| Minutes of the UO Senate 1999-2000 |
Present: L. Alpert, B. Altmann, E. Campbell, S. Clark, S. Cohen, D. Conley, L. Dann, R. Davis, J. Dawson , J. Earl, P. Gilkey, J. Grzybowski, E. Housworth, B. Jenkins, R. Kellett, S. Kohl, C. Lachman, D. Levi, R. McGowen, G. McLauchlan, D. Merskin, P. Mills, R. Moore, G. Moreno, C. Phillips, L. Robare, N. Savage, P. Southwell, F. Tepfer, N. Tublitz , T. Wheeler
Excused: C. Brokaw, M. Nippold, M. Paris, J. Terborg Absent: M. Dixon, M. Epstein, , C. Gary, K. Helphand, M. Hibbard, L. Blake Jones, E. Luks, E. Pfeiffer, J. Schombert, A. Schultz, W. Gatimu, M. Weiner
Senate President Gilkey announced that an administrative rulemaking hearing on the Transfer of Staff Fee Privileges (OAR 580-022-0031) will be held on Tuesday, May 16th in room 358 Susan Campbell Hall. This OAR allows the transfer of tuition credits from faculty to their dependents. President Gilkey then asked Vice Provost Lorraine Davis for her comments. She indicated that the proposal is to allow the transfer of an employee's own staff fee privileges to a single dependent. Up to 10 credits per quarter can be transferred although all other fees would have to be paid. Credits in excess of 10 would be charged at the regular rate.
President Gilkey next announced the Senate Executive Committee's plan for implementing Resolution US 9900-10B which was passed at the April meeting. Text of the resolution states: The UO Senate endorses the recommendation of the ad hoc committee on UO trademark licensing Code of Conduct, that the UO join the Workers' Rights Consortium for the purpose of the consortium monitoring UO licensee compliance with our Code of Conduct. Membership would be for a period of one year with the option to renew for subsequent years based on the recommendation of the University Senate oversight committee established to review our membership on an annual basis. During academic year 2000-01, the Senate Executive Committee will function as the Senate oversight committee described in US9900-10B and will bring its recommendation to the Senate in due course. The Senate Executive Committee will meet regularly with the Vice President for Development and will be actively engaged in the review process. Comments will be invited from the affected community (students, administrators, faculty, trustees, alumni, licensees) and the recommendation from the Senate Executive Committee will be transmitted to President Frohnmayer subsequent to appropriate Senate action.
In the next announcement President Gilkey is solicited nominations for the office of vice president of the UO Senate for academic year 2000-2001. The election will be held during the organizational meeting on May 24th
Lastly, President Gilkey read a resolution passed by the Faculty Advisory Council (FAC) that stated: In light of the on-going controversy regarding the decision of the University of Oregon of Oregon to join the Workers' Rights Consortium, the faculty advisory committee affirms their support for University President David Frohnmayer. His leadership and commitment to our long-standing system of shared governance are qualities that we appreciate and respect. Further, we urge the university community and our supporters of alumni and friends to see this decision in its proper perspective. It was made through an established deliberative process with much public debate and input from a wide cross section of university community. It does not reflect one person's opinion or that of one small group. Rather it symbolizes the combined efforts of members of the community and the University Senate as elected representatives to address the circumstances under which the university's name and logo are used. Our membership commitment is for one year and university senate oversight committee will recommend next year if the university should continue its affliation after the initial year. Finally, we include in our statement, our thanks to all past, present and future supporters of the University of Oregon. We share a long, proud history of striving toward excellence in research and education and we recognize that our alumni and friends help to make those efforts possible. We are grateful for their support.
President Gilkey indicated that he would transmit the resolution to President Frohnmayer pursuant to the directions of the FAC.
Senator Ron Kellett, architecture, asked which three universities will be on the WRC governing board. Vice President McDonald responded that it will be University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; University of Iowa, and Middlebury College. In response to a question regarding availability of minutes from the meetings of the WRC, Vice President McDonald said that he hopes minutes will be available. During the university caucus minutes were created which indicated that the universities wanted the public and the media to be able to attend and cover the meetings. Senator Jeremy Grzybowski, ASUO, asked about the degree of participation in the WRC by businesses and licensees. Mr. McDonald stated that because the WRC is so new, many issues have yet to be finalized but having businesses and licensees excluded from the process strikes a number of the member universities as unfair.
