MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER 107
OF The
Senate OF mICHIGAN tECHNOLOGical university
12 September 1979
(Senate Minute pages: 1617-1630)
Meeting No. 107 was called to order on Wednesday, September 12, 1979 at 7:05 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge of the Memorial Union by President P.A. Nelson.
The roll was called by the Secretary. Twenty-nine members or alternates were present. Absent were Noble (GE) and representatives from IMR and the Graduate Student Council.
Acknowledgement of Visitors: Visitors were students Dale Essenmacher, Jeff Faalko, Pat Hughes (WMTU radio), Dan Kraemer, Bill Sturdevant, John Jurgess, Mark Davis, Joe Overton, Karen Volz (Lode), Jim Johnson, Mike Salary, Douglas Reckinger, Dan Racklyeft, Robert Tamm, Alan Bolen, and Charles Rebandt; faculty members Gladys Dawson, Otto Ruehr, Sung Lee, and Lloyd Heldt; and staff member Jim Escamilla operating the recording equipment.
The Minutes of Meeting No. 106.
Corrections were made to item IX, E on page 1575 to note that Erickson presented the report and that she was retiring from the Senate but not from the committee. The minutes were approved as corrected.
President's Report
Nelson presented the President's Report (Appendix A - Available by Request from the Senate Office).
Report on Meeting of the Academic Council.
Sloan presented a report on the meeting of the Academic Council held August 27 (Appendix B - Available by Request from the Senate Office). The official minutes of that meeting taken by Kuipers are attached as Appendix C (Available by Request from the Senate Office). Tampas commented on a report of an earlier Academic Council meeting (page 1600) that stated that two-year programs do not attract transfers from four-year programs, noting that in fact 48% of the students in the two-year Applied Technology programs are transfers from four-year programs at MTU.
Reports on Meetings of the Board of Control.
Sloan presented a report on the meetings of the Board of Control. She noted that the Senate Council this past year had established a procedure of having the Senate representative preview the Board agenda and consult with other Senate officers prior to the Board meeting. She recommended that the next Senate Representative work with the administration to gain access to the Board agenda outside the formal Freedom of Information Act channels and that the Representative attend all open sessions of the meetings.
Report by Faculty Representatives of the Academic Community Committee for Presidential Search and Screening
The report had been attached to the agenda; there was no presentation or discussion of it.
Election of Officers
O. David Boutilier was nominated from the floor for President. G. Frederic Reynolds was nominated from the floor for Vice President. Nominations were closed for all three offices, and Elections Committee chairman Snyder conducted the election. Boutilier was elected President; Reynolds was elected Vice President; and Givens was elected Secretary.
Eleventh Annual Report to the Faculty - Nelson stated that the report would be completed by the next Senate meeting.
Committee Reports
A. Curricular Policy
Agin presented the report (Appendix D - Available by Request from the Senate Office. The committee plans to consider Freshman English, the proposed M.S. program in Computer Science, and possible Program Revision Requests this year.
B. Instructional Policy
Sloan noted that the committee in its study of the calendar last year had taken a position against changing the calendar unless substantial agreement for a change could be reached with both students and faculty.
C. Institutional Evaluation
Nelson announced that a chairman is needed for this committee.
D. Elections Committee - Election of officers is reported above.
E. Joint Committee on Relations Between the Senate and Faculty Association
Pintar reported that the Association of Michigan Collegiate Faculties (AMCF) would be meeting at the end of the month, and that Baltensberger would attend.
F. Promotional Policy and Professional Standards and Development - No Report.
G. Senate Representation for Keweenaw Research Center - Shetron noted that the committee had presented Proposal 3-80 for the New Business section of the meeting.
H. Faculty Handbook.
Pintar presented a report (Appendix E - Available by Request from the Senate Office). A revised handbook will go to press in late September. He asked the senators to indicate whether they thought that all faculty should receive copies; response was positive.
I. Faculty Fringe Benefits
Reynolds promised a report on the questionnaire to faculty at the next meeting. He reported that Vice President Gale is a member of the committee.
