UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE

UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING

VOL. 43, NO. 11

April 24, 2007

Members Present:

Rose Battalio, Judy Blackstone, Janice Bogstad, Marcia Bollinger, Jacqueline Bonneville, Don Bredle, Jennifer Brockpahler, Michael Carney, Maria DaCosta, Barbara Davis, Patrick Day, Margaret Devine, Gary Don, Michael Dorsher, Jeff Erger, Leslie Foster, Mitchell Freymiller, Alan Gallaher, Andrea Gapko, Susan Harrison, Ann Hoffman, Robert Hollon, Robert Hooper, Todd Hostager, Debra Jansen, Harry Jol, Fred Kolb, Heather Kretz, Jennifer Lee, Brian Levin-Stankevich, Tim Lippold, Bruce Lo, David Lonzarich, Barbara Lozar, Karl Markgraf, Susan Mc Intyre, Sean McAleer, Sue Moore, Mike Morrison, Jill Prushiek, Richard Ryberg, Sherrie Serros, Earl Shoemaker, Sheila Smith, Jan Stirm, Kent Syverson, Lois Taft, Steve Tallant, Max Von Klein, Sharon Westphal, Scott Whitfield, Marty Wood, Deborah Wright

Members Absent:

Robin Baker, Jessica Franson, Larry Honl, Bill Jacobsen, Steven Majstorovic, Tarique Niazi, Jim Oberly, Donna Raleigh, Scott Robertson, Mehdi Sheikholeslami, Lorraine Smith, Laurie St. Aubin-Whelihan, Troy Terhark, Charles Vue, Michael Wick, Rebecca Wurzer

Guests:

Margaret Cassidy, Donald Christian, Douglas Dunham, Stephanie Jamelske, Marcus Mc Ellistrem, Jan Morse, Andrew Phillips, Marc Goulet, Katherine Rhoades, Andrew Soll

The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order by Chair Harrison at 3:03 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center.

I. Minutes of April 10, 2007 University Senate meeting approved as distributed
Minutes of April 5, 2007 University Faculty and University Academic Staff meeting approved as distributed

II. Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Levin-Stankevich

· Last week held poster day in rotunda in Madison; many of same students displaying work in Zorn Arena this week

· Received good response from all, including legislators; resolution passed by Senate and Assembly praised students and university system for research done

· Lori Scardino, a UW-Eau Claire student, spoke along with President Reilly which highlighted Eau Claire’s position as the Center of Excellence for Faculty/Student Undergraduate Collaborative Research

· Congratulate all faculty working with students on Research Day posters and projects

· Done on top of everything else

· Many staff involved in that as well

· Has become part of culture here – is one of wonderful distinctive things about Eau Claire

· Some students also attended Joint Finance Committee meeting in Madison last week

· This committee must approve all recommendations of State Building Commission before recommendations go to full Assembly and Senate

· At meeting, Davies Center targeted as adding to state debt load and students’ debt load

· Will not add to state debt load because completely funded by student fees

· Is some legitimacy that adding hidden tuition, but legislature over years has not funded higher education adequately to prevent tuition hikes from occurring

· Have routinely allowed project after project across state to be funded by program revenue; to stop now puts Eau Claire at competitive disadvantage when students look at facilities

· New Student Senate President French did remarkable job under pressure

· Only need one Republican vote on committee for approval; should have that

· Will follow process carefully and continue to lobby entire legislature on behalf of our projects

· Met for strategic planning today with department chairs; meet tonight with students in residence halls, tomorrow with unit directors, and tomorrow night with select group of student leaders from across campus

· Working toward May 5, 2007 morning retreat to take stock of what heard in listening sessions

· To determine what to prepare for fall in terms of environmental scans, models to look at, research on variety of topics

· Join Virginia Tech and entire higher education community in mourning tragic deaths at Blacksburg, Virginia

· Wake of that is great deal of public concern about campus safety

· President Reilly convening group to look at campus security

· As campus, want to make sure security provisions are in place to protect us, our students and public that uses our campuses, and also have emergency response procedures in place that allow us to respond quickly to any emergency

· Have asked staff to do walk-through simulation soon to test our procedures

· Had productive visit in Japan, primarily with programs related to education and teacher preparation

· Impact in Japan has been tremendous

· Teacher preparation involvement has created a model school system

· Connected to one of two national teacher education institutes producing next generation of Japanese schoolteachers

· Also visited comprehensive women’s university, that I have had connection to in past

· Beautiful, urban campus where we may wish to expand our relationships beyond teacher education to include variety of disciplines

