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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE

UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING

VOL. 44, NO. 12

 

May 6, 2008

 

 

Members Present:

Ned Beach, Judy Blackstone, Janice Bogstad, Jacqueline Bonneville, January Boten, Jennifer Brockpahler, Michael Carney, Patrick Day, Margaret Devine, Gary Don, Jeff Erger, Martha Fay, Leslie Foster, Mitchell Freymiller, Andrea Gapko, Susan Harrison, Ann Hoffman, Robert Hollon, Rosemary Jadack, Jeffrey Janot, Debra Jansen, Dale Johnson, Lia Johnson, Harry Jol, Fred Kolb, Heather Kretz, Brian Levin-Stankevich, Bruce Lo, Barbara Lozar, Carmen Manning, Sean McAleer, Sue Moore, Mike Morrison, Jill Pastrana, Geoffrey Peterson, Donna Raleigh, Rick Richmond, Sherrie Serros, Earl Shoemaker, Jeanne Skoug, Nick Smiar, Linda Spaeth, Steve Tallant, Charles Tomkovick, Charles Vue, Scott Whitfield, Marty Wood, Deborah Wright

 

 

 

Members Absent:

Robin Baker, Rose Battalio, Barbara Davis, Larry Honl, Robert Hooper, Amanda Krier, Lisa La Salle, Kate Lang, David Lonzarich, Brian Mahoney, Karl Markgraf, Tarique Niazi, Jill Prushiek, Scott Robertson, Mehdi Sheikholeslami, Laurie St. Aubin-Whelihan, Troy Terhark, Sharon Westphal, Rebecca Wurzer

 

Guests:

Linda Carpenter, Margaret Cassidy, Donald Christian, Bernard Duyfhuizen, Chip Eckardt, Gene Leisz, Andrew Phillips, Matt Oates, John Pollitz, Gail Scukanec,  Andrew Soll, Michael Weil

 

 

 

The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order by Chair Wood at 3:03 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center.

 

1. Minutes of April 22, 2008 University Senate meeting approved as distributed

  • Approved as distributed

                                                                   

2. Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Levin-Stankevich

  • Emergency Notification System
    • This Thursday between 2:00 -2:30 p.m. there will be a test of the emergency notification system
    • An email with details will be sent out today
    • Keep cell phones on vibrate
    • Although it may be contrary to policy please allow cell phones to be on in order to see if the cell towers can handle it
  • Presentation of Strategic Plan
    • Senators should have received digital copy
    • This has been a Herculean task
    • This is the envy of many institutions
    • Committed to implementing this plan
    • We have an ambitious vision
    • We want to be the premier undergraduate learning community in the Upper Midwest
    • UWEC is at the top of almost any pack of schools that could be put together
    • Advance copies will be given to the student leadership
    • Meeting with community leaders on the Strategic Plan and when they are reading it they seem to love the ambitiousness and boldness of it
    • Like that UWEC is saying how good we are
    • Will not be printing many hard copies
    • Rather than stipulating a set percentage in the International/Multicultural experience the Strategic Plan it will state that UWEC would like to see all students have an International/Multicultural experience
    • Many ambitious and bold goals
    • Some goals will start this summer and some are already underway
    • Establish and create a Strategic Initiative Fund out of the planning reserves that we have available at the University
    • One time funding for start-up ideas or programs
    • Climate commitment and our biggest hurdles and obstacles
    • Presentation coming shortly regarding a green house gas emission study and carbon foot print study for the campus
    • Formal report following
    • Need to see what our obstacles are in order to see how we can decrease our carbon footprint
    • Have long term and short term goals to address greenhouse gas emissions
    • Small advisory group formed to look at the study and to see where we are now and where initiatives can be created
    • Who and what areas may be interested in being involved
    • Create opportunities for organizing our efforts
    • Over time would like to see more involvement
    • Full report at the Blugold Breakfast in the fall
    • Academic and Service Program Review
      • Headed by Steve Tallant and Andy Soll
      • Will do it when everyone is back in the fall
      • Look at various criteria that we want to use and what we want to come out of it
      • Everyone to see a role for themselves
    • Intentional learning and intentional teaching
    • $100,000 gift for Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning
      • Will be used to create a new teaching and learning center
      • Provides professional development for faculty and staff
        • Exclusive focus on improving student learning environment both in and out of classroom
        • Elevate importance and increase the programming available for the cultivation of intentional educators
        • Increase faculty and staff participation in professional development programs
      • Anticipate that it will be up and running for fall
    • Thanks to all the members of the work groups
      • Chairs, Directors, Deans and Vice Chancellors who have supported planning efforts and provided advice and consult
      • Members of the University Planning Committee
        • Wrote a concise, beautiful, and elegant statement of what we are trying to achieve
    • Budget process task force
      • Presented the report to Chancellor last week
      • Represents a way to move incrementally on how we get to where the Strategic Plan says we want to be
      • Recommendation echoes that of the UPC
      • Thanks to members of the task force

