buildings and Grounds
Voting Members
David Burney (Visiting Associate Professor, Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment)
Yutaka Takiura (Visiting Associate Professor, Creative Enterprise Leadership)
Observers
Eunjeong Seong (Adjunct Associate Professor—CCE, Undergraduate Architecture)
Ji Young Kim (Adjunct Associate Professor, Interior Design)
Community and Culture
Voting Members
Kent Hikida (Associate Professor, Construction Management)
Einat Lahat Blum (Visiting Instructor, Associate Degrees)
Observers
Gabrielle Vitollo (Visiting Assistant Professor, Fine Arts)
Rahaf Alharbi (Assistant Professor, School of Information)
Development and Communications
Voting Members
Adam Elstein (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
Deborah Caponera (Assistant Professor, Associate Degrees)
Observers
Christopher M. Shrum (Professor, Creative Enterprise Leadership)
Carl Zimring (Professor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
Digital Technologies
Voting Members
Diana Pan (Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Information)
Anselm Dastner (Visiting Instructor, Undergraduate Communications Design)
Observers
Christopher Collette (Adjunct Associate Professor)
Andrea L. Fernandez (Visiting Assistant Professor, History of Art and Design)
Student Affairs
Voting Members
Caitlin Cahill (Associate Professor, Social Science and Cultural Studies)
Leo Kim (Visiting Assistant Professor, Creative Enterprise Leadership)
Observers
Rosario D’Urso (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)
Leonard Leung (Adjunct Associate Professor, Undergraduate Architecture)