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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE
UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING
VOL. 44, NO. 8

February 26, 2008

 

Members Present:
Rose Battalio, Ned Beach, Judy Blackstone, Janice Bogstad, Jacqueline Bonneville, January Boten, Jennifer Brockpahler, Michael Carney, Barbara Davis, Patrick Day, Margaret Devine, Gary Don, Jeff Erger, Martha Fay, Leslie Foster, Mitchell Freymiller, Andrea Gapko, Susan Harrison, Ann Hoffman, Robert Hollon, Larry Honl, Robert Hooper, Rosemary Jadack, Jeffrey Janot, Debra Jansen, Dale Johnson, Lia Johnson, Harry Jol, Fred Kolb, Heather Kretz, Amanda Krier, Lisa La Salle, Kate Lang, Brian Levin-Stankevich, Bruce Lo, David Lonzarich, Barbara Lozar, Brian Mahoney, Carmen Manning, Karl Markgraf, Sean McAleer, Mike Morrison, Geoffrey Peterson, Jill Prushiek, Donna Raleigh, Scott Robertson, Sherrie Serros, Earl Shoemaker, Nick Smiar, Linda Spaeth, Laurie St. Aubin-Whelihan, Steve Tallant, Charles Vue, Scott Whitfield, Marty Wood, Deborah Wright,

 

Members Absent:
Robin Baker, Sue Moore, Tarique Niazi, Jill Pastrana, Rick Richmond, Mehdi Sheikholeslami, Jeanne Skoug, Troy Terhark, Charles Tomkovick, Sharon Westphal, Rebecca Wurzer

 

Guests:

Kris Anderson, Mary Jane Brukardt, Margaret Cassidy, Meghan Charlier, Hana Dehtiar, Bernard Duyfhuizen, Carolann Franke, Rick Gonzales, Debbie Gough, Alyssa Halfman, Arica Hoppe, Bob Knight, Makenzie Kojis, Tim Lane, Jennie Morvak, Emily Mueller, Chris Nielson, Damian O’Brien, Andrew Phillips, Lee Anna Rasar, Kent Syverson

 

The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order by Chair Wood at 3:03 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center.

  1. Minutes of February 12, 2008 University Senate meeting approved as distributed

                                                                   

  1. Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Levin-Stankevich
  • Introduction of  Rick Gonzales
    •  New Campus Planner at UWEC
    • Will be working on facility development and master plan for the campus
  • Campus security
    •  Northern Illinois incident brought this to the forefront of everyone’s thoughts
    • This Fall UWEC participated in a tabletop exercise with all the area emergency response agencies
    •  Had some debriefing out of that and some clarification for communication and setting up a communication center
    • Meeting tomorrow to follow up on emergency notification process, in particular, a couple of products that would send out text messages and voicemails to cell phones and also ways to notify buildings, possibly using the fire alarm system
      • May have to give cell phone number for one of the possible notification systems
      • Will only be used for an emergency
    • Historically UWEC is a safe campus
    • You can never be over prepared but also should not be too afraid
    • UWEC will do what it can preventatively to be ready in the event of such an  incident
    • State is facing a significant shortage in sales tax revenue
    • 655 million shortage
    • Due to shortage some restrictions on state spending
    • Travel restrictions have been put in place
    • Only one rep from each campus going to PeopleSoft conference in Nevada
    • Can UWEC obtain training information other ways such as buying CD-ROMs or downloads of sessions
    • Remain fairly liberal as far as travel restrictions
    • Will likely be a budget repair bill going to legislature to figure out how to fix spending
  • Group Health and Humana issues
    •  Withdrew from providers in Minnesota
    • Stay on top of this and pay close attention as River Falls is not a unique situation
    • Chancellor will be talking with the CEO’s of Luther Midelfort, Sacred Heart, Marshfield Clinic and etc. to make sure that they know  that we need to know what is happening with their interactions with Group Health and Humana
  • Draft Strategic Plan
    • 30 people came to Monday’s open forum
    • Appreciate your input, questions and reflections
    • Enables new ideas to come forward
    • Lays out and clarifies where we are as an institution and where we want to be
    • Continue to urge attendance at the meetings
    • Next meeting is tomorrow
    • University Planning Committee will then refine the plan
    • Superintendant of Public Instruction wants to know what we are doing with K-12 and how to better prepare students so more students attend post secondary education
    • Gratified with the Regents as they have said that UWEC is the premier undergraduate institution in the state
    • Tom Loftus would like to know where we are going with International Education
      • Willing to help
      • As former ambassador and member of the board of regents he is in a good position to be helpful
    • HLC coming one year from now
      • They need to see that we are being purposeful
      • We know who we are
      • We define who we best serve and who can best take advantage of the education that UWEC offers and that we act on it
  • This Thursday hosting a symposium
    •  Looking at facilities that we can benefit by sharing with the community
      • Performing Arts Center
      • Convention Center
    • Public/Private partnerships
    • Eau Claire needs facilities larger than what we have at UWEC
  1. Unfinished Business

