Oakland University Senate
Thursday, December 6, 1979
Fourth Meeting
3:30 p.m.
128, 129, 130 Oakland Center
MINUTES
Senators Present: Beardman, Bertocci. Boulos, Brown, Burke, Cherno, Chipman, Christina, Coon, Eberwein, Eberwein, Feeman, Garcia, Ghausi, Grossman, Hetenyi, Heubel, Hitchingham, Houtz, Kingstrom, Kleckner, Kohn, Matthews, Miller, Mourant, Obear, Otto, Riley, Rogers Russell, Scherer, Schmidt, Strauss, Torch, Tower, Williamson
Senators Absent: Berger, Bieryla, Edgerton, Evans. Felton, Gardiner, Hammerle, Horwitz;, Jaymes, Johnson. Jones, Karasch, Liboff, Moeller, O'Dowd- Partmann, Pettengill, Sayre, Schwartz, Shantz, Shepherd, Stransky, Twietmeyer
The fourth meeting of the University Senate for the 1979-80 academic year was called to order by President George T. Matthews at 3:30 p.m. By voice vote, the minutes of the November 15, 1979, meeting as moved by Mr. Laszlo Hetenyi and seconded by Mr. John Tower were approved. A clarification of those minutes was offered later in the meeting. In section B.3. in the comments following the motion related to voting privileges for faculty holding appointment in the School of Performing Arts, the last sentence should read, "Further, it is not the intent of the motion that an extra seat be provided to the College of Arts and Sciences to accommodate this temporary arrangement."
A. Old Business:
1. Amendment concerning Senate representation for faculty in the Center for Health Sciences and in the Institute of Biological Sciences (Tower/Partmann).
Inquiries were made concerning the number of faculty persons currently holding appointment in the Center for Health Science and in the Institute of Biological Sciences. Upon call of the question, the amendment failed to pass. Upon call of the question, the main motion, unamended, was approved by voice vote as follows:
RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE, UNDER AUTHORITY OF ARTICLE II, VI OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE OAKLAND UNIVERSITY SENATE, CONFER UPON THE CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES AND THE INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION, REPRESENTATION IN THE UNIVERSITY SENATE AS FOLLOWS:
a. THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES SHALL BE SEATED ex officio AND VOTING.
b. FOR ENFRANCHISEMENT PURPOSES, FACULTY HOLDING PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS IN HEALTH SCIENCE DISCIPLINES IN THE CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES AND FACULTY HOLDING PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES IN THE INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, SHALL BE REGARDED AS A SINGLE VOTING UNIT.
c. FACULTY HOLDING SUCH PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS SHALL BE ENTITLED TO MINIMUM REPRESENTATION OF ONE ELECTED SEAT AND SUCH ADDITIONAL SEATS AS MAY BE WARRANTED BY THE APPORTIONMENT PROCEDURES.
2. Motion concerning representation on the Senate by faculty members from the Center for General and Career Studies (Tower/Miller).
Ms. Garcia conveyed to the Senate that faculty from the Department of Learning Skills unanimously endorsed the motion as presented by the Steering Committee. A question was asked regarding the implementation of the motion. If approved, Mr. Matthews indicated that an adjustment would be made in the Senate membership during the winter semester, such adjustment to be determined by the Steering Committee and the Elections Committee.
Upon call of the question, the main motion, unamended, was approved by voice vote as follows:
RESOLVED THAT THE UNIVERSITY SENATE, UNDER AUTHORITY OF ARTICLE II VI OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE OAKLAND UNIVERSITY SENATE, CONFER UPON THE CENTER FOR GENERAL AND CAREER STUDIES, EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION, . REPRESENTATION IN THE UNIVERSITY SENATE AS FOLLOWS:
a. THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR GENERAL AND CAREER STUDIES SHALL BE SEATED ex officio AND VOTING.
b. AS LONG AS THERE ARE FACULTY HOLDING PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS IN THE CENTER FOR GENERAL AND CAREER STUDIES, SUCH FACULTY SHALL BE ENTITLED TO A REPRESENTATION OF ONE ELECTED SEAT AND SUCH ADDITIONAL, SEATS AS MAY BE WARRANTED BY THE APPORTIONMENT PROCEDURES.
3. Motion concerning voting privileges for faculty members in the School of Performing Arts (Partmann/Hetenyi).
Upon call of the question, the main motion, unamended, was approved by voice vote as follows:
THAT FACULTY MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS BE GIVEN VOTING PRIVILEGES THROUGH THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES UNTIL CONSTITUTED AS A SEPARATE VOTING UNIT.
B. New Business:
None. ,
C. Mr. Bricker reported on behalf of the ad hoc Commission on General Education. He indicated that a preliminary report would be sent to the APPC by the Commission in early January with a recommendation that it be distributed to all academic units. The policy regarding general education developed by the Commission represents a minimal requirement for general education. Mr. Bricker pointed out that academic units would be free to add requirements for their students to the core program being recommended. A question was raised about recent attendance at Commission meetings. Mr. Bricker indicated that the attendance at the two recent meetings of the Commission was not as high as he would have liked. Ms. Rogers recommended that the Commission report be distributed to students as well as to faculty members. Mr. Matthews suggested that the report might be communicated through a special edition of the OU News.
D. Mr. Appleton reported on behalf of the ad hoc Commission on Entry Year. He indicated that the report of that Commission had already been sent to the APPC. The initial question addressed by the Commission was how much entry-year activity was available to be structured by the Commission. The Commission concluded that a minimal program which would be applicable to most if not all academic units should be considered. Elements of the report focus upon 1) an elective, overview course, 2) development of basic competencies, and 3) academic advising. Twelve specific Commission recommendations were also reviewed by Mr. Appleton.
E. Mr. Feeman raised a question about the matter of cheating on examinations which, he noted, has been of deep concern to members of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. He noted that a forum sponsored by the Academic Conduct Committee had recently been held to address this topic. Further, he reminded the Senate that a statement of procedures which should be followed by faculty members in handling cheating cases is available from Dean Pierson. He felt that the Academic Conduct Committee should take some time to deal with philosophical issues related to academic dishonesty in addition to handling individual cheating cases. Mr. Feeman asked the Steering Committee to search for a report which the Academic Conduct Committee prepared about two years ago on this subject and to circulate it widely. Mr. Bertocci indicated he had a copy of the report and would make it available to the Steering Committee if other copies could not be located. Some questions were raised about the lack of due process in recommendations contained in the report.
F. Mr. Obear noted that he will chair the Steering Committee for the remainder of this year in light of Mr. Matthews new assignment. He also announced that Ms. DeMont and Ms. Scherer will report directly to him.
Ms. Rogers reported on University Congress accomplishments for the year and introduced the new Congress president, Mr. Gary McMahan.
Mr. Hetenyi reported briefly on the Presidential Search.
Mr. Williamson asked that the Steering Committee draft a resolution of commendation for the 1979 University Congress. He also inquired about the lack of publication of the official time between classes associated with the new scheduling modules. Eight minutes appears to be the norm for class changes which Mr. Williamson felt might not be enough time for many students and faculty members. Mr. Kleckner indicated that the time could be published but not altered without appropriate faculty and administrative review. Mr. Kleckner said he would bring the matter to the attention of the appropriate committee.
The meeting of the Senate adjourned at 4:30 p.m.