UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE
UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING
VOL. 39, NO. 2
September 24, 2002
Members Present:
Gary Bartlett, Ned Beach, Joey Bohl, Dick Boyum, Don Bredle, Jack Bushnell, Linda Carpenter, Jesse Dixon, Joel Duncan, Mitch Freymiller, Warren Gallagher, Andrea Gapko, Marc Goulet, Susan Hafen, Betty Hanson, Jeannie Harms, Susan Harrison, Tim Ho, Larry Honl, Mary Iribarren, Richard Kark, Debra King, Fred Kolb, Tim Lane, Kate Lang, Gene Leisz, Barbara Lozar, Barbara Mac Briar, Donald Mash, John Melrose, Jane Pederson, Bobby Pitts, Cleo Powers, Vicki Reed, Richard Ryberg, Ronald Satz, Nola Schmitt, Kathie Schneider, Nick Smiar, Alex Smith, Linda Spaeth, George Stecher, Todd Stephens, Paula Stuettgen, Kent Syverson, Dale Taylor, Roger Tlusty, Karen Welch, Cecilia Wendler, Sharon Westphal, Michael Wick, Jean Wilcox, Steve Zantow
Members Absent:
Randy Beger, Marcia Bollinger, Ken De Meuse, Meg Dwyer, Bruce Dybvik, Rodd Freitag, Sean Hartnett, Ann Hoffman, Robert Hooper, Rose Jadack, Lisa La Salle, Maureen Mack, Rick Mickelson, Andrew Phillips, Connie Russell, Roger Selin, Jodi Thesing-Ritter, Thomas Wagener, Rebecca Wurzer
Guests:
Mark Clark, Bernard Duyfhuizen, Kay Magadance, Jan Morse, Andrew Soll, Nathan Titus, Paul Vanderheiden, Ted Wendt
The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order by Chair Harrison at 3:02 p.m. Tuesday, September 24, 2002 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center
1. Without objection, minutes of September 10, 2002 meeting of University Senate approved as distributed
2. Chair and Faculty Representative’s Report – Chair Harrison
· Short chair’s report distributed with name tags
· Next faculty rep’s meeting is teleconference on Friday, October 4, 2002
· Results of university-wide and Senate elections reported in minutes just approved
· Chancellor approved implementation of motion passed at last meeting concerning placement of DNCE (dance) and PA (performing arts) courses in GE IV-A
3. Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Mash
· One topic – Resource Base
· Reported Board of Regent and System position in last go-round of budget repair bill at last meeting
· If more reductions coming this biennium, will have to downsize, or raise tuition, or both
· Preemptive strike to put people on notice of seriousness of issue
· Since then, UW-System released economic impact study of importance of UW-System to economic welfare of state
· Information put out there as ongoing strategy to protect resource base and get people thinking about investment rather than size of reduction
· In interview last week, Governor McCallum didn’t have sense of how to connect university to his goals of increasing number of graduates in state and creating more high-paying jobs; Doyle announced his plan with education as an issue taking up 4 column-inches in Leader-Telegram without mentioning university
· To some extent is failure on part of UW-System to communicate this connection to gubernatorial candidates
· UW-System continues to work in many ways to get candidates information to give them something to say
· Nothing more important than getting message to next governor prior to election
· His budget proposal will start legislative conversation; then work will shift to legislature as they deal with difficult budget situation
· Heading off more damage would be victory of sorts
· Perhaps later in process, could convince them to refund Chippewa Valley Initiative and make additional investment in areas such as nursing and teacher education, and economic development
· Likely to get gubernatorial debate at Eau Claire due to student-initiated effort
· Only debate to include all candidates and to be held outside Milwaukee
· Comments from floor and responses
· Caller to public radio thought part of way to solve budget problem was to be satisfied with university in top 25 rather than at top or in top 10 across country
· Short-sighted view that needs to be countered
· People will not chose to come here, then won’t stay here if not getting top-notch education
· Economic impact study showed tremendous economic impact UW-System has on state; one regent asked what that means to a farmer from Durand
· Taxes could be reduced if more high-end jobs and more taxes being paid