The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
Committee on Committees recommendations for committee appointments. President Gilkey now recognized Mr. Jim Imamura, chair, Committee on Committees, to present the list of faculty committee recommended appointments for 2000-2001. He also indicated that Robert Haskin, history, has agreed to serve as chair of the Foreign Studies Program. A question was raised as to the status of the Educational Technology committee. Senator Nathan Tublitz, biology, indicated that the committee is not a faculty committee appointed on recommendation of the Committee on Committees; rather, it is an administrative committee on which the senate has a representative. In noting changes to the list, Mr. Imamura acknowledged that Kenneth George, anthropology, has resigned from the International Affairs Advisory Council and was replaced by Barbara Altmann, romance languages. A member of the audience asked if the Committee on Committees notifies people of their selection to a committee and affirms their willingness to serve before it gets to the senate for a vote. Mr. Imamura replied that this information comes from the cards where faculty can state their preference for a committee; but as far as contacting people, he indicated that the question had never come up. With no further discussion, the recommendations, as amended, were put to a voice vote and passed unanimously.
Confirmation of new members of the Committee on Committees. President Gilkey recognized the chair of the Senate Nominating Committee who reported there were three unfilled positions on the Committee on Committee which will be filled at the senate organizing meeting on May 24th. President Gilkey also reported that Mr. Imamura has agreed to serve another year as chair of the Committee on Committees. A unanimous voice vote confirmed the new members of the committee.
Committee on Courses spring 2000 preliminary report. Committee on Courses chair Paul Engelking reported that MUS 381 Art Film (4) was approved by the Committee on Courses with Group I (arts and letters) status. However, he indicated that it was determined that the Group I status had not yet been approved by the College of Arts and Sciences as is required by senate legislation. Due to this oversight Mr. Engelking entertained a motion that the line indicating approval for Group I (arts and letters) be deleted from the report. Senator Gryzbowski so moved and the deletion was passed by voice vote.
Senator Barbara Altmann, romance languages, then spoke to an item entitled "Granting Graduate Credit for Supervised College Teaching" (page 17 of the preliminary report). She indicated that as graduate director in the Department of Romance Languages she and others are concerned that there is more to these requirements than appears at first glance. She moved that this section be removed from the report and referred back to the Graduate Council for discussion with deans and department heads. In particular, the relevant section pertains to principal A which reads, "Students cannot be granted academic credit for work or other tasks for which they have been, or are currently being, paid (e.g., GTF assignment)". She states this may cause problems with a practicum course that a student may be enrolled in to do with their teaching responsibilities. Senator Altmann suggested that this proposal has not had adequate discussion between the graduate school and other departments. Senator Phillips asked about how this affects the 602/609 courses listed in the preliminary report. Senator Altmann clarified that these courses would continue to exist but that the guidelines need further discussion. With no other discussion forthcoming, President Gilkey called for a voice vote on the amendment to the report. The vote to amend the report by removing the section cited and referring it to the Graduate Council for discussion with deans and department heads passed unanimously.
President Gilkey next recognized Mr. Herb Chereck, Registrar. Mr. Chereck indicated that new programs require an approval process involving the state system of higher education and the board or academic council. Two actions were taken recently, one in March approving the MFA in Dance. On May 3rd approvals were given for name changes for majors in the College of Education as well as the termination of two majors in education. Mr. Chereck felt it is important that this information be recorded in curriculum reports so that there is some history of what happened and when and asked that the information be added to the report. Hearing no objections Mr. Engelking confirmed the additions to the end of the spring preliminary report of the committee on courses. With no further discussion, the spring preliminary curriculum report passed unanimous as amended. Motions US99/00-15A, -15B, and -15C from the Ad Hoc Committee on Committee Restructuring. Senator Tublitz described the three motions which deal with a restructuring plan of the university committee system and relevant amendments to the senate by-laws necessary with the recommended re- structuring. (Full text of these motions can be found on the senate web page.) The charge of the committee was to evaluate the current committee structure and to report to the senate if there were any changes to be made based on principles of university governance. Motion US99/00-15A describes three basic principles underlying university-wide committees: (1) shared governance at the University of Oregon includes all segments of the university community; (2) the University Senate is the primary deliberative body at the University of Oregon; and (3) regular communication and consultation among all constituent groups is an essential hallmark of shared governance.
Based upon these principles, current university committees were grouped under three headings: University Standing Committees, established by the University Senate legislation and whose charges have broad relevance to and impact upon the university community; Administrative Advisory Groups, which are committees formed by the administration to advise the administration and which also have an obligation to raise matters of concern to the University Senate; and Externally Mandated Boards which are required under state or federal law.
Senator Tublitz mentioned that while trying to reduce the number of committees, there seemed to be none that could be eliminated with the exception of the International Affairs Committee (not the International Affairs Advisory Council) that is not active. Senator Tublitz noted that committee chairs had been consulted prior to the suggested committee groupings.
