Oakland University Senate
Meeting of January 13, 1970
3 p.m.. Gold Room, Oakland Center
AGENDA
Submitted by William F. Sturner, for the Steering Committee
Please note that the next meeting of the University Senate will be held on Tuesday, January 13, two days earlier than originally planned.
The time and the place of this meeting have also been changed in order to give the senators and other interested members of the university community more time and larger quarters in which to consider the several important items noted below. Thus the Senate will meet promptly at 3 p.m. in the Gold Room, Oakland Center.
Please note that a copy of the charges and membership specifications of constitutional and Senate committees is enclosed with this agenda, as is a listing of the membership of these committees.
The new procedure for disseminating information in the Senate agenda, announced last month, will go into effect with this meeting.
1. A copy of the complete agenda has been forwarded to all members of the Senate.
2. Two copies of the complete agenda have been mailed to the chairman or director of academic and administrative departments. One copy is for the personal use of the chairman or director and the second copy is for posting in the departmental office for the general information of the faculty, staff and students associated with that office.
3. Several copies of the complete agenda have been nailed to the various offices of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Commission on Student Life, the Inter-Hall Council, the Commuter Council, the Student Activities Board, and the student newspapers.
4. A one-page summary agenda has also been mailed to all members of the faculty and the administrative-professional staff, and a copy of the summary agenda will also be posted on all public bulletin boards in the resident halls and classroom-office buildings for the general information of the student body.
The recipient of the summary agenda has been explicitly advised in an introductory paragraph to the summary agenda to contact any of the persons or offices who receive the full agenda if the reader wishes to review the details included in the full agenda or if he or she subsequently wishes to read a copy of the minutes of that same meeting. It is therefore imperative that those who receive copies of the full agenda cooperate fully by making the agenda available to the faculty, administrative personnel, and students associated with their offices or activity" (i.e., posting the complete agenda and thereafter keeping it on file)
5. The minutes of the Senate meetings will continue to be distributed to those who receive the complete Senate agenda. Please note that summary editions of the minutes will not be published.
A. Old Business
1. Recommendation from the Academic Policy Committee (Mr. Hildum)
The Senate is asked to approve the creation of a new University Course. This recommendation was reviewed by the Senate on December 4, 1969, and is presented now for its second reading.
(a) UC 04 UNIVERSITY FORUM (2 CREDITS)
A STUDY OF A SUBJECT OF TOPICAL IMPORTANCE AND INTEREST CONCENTRATING ON A DIFFERENT THEME EACH TERM. VISITING EXPERTS, FILMS, AND CURRENT VIEWS WILL BE ESSENTIAL TO THE COURSE, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO SERVE A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE LECTURE FORMAT.
OPEN TO ANY STUDENT WHO HAS COMPLETED 28 OR MORE CREDITS. MAY BE REPEATED ONCE FOR A TOTAL OF 4 CREDITS.
(b) A STUDENT WITH 4 CREDITS IN THE UNIVERSITY FORUM MAY ELECT NOT TO TAKE THE SENIOR COLLOQUIUM. IF HE ELECTS TO TAKE BOTH THE FORUM AND THE COLLOQUIUM THE FORUM CREDITS MAY BE TREATED AS ELECTIVE CREDITS.
Comment: It is anticipated that the University Forum will be offered in the fall and winter semesters and that class will meet only once a week for the duration of a given semester. The Committee recommends that both the faculty member directing the Forum and the co-director receive released time for coordinating the course; the co-director's job will be to plan the Forum for the following term.
The Committee recommends that a University Forum Committee be created consisting of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences or his deputy (as chairman), the director and co-director, and five students serving for one year. This advisory committee will (1) assist in selecting the theme for each Forum; (2) work with the director in managing the Forum; and (3) assist the chairman in identifying and selecting future directors of the Forum. It is also recommended that the Forum be provided with a secretary and adequate budgetary support.