· These sorts of twists never quite get communicated
4. Academic Staff Representative Report – Senator Wilcox
· First Academic Staff Reps Meeting held last Thursday was orientation meeting
· Talked at length about budget process
· Talked about Instructional/Research Academic Staff (IRAS)
· System began to look at IRAS issue in 1999
· In 2000, System-Wide Committee formed to look at titling and integration of IRAS
· Titling issue basically a disaster that died
· Eleven System recommendations on integration, covering everything from office space, to orientation, professional development, and governance)
· Institutions instructed to report back on implementation
· Responses range from one institution implementing one recommendation and not even starting on seven others, to another institution implementing all 11
· UW-Eau Claire implemented ten with one in progress (participation in departmental governance by career instructional academic staff)
· Relates to motion coming up later in meeting
· Final report will be posted on Senate website when received electronically
5. Unfinished Business - None
6. Reports of Committees
¨ Executive Committee – Chair Harrison
¨ Faculty Personnel Committee – Senator Mac Briar
¨ Academic Staff Personnel Committee – Senator Wilcox
¨ Academic Policies Committee – Senator Syverson
· Will still be asking many questions; just because mantle of chair passed, doesn’t mean all knowledge passed as well
· Wonderful help during transition
FOR THE RECORD
No objections to entry into record – no questions
·
Discussed place of university-wide general education
committee
·
Awaiting first meeting and election of chair to get
input from that committee before taking official action
·
Items that should be addressed by APC this year
·
Latvia study-abroad program on October 8, 2002 agenda
·
Grade inflation
·
Recruitment of freshman class
·
Must to received by Monday of week preceding the week
of Tuesday APC meeting
·
Talking about additional things may need to talk about
this year and going over logistics
¨ Physical Plant Planning Committee
· Next meeting September 27, 2002 to elect chair and begin business for year
¨ Budget Committee – Senator Carpenter
· Next meeting October 1, 2002 to elect chair and discuss business for year
¨ Compensation Committee – Senator Wick
¨ Nominating Committee – Senator Schmitt
· Next meeting immediately following Senate meeting to elect chair and consider vacancy on Faculty Personnel Committee
¨ Technology Committee – Senator Lang
· Next meeting October 1, 2002 to elect chair and set agenda for semester
7. Special Reports – None
8. Miscellaneous Business
Executive Committee – First Reading
Report on Disbanding University Social Committee – Senator Smiar
· Motion comes out of Faculty and Academic Staff meeting based on discussion regarding recent experience of Social Committee
· Budget for last few years much larger than dues collected
· Great deal of activity at departmental and unit levels in regard to memorials
· May be discriminatory practice in that not all members of university community can participate in social dues by law
· Foundation graciously accepted responsibility for providing funding for opening, holiday, and retirement receptions and similar events
· Executive Committee discussion centered on
· Whether departments/units indeed covering memorials and other functions to extent that would make Social Committee redundant; answer seemed to be yes
· Seemed to be no disadvantage to disbanding committee other than possibly message might be sending
Moved and seconded by Executive
Committee (11-0) that the University Social Committee be disbanded and the
following changes be made in the handbook:
University Faculty
The University
Faculty, defined in Article One, Section C of the Constitution of the
University Faculty and the University Academic Staff, meets in regular session
twice a year and in special session when necessary. The University Faculty has
standing committees: (1) the University Faculty Nominating Committee, (2)
the University Social Committee, (3) (2) the Faculty Termination
Review Committee, (34) the Faculty Complaint and Grievance Committee,
and (45) the University Planning Committee. Ad hoc committees are
established as needed.
