Synopsis: The Senate
(1) heard that Proposal 8-98, Revision of Scientific Misconduct Procedures, is finalized since it does not need administrative approval.
(2) heard that the 7 April meeting of the Senate will probably be rescheduled to 31 March.
(3) heard from George Fox (Manager of Administrative Computing) regarding potential Y2K problems within the University; Proposal 15-99, Amendment to the 1999-2000 Academic Calendar, was introduced. Senators should report potential problems with that calendar change to Janice Glime; note that it will affect the ending date of summer school.
(4) passed Proposal 11-99, Calendar Option II: 14-Week Calendar Option, as an emergency proposal, with editorial changes stipulating that classes would start after Labor Day whenever possible and exams would end no later than 22 December.
(5) defeated an amendment to make classes 55 minutes.
(6) reaffirmed their support of the half-day Martin Luther King Day holiday.
(7) introduced Proposal 13-99, Amendment to Grading System Policy.
(8) introduced Proposal 14-99, Proposal to Institute Double Majors.
(9) unanimously passed Proposal 16-97, Minors in Degree Programs, with only editorial changes.
(10) suggested that the CICC should reconsider the format and length of summer school in view of the 14-week calendar decision.
(11) agreed that Senators should provide President Seely with supporting statements for the 14-week calendar proposal to be used when presenting it to the administration and Board of Control.
Secretary Glime called roll. Absent were representatives from Army/Air Force ROTC, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mining Engineering, Institute of Materials Processing, Keweenaw Research Center, Research and Graduate School/University Relations/Administrative Offices. Liaisons in attendance were Ted Soldan (Staff Council), Pratima Ungarala (GSC), and Anthony Moretti (USG).
2. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS
Guests included Fred Dobney (Provost), Marcia
Goodrich (Tech Topics), Bill Kennedy (Director, Center
for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development),
Stephen Bowen (Vice Provost for Instruction), Shalini
Rudak (Educational Opportunity), Phil Sweany (Computer
Science), and Marcus Gioe (President of USG).
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Richter MOVED and Long 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
B. Reed MOVED and Nordberg seconded the motion
to approve the minutes of Meeting 306 as presented. The
motion PASSED on voice vote with no dissent.
5. REPORT FROM THE SENATE PRESIDENT
President Seely reported that Proposal 8-98, Revision
of Scientific Misconduct Procedures, has been forwarded
to the Administration. Since this involved only the
approval of changes suggested by the Administration, it
does not need a formal approval from the Administration.
[Appendix B]
Seely has inquired of the Provost regarding Proposal 7-99, Faculty Distinguished Service Award, as to the size of the award. The Provost indicated that the award would be in keeping with the other faculty awards. [Appendix C]
Seely met with the Board of Control on 22 January. Most of the discussion related to the semester change. Board members expressed concern over proposals that violate the boundary conditions. Three of the Board members felt that they had made a personal commitment to uphold the boundary conditions. Seely reminded the Board that the boundary conditions were not etched in stone. The Board did not indicate that they would exercise veto power no matter what, but any deviations from boundary conditions would have to be justified.
The Board also approved the Provost's plan to phase out MPSERs. Persons desiring the MPSERs severance pay must announce their intentions by 30 June 1999 and must retire by 30 June 2001.
During the Board meeting, the Provost spent more than three hours presenting the state of the University relative to its 8 long-term planning goals. The University is doing well on most of its goals. It is over the projected goals at the graduate and research level, but it is under its projections at the undergraduate level.
Pete Radecki has prepared a database on major research areas and types of sponsors.
The Senate officers and Provost met this morning to discuss upcoming proposals.
President Seely requested a change in the long-term schedule of Senate meetings. He has a conflict on 7 April and suggested that the meeting date be moved to 31 March. This change will be decided at the 17 February meeting.
President Seely expressed thanks to the anonymous person who gave him an abbreviated version of Robert's Rules of Order.
Senator Pegg asked if the latest one could retire and still get the MPSERs severance pay was 2001. The Provost affirmed that it was.
Pegg asked if information on the Provost's three-hour presentation was on the web. The Provost responded that it is not there now but that it could be put there, and he instructed one of his staff members to see that it is done.