B. New Business
1. Recommendations from the Academic Standing and Honors Committee
(Mr. McKay)
a. THAT THE THREE MOTIONS PRESENTED BELOW BE APPROVED FOR FINAL VOTE AT THIS MEETING.
b. THAT THE FACULTY OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY NOMINATE FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE, CONFERRED AS OF JANUARY 13, 1970, THE STUDENTS NAMED IN THE LIST DISTRIBUTED AT THIS MEETING.
c. THAT THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY NOMINATE FOR THE MASTER'S DEGREE, CONFERRED AS OF JANUARY 13, 1970, THE STUDENTS NAMED IN THE LIST DISTRIBUTED AT THIS MEETING.
d. THAT UNIVERSITY HONORS BE AWARDED TO THE GRADUATING STUDENTS NAMED IN THE LISTS DISTRIBUTED AT THIS MEETING.
2. Recommendations from the Steering Committee (Mr. Sturner)
a. THAT THE MOTIONS PRESENTED BELOW BE APPROVED FOR FINAL VOTE AT THIS MEETING.
b. That the Senate approve the following resolution of appreciation and good wishes to Chancellor Varner:
WHEREAS, CHANCELLOR DURWARD B. VARNER HAS SERVED OAKLAND UNIVERSITY CREATIVELY AND EFFECTIVELY DURING THE FIRST FORMATIVE TEN YEARS OF ITS LIFE, AND
WHEREAS, CHANCELLOR VARNER HAS BEEN TO THIS UNIVERSITY BOTH FOUNDER AND LEADER DURING ALL THESE YEARS, AND
WHEREAS, AT THE INCEPTION OF THIS UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR VARNER CONTRIBUTED TO ITS PHILOSOPHICAL BASE, FRAMED ITS PRIMARY GOALS, MOTIVATED ITS CHOICE OF DIRECTION, AND SET ITS PACE AND STYLE BOTH BY THE EXERCISE OF INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVES AND THROUGH HIS SELECTION OF THE CHARTER FACULTY AND STAFF, AND
WHEREAS, IN THE YEARS ENSUING CHANCELLOR VARNER HAS MATERIALLY SUSTAINED THE UNIVERSITY IN ITS CHARACTERISTIC MODES AND ASPIRATIONS THROUGH HIS CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO ITS CONCEPTS AND HIS PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN ITS LIFE, AND
WHEREAS, DURING THE TIME OF HIS CHANCELLORSHIP THERE HAS EVOLVED, FROM A ROUGH CLEARING AND AN IDEA, A COMPLEX AND MATURING UNIVERSITY OF SOME SIX THOUSAND STUDENTS, AND
WHEREAS, THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY HAS EXPANDED IN THESE YEARS TO A DIVERSIFIED UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM EMBRACING ARTS AND SCIENCES, EDUCATION, ENGINEERING, PERFORMING ARTS, AND ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT, AND
WHEREAS, THE CURRICULA OF THIS UNIVERSITY, ONCE SOLELY UNDERGRADUATE, NOW COMPRISE A WIDE AND WIDENING SPECTRUM OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS, AND
WHEREAS, CHANCELLOR VARNER HAS GIVEN DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSIC, DANCE, AND DRAMA IN THE CULTURAL LIFE OF THE UNIVERSITY AND OF THE LARGER COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS ROLE IN THE FOUNDATION OF THE MEADOW BROOK MUSIC FESTIVAL AND THE MEADOW BROOK THEATRE, AND
WHEREAS, CHANCELLOR VARNER HAS SEEN, AND HAS CAUSED THIS UNIVERSITY TO SEE THAT INVOLVEMENT IN MANKIND, THROUGH THE ENERGETIC ESPOUSAL OF A RESPONSIBLE ROLE IN URBAN AND COMMUNITY LIFE, WILL BROADEN THE HORIZONS OF LEARNING, AND
WHEREAS, WOODY AND PAULA VARNER ARE HIGHLY ESTEEMED AND WARMLY REGARDED BY ALL IN THIS UNIVERSITY AND WILL BE LONG THOUGHT OF AND KEENLY MISSED IN TIME TO COME:
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY, REPRESENTING THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS,
FIRST, EXPRESS TO CHANCELLOR AND MRS. VARNER ITS GRATITUDE FOR AND APPRECIATION OF TEN YEARS OF SINGULAR DEVOTION AND IMAGINATIVE DIRECTION, AND
SECOND, WISHES AND ANTICIPATES THAT CHANCELLOR AND MRS. VARNER MAY ENJOY SUCCESS, FULFILLMENT, AND GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IN THEIR NEW ROLES AND HIGH RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
