Synopsis: The Senate
(1) heard a report on Enrollment Management activities.
(2) approved Proposal 5-00, Changes to University Sabbatical Leave Policy.
(3) approved Proposal 6-00, Supplemental Sabbatical Leave Funds.
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
President Seely called University Senate Meeting 325
to order at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 January 2000, in
Room B45 EERC.
Secretary Reed called roll. Absent were representatives from Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mining Engineering, Institute of Materials Processing, and Student Affairs and Educational Opportunity. Liaisons in attendance were Anthony Moretti (USG) and Ted Soldan (Staff Council).
2. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS
Guests included Gary Neumann (Enrollment
Management) and Marcia Goodrich (Tech Topics).
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Ftaclas MOVED and Williams 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 324
Seely noted that Shalini Rudak should be Shalini
Suryanarayana in a correction to the minutes of meeting
323. Long MOVED and Vanden Avond seconded the
motion to approve the minutes of meeting 324 as
corrected. The motion PASSED on voice vote with no
dissent.
5. REPORT FROM SENATE PRESIDENT
President Seely reported that Marilyn Urion, Assistant
Dean of the Graduate School, has been asked to chair a
task force on graduate tuition. Mike Gretz agreed to
serve on the task force as a Senate representative.
USG representatives, Instructional Policy Committee, Bill Kennedy and Seely will meet to discuss USG ideas to develop a mechanism for releasing information on teaching evaluations to students.
Seely received a formal request from Pete Radecki, Office of Corporate Services, to identify a group of liaisons for an intellectual properties committee. Barry Kunz has agreed to serve. Seely asked for a volunteer from the research staff constituency to also serve.
The Budget Liaison group will have its first meeting next week. Members are Debbie Lassila, Mike Abbott, Bill McGarry, Dan Greenlee, Jim Pickens, Larry Davis and Seely. The initial topic of discussion will be the Board Finance Subcommittee meeting.
Seely received copies of a series of e-mails from Provost Dobney regarding a number of soft money researchers that were not eligible for the season days between Christmas and New Year's Day. Soft money researchers can be paid from contract funds only when they are working on the contract. Seely has asked the Academic Policy Committee to review this issue.
Seely asked Senator Barna to read a communication from the MTU Chapter, AAUP. The Chapter intends to conduct a straw poll of faculty and other full-time instructional staff to evaluate their interest in forming a union at MTU. The AAUP is requesting Senate assistance in conducting the straw poll. The matter will be discussed at the next Senate meeting.
The Strategic Planning Group continues to meet. Units (14) have received preliminary feedback on their portfolios.
The provost search continues. Forty-three completed applications have been received to date. Seely reported that a number of very strong candidates have come forward.
The Board of Control will meet on Friday, January 21.
Seely reported on the status of Proposal 9-99. Letters have been sent to eligible individuals to receive supplemental contributions to their TIAA-CREF accounts. Institutional Analysis identified 78 eligible employees, two have since left the University, leaving 76 who should have received letters.
Seely reviewed a list of matters under review by Senate Committees.
6. COMMITTEE BUSINESS/REPORTS
Enrollment Management Report
Gary Neumann continued his presentation from the
previous meeting. He first reviewed the marketing
targets. Senator Ftaclas noted that these targets seem
provincial, and that we may be keeping ourselves
'regional' by targeting nearby students.
Snyder asked if there was information on why some students admitted may not attend MTU and Neumann discussed what is known from questionnaires (distance, weather, financial aid, etc.).
Kunz noted that it is really the success of students after they enrolled, and wondered if there were any differences in the characteristics of students who succeed; Neumann replied that this had not been examined.
Neumann reviewed the programs designated as undersubscribed and noted that there had been a growth in applications this year.
Senator B. Reed asked about changes in the students who had paid their deposits. This number is virtually identical to this date last year, but Neumann noted that several techniques are being used now and will be implemented soon that are designed to increase this number.
Vanden Avond asked about a system for polling students leaving MTU to discover why. Neumann noted that the Dean of Students Office does this and B. Seely noted that the Retention Task Force has examined these issues.
Senator D. Reed asked about the relationship between the enrollment goals being pursued by Enrollment Management and the enrollment goals in the existing strategic plans and the new plans being developed by departments. Neumann noted that there were no connections at this point in time, but that this is being examined in the current strategic planning process.
Finally, Neumann reviewed the advertising firm hired for the marketing campaign, noting their experience and the reasons for their selection. He also presented reasons for having Enrollment Management administratively under Advancement, noting connections with marketing.
7. NEW BUSINESS
A. Proposal 5-00, Changes to University Sabbatical
Leave Policy [Appendix B]
B. Proposal 6-00, Supplemental Sabbatical Leave Funds
[Appendix C]
Senator Nordberg, Chair, Academic Policy
Committee, reviewed the work of the committee relative
to the proposals. He noted that these proposals are not
designed to rewrite the Sabbatical Leave Policy, but are
in response to the upcoming change to semesters and the
1996 report of the Sabbatical Leave Task Force.
Proposal 5-00 requires no new funding and makes changes necessary for the semester change as well as no-cost recommendations of the Task Force to encourage more sabbatical leaves; Proposal 6-00 will require funding to implement and includes various recommendations of the Task Force. The 50/100 percent salary for 1 or 2 semester sabbaticals is the benchmark from our peer institutions. Nordberg noted that the intention is to implement these recommendations and to review them in five years to see if these policies have the desired effects, primarily more sabbatical leaves being taken by faculty.
Vanden Avond MOVED and Sloan seconded the motion to approve Proposals 5-00 and 6-00.
Barna MOVED and Williams seconded the motion to amend Proposal 5-00 by adding to the end of item 1) In cases where faculty go two periods of eligibility without a sabbatical those faculty become eligible for 100% for a full year.
The motion to amend FAILED by a show of hands.
Barna MOVED and Williams seconded the motion to amend Proposal 6-00 by adding an item C. In cases where faculty go two periods of eligibility without a sabbatical those faculty become eligible for 100% for a full year.
The motion to amend FAILED by a show of hands.
The motion to approve Proposal 5-00 PASSED on voice vote.
The motion to approve Proposal 6-00 PASSED on voice vote.
The letter of transmittal will include a request for review in 3-5 years.
9. ADJOURNMENT
Drummer MOVED and Ouellette seconded the
motion to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by David D. Reed
Secretary of the University Senate