6. COMMITTEE BUSINESS/REPORTS
George Fox (Manager of Administrative Computing)
presented a report [Appendix D] on the Y2K plan and
reasons for Proposal 15-99, Amendment to the 1999-2000
Academic Calendar. The proposal is to resume classes
after Christmas break on 10 January instead of 3 January.
This would avoid having students here if the power
companies are unable to provide sufficient power to
maintain heating, and it would avoid the necessity to
travel when the airline situation is uncertain due to refusal
by insurance companies to insure the planes during the
first few days of calendar changeover.
Fox began his presentation by pointing to an article in the National Examiner that exposed the Y2K crisis as a hoax. He stated that he does not believe those who consider the situation to be Armageddon, but that there will be some problems. Most of the problems relate to microchips in equipment, and it is very difficult to determine how many such chips exist on campus. Overall, he feels that MTU is in very good shape. The major systems have been checked either locally or by other institutions with the same systems. So far, the most expensive problem unearthed is a piece of research equipment that will require $20,000 to upgrade. Most of the anticipated problems relate to power availability and transportation. Bill Blumhardt (Director, Facilities Management) has been exploring the potential problems both within the university and the local community.
Vice President Soldan asked if the committee had discussed any serious problems that might result from the delay in start of classes. Fox responded that there would certainly be problems, but that safety issues and the need to care for families if a heat/power crisis occurred were more important considerations.
Senator Pegg asked what Fox perceived to be the real problems resulting when the century changed. Fox responded that the primary problems are the microprocessors imbedded in products.
Senator Nordberg asked what would be expected of faculty and staff if the students came back a week later. Fox responded that they would probably be needed to be sure things are ready when the students return.
Provost Dobney pointed out that the shortening of the summer would have an effect on the registrar's office at both ends of the summer. He pointed out that another concern was that faculty would have a shorter summer in which to draw summer support, giving them less income. He is looking at various ways to permit them to earn the same salary.
President Seely pointed out that there will be problems in scheduling orientation and other activities related to the beginning of school. Many of these have taken advantage of the two weeks of break. There are also various programs in individual departments that take advantage of the two weeks between spring and summer.
Senator Gale suggested that we could start later in the fall and finish exams on 24 December instead of 17 December.
Senator Sloan stated that there would be a significant loss of student income in the summer, amounting to a total of over $1 million.
Senator Snyder stated that we could start classes on a Saturday and finish on the Wednesday before Christmas.
Senator Long asked what would be the effect on 9-10 month employees.
Senator Blanning asked why we think the problems can be fixed in 2-3 days when we have known about them for several years and been unable to fix all of them. Fox responded that if serious problems arise then the students would not return and could choose where it is best for them to be.
Marcus Gioe (USG President) asked how this would affect the Winter Carnival schedule. Seely responded that the intent is to move it back a week into February so that there are 4 weeks to build statues.
Fox provided copies of articles from Science News and Scientific American that have a good summary of the situation.
7. NEW BUSINESS
A & B. Proposal 10-99, Calendar Option I, 15-Week
Academic Calendar, and Proposal 11-99, Calendar
Option II, 14-Week Academic Calendar [Appendices E
and F]
President Seely proposed that the calendar decisions
be made using the two proposals, 10-99 (15-week
calendar) and 11-99 (14-week calendar), as competing
choices on a ballot, i.e., a choice between the two
proposals. These two proposals grew from the discussions
on Proposal 8-99, which has been tabled. If we act on
these two proposals and do not remove Proposal 8-99
from the table, then Proposal 8-99 is dead. Only
representatives of academic units can vote on this issue.
Pennington MOVED and Suryanarayana seconded the motion to modify Senate procedure to treat the two proposals as a ballot of two choices.
To modify the parliamentary procedure requires a 2/3 majority; subsequent action on the proposals requires only a simple majority.
Senator Watwood called for the question.
The motion to change the parliamentary procedure PASSED by show of hands with 21 out of 26 voting in favor.
Snyder MOVED and Pennington seconded the motion to bring the two Proposals to the floor.