· Will continue to follow up on those possibilities

· Response to questions and comments from floor

· ROTC interested in setting up command here

· Currently have brigade at Stevens Point

· Also have command at Stout; working to create brigade there to promote bigger presence

· Military sees its future leadership tied to long-term planning and long-range involvement with universities

· Ten students at UW-Eau Claire participate in ROTC at Stout

· To form command here would have to go through shared governance

· Expect ROTC to resume request in fall; proposal would be presented to APC

· Executive Committee previously briefed

· Defeat of ROTC program here by shared governance would not jeopardize federal funding

· In current political climate, may have other repercussions

· ROTC commands provide incredible benefits for individual students in that program with ten to twenty students getting full ride from United States government

III. Chair’s Report – Chair Harrison

· Please fill out annual Senate Interest Survey for Nominating Committee to use for committee nominations in early fall

· Process started for establishing Search and Screen Committee for Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies

· College nominating committees, Director of Library, and University Academic Staff Nominating Committee to have nominees in soon

· List of nominees will be shared electronically with call for additional nominations

· Followed by electronic election for Search and Screen Committee members

IV. Faculty Representative’s Report – No Report

V. Academic Staff Representative’s Report – Senator Blackstone

· Next meeting is joint one with faculty representatives on May 4, 2007 in Madison

VI. Announcements

· Last meeting of University Senate session on May 8, 2007

· Any motions not concluded at that meeting will die with session or must be returned to committee to be brought up in next session

VII. Unfinished Business

A. Postponed Item – Motion from Faculty Personnel Committee

Promotion Eligibility

Continued Debate

· After considerable debate at first reading on February 27, 2007, motion sent back to committee for reconsideration

· Revised motion came forward at last meeting with continued debate postponed to this meeting

Amendment 43-FP-02-a1

MOVED by Senator S. Smith and seconded that under Assistant Professor, #1 be amended to read Earned master’s degree plus completion of coursework for the terminal degree and evidence of active progress toward the completion of the terminal degree.

Debate on Amendment

· Leaving Earned terminal degree (same as above) and adding or at beginning of sentence accepted without objection

· In nursing, rare to hire faculty with completed earned PhD; frequently hire people in process of completing PhD

· Often grow our own due to national shortage

· Amendment would give flexibility to hire faculty at instructor level with master’s degree and consider for promotion to assistant professor when coursework for PhD completed

Vote on Amendment 43-FP-02-a1: Amendment PASSED by faculty senators.

Continued Debate on Main Motion

· Concerns expressed in department include

· Not fair to people with prior years experience coming in and now will not be counted toward tenure; perhaps should be grandfather clause

· Small number of people felt trying to fix problem that doesn’t exist; system we now have not that bad

· Some people rejected premise that administrative experience should be counted on one-for-one basis; what do as teaching faculty far different than what do as administrator

· Rejected argument that would not allow associate professors to move to administrative positions because it might slow them down; normally getting large increase in salary for move

· On argument of system not being that bad, UW-Eau Claire motto is excellence

· On issue of administrators, Faculty Personnel Committee was not in agreement

· Certainly possible for department personnel committees (DPC) to specify in department evaluation plans (DEP) that time needs to be spent in classroom and on scholarship for promotion

· Shouldn’t impose that on all departments

· Understanding is that will be unofficial grandfathering under exceptions section

· Is not a problem that is pervasive, but there are interpretive difficulties

· Seemed promotion should be based on what you have done at rank prior, not way back

· Pervasive opinion encountered was trying to correct a problem that doesn’t exist

· Adopting motion would require change in DEP which has served well

Amendment 43-FP-02-a2

MOVED by Senator Erger and seconded that motion be amended to remove first two sentences of first paragraph under title Minimum Degree and Experience Requirements for Promotion

Debate on Amendment

· First two sentences under preamble are not necessary; no reason to include new language – meritorious performance, future potential, and assuming greater responsibility

· Adding that language adds more work to every department to make sure DEPs in accordance with handbook

· Searched through handbook for word meritorious in Chapter 5

· Does not appear; however, merit appears in issue of salary increases

· If evaluated and given merit raise, is that to be taken as meritorious performance for this section?

· Should not multiply bureaucratic entities unnecessarily – no reason to add to bureaucracy unless doing something for us

· Don’t understand what problem is with saying in general way that promotion is for recognition of meritorious performance

· If DEP says promotion is about past performance, by including future potential, are imposing upon department bureaucratic evaluation term that we are forced to use

· Using meritorious which links to merit in other sections of Chapter 5 connects promotion and pay raises and those consequences have not been discussed in detail

· Favor amendment; first part deals with criteria for promotion which has nothing to do with eligibility or minimum requirements

· Second sentence with future potential could potentially be age discriminatory to those seeking promotion past age at which they could retire, future potential is reduced – that element needs to be struck out

Vote on Amendment 43-FP-02-a2: Amendment PASSED by vote of faculty senators.

