Minutes Meeting 407

THE UNIVERSITY SENATE OF MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Minutes of Meeting 407

28 April 2004

Synopsis:

The Senate learned that Proposals 24-04, 37-04, 38-04, 39-04, and 42-04 were sent to the Administration for approval and that the Administration had approved Proposals 24-04, 28-04, 29-04, 30-04, 31-04, 32-04, 33-04, 34-04, 35-04, 37-04, and 38-04.
Bruce Rafert, Dean of Distance Learning, presented the annual status update of the Distance Learning Implementation Committee as required in Senate Proposal 6-01.
The Senate approved the following motion concerning the Dickmeyer Report: "The Senate believes that the Dickmeyer report did not satisfy issues identified in the second paragraph of Proposal 10-04. However, the Senate now believes that there is no immediate need for an independent review and recommends that the new Administration (post March 26 2004) address the issues identified in the second paragraph of Proposal 10-04."
The Senate approved Proposals 43-04, Master of Forestry Spin-off from Master of Science in Forestry, 44-04, Master of Science in Forest Ecology and Management Spin-off from Master of Science in Forestry, 45-04, Master of Science in Applied Ecology Spin-off from Master of Science in Forestry, 46-04, Master of Science in Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Spin-off from Master of Science in Forestry, 47-04, BA in Communication and Culture Studies with a Concentration in Communication in Contemporary Culture, 48-04, BA in Communication and Culture Studies with a Concentration in Communication in Human Interactions and Global Contexts, 49-04, BA in Communication and Culture Studies with a Concentration in Communication Media, and 50-04, BA in Communications and Culture Studies with Concentrations in Communication in Contemporary Culture; Communications in Human Interactions and Global Contexts; and Communications Media.

President Robert Keen called University Senate Meeting 407 to order at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, 28 April 2004, in Room B45 EERC.

1. ROLL CALL OF SENATORS
Secretary Terry Monson called roll. Absent were Senators At-large Anil Jambekar and Al Brokaw and representatives from Army/Air Force ROTC, Computer Science, Materials Science and Engineering, ME-EM, Physics, the Keweenaw Research Center, Academic Services - Engineering, Academic Services - Non Engineering, Enrollment Management/OSRR, and Finance and Advancement.

2. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS
Visitors included Peg Gale (SFRES), Daniel Makagon (Humanities), and Kent Wray (Provost).

3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
President Keen presented the agenda and asked for modifications or additions. There were no modifications or additions and no objections to the agenda. [Appendix A. NOTE: Only official senate and library archival copies of the minutes will contain a full complement of appendices.]

4. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
President Keen's remarks included:
A. The following proposals were sent to the Administration for approval: 24-04, The Title and Administrative Position of Dean, 37-04, BS Program in Biological Sciences, Fish Biology Concentration, 38-04, Formats for Proposing New Academic Programs, 39-04, Review and Reappointment of Deans of Colleges, and 42-04, Evaluation Procedure for the President. [Appendices B-F]

B. The Administration approved the following proposals: 24-04, The Title and Administrative Position of Dean, 28-04, Additional Grades of 'E*' and 'U*' Indicating Academic Dishonesty, 29-04, New Grade of 'IS' for Courses In-Session at Grade Deadline, 30-04, Amendments to the Academic Renewal Policy, 31-04, BS Program in Wildlife Ecology and Management, 32-04, BS Program in Engineering Technology, Concentration in Construction Management Technology, 33-04, BS Program in Electrical Engineering, Concentration in Photonics, 34-04, Termination of the Minor in Speech Presentation, 35-04, BS Program in Mathematical Sciences, Concentration in Education Preparation, 37-04, BS Program in Biological Sciences, Fish Biology Concentration, and 38-04, Formats for Proposing New Academic Programs [Appendices G-Q]

C. Auxiliary Enterprises is soliciting volunteers to form a faculty committee to offer advice on the furnishing and design of the faculty lounge in Wadsworth Hall. Keen asked Senators to solicit their constituencies for volunteers.

D. The Executive Committee will review constituencies of professional staff as University reorganization occurs and discuss Senate rules for years of service. Larry Sutter's election as Senator At-large initiated the latter issue (see G below). Sutter served as Senator for five consecutive years, then had his service interrupted by a one-year sabbatical, and now has been elected Senator At-large. Keen interpreted Article IV- Membership, paragraph C Election and Terms of Office, line 1, to mean that Senators can have no more than 6 years of consecutive service or never more than 6 years of service in any 9 years and indicated that this interpretation needs to become part of the Senate's Bylaws. According to his interpretation, Sutter can only serve a one-year term as Senator At-large despite receiving the highest number of votes, which, normally, would allow him to serve a three-year term.

E. At the May 7 Board meeting, Keen will support the new promotion and tenure policy recently adopted by the faculty and the new degree programs approved by the Senate and will urge the Board to use the Presidential search procedures previously approved by the Senate and the Administration.

