MINUTES OF MEETING NUMBER 72
OF The
sENATE OF mICHIGAN tECHNOLOGical university

31 October 1973

(Senate Minute pages: 874-888)

Meeting No. 72 was called to order on Wednesday, October 31, 1973 at 7:00 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge by President V.L. Doane.

The roll was called by the Secretary. Twenty-eight members or alternates were present. Absent were Kapp (PE), Olson (MG), and Stebbins.

 

The Minutes of Meeting No. 71 were approved.


Senate President's Report - President Doane's report is included here as Appendix A (Available by Request from the Senate Office).



Report on Meetings of the Academic Council and Board of Control

  1. Hodek's report on meetings of the Academic Council is included here as Appendix B (Available by Request from the Senate Office).

  2. Horvath's report on the October 12, 1973 meeting of the Board of Control is included here as Appendix C (Available by Request from the Senate Office).

    Following the report, President Smith stated that Michigan Tech had a visit from the staff man who makes recommendations to the Capital Outlay Committee. He was very favorably impressed with our need for new physical education facilities.
 

Election of the Senate Representative, Ombudsman Review Committee

Halkola, the outgoing representative on this committee, gave a brief report. In answer to questions on qualifications and term of office the Secretary read portions of Proposal 1-69 (see page 401-402).

The following Senators were nominated from the floor: Ortner, DelliQuadri (declined), and Weaver. On a secret ballot, Ortner received 14 votes and Weaver 12. The new Senate representative on the Ombudsman Review Committee is Ortner.

 

Committee Reports

A. Curricular Policy

Spain reported that the committee had held three meetings this quarter. Senate Proposal 2-73, Course Change Policy, has been reviewed, and an attempt has been made to incorporate Senate recommendations. The Senate is also trying to formulate guidelines for courses to be included in the HU-SS list. He also pointed out that due to an oversight, the committee had not reviewed the most recent list. Therefore, some of the courses listed in the 1974-75 catalog have not had the group's approval.

B. Instructional Policy - No Report.

C. Audio-Visual Instructional Material - No Report.

Rakestraw reported that the committee had sent a questionnaire to each Senator this fall. Of 30 Senators queried, 23 responded. The committee will soon distribute the results and its interpretation.

D. Curricular Impact - No report.

E. Elections - No report.

F. Elections Procedure

DelliQuadri reported that the committee is attempting to tie in the election of representatives on the Tenure and Ombudsman Review Committee, as well as Senators at large, into one uniform election procedure.

G. Instructional Evaluation

Liba moved the adoption of Proposal 1-74 Teacher Evaluation as amended (see Appendix D - Available by Request from the Senate Office). His motion was followed by a brief discussion of the merit of having another standing committee and whether there is sufficient interest and material to warrant it. Julien presented his department's call for an evaluation procedure which covers the entire University, from the President to the students. Proposal 1-74 was adopted by a vote of 19 Yes, 5 No.

H. Promotion Policy Review

Crowther distributed copies of his report (See Appendix E - Available by Request from the Senate Office) and moved that the report be accepted. It was pointed out that by accepting the report, the Senate would be tacitly approving its contents. In the discussion, objection was made to the absence of a time-in-grade criterion. In addition, calls for pure seniority procedures as well as simple peer evaluation were made. Following the discussion, the report was accepted by a vote of 21 Yes, 6 No. The committee will pass the report on to Vice President Stebbins.

 

Old Business -None

 

New Business

Julien asked that the newly created Instructional Evaluation Committee prepare recommendations on a series of methods for evaluating the entire hierarchy of the University including all elements of the administration, staff, and students as well as the faculty.

The Parliamentarian pro tem (Halkola) ruled that such a function would be beyond the scope of the committee as established by Proposal 1-74.

Alexander moved that the scope of the committee be expanded to include such a general evaluation. The motion passed by a vote of 20 Yes, 2 No. Later, some question was raised as to the legality of creating a standing committee by a proposal and then modifying it later in the evening by a simple internal proposal. President Doane ruled that the amendment would stand.

Horvath mentioned his intention to propose a constitutional amendment to include Senate alternates as possible committee chairmen. The proposal will appear on the next agenda.

President Doane read a letter from William Dix, Director of Scheduling, which is included here as Appendix F (Available by Request from the Senate Office).

During the lengthy discussion which followed, several motions and amendments were made including substitute motions. The Secretary's best interpretation follows:

  1. A motion by Barstow to move the entire pattern back one week was amended by Crowther to move it to the week preceding the Christmas holiday. Boutilier further moved to amend it to move it back two days.
  2. The Parliamentarian ruled that the amendments were really substitute motions.
  3. Barstow's original motion was defeated 4 Yes, 10 No.
  4. Crowther's substitute was defeated 7 Yes, 10 No.
  5. Thayer's motion to adjourn was defeated 5 Yes, 12 No.
  6. In response to a question from the floor, Horvath read Proposal 3-70 which is the only policy referring to a mid-term exam period. Much to everyone's surprise, the mid-term exam period is listed there as being the sixth week rather than the fifth.
  7. Further debate was choked off by a motion on the question which carried by more than the required two-thirds.
  8. Boutilier's motion was defeated by an 8 to 8 vote.

Alexander then suggested that President Doane inform Mr. Dix that under the policy represented in Proposal 3-70, mid-term exam week for the purpose of giving evening exams is the sixth week and not the fifth week.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

 

Ralph S. Horvath
Secretary