Oakland University Senate

Second Meeting
Thursday, October 20, 1977
3;00 p.m.
128-130 Oakland Center

MINUTES

Senators Present: Arnold, Barry, Blatt, Boulos, Braun, Cherno, Coffman, DeMent, Easterly, Eberwein, Felton, Grossman, Hampton, Hetenyi, Hildum, Hohauser, Hovanesian, Jones, Keegan, Kleckner, Liboff, Matthews, McKay, Merz, Moeller, Obear, O'Dowd, O'Leary, Orton, Osthaus, Ozinga, Pogany, Randolph, Schwartz, Sloane, Stransky, Torch, Torongeau, Tower, Ward, Wargo, Weiner
Senators Absent: Allvin, Bantel, Burke, Butterworth, Doherty, Edgerton, Gardiner, Heubel, Holladay, Jackson, Johnson, Riley, Russell, Seeber, Tucker, Witt

Mr. O'Dowd presided.

Mr. O'Dowd commented upon several matters of general interest::

1. Within the next 12 to 18 months the University will have "on line" a new computer of greatly increased power compared to its present machine.

2. Enrollment for fall, 1977 (and by projection enrollment for the 1977-78 academic year) is considerably up over last year, about 500 each in both headcount and FYES; Headcount for fall is about 11,000 while FYES is about 9000. The spread between headcount and FYES does not seem to have widened, an encouraging sign.

3. The Board has approved a Library addition request to the state of some 203,000 gross square feet. This is down from our original request by about 43,000 square feet, a result of the recommendation of the Michigan Efficiency Task Force. While it might have been possible through considerable exertion to have restored the 43,000 square feet, Mr. O'Dowd indicated that the inevitable delay such effort would entail does not warrant the attempt, in the view of the Board.

4. The east campus will for several months be subject to some disturbance due to the laying of new water mains and lines; the project is state sponsored but federally financed.

5. The new exhibition at the Meadow Brook Art Gallery, Through Closed Doors, a show of art works from the Kobe City Museum in Japan is to be both commended and recommended; a beautiful and significant exhibition which was mounted in cooperation with the University of Michigan by our Curator, Mr. Kiichi Usui who was responsible for obtaining the loan of the art works. The exhibition will travel to Denver and San Francisco before returning to Japan. Mr. Usui should be congratulated.

6. As indicated in the latest report issued by Mr. Lewis N. Pino,  the University has displayed great vigor in obtaining gifts and grants for development and research: $746,000 in 1976 compared to $1,300,000 in 1977.

There were no queries from the floor.

The meeting was called to order at 3;30 p.m. and the minutes of the meeting of September 29, 1977, were approved as distributed by voice vote upon motion of Mr. Hetenyi seconded by Ms. Sloane.

Attention was then directed to the agenda.

A. Old Business:

1. Motion (Felton/Tower) to approve the Constitution of the School of Nursing

Ms. Felton referring to the redraft of the Constitution of the School of Nursing dated October 4, 1977, and the table of changes dated October 10, 1977, both distributed with the agenda, assured the Senate that the redraft included all changes suggested by the Senate at its meeting of September 29. Mr. McKay queried whether with a growing number of adjunct and visiting faculty, the Assembly would have trouble maintaining a quorum. Ms. Felton replied that the possibility had been considered and that it had been decided to hold all meetings of the Assembly at night so as to assure ample attendance. Mr. Ozinga queried whether the faculty of nursing understood the provision for extraordinary motions, to which Ms. Felton replied that it did.

Upon call of the question the Constitution of the School of Nursing, ratified September 6, 1977, and dated October 4� 1977, and as found attached to the Senate agenda of October 20, 1977, was approved by voice vote.

B. New Business:

1. Motion from the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction was moved by Mr. Moeller and seconded by Mr. Obear.

Lively and informative discussion followed. In response to a query, Mr. Kleckner pointed out that with our present late add policy, we experience about 1500 net adds after we report total credits to the state in the fall. Mr. O'Dowd translated this figure into about $75,000 of lost state support, a high price to pay for any present highly flexible rules. Mr. Kleckner agreed it was. from an academic point of view, not unreasonable that students should decide what to study early and then to get about the business of studying it. Mr. Arnold asked if the mini-courses (courses at two credits of about seven weeks duration some starting in mid-semester) had been considered. Mr. Moeller replied that the mini-courses had not been considered;, but that they could be handled in much the same way that spring and summer courses would be.

Mr. Torongeau reported that the University Congress had discussed the motion and had expressed reservations concerning the application of the proposed policy to the mini-courses and to student teaching internships. Students in general, Mr. Torongeau maintained, like the present flexible policy. The implications of the proposed policy would be to force early payment of tuition for some students, a clear hardship. Mr. Hetenyi drew distinctions between purely academic considerations on the one hand., and the administrative-financial considerations on the other and felt while each was important, each should be examined on its own terms. He wondered whether the committee might not want to consider perfecting its motion before second reading, amendment from the floor on such complex issues being a clumsy procedure. Mr. Torongeau inquired whether the state might be induced to change its funding procedures. Mr. O'Dowd replied that the University has tried., could try again but gravely doubted either the state or the auditors would budge. Questions of a deferred tuition plan then were raised- Mr. O'Dowd pointed out that we had such a plan several years ago but dropped it since it was costing about $700,000 a year.

Mr. Tower seconded by Mr. Jones then moved to recommit the main motion with instructions to the UCUI to reexamine the motion in the light of the complex issues raised and to explore with administrative officials the ways in which the academic goal of the motion could be achieved, with minimal disadvantage to students.

Motion to recommit (Tower/Jones), ruled procedural, debatable and privileged was carried, after brief further discussion, by voice vote.

2. Motion from the Steering Committee, moved by Ms. Eberwein and seconded by Mr. Coffman.

The ambiguity of the motion as framed was noted and members of the Steering Committee assured the Senate that the intent was for the Senate to vote upon a single motion to prohibit smoking during formal meetings. It was pointed out that such a rule being the result of vote upon a procedural motion, could through the Steering Committee, be brought up at anytime for reconsideration.

Mr. DeMent, seconded by Mr. Ozinga offered an amendment to the main motion such that the phrase expect in a designated section would be inserted after the word "prohibited" and before the word "while." The debate that followed was lively and general: it skirted at times the edge of rancor. The question seemed to arouse both passion and anxiety. Upon call of the question, division showed 18 in favor and 19 opposed to the DeMent/Ozinga amendment and the motion to amend failed.

Further debate ensued, became somewhat more acerb as it proceeded.  Mr. Cherno expressed serious reservations that the Senate ought to prescribe the behavior of colleagues, which is what a prohibition of smoking would do.

Upon call of the question division showed 17 in favor and 18 opposed to the main motion unamended and the motion failed.

Upon proper motion duly seconded the meeting was adjourned at 4:35 p.m.