Continued Debate on Main Motion as Amended

· On grandfathering, have issues within departments with people hired more recently getting more years toward tenure than people hired formerly under same positions

· Will grandfathering be continued until everyone presently hired goes through promotion?

· Administrators look at full circumstances, don’t just apply rule because it is now a rule

· Dean Christian didn’t recall in last three years in Arts and Sciences when have hired about 40 faculty, that more than a single year toward tenure has been allowed; in past had been as many as two or three

· In speaking with faculty candidates, caution them on trap may be setting for themselves if coming up for tenure too soon

· Sabbatical does continue as FTE so don’t lose that year

· Five years FTE experience, means part-time positions count toward experience on prorated basis

MOTION by Senator Taft that the motion be postponed indefinitely seconded.

Debate

· Needs of colleges and departments vary and should not be proscriptive at this level

· Opposed to indefinite postponement

· Have to be proscriptive; Faculty Personnel Committee is primary agent for recommending changes to personnel rules

· If don’t like motion, vote it down; don’t understand point of indefinite postponement to kill it

· If postponed indefinitely, status quo is enforced; same as voting this down

Vote on Postponement: Motion DEFEATED by vote of faculty senators.

Continued Discussion on Main Motion as Amended

· Department chairs get full credit for FTE equivalency because no restriction to full-time teaching

Vote on Motion 43-FP-02 as Amended: Motion PASSED by faculty senators.

B. Consideration of Response to Improvements in Leave Reporting

· Vice Chair Gapko reported on meeting of vice chair, and faculty and academic staff representatives held to summarize recommendations voiced at last senate meeting

· Tried to capture general gist of discussion in response to system as distributed

MOTION by Vice Chair Gapko to approve summary and send it forward to President Reilly seconded.

Debate

· Sick leave awarded based on contract type

· Whether academic year or calendar year, based on average of days and months

· Second page, under II.2., second c., need to modify leave reporting is incomplete to say significantly incomplete; otherwise give leeway to deny something for one missed or late report, as does first c.

· Too extreme

· Could add and be based on multiple instances to first sentence

· Second sentence not enough to negate that could deny conversion based on single report

· Could add sentence used at end of first c: This recommendation is far too punitive and should not be implemented.

Vote on Motion to Send Forward: Motion PASSED without dissention.

VIII. Reportable Items from Committees

¨ Academic Staff Personnel Committee – Senator Blackstone

• Meet April 27, 2007

· Inviting all academic staff senators to join committee for discussion of possible change to handbook language on nonrenewal of academic staff appointments

¨ Technology Committee – Senator Jol

· Meet April 30, 2007; forward any issues to me

¨ Executive Committee – Chair Harrison

• At April 17, 2007 meeting, discussion was held concerning lack of effective communication method announcing campus meetings

· Was suggested that pink sheet of meeting notices be sent out directly via email rather than buried in University Bulletin

· Brought up since many people did not know about spring University Faculty and University Academic Staff meeting

· Method to be implemented in future

• Provost announced music therapy program to be moved to department of music and theatre arts effective July 1, 2007 with long term status of program to be reviewed over summer by provost and if necessary brought through governance beginning in fall
• Whether or not faculty and academic staff were aware of proper procedures to follow during a crisis discussed; provost revealed chancellor planned to address that when he returned from Japan

IX. Special Reports – Report on Higher Learning Commission Self-Study – Associate Vice Chancellor Phillips

· All-campus survey will be out on April 30, 2007; available for about one week

· Will be online and take about 15 minutes

· Will go to all faculty, all staff, all students, and select group of alumni out between two to ten years

· Pilot test conducted three weeks ago with excellent feedback; many questions modified as a result

· Study groups given wide latitude to word questions as they saw fit

· Demographic questions were improved and shortened to focus on target audience

· Fifth survey was developed to more carefully focus data gathering on distinct groups with different institutional functions

· Survey is not only data gathering tool

· Mission and Integrity Group held focus group with department chairs

· Provided great data and feedback on mission statement and integrity in implementing it

· That group to hold more focus groups in upcoming months, as will others

· Number of members of steering team and some self-study chairs attended Higher Learning Commission national meeting last weekend in Chicago

· Encouraged to discover that initiated our process using many best practices cited by other institutions

· UW-Eau Claire doing well in how proceeding and way communicating our work; still eager to come to departments and units to talk about review process and how to get involved

