Oakland University Senate

Thursday, 10 April 1986
Eighth Meeting
Rooms 128-130 Oakland Center

MINUTES

Senators Present: Barclay, Bertocci, Bingham, Blankenship, Blatt, Burke, Cardimen, Cass, Chipman, Copenhaver, Dahlgren, Diltz, Downing, Eberwein,
Edgerton, Faber, Gerulaitis, Grossman, Hartman, Hildebrand, Horwitz, Hough, Khapoya, Kleckner, Lindell, Moore, Rozek, Russell, Srodawa, Strauss, Swartz, Terry, Tripp, Willoughby, Wilson, Witt.
Senators Absent; Appleton, Barnard, Barthel, Boganey, Champagne, Chapman-Moore, Chatterjee, Clatworthy, Evarts, Feingold, Frankie, Garcia, Hamilton, Herman, Heubel, Hightower, Ketchum, Liboff, Metzner, Monahan, Pettengill, Pine, Reddy, Righter, Schimmelman, Straughen.

Summary of Actions:
1. Minutes of 13 March 1986 (Hough; Willoughby). Approved.
2. Motion to approve a M.S. degree in Health Sciences (Dahlgren; Russell). Approved.
3. Motion regarding emeritus/a faculty rank (Hough; Righter). Approved.
4. Motion to extend time for passage between classes (Chipman; Downing). Approved.
5. Motion to staff Senate committees (Wilson; Blankenship). Approved.

Discerning a quorum, Mr. Kleckner called the meeting to order at 3:14 p.m., directing the attention of the body to the minutes of 13 March 1986.
Those minutes, having been moved by Mr. Hough and seconded by Mr. Willoughby, elicited no discussion and were promptly approved�thereby establishing a
precedent for subsequent business.

The first item of old business was a motion from the Graduate Council (Messrs. Dahlgren and Russell) to establish a new program:

MOVED that the Senate recommend to the President and the Board of Trustees approval of an M.S. program in Health Sciences to be offered by the School of Health Sciences.

Mr. Willoughby had checked over the budget pages of the proposal in the wake of the March meeting and found himself still uncertain about what percentage of the program would be funded with Oakland University funds and what percentage would be supported by external agencies. Mr. Russell explained that his colleagues in Health Sciences are actively seeking external support for one physician-faculty member who would be associated with the Health Enhancement Institute. He pointed out that the proposal allows two years to achieve the funding needed to phase this person in. Prospects look good for grant support. Mr. Kleckner mentioned that a request for such assistance has also gone to Lansing, with no word yet available on its fate. With this item clarified, the motion passed without opposition.

The next item of old business was a proposal from the Steering Committee to modify and clarify criteria and procedures associated with the award of emeritus/a rank. Mr. Hough, seconded by Mr. Righter, sponsored the motion, and Mr. Kleckner pointed out the presence in the Senate of several members of the ad hoc committee that formulated the proposal. Although Messrs. Hough, Bertocci and Witt made themselves available to answer questions, no hands or voices were raised. The motion passed without dissent:

MOVED that, upon appropriate nomination and recommendation, the title and status of professor emeritus(a) may be conferred upon any eligible member of the Oakland University faculty upon retirement.

a. To be eligible for nomination for this honor, the faculty member must be tenured at the time of retirement and have had continuous full-time service as a member of the faculty for at least 15 years prior to retirement; those whose initial appointments were at the level of associate professor or professor must have been tenured at Oakland University for at least 10 years.

Special Provision (expires 30 June 1987) Academic units may nominate colleagues who retired between 14 August 1981 and 14 August 1985 and who met the eligibility requirements
stated above, but who were not awarded emeritus(a) title and status.  For these cases as for all others, the procedures laid down in c, d, and e below should be followed.

b. In exceptional and rare circumstances, and for demonstrated good cause, emeritus(a) title and status may be awarded to a tenured faculty member who resigns (as distinct from retires) his/her appointment for purposes of accepting academic appointment elsewhere, or for other honorable purposes. The case for such exceptional award must be documented powerfully by the nominating academic unit and be found persuasive by the President and the Board of Trustees.

c. Nomination should be initiated by the eligible retiree's primary academic unit (college, school, department, center) by procedures established by the academic unit itself.

d. The nomination should be made in writing to the appropriate Dean by the academic unit. In the event an academic unit fails to nominate an otherwise eligible retiree within one year from the announcement of intent to retire, the Dean may request a recommendation. A negative recommendation must be accompanied by a strong statement of cause. The Dean may not veto a positive recommendation except for matters of fact, such as length of service and the like; he/she may Insist upon review of a negative recommendation.

e. The Dean forwards the nomination, with his or her recommendation, to the Provost and the President. Emeritus(a) status is effective upon action of the Board of Trustees.

f. A professor emeritus(a) shall:
--Be listed in the appropriate University catalog, if he/she so wishes;
--Be listed in the University Telephone Directory, if residence in the nearby area is maintained, and if he/she so wishes;
--Receive a proper identification card indicating the emeritus(a) title and status;
--Be invited to attend all University ceremonials, processions, commencements, and convocations;
--Have the right to attend meetings open to the faculty, but without the right of vote on any matter, unless specifically so empowered;
--Enjoy such additional rights and privileges as Oakland may determine.

