THE university SENATE OF
MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

 

Minutes of Meeting 433

1 February 2006

Synopsis: 

The Senate

(1)   heard a presentation by Chris Anderson on family friendly policies.

(2)   heard that the presidential evaluation is underway.

(3)   passed Proposal 9-06, Transfer of Tenure and Rank between Academic Units

(4)   passed Proposal 10-06, Guidelines for Transfer of Tenure and Rank between Academic Units

(5)   passed Proposal 11-06, Charter Proposal

(6)   passed Proposal 12-06, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.S.

(7)   passed Proposal 14-06, Minor in Electrical Engineering

(8)   passed Proposal 15-06, Proposal for Bachelor's Degree Title Change (to Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology)

(9)   introduced Proposal 16-06 to revise the procedure for Senate emergency submissions

(10) introduced Proposal 17-06, Exercise Science, B.S.

(11) introduced Proposal 18-06, Department of Physical Education Name Change

(12) introduced Proposal 19-06, Timing of Committee Assignments (Senate)

(11) declared Scott Pollins as their representative to the CIO Search Committee by acclamation

1.     CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

President Sloan called the University Senate Meeting 433 to order at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, 1 February 2006, in Room B45 EERC.

Secretary Glime called roll.  Absent were representatives from Computer Science, Education, Fine Arts, Materials Science & Engineering, and IT & Ed. Tech. Serv.  Liaisons in attendance were Becky Christianson (Staff Council), Liz Van Heusden (USG), and Nick Nanninga (GSC).  Army/Air Force ROTC, Biomedical Engineering, Academic Services C,  and Auxiliaries currently have no elected representatives.

2.     RECOGNITION OF VISITORS

Guests included John Adler (Biol. Sci.), Chris Anderson (Educ. Oppor./PCW), Donna Michalek (ME-EM/COE), Anne Warrington (SBE & PCW), Ellen Horsch (Admin), Max Seel (Sci. & Arts), Dave Reed (Provost), Scott Amos (School of Technology), and Kayla Stewart (Daily Mining Gazette).

3.     APPROVAL OF AGENDA

President Sloan requested that item 6 (Family Friendly Policies Presentation) be moved to follow the approval of the agenda and that a new item be added to New Business – election of a Senate representative to the CIO Search Committee.

Williams MOVED and Clancey seconded the motion to approve the agenda as amended.  The motion to approve PASSED on voice vote with no dissent.

4.     Family Friendly Policies presentation – Chris anderson, donna michalek, anne warrington, and deborah lassila

Chris Anderson stated that the family friendly policies were initiated by the PCW (President's Commission for Women).  Dana Johnson and MC Friedrick wrote the proposals and the PCW (Donna Michalek, Sherry Kauppi, Dana Johnson, MC Friedrick, Anne Warrington, and Chris Anderson, with input from HR and Debbie Lassila) reviewed them.  These were delivered by the Provost to the Senate.  The Senate sent them back to the PCW for further refinement. 

Anderson stated that the basic premise in developing these policies is to find what policies are attractive to new faculty and staff.  The definition of family friendly policies is those policies that help employees combine employment commitments with other commitments.  They need to provide flexibility.  Such policies are known to help  with recruitment and retention.  They need to assure that both men and women have policies to their benefit.

Donna Michalek stated that she had attended the 2005 National Leadership Workshop in Washington, D.C.  MTU is in line, on an informal basis, with its peer institutions, but these practices are not formalized in writing.  Furthermore, there is a lag in our developing dual career hiring practices.

The PCW group recommends policies in three areas:  tenure, promotion, and reappointment (in progress in the Senate), children in the workplace (needs to be more flexible), and bereavement & compassionate leave (they suggest the language used in the staff union contract and clarification that sick leave time can be used).

One method that has been used on other campuses is fractional and flexible work arrangements.  These include fractional appointments, home-based work, and flexible hours. 

Anderson suggested that it would be helpful to have our spring break coordinated with that of public school breaks, even if only in alternate years.  She also suggested that the salary compensation and bereavement leave for non-tenure-track faculty be comparable to that for tenure-track faculty.

Anderson requested that these suggestions and recommendations be referred to a Senate Committee.  She also suggested that it would be helpful to have a booklet or brochure on family friendly policies that could be used for recruiting.