2. University
Social Committee
2 3. Faculty Termination Review
Committee
…
3 4. Faculty Complaint and Grievance
Committee
…
4 5. University Planning Committee
Debate – None
MOTION by Senator Schneider that rules be suspended to allow item to be voted on today seconded and PASSED with out dissention
Continued Debate – None
Vote on Motion 39-SE-01: Motion PASSED without dissention; to go forward to full University Faculty for ratification
Academic
Staff Personnel and Faculty Personnel Committees – First Reading
Report on
Faculty Status – Senator
Wilcox
· Catalyst was UW-System Recommendation #8 on instructional academic staff and governance
· On this campus, instructional academic staff with no-intent-to-renew clause in contract not eligible for faculty status, which confers additional governance rights
· Clause often used by deans and department chairs to maintain position flexibility; mostly a function of funding source
· Both committees felt serving at least three continuous semesters in keeping with university governance
· Also felt replacing may be granted with is eligible for makes it clear talking about eligibility not guarantee
· Proposal provides equal opportunity for instructional academic staff to become eligible for faculty status and allows departments opportunity to grant faculty status while maintaining position flexibility
· Some felt it might lead instructional academic staff who become eligible to expect faculty status even though nothing in language says that
· Responses to questions and comments on content of report
· Faculty status for academic staff members means right to participate in faculty governance, but does not confer rank or tenure, or convert academic staff appointments into faculty appointments
· Confers ability to serve on certain department, school and college committees; still could not be members of those committees requiring tenured faculty
· By definition become part of University Faculty; still not members of faculty
· Same governance rights in departments as nontenured faculty
· Concerned wording in second paragraph have been granted faculty status will have the right to and will be expected to participate in faculty governance activities raises expectations for those with no intent to renew in contract to be on committees
· That language already in handbook; not part of motion under consideration
· Just by virtue of shared governance, all expected to participate
· Inequity comes in for people here year after year who because of funding source have phrase no intent to renew in contract which makes them ineligible for faculty status
· Funding sources resulting in no-intent-to-renew clause in contract could include renewable grants or covering sabbaticals or leaves of various faculty in department; generally funding that is not guaranteed for coming years
· Those three continuous semesters could be from many years ago if department feels was enough experience, or could mean most recent three semesters
· Granting faculty status to someone working on grant for third semester would be decision made by department – talking only about eligibility
· Faculty status different and separate from graduate faculty status
· Graduate faculty status recognizes person has met minimum requirements for offering graduate course, which generally means terminal degree
· Implementation date is immediate
· Concerned proposal might put no-intent-to-renew people in harms way for undue pressure on political issues over which committee has vote because have to worry about job next year
· Might be contrary to positive, inclusive intent hoping for
· Instructional academic staff without faculty status choosing to run for office and be on committees now
· Granting faculty status means they would be eligible to serve, in some cases, on different committees
· Would not necessarily affect greater load academic staff generally teach – things like advising and research, which are always required for faculty, also considered
· However, contracts can specifically include some of those things
· Personnel rights remain with academic staff; faculty status covers governance side of things, not contract side
· Does not necessarily mean additional, may just be different, responsibilities
· Important to understand talking about eligibility; granting of faculty status still up to department
· If staff members want to voluntarily do this and if department wants to allow them to do this, then they have opportunity
· Would still be working under same contract, but could participate more fully in governance at department, school, college and university level
· Faculty status gives opportunity for academic staff who have been teaching in departments year after year to help make decisions on curriculum they have been teaching – can vote and have more influence than just attending open meetings
· Support idea, but not after three semesters
· In keeping with ability to become a senator and vote on policies we pass here after three semesters
· No-intent-to-renew clause contained in contracts so institution does not have to deal with notice requirements
· According to Jan Morse of Academic Affairs, the longer someone has been here, the more notice has to be provided if not reemployed, unless clause contained in contract
· Therefore, in situation such as tight budgets where we are not sure position will remain, clause in to protect institution
· All comes back to departmental level decision
Moved and seconded by Academic Staff Personnel Committee
(8-0) and the Faculty Personnel Committee (7-0) that the paragraph regarding
the eligibility of Instructional Academic Staff (IAS) for ‘faculty status’ on
page 3.4 of the Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook be changed as follows:
Eligibility
Members of the instructional academic staff who hold
appointments of 50 percent or more in an academic department or functional
equivalent, whose principal assignment is teaching and/or coaching in
athletics, who possess the qualifications normally required of ranked members
of the faculty, and whose letter of appointment does not contain the
statement that there is "no intent to renew," who have served in that appointment for
at least three continuous semesters may be granted are
eligible for "faculty status." (amended US 2/98)
Amendment 39-AS-01-al:
Moved by Senator Gapko and seconded that the
following amendment be made:
1. Eligibility
Members of the instructional academic staff who hold
appointments of 50 percent or more in an academic department or functional
equivalent, whose principal assignment is teaching (and/or coaching in
athletics), who possess the qualifications normally required of ranked
members of the faculty, and whose letter of appointment does not contain the
statement that there is "no intent to renew," may be granted are
eligible for "faculty status." (amended US 2/98)
Members of the instructional academic staff whose
letter of appointment contains the statement that there is "no intent to
renew," and who have served in that appointment for at least three
continuous semesters, are also eligible for "faculty status."
