URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE MEETING
April 19, 1999
A regular meeting of the Urbana-Champaign Senate was called to order at 3:20 p.m., in Foellinger Auditorium, with Chancellor Michael Aiken presiding.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
04/19/99-01 The minutes of the March 22, 1999, meeting were approved as written.
SENATE COUNCIL REPORT
Senator Richard Schacht (LAS), Chair of Senate Council, indicated that materials available at the door include 1) PS.99.01, Annual Report of the Senate Committee on Continuing Education and Public Service, 2) SS.99.02, Mandatory Assessment as a Result of Incapacitation Due to Alcohol/Drug Use, and 3) a memo from IBHE Executive Director Keith Sanders, in which he outlines his Key Points for Restoration of Higher Education Budget. Schacht indicated the Chancellor would be referring to the latter handout during his remarks.
Schacht then reported that the following persons had requested floor privileges, and he moved that such privileges be granted, to speak to: SS.99.02, Mandatory Assessment as a Result of Incapacitation Due to Alcohol/Drug Use, Dr. Phil Barkley, Director of the McKinley Health Center; SC.99.12, Amendments to the Guidelines on the Responsible Conduct of Teaching, Research and Service, Associate Provost Tina Gunsalus; and all Educational Policy Committee proposals from Liberal Arts and Sciences, Eugene Giles, Associate Dean of LAS. There were no objections.
Schacht announced that the following senators agreed to serve as tellers: Jason Luther (ENGR), Tom Fox (LAS), and Herman Krier (ENGR).
CHANCELLOR'S REMARKS
The Chancellor began by acknowledging the contributions to the Senate, Senate Council, the campus and the University by two-term outgoing Senate Council Chair Richard Schacht. The Senate responded with enthusiastic applause.
In other matters, Chancellor Aiken encouraged all present to write to members of the Illinois House Appropriations Committee on Higher Education as well as local legislators, urging them to restore the higher education budget in general and the University of Illinois portion in particular. He noted the names and addresses of both constituencies were available at the door, and are also on the Senate web pages. He added that the Illinois House will approve an FY00 budget in the next two weeks, so letters should be sent immediately.
The Chancellor has also considered whether it remains preferable to have the same person serve as both Vice-Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate College or if there are compelling reasons to separate the positions. To assist in the deliberations, he has solicited feedback from a number of bodies on campus, including Senate Council and the Senate. The sentiment has been running about 4 to 1 in favor of splitting the VCR/DGC roles into two positions. With that in mind, Chancellor Aiken announced that the positions will be split, at the conclusion of the tenure of interim VCR/DGC Tony Waldrop.
QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION
There were none.
CONSENT AGENDA
Hearing no objection, Chancellor Aiken declared the following proposals approved by unanimous consent:
04/19/99-02 EP.99.22*, Revision of the Master of Arts in the Teaching of English as a Second Language
04/19/99-03 EP.99.21*, Proposal from LAS to Establish an Environmental Geography Option in the Geography Major
04/19/99-04 SC.99.07*, 1999-2000 Senate/Senate Council Calendar
PROPOSALS FOR ACTION
04/19/99-05 The Chancellor presented for action SC.99.13*, Resolution of Appreciation for Senator H. George Friedman, Jr. The Senate extended a warm round of applause to the honoree.
04/19/99-06 SC.99.13 was approved by acclamation. Senator Friedman thanked the Senate for this recognition. He advised senators that the best way to honor his contributions would be to follow his example and fully participate in deliberations of both the Senate and standing Senate committees.
04/19/99-07 Chancellor Aiken presented for action SP.99.13*, Proposed Revision to the Bylaws Part E.1.(c)1.a.-Athletic Board Membership. Senator Robert Fossum (LAS), Statutes Committee Chair, stated this revision would allow Dean David Chicoine to serve one additional year (one year beyond the Bylaws limit of ten years) on the Athletic Board so he could chair the important Big Ten Joint Committee next year (the chair rotates among the Big Ten schools; next year would be our turn). Fossum moved its approval.
Senator Greg Girolami (LAS) moved to amend the document by adding the sentence, "The Senate shall approve any extension beyond ten years." By show of hands, the motion to amend was approved.
04/19/99-08 By show of hands, SP.99.13 was approved, as amended.
04/19/99-09 By show of hands, a motion to give a one-year dispensation to Dean Chicoine was approved.
04/19/99-10 The Chancellor presented for action SC.99.15*, Approval of CBOC Nomination Slate. Senate Council Chair Schacht moved approval of the slate.
04/19/99-11 By voice vote, the nomination slate was approved.
04/19/99-12 Chancellor Aiken presented for approval SC.99.12*, Amendments to the Guidelines on the Responsible Conduct of Teaching, Research and Service. Senate Council Chair Schacht moved its approval. Senator Emanuel Donchin (LAS), citing the proliferation of such debate in today's media, questioned the lack of a definition of "sexual relationship". Associate Provost C. K. Gunsalus replied that campus legal counsel advised against an attempt to include such a definition in the policy.
04/19/99-13 By voice vote, SC.99.12 was approved.
04/19/99-14 The Chancellor presented for action GP.99.01*, Conflicts of Commitment and Interest in Outside Teaching. Senator Michael Grossman (ACES), Chair of General University Policy (GUP), described the proliferation of internet teaching as one reason these proposed revisions are before the Senate. He noted that these revisions focus on reporting requirements for summer (teaching) activities of faculty members; he added that such activities are not prohibited, but must be reported, as research and consulting activities are now.
