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