Oakland University Senate
Ninth Meeting
April 12, 1973
MINUTES
Present: A quorum
Absent: Senators Bricker, Dovaras, Ettienne, Gardiner, Harding, Heubel, Hough, Howes, Patrick Johnson, Kilburn, Marz, Riley, Susskind, Tomboulian, Tripp, and White.
The meeting was formally called to order by President O'Dowd at 3:31 p.m.
Mr. O'Dowd introduced new Senators Jerome Solomon and James Sherry, from the University Congress, who replace Jennifer Jickling and Stephen Schultz, and whose terms will continue for the 1973-74 year.
A. Old Business
1. Motion from the Academic Policy Committee.
* A. THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VETERAN'S BENEFITS OR WHO HAVE COMPLETED MORE THAN ONE YEAR OF CONTINUOUS ACTIVE DUTY IN THE ARMED FORCES OR THE UNITED STATES BE GRANTED, UPON APPLICATION, FOUR HOURS OF UNDESIGNATED FREE-ELECTIVE CREDIT.
*B. THAT CREDIT BE GRANTED FOR COURSE WORK COMPLETED IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES AND IN PROGRAMS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES INSTITUTE (USAFI) SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
i) THE CONTENT OF THE COURSES MUST BE COMPARABLE TO THOSE FOR WHICH OAKLAND UNIVERSITY NORMALLY GRANTS TRANSFER CREDIT.
ii) GRANTING OF CREDIT FOR PARTICULAR COURSES MUST BE RECOMMENDED BY THE AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION.
iii) THE HEAD OF THE APPROPRIATE ACADEMIC UNIT AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY MUST APPROVE THE GRANTING OF TRANSFER CREDIT.
Mr. Witt stated again that this motion serves as a reward for veterans and also serves to make Oakland University more attractive to veterans. Mr. McKay stated that the motion "looks like we're selling degrees" and moved that the phrase "UNDESIGNATED FREE-ELECTIVE CREDIT" in 1 A. be replaced with "PHYSICAL EDUCATION CREDIT". Seconded by Ms. Gerulaitis. Mr. Witt suggested that portions a. and b. of the motion be voted separately. Mr. Matthews stated that the rationale for Physical Education credit is unwarranted. This is not a proficiency award; the service experience is not only physical. The idea of the motion is that those who served in the military and lost time will get a break in terms of credit. Almost all universities enacted similar provisions after World War II and the Korean conflict. A similar act is warranted after the Vietnam war, even though this war was unpopular, particularly among college faculties. Ms. Gerulaitis stated that she was against the motion, partly because she resented the implied motivation which Mr. Matthews had ascribed to those not favoring the proposal.
There was some discussion concerning how this proposal differed from competency examination credit, and whether the institution granted credit for other programs, such as the Peace Corps. Mr. Obear stated that at this time competency testing is the only way to achieve credit for experiences in agencies such as the Peace Corps. However, he stated that he did not think this vote should turn on whether credit is granted for other government agency experience. Mr. McKay stated that he was seeking to find the principle involved in item I.a. and facetiously suggested that, if the institution wished to reward those who had been of national service, then perhaps mothers should qualify. Mr. Torgoff stated that he has heard two purposes for motion I.a.:
1) awarding credit for real attained competence but then the difficulty is how much credit to award, and
2) awarding credit as a symbolic act but then the question arises as to whether it is the right symbolic act.
Mr. Jack Devine, President of the Veterans Association at Oakland, stated that his group perceives these reasons for the motion: recognition of the time factor involved, the fact that there is some equivalence between experience gained in service and the taking of courses not relevant to the student's field, and encouragement of veterans to come to Oakland. He stated that the motion really did not have anything to do with veterans being in a war and getting some- thing for free.
Mr. Graber stated that he believed the amendment would serve to demean the physical education program. Mr. McKay responded that he felt giving non-specific credit would demean all university credits.
The amendment was defeated on a voice vote.