I. Instructional Resources - No Report.
Old Business - Nelson announced that the new Senate President should meet with Stein to discuss arrangements for the implementation of Senate Proposal 18-78.
New Business
A. Proposal 1-80, Change in the Academic Calendar
The proposal was moved and seconded. Pintar presented background information on the proposal (Appendix F - Available by Request from the Senate Office). He noted that only Michigan State and Wayne State end classes at a later date in the spring than does Michigan Tech. He pointed out the academic difficulties with the schedule for winter quarter. He claimed that there was little support from Tech faculty for changing to semesters and hence presented a return to the late quarter as the best choice.
Wise, speaking for the students, said that early dismissal is important for getting summer jobs. Further, he noted that under a late quarter calendar many fall sports classes would have to be dropped, and that cross country and golf might have to be eliminated intercollegiately. He cited a poll showing that students clearly oppose the later quarter calendar.
A motion was made and seconded to table the proposal until the faculty had been polled on the calendar. Lide and R. K. Miller volunteered to do the poll. The motion to table passed 15-9.
B. Proposal 2-80, Amendment to Sabbatical Leave Policy
Amendment to Sabbatical Leave Policy (Senate Proposal 4-59 as approved by the Board of Control on 6/7/68 and reported on pages 2 and 3, "Handbook of the Senate of Michigan Technological University" dated 9/15/1976).
BACKGROUND:
This proposal amends paragraph 2 (also listed as Section 1.b in the Sabbatical Leave Policy as reported on Page 32, Handbook for Academic Faculty, September 1975 edition of M.T.U.) to provide for different "Types of Leave", i.e. leaves of different duration. It is not the intent of this committee to evaluate whether or not "significant" research or creative activity "for the purpose of furthering professional competence" can be accomplished in shorter time periods than the one year already provided. Rather it is the purpose of this amendment to provide for greater flexibility in the sabbatical leave program which may better serve both the University and its faculty.
The intent of this amendment is to provide for the utilization of a minimum of approximately six months for a sabbatical leave program. The leave must be apportioned in either of the following two ways for those faculty on a nine-month appointment: (1) The six months will include one normally compensated quarter and one summer or vacation equivalent quarter. The annual compensation to the faculty member will not be reduced if this plan is utilized. (2) The six months will include two normally compensated quarters. The annual compensation to the faculty member will be reduced by one-fourth if this plan is utilized. Equivalent plans are provided for those academic faculty on a twelve-month appointment.
PROPOSAL:
That the paragraph beginning "Types of Leave" of Senate Proposal 4-59 be amended by the addition of the following sentences:
"Faculty members on a nine-month appointment may also apply for a one academic quarters' sabbatical leave at one-third of their nine-month salary, providing the sabbatical quarter is continuous with their normally non-compensated quarter; or for a two academic quarters' sabbatical leave at three-quarters of their nine-month salary. Faculty members on a twelve-month appointment may also apply for a one academic quarters' sabbatical leave at one quarter of their twelve-month salary, providing the leave quarter is concurrent with the maximum allowed annual leave; or for a two academic quarters' sabbatical leave at three-quarters of their twelve months salary."
This proposal was moved, seconded, and passed 27-0.
C. Proposal 3-80, Senate Representation for Keweenaw Research Center
The Senate of Michigan Technological University recognizes Keweenaw Research Center as a research department of the University and will seat a duly-elected senator from Keweenaw Research in accordance with Article III A2.
The proposal was moved and seconded. Sung Lee stated that KRC has an organization that is comparable to that of the other research institutes that are represented in the Senate. He stated that it was the intent of the KRC that only full-time faculty would be represented by the proposed Senator.
A lengthy discussion followed focusing on the issues of growth of the Senate, proportional representation, and fairness to KRC vis-a-vis the other research institutes. The motion passed 20-3.
D. Thanks to Outgoing Officers
R.K. Miller expressed thanks to the outgoing officers for the work they had done. After a round of applause, the meeting adjourned at 8:39 p.m.