Motion US99/00-15B proposes that the old committee groupings, that is, faculty and administrative committees, be replaced with the new structure as outlined. Because some of the proposed changes are inconsistent with the current university senate bylaws, some of the bylaws have been rewritten and are outlined in Motion US99/00-15C, amendments to the University Senate Bylaws, to make them now consistent with the proposed structure. Committee member Ann Tedards, music, explained the substantive changes in the bylaws necessary to reflect the principles and restructuring proposed in 15A and 15B. Details of the changes can be found in the full text of the motion attached.
One notable change is the proposed expansion of the charge of the Committee on Committees, which in addition to its charged oversight of the committee structure within the system of shared governance, this committee shall designate the faculty membership of all appointed University Standing Committees established by faculty legislation. It may also, when appropriate, nominate the faculty membership of Administrative Advisory Groups and Externally Mandated Boards. Further, the Committee on Committees shall be charged with the annual orientation of all chairs of University Standing Committees; and finally, the Vice-President of the University Senate shall serve as the chair of the Committee on Committees.
Ms. Tedards noted that all University Standing Committees submit a written report to the senate at the end of the academic year with the exception of the Faculty Personnel Committee that reports in October. The proposed motion would include the Campus Planning Committee to report in October as well due to the timing of the conclusion of their work.
Senator Tublitz concluded by saying that the committee's goal was to to increase communicationacross=20 campus on specific issues that affect the campus-wide community. The proposed restructuring attempts to develop a structure that allows increased communication without changing the efficacy of any of the committees as they currently are constituted. For the most part, neither membership nor charges of the committees were changed. President Gilkey asked for discussion or questions on the first motion, US99/00-15A, providing a statement of underlying principles of university committees. Hearing none, Motion US9900-15A passed unanimously by voice vote.
President Gilkey brought the next motion, US9900-15B, the Revised University Wide Committee Structure, to the floor for discussion. Senator Kellett expressed concern that this process had not resulted in a reduction in the number of committees. Ad Hoc Committee member Senator Randy McGowan, history, responded by saying that the goal was to clarify and increase the charge of the Committee on Committees.
A question was posed as to why the Educational Technology Fee Advisory Committee was listed under the Administrative Advisory Groups heading. Senator Tublitz responded that the Ed Tech Fee Advisory Committee has a very narrow scope which is to utilize the funds assessed students through the Ed Tech fee and appropriate it. The committee does not make any broad-range policy decisions. Senator Altmann questioned the placement of the Off-Campus Scholarships and Grants committee, believing that it should be under the University Standing Committees list. The secretary raised a question about wording in section C of US9900-15B and suggested adding the words "state or federal law". President Gilkey put Motion US99/00-15-B to a voice vote and it passed unanimously.
Motion US9900-15C, amending the senate bylaws to accommodate the previous passed Motions 15A and 15B, was now on the floor for discussion. The secretary noted that with the Vice-President of the Senate proposed as chair of the Committee on Committees, there may be some loss in experience and continuity because currently committee chairs are elected from among the carry-over committee members. Ms. Tedards responded that that particular issue had not been discussed but felt that having the senate vice president chair the Committee on Committees would be a positive and strong link with the senate. Senator Greg McLauchlan sociology, questioned if the vice-president will be a voting member of the Committee on Committees. Vice Provost Davis indicated that the vice-president could be ex-officio or convenor. With discussion concluded, President Gilkey put Motion US99/00-15C to a voice vote and it passed unanimously.
Motion US99/00-17 -- Undergraduates Enrolling in Graduate Courses. President Gilkey reported that Senator Phillips had withdrawn his motion US99/00-17 without prejudice. Motion US99/00-16 =96 GTFF and UO Labor Management Relations. Senator Grzybowski withdrew his motion US99/00-16. He then moved to suspend the rules in order to permit the president of the GTFF, Paul Prew, to address the senate. The motion to suspend passed. Mr. Prew explained that the GTFF is in the midst of contract bargaining and that graduate student employees have to fill out a "release of information" waiver before the information can be submitted to the GTFF. Formerly the information had been provided to the GTFF, but University Counsel Melinda Grier opined that the university can no longer continue to do so due to FERPA, a federal law which was adopted to protect students' privacy. The GTFF argues that the unavailability of such information unfairly inhibits their ability to represent the best interests of their membership. Ms. Marion Friestad, Dean of the Graduate School, spoke to the issue indicating that there was an apparent conflict with union rights and individual rights and that the waivers were the administration's attempt to accommodate the GTFF's concerns. Full arguments on both sides of this issue can be found on the senate web page.
ADJOURNMENT The last regular meeting of the University Senate for academic year 1999-2000 was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. with thanks from President Gilkey to all the senators for their conscientious and hard work throughout the year. Gwen Steigelman Secretary