Oakland University Senate
Fifth Meeting
January 19. 1978
3;00 p.m.
128-130 Oakland Center
MINUTES
Senators Present: Allvin, Arnold, Barry, Blatt;, Boulos, Braun; Burke, Cherno, Coffman, DeMent,. Easterly, Eberwein; Felton., Gardiner, Ghausi, Grossman, Hetenyi., Heubel, Hildum, Hohauser; Jackson, Kleckner, Liboff, Matthew, Merz, Obear, O'Leary, Orton, Osthaus, Ozinga, Pogany, Randolph, Russell, Schwartz, Seeber, Sloane, Stransky, Torongeau, Towers Ward, Wargo, Weiner and Williamson
Senators Absent: Bantel, Butterworth., Doherty; Edgerton, Hampton, Hovanesian, Holladay, Johnson, Jones, Moeller, O'Dowd, Riley and Torch.
Mr. Obear presided in the absence of the President.
Mr. Obear commented upon several matters of general interest:
1. While winter semester enrollment is not complete, we are 300-350 headcount ahead of this time a year ago and expect 10,200 when registration is complete a head-count compared to about 9,900, a quite comfortable enrollment situation.
2. The U.S. Department of State has designated Oakland University as a host campus for a diplomat-in-residence during 1978-1979, the position being fully funded by Uncle Sam; this designation is a signal honor, much of the credit for which is due to Mr. W. Patrick Strauss, Professor of History.
3. Research and Instructional Services reports that for the first six months of 1977-78 grants and contracts total slightly more than $2,000,000, as much as for the whole 1976-77 fiscal year, splendid news indeed.
4. We have requested "proposals" (rather than bids) from several computer firms and expect replies by January 23; new computer facilities are not yet quite in sights but are looming on the horizon.
5. The management of Meadow Brook Hall has provided $5000 a year starting fall, 1978 for academic conferences to be staged by university departments or schools: proposals from such units will be accepted for consideration by the Research Committee in mid-March.
6. The Alumni Fund Drive this year will net about $44,000, a record which places OU as a young state institution in a very special class.
7. The Oakland Foundation has announced the second Premium Award Scholarship for $2,500 per year and pledges same for several years ahead.
8. The Governor's Budget message will be presented to the legislature next Tuesday, and so the appropriating process for 1978-79 is in motion, time will tell how well we do, but let us live in hope.
9. The Academic Officers (VPAA & Ps of the various public higher education institutions) will be considering a set of definitions of "new programs", which if adopted by the Legislative Fiscal Agencies should ease somewhat the passage of our new program proposals over external hurdles.
The meeting was called to order at 3:40 p.m. Minutes of the meeting of December 8, 1977, were approved as distributed by voice vote upon motion of Mr. Hetenyi, seconded by Mr. Ozinga.
Attention was then directed to the agenda.
A. Old Business
1. Motion from the Center for Health Sciences concerning a Physical Therapy baccalaureate (Stransky/Jones) with two amendments.
The substitute amendment 1-c (Grossman/Heubel) was considered first.
Mr. DeMent questioned the Learning Skills requirement as indicated in c.3.a of the substitute amendment: Should it not be stated simply as fulfilling the University Writing Proficiency requirement rather than stipulating 8 credits in Learning Skills? After determination that the University requirement is indeed Writing Proficiency not Learning Skills., Mr. Ozinga proposed to state degree requirement #1 as "128 credits plus Writing Proficiency. Mr. Matthews explained that #2 of the degree requirements stated in the Main Motion contained the Writing Proficiency Requirement along with numerous other General Undergraduate Degree Requirements as presented in the current catalog pp 39-40: the reasons for presenting Learning Skills in the motion was simply to show what the total credit distribution of the proposed Physical Therapy Program would be for about 80% of the expected student population; catalog entry for this program would simply state "Writing Proficiency." Mr. Heubel then offered to perfect the Substitute Amendment by stating the requirement under 3.a. as Learning Skills 0 to 8 credits. This perfection being agreeable to Mr. Grossman and the house, upon call of the question by Mr. Russell, the Substitute Amendment was approved by voice vote as follows:
THAT THE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS LISTED IN THE MAIN MOTION BE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:
1. 128 changed to 136 credits.
2. No change.
3. (Introductory phrase no change):
a. Learning Skills - 0-8
b. Basic Sciences - 55
c. Clinical Sciences - 41
d. General Education - 24 credits with the proviso that no credits in courses in the Basic and Clinical Sciences may be offered to fulfill the General Education requirement
e. Free Electives - 8
Attention was next turned to the Main Motion as amended.