A. Second Reading  - Motion from Academic Staff Personnel Committee on Reorganization of the Academic Staff Personnel Committee   44-AS-01

 

Continued Debate

  • Clarify that if  approved and because it is a constitutional change it would have to go through a formal ratification process
  • Following an affirmative vote there would be a meeting of the University Academic Staff  and then at the meeting they would vote to ratify

Vote on Motion 44-AS-01: Motion PASSED by University Academic Staff Senators

 

B. Second Reading  - Motion from the Academic Policies Committee to eliminate Music Therapy degree and Comprehensive major: Music Therapy 44-AP-04

 

Continued Debate

  • Memo distributed from the Student Body President enclosing a resolution from the student body in favor of continuing the Music Therapy program
  • A letter from an alum from the Music Therapy program arguing in favor of retaining the program will be placed in the records
  • Provost Tallant on how we got to where we are today
    • Series of budget cuts that started in 2003-2005
    • Since 2003-2005 UWEC lost 6.2 million dollars
    • That translates into 53.1 FTE
    • Positions have been cut from all divisions
    • In 2005 and 2006 UWEC was short 339 thousand dollars in meeting course availability needs for our students
      • Course availability needs defined as 100 and 200 level courses that UWEC students have to have for general education graduation requirements
    • We are not about to do away with general education requirements
      • Last year the shortage grew to 463 thousand dollars
    • This year we are short 450 thousand dollars
    • Due to this, the university does not have easy decisions to make
    • Keep in mind where we are today
    • Music Therapy underwent a review
    • In December of 2005 there was an internal review committee
      • Members of the committee were included: James Phillips, Chemistry; Cecelia Zorn, Nursing; Darwin Wittrock, Biology
      • They stated that since the last review in 1997 the number of faculty in Music Therapy has been reduced to a single faculty member
      • One faculty member handling the program requires extraordinary effort
      • She has a heavy teaching load  of 11 courses this semester and 14 courses last semester
      • With a single faculty member in this program there is concern that no back-up has been formalized
      • What should happen if the faculty member is unable to meet the obligations of the job
    • Many students are concerned that  with a single faculty member in their program that they are getting only this persons view of Music Therapy
    • Students are not exposed  to other views until their internship
    • Students state that a major weakness in this program is lack of resources
    • 6 months later UWEC was visited by the National Association of Schools of Music and as part of their accreditation visit they reviewed Music Therapy
    • In their visitors report they stated that there needs to be serious thought about the Music Therapy program, if retained
      • This program needs to report to the head of the Music Unit and the curriculum must be in sync with the standards as detailed in the NASM handbook
      • If that cannot be accomplished then the Music Therapy program should cease to exist under that title
      • There may be a desire to have Expressive Therapy program, rather than a Music Therapy program, and it may be appropriate to discontinue the Music Therapy program and not have something in its place
      • There may be a desire to upgrade the Music Therapy program and work to make this program a considerable distinction in the Music Unit, if so additional faculty member(s) will be needed to properly staff the numerous course offerings and observations that are part of this degree program
      • Whatever course of action, it is clear to the visitors that the current situation needs to be addressed one way or another
    • It was at this point that Provost Tallant asked to have the Music Therapy program realigned and moved from the College of Arts & Sciences to the Department of Music and Theatre Arts
    • Need to find resources to add to this position or eliminate it
    • This is not a central mission of that department
    • The department voted not to give resources
      • The Dean has made the recommendation to eliminate this program
      • College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Council supported closing this program
      • This is not an easy decision
      • There is not a perfect answer and there is not a perfect solution
  • It’s not clear that the Department of Music and Theatre arts ever officially voted on the elimination of  this program and the department that houses the program should decide its fate
  • Look into private funding or endowed shares
  • Since the program is currently healthy there doesn’t seem to be any negative consequences in delaying the decision until questions are answered
  • Concerned that today  that we are voting to eliminate a viable and unique program at UWEC before we have all the data needed to make an informed decision
  • If the program is eliminated today it will be gone forever so we should explore all possibilities before voting
  • Dr. Robert Knight, Department Chair - Music and Theatre Arts
    • The motion before you is not just about the elimination of Music Therapy program but also about position reallocation
    • Two discussions between departmental faculty  and Dean Christian as well as two formal were all in favor of not reallocating an open  position to Music Therapy
      • Last vote being 19-0
    • Do not assume that the first position need of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts is Music Therapy because it is not
    • First on the departmental position wish list has been a theatre position that will teach both costuming and other course that handle costume design for University Theatre
      • The loss of that position in 1995 has caused theatre majors and minors to travel a path best described as convoluted on the way to their degree
