Oakland University Senate
SIXTH MEETING
March 15, 1979
3:15 p.m.
Gold Room, Oakland Center
AGENDA
Submitted by George T. Matthews for the Steering Committee.
A. Old Business
None.
B. New Business
1. From the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction (Mr. Kleckner).
MOVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RECOMMEND TO THE PRESIDENT THAT STUDENTS WHO WISH TO WITHDRAW OFFICIALLY FROM ALL COURSES IN WHICH THEY ARE REGISTERED MUST FILE AN OFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL WITH THE APPROPRIATE OFFICE FOR THAT PURPOSE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE LAST WEEK OF UNIVERSITY COURSES DURING THE TERM OF WITHDRAWAL.
First Reading: Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote at this meeting.
Comment: The present statement on official withdrawal from all courses does not include a terminal date for the exercise of the right of withdrawal. Conceivably, a student could withdraw even after completion of all required work for the course including the final examination, in contrast, withdrawal from a course with a WS or WN grade, which does not involve official withdrawal from the university, must be initiated before classes in the course are concluded. This proposal establishes the same date for official withdrawal from all courses as for withdrawal from a course with a WS or WN grade.
2. Motion from the Graduate Council (Mr. Johnson).
MOVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RECOMMEND TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD THAT THE NAME OF THE MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM IN MANAGEMENT BE CHANGED TO MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.
First Reading: Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote at this meeting.
Comment: There would be no functional change in the program. The renaming requires formal action only because the new name does not appear on the State list of Oakland degrees. The purpose of the change is to make the degree more attractive to students and employers. Many of them need considerable convincing that the present somewhat unconventional name stands for what quality M.B.A. programs of the country offer, which it does. The School of Economics and Management, the graduate office and the graduate admissions officer will all be pleased to be relieved of the burden explaining the present name puts on them.
3. Motion from the Faculty Council for the School of Performing Arts (Mr. Cherno).
MOVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RECOMMEND TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD THAT THE FACULTY COUNCIL FOR THE SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS BE AUTHORIZED TO RECOMMEND PRIMARY APPOINTMENT OF FACULTY IN THE DISCIPLINE OF DANCE.
First Reading; Amendable debatable but not eligible for final vote at this meeting
Comments:
1. Under the terns of Senate legislation (February 16, 1978) approved by the Board (March 22, 1978) which created the Faculty Council for the School of Performing Arts, the powers of the Council were initially limited to two functions (a) developing and providing governance for the Bachelor of Music Degree and (b) planning development of the School of Performing Arts including new degree and less-than-degree programs. In accordance with (a) the Council has advanced establishment of the Bachelor of Music program to completion (recommended by Senate October 19, 1973 and approved by the Board November 29, 1973) and in accordance with (b) has actively been planning for the establishment of a Dance undergraduate degree program. Under the authority of the enabling legislation the Dance rubric has been activated with approval of UCUI and courses in that discipline using that rubric have been approved and offered. In addition, the Council has developed a minor (less-than-degree) program in Dance which- if modest funding is secured, will be offered in Fall, 1979. The Committee on Instruction of the College of Arts and Sciences has agreed to permit students pursuing the B.A. degree to present this minor in partial fulfillment thereof.
2. The Council now requests authority to recommend primary appointment of faculty in the discipline of Dance as a necessary step to consolidation of academic instruction in that art within the School of Performing Arts. With the authority to recommend such appointments the Council will continue to develop a full undergraduate degree program in Dance, always recognizing that such a step will not be taken without proper authority from the Senate and the Board and without the necessary funding.
3. The present motion, if approved, will accommodate colleagues in the discipline of Dance by effecting a governance-administrative change of location from the School of Human and Educational Services to the School of Performing Arts and will facilitate the full implementation of an undergraduate degree program in Dance.
4. The Faculty Council has established a Personnel Committee (analogously to a CAP and consistently with the practice of the other three Faculty Councils). This Committee is prepared to develop appropriate procedures and criteria for the appointment and review of faculty in dance.
5. This motion has been reviewed and approved by the Academic Policy and Planning Committee.
4. Motion from the Graduate Council (Mr. Johnson).
MOVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE RECOMMEND TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARD THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM OF GRADUATE STUDIES LEADING TO THE DEGREE OF EDUCATION SPECIALIST EFFECTIVE UPON AUTHORIZATION BY THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING AGENCIES OF THE STATE.
