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SP.07.09
April 30, 2007

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures
SP.07.09, Annual Report for 2006-2007
(Final; Information)

In addition to this report, the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (USSP) considered fourteen items this year including five held over from previous years.  As of the date of writing this report (prior to the April 30, 2007 meeting of the Senate), the status of these items is as follows:

A.  Items passed by the Senate.

SP.99.06               Editorial Revisions to the Bylaws
USSP completed a review of the Bylaws in which editorial changes were made to reflect:  1) gender neutral language or removal of obsolete or incorrect language or terms, 2) previous changes in the Statutes, Bylaws, or Standing Rules which were not applied to the Bylaws as a whole, or 3) changes needed because a position, group, or organization has changes its name or no longer exists.  The Senate approved the revisions to the Bylaws on March 26, 2007.

SP.06.09               Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.6 – Committee on Committees

In 2002, academic professionals were given voting membership on eleven Senate standing committees, as well as approval for the Council of Academic Professionals (CAP) chair to act as a liaison for academic professionals to the Senate Executive Committee (SEC).  The proposed Bylaws change would bring an academic professional to the Committee on Committees in order to provide a conduit from CAP for nominations.  The Senate approved the revision to the Bylaws on October 30, 2006.

SP.07.02               2006-2007 Urbana-Champaign Senate Membership

This report to the organizational meeting listed the elected members of the new Senate.  It was adopted by the new Senate on April 17, 2006.

SP.07.03               Proposed Revisions to the Statutes, Article II, Section 2.a(2)

The University Senates Conference (USC) proposed revisions to the Statutes that would eliminate term limits for service on the USC.  In the UIUC Senate there are term limits for service as a Senator; however, in the UIC and UIS Senates there are no term limits.  In order to insure that the USC does not inadvertently force term limits on those Senates which do not currently have them and respecting the rules of the Senate that does have them, it was recommended to let each of the Senates decide for itself.  The Senate approved the revisions to the Statutes on October 30, 2006.

B.  Items presented to the Senate for information.

SP.07.01               Faculty and Student Electorate and Senator Distribution

This report provided a statistical analysis of the membership of the new Senate.  It was reported to the organizational meeting on April 17, 2006.

C. Items scheduled for Senate action at the April 30, 2007 meeting.

SP.07.04               Editorial Revisions to the Constitution

USSP completed a review of the Constitution in which editorial changes were made to reflect:  1) gender neutral language or removal of obsolete or incorrect language or terms, 2) previous changes in the Statutes, Bylaws, or Standing Rules which were not applied to the Constitution as a whole, or 3) changes needed because a position, group, or organization had changed its name or no longer exists.  The revisions were presented for information at the March 26, 2007 and are scheduled for final Senate action at the April 30, 2007 meeting.

SP.07.05               Editorial Revisions to the Standing Rules

USSP completed a review of the Standing Rules in which editorial changes were made to reflect:  1) gender neutral language or removal of obsolete or incorrect language or terms, 2) previous changes in the Statutes, Bylaws, or Standing Rules which were not applied to the Standing Rules as a whole, or 3) changes needed because a position, group, or organization had changed its name or no longer exists.  The revisions are scheduled for Senate action at the April 30, 2007 meeting.

D.  Items removed from the Committee agenda without being presented to the Senate.

 SP.06.07               Rules for Senate Elections

A Senator had proposed that voting for faculty elections should not be restricted to two days because electronic voting permits a longer time period.  USSP considered the proposal and concluded that a lengthening in the amount of time offered for voting was not needed.

SP.06.10               Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.16(b) – Committee on Student Discipline, Membership

A request was made to increase the number of students on the Committee on Student Discipline (SD) from four to six.  SD has begun a process to reevaluate the structure of the committee including its membership.  USSP removed this item from its agenda and will readdress it if SD decides to revise its membership after its evaluation.

SP.06.13               Revision to the Bylaws, Part B – Executive Committee and Committees

The Senate Committee on Committees requested that USSP consider expanding the term of office of the Chair of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) from 1 year to 2 years.  Chair Maher discussed this issue with SEC and the general consensus was not to change the term of the SEC Chair.  The one-year term allows the full electorate, including students, to have input on the election of the Chair.

SP.07.08               Appointment of 2007-08 Senate Parliamentarians

This has been accomplished.  The parliamentarians are Ken Andersen, George Friedman, and Robert Selby.

SP.07.10               Educational Policy – Academic Unit

In response to a request from the Senate Committee on Educational Policy (EP) to create statutory language to define what constitutes a “program,” USSP met with representatives of EP.  It was agreed that the broad flexibility currently reflected in the use of “programs” on campus was desirable and that it is appropriate to use this designation.  However, any unit, regardless of what it is called, to which a tenured or tenure-track faculty member is appointed at 50 percent or more time must be constituted as a tenure home according to the criteria contained in the amendment to Article VIII of the Statutes which was recently adopted by the UIUC Senate.

E.  Items to be carried over to 2007-2008.

SP.07.06               Response to ISS Bylaws Revision

The Illinois Student Senate (ISS) revised its Bylaws to remove delinquent students and have requested reciprocity with the delinquent students also being removed from the UIUC Senate.  USSP continues to discuss this request.

SP.07.07               Revisions to the Bylaws, Part D.9 – Committee on Equal Opportunity

The Senate Committee on Equal Opportunity (EQ) has requested revisions to the Bylaws so its charge would be more inclusive of all underrepresented groups.  USSP continues to discuss this request with EQ.


University Statutes and Senate Procedures
William Maher, Chair
Joseph Finnerty
Bettina Francis
H. George Friedman
Peter Loeb
Vera V. Mainz
Shannon McMullen
Patrick Sykes
Elyne Cole, ex officio
Robert C. Damrau, ex officio
Larry Mann, Observer