Oakland University Senate
Wednesday, July 7, 1982
Thirteenth Meeting (Continuation of Meeting of June 3, 1982)
204 O'Dowd Hall
MINUTES
Senators Present: Akers, Appleton, Arnold, Brown, Champagne, dark, Copenhaver, Cowlishaw, Eberwein, Ghausi, Gregory, Grossman, Hetenyi, Hildebrand, Horwitz, Kleckner, Lindell, Mallett, Miller Otto, Pine, Pino, Scherer, Sevilla, Strauss, Stokes, Sudol.
Senators Absent: Boulos, Briggs-Bunting. Burdick, Chipman, Christina, Coppola Dawson, Downing, Eklund, Eliezer, Feeman, Frampton, Gardiner* Gerulaitis, Hammerle, Heubel, Hightower, Howes, Ketchum Lambric, Moeller, Pak, Rhadigan, Russell, Sakai, Swartz, Shallow, Somerville, Stamps, Stanovich. Swartz, Tripp, Wilson,
At 2:06 p.m., Mr. Kleckner opened the session (technically an extension of the June 3 meeting). He called for approval of the minutes of May 27 and June 2, 1982, upon motion of Mr. Arnold, seconded by Mr. Gregory, those minutes were approved without discussion. Minutes of the first part of the June 3 meeting will be considered later, after the whole meeting has entered into history.
With no old business to detain it, the Senate moved at once to the first item of new business:
MOVED that the Senate endorse the revised Oakland University role and mission statement, dated July, 1982.
(Moved, Mr. Miller; Seconded, Mr. Sevilla). Mr. Hetenyi launched the discussion by asking for elaboration of the statement on scholarship in the introductory paragraph to bring it into conformity with the more detailed discussion on page two, which makes it clear that the University looks with favor on creative achievements. Mr. Copenhaver, seconded by Mr. Hetenyi, offered an amendment to rewrite the disputed sentence in paragraph one to read "It advances knowledge and promotes the arts through research, scholarship, and creative activity." The modification was willingly, accepted by Messrs. Champagne and Kleckner.
Mr. Akers then questioned whether the linkage between "demonstrable need" and "attraction of qualified students" in the final paragraph of the Instruction section might not give the impression that Oakland University looks only to enrollment figures as justification for launching a program. Mr. Grossman confessed to the opposite problem with the same statement; he wondered how one could demonstrate need in terms of enrollment figures for a program not yet launched, and for which recruitment has not begun. Mr. Champagne thought the intent was to demonstrate the likelihood of a sufficient appropriate audience�information which, as Mr. Kleckner pointed out, has long been required on all proposals for new programs. Mr. Champagne also read the statement to mean that existing programs which no longer attract new students would be reviewed. Mr. Miller offered a stylistic amendment to disconnect the words linking need directly with number by writing "for which a demonstrable need and a potential for qualified students exist." Mr. Champagne approved the change.
Ms. Scherer, seconded by Mr. Gregory, then proposed deletion of the word "ethnic" from the second paragraph of the Public Service section so that the phrase would read "within a diverse environment." She thought that the University environment is diverse for many reasons. Mr. Champagne responded that he and Mr. Kleckner had been trying to collapse the CAMP report's reference to a "multi-racial, multi-ethnic environment" into a briefer, more graceful phrase representing the same premise. Mr. Gregory doubted that the language offered would clarify to all readers that racial complexity was included. He approved striking the word ethnic.
At this point, Mr. Kleckner raised a question about how the Senate wished to proceed with its business. Did the group want to approve or reject the document as a whole have a revised document brought to it the next day, or amend it phrase by phrase on the floor? Senators, in a mood for editing, preferred to continue the process of refinement on the spot. Mr. Akers, seconded by Mr. Ghausi, moved to reconstitute the group as a committee of the whole for a while to make mutually agreeable changes and then to return to deliberate on a perfected document. The motion was approved without objection. As a committee of the whole, the group reached agreement on the following modifications of the original document:
page 1 (Instruction), paragraph 2: Change from "The University offers master's programs that meet demonstrable needs of Michigan residents and that maintain a superior quality" to "The University offers master's programs that meet demonstrable needs of Michigan residents and that maintain excellence." (new language underlined)
page 1 (Instruction), paragraph 4: Change from "Oakland University is selective in its admission standards and seeks both traditional and nontraditional students who can profit from its offerings" to "Oakland University is selective in its admission standards and seeks both traditional and nontraditional students, ensuring equal opportunity to all who can profit from its offerings."
page 2 (Public Service), paragraph 2: Link this paragraph to the one before, and revise the wording from "Above all, the University aims to provide a model of socially responsible decision making and ethical institutional behavior within a diverse ethnic environment, recognizing that institutional strength derives from an effective interaction with the institution's external environs" to "The University aims to provide a model of socially responsible decision making and ethical institutional behavior, recognizing that institutional strength derives from an effective interaction with the institution's diverse external environs."
