November 9, 1995
MINUTES OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE: NOVEMBER 8, 1995
ROLL CALL:
Present--S.C.Anderson, S. R. Anderson, Baker, Baugh, Baumbold, Boyd,
Bybee, Degge, Fisher, Frahs, Girling, Goldman, Grosenick, Heinzkill,
Krishnamurthy, Moore, Moursund, Nicholson, Osorio, Parmentier, Partch,
Sarosa, Seitz, Simonds, Spencer, Stirling, Taylor, Tomlin, Williams.
EXCUSED--Greene, Haynes, Holland, Lisenbee, Murphy, Tubbs, Whitlock.
ABSENT--Anderson-Inman, Early (2), Flores, Horner, Hosticka (2),
Koch, Lachman (2), Levi, Martin (2), Orozco, Payne, Spencer (2), Stave, Summers.
CALL TO ORDER/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Senate President Paul Simonds called the meeting to order at 3:07
p.m., in 123 Pacific, on Wednesday November 8, 1995.
The minutes from the October 11, 1995 meeting were approved.
These minutes have been corrected as the date of the last meeting for the
1994-95 year was May 31. The Secretary typed May 24, 1995 and thus he
included legislation that did not need to approved at the October
meeting. It was the May 31 meeting that did not have the quorum and thus
the following were the items that needed final approval at this meeting
(October 11, 1995): 1) the election of Mr. Paul Simonds as President of
the Senate and Mr. Carl Bybee as Vice President of the Senate had to be
approved; 2) the revision of the membership of the Committee on the
Curriculum; 3) and the final approval of the minutes of April 12, 1995
and May 24, 1995.
OLD BUSINESS
None.
ELECTION OF SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE
The Senate Nominating Committee presented the following names of
University Faculty members for election to the Senate Budget Committee:
Patricia Gwartney, Sociology
Lorraine Davis, Vice Provost (ex-officio)
Lynn Kahle, Business
Joe Wade, Academic Advising
Carl Hosticka, PPPM
Charles Frazier, Journalism
Steve Owen, Music
Dianne Bricker, Special Education and Rehabilitation
Jane Gordon, Law
Douglas Blande, Arts & Administration
Frank Anderson, Mathematics
Regina Degge, Arts and Administration
John Nicols, History/Classics
Howard Davis, Architecture
The Committee also asks for approval of three members from the New Senate
(January 1996) be added to the Committee.
The membership of the Committee was approved as presented
including the three members from the New Senate.
President Simonds informed the Senate that a University Senator
must be elected to the Interinstitutional Faculty Senate to fill the
vacancy that will occur on December 31, 1995 when Mr. Davison Soper's
three year term expires. After some discussion it was decided to let the
New Senate elect the IFSenator in January 1996.
The name of Senator Judith Grosenick was presented as a nominee
for the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee. No other nominations came
from the floor and Senator Grosenick was elected without objection.
STATEMENT FROM THE PAC-10 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OFFICERS AND FACULTY
LEADERS
In the minutes of the October meeting the statement from the
PAC-10 Affirmative Action Officers and Faculty Leaders was printed.
President Simonds asked the Senate to endorse the statement as a show of
support of the University Senate in the areas of equal access and
diversity in higher education. The President read the statement:
Both access and diversity are essential to the mission of higher
education and its role of serving society. As we move toward the
Twenty-First Century, higher education must be accessible to all
regardless of race, ethnicity, class or gender. Accordingly, we reaffirm
in the strongest possible terms our support for educational access and
opportunity for all representing our rich and diverse cultures.
Society's most fundamental interest requires that all students be
educated to their fullest potential.
Although the gains in minority and female representation on higher
education campuses are significant, affirmative action efforts must
continue to move toward a truly diverse work force. In summary, we are
committed to nurturing and maximizing the talents of all people and their
ethnic cultures, and we reaffirm our educational obligations to promote
diversity on behalf of the greater good of society. Representatives of
the PAC-10 Faculty Leaders and PAC-10 Affirmative Action Directors
reaffirm their commitment to the goals of affirmative action and equal
opportunity for all qualified individuals in the work force.
President Simonds explained that the Statement was, in reality, a
composition that reflected the strong interest in the two groups that
created the statement to assert their position on equal access and
diversity in higher education and to counter the present move to
undermine, slow or repeal the laws that provide for this access and
diversity. He urged the Senate to endorse the statement.
A student senator stated that she thought the statement had good
intentions, but failed to be as inclusive as it could be. Some
minorities are left out or excluded. Senator Martin Fisher suggested
including a portion of the UO statement on Equal Opportunity. Senator
Fisher read the portion of the UO statement that he thought should be
added to the PAC-10 statement:
The University of Oregon affirms and actively promotes the right of all
individuals to equal opportunity in education and employment at this
institution without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age
religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation,
or any other extraneous consideration not directly and substantively
related to effective performance.
