Oakland University Senate
February 20, 1968
Agenda
To: Members of the University Senate
From: Donald D. O'Dowd, for the Steering Committee
Re: Agenda for the Meeting of February 20, 1968
The next meeting of the Senate will be held on Tuesday, February 20, at 3:30 p.m. in Gold Room A, Oakland Center.
Brief reports of committee activities will be presented by Mr. Howes, chairman of the Student Life Commission; Mr. Tomboulian, chairman of the Graduate Study Committee; and Mr. Harding, chairman of the Research Committee.
A. Old Business
1. Recommendation from the Steering Committee acting on behalf of the Placement Council. (Mr. O'Dowd)
The Placement Council recommends that the University Senate express its grave concern about the actions of General Hershey encouraging local Selective Service Boards to take punitive action toward students who express disagreement and dissent with military recruiting practices. The Senate may do this by adopting the following resolution and sending copies of it to General Hershey, President Johnson, and the U.S. Senators and Representatives from the State of Michigan.
a. THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED BY THE LETTER SENT BY GENERAL LEWIS B. HERSHEY TO LOCAL SELECTIVE SERVICE BOARDS ON OCTOBER 26, 1967, IN WHICH IT WAS IMPLIED THAT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS MAY BE RECLASSIFIED FOR EXPRESSING DISAGREEMENT WITH MILITARY RECRUITING PRACTICES. SUBSEQUENT PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY GENERAL HERSHEY HAVE AMPLIFIED THIS INTERPRETATION OF THE ORIGINAL LETTER AND DEEPENED ITS IMPLICATIONS. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS LETTER, BY ITS VERY IMPRECISE WORDING, ENDANGERS THE ESTABLISHED PRIVILEGE OF STUDENTS TO EXPRESS VIGOROUS DISSENT ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS. IN EFFECT, IT IS AN ATTACK ON THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION THAT IS CENTRAL TO THE CONCEPT OF THE MODERN UNIVERSITY. WE URGENTLY REQUEST THAT THE LETTER BE WITHDRAWN AND STUDENTS BE RELIEVED OF A REPRESSIVE THREAT OF REPRISAL FOR LEGAL EXPRESSIONS OF DISAGREEMENT.
The following amendment changing the first sentence of the motion has been moved and seconded:
Add the phrase AS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY after the words "OAKLAND UNIVERSITY" in the first line of the main motion.
2. Recommendation from the Academic Policy Committee. (Mr. Burke)
The committee wishes to recommend that the following policy, amended after the first reading, be adopted by the Senate:
a. ALL TRIPS BY OFFICIALLY SPONSORED ACTIVITIES WHICH REQUIRE STUDENTS TO MISS CLASSES MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS; No ONE ACTIVITY MAY SCHEDULE TRIPS INVOLVING MORE THAN A TOTAL OF FIVE CLASS DAYS IN ANY ONE SEMESTER.
(Comment: This could be one week-long trip, as the Oakland Singers propose, or several shorter ones.)
Replace Condition 2 in the original motion with the following:
2) IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH PARTICIPATING STUDENT TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THE PROPOSED TRIP IS COMPATIBLE WITH HIS ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITIES, AND TO MAKE ANY NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS WITH HIS INSTRUCTORS.
The original wording of Condition 2 is as follows:
For any trip involving three or more class days, each student must submit to the director of the activity a note from the instructor of each course affected, to the effect that the requirements of the course can still be met by students going on the trip.
Comment: This will make the planning of trips somewhat more difficult for directors of activities than our earlier proposal, but the Committee was persuaded by the discussion at the last Senate meeting that the gain in liberalism would outweigh the loss in convenience.
3) IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SOME CONTROL ON THE NUMBER OF SUCH TRIPS, THE DEAN OF STUDENTS SHOULD BE INFORMED OF EACH ONE WELL IN ADVANCE, AND WILL MAKE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE*
General comment: The intention of the legislation is to encourage the development of groups like the Oakland Singers, while protecting both students and faculty against undue interference with course work. There may well be courses�Mr. Hetenyi has already informed us that ED 455, student teaching, is one of them�from which a student simply cannot be excused for a week. Ideally, each student contemplating a trip should receive preliminary clearance from his instructors at the beginning of that semester.