Mr. Williamson stated that he viewed proposal I.a. as a gesture with no real academic backing, a gesture that means little either to himself or to students�a "very mercenary token". Mr. Hetenyi asked why, if the veterans say the action has meaning to them, the Senate should doubt that. Mr. Gibson stated that this motion represented a giving of the stuff of which this University is made. Mr. Young stated that the cost of this motion for the 300 students currently involved would be about $36,000, and questioned whether the recruiting value of the proposal would be adequate to offset this level of expense. Mr. Sherry stated that the U. S. Army claims to "round a man out" and that this maturation approach is the same sort of thing that the University stresses through its own elective programs�hence granting credit is appropriate. Mr. Cherno stated that he was concerned with Mr. Matthews' remarks and that he believes Mr. Matthews is wrong in accusing those who oppose the motion that they do so be- cause of their dislike of the Vietnam war.
Motion l.a. was approved by a voice vote.
Mr. Seeber stated that he favors motion l.b. Ho has had vicarious experience with USAFI courses and he has found them in his experience to be the equivalent of those offered within this institution, and has found them to be of uniformly good quality.
Motion l.b. was approved unanimously.
2. Motion from the Academic Policy Committee.
* THAT A UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT BE ESTABLISHED WITH THE FOLLOWING RESPONSIBILITIES, ORGANIZATION AND ACADEMIC POWERS:
a. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CENTER:
i. TO IDENTIFY COMMUNITY NEEDS TO WHICH THE UNIVERSITY MIGHT RESPOND ACADEMICALLY AND TO IDENTIFY THOSE ACADEMIC UNIVERSITY RESOURCES WHICH MIGHT BE APPLIED TO SUCH NEEDS.
ii. TO TAKE INITIATIVE TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP SINGLY OR IN CONCERT PROGRAMS AND COURSES IN THE CHD AREA.
iii. TO COORDINATE THE OFF-CAMPUS FIELD AND PRACTICUM ELEMENTS OF CHD PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY AS DESIGNATED BY THE PROVOST.
iv. TO ADMINISTER APPROPRIATE GRANTS IN THE CHD AREA.
b. ORGANIZATIONALLY THE CENTER SHALL HAVE:
i. A DIRECTOR APPOINTED BY THE PROVOST WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE.
ii. A COUNCIL, CHAIRED BY THE DIRECTOR, THE MEMBERSHIP OF WHICH SHALL COMPRISE AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS FROM EACH ORGANIZED FACULTY OFFERING PROGRAMS IN THE CHD AREA AND SUCH OTHERS AS THE DIRECTOR AND THE COUNCIL THUS INITIALLY ESTABLISHED SHALL INVITE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE PROVOST.
c. THE CENTER SHALL HAVE POWER:
i. TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COURSES (SEE pp. 282-283 IN THE 1972-73 CATALOG) IN ITS OWN NAME, SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE.
ii. TO MAKE ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS TO ADJUNCT, VISITING AND PART-TIME RANKS SUBJECT TO THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE UNIVERSITY TENURE AND APPOINTMENT POLICY COMMITTEE.
This motion was brought to the floor from its tabling at the last meeting. First to be considered was the amendment previously proposed by Mr. Marz reading as follows:
IN c.i., THE FINAL PHRASE BE MODIFIED TO READ ''SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE SENATE, UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE."
Mr. Witt stated that the Academic Policy Committee (APC) currently acts as a committee of instruction for certain units: Allport, Charter, and New Colleges, and the Department of Learning Skills. He found this amendment insulting to the Academic Policy Committee. If the APC is judged incompetent to review community service courses, then he questions whether it is competent to act on much of anything.