RULING BY CHAIR (after discussion with parliamentarian): Proposed amendment cannot be friendly because two proposing committees have not voted on it
Debate
· Committees focused on eligibility; realized this morning motion in conflict with current procedure
· Stated motion would prohibit departments from granting faculty status until three semesters of continuous service; current policy allows granting immediately upon hire (for those without no-intent-to-renew clause in contract)
· Administrative Officer Morse indicated there are approximately 140 instructional academic staff (up from normal of about 125 or 130); about 24 currently have faculty status
· Would not expect number to jump so dramatically that it would change proportions on committees
· If removed anybody 50% or less, number would probably drop to around 90 to 95
Vote on Amendment 39-AS-01-a1: Amendment PASSED without dissention
Without objection, further debate and vote on amended motion to occur at next Senate meeting
Academic Policies Committee
Report on International Business Minor – Senator Syverson
· Proposal brought forth by College of Business; details of proposed minor on back of motion sheet
· College heard from accreditation agencies that important to try to ramp up international component of educational experience
· Encouraged to stress that component in curriculum
· Seen as way to try to do same sort of thing within College of Business as new interdisciplinary minor in global studies does
· Minor would require either a study-abroad experience or international internship
· Seen as fulfilling a need for business students and making them more marketable; committee did not see any cons
· Implementation date is with printing of 2003-2004 University Catalogue
Motion 39-AP-02
Moved and seconded by Academic
Policies Committee (9-0) that the establishment of a new minor in
International Business in the College of Business be approved
Debate and Response to Questions
· Huge kitchen-sink list of electives; any thought given to courses that might be more valuable than others
· Paul Vanderheiden, College of Business, reported idea behind elective listing was to give students flexibility to focus on area of interest
· Most elective courses also listed in global studies minor
· Minor allows only 5 to 6 credits of electives; global studies minor comprised of 12 required and 12 elective credits sounds better
· According to Dr. Vanderheiden, three core international business courses are required
· Functional areas are finance, management and marketing, and economics
· Law is not a functional area in business in and of itself, so down in electives
· Sometimes have difficulty staffing business law course; did not want to require a course with no guarantee it would be offered
· Curious that second half of western civilization course is in electives, but modern world history course is not
· Dr. Vanderheiden indicated most courses were picked because also part of global studies minor
· Didn’t recall discussion on particular courses
· Do not have a sheet explaining to students additional expense of study-abroad or international internships, but would certainly be apprising them of this in advising sessions; for those who cannot afford added expense, certificate program is an option
· Associate Dean Duyfhuizen indicated four language credits could apply if a student took the 202 course confirming credits as part of transcript; if student chooses to stay at 201 level and say foreign language requirement is fulfilled, they would conceivably have those four credits to use for elective credits in minor
· Might be helpful to just note in required courses language at the 201 level because students may or may not have to earn those four credits; would just be clarification
· College can write phrase to clarify intent; could bring back phrasing to next meeting for second reading
· Favor this, but concerned because study-abroad programs competitive
· Not sure study-abroad should be designed to select people on basis of needing it for their minor
· Hope this can be thought through so it doesn’t become a ticket for those programs
· Don’t believe selection of courses should be based on difficulty in staffing certain courses; if it is important, should be there
· Issue of resources should be addressed at college level in these times of tight budgets
· Dr. Vanderheiden projected possibly 50 to 100 students interested the first year; depending upon how it goes, could go up