· Received lots of excellent advice on how to improve process and direct and focus our work of next few years

· Key phrase used was to conduct an evaluative self-study using data driven analysis

· Emphasis not on inputs and statistics as old-style accreditation

· Now is on evaluating effect of actions and then demonstrating will to make changes to improve – assessment, assessment, assessment not just in academic areas

· Steering team will meet frequently in next few weeks to determine what we can do right now to strengthen our process and deal with any potential challenges we see coming as a consequence of what we heard in Chicago

· Chair Harrison noted Campus Civility Team will be assessing what they have done with a survey coming soon

X. Special Orders

· Nominations for Vice Chair made at first senate meeting in April with election to be held at second meeting in April; at last meeting, only one nominee was presented with no additional nominations from the floor

Nominee for Vice Chair of University Senate, Andrea Gapko, CONFIRMED by affirmation.

XI. Miscellaneous Business

A. First Reading – Motion from Academic Policies Committee

Report on Entitlement to Plan Major in Materials Science – Senator Hollon

· APC viewed as positive option for students who might otherwise choose to go elsewhere for nanoscience and technology

· Spent time talking about influence on university enrollment and implications for FTE that depend on NanoSTEM DIN

· Request to proceed with planning process does not approve major, only approves planning for it

· In future would come back through shared governance with major being presented for approval, so current documentation might not be sufficient to convey all details to approve major

Motion 43-AP-05

MOVED and seconded by Academic Policies Committee (8 for, 0 against) that the Request for Entitlement to Plan a Major in Materials Science be approved.

Debate

· None

MOTION by Senator Lozar that we suspend the rules to vote on this today seconded and PASSED by two-thirds vote.

Continued Debate on Motion

· None

Vote on Motion 43-AP-05: Motion PASSED without dissention by University Faculty senators.

B. First Reading – Motion from Academic Policies Committee

Report on Entitlement to Plan a Bachelor’s Degree and Major in Liberal Studies – Senator Hollon

· This is request to move ahead with planning process for Bachelor’s Degree and Major in Liberal Studies which emphasizes three major themes, includes a capstone, and provides broad opportunities for students who might not be attracted to traditional majors

· Proposal as presented maintains standards and structure for all degrees here; includes introductive seminars and requirements in foreign language and mathematics same as Bachelor’s of Arts degree

· Committee discussed differences between a comprehensive major and traditional major/minor combinations

· Talked about resources needed for advising

· How students should be held accountable for demonstrating growth and interdisciplinary connections

· Certainly adds degree option not found locally and responds to growing number of nontraditional and transfer students to serve significantly underserved population

· Concern on collecting courses was that students might gather a lot of courses that didn’t fit, such as people who had changed majors a lot and been around a long time

· People making proposal clarified role of adviser and setting up program

Motion 43-AP-06

MOVED and seconded by Academic Policies Committee (8 for, 0 against) that the Request for Entitlement to Plan a Bachelor’s Degree and Major in Liberal Studies be approved.

Debate

· Course collecting not seen as problem because majors must identify three themes with advisor; sixty credit limit that students could bring in also decreases chances of doing after the fact

· Clarified role of advisor in process of helping student set up proposal early on

· Dean Christian noted LS 100 and LS 300 courses are not designed yet; that is part of next step of planning

· Not sure what form of those courses might take

· One possible thought that would involve extensive interdisciplinary work might be a course on growing literature on environmental factors and influence on creativity

· Where those courses would be housed or how they would be structured remains to be determined

· In many cases would end up being interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary courses taught by several faculty

· Provost Tallant indicated committee will be formed to put together degree and major and bring back to this body

· Still want academic rigor, but not rigidity; must be flexible to meet needs of these students

· If look at structure that has been proposed, there is rigor which won’t result in walking out of here with degree for collection of courses

· Eau Claire is only institution in system without this degree; very popular throughout nation

· Hope to bring nontraditional students to Eau Claire

· Will complement what do at Eau Claire with liberal arts based degree

· Dean Christian indicated there is not necessarily any intersection between this and discussion of revising general education curriculum

· This degree would work no matter what format GE program eventually adopted

· Faculty who worked on degree proposal hope this might provide new model of thinking about how to do GE

· This discussion started over a year ago with group of faculty working extensively on it last summer

· Once receive entitlement, have three years to bring back specific proposal; hope to finish it sometime next year and move forward as part of growth agenda

· Example of thematic area might be conflict studies that might involve sociology, psychology and political science, or regional studies for any part of world that might involve geography, literature, history and perhaps other courses

· Part of discussion on why requesting degree as well as major was matter of respecting nature of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees and not infringing on traditions in either of those areas; also provides flexibility needed in new degree

· All degrees must meet all minimum GE requirements

· Liberal studies degrees well known around country – would not hinder students wanting to do graduate work

MOTION by Senator Freymiller that we suspend the rules to vote on this today seconded and PASSED by two-thirds vote.