First Reading: Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote at this meeting.
Comments:
1. The motion before the Senate is sponsored by the Graduate Council and the School of Human and Educational Services. Mr. Johnson, Dean of the Graduate School will present the motion Mr. Coon, Acting Dean of the School of Human and Educational Services will be prepared to answer questions regarding it.
2. The proposal to establish the Education Specialist Degree Program has been reviewed and endorsed for presentation to the Senate by the Academic Policy and Planning Committee.
3. The full and detailed proposal may be found in the Office of the Graduate School. Attached to this Agenda is a summary (distributed to Senators only) of the full proposal containing all essential information in shortened form.
5. Concurrent Resolution from the Steering Committee (Ms. Rogers).
WHEREAS THE UNIVERSITY CONGRESS HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION WHICH READS:
'Whereas University Congress represents the voice of the students, and;
Whereas the actions of University Congress should reflect the best interests of the student body;:
Be It Resolved, that University Congress urge President O'Dowd and the Board of Trustees to allow national affiliation of Oakland University Greek Letter social and service fraternal organizations with the following provisions:
1) University Congress and appropriate University administrators should review the charter and/or constitutions of national chapters, of the above stated organizations to evaluate if they adhere to Oakland University's policy for student organizations, including nondiscriminations.
2.) That University Congress and the appropriate University administrators should review annually Oakland's fraternities and sororities adherence to these national charters and constitutions."
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE CONCUR WITH THIS UNIVERSITY CONGRESS RESOLUTION.
First Reading: Both the Congress Resolution and the Senate Concurrent Resolution are debatable but only the Senate Concurrent Resolution is amendable by the Senate. The Senate Concurrent Resolution is not eligible for final vote at this meeting.
Comment: At its meeting of February 27, 1979, the Steering Committee considered a request from the President by memorandum dated February 5, 1979 as follows:
"I wish to call on several important deliberative agencies of the university�the University Senate, the University Congress, the AP Assembly, the Administrative Council, and the Alumni Board--to assist me in formulating a policy decision regarding official recognition on campus of national social organizations. The issue at hand is a petition from a group of Oakland University students to affiliate with a national Greek letter social fraternal organization. The students are members of a local social organization that, in all except national affiliation, could be classified as a fraternity/sorority. The local organization now wishes to affiliate with a national organization and to receive the recognition and prerogatives that flow from national membership.
The university has had at least two social organizations for about ten years that have all the characteristics of fraternal organizations but have not sought national affiliation. Two additional organizations have been formed in the past year, bringing to four the number of social organizations of a fraternal nature that exist on the campus.
The issue before us today is whether or not there is--in terms of university policy�a difference between a local fraternal organization and a nationally affiliated fraternal organization. The question arises because the national organizations traditionally require that, in addition to the membership of the local organization approving the affiliation the administration of the university is asked to provide its approval.
The university has no formal policy on this matter and no action has ever been taken by the Board of Trustees or by any university representative agency on this issue. A position in opposition to the establishment of fraternal organizations was articulated by Chancellor Varner in 1959 and became part of the traditional description of Oakland University. It is not clear to me that the position taken in 1959 is valid in 1979 since the national social fraternity structure has changed markedly in the last twenty years, the university has grown much larger, and the attitudes of students have changed dramatically. Your advice on the appropriate response of the university to the request of the students for national social fraternal affiliation would be greatly appreciated. The matter must be resolved now because we have received a carefully prepared request from more than fifty students to which a response should be given before April 1.
I look forward to receiving your reply and to participating with you in seeking to determine how to deal with this question."
2. Since the issue involved, while of importance to the entire University is of special concern to students, and since it has been debated and acted upon by the University Congress, the Steering Committee determined to place the issue before the Senate in the form of this Concurrent Resolution.
C. Good and Welfare: Private Resolutions
D. Informational Items:
1. In anticipation of the usual end of year press of new business, the Steering Committee wishes to schedule two additional meetings of the Senate as follows:
March 29, 1979
April 12, 1979
The regularly scheduled meeting of April 19, 1979 will also be held.
All meetings are on Thursdays at 3:15 in 128, 129 130 Oakland Center.
2. The Steering Committee nominations of faculty to vacant seats on Senate Standing Committees will be made at the meeting of April 19, 1979.