The question was raised last week: what's wrong with the APC? The answer given was that if a problem is perceived by the Senate, then there is in fact a problem. This is what keeps the Flat Earth Society alive. He suggested that the amendment be withdrawn. It was noted that the mover of the amendment was not present. Mr. McKay, who had seconded the amendment, stated that the amendment did not speak to his concerns anyway. He stated that he would prefer to see an assurance that before there are too many courses offered within the Center, the APC would consult the Senate. Mr. Matthews stated that no one can graduate without a degree from an organized faculty and this provides a check. Another check is provided since the Senate can control the actions of the APC if it acts improperly. A third check is that the Council specified in d.ii. has membership from each appropriate organized faculty. These three provisions provide adequate checks and balances for the program. Mr. Obear stated that he urged the defeat of the amendment because the Senate was not in session on a twelve month basis and thus would be unable to deal with course changes as they might arise.
The amendment was disapproved on a voice vote.
Mr. McKay moved the following addition to c.i.:
BEFORE APPROVING ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF COURSES OFFERED BY THE CENTER, THE ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE SHALL SEEK THE ADVICE AND APPROVAL OF THE SENATE.
Seconded by Ms. Gerulaitis.
Mr. Obear asked what "significant'' meant. Mr. McKay responded that doubling the number of credits offered would be "significant". Mr. Gibson stated that the motion could be ruled out of order since the earlier vote of the Senate was already a determination to leave matters with the APC. Mr. McKay responded that if Mr. Gibson were saying that this is a redundant motion, then he would withdraw it.
His seconder, Ms. Gerulaitis, agreed to withdraw the motion. In response to a question from Mr. Sherry concerning from whence money will come to operate the new program, Mr. Matthews stated that the community service courses are already being taught and the position of director will not be funded with new money either. What we will be doing is constructing a vehicle from already existing parts.
The main motion A.2. was approved.
Mr. Seeber, acknowledging that he was speaking out of order, stated that the lengthy route which this proposal took in reaching an approved stage proved the inertia of this system at generating new programs. He stated that he would like to suggest a new center for the purpose of developing new curricular options which would be able to get small pi lot programs going in a hurry and which would permit the testing of programs when they were small so that they might be discarded if appropriate before too much momentum had been developed. Mr. Williamson stated that any new programs which were floated should be based on current expertise and that we need not have a center to draw people together for this purpose.
B. New Business
1. Motion from the Graduate Council by Mr. G. P. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Hetenyi. First reading.
THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE APPROVE THE MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING PROGRAM IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AS PROPOSED BY THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND APPROVED BY THE GRADUATE COUNCIL.
2. Information from the Steering Committee.
a. University Council
Mr. Obear announced that the Steering Committee would bring to the Senate at its next meeting, a proposal concerning the University Council, the constitution of which was included with the agenda of the April 12 meeting. Mr. O'Dowd stated that this new governance plan was initiated primarily at the demand of the AAUP. As a result, there have been two governance commissions established, and the University Council is the product of the latter of those groups. The evidence from other institutions which utilize a governance format similar to the University Council is that its greatest success lies in getting the various constituencies talking to each other. There followed some discussion about whether the matter should be voted on during the current winter term, during a special spring session, or next fall.
b. M.A. in History
Mr. Obear announced that the M.A. in History proposal, previously approved by the Senate in I969, would now be sent to the President and to the Board of Trustees for action by them. Mr. Solomon raised the issue of grade equivalency which had been voted on by the Senate at its last meeting. He stated that this proposal was of special concern to current sophomores and juniors who may now not be accepted by medical or dental schools since the conversion scale change will make what previously perceived as a ''B" average into a "C'' average. There was discussion about whether an instructor might petition for grade changes in view of the new grade translation scheme. Mr. Witt stated that the conversion scheme which was recommended was based on past experience within the University and that he believed petitions from instructors for grade changes on the basis of the new conversion scheme would be inappropriate. There seemed to be some feeling among the Senate that the inclusion of a statement with the transcript explaining the facts surrounding the various interpretive scales would be appropriate.
The meeting adjourned without vote at 5:15 p.m.
*Motions and amendments adopted at this meeting.
Robert H. Bunger
Secretary, University Senate
Office of the Provost/er
4/20/73