Continued Debate on Motion

· None

Vote on Motion 43-AP-06: Motion PASSED by vote of University Faculty senators without dissention.

C. First Reading – Motion from Physical Plant Planning Committee

Report on Putnam Parking Lot – Senator Kolb

· Putnam Park is important part of university campus

· One part of Putnam Park currently taken up by parking lot across from dorms at bottom of hill

· Committee felt better use could be made of that piece of property; use that would take advantage of its place as an entrance to park, on the river, and as an area for educational use by many departments

· Parking is important on campus; committee recognizes this proposal would shift from a use that has value to another use that has value and that it is highly debatable

· Decided to use approach to make recommendation to administration that if it is possible we would like to see this piece of property converted into a green space when decisions like resurfacing Garfield Avenue, expansion of Davies Center, or new educational building come up and there is a restructuring of parking on campus

· In sense, watered it down a bit, but made it something that could get more support and would leave decision making to experts rather than senate

Motion 43-PP-01

MOVED and seconded by Physical Plant Planning Committee (6 for, 0 against) that the Chancellor and appropriate university officials give serious consideration to the transformation of the Putnam Parking Lot to a use which improves the attractiveness of the campus and enhances the use of Putnam Park for educational purposes.

Debate

· Thirty-seven student parking spaces are involved

· Speak against motion – listed in cons is shift in use of university parking facilities, but no mention of student impact

· Had great discussion last year regarding handicapped students and personal safety of students who do park there

· Passing this motion would supersede all those discussion items

· Making recommendations for consideration by our administration is underestimating their willingness to do so without this recommendation

MOTION by Senator Lee to postpone the motion indefinitely seconded.

Debate on Postponement

· Against effectively killing this – committee has done wonderful job of bringing this in supportable form

· Would be shame to sweep it under rug because not only is it a parking lot, but an ugly parking lot; we could do a lot better

Vote on Postponement: Motion DEFEATED

Continued Debate on Main Motion

· Would be good thing to pass – when prospective students come to observe, do need to sell campus

· One selling point is beautiful area here with Chippewa River

· Would tell administration there is interest in this sort of thing

· Assume administration would come back with plans for input, but making area more attractive and user friendly for classes enhances educational mission of university

Amendment 43-PP-01-a1

MOVED by Senator Morrison that we add language at the end and that equivalent parking spaces be found on campus to replace the lost parking spaces seconded.

Debate on Amendment

· Against amendment – we have facility planners on campus and experts in field who are concerned about our campus; would like to turn issue over to them instead of taking that upon ourselves

· Were plans brought to this body that suggested where parking might move – plans designed by faculty not planners or engineers

· There has been no professional effort to develop a comprehensive parking plan to address all issues

· Going to be changes at riverfront; little triangle of land at base of hill is only potential green spot of frontage on this side of river

· Understand there are 37 parking spots in Putnam lot, most for students; spots assigned by lottery, so this is special perk that has been available for a while

· Ultimately there will be need for large plan for parking; don’t think it is necessary to drag in huge parking issue

· Such a modest recommendation – please officials consider this seriously

· Support spirit of amendment, but could quibble about what equivalent means

· Would rather keep this modest and trust that university officials know what give serious consideration means

· Motion, while modest, is asking for support of something that is undefined – would be supporting agenda that isn’t evident

Vote on Amendment: Amendment DEFEATED.

Continued Debate on Motion

· Echo comments that this is very modest proposal

· Have been on committee that dealt with parking issues; it is time that we ask administration to seriously consider getting rid of ugly parking lot and put in green space that will draw positive attention to one of our natural treasures – Putnam Park

· Will make park more accessible for educational purposes; can worry about parking later

MOTION by Senator Stirm that we suspend the rules to vote on this today seconded and PASSED by two-thirds vote.

Continued Debate on Motion

· Against motion; 37 spaces is 10% of population of lower campus; fact that it is a special perk to be able to park near your home needs to be rethought

Vote on Motion 43-PP-01: Motion PASSED.

D. Discussion of Envisioning Shared Governance at UW-Eau Claire with Chair-Elect Marty Wood

· Item moved to next meeting for discussion – survey is just to get conversation started to streamline and make governance process more flexible

Without objection, meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

Submitted by,

Wanda Schulner

Secretary to the University Senate