      • That position would also be one piece needed to offer a performing arts degree, an  approved degree plan, integrating theatre, dance and music that has been sitting on campus for over 5 years due to resource and facility considerations
    • Second, would be any of the applied instruments currently taught by no intent to renew faculty with percentages ranging from 24%-43%
      • Each of the areas taught by the seven IAS faculty and department are at a disadvantage in recruiting by not having full-time faculty available
    • Third, would be a jazz pianist/accompany coach/staff accompanist a keyboard position that may be partially addressed by the current keyboard position search
    • With 4 jazz bands, 28 active student accompanists,  and 18 performing faculty  the need for such a position is obvious
      • Other departments our size and many significantly smaller have staff accompanists
    • Any of the positions mentioned would have an impact on dozens of students as well on the amounts and kinds of outreach the department offers
    • The Department of Music and Theatre Arts presents approximately 200 on-campus concerts, recitals, theatrical productions and dance recitals annually
      • Roughly 80% are free of charge to students and the public
    • The department presents 50 concerts off-campus
      • offered by faculty ensembles, soloists and touring student ensembles
      • includes the Touring Theatre and Opera on Wheels, which specifically target elementary and middle school audiences, many of which are in disadvantaged school districts
    • Departmental faculty present over 50 clinics each year for area high schools
    • Tens of thousands of people throughout the state and Midwest enjoy the arts experiences presented by the students and faculty of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts
      • Recently including a very enthusiastic audience at St. Peters Square in Rome
    • All of those outreach locations reflect the departments place as the largest undergraduate program in music in Wisconsin
      • Last year, Music admitted only 35% of the over 240 that auditioned at UWEC
    • So, the reallocation question remains, if you vote to retain the program then where would the position come from
      • It is clear that any reallocation must come from within the College of Art & Sciences
      • If the department must reallocate the position internally then the department, despite having other needs more urgent as mentioned previously, would have to decide which of the four current searches to close in order to reallocate the position
        • One of the two Theatre searches: if we close this search then effectively there is no Theatre major
        • The Cello search: then there would be only a single full-time faculty member and the University Symphony Orchestra would die a slow death due to lack of faculty support and recruiting
        • The Keyboard search: but what about every music major and minor that is required to pass a piano proficiency exam.
          • The total number of music majors and minors in the department is directly tied to the number of students that are provided keyboard skills.
          • The keyboard area lost 60% of a position 5 years ago, but the area has managed to accommodate the over 21% increase in majors that the department has had in the last 7 years
          • Would cause the department to shrink by approximately 40-50 majors
          • Last semester the Department kicked off its campaign to become an All Steinway school, with a goal of replacing all 90 aging and/or obsolete keyboard instruments and providing an endowment for maintenance and replacement of those instruments in the future. What message would UWEC be sending to the many generous donors that support the departments work
    • We cannot be all things to all people so I hope you don’t demand that Music &Theatre Arts do so
    • 380 Music majors and minors, 100 Theatre majors and minors, 15 Dance minors and over 250 non-majors that learn, research , compose, act , play and sing in the departments classes and ensembles will be effected by your vote so please consider carefully
  • The experts say that this program is not sustainable because if something were to happen to Professor Rasar
  • There has not been any individuals that have offered money to this institution for the Music Therapy program
  • If there were an endowment tomorrow that would change things, because as stated earlier this is a resource issue, but that hasn’t happened
  • Outcome on voting to sustain
    • If directed by the Chancellor to sustain the program reallocation will come from the College of Arts & Sciences
    • The decision on where it will come from is up to the Dean and the Chairs of the college
  • The variables in this situation are not going to change so a decision needs to be made
  • A program sustained by one member is a bad precedent to set
  • The Music Therapy chronology does point out that the curriculum was revised to be taught by one faculty person in 2004
    • Concerning that the curriculum was redesigned for one person but now we are saying that one person cannot teach that curriculum
    • Perhaps that may have been the more appropriate time to make this difficult decision
  • Could this program be a benefit for other programs and can it create cross disciplinary connections
  • A question we should ask ourselves is why initially was Music Therapy chosen to be cut as the same thing can be said of a person in Psychology
  • There was never an evaluation of Music Therapy versus other programs
  • Professor Rasar does have her Masters in Music Education and Music Education is the largest degree plan for most students so she will be redirected somewhere in the Music Department if the Music Therapy program is eliminated
  • Students will continue to finish their degree as planned
  • The College of Arts & Sciences is currently about 25 faculty understaffed
  • The Chairs in the College have made the decision to not reallocate
  • The primary goal within the College is to staff the critical general education courses that every student at the University needs
