university SENATE OF
MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Minutes of Meeting 423

20 April 2005

Synopsis: 

(1)   The two required meeting dates for next year were set for 31 August and 18 January.

1.     CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

President Monson called University Senate Meeting 423 to order at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, 20 April 2005, in Room B45 EERC.

Secretary Glime called roll.  Absent were At-large Senator Scott Pollins and representatives of Computer Science, Academic Services A, and Auxiliaries.  Liaisons in attendance were Becky Christianson (Staff Council) and David Forel (GSC).  Army/Air Force ROTC, Chemistry, ME-EM, Physics, Academic Services B, and the Finance group currently have no elected representatives for 2005-06.

2.     RECOGNITION OF VISITORS

Guests included Ingrid Cheney (Human Resources), George Fox (Administrative Computing), and Michael Neuman (Biomedical Engineering).

3.     APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Seidel MOVED and Soldan 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 the appendices.]

4.     Setting of Meeting Dates

Article IX of the Senate Constitution requires that at least one meeting date be established in each semester in the preceding spring.  President Monson suggested that the dates of 31 August 2005 and 18 January 2006 be established to meet this requirement.  Clancey MOVED and Bruch seconded the motion to accept these dates.  The motion PASSED on voice vote with no opposition.

5.     Election of senate officers

President Monson announced the candidates:

President – Martha Sloan and Larry Sutter

Vice President – Becky Christianson and Joanne Polzien

Secretary – Janice Glime

Each of the contestants was invited to make a brief speech.

Martha Sloan stated that she would consider two topics, her vision and what the Senate should do.  The AAUP had had a ripple effect on the Senate with some of the members of the Senate needing to pay attention to AAUP activities.  The Senate needs to work smarter, not harder.  She is concerned about work loads on Senators and whether the existing committees still make sense.  As previously stated by Senator Milligan, the worst thing the Senate can do is to duplicate efforts of the AAUP.  We need to determine how we want to relate to the AAUP – have a liaison? a joint committee?  We need to know the schedule for things like new degree programs so that we can target the key dates for program approval.  We should use Senate time to listen to presentations and deliberate proposals.  Is it really necessary to waste time to have a secret ballot to declare emergency proposals?

Sloan stated that she had been on search committees at all levels except Provost as well as promotion and tenure committees.  We have an opportunity for re-organization to which she can bring a lot of experience.

Larry Sutter stated that this is his school.  He has worked here since 1979 and is an alumnus.  He is proud of MTU.  The Senate will play an important rule in the future.  He is concerned with representing people who are not represented in the union.  He has a unique experience of 15 years as a member of professional staff and 8 years as a faculty member.  He supports professional staff on research.  The University is now in a gridlock.  The Senate needs to define its role; the union will define theirs. 

Senator Wood asked if either of the candidates has time commitments to the union.  Sloan stated that she is currently her department's liaison because no one else was willing to do it, but she would probably drop out if elected.  Sutter stated that he had joined the national AAUP but not the local chapter; he won't join it if he is elected president.  There is a separation between the Senate and the union.

Senator Waddell asked how the candidates have represented their specific constituents versus representing the university constituents at-large and how they will make the transition to representing the entire constituency.  Sloan stated that there have been no issues that had a strong impact on her department, so she feels she has been representing the best interests of the university.  Sutter stated that the Senate has been in limbo this year.  He felt that he has represented the faculty at large and the university as a whole.

Senator Milligan stated that he has a great deal of respect for both candidates.  He had been nominated and felt that we had two good candidates, so after some deliberation he decided not to run.  The Senate and union need to be separate, and therefore he supported Sutter.  He joined the AAUP after it was voted in, but he had led the charge against the union.  Now he wants a voice.

The two presidential candidates each won 14 votes on secret ballot.  President Monson ruled there would be a second vote after each candidate had an opportunity to make additional statements. 

Sutter added that he had been very active in university governance in the past 6-7 years and did not want to sit on the sidelines.  He emphasized the need to represent the broad base of the constituency.

Sloan indicated she would resign her liaison to the union position if she was elected President.  She agreed to be liaison because no one else in the department was willing but considered that it would b a conflict of interests for a president.  She indicated that she was one of the top three continuous long-term donors to the university.

When asked about having time to be President, both candidates indicated that they had worked out release time so they would have time to devote to the presidency.  Waddell stated that Sloan would have the integrity to represent the Senate even though she had been the department representative to the union.  Bruch stated that this election should not be a union vote, but a vote for the person; Sloan had great integrity and was as fair as anyone could be; she has never been hot under the collar; Bruch felt that Sutter was not always able to remain cool.

The second vote (secret ballot) resulted in 17 votes for Sloan and 11 for Sutter.

Joanne Polzien stated that as Vice President she would like to see a stronger collaboration between the faculty and the professional staff.  It is important for professional staff to have a voice in the Senate because they have no other voice.

Becky Christianson stated that she felt the same as Polzien.  She added that she had been able to meet with the Provost and members of the Board of Control and felt she had been able to take staff input to them and have them listen.

The Secretary and President realized that too many ballots had been cast in the election for president.  There were 31 elected Senators with 27 present.  However, 28 ballots had been cast.  The President determined that a Senator who would not be continuing in the fall had voted in error.

The eligibility to vote was explained again and only 27 ballots were cast for Vice President.  Christianson won 17:10.

C. Selfe MOVED and Soldan seconded the motion to declare Glime as secretary by acclamation.  The motion PASSED on voice vote with no opposition.

6.     Adjournment

Janners MOVED and Bruch seconded the motion to adjourn.  The meeting adjourned at 6:20 PM.

Respectfully Submitted by Janice M. Glime

Secretary of the University Senate