c. That the Senate approve the following resolution reaffirming the University's desire for independence and autonomy:
WHEREAS, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS ACCEPTED IN ITS RESOLUTION OF DEC. 12, 1969, THE PRINCIPLE THAT BRANCH CAMPUSES SHOULD BECOME INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND HAS RESOLVED THAT AUTONOMY FOR OAKLAND UNIVERSITY IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN MICHIGAN; AND
WHEREAS, THE RESIGNATION OF CHANCELLOR DURWARD VARNER HAS INAUGURATED A PERIOD OF TRANSITION FOR OAKLAND UNIVERSITY AND HAS INTENSIFIED THE NEED FOR CLEAR AND FIRM DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE STRUCTURE AND AUTHORITY OF THE INSTITUTION; THE UNIVERSITY SENATE HEREBY RESOLVES:
1. THAT OUR DESIRE TO ACHIEVE AUTONOMY IS UNDIMINISHED AND THAT OUR PETITION OF OCTOBER 16, 1969, TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS REAFFIRMED, AND
2. THAT WE NOW RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACT PROMPTLY AND DECISIVELY AND IN CONCERT WITH THE PROPER AUTHORITIES OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO GRANT AUTONOMY TO OAKLAND UNIVERSITY AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE, AND NOT LATER THAN JANUARY 1, 1971.
d. That the Senate approve the following resolution requesting the Board of Trustees to appoint Donald D. O'Dowd as Acting Chancellor of the University:
WHEREAS, THE IMMINENT RESIGNATION OF CHANCELLOR DURWARD VARNER NECESSITATES PROMPT ACTION BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WITH RESPECT TO THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ACTING CHANCELLOR, AND
WHEREAS, SUCH APPOINTMENT IS OF THE GREATEST CONCERN TO THE MEMBERS OF THE OAKLAND UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY AND SHOULD PROPERLY BE MADE WITH AN EXPRESSION OF OPINION BY A BODY REPRESENTING THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS, AND
WHEREAS, THE MAN CHOSEN SHOULD POSSESS THE CHARACTER, THE EXPERIENCE, AND THE ABILITY THAT WILL COMMAND THE RESPECT AND SUPPORT OF THE OAKLAND UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, AND
WHEREAS, IT IS THE JUDGMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY SENATE THAT DONALD D. O'DOWD HAS FULLY DEMONSTRATED THESE QUALITIES IN THE ROLES OF ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR, DEAN, PROVOST AND VICE CHANCELLOR DURING HIS TEN YEARS AT OAKLAND,
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES NAME DONALD D. O'DOWD TO BE ACTING CHANCELLOR OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY.
3. Recommendation from the Academic Policy Committee (Mr. Hildum)
The Committee recommends that the Senate approve a change in the University Distribution Requirements which would substitute a symbolic systems requirement for the present foreign language requirement.
a. THAT THE SENATE APPROVE A UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENT IN SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS TO REPLACE THE PRESENT UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE. THE NEW REQUIREMENT IN SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS WOULD READ AS FOLLOWS:
"ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO GAIN SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE STRUCTURE AND USE OF A SYSTEM OF SYMBOLS OTHER THAN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SATISFIED BY EARNING 8 CREDITS IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
1. TWO COURSES IN ANY ONE FOREIGN LANGUAGE.
2. TWO 4-CREDIT COURSES IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING.
3. ANY 8-CREDIT COMBINATION OF COURSES IN LINGUISTICS, MATHEMATICS, SYMBOLIC LOGIC, OR PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE.
