Oakland University Senate
Wednesday, June 2, 1982
128, 129, 130 Oakland Center
AGENDA
Respectfully submitted by Keith R. Kleckner for the Steering Committee.
A. Old Business:
1. Motion from the Assembly of the School of Human and Educational Services to approve a revised Constitution (Mr. Pine). Item B.I. from the agenda of May 27, 1982.
MOVED that the revised Constitution for the School of Human and Educational Services be approved.
B. New Business:
1. Motion from the Steering Committee concerning the role and mission statement (Mr. Miller).
MOVED that in developing from the recommendation submitted by the Committee on Academic Mission and Priorities a role and mission statement for Oakland University the President take cognizance of the following issues raised during the recent open hearing on the subject conducted by the Academic Policy and Planning Committee:
a. A rhetorical balance should be struck in the discussion of research and scholarship to bring it into balance with the discussion of teaching mission and public service,
b, the notion of educational leadership might be incorporated into the discussion of the teaching mission and public service responsibilities of the institution,
c. a clarification might be made as to whether Oakland University is primarily a commuter or a regional institution,
d. some remarks on admission standards might be desirable,
e. a definition of the term "desirable size" in reference to certain programs should be given,
f. a discussion of the nature of the Liberal Arts core of the curriculum is desirable, and
g. a clarification should be given on the relationship between research-scholarship and the instructional mission of the institution.
Comment: At its hearings concerning the proposed role and mission statement various speakers addressed points which they felt represented deficiencies in the statement. Some of these were omissions, some were perceived ambiguities and some were imbalances. The Academic Policy and Planning Committee has identified seven such issues brought forth in the hearings and feels that they should be given attention in preparing a revised version of the role and mission statement.
2. Motion from the APPC concerning general education (Mr. Coppola):
MOVED that the Academic Policy and Planning Committee's recommendations 'regarding general education found in the CAMP Report be adopted; to wit:
a. That a very high priority be assigned to insure that sufficient resources be made available to provide a strong component of General Education which would be common to every undergraduate program at Oakland University,
b. that this component constitute at least thirty-six credits of every baccalaureate degree, and
c. that a University-wide committee be charged to administer the program in General Education;
(1) The primary responsibility of such a committee will be to approve and maintain a pool of courses that may be used to satisfy the requirement;
(2) it is likely that the initial pool will closely resemble, but will not be restricted to, the current one that exists in the College of Arts and Sciences;
(3) inclusion of courses from the professional schools in this pool is to be encouraged;
(4) those courses offered by the Department of Rhetoric to satisfy the writing proficiency requirement would be part of the pool so that the thirty-six credits could include this work;
(5) only courses approved for the pool could be used to satisfy the requirement, and no courses in the pool would be excluded from a study merely because they are required within the major program.
d. that the following responsibilities would be included in the committee charge:
(1) To define areas via groups of courses and set distributional requirements over these areas,
(2) to invite and consider approval of additional courses for the pool from the Schools and the College,
(3) to monitor the program and to recommend to the College or appropriate Schools the offering or development of courses needed to strengthen the program,
(4) to consider the exclusion of certain courses in the pool from students of particular programs at the request of the sponsors of that program, and
(5) to consider exceptions for specific programs to the General Education requirements.
Comment: The Academic Policy and Planning Committee feels that this issue has received sufficient study and discussion by a number of groups including the APPC itself that it advances a specific motion for Senate action.
3. Motion from the Steering Committee concerning specific program proposals from the CAMP Report (Mr. Akers).
MOVED that the Senate forward to the President for his consideration the written materials presented to the APPC in conjunction with their conduct of the open hearings on issues related to the recommendations of the Committee on Academic Mission and Priorities.
Comment: Each speaker requesting time for a formal presentation at one of the open hearings was requested to provide a synopsis of his or her remarks. The Academic Policy and Planning Committee has assembled these synopses and feeling that the already abbreviated form of these synopses renders unnecessary any additional condensation submits them herewith to the Senate and is asking that the Senate in turn transmit them to the President.
C. Good and Welfare:
Private Resolutions
D. Information Items:
None
E. President's Remarks: