MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER 148
OF The
Senate OF mICHIGAN tECHNOLOGical university

5 February 1986

(Senate Minute pages: 2501 -2510)

President's Report

The President made a written report (See Appendix 1 - Available by Request from the Senate Office) which included a memo to President Stein protesting the short notice given to the Senate and its Curricular Policy Committee to consider Proposal 6-86 for a "spin off" degree in Environmental Engineering. He commented briefly on the memo.

Vice President Whitten also spoke for a moment in support of President Brokaw's memo. Whitten noted that he had received the proposal from the Department of Civil Engineering only very shortly before he passed it on to the Senate. Whitten urged Senators to take a message to their respective departments urging them to expect at least a year to intervene between the time they make a proposal and its final approval. Given the close scrutiny state agencies are giving to all new curricular changes, a year's lead time is the minimum time departments should expect in the approval of new degrees.

President Stein approved Proposal 2-86 but he sent 4-86 and 5-86 to the Student Council for comment before final action.

President Brokaw also welcomed the appointment of Mark Osborne as the new Senator from KRC and Glenn R. Simula as the alternate. He also announced the appointment of Willie Melton to the Institutional Evaluation Committee.

 

Vice President's Report:

The Vice President reported that she was unable to attend the Board of Control meeting in Detroit.

She attended Academic Council. She reported that Dean Powers returned the first Draft of the General Education handbook to be sent to the Senate's General Education Committee.

She also noted that the Academic Council discussed the pending North Central Accreditation visit to take place in 1988. That will necessitate a self study by the university in 1986 and a report by the university to North Central in 1987.

The Vice President also reviewed some of the ways the faculty may contribute to the Century II Campaign and the advantages of doing so.

Finally, the Vice President's report at the last meeting was misunderstood by faculty; she has asked that a clarification be appended to these minutes. That clarification appears as Appendix 2 (Available by Request from the Senate Office).

Committee Reports

A. Curricular Policy

President Brokaw reported for the committee and noted that the Senate would wait until New Business was considered to consider Proposal 6-86.

B. Instructional Policy

The Chairman reported that the committee had received from the Student Council its objection to the drop-date proposal and the Council's support of the Grade Change proposal. The committee will report back to the Senate its recommendations after considering Student Council comments at the next meeting.

C. Institutional Evaluation: No report.

D. Budget

Chairman Predebon commented on a written report which is included as Appendix 3 (Available by Request from the Senate Office).

E. Faculty Fringe Benefits

A written report was given (Appendix 4 - Available by Request from the Senate Office) urging Faculty to write their U.S. Senators requesting that changes in the law very unfavorable to faculty retirement benefits be reversed. Dr. Hill and Dr. Whitten reported in support of the position adding that the change in the law not only is disadvantageous to faculty, but appears unfairly to discriminate against higher education. Dr. Hill moved that the Fringe Benefits Committee consider this matter. He also urged individual MTU Senators to write their U.S. Senators on the matter. The motion was approved unanimously on a voice vote.

F. Elections - No Report

G. Faculty Handbook

The Chairman reported that the suggestions it proposed to make in the handbook relative to research had been submitted to the various research divisions for their approval. He did not anticipate any difficulty in getting these changes approved.

In his discussions the chairman noted that a number of changes in the procedures manual had occurred of which he was not aware. Some of them seemed of such importance to his committee that he would like to request that any changes made be referred to the Senate Handbook Committee.

H. Teaching Effectiveness

A representative of the committee reported that the Chairman had left a written report (Appendix 5 - Available by Request from the Senate Office). The report said in effect that the committee would be unable to evaluate the new program of teacher evaluation before the end of Spring term. As a consequence the committee planned to ask for an extension of time to evaluate the teacher evaluation program for another year. This proposal, the committee planned to present to the next session of the Faculty Senate.

Vice President Whitten observed that unless the decision relative to the program were decided soon, certain administrative decisions would of necessity have to be made. Should a director be hired for next year or a Center for Teaching Excellence maintained?

The response of the committee suggested that it was their recommendation that the Director and Center be kept for at least Fall term.

I. Planning: No Report.

J. General Education

Senator Baltensperger reported that the General Education booklet was back in the committee's hands and that the committee would make a more complete report at the March meeting. Others observed that the implementation of the general education program in the Fall would be considerably handicapped unless the handbook was completed within a few weeks.

Old Business - None.

New Business

Proposal 6-86, Preliminary Approval for Establishment of a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (BSEnE) Degree Program

At this point Proposal 6-86 (Appendix 6 - Available by Request from the Senate Office) was discussed. Professor Baillod reported that the Department of Civil Engineering had been offering the Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering for many years as a part of the Bachelor's program in General Engineering. The Department now felt that the program should stand on its own feet as a separate degree in Environmental Engineering. After a short discussion, Proposal 6-86 was approved unanimously.

 

The Senate adjourned at 8:42 p.m.