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
Uzma Z. Rizvi, President (Full-Time Faculty, Social Science & Cultural Studies, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
Maria Sieira, Finance Officer (Adjunct Associate Professor CCE School of Architecture)
Sebastian Kaupert, Information Officer (Adjunct Associate Professor, UG ComD, School of Design)
Jason Vigneri-Beane, Outreach Officer (Associate Professor Undergraduate Architecture)Amy Ballmer, Parliamentarian (Chair, Library Teaching, Learning & Collection Development, School of Information/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
- Uzma Z. Rizvi, President, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, Social Science & Cultural Studies)
- Maria Sieira, Finance Officer (Adjunct Associate Professor CCE School of Architecture)
- Sebastian Kaupert, Information Officer, ex-officio (Part-Time Faculty, School of Design)
- Jason Vigneri-Beane, Outreach Officer (Associate Professor Undergraduate Architecture)
- Amy Ballmer, Parliamentarian, ex-officio (Chair of Library Teaching, Library)
- Amit Kalra, Institute Curriculum Committee Chair (Interim), ex-officio (Part-time Faculty, School of Design)
- Nida Abdullah, Academic Policy Committee Chair, ex-officio (Full-time Faculty, School of Design)
- Dean Sidaway, Distinguished Teacher Award Committee Chair, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, Fashion Design, School of Design)
- Irene Lopatovska, Faculty Development Fund Committee Chair, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, School of Information)
- Brendan Moran, Academic Service Award Chair, ex-officio (Part-Time Faculty, School of Design)
- Jeffrey Hogrefe, Research Recognition Award Committee Chair, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, School of Liberal Arts)
- Damon Chaky, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, School of Liberal Arts)
- Chad Smith, ex-officio (Part-Time Faculty, School of Architecture)
- Michael Enright, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, School of Art)
- Xinyi Li, ex-officio (Full-Time Faculty, School of Design)
- Russ Abell, Director of Libraries (non-voting)
Institute Curriculum Committee
Members
- Amit Kalra (Visiting Assistant Professor, Graduate Communications/Package Design, School of Design)
- Pamela Pavliscak (Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Information)
- Katherine Huala, (Assistant Professor, Art & Design Education, School of Art)
- Nurhaizatul Jamil, (Assistant Professor, Social Science & Cultural Studies, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
- Sarah Wilkins, (Adjunct Assistant Professor, History of Art & Design, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
- Caitlin Cahill, (Associate Professor, Social Science & Cultural Studies, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
- Gisella Baurmann, (Associate Professor, Social Science & Cultural Studies, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences)
- Dina Weiss, (Assistant Chair, Visiting Associate Professor, Fine Arts, School of Art)
- Eric Trenkamp (Assistant Chair, Film & Video, School of Art)
- Jackie Hoving (Adjunct Associate Professor, Foundation Art & Design)
- Chris Sula (Interim Associate Provost for Academic Programs, Assessment and Accreditation)
- Peg Fox, Assistant Provost (non-voting)
- Luke Phillips, Registrar (non-voting)
- Juliet Lee, Office of the Registrar (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
- Nida Abdullah, Chair (Associate Professor, UG Communication Design)
- Aileen Wilson(Chairperson, Art & Design Education, School of Art)
- Craig MacDonald (Associate Professor, School of Information)
- Rosetta S. Elkin (Academic Director of MLA, Graduate Architecture & Urban Design, School of Architecture)
- Matthew Garklavs (Electronic Resources Librarian, Library)
- Andrea Merkx (Adjunct Associate Professor, Foundation)
- James Lipovac (Professor, Foundation)
- Jonathan Scelsa (Associate Professor, UG Architecture, School of Architecture)
- Chris Sula, Provost (non-voting, appointed by and from the Office of the Provost)
- Donna Heiland, Provost (non-voting, appointed by and from the Office of the Provost)
Faculty Trustees
Maria Sieira, Adjunct Associate Professor — CCE, Graduate Architecture & Urban Design
Farzam Yazdanseta, Acting Associate Chairperson, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Undergraduate Architecture, Continuing and Professional Studies
Board Committee Faculty Appointments
Academic Affairs
Voting Members
Anton Ginzburg, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Graduate Communication Design & Package Design
Alicia Imperiale, Assistant Dean, Architecture
Observers
Einat Lahat-Blum, Visiting Instructor- Art, Associate Degree Programs
Buildings and Grounds
Voting Members
David Burney, Academic Coordinator of Urban Placemaking Management, Visiting Associate Professor, Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment
Jonathan Scelsa, Associate Professor, Undergraduate Architecture
Observers
Caleb Crawford, Adjunct Associate Professor, Interior Design
Yutaka Takiura, Visiting Associate Professor, Creative Enterprise Leadership
DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Voting Members
Karen Bausman, Adjunct Associate Professor- CCE, Undergraduate Architecture
Deb Caponera, Assistant Professor, Associate Degree Programs
Observers
Alison Snyder, Professor, Interior Design
Dragana Zoric, Adjunct Associate Professor- CCE, Undergraduate Architecture
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Voting Members
Tomi Hikida, Associate Professor, Construction & Facilities Management
Eunjeong Seong, Adjunct Associate Professor- CCE, Undergraduate Architecture
Observers
Katrina Hill, Visiting Assistant Professor, History of Art & Design
Chelsea Limbird, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Interior Design
Student Affairs
Voting Members
Sebastian Kaupert, Adjunct Associate Professor, UG Communications Design
Randolph Gentile, Visiting Instructor- Art, Associate Degree Program
Observers
Donna Moran, Professor, Fine Arts