Specifically the section commencing with "race" through
"related" would strengthen the first paragraph, second
sentence. This would make the proposed PAC-10 statement much more
inclusive and satisfy the questions the Student Senate had about the
limits of the PAC-10 statement.
President Simonds pointed out that in the second paragraph,
second sentence, the use of the word "all" was the inclusive
word and encompassed all that the students wished to have added to the
statement. Further, he said, the statement was not constructed so as to
reflect a particular campus or state, but was worded so that each campus
in the PAC-10 could endorse the statement. The statement overall was
inclusive and not exclusive.
Another student senator said that the UO was not obligated to
just "go along" but that the Senate should defeat the statement
outright or amend it to include the UO equal opportunity part as
suggested by Senator Fisher.
Senator Bybee thought the students had made an important
observation, but this a move toward halting such actions that we see
taking place in California. With this statement we have taken a position
on the situation and if the Senate refused to endorse the statement we
will have undermined the efforts to counteract what is in reality happening.
In response to an inquiry concerning "sexual
orientation" President Simonds pointed out that a second statement
will be forthcoming. Because this issue involves the military, i. e.,
ROTC, the PAC-10 Leaders felt that it was a separate issue. In addition
he pointed out that an amended version from the UO Senate would require a
return to all of the other campuses that have already endorsed the
statement, thus slowing down the entire process. Part of the effort here
is to get the "Big-11" involved and eventually have the statement
endorsed, across the land, by the institutions of higher education.
A motion to table was presented by student senator and it was
defeated. Senator Regina Degge moved to accept the motion and to bring
any amendments to the December meeting of the Senate for discussion and
voting at that time on the amendments to clarify the UO Senate position.
It was moved to amend Senator Degge's motion to add a statement at the
end of the PAC-10 statement that would express the interest of the UO
Senate in strengthening the statement and making it more inclusive. This
amendment was accepted and the motion, as amended, was passed.
The following has been added to the PAC-10 statement:
Although the University of Oregon Senate has endorsed this statement, the
University of Oregon Senate strongly encourages the expansion of the
designated groups in the second sentence of the first paragraph. The
University of Oregon Senate recommends replacement of the second sentence
with the following:
"... As we move toward the Twenty-First Century, higher education
must be accessible to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex,
national origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran
status, sexual orientation, or any other extraneous consideration not
directly and substantively related to an individuals potential in
education or in life. ...."
As passed by the University Senate the entire statement now reads:
Both access and diversity are essential to the mission of higher
education and its role of serving society. As we move toward the
Twenty-First Century, higher education must be accessible to all
regardless of race, ethnicity, class or gender. Accordingly, we reaffirm
in the strongest possible terms our support for educational access and
opportunity for all representing our rich and diverse cultures.
Society's most fundamental interest requires that all students be
educated to their fullest potential.
Although the gains in minority and female representation on higher
education campuses are significant, affirmative action efforts must
continue to move toward a truly diverse work force. In summary, we are
committed to nurturing and maximizing the talents of all people and their
ethnic cultures, and we reaffirm our educational obligations to promote
diversity on behalf of the greater good of society. Representatives of
the PAC-10 Faculty Leaders and PAC-10 Affirmative Action Directors
reaffirm their commitment to the goals of affirmative action and equal
opportunity for all qualified individuals in the work force.
Although the University of Oregon Senate has endorsed this
statement, the University of Oregon Senate strongly encourages the
expansion of the designated groups in the second sentence of the first
paragraph. The University of Oregon Senate recommends replacement of the
second sentence with the following:
"... As we move toward the Twenty-First Century, higher education
must be accessible to all individuals without regard to race, color, sex,
national origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran
status, sexual orientation, or any other extraneous consideration not
directly and substantively related to an individuals potential in
education or in life. ...."
NOTICE OF ELECTION FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING
President Simonds pointed out that this Senate, as presently
constituted, must elect the President of the New Senate that will convene
in January. The President of the New Senate must be a member of the
present Senate. ON DECEMBER 6, 1995 THE UNIVERSITY SENATE SHALL MEET
AND ELECT A PRESIDENT OF THE NEW SENATE. THE MEETING WILL BE IN PACIFIC
123, AND SHALL COMMENCE AT 3:00 P.M. President Simonds announced
that he would be a candidate in this election and any present Officer of
Instruction Faculty Senator is eligible to be a candidate for the
election in December. The term of office will be from January through
May 1995. The New Senate shall elect a Vice President from among its
ranks in January. This Vice President shall be President-elect for the
Senate for the year 1996-97.
ADJOURNMENT
The business of the meeting having concluded the meeting
adjourned at 4:00 p.m.
Keith Richard
Secretary