Page 3 (Student Development), paragraph 1: Change from "In so doing, the University seeks to facilitate the development of life-management skills which will contribute to informed decision-making and productive citizenship" to "In so doing, the University seeks to facilitate the development of those personal skills which will contribute to informed decision-making and productive citizenship."
page 2 (Public Service), paragraph 1: Reorder "Cultural enrichment is provided for the community through the Meadow Brook enterprises, other campus events, and off-campus presentations by faculty and students" and add two words to read "Cultural enrichment is provided for the community through the Meadow Brook enterprises, on and off-campus presentations by faculty and students, and other campus events."
page 1 (Instruction), paragraph 1: Expand "A strong core of liberal arts is the basis on which undergraduates develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential for successful living and active, concerned citizenship" to read "A strong core of liberal arts and sciences is the basis on which undergraduates develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential for successful living and active, concerned citizenship."
page 2 (Research and Scholarship), paragraph 3: Expand "The application of research and scholarship to problems and concerns of the state's business and industry, and scientific, government, and health and human-service agencies serves also to reinforce the public service role of the University" to read "The application of research and scholarship to problems and concerns of the state's business and industry and scientific, educational, government, and health and human-service agencies serves also to reinforce the public service role of the University."
Committee of the whole participants also charged the secretary to edit the document for consistent use of commas and agreed to fold into these consensual modifications the recommendations offered earlier as amendments. Having thus affirmed its commitment to equal opportunity, educational excellence, public responsibility, and the English language, the group unanimously approved Ms. Scherer's motion (seconded, Mr. Ghausi) to reassemble in formal session.
Formally reconstituted as a Senate, the body then approved Ms. Scherer's motion (seconded, Mr. Hetenyi) to move directly to a second reading. Some concern was raised by Mr. Miller about absent Senators who might have planned to attend the second meeting on the issue, originally scheduled for the next day, but Mr. Champagne supposed that persons with serious objections to the. document would probably have appeared for the first reading in order to introduce amendments. Mr. Miller also wondered whether the Senate needed any further formal action to put these changes into effect and was assured by Mr. Champagne that he accepted everything on which the committee of the whole agreed. Having waived a second reading, the Senate then gave unanimous approval to the perfected statement.
Mr. Miller then introduced the second item of new business (seconded by Mr. Akers)
MOVED that the Senate review the University's role and mission statement every three years and propose revisions or modifications as it deems appropriate.
Mr. Hetenyi presumed that there would be no problem if the President should wish reconsideration sooner and learned that there was no intention to limit more frequent reviews of the document but only to mandate regular reconsideration. Mr. Mallet wondered why three-year intervals were specified rather than five years or some other interval.
Mr. Kleckner thought that any number would have to be chosen arbitrarily but pointed out that the resolution does not commit the Senate to intensive reconsideration of University role and mission on a triennial basis. Cursory approval may sometimes prove adequate. As a procedural motion, the issue was eligible for a vote after the first reading, and the Senate adopted it without dissent.
There were no good and welfare proposals and only one information item: the schedule of Senate meetings for the 1982-83 academic year. Mr. Kleckner notified his colleagues of one change: the September meeting has been moved from the 9th to the 23rd to allow the possibility of conducting more business at the first meeting. He pointed out that a May date has been reserved in case of need.
Mr. Champagne then expressed his appreciation to the Senate for its helpfulness in responding to the CAMP report. He felt this experience had demonstrated the usefulness of keeping the governance process moving in an open way and pledged to continue such openness. He then turned the meeting over to Mr. Kleckner to inform the Senate about the likely scenario of events concerning CAMP recommendations.
Mr. Kleckner identified two competing needs: first, to get the process over with for those persons whose programs hand in the balance or who anticipate increased resources and, second, to elicit full information so that all ramifications of possible decisions may be examined. He thought that the information-sharing part of the process was drawing to a close and expected to forward proposals for action in the near future. He pointed out that many CAMP recommendations are already being implemented across the University in ways that will strengthen the institution, citing the Senate's action to tighten B.G.S. requirements as a good example. He also anticipated that the Senate would be called upon in due time to add new programs and restructure others in keeping with CAMP recommendations. So far as CAMP recommendations on program phase-outs are concerned, he intends to meet with each dean and principle faculty leader of such programs during the summer to communicate his decisions. In the early fall, he will report his decisions to the Senate in writing and give that body a chance to respond before he and the President bring their recommendations for any program phase-outs to the Board in the late fall. For the coming academic year, all programs will be carried out as before in order to meet commitments to students. He thanked the Senate for its cooperation, especially for its willingness to extend its sessions into the spring and summer, and he expressed particular appreciation for its achievement in strengthening the role and mission statement by astute editing.
Upon motion of Mr. Hetenyi, the Senate adjourned at 3:25 p.m. with plans to reconvene in September.
Respectfully submitted,
Jane D. Eberwein
Secretary to the University Se ate