Oakland University Senate

11th Meeting
April 26, 1972

MINUTES

PRESENT: A quorum
ABSENT: Ms. Terry, Titus, White; Messrs. J. Appleton, Barthel, Beardman, Becker, Coon, Dahlmann, Dovaras, Glass, Harding, Hill, Howes, Kent, Marz, Mittra, Riley, Torgoff, Williamson, Witt and Woodard.

Meeting called to order by President O'Dowd at 5:30 p.m.

A. OLD BUSINESS

1. Discussion of 1tem A.6. from the April 12 Agenda, (the proposed Department of Learning Skills), was resumed.

Mr. McKay asked what resources would be allocated to the new department. Mr. Obear indicated that approximately $60,000 in new positions money would be made available; in addition, some faculty already holding appointments in other departments would be teaching in the program. Mr. McKay then asked how the credits delivered by faculty teaching in these courses would be allocated among the various departments. Mr. Obear replied that the credits would be allocated in accordance with the distribution of the salary of faculty member delivering the credits. (That is, for a faculty member whose salary is budgeted entirely in, say, the Department of English, all credits delivered by that faculty member in Learning Skills courses would be credited to the Department of English. For a faculty member whose salary is apportioned among two departments, the credits delivered would be apportioned in the same ratio as the salaries.)

Attention was then directed to amendments vi and vii, which were adopted on a voice vote.

vi) THE COORDINATION OF TUTORIAL WORK FOR CREDIT.

vii) THE COORDINATION OF COURSES, OFFERED BY ACADEMIC UNITS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY, WHICH ARE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO DEVELOP ACADEMIC SKILLS.

The main motion was then adopted:

* THAT A DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING SKILLS BE ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES AND HAVE AS ITS CHARGE:

i) THE INSTRUCTION OF STUDENTS IN WRITING SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCE IN THOSE AREAS NECESSARY TO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

ii) THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTS TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL PROBLEMS NEEDING PARTICULAR ASSISTANCE.

iii) THE DEVELOPMENT OF TESTS THAT WILL PLACE STUDENTS AT VARIOUS LEVELS IN THE WRITING COURSES OR CERTIFY THEM AS HAVING SATISFIED THE REQUIREMENT VIA DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCE.

iv) EMPHASIS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF READING SKILL AS WELL AS WRITING SKILL AND PROVISION OF SPECIAL COURSES IN THE FIRST AND SECOND SEMESTER FOR THIS PURPOSE.

v) IN COOPERATION WITH THE SPEECH COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT THE PROVISION OF INSTRUCTION IN SPEECH COMMUNICATION FOR THOSE WHO WANT OR WOULD BENEFIT FROM SYSTEMATIC WORK IN THIS AREA.

vi) THE COORDINATION OF TUTORIAL WORK FOR CREDIT.

vii) THE COORDINATION OF COURSES OFFERED BY ACADEMIC UNITS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY WHICH ARE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO DEVELOP ACADEMIC SKILLS.

2. Motion A.2. from the April 20th agenda, the proposed change in application of tenure rules, was then reintroduced for consideration. Mr. McKay expressed a desire to amend the motion to require the Provost to notify each department in advance of the review process of the number of reappointments which can be approved in that department.

It was agreed however that since the University Tenure and Appointment Policy Committee is not a Senate committee, but a Constitutional committee, the motion was nonamendable. Mr. Obear commented that in the past faculty have not requested information on reappointment limitations, so as to avoid confusing professional Judgments with budgetary constraints. Since this opinion has now apparently changed, Mr. Obear agreed to provide such information to departments as soon as he is able to make these Judgments. Mr. Heubel then pointed out that if the Provost is required by Senate legislation to make these decisions by a certain firm deadline, he would necessarily have to be extremely conservative in estimating the number of reappointments which he can allow departments to make. This could conceivably result in some unnecessary non-reappointments. Mr. Susskind then spoke in his capacity as "the guy who originated the whole mess" and said that he agreed that the present "and/or'' wording was ambiguous and unacceptable, and must be changed. He further indicated that he and most of his faculty would be satisfied with a smoothly functioning administrative information system which incorporated information on any possible budgetary limitations into the reappointment review process. On the other hand, he indicated that he and his faculty would be outraged by the recurrence of situations in which they learn after reappointment reviews that positions were not available. He then indicated his support for the unamended main motion. The main motion was then adopted:

THAT RULE 4 ON PAGE 9 OF THE "POLICY HANDBOOK FOR FACULTY" BE CHANGED FROM:

IF A STAFF MEMBER WHO WAS RECOMMENDED FOR REAPPOINTMENT BY HIS DEPARTMENT CHAIRMAN AND DEAN IS NOT REAPPOINTED, AND/OR IF PROPER NOTIFICATION WAS NOT GIVEN DURING THE FINAL YEAR OF AN APPOINTMENT, AN EXTENSION OF ONE YEAR BECOMES AUTOMATIC. THE STAFF MEMBER SHALL CONSIDER THIS ARRANGEMENT AS OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF SEPARATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY AT THE END OF THE YEAR'S EXTENSION.

TO:

* IF A STAFF MEMBER HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN PROPER NOTIFICATION DURING THE FINAL YEAR OF AN APPOINTMENT, AN EXTENSION OF ONE YEAR BECOMES AUTOMATIC. THE STAFF MEMBER SHALL CONSIDER THIS ARRANGEMENT AS OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF SEPARATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY AT THE END OF THE YEAR'S EXTENSION.

3. Motion A.3. from the April 20th agenda, the proposed Constitutional Amendment to subject certain nonpersonnel decisions of the University Tenure and Appointment Policy Committee to referendum, was then introduced. Strong support from all quarters had already been evidenced for this motion, and it was adopted by a unanimous voice vote with little additional debate:

* THE UNIVERSITY TENURE AND APPOINTMENT POLICY COMMITTEE SHALL CIRCULATE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED FACULTIES ITS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MODIFICATIONS OF RULES, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES OF APPOINTMENT REAPPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND TENURE. WITHIN TEN CLASS DAYS OF THE CIRCULATION BY THE COMMITTEE OF SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS, FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED FACULTIES, OR FIFTY MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED FACULTIES, WHICHEVER IS LESS, SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO PETITION THE PROVOST TO CALL A MEETING OF ALL THE FACULTIES TO DISCUSS THE ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE. A MAJORITY OF THE FACULTY MEMBERS PRESENT AT SUCH A MEETING SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO INSTRUCT THE COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT A REFERENDUM BY MAIL BALLOT OF ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZED FACULTIES. THE REFERENDUM SHALL ASK FOR A YES OR NO VOTE ON THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE. IF A MAJORITY OF THOSE RETURNED VALID BALLOTS INDICATES DISAPPROVAL, THE ACTION OF THE COMMITTEE SHALL BE DISALLOWED.

(This amendment must now be ratified by a vote of the faculties.)

4. The three motions constituting curriculum revisions in the College of Arts and Sciences were then introduced. Dean Matthews commented that since the three motions are part of a coherent and integrated curriculum plan, that they should be voted upon simultaneously. Again, with minimal discussion, the three motions were adopted:

* Motion 1.

THAT THE DEPARTMENTAL MAJOR WITHIN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES REQUIRE A MAXIMUM OF 40 CREDITS. IN ADDITION, DEPARTMENTS MAY REQUIRE A MAXIMUM OF 24 CREDITS IN COGNATE OR COREQUISITE COURSES. MAJOR PROGRAMS WHICH EXCEED THESE MAXIMA MUST BE APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE ON INSTRUCTION, SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE UNIVERSITY SENATE.

* Motion 2.