The following amendment to the original motion was moved and seconded at the first reading;
OMIT CONDITION 2 and change condition 3 to read: In order to maintain control of the number of such trips, the Dean of Students should be informed of each one well in advance, and SHOULD INFORM THE STUDENT'S INSTRUCTOR AND make an annual report to the Academic Policy Committee. (The underlined words constitute the addition�the word, "will," was omitted.)
3. Recommendation from the Ad Hoc Senate Visitor Policy Committee. (Mrs. White)
The Senate Visitor Policy Committee urges the adoption of the following motion:
a. MEETINGS OF THE SENATE ARE OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE ELECTORATE. THEY ARE NOT OPEN TO ANY NON-MEMBER EXCEPT BY SPECIAL ACTION OF THE SENATE.
b. NON-SENATORS MAY NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY DISCUSSION OF THE SENATE EXCEPT BY SPECIAL ACTION OF THE SENATE OR BY RECOGNITION FROM THE CHAIR.
c. ANY SENATOR MAY MOVE AT ANY TIME THAT THE OPEN SESSION BE ADJOURNED AND THAT THE SENATE RECONVENE IN EXECUTIVE (CLOSED) SESSION AFTER THE NECESSARY LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO CLEAR THE MEETING ROOM OF ALL NON-SENATORS. THIS MOTION MAY BE CARRIED BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF SENATORS PRESENT AND VOTING.
d. THE CHANCELLOR AS PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE SENATE MAY REQUEST A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION AT ANY TIME AS OUTLINED IN 3 ABOVE.
An amendment has been moved and seconded to add the words, OR INVITATION OF THE CHANCELLOR., at the end of item a. above.
The following rationale is submitted by the committee in support of the foregoing motion:
a. The committee could not convince itself that it would ever be proper to exclude some members of the electorate from meetings while permitting others to attend. The fine graduation of discriminations necessary to satisfactorily resolve this one point would seem insurmountable or at least so time consuming that it would not be worth the effort. It was, therefore, decided that under normal conditions interested members of the electorate should be permitted to attend meetings of the Senate.
b. The committee is fully aware of the present burgeoning size of the electorate and assumes that certain limitations are implicit in room size, or the number of seats, or some such physical constraints peculiar to the space chosen for a given meeting. In cases where these limitations become apparent, the first visitors present should be entitled to remain. Later arriving visitors, who obviously cannot be accommodated by reason of physical limitations of the meeting room, can be rightfully excluded.
c. The committee considered the fact that, conceivably, members of the electorate could also be members of staffs of various publications normally accepted as part of the University community. Even in view of this, the committee did not feel that it could limit attendance of certain members of the electorate while permitting others to attend. However, there are valid arguments for excluding members of the public press from the discussions of any deliberative body. The exclusion of non-members of the Senate electorate would seem to be sufficient safeguard here.
d. The committee strongly urges the adoption of the motion. It feels it is in keeping with the spirit that prompted the Constitution Commission to include student representation on the Senate, The constitution that creates the Senate goes by the title of "The Constitution of Oakland University." The very title implies a broad constituency of people concerned about the welfare of the Institution. The Senate so created. likewise is known as the "University Senate." This title again emphasizes the breadth of the constituency. Your committee urges adoption of this motion at this time so as not to impugn in any way the intent of the framers of the constitution when they chose these titles.
B. New Business
1. Recommendation from the Steering Committee. (Mr. O'Dowd) The Steering Committee wishes to recommend that Miss Nancy L. Bryant, an undergraduate student, be appointed to the Student Publications Committee. Miss Bryant's nomination originated with the ad hoc Student Nominating Committee.