  • If you vote to retain the Music Therapy program it would not support the 100 or 200 level classes and therefore you are saying that it is more important than the needs of the College
  • Why not move out of the College of Arts & sciences and back into the College of Nursing and Health Sciences
    • The decision was based on accreditation
    • One has to consider that there would be no more resources in Nursing
    • The same issue will arise
  • Suggestion of hiring Instructional Academic Staff and Dale Taylor as part-time person
  • Presto Industries/Phillips Foundation have been consistent donors to the Department for many years  but have never intended to fund any single large scale item
  • Voted against action on Academic Policies Committee and did so not because of the quality of the program but because it is the responsibility of the people proposing the elimination of the program to make their case and they didn’t make the case
  • It is not clear that all the stake holders who are bound by the process have had to check in
  • There could be other places where resources could be moved
  • Always phrased as strictly a resource issue but never had a discussion within the Department
  • Student Senate
    • In support of retaining program
    • Believes that there are many questions raised but not being answered
    • You cannot make informed decision
    • Other options have not yet been found
    • Students overwhelmingly support this program
    • If the program is eliminated, it will never come back
    • Only University in Wisconsin to have this program
  • Minimal entry level of training is a bachelor’s degree with board certification
  • Underlying assumption is that there needs to be another faculty member  but why is one not enough
  • If one isn’t enough then why have we never been told in confidence from Administration that others wouldn’t be next
  • Concerned about the significance of  the program supported by one person
  • Concern about the process
    • In  2006 when the National Association of Schools of Music came to UWEC to review the music program some incorrect information was given
    • A letter dated August 23, 2006 from the American Music Therapy Association addressed to our institution references the fact that misinformation may have been given and requested that Administration address these concerns
    • They stated that The American Music Therapy Association is very proud of this excellent Bachelor of Music Therapy degree program
    • Some of the documents provided to our Administration  addressing the concerns in this information have yet to be officially submitted to the National Association of Schools of Music; the very entity whose report of recommendation prompted the motion before us today
    • In a University-wide memo distributed April 2007 titled UWEC announces program changes to the Music Therapy program - the following statement was made: The long term future of the Music Therapy program remains under discussion relative to Strategic Planning and the College of Arts & Sciences - A new University-wide Strategic plan initiative
    • The current draft of the Strategic Plan, page 10, states that we will both evaluate how we currently allocate our human resources, identify ways in which we can create new positions, and more challengingly, but essential reallocate positions in support of our goals. This must, of necessity, be done in conjunction with our assessment of financial and programmatic change
    • We will collaboratively develop a transparent, fair program review process that will evaluate programs in light of such principals as mission centrality, quality, size of enrollment and cost/revenue
    • I wonder if today’s discussion were held once the Strategic Plan is solid and that the approved criteria established to evaluate programs in place would the decision be the same
    • It has been stated multiple times that the quality of the current program is not the question but the ability to financially support is the question.  Is this the sole criteria that we want to use to determine continuation of the program
    • Page 11 of our Strategic Plan suggests that we treat all campus, financial , physical and human resources as “in play” for alignment with university priorities
    • Why was this placed solely on the Shoulders of Dean Christian and the Department of Music and Theatre Arts
    • In the future once a program is evaluated and found to be in support of the goals of the university will funding such a program be the sole responsibility for that unit will it will be housed or will all available resources be truly “in play”
    • Concerned about how the faculty say that they have been ignored
    • The governance process is being seen as a formality rather than an important process
    • In a letter dated January 10, 2008 the Executive Director of the National Association of Schools of Music provided the Executive Director of the American Music Therapy Association with a list of schools and programs that were either approved for renewal of Membership, received a plan approval or received final approval for listing during the November 2007 meeting of the NASM commission on accreditation. In that letter the Bachelor of Music Therapy program at UWEC is listed as program being discontinued
    • How is the program that we are voting on today already listed as being discontinued
    • Is today’s voting just a matter of going through the motions
    • Does the voice of the faculty or governance process have little meaning
    • Given that we have yet to firm up the goals of the Strategic Plan; we have not established set criteria for identifying which programs should be enhanced or eliminated; the current program of Music Therapy is recognized as a quality program  and functions with only one faculty member, although such an arrangement is acknowledged as not being ideal; and given that the funding to support such a faculty member will not change as the current faculty member is tenured and will continue as part of this institution regardless of the decision today;  it is