Senator Waddell asked what was happening with daycare.  Horsch (Administration) stated that the Administration is still looking at that.  There are two possibilities under consideration:  the President's residence or building near Daniell Heights.  The hope is to provide a facility by fall of 2006, but that may not be possible.

Senator Landsparger stated that it would be good to get the preschool to change their calendar from quarters to semesters.

Senator Nitz inquired how programs such as these are usually supported.  Michalek responded that they are usually resource-based, but that support is a concern everywhere.  Anderson added that they are looking at ways of identifying professional positions in the community and have asked KEDA to help. 

Senator Waddell stated that two concerns that have been expressed are secure places for nursing and diaper changing stations.  Michalek responded that the Student Commission has already dealt with the diaper changing problem and identified locations in most public buildings on campus.  Additional stations have been added and there is an intent to provide signs indicating where such stations are located.  Senator Janners added that the Counselling Center will provide a place for nursing.

Senator Jambekar asked if we have lost dual career couples.  Dean Seel responded that we have a lot of dual career couples and that we are trying to make dual hires work.  However, we have no written policy and we do lose some both before and after hiring.

Senator Gotschalk stated that we don't have a policy called a maternity policy, but that maternity provisions are covered under several other policies such as the leave policy.  We need to organize or index these in a way that makes it easy to look up the maternity provisions more easily. 

Ann Warrington (PCW) stated that there are other expectations such as travel to other countries that create problems for faculty.

5.     approval of minutes from meeting 432

Turnquist MOVED and Waddell seconded the motion to approve the minutes of Meeting 432 as presented.  The motion PASSED on voice vote with no dissent. [Appendix A. NOTE: Only Senate and library archival copies of minutes will have a full complement of appendices.]

6.     President’s Report

President Sloan reported that her report would be short because there is a full agenda. 

Proposals

The Provost attended the state university academic officers' meeting last Friday to obtain their approval of the BS program in Anthropology, Proposal 5-06.  This proposal will again be on the Board of Control agenda for final approval.

Proposal 6-06, Request for Change in Board of Control Policy 6.4 on Office of Ombuds, will go to the Board of Control for approval. 

Proposal 7-06, Addition of Coursework Only (No Oral Exam) Master's Degree Plan (revised) has been approved by the Provost but the President has not yet had a chance to review it.

CIO Search

The Senate Executive Committee requested a Senate representative to the Search Committee for Chief Information Officer, a new internal position.  The Provost agreed and the Senate may elect such a representative tonight.  The Executive Committee and the Provost also agreed to revisit the issue of search policies to improve clarity and efficiency.

Evaluation of the President

Evaluation of the University President is underway.  Results are expected at the Senate meeting on 22 March. 

7.     old Business

A.  Proposal 8-06, Academic Integrity Policy 2005-2006 Proposal Revised [Appendix B]

Senator Gotschalk presented changes to the proposal on academic integrity.  [The procedure had been removed from this proposal to be put into a separate proposal.]  She stated that the Academic Integrity Committee is not a Senate Committee but is appointed by the University Senate.  She stated that it was suggested to her that the policy should also include the sanctions.

Secretary Glime suggested that the proposal should include the sanctions and new wording before the Senate voted on it.  The voting was postponed until a full proposal was provided.

B.  Proposal 9-06, Transfer of Tenure and Rank between Academic Units [Appendix C]

Secretary Glime made an editorial change to remove the wording "that provide for union requirements" from the end of the first paragraph under background.

Janners MOVED and Jambekar seconded the motion to approve Proposal 9-06 as edited.  There was no discussion.

The motion PASSED on voice vote of academic units with no opposition.

C.  Proposal 10-06, Guidelines for Transfer of Tenure and Rank between Academic Units [Appendix D]

Pollins MOVED and Williams seconded the motion to approve Proposal 10-06.  There was no discussion. 

The motion PASSED on voice vote of academic units with no opposition.

D.  Proposal 11-06, Charter Proposal [Appendix E]

Secretary Glime asked that "60 days" be replaced by "60 calendar days" in the first two occurrences of the proposal as an editorial change for clarity. 

Pollins MOVED and Williams seconded the motion to approve Proposal 11-06 as edited.  There was no discussion.

The motion PASSED on voice vote of the full Senate with no opposition.