Senator D. Reed stated that he can't support in good conscience the calendars as they now stand. He would offer three proposals and requested a secret ballot on each. He has very serious concerns about having more than one holiday per term on the same day of the week.
D. Reed MOVED and Pegg seconded the motion to remove the half-day holiday for Good Friday from Proposal 10-99 (15-week calendar).
Pennington pointed out that both Good Friday and winter carnival have Friday class dismissals.
The motion to remove the Good Friday half-day holiday from the 15-week calendar (Proposal 10-99) PASSED with 17 yes and 9 no votes.
D. Reed MOVED and Pickens seconded the motion not to cancel classes on K-Day in the 15-week calendar (Proposal 10-99).
Senator Watwood stated that K-Day is one of the few unique holidays at MTU. The students are mad enough already. He added that it is "nuts to eliminate K-Day."
The motion not to cancel classes on K-Day FAILED by secret ballot with 17 no and 7 yes votes. Therefore, the Senate supports retention of the K-Day holiday in the 15-week calendar.
D. Reed MOVED and Pickens seconded the motion that we not observe the Martin Luther King Day holiday in the 15-week calendar (10-99). He argued that since the previous motion to have a holiday for Martin Luther King Day was attached to Proposal 8-99, that a new vote was necessary to establish clearly the kind of support there is for this holiday.
Pennington stated that there had been unanimous assent from the Senate to include this holiday in the calendar, so a new vote should be unnecessary.
Anthony Moretti (USG) asked why we need another motion to show that the Senate supports this holiday.
The motion to eliminate the half-day dismissal of classes FAILED by secret ballot with 23 no and 2 yes votes, supporting the celebration of the Martin Luther King Day half-day holiday.
D. Reed MOVED and Barna seconded the motion to cancel Martin Luther King Day from Proposal 11-99 (14-week calendar).
The motion FAILED by secret ballot with 22 no votes to 5 yes, thus reaffirming the Senate's support of the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
Snyder MOVED and Tampas seconded the motion to modify Proposal 11-99 (14 weeks) to start classes after Labor Day whenever it is possible. [The ending date for the fall semester should be no later than 22 December.]
The motion to start classes after Labor Day whenever possible PASSED by secret ballot with 19 yes and 2 no votes.
Barna MOVED and Suryanarayana seconded the motion to adopt 55 minute classes with the 14-week calendar (Proposal 11-99).
Vice Provost Bowen stated that the University master plan shows that we need 10 minutes between classes so that students can get to classes on time. That would mean that each class would start at a different segment after the hour.
Senator Watwood stated that increasing classes to 55 minutes looks phony and that he strongly favors the 15-week calendar.
Secretary Glime stated that it is inconsistent to eliminate holidays from the 15-week calendar to gain more class time and then support a 14-week calendar. Adding 5 minutes to classes does nothing to compensate for the loss of a week of labs.
Senator Blanning pointed out that this change would result in one less hour of class during the day and we would be even more pressed for space.
Senator Sloan suggested that classes could start at 7:30 AM as they do at some of our benchmark schools.
Bill Kennedy (Director, Center for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development) stated that there would be about five minutes between nighttime snow plowing and time needed for everyone to arrive for class.
Secretary Glime stated that in the year that the country switched to Daylight Savings Time in winter she had an 8 AM class. Attendance dropped markedly as soon as the change occurred. It was still dark when class let out.
The motion to make classes 55 minutes in the 14-week calendar FAILED by secret ballot with 5 yes and 18 no votes.
Senator Pennington pointed out that Winter Carnival changes yearly and suggested an editorial change to state that it will be held "roughly" the fourth week of second semester.
Senator Long stated that Proposal 11-99 doesn't say that the fall term will always end by 22 December. She suggested that the second and third sentences of the second bullet of Proposal 10-99 be added to Proposal 11-99. This would add the following: The beginning of the fall semester shall be scheduled so that the last day of exams shall fall on a date in the period from December 15 through December 22, inclusive. The spring semester shall begin on the Monday that is 24 days later.
President Seely ruled that this is an editorial change.
D. Reed MOVED and Drummer seconded the motion to have no dismissal for Homecoming in the 15-week calendar (Proposal 10-99).