THE COURSES SPECIFIED BY THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE USED SIMULTANEOUSLY TO FULFILL ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY OR DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENT FOR WHICH THEY ARE APPROPRIATE."
b. THE SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT HAVE A SEPARATE HEADING IN THE CATALOG BUT SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF UNIVERSITY DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS.
c. THE VARIOUS COLLEGES ARE ASKED TO MAKE APPROPRIATE CHANGES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CATALOG SECTIONS TO ACCOMMODATE THIS NEW REQUIREMENT.
d. THE APPLICATION OF THE SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS REQUIREMENT SHALL BEGIN WITH THE GRADUATION IN DECEMBER 1970. THIS DELAY IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO ALLOW DEPARTMENTS WISHING TO REQUIRE OF THEIR GRADUATES MORE, OR MORE SPECIFIC COURSES IN THIS AREA TO ENACT THE NECESSARY MAJOR REQUIREMENTS.
Comment: The Academic Policy Committee feels that a number of factors are working to make a change from the two-year foreign language requirement desirable: (1) Many among both faculty and students find our curriculum too prescriptive, limiting the free choice of students and to that extent reducing their motivation to learn. (2) It is clear that a significant number of students are simply serving time in language courses. This includes not only those who have a serious, though little understood, disability for foreign languages, but a much larger number who are simply not interested. Even more than most other areas of knowledge, languages require a private willingness to use them or they fade rapidly. (3) Many of our departments are now prepared to say that extensive foreign language training makes no particular contribution to their specialty. In the absence of Senate action, we could anticipate separatist movements that would make life pointlessly complicated for the half (or more) of our students who change majors in mid-career. (4) Increasing enrollments press most severely on courses which, like those in foreign languages, require small sections. Faculty expansion to meet such special demands leads to oversized departments with limited choice of teaching assignments. We have already moved to avoid this development in the writing area by the introduction of the freshman exploratory program.
In changing the requirement, ARC wanted to reduce the amount of prescription in the curriculum, but at the same time to preserve those values we found most essential in the old requirement. We take it that its foremost contribution, as distinct from the results of a history, literature or area studies course, is in drawing the student outside of his own system of symbols. Even if details should later desert him, he has found another form of expression, and in the process has understood a little better the nature of symbols and the structure of his own language, together with its basic arbitrariness. While the time-honored and most complex form of such learning is a second natural language, it would seen that the other formal systems examined in the courses listed above will serve as well, and with the advantage of heightened motivation for many students.
APC wishes to emphasize that this legislation is not intended as an isolated action, but is rather an urgent first step in what we hope to make a general revision of curriculum.
A note on jurisdiction: Although alternative readings of the present foreign language requirement are semantically justified, the APC, on historical evidence, takes it that the earlier Senate legislation placed it concurrent with, if not clearly under, the university course requirements, intending only those variations between departments set up by categories in that legislation, or by the desires of particular departments to be more stringent. Under that reading, the present change is clearly within APC's province. For reasons of efficiency stated above, we wish to maintain a university-wide standard for the symbolic systems requirement, and at the same time to reassert this point by its placing in the catalog.
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1/6/70
ADDITION TO THE SENATE AGENDA OF JANUARY 13, 1970
The following resolution should be included in the agenda as item "e" under
"B. New Business, 2. Recommendations from the Steering Committee (Mr. Sturner).
e. That the Senate approve the following resolution related to the role of the university community in the selection of Acting Chancellor or Chancellor, and the process by which the Senate would adopt policies and procedures that would govern subsequent or future appointments of Acting Chancellor or Chancellor of the University.
WHEREAS THE CONSTITUTION OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY DOES NOT CONTAIN PROVISION FOR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WOULD GOVERN THE APPOINTMENT OF ACTING CHANCELLOR OR CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY,
BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT IN THE APPOINTMENT OF ACTING CHANCELLOR OR CHANCELLOR; THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHOULD SEEK THE ADVICE OF THE FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND SHOULD GRANT TO THEM THE RIGHT OF FULL CONSULTATION IN THE SEARCH AND SELECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY, AND
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE, ACTING IN ACCORDANCE WITH GUIDELINES RECOMMENDED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE, ESTABLISH A SPECIAL AD HOC COMMITTEE TO PROPOSE TO THE SENATE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF OAKLAND UNIVERSITY REGARDING THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WOULD GOVERN SUBSEQUENT OR FUTURE APPOINTMENTS OF ACTING CHANCELLOR OR CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY.
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1/6/70