F. Ingrid Cheney (Benefits) will submit a quarterly report to the Senate on benefits next fall.

G. Larry Sutter, Craig Waddell and Martha Janners were elected as Senators At-large.

H. Pauline Moore's correction to the Tech Topics report on her presentation at Senate meeting 405 will be entered into the Senate minutes. [Appendix R]

I. The Academic Policy Committee will try to complete proposals on an amended sabbatical leave policy and on transfers of tenured faculty to other departments over the summer for Senate consideration in fall 2004.

J. Keen offered his thanks to Senators, Senate officers, Committee members and chairs (especially Larry Davis, Jim Pickens, and Bill Gregg) and Jeanne Meyers for their efforts during 2003-04 and to prior Senate officers (especially Bruce Seely) for advice and counsel and to his wife Karen for her support during his term as Senate President.

5. COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. Distance Learning Implementation Committee
Bruce Rafert, Dean of Distance Learning and Dean of the Graduate School, presented the annual status update of the Distance Learning Implementation Committee, to the Senate, as required in Senate Proposal 6-01.

In his presentation, he noted that Extended University Programs (EUP) has been renamed Sponsored Educational Programs (SEP) and that SEP now has a joint administrative reporting structure with the Director of Sponsored Education Programs directly reporting to the Vice President for Research on most administrative issues and to the Dean of Distance Learning for academic matters. Senate Proposal 6-01 will need to be revised to adjust for this new organization.

He updated the Senate on students and community colleges involved with the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program and noted that efforts are underway to add Macomb Community College and community colleges in Alpena and Escanaba to the program.

There were 9 BSE degrees awarded between January 2003 and January 2004. There were 31 courses offered in summer and fall 2003 and spring 2004 with enrollments of 1148 students.

For this fiscal year, Rafert estimated that SEP would return more than $200,000 to the General Fund, but that its return to the General Fund next fiscal year will be much smaller as cohorts in several GM programs are finishing their degree/certificate programs and as new programs are being developed.

Finally, he summarized the learning technology support facilities in the CILIT, which is currently under construction. These include two smart classrooms, 2 distance learning classrooms and control rooms, a duplication/digital capture facility and office space for ETS staff and students.

B. Discussion of Dickmeyer Report
President Keen re-iterated that he is expected to inform the Board of Control if the Dickmeyer Report satisfies the Senate's request in Proposal 10-04, which asked for an independent review of systemic financial problems at Michigan Tech.

Senator Tony Rogers asked Keen if the report responded to the Senate proposal, but was not directly initiated by the Senate. Rather, was it commissioned as a result of Proposal 10-04? Keen responded affirmatively.

Senator Bahne Cornilsen recalled a Tech Topics Extra indicating that the Administration was discussing an independent review prior to Proposal 10-04. Keen responded that he was unable to document such a discussion in Tech Topics. Senator Susan Amato-Henderson asked whether the issue is the independence of the report. Senator Cornilsen further asked if the Senate could be blamed for conclusions of the Dickmeyer Report since it did not exactly respond to Proposal 10-04.

Senator Bill Gregg added that the Dickmeyer report suggested an entirely new budgeting process, which was not requested in Proposal 10-04. Further, he felt that the Report neither reviewed a ten-year trend of increasing expenditures nor examined the issue of qualifications of budget personnel, both of which were requested. Cornilsen wondered if Dickmeyer had examined Proposal 10-04. Senator Marilyn Cooper commented that the report did not contain much evidence of budget analysis; it was rather a more generic development of a budget process. Senator Jim Pickens thought that the report minimally addressed the issue of the budget process, minimally addressed MTU's chronic budget problems, probably satisfied 10-04, but went far beyond the proposal to advocate a 'free market' budget system. He felt that the Senate should not endorse this system without a campus-wide discussion of its merits and problems.

Rogers thought that the report did not address several items listed in 10-04. Senator Ron Roblee suggested that the Senate review the objectives of 10-04 and determine if the report addressed all objectives. Keen identified these objectives in the second paragraph of the proposal: (1) an independent review of the systemic financial problems of the University, (2) recommendations on needed improvements of our budgeting and financial structure, (3) recommendations on the qualifications of persons needed in that structure, and (4) recommendations on the process of deciding priorities of expenditures.

Senator Gregg added that the doubt expressed in the first paragraph of 10-04 had been eliminated with the appointment of a new administration. He then MOVED (Senator Dick Prince support) that the Senate adopt a statement indicating that the Senate did not believe the report satisfied issues raised in Proposal 10-04 but believed that there was no longer a need for an independent review following events of March 26, 2004. Several Senators made editorial suggestions and the statement became: "The Senate believes that the Dickmeyer report did not satisfy issues identified in the second paragraph of Proposal 10-04. However, the Senate now believes that there is no immediate need for an independent review and recommends that the new Administration (post 26 March 2004) address the issues identified in the second paragraph of Proposal 10-04."

The motion passed in a voice vote of all Senators.

6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Proposal 43-04, Master of Forestry Spin-off from Master of Science in Forestry [See minutes, page X, for a copy of this proposal.]
Senator Pickens MOVED (Senator Ellen Seidel support) to approve this proposal.