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Page 4790 Minutes of Senate Meeting 223 9 Nov 1994
THE SENATE OF MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Minutes of Meeting No. 223
9 November 1994
Synopsis: The Senate
(1) Approved Proposal 2-95: University Closure Guidelines.
(2) Approved Proposal 7-95: An Amendment of Proposal 86-5: Grading
System Change.
(3) Returned to committee for further study Proposal 4-95: Definition
of Academic Appointments.
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1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
President Bornhorst called the meeting to order at 6:03 pm on Wednesday,
November 9, 1994 in Room B37 of the Electrical Energy Resources Center.
Secretary Jobst called the roll. Absent were Senator-at-Large
Roblee, representatives from Chemical Engineering, Army and Air Force
ROTC. Absent Liaison Members were Lumsdaine, Seel, and a representative
from Staff Council.
Visitors were F. Dobney (Provost and Executive Vice President), M.
Goodrich (Tech Topics), Ellen Horsch (Human Resources), Pauline Moore
(Library), Ruthann Ruehr (HU), Elizabeth Flynn (HU), Susan Beske-Diehl
(Geological Engineering and Sciences) and Terry Reynolds (SS).
2. AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS
President Bornhorst made several agenda adjustments: First, move "6: New
Business, Proposal 8-95" to immediately after "Report from Senate
President"; second, under Old Business, move "D: Proposal 7-95" to
immediately after "A" in the same section. Finally, to "Committee
Reports" add a "C" for "Chair of Finance Committee." [Appendix A. NOTE:
only official Senate and Library archival copies of the Minutes will
contain a full complement of appendices.]
Carstens MOVED to approve the agenda adjustments; Heyman seconded.
No discussion. Motion CARRIED.
3. REPORT FROM SENATE PRESIDENT
A. The name change for the Geology Department has gone to the
Administration [Appendix B].
B. The Senate officers met with representatives of the Staff Council.
The two groups agreed to exchange meeting minutes, and hold the ballot
results on the health care proposal until both groups had voted.
C. Bornhorst said he was working on a closer relationship with the USG
and GSC.
D. The 1994-95 Senate Handbook is moving towards its final form, and
Bornhorst suggested that Senators with topics for the Issues List should
send their material as soon as possible to Senate Assistant Meyers.
E. An increasing number of proposals await Senate debate, and this will
probably necessitate an extra Senate meeting on December 7.
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NOTE: This section was moved by an agenda adjustment.
6. NEW BUSINESS
A. PROPOSAL 8-95, UNIVERSITY HEALTH CARE AGREEMENT
The Senate staff mailed an amended copy of the proposal [Appendix C]; it
indicates that the difference between the proposed plan with Wausau and
remaining with Travelers is "increased employee cost."
The recent health care forum, held in Fisher 135, attracted 75
people. A vote on this proposal should come at the November 30 meeting.
This vote, once again, will be a recommendation to the administration.
The issue is on the "B" list of the Senate constitution.
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4. COMMITTEE BUSINESS / REPORTS
A. APPOINTMENTS
1. Sabbatical Leave. President Tompkins has selected Bill Shapton for
this committee.
2. General EducationBornhorst said the Senate needed one more name,
preferably from the College of Engineering, since this major group is
unrepresented. Arici said that this committee works hard, and thus
finding volunteers is difficult. Bornhorst said he would help find
someone if needed.
3. Academic Tenure
Bornhorst reminded the Senate that Jim Gale has resigned, and thus a
replacement is needed. Current members are E. Flynn, D. Nelson, E.
Carlson, and C. White. Glime recommended B. Seely as a committee
nominee, and no one objected. Bornhorst suggested that three eventual
nominees (the Senate's goal) should be on the faculty ballot, and no one
objected.
4. Commission to Evaluate the Administration
Bornhorst said that 35 people should be available for Senate
consideration, according to the approved proposal, but currently only 24
nominees are available. He said several departments had not yet offered
nominees.
5. Computer Advisory Committee
The Subcommittee on Ethical Concerns needs a Senate representative.
B. ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE
Steve Vanek, committee chair, requests Senate input to the committee for
the purpose of selecting an outside member for the Administrative
Evaluation Commission.
C. FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Chair position remains unfilled. Bornhorst recommended a Senate
ballot, but Bulleit said that since Proposal 3-95 has been passed, the
committee should try again to elect its own. Finance Committee members,
however, felt they were at an impasse. Beck recommended the committee
search for a compromise chair.
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Page 4791 Minutes of Senate Meeting 223 9 Nov 1994
5. OLD BUSINESS
A. PROPOSAL 2-95: UNIVERSITY CLOSURE GUIDELINES
Arici MOVED to approve Proposal 2-95; Irish seconded. [Appendix D].
Dobney offered background: Last winter, during a major storm, the
University would not have issued a closure, but the administration had
parents calling, "worrying about their babies." The purpose of this
proposal is to help students worried about being penalized for missing
classes. This proposal would protect them. Last winter, students, at
some risk to themselves, made it to class only to find the instructor
absent.