2. Recommendation from the Academic Policy Committee. (Mr. Burke)
The Academic Policy Committee recommends that the catalog passage describing the Freshman Exploratory requirement (now on p.54) be changed to read as follows:
a. "EACH STUDENT, UNLESS HE HAS TRANSFERRED EQUIVALENT CREDITS FROM ANOTHER INSTITUTION, SHOULD TAKE ONE FRESHMAN EXPLORATORY IN EACH OF HIS FIRST TWO SEMESTERS, chosen from the following groups (no two may be chosen from the same group): Literature, Western Institutions, Fine Arts, Man and Contemporary Society, Non-Western Civilization and Natural Science. ANY STUDENT WHO HAS NOT SATISFACTORILY COMPLETED TWO EXPLORATORIES IN HIS FIRST THREE SEMESTERS IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO CONTINUE AS AN ENROLLED STUDENT EXCEPT BY SPECIAL ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC STANDING. Successful completion of two exploratories satisfies the University writing competency requirement, NO STUDENT MAY RECEIVE CREDIT FOR MORE THAN TWO EXPLORATORIES, INCLUDING EQUIVALENT CREDITS FOR COURSES TAKEN AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS."
The words in upper case letters are changed from the present version, which is reproduced here for your convenience:
"All students must take within their first three semesters two exploratories chosen from the following groups (no two may be chosen from the same group): Literature, Western Institutions, Fine Arts, Man and Contemporary Society, Non-Western Civilization and Natural Science. Successful completion of two exploratories satisfies the University writing competency requirement. Freshman exploration should not be taken by transfer students with credit in composition from another Institution."
Note: In order to keep our use of words consistent, the word "take" in sentence 1 of paragraph ft on p.23 of the catalog should be changed to "complete."
Comment: It was the intention of the Committee to formulate a regulation which will insure that students required to take two Exploratories will schedule and, if at all possible, satisfactorily complete these during their first two semesters at Oakland. The regulation also seeks to limit extensions or postponements granted for good cause to just one semester. Any longer extensions would require favorable action on a petition of exception. The understanding of the Committee is that all three points represent a clarification and tightening of our present policy on the Freshman Exploratories rather than a change of policy.
3. Recommendation from the Graduate Study Committee. (Mr. Tomboulian)
The Graduate Study Committee endorses the request of the School of Education for a re-labeling of Its M.A.T. degree and recommends that the Senate endorse the following:
THE M.A.T. IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION WITH CONCENTRATIONS IN CLASSROOM TEACHING AND READING INSTRUCTION SHOULD BE RE-LABELING: 1) M.A.T,�ELEMENTARY EDUCATION, AND 2) M.A.T.�READING INSTRUCTION.
Comment: (supplied by Mr. Hetenyi) The change in designation does not represent a change In program content, nor does it reflect a dissatisfaction with the way in which the program has been operating. A new degree title, and hence a separate designation of the program leading to the degree, has a number of virtues. First, the proposed designation describes more accurately than the current one the actual content of the program. Secondly, graduates who earn this degree will find the new designation advantageous in obtaining the kind of professional assignments for which they prepared themselves. Thirdly, the new title would serve to remove a deterrent which currently keeps teachers of the upper grades, especially in junior high school, from enrolling in the program. Finally, the new designation provides a more appropriate label for graduates when their districts seek | special state and federal funds for Reading programs.
4. Recommendation from the Steering Committee. (Mr. O'Dowd) This recommendation concerning candidates for honorary degrees at the April 1968 Commencement will be presented verbally at the meeting.
5. Report of Steering Committee Activities. (Mr. O'Dowd)
a. A Senate Elections Committee consisting of Messrs, Langer, Linsalata, Johnson, ex officio and Kleckner, chairman, has been appointed by the Steering Committee.
b. The Steering Committee has approved the nominations of the College of Arts and Sciences of Mr. Simmons to take the seat vacated by Mr. Jon Appleton and Mr. Heubel to fill the seat of Mr. Vann who is on leave of absence.
c. The Steering Committee has established an ad hoc Committee on Student Rights consisting of Messrs. Cramer, Richter, Sturner, Wilson, Miss Houtz, and Mr. Simmons, chairman. This committee will examine the implications of the Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students that has been advanced by the AAUP chapter for study by the Senate. The committee is responsible for recommending Senate action on the document.
d. If time is available the Steering Committee would like to hear the views of Senators on the April final examination schedule.