Synopsis: The Senate
(1) heard a report on medical benefit costs.
(2) heard a report on Advancement activities.
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
President Seely called University Senate Meeting 323
to order at 5:32 p.m. on Wednesday, 1 December 1999,
in Room B45 EERC.
Secretary Reed called roll. Absent were representatives from Education, Humanities, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mining Engineering, Physical Education, and Institute of Materials Processing. Liaison in attendance was Ted Soldan (Staff Council).
2. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS
Guests included Gail Mroz (Michigan Tech Fund),
Kimera Maxwell Way (Michigan Tech Fund), John Sellars
(Advancement and University Relations), Glenn Mroz
(School of Forestry and Wood Products), Ellen Horsch
(Human Resources), Ingrid Cheney (Benefits Office),
Maryann Wilcox (Benefits Office), and Marcia Goodrich
(Tech Topics).
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Blanning MOVED and Pickens seconded the motion
to approve the agenda as presented. The motion to
approve PASSED on voice vote with no dissent.
[Appendix A. NOTE: Only official Senate and Library
archival copies of the minutes will contain a full
complement of appendices.]
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM MEETING 322
Prince MOVED and Long seconded the motion to
approve the minutes of meeting 322. The motion
PASSED on voice vote with no dissent.
5. REPORT FROM SENATE PRESIDENT
President Seely reported that Provost Dobney has
appointed a committee to establish procedures to
implement the Policy on Religious Observance. The
members are Christ Ftaclas, Ellen Horsch, Shalini
Suryanarayana, Tom Snyder, and Bill Kennedy, Chair.
Proposal 4-00, Policy on Half-Semester Courses, was transmitted to the administration for approval. [Appendix B]
The Senate officers met with Board of Control Chair Jim Mitchell and Ric Berquist. The communication between the Senate officers and the Board is the best it's ever been. The conversation was wide-ranging including some budget matters and communication between the administration and the Senate.
Seely stressed at the Board meeting that communication is a two-way street and thanked them for treating Proposal 9-99 as a first step in dealing with Senate concerns relative to retirement health insurance. The Senate has continuing concerns about medical costs.
The Strategic Planning Working Group has circulated the draft of materials to deans, chairs and all unit heads. The Group expects to have the information received in outline form before the holiday break. Statements from units will be in draft form by the end of January. A University statement will be in draft form in February. The Board will review the draft document at a retreat in March. There are three guiding principles: the success of our students; input from the University community is needed and valued; and through collaborative efforts we will serve the people of Michigan, the nation and the world. Seely presented the template that will be used for the strategic plan report.
Seely presented the 2000 guidelines for Carnegie Classification. [Appendix C] The primary change in the new guidelines is that the definitions in the past were partially based on federal funding, and now they are moving to where the boundary between Doctoral I and II is going to be solely based on the number of PhDs granted; an average of 50 per year across at least 15 disciplines is going to be the minimum for Doctoral I classification (MTU has averaged 49.8 PhDs per year in 15 disciplines over recent years).
Vice Provost Bowen presented some preliminary ideas on summer session under semesters to the Academic Forum. President Seely requests that the Instructional Policy Committee meet with Bowen to discuss the ideas.
Seely continues to resolve some difficulties relative to the proposal on double majors. The question has been posed as to whether an individual graduating with a double major in civil engineering and mathematics would be able to obtain professional certification since ABET recognizes the civil degree. The proposal will likely come back to the Senate from the Provost with several suggested language changes to address that concern.
Bill Bulleit, Chair, Provost Search Committee will address the Senate at the December 15 meeting. The Committee will meet with a member from the search firm this Friday. To date, the University has received 25-30 completed applications.
6. COMMITTEE BUSINESS/REPORTS
A. Medical Benefits Cost Report [Appendix D]
Ingrid Cheney presented the history of MTU's health
care costs, including a $1.5 million increase between
1997 and 1998. The reasons have to do with national
trends in increasing costs (6-12% overall for health care
in 2000, and 17% for prescriptions) and the increase in
MTU's number of contracts (from 1,295 in 1996 to 1,372
in 1999, with about 3,800 covered lives). The COBRA
value, or what MTU would charge to break even if we
had a premium, has not been increased to match the
increased cost, resulting in the need for large increases
last year and this year. The planned co-pay changes to
take effect 1 January 2000 were discussed. Cheney
reviewed other universities in Michigan, noting that
Oakland is the only one that is not self-insured; she also
reviewed the recent history of plan administrators.
Senator MacLennan asked about the decision process for changing the co-pays. Vice President McGarry noted that BCBS provided an analysis of options and that the Budget Team decided. President Seely responded that the Budget Team is not functional anymore, and was not actively involved in making these decisions. MacLennan noted the advantages of including faculty/staff representation before these health care decisions are made. Senator Lutzke noted that there would be more sensitivity if the decision making group was broadened. Ellen Horsch agreed that some consultation would be helpful. McGarry stated that the budget process is being determined. Horsch also noted that MTU's strategy has been to have a first class plan in order to help faculty and staff recruiting.
B. Advancement Report [Appendix E]
John Sellars (Senior Vice President for Advancement
and University Relations), Kimera Maxwell Way
(Executive Director-Development, Michigan Tech Fund),
and Gail Mroz (Director-Finance and Operations,
Michigan Tech Fund) gave an advancement report.
Sellars reviewed the general state of philanthropy, noting that education falls far behind religious groups in the amount of support received, and discussed the advantages to mounting a fund-raising campaign. These include focusing on the mission, strategic plan, vision, and the need of private gifts to accomplish all these things.
Successful accomplishment of a campaign enhances resources, volunteer staff, image and reputation, infrastructure, and identifies the next generation of donors.
The $100 million campaign will focus on students ($20 million, such things as scholarship funds), faculty ($20 million, such things as chairs, travel, development), innovation ($25 million, classrooms, laboratories), leadership ($15 million, which includes such things as support for the Tech Fund), and quality ($20 million, focusing on facilities and equipment).
Way discussed the 15-20 regional committees that will assist in the campaign, noting that MTU has not realized its potential for private support and that our donors are not nearby. It takes a staff infrastructure to reach out to potential donors, and to continue communication with them over time.
Mroz began a presentation of the financial aspects of the Advancement operation. She presented the various types of funds and the distribution of moneys invested in equity and non-equity instruments. A gift report for the 1999 fiscal year was included, as was a list of gifts-in-kind. She began a discussion of the University-Tech Fund financial relationship, but was unable to complete this because of time. Mroz and Sellars will return to the next meeting to continue this discussion and present answers to written questions submitted by the Senate in November in advance of this meeting.
8. ADJOURNMENT
Davis MOVED and Carr seconded the motion to
adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by David D. Reed
Secretary of the University Senate