Senator Stephen Kaufman (MED) wanted to know why the University should be able to dictate what faculty do over the summer. Grossman replied that legal opinion has confirmed that such a request does not constitute a restraint of trade.
Donchin spoke in favor of the document, believing it was perfectly acceptable for faculty to report activities which could possibly be construed as a conflict of interest. Senator Terry Weech (LISC) disagreed with the characterization of this proposal as innocuous, and deemed unacceptable the requirement of obtaining prior approval.
04/19/99-15 A motion to refer this document to the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure (AFT) was approved.
04/19/99-16 Chancellor Aiken presented for action EP.99.31*, Report of the Educational Policy Subcommittee on Grading. Senator Scott Martin (ACES), Vice-Chair of Educational Policy and Chair of the Subcommittee, moved approval of the proposal.
Senator Robert Rich (LAW), asked if the proposal (recommending that both grades and GPA be reported to two decimal places) would have any effect on the Bronze Tablet. Martin replied that he has been assured it will have no effect. Senator Stephen D'Arcy (CBA) asked if the subcommittee examined the differences between rounding and truncating, the latter of which may sometimes pose a probationary problem. Martin responded that his group did not find evidence to support the existence of significant problems in this area.
Senator H. George Friedman (ENGR) believed the current system of carrying to three decimal places was superfluous, and that converting the system to two places was perfectly appropriate.
04/19/99-17 By show of hands, EP.99.31 was approved.
04/19/99-18 The Chancellor presented for action FB.99.02/BG.99.04*, Resolution to Implement an Increase in Faculty Fringe Benefits. Senator Earl Grinols (CBA), Chair of the Faculty Benefits Committee, stated his committee discovered that total compensation for UIUC faculty places us at 20 or 21 among the top 25 Ph.D. granting institutions in the country. Our across-the-board rank (full, associate and assistant professors) in the Big Ten and among the IBHE peer group is equally disappointing.
He added that one reason UIUC faculty is lagging their peers in total compensation is because we do not participate in the social security system, which requires employers to match the 7.65% mandatory employee contribution. Grinols then described the intent of this resolution as calling upon the Chancellor and President to institute a one-to-one matching savings plan, whereby the University would match contributions up to 8% of salary. He moved its approval (one typographical error will be corrected).
Senator Richard Schacht expressed concern that the source of the funds needed for this additional benefit is not identified; he suspected the source could likely be the faculty salary pool. Senator Kaufman explained that the Faculty Benefits Committee expected the University to incorporate this benefit into its budget beginning in FY2002, and to phase it in completely over four years.
Senator Thomas Conry (ENGR) asked what the estimated cost to the campus would be. Grinols replied that if a projected percentage of faculty avail themselves of this benefit, it could cost the University about $28M over four years. Senator Donald Uchtmann (ACES) admitted to having conflicting views about this resolution; on one hand, the benefit is highly desirable, but if salary increases will be sacrificed to pay for it, its appeal diminishes considerably.
Grinols asserted the need to improve the total compensation package to be able to recruit and retain top faculty. He moved for a unanimous vote.
04/19/99-19 By show of hands, FB.99.02/BG.99.04 was approved.
04/19/99-20 By show of hands, the motion was not unanimous (2 dissenting votes).
04/19/99-21 Chancellor Aiken presented for approval XTI.99.03*, Recommendations of the ad hoc Tenure Issues Committee.
Senate Council Vice-Chair Donald Uchtmann (ACES), Chair of the Tenure Issues Committee, summarized the recommendations of the Committee, saying that there are two components of the review process: 1) mandated annual faculty reviews and 2) periodic evaluations of the academic unit's review system for faculty. He directed the Senate's attention to the report's appendix, which explained how the committee has responded to each of the concerns raised at the Senate's March 22 Committee of the Whole discussion. He moved approval of the document.
Senator Kaufman called a point of order, citing Robert's Rules section 49 (Committees), which, in part, prohibits the appointment of a special committee to perform a task that falls within the assigned function of an existing standing committee. In this instance, Kaufman referred to the charge of the ad hoc Tenure Issues Committee, which he believed infringed upon the charge of the standing Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure. He moved that, as a result, XTI.99.03 should be ruled out of order and not be received by the Senate.
After consultation with parliamentarian Ken Andersen, the Chancellor submitted the question to the Senate as to whether or not to accept Kaufman's point of order. Senator Friedman pointed out according to Robert's Rules these questions should come at the time of a special committee's appointment, not after they have deliberated for some time and reported more than once to the assembly. He moved to close debate on the point of order.
By show of hands, the motion to close debate was approved.
By show of hands, the point of order was defeated.
Senator Stephen Portnoy (LAS) felt there was minimal reference to the cost of the procedures prescribed by this proposal. He believed that section II of the recommendations (Periodic Review of Each Unit's Faculty Review System) needed more consideration. He moved to substitute section II in its entirety with the following text:
The importance of policies and procedures for post tenure review requires that examination of these be an integral part of any formal unit review.
Senator Schacht stated that section II is needed as a monitoring system only, in the realm of checks and balances. Senator Jerry Packard (LAS) spoke in support of the amendment, believing that the amount of work likely involved in its administration was not insignificant.
By show of hands, the motion to substitute was lost (19-65).
Because of the lateness of the hour, a motion to recess until next Monday at 3:10 p.m. was approved.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
Robert C. Damrau, Senate Clerk
*Filed with the Senate Clerk and incorporated by reference in these Minutes.