MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER 166
OF The
Senate OF mICHIGAN tECHNOLOGical university

8 February 1989

(Senate Minute pages: 2891-2916)

Vice President's Report

Vice President Tampas provided a report on the Board of Control meeting on January 19, 1989 (Appendix A - Available by Request from the Senate Office). He also reported on a meeting of the Academic Council on February 7, 1989 (Appendix B - Available by Request from the Senate Office). He also reported that the Academic Council had called a special meeting to discuss laboratory safety for February 14.

Standing Committee Reports

A. Elections

Elections were held for Senate President. Nominations were opened. Senator Shapton was nominated and elected as President for the remainder of the year.

Senator Tampas noted that with the last changes in the Faculty Handbook, the term "General Faculty" was removed in most cases and replaced with "Academic Faculty." This creates a problem since the Senate is drawn from both Academic and Research faculty, and several non-academic positions are also designated as faculty. He is looking for comments and suggestions regarding who should be eligible to vote in Senate conducted elections.

Senator Tampas also asked the Senate to authorize him to destroy the ballots for the Ombudsman Committee nominees. This was approved.

B. Budget Liaison

Senator Predebon provided a report on the budget (Appendix C - Available by Request from the Senate Office). The report outlines the present year's budget and next year's budget. Several questions were raised about how research funding was included. It was pointed out that only the overhead portion of that funding was included in the General Fund budget.

C. Curricular Policy - No report.

D. Instructional Policy - No report.

The Committee is soliciting comments regarding the memo directed to Vice President Bert Whitten from Registrar Gary Wickstrom (Appendix D - Available by Request from the Senate Office) regarding a possible new policy on reporting GPA for Technology students.

E. Institutional Evaluation - No report.

F. Faculty Fringe Benefits

Senator DePuydt reported that the committee has formulated two proposals which will be submitted for consideration at the next Senate meeting (Appendix E - Available by Request from the Senate Office).

G. Faculty Handbook

Senator Hambley provided a preliminary report (Appendix F - Available by Request from the Senate Office) and asked that comments be directed to him.

 

University Committees

A. Quality of University Life Task Force - No report.

B. University Committee on Campus-Wide Computer Strategy - No report.

C. Long-Range Planning - No report.

D. Ombudsman Appointing Committee

Senator Shapton reported that the Committee has appointed Professor Larry Julien as Ombudsman. They also are suggesting a number of changes be made in the description of the Ombudsman's term of appointment (Appendix G - Available by Request from the Senate Office).

Old Business - There was no old business.

New Business

A. The next Senate meeting was moved to March 15, 1989, to be held before the March 17, 1989 meeting of the Board of Control.

B. Provost Whitten was invited to discuss his concerns regarding the grades of MTU students vs. their entrance requirements as compared to the performance of equivalent quality students at other institutions (Appendix H - Available by Request from the Senate Office).

 

Respectfully submitted,
David B. Sprague, Secretary