THAT THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES CONSIST OF 8 COURSES (32 CREDITS) IN AT LEAST 4 OUT OF 5 FIELDS OUTSIDE OF THE STUDENT'S MAJOR. THE FIELD GROUPS WITHIN THE CURRICULUM OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES ARE: ARTS, LETTERS, NATURAL SCIENCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE, SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS, AND AREA STUDIES. ACADEMIC UNITS SPONSORING COURSES WITHIN THE FIELD GROUPS ARE:

ARTS	LETTERS
Art	*Classics
Music	English
Theatre	History
	*Modern Languages and Literatures
	Philosophy/Religion
NATURAL SCIENCES	SOCIAL SCIENCES
Biology	Economics
Chemistry	Political Science
Environmental Studies	Psychology
Physics	Sociology/Anthropology
SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS	AREA STUDIES
Classical Languages	Interdepartmental Committee on Area Studies (African
Computer Science	Studies, East Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, Latin
Linguistics	American Studies, Slavic Studies)
Modern Languages
Mathematics	*Literature courses in translation or in the foreign language

A STUDENT MUST TAKE AT LEAST ONE COURSE IN 4 OF THE 5 FIELD GROUPS OUTSIDE HIS MAJOR BUT MAY NOT COUNT MORE THAN 3 COURSES IN ANY FIELD GROUP TOWARD THE FULFILLMENT OF THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT.

* Motion 3.

THAT AS PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A BACCALAUREATE IN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, EACH STUDENT MUST PRESENT A CERTIFICATE INDICATING DEMONSTRATED PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

B. NEW BUSINESS

1. Mr. Obear, seconded by Mr. Gaylor, introduced a motion from the Academic Policy Committee:

THAT THE REPORT OF THE EVENING COLLEGE COMMITTEE ENTITLED "PROPOSED STRUCTURE FOR EVENING PROGRAMS" BE RECEIVED, THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE PROGRAM BE APPROVED, AND THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EVENING PROGRAM BE AUTHORIZED.

Mr. Tomboulian, seconded by Dean Gibson, then introduced the Steering Committee's substitute motion:

THAT THE REPORT OF THE EVENING COLLEGE COMMITTEE ENTITLED  "PROPOSED STRUCTURE FOR EVENING PROGRAMS" BE RECEIVED, THAT THE SCHEDULING IN THE EVENING OF AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF COURSES FROM AMONG THE UNIVERSITY'S PRESENT COURSE OFFERINGS AND DEGREE PROGRAMS SHALL BE AUTHORIZED BEGINNING FALL 1972, AND THAT AN APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE INCLUDING AN EVENING COUNCIL BE ESTABLISHED.

The substitute motion differs from the APC recommendation primarily in that it does not include immediate authorization for establishment of off-campus centers and overload payments for instruction in these centers. In view of the open hearing scheduled for the following day (Thursday) April 27th, Dean Torch made only a few brief remarks in support of the Evening Proposal, and Mr. McKay and Williamson spoke at somewhat greater length against the APC motion, and in support of Mr. Tomboulian's substitute motion. (Mr. McKay pointed out that since he was unable to attend the Open Hearing, he would need to raise his objections at this meeting.)

2. Mr. Cherno, seconded by Dean Gibson, introduced the lengthy package of curricular changes from the School of Engineering.

3. Mr. Cherno, seconded by Mr. Evarts, moved the adoption of the motion from the Academic Policy Committee to change the designations and descriptions of the Exploratory and Colloquia courses. The motion opens Exploratories to both freshmen and sophomores, and Colloquia to both juniors and seniors. Mr. Davis pointed out that since the Colloquia and Exploratories are no longer explicitly required, efforts would be made to obtain approval for most of these courses to satisfy appropriate distribution requirements.

4. Mr. Obear, seconded by Dean Matthews, moved the adoption of the motion from the University Tenure and Appointment Policy Committee to establish "adjunct" faculty ranks of Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, and Adjunct Assistant Professor. Mr. Obear commented that these ranks would be used for part-time, consultative and honorary appointments. These appointments are currently somewhat mis-labeled as "Visiting'', since in many cases these appointments are continued over long periods. Establishment of the ''adjunct" ranks would permit the use of the 'Visiting" ranks for genuine visitors. Dean Seeber pointed out the omission of the words "School, or other academic unit" which should follow "department" in the second line of item one in the motion. These words were added by mutual consent.

5. Mr. Obear, seconded by Ms. Gerulaitis, then moved the adoption of the motion from the University Tenure and Appointment Policy Committee to eliminate the rank of Visiting Instructor.

Meeting then adjourned at 5:35 p.m.

Submitted by: 
James E. Davis
Secretary, University Senate