E.  Proposal 12-06, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.S. 

Janners MOVED and Boschetto-Sandoval seconded the motion to approve Proposal 12-06.  There was no discussion.

The motion PASSED on voice vote of academic units with no opposition.

F.  Proposal 14-06, Minor in Electrical Engineering

Pollins MOVED and Clancey seconded the motion to approve Proposal 14-06.  There was no discussion.

The motion PASSED on voice vote of academic units with no opposition.

G.  Proposal 15-06, Proposal for Bachelor's Degree Title Change

Pollins MOVED and Turnquist seconded the motion to approve Proposal 15-06.  There was no discussion.

The motion PASSED on voice vote of academic units with no opposition.

8.     New business

A.  Proposal 16-06,  Proposed Revision of Emergency Submissions (Senate By-laws) [Appendix F]

Martha Sloan presented this proposal to expedite Senate proceedings.  Senator Boersma suggested that the words "ballot of" be removed from section 9b.  There was no further discussion.

B.  Proposal 17-06, Exercise Science, B.S. [Appendix G]

Senator H. Gorman stated that the proposal to change the name of the Physical Education department to the Department of Exercise Science, Health, and Physical Education should probably precede the proposal to establish a B.S. in Exercise Science as it will be the department to offer the new degree. He noted that many of the courses in the new curriculum were biology courses and that the Curriculum Committee supported this proposal.

Dean Seel explained that this proposal would permit the department to offer academic programs.  The name change would not be approved by the Board of Control if the program that necessitates it has not been approved.  Therefore that approval would only come after downstate approval of the program.

Senator Beck stated that the Finance Committee sees no problems with the proposal.  The estimates are reasonable.  Internal transfers do not provide income, but retention due to such transfers do.  The proposed GTA cost means that the University must increase the number of GTA's.  Dean Seel will support the required renovation costs, which he expects to be minimal.

Seel stated that one advantage of adding this program is that we can phase it in without needing to make any irreversible decisions in case it doesn't work.  If there is no net increase in students then there will be no need for new resources or new lab sections.  There would be a need for research space for the department Chair.  This program builds on the strengths already present in biological sciences and in biomedical engineering.

Senator Turnquist expressed his support for the proposal, stating that there is tremendous job growth in this area and this could lead to wider support for health professions at the university.

Senator Miskioglu asked if biological sciences would need more faculty.  Seel responded that the department can handle the anticipated number of students but that they would need more GTA support (as requested) for the labs.  Dean Seel had met with the biology faculty to discuss the proposal and had also met with the chair of biomedical engineering.

Senator Williams asked where the GTA will come from.

Seel responded that if the expected numbers of students materialize the GTA will need to be a new line, but if the numbers are simply shifts from other majors, a new line would not be needed.

C.  Proposal 18-06, Department of Physical Education Name Change [Appendix H]

D.  Proposal 19-06, Timing of Committee Assignments (Senate) [Appendix I]

President Sloan stated that we would try this schedule as an experiment this year by making committee assignments in the spring.  The presidential evaluation was late this year because the committee was constituted late.  The whole election schedule needs to be backed up to accomplish this early appointment of committees.  New Senators would need to be identified by early April.

Waddell asked when new Senators meet for the election of officers and when the committee members would be approved.  Would officers need to be elected at the last meeting or the next to last meeting?  President Sloan said that she would look at that schedule.

E.  Nominations for the CIO Search Committee

President Sloan stated that Scott Pollins had agreed to serve on this committee as the Senate representative, if elected. 

Senator Nitz asked for an explanation of what a CIO is.  President Sloan responded that the BRITNC report had suggested that the university needs a CIO to have the vision and provide the direction for computing facilities on campus.  The Administration later supported their suggestion by approving an internal search.  There are seven individuals on the search committee.  The Senate Executive Committee had expressed concerns that this position has no direct reports and felt it would enhance the search if the Senate had representation on the Search Committee.  Most higher administrative searches do have Senate representation.  However, this is a new position and there is no policy to cover the search committee.  The Provost and the committee both agreed to add a Senator to the committee.

President Sloan suggested that Scott Pollins be elected by acclamation.  There were no objections.

9.     Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 pm.

 

Respectfully Submitted by Janice M. Glime

Secretary of the University Senate