 

3. Unfinished Business

 

A. Second Reading – Motion from Academic Staff Personnel Committee: Revised Promotion Eligibility to Senior Level

 

Continued Debate

  • None

 

 

Vote on Motion 44-AS-02: Motion PASSED by University Faculty Senators without dissention

 

B. Second Reading – Motion from Faculty Personnel Committee: Motion to Clarify Grievance Procedures

 

Continued Debate

  • Positive responses from the Committee as they support the changes
  • Concern about the combination of this item with a previously passed motion
  • Strong concern to peoples access to grievance process beyond the college
  • Grievance process should not be seen as another avenue of appeal
  • Grievance cannot be filed if covered by other personnel rules
  • Clearly says that only working conditions can be grieved
  • Tenure and promotion are two separate actions
  • Promotion is local policy
  • Did have policy that said if your DCP was approved for promotion and a higher level denied it then you could not appeal it until it happened two years in a row
  • The proposed motion states  that anybody that goes up for promotion with the DCP saying yes for the promotion then at a higher level saying  no to the promotion you then have a right to appeal it immediately
  • No positions about what happens if the Dean supports the Chair
  • No criteria for what could go to a different place
  • Nothing in the language that says that it is covered by personnel rules or rules for appealing promotion
  • If a clearly stated procedure is not followed then it is lawsuit time not grievance time
  • Was there a pattern or an animosity between you and the Chair, something that doesn’t  come down to “you just weren’t ready for promotion”  but more an unfairness
  • Shouldn’t be an avenue to get your case heard again
  • Possible clarification stating not using the grievance for appealing decisions versus appealing process used to make that decision
  • Don’t think the proposed language separates that
  • Language doesn’t preclude
  • Committee found that less is more
  • Examples of decisions should not be grieved but process used to make that decision was not followed per guidelines
  • This motion excludes the grievance process from being available to any personnel decision
  • Appeal is about the substance of judgment made
  • Grievance is something done unfairly
  • Grievance is discriminatory act or violations of procedure
  • Nothing to specify in the previously passed language how a person could take that forward through a grievance action
  • Clarification would help

 

 

Motion by Senator Harrison that this be referred back to Faculty Personnel Committee seconded and PASSED by two-thirds vote

 

 

C. Second Reading – Motion from Faculty Personnel Committee: Motion on Post-tenure Review FASH 5.29

 

Continued Debate

  • None

 

Vote on Motion 44-FP-04: Motion PASSED by University Faculty Senators without dissention

 

D. Second Reading – Motion from Academic Policies Committee: Motion that a Proposal for authorization to Implement a Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree and Liberal Studies Comprehensive Major be approved

 

Continued Debate

  • Support this as this is what UWEC should be doing
  • Reaching out to students that we haven’t been able to reach out to in the past

 

Vote on Motion 44-AP-05: Motion PASSED by University Faculty Senators without dissention

 