MOVED and seconded that the vote on this motion be postponed until criteria for identifying which programs will be enhanced, continued or eliminated as established through the governance process and that programs on campus, including Music Therapy program be evaluated using that process, and that the steps be taken to convey to students and the national organizations the correct status of the program at this time

 

Debate on motion to postpone

  • National Association of Schools of Music gave a list of updates that the Music Therapy program was being discontinued but UWEC never had any conversation telling them that the program was being discontinued
    • Have paperwork showing NASM that it is currently going through the shared governance process
    • Chancellor asked for documentation on how they received that information and they could not find any data or documentation
    • Asked NASM to rescind the remark that the UWEC Music Therapy program is being discontinued and NASM said that they would
  • If we are going to keep the program then UWEC will need to add to it
  • Because the program and process has gone on for the length of time that it already has and the faculty member is already tenured there is no harm in postponing
  • Information seems to be lacking and it is not harmful to get more information about process and alternatives
  • Should be maintained as clearly a need for additional faculty support
  • Need to have a process that people have confidence in
  • There wouldn’t be harm in sustaining the program and review it when we review other programs as the criteria is then the same
  • Motion is stating that all departments/programs will be evaluated prior to making the decision to eliminate the Music Therapy program
  • Motion requests synoptic view of departments/programs
  • The action that the Chancellor/Provost made with NASM moves all of our degree programs from being accredited back into deferred status until the status of this degree program is determined
  • The College will continue to have searches but the current searches are held up so it could possibly be used for Music Therapy
  • Each year positions are twisting in the wind for this particular program
  • The reviews are not going to happen all at the same time
  • Accreditation will continue but our final accreditation is deferred until this issue is resolved
    • That is not uncommon
    • January 8, 2008 there was an email stating that the programs are accredited
    • As a result of the discussions the Chancellor and Provost have had with the NASM, NASM agreed to change the language and with that change our accreditation goes back into deferral
  • A book by Peter Dickenson states it will take approximately 1 year to complete the reviews
  • A vote taken to not abolish Music Therapy is resolution in terms of accreditation
  • Haven’t been convinced that program is of less value than other programs
  • The program should be eliminated by value not budget reasons
  • Suggestion that the Chancellor have a community round table discussion related to this issue in the community

 

 MOTION by Senator Hooper that we move the previous question seconded and PASSED by two-thirds vote.

Vote on Motion to postpone: Motion failed

Discussion

  • Are we certain that this of all the programs is on the bottom of the list
  • One program should not be on the chopping block

MOTION by Senator Jol that we move the previous question seconded and passed by two-thirds vote.

 

Vote on Motion 44-AP-04: Motion PASSED by University Faculty Senators

 

  1. New Business

Special Election: Replacement of vacancy on Academic Policies Committee

  • Nominee:  Susan Harrison
  • Nominee from the floor:  Nicholas Smiar

MOTION to close nominations: PASSED

Elected as the Replacement Vacancy on Academic Policies Committee: Susan Harrison

  1. University Senate Chair’s/Faculty Representative’s Report – Senator Wood
  • Postponed
  1. Academic Staff Representative’s Report – Senator Brockpahler
  • Postponed
  1. Reportable items from Committees
  • Executive Committee –  Chair Wood
    • None
  • Faculty Personnel Committee – Senator McAleer
    • None
  • Academic Staff Personnel Committee – Senator Brockpahler
    • None
  • Academic Policies Committee – Senator Hollon
    • None
  • Compensation Committee – Vice Chair Gapko
    • None
  • Nominating Committee – Senator Don
    • None
  1. Special Reports
  • None
  1. Miscellaneous Business
  • None
  1. Announcements
  • None

 

Without objection, meeting adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

Submitted by,

Tanya Kenney
Secretary to the University Senate

Excellence. Our Measure. Our Motto. Our Goal.