Mr. Arnold pointed out that this curriculum requires mathematics and that the Department of Mathematical Sciences was already understaffed he trusted budgetary resources would be forthcoming. Mr. Burke questioned the validity of a General Education Requirement that rested primarily upon mathematics and sciences and contained no provision for work in the humanities; he felt deeply that to call such a curricular arrangement General Education was fraudulent. In the interest of intellectual honesty, Mr. Burke seconded by Mr. Wargo moved to amend the Main Motion such that the category Basic Sciences (3.c. of the Main Motion) would be increased by 16 credits and the General Education category (3.b. of the Main Motion) would be correspondingly decreased. In Mr. Burke's view this at least would be honest. Mr. DeMent questioned why, if the Physical Therapy Program at Wayne State University could find room for humanities, the Oakland program could not? In Mr. DeMent's view the absence of express provision for the humanities in an Oakland University curriculum was incredible. Mr. Matthews while sympathetic to Mr. DeMent's views, pointed out that on December 10, 1970, (reaffirmed March 283 1972) the Senate while stipulating that all undergraduate curricula should have a general education component, explicitly had turned the matter of just what constituted general education and what its minimal credit weight and distribution, should be over to the school and colleges to determine in the absence of directives from the Senate new programs have been developed and presented to the Senate without detailing distribution requirements in general education' Mr. Matthews also stated that the Academic Policy and Planning Committee had instructed the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction to review legislation regarding general baccalaureate degree requirements and to make recommendations concerning them an orderly way of preceding. Mr. Obear pointed out that the combination of Wayne's quarter system and 3 credit courses provided the flexibility necessary to accommodate a-tight program such as Physical Therapy whereas OU's semester system coupled with 4 credit courses did not; one way to introduce more genuine general education into professional undergraduate curricula would be for OU to adopt the 3 credit per course module. Ms. Schwartz (with regrets) and Messrs. Liboff;, Hetenyi and Heubel (from various points of view) spoke briefly against .the Burke/Wargo amendment which upon voice-vote failed to carry.
Attention returned to the Main Motion/as amended-by the Grossman/Heubel substitute amendment.
Upon call of the question by Mr. Hetenyi the Main Motion as amended carried by division (a previous voice vote having been contested) 21 ayes and 12 nays as follows:
MOVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RECOMMEND TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL THERAPY LEADING TO THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICAL THERAPY. EFFECTIVE UPON AUTHORIZATION BY THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING AGENCIES OF THE STATE. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:
In order to graduate with the B.S. in Physical Therapy a student must:
1. Have successfully completed a minimum of 136 credits.
2. Have successfully completed or met all general undergraduate degree requirements.
3. Have successfully completed the program of instruction leading to the B.S. in Physical Therapy as-prescribed by the Center for Health Sciences with credit distribution as follows:
a. Learning Skills - 0-8
b. Basic Sciences - 55
c. Clinical Sciences - 41
d. General Education - 24 credits with the proviso that no credits in courses in the Basic and Clinical Sciences may be offered to fulfill the General Education requirement.
e. Free electives 8
4. Be admitted to degree candidacy by the University and the Center for Health Sciences.
Attention was then directed to the agenda/still Old Business.
2. Motion from the Athletics Committee (Jackson/Coffman) with no amendments.
Mr. Jackson corrected the corrected report to change the numbering on page 9. He pointed out that the corrected report made clear that Athletic Scholarships were being awarded through Financial Aids., that the eligibility rules were as outlined in the published regulations, and that any changes in policy and program would be recommended to the Senate as well as to the Administration.
Mr. DeMent (sometime Chair of the Athletics Committee) expressed distress that the ambiguous position of the Athletics Committee as being neither wholly advisory to the Senate, nor to the Administration was not clarified: Mr. DeMent felt that under the present charge it could not be clarified and expressed the opinion that the Committee should be advisory to the Administration alone Mr. Coffman supported that position, explaining that over the years the Committee had brought its recommendations to the President rather than to the Senate.
Mr. DeMent. seconded by Mr. Ozinga then moved to table the motion with the understanding that the Committee should consult with the appropriate officials as to whether the Committee should be a Senate standing committee or an Administration advisory committee and that a final solution to this problem should be presented at a future date.
Upon call of the question, the DeMent/Ozinga procedural motion to table was adopted by voice vote.
Attention was then directed to the agenda.
B. New Business
1. Motion from the Academic Policy and Planning Committee concerning the establishment of a Faculty Council for the School of Performing Arts was moved by Mr. Heubel and seconded by Mr. Hetenyi.
Upon query of Mr. Liboff whether there was a timetable for development of the School, Mr. Matthews assured the Senate there was none, beyond the B.Mus. provisions of the motion' Mr. Matthews reviewed the principle features and background of the motion as found in the general and special comments thereto appended and invited Senate inspection of same in preparation for the second reading at the February meeting. Mr. DeMent (with the assistance of Hr. Hildum) suggested replacing the word approved (end of first sentence of the motion) with the word "established'; Mr. Matthews promised so to do as a "perfection."
Attention was then directed to the agenda; still New Business.
2. Motion from the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction concerning the B.G.S. degree moved by Mr. Tower and seconded by Mr. Hetenyi.
With no further discussion the meeting was adjourned by voice vote upon motion of Mr. Torongeau, . seconded by Mr. Hildum at 5:05 p.m.