Fynewever said the proposal does not adequately protect students from
instructors using detailed attendance criteria. She MOVED to include an
amendment under 2C of the proposal: "Students will be allowed to make up
missed classwork." Filer seconded.
Keen argued that the University already has an approved absence
policy that covers this. Debate ended, and on a voice vote the amendment
FAILED.
Discussion of the entire Proposal 2-95 concluded, and the Senate
CARRIED it on a voice vote.
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NOTE: This section was moved by agenda adjustment.
D. PROPOSAL 7-95: AMENDMENT OF PROPOSAL 86-5, GRADING SYSTEM CHANGE
Heyman MOVED to approve Proposal 7-95; Keen seconded. [NOTE: see
Minutes, p. 4784, for a copy of this proposal.]
Keen said the USG has seen the proposal and offered no objections.
The proposal, Keen continued, is meant to clarify what exactly is a "B+".
Law Schools, he said, translate a B+ to a 3.3 instead of a 3.5, thus
making our students less competitive.
Carstens said the proposal seems a "patchwork to a flawed system,"
and Galetto suggested that a note added to students' transcripts would
work just as well. If this passes, Galetto asked the Senate, does this
mean the Registrar must go back and change the grades from the past?
Keen said "no."
Arici asked about cost to the University, and Galetto said there
would be some, primarily in time spent by staff, but it would be minimal.
The general discussion ended, and Bornhorst asked for direction on
voting units. Galetto said he would like to vote on the issue, but
Leifer argued against including non-academic units. The Senate agreed on
a voice vote to include only academic and other course-offering units.
Representatives from these groups then voted 13 to nine in favor, and
Proposal 7-95 CARRIED.
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B. PROPOSAL 4-95: DEFINITION OF ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Bulleit MOVED to approve Proposal 4-95 [Appendix E]; Mroz seconded.
Bornhorst asked if anyone objected to the voting units; there were none.
Bulleit, citing as his source the Faculty Handbook Steering
Committee, then MOVED to amend several phrases in the proposal; Mroz
seconded. First, strike the words (which appear twice) "pursuing a
graduate degree" and replace with "who are enrolled as a full time
graduate student." Second, under "Research," strike two sentences:
"appointments are made on a contract basis for periods of one to three
years and may be renewed." Third, also strike "These appointments and
their continuations are dependent upon the availablility of research
support funds." Replace the latter with "Appointments are initially for
up to one year, but renewable depending on funding for one year periods
for up to a maximum of three years.
Discussion on this topic ended, and the amendment CARRIED on a voice
vote.
Whitt announced that the Presidential Commission for Women wished to
offer amendments, and she distributed a rewritten proposal [Appendix F],
MOVING for their acceptance; Jobst seconded.
Bornhorst asked visitor, T. Reynolds (Social Science), who was chair
of the committee which drew up the proposal during the last academic
year, to offer background on the issue. Reynolds said he supported many
of the changes in the revised proposal and suggested the document be
returned to the committee for further consideration. Bornhorst asked
Reynolds if he would comment on a phrase in the amended proposal,
"continuing appointment." Reynolds said it translates to "de facto
tenure," even though individuals in this category will not have undergone
a national search, nor review by a tenure committee. Allowing this plan,
Reynolds continued, would produce a two tiered tenure plan, with one
group doing more teaching and with no hope of promotion.
Dobney, commenting on the word "continuing" for certain untenured
personnel, said this proviso in the revised proposal diminishes the
flexibility of departments, which must work under changing enrollments.
Ruehr began her comments by saying that the Presidential Commission
for Women took an interest in this topic because a disproportionate
number of non-tenure track people are women. She then took issue with
Reynolds' view that the amended proposal indicated a de facto tenure,
saying that Michigan courts have agreed that the allowing of continuing
appointments do not constitute tenure. Dobney said other states have
ruled that there is, in fact, a de factotenure, but Ruehr said tenure can
only come with a formal proceeding. The AAUP, said Ruehr, along with the
President's Commission for Women, does not want to replace tenure; they
do, however, object to the increased use of non-tenure track faculty.
These individuals, Ruehr said, who usually teach introductory courses,
need some element of security. The proposed amendment includes the
academic title of Instructor for such people.
These individuals, Ruehr said, don't know until mid-summer whether
they have jobs. Ruehr said she had called a "benchmark institution" [a
school used for comparison purposes with MTU], the University of
Missouri-Rolla, and they have a system for non-tenure track positions.
Carstens then MOVED to return the issue to the Taskforce and Academic
Policy Committee. Mroz seconded. Without further debate, the Senate
then voted: the motion CARRIED.
7. ADJOURNMENT
Leifer MOVED and Mroz seconded to adjourn. Without debate, the motion
CARRIED. Bornhorst declared the meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm.
Submitted by Jack Jobst
Secretary of the University Senate
.