E. Second Reading – Motion from Academic Policies Committee: Motion that a LS (Liberal Studies) Course Prefix and inclusion of the LS prefix in GE Categories IC, IIF, IIIG, and V be established

 

Continued Debate

  • None

 

Vote on Motion 44-AP-06: Motion PASSED by University Faculty Senators without dissention

 

 

4. New Business

Resolution for Advantage Wisconsin: Growing the Research Infrastructure (Library Component)

  • John Pollitz
    • Resolution supporting a System DIN to go to Library information resources
    • Will benefit everyone
    • Not a top down kind of thing as it came from faculty
    • Benefits comprehensive universities
    • Currently not supporting needs of scholarly research
    • Caused by budget issues and that people expect more and more
    • Library directors to come to a better acknowledgement of your  needs and the students needs
    • Motion itself came from the Executive Committee

 

RESOLUTION FOR ADVANTAGE WISCONSIN: 

GROWING THE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE (LIBRARY COMPONENT)

 

 

WHEREAS the lifeblood of academic research is authoritative information and UW System libraries are purveyors of that content; and

 

WHEREAS information is essential in increasing research capacity and productivity across the UW System; and

 

WHEREAS information sources available “virtually” are essential so that faculty, staff, and students can use them from their computer at work, at school, at home for distance and lifelong learning; and

 

WHEREAS the information marketplace has exploded in response to growth in new areas of knowledge; and

 

WHEREAS the recruitment and retention of talented faculty and students requires that they have access to information resources they need to do their best work; and

 

WHEREAS faculty and student researchers’ contribution to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge contributes to a strong Wisconsin economy; and

 

WHEREAS steep annual inflationary increases have cut into the purchasing power for library resources resulting in the cancellation of scholarly journals and other materials; and

 

WHEREAS UW has received no new funding for the acquisition of library resources since the 1999/01 biennium

 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the UW-Eau Claire University Senate supports the UW System biennial budget request for funding for UW Libraries to increase electronic access to scholarly information to benefit students, faculty/staff and all Wisconsin residents.

 

Debate

  • Library provides Philosophers Index and professional search tools
  • Already do cooperative purchases with system funding and this in particular funds this
  • Trying to fund various programs (such as the sciences) in which we cannot keep up with the periodical costs
  • Institution would not have to pay out of its money as it is purchased cooperatively
  • Would not need to cancel the Philosophers Index or professional search tools
  • Can do it economically as a central fund but not individually
  • Too early to say that it would save money

 

MOTION by Senator Harrison that we suspend the rules to vote on this today seconded and PASSED without dissention

 

Continued Debate on Motion

  • None

 

Vote on Motion 44-EC-01: Motion PASSED without dissention 

5. University Senate Chair’s/Faculty Representative’s Report – Senator Wood

  • Will send out a longer report via email
  • At Faculty and Academic Staff Representatives meeting last week myself and Laurie St. Aubin-Whelihan attended
  • Attest that entire meeting was about the crisis in salaries
  • Reilly announced that he will form a commission to study salaries for all faculty and academic staff alike
  • Not interested in those plans that separate faculty and academic staff
  • We cannot ignore this any longer
  • Hearing the same thing from Chancellors and Provosts
  • Nothing in writing but they appear to be listening to this concern

 

 

6. Academic Staff Representative’s Report – Senator Brockpahler

  • None

 

7. Reportable items from Committees

  • None

8. Special Reports

  • None

9. Miscellaneous Business

  • None

 

10. Announcements

  • Transformational learning will sponsor several book discussions using Patricia Cranton’s new edition of “Understanding and Promoting Transformational Learning”
    • One of the discussions will be held over the summer as well as others this fall
    • Information will be forwarded by CETL (or net)
    • Participants will receive a copy of the book
  • Wisconsin Women in Higher Education will have a celebration so please feel free to join us

 

 

Without objection, meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

 

Submitted by,

 

Tanya Kenney

Secretary to the University Senate

 

 

Excellence. Our Measure. Our Motto. Our Goal.