Without objection, continued debate and vote on motion will take place at next Senate meeting; College of Business may want to add statement on language credits
Other Miscellaneous Business
Medical Excuses – Senator Kark
· Laura Chellman, Director of Student Health Services, wanted me to bring up important issue
· Precipitated by discussion with student saying syllabi required medical excuses if class missed due to medical reason or injury
· Becomes problem for both students and Student Health Services
· Most reasons a student might miss class would probably not require visit to health care practitioner; most things just get better
· Takes student time and effort to call and get to Student Health Services
· Treats students like children unable to make own health care decisions
· Also waste of Health Services time because many visits aren’t necessary; may be taking spot of someone sick enough to need to visit
· Has become sort of rubber stamp because have to believe student was sick; especially since visits often after the fact
· Not teaching good judgment about whether should or shouldn’t come to see health care practitioner
· Not really medical excuses anyway, just says they were here for an office visit
· If is current policy, would like to see it changed
· Many other campus health services to not give out medical excuses
· Academic Skills Center went to an absence policy
· Miss once, we’re sorry you weren’t here; miss second time, get serious letter and dropped from services for semester unless extenuating circumstances
· Could include something like that in syllabi
· Better off letting students use own judgment on seeing Health Services for one absence
· In some cases might be problem of misinterpretation by students
· Faculty member is one excusing absences for own courses
· If you feel sick enough to not be in class, then you need to see a health care professional; only want proof that saw that individual
· Believe origin of policy is statement that faculty are to inform students of requirements on the syllabus; what faculty actually say comes from them
· Asking student to verify they have seen a health care provider could be interpreted as violation of confidentiality between student and health care provider
· Could also be that I am sick in bed with a migraine headache and I don’t need to see a health care provider, I need to be in bed
· Need to treat our students as adults and trust them
· Mechanisms exist for prolonged absences where they need to notify the Dean of Students Office
· Is student decision, not faculty decision, as to how they pass course requirements and meet objectives
· Apparently no university-wide policy for absences or excusing absences; it is up to each individual instructor
· Not sure what Senate can do about this, but certainly can educate community of undue strain on health care people who often cannot provide any verification
· Can communicate concern of Health Services to your departments and alert colleagues of need to at least seriously consider how their statements and policies are written
· If problems remain, may go beyond that
· In many cases students can be too sick to come to class but don’t need to see health care professional; we need to trust students’ judgment
· Just occurred to me maybe students think I have asked to see such an excuse because my syllabi say no more than nine unexcused absences, and perhaps they think that means medical excuse; so maybe I need to reword syllabi
· Handbook makes distinction between authorized and unauthorized absences; faculty makes individual determination
· For authorized absences, are implications for faculty member allowing student to make up work missed
· John Gardner, in keynote address this fall, said shame on you for not having a university-wide attendance policy
· If either APC (from academic side) or Faculty Personnel Committee (from personnel side) would like to take up issue, can put it on their agenda
· Just for information, the other shame John Gardner noted was that we do not have a single university course that all students required to take
· Not a basic truism that every time someone misses a class, they need to see a health care practitioner
· Health Services believes in communication
· If we think someone should stay in bed or shouldn’t be doing specific things in kinesiology, for example, we’ll contact the Dean of Students Office or write a specific note
· Kind of communication involved in always needing a medical excuse is not worth much
9. Announcements - None
Meeting adjourned at 4:47 p.m. without objection
Wanda Schulner
Secretary to the University Senate