MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER 104
OF The
Senate OF mICHIGAN tECHNOLOGical university
24 January 1979
(Senate Minute pages: 1535-1549)
Meeting No. 104 was called to order on Wednesday, January 24, 1979 at 7:07 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge of the Memorial Union by President P.A. Nelson.
The roll was called by the Secretary. Twenty-four members or alternates were present. Absent were Adams (IWR), Alexander (BA), Alkire (CE), Givens (MA), Naegele (Grad. Student), Noble (GE), Schulz (AR), Schultz (IMR), and Shetron (FF).
Acknowledgement of Visitors: Faculty member, Hubert Hunzeker, and Hank Price, Michigan staff director of AAUP, were present. Carl Bowman of Instructional Resources was present to operate the recording equipment.
The Minutes of Meeting No. 103. Sloan reported that the minutes were at the Print Shop.
President's Report
President Nelson distributed copies of the President's Report ( Appendix A - Available by Request from the Senate Office).
Report on Meeting of the Academic Council.
Vice President Sachs distributed copies of a report on the meeting of the Academic Council on January 9 (Appendix B - Available by Request from the Senate Office). Stein noted that rough transcribed tapes of Academic Council meetings will be available in the Library for about a month after the meeting. He stated that item 6 on summer session was incorrect and suggested that he and Sachs get together to review the tapes. (After the meeting, the Senate Executive Committee reviewed the transcripts and changed that paragraph of Appendix B to its current form).
Report on Meeting of the Board of Control.
Sachs stated that the Board of Control had not met since the last Senate meeting and was scheduled to meet in Detroit on February 16.
Committee Reports
A. Curricular Policy
Nelson distributed copies of the report of the Senate Curricular Policy Committee (Appendix C - Available by Request from the Senate Office). He asked for comments on a draft proposal on safety submitted by Dr. Clifford J. Schultz. He also noted an interview with Dr. Ghista that had appeared in the January 10 issue of the Lode. Dr. Ghista had discussed a graduate program in biomedical engineering with twelve new courses and stated his goal was to have forty graduate students by the end of the academic year. Nelson had discussed this article with Acting Dean Krueger of the College of Engineering who stated that there was no new graduate degree program in biomedical engineering and that none had been proposed.
B. Instructional Policy
Sloan distributed copies of the report of the Senate Instructional Policy Committee ( Appendix D - Available by Request from the Senate Office). She noted that written reports had been received from five departments on the calendar with four departments favoring the late quarter system and one the semester system. The committee had asked the Senate for a series of straw votes on the spring holiday, currently a half-day on Good Friday. Results of three straw votes were 9 for a break in spring quarter versus 6 against; 17 for a full-day break versus 0 for a half-day break; and 7 favoring a recess on Good Friday versus 5 favoring a recess on some other day. A further straw vote showed that 7 Senators favored abolishing half-day recesses while 2 favored retaining some half-day recesses. Sachs pointed out that the snow-melting period is the low point of the year and stated that we need a break then.
C. Institutional Evaluation
Sachs distributed a committee with the agenda as Appendix A (Available by Request from the Senate Office).
D. Elections Committee - No Report.
E. Roles of the Senate and Faculty Association - No Report.
F. Roles of the Senate and Faculty Association.
The committee had no report. Pintar commented that AMCF (Association of Michigan Collegiate Faculty) is interested in Tech and might pay expenses to meetings for a while for Tech. Nelson and Erickson are to work together on implementing the committee's recommendations for restructuring the committee (Proposals 23-78 and 24-78).
F. Promotional Policy and Professional Standards and Development - No Report.
G. Senate Representation for Keweenaw Research Center - No Report.
H. Faculty Handbook.
Pintar distributed copies of a report of the Faculty Handbook Committee (Appendix E - Available by Request from the Senate Office). He said the committee was in stalemate over the issue of whether it is intended to be a major policy making committee or simply an editorial board. Pintar felt that it should be a major policy-making committee. Reynolds asked about the legal ramifications of the Faculty Handbook and said that if the document is legally binding that it is in our interest to see what goes into the manual as agreeable. Nelson stated that he thought the Faculty Handbook in existence at the time of a faculty member's appointment would be the one in effect if the handbook is mentioned in the letter of appointment. Sachs pointed out that this is a legally complicated issue since material in the handbook comes from a variety of sources such as the Senate and the Board of Control. Nelson and Pintar will work together to resolve questions of fact.
I. Faculty Fringe Benefits
Reynolds stated that the committee had a proposal that would come in the meeting under New Business. In addition, the committee is reviewing the survey on faculty acceptance of medical plans and will report on them soon.
I. Instructional Resources
Lide distributed a copy of a report of the Instructional Resources Committee (Appendix F - Available by Request from the Senate Office). She asked the Senate for suggestions and advice.
Old Business - No old business
New Business
A. Proposal 5-79, Faculty TIAA-CREF Retirement Benefits.
A motion was made to introduce Proposal 5-79 (Appendix G - Available by Request from the Senate Office) as an emergency submission. Sachs asked Smith whether the proposal, if passed, would be ready for the February 16 Board of Control meeting. Smith answered that it could be presented as an information item but that the Board might prefer to hold it because the issue was difficult and complex. He stated that business office officials of several universities are working with legal counsel and suggested that Vice President Koepel be invited to the next Senate meeting. Reynolds advocated taking a stand now before funds are paid into the retirement fund so that retroactive action would not be necessary. Two Senators commented that on this issue the Senate could influence the administration, and it was not necessary for Michigan Tech to follow other universities. Agin asked whether acting on this proposal would be representative since the proposal had been submitted without circulation to the faculty. Sachs pointed out that the proposal was new, but the issue of decreasing money available to the TIAA retirement fund was old and that the faculty were concerned. A motion to consider the proposal as an emergency submission passed 16 for, 0 opposed.
A discussion ensued on equalizing benefits versus equalizing contributions and the difficulty of determining either. Proposal 5-79 passed 18 to 2.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:52p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Sloan
Secretary