Marcus Gioe stated that with the disturbing elimination of holidays from the 15-week calendar he would favor the 14-week calendar. The attractive aspect of the 15-week calendar is that it could accommodate holidays. The 14-week calendar can do what the 15-week calendar could do if the 14-calendar has no holidays.
President Seely stated that Friday afternoon holidays have the least impact on labs.
Shapton stated that he still favored having K-Day on Friday. With the new semester change, departments can plan around the knowledge of that holiday.
The motion to eliminate the 3 PM dismissal for Homecoming FAILED by secret ballot with 13 no and 10 yes votes.
Barna MOVED and Suryanarayana seconded the motion to treat these two proposals as emergency proposals. The determination of an emergency proposal requires a simple majority secret ballot vote by the full Senate.
The motion to treat these as emergency proposals PASSED by secret ballot with 28 yes and 5 no votes.
PROPOSAL 11-99 for the 14-week semester RECEIVED 14 VOTES; PROPOSAL 10-99 for the 15-week semester RECEIVED 10 VOTES. Therefore, the Senate supports adoption of the 14-week calendar, Proposal 11-99, as amended.
C. Proposal 13-99, Amendment to Grading System
Policy [Appendix G]
Seely introduced the proposal, stating that this is
designed to deal with graduate and other research courses
that continue more than one term and where faculty want
to indicate unsatisfactory progress.
D. Proposal 14-99, Proposal to Institute Double Majors
[Appendix H]
Seely introduced the proposal. Steve Seidel will
present it at the next meeting.
E. Amendment of the 1999-2000 Academic Calendar
[Appendix I]
Seely introduced the proposal. He stated that we
could vote on that proposal at the next meeting.
8. OLD BUSINESS
A. Proposal 8-99, Semester Calendar
President Seely explained that Proposal 8-99 was
dead because it had not been removed from the table.
Modifications approved by the Senate had been
incorporated where possible in the two new proposals.
B. Proposal 16-97, Minors in Degree Programs
[Appendix J]
Seely stated that this proposal had gone back to
committee because of problems related to initiation by
interdisciplinary programs and to consider credits under
the semester calendar.
Major changes to the proposal included the use of the term academic units instead of departments, permitting interdisciplinary programs to initiate a proposal.
Senator Snyder added that there had been editorial changes to clean it up.
Pegg MOVED and Williams seconded the motion to accept Proposal 16-97.
D. Reed stated that the last paragraph required clarification and suggested a change in wording of the second line to read "The College (department) or School or multidisciplinary program will submit the proposed Minor to the Senate Curricular Policy Committee."
Seely ruled this to be an editorial change.
Senator Nadgorny asked why minors were not defined by degree-granting departments. Snyder responded that the Remote Sensing Institute wanted to define a minor and that this is an interdisciplinary program rather than a department.
Senator Blanning stated that degree-granting programs don't exist in all departments, like fine arts, but that these departments could offer minors.
Vice President Soldan asked who would advise students in programs with no department.
Snyder stated that the unit offering the minor would need to identify the advising procedure. Proposal 16-97 does not authorize any specific minor.
Provost Dobney asked if a subunit could offer a minor, such as having a German major and Spanish minor.
Snyder responded that there could be multiple minors within a unit.
Senator Pegg stated that reference to academic unit under Faculty Endorsement and University Approval of a New Minor limits this to departments.
Seely responded that it is intended to be department, school, or multidisciplinary program.
Pennington suggested an editorial change under the Faculty Endorsement. This would change the first paragraph of that section to read:
"The offering of a Minor may be initiated by any department, school, or multidisciplinary program (as recognized by the University). The specifics of each minor will be determined by the faculty within that unit."
The motion to approve Proposal 16-97 PASSED on voice vote with no dissent.
Senator Barna stated that he would like the CICC to look at the summer calendar again to consider a 14-week term in the summer.
Senator Nordberg stated that we need to get the arguments to support the 14-week calendar in order to present these to the Board.
Seely asked that Senators provide him with such statements and input on the summer calendar.
9. ADJOURNMENT
Haapala MOVED to adjourn. The meeting adjourned
at 7:32 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted by Janice M. Glime
Secretary of the University Senate