After enacting the first two items of old business so decisively, the Senate dispatched the third with equal promptitude: a motion from the Academic Policy and Planning Committee (Messrs. Chipman and Downing):

MOVED that the class scheduling matrix be modified to allow a 13-minute interval between class times.

Mr. Chipman reminded his colleagues that the proposal originated in the University Congress before being checked out by subsequent deliberative bodies. He recommended the new schedule as a convenient one that would extend the academic day only slightly. Thus encouraged, the Senate approved the motion without dissent.

Ms. Wilson, seconded by Ms. Blankenship, then introduced the sole item of new business, a procedural motion from the Steering Committee to staff the Senate standing committees and appoint their chairs for the year ahead. No discussion ensued, and the slate of nominees received unanimous endorsement. These, then, are the persons who will be carrying on Senate committee business in the year(s) ahead:

a. Academic and Career Advising Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Alice Horning (Chair)
Jerry Marsh
Howard Splete

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87)
Lawrence Lilliston
Dolores Solosky

b. Academic Computing Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
David Doane
Anna Dugan
Jack Nachman

NOMINEE to new one-year term (1986-87) effective fall 1986*
William Macauley

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87)
Ren-Jyh Gu
Donald Hildum (Chair)

c. Academic Conduct Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Rita Gallagher
Mildred Merz
Anne Tripp

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87)
Theodore Landau (Chair)
Steven Miller
Kristine Salomon (alternate)
Tung Weng

d. Academic Policy and Planning Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Sharon Bostick
William Jones
Ronald Tracy
Christian Wagner

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87)
J. Curtis Chipman (Chair)
James Dawson
Diane Wilson -

e. Academic Standing and Honors Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986
Alice Gorlin
Bruce Mann

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87).
Norman Kloosterman
Roderic Righter (Chair)

f. Admissions and Financial Aid Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Asish Nag
Sarma Vishnubhotla

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87) .
Gary Moore (chair)
Chris Pillow
W. Patrick Strauss

g.  Campus Development and Environment Committee

NOMINEES  to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
David Meyer
Janice Schimmelman
Brent Steel

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87).
R. Douglas Hunter
Richard Pettengill (Chair)

h. General Education Committee

NOMINEES-to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Penny Cass
Renate Gerulaitis
Jerrold Grossman

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87).
Daniel Braunstein (Chair)
Richard Stamps
Robert Stern

i. Research Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Carlo Coppola
Dean Purcell
Michael Sevilla
Carol Swift (1986-87) effective fall 1986*

NOMINEE for new one-year term
Kevin Murphy

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87).
Kevin Andrews
John Cameron
Virinder Moudgil (chair)

j.  Teaching and Learning Committee

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
Leo Gerulaitis
Barbara Hamilton
Mary Krammin

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87).
Richard Barron
Theresa Spinelli Cross
(chair) David Evans

k. University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction

NOMINEES to new two-year terms (1986-88) effective fall 1986.
David Downing : College of Arts and Sciences
Linda Hildebrand: Library
Joseph Hovanesian: School of Engineering and Computer Science
Osa Jackson: School of Health Sciences

CONTINUING MEMBERS serving final year (1986-87)
Marc Briod: School of Human and Educational Services
Harold Hotelling: School of Business Administration
Carol Zenas: School of Nursing

*In order to correct an imbalance in the pattern of committee vacancies on the Academic Computing Committee and the Research Committee, the Steering Committee is nominating one member  of each to serve a one-year appointment.

Filling of committee vacancies concluded official Senate action for the year, leaving members free to think informally about the general good. Such reflection, however, elicited no private motion for good and welfare.  Attention turned at once to several information items.

Ms. Eberwein reported for the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction about its progress in implementing the policy established by the Senate at its December meeting when it created a new category of courses numbered from 000 to 049 that would be classified as pre-college work and carry credits that might not be applied to minimal graduation requirements in any degree program. UCUI is designated by Senate policy as the guardian of the gates to this category of courses; it must approve any renumberings of courses either into or out of it. Since December, Ms. Eberwein announced, UCUI has acted positively on three requests for renumbering of courses below the mystic 050 mark. At the request of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, it has approved renumbering of MTH 111-112 (Elementary Algebra and Intermediate Algebra) as MTH 011-012; and at the request of the Department of Rhetoric, Communications, and Journalism, it has approved renumbering of RHT 065 (Communication Skills) as RHT 045. These actions by UCUI were preceded by support of these departmental initiatives by the College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Instruction. To avoid confusion in advising, UCUI has determined that these renumberings will not take effect until the two years have elapsed between these approvals and the actual implementation of the policy in respect to each renumbered course. Numbers will change in September 1988. Meanwhile, the catalog is to be studded with Informational statements about the coming changes, and UCUI wishes to inform the University community and the schools preparing our future students that this policy will soon take effect.

Mr. Kleckner then informed his colleagues about favorable signals from Lansing about the new science building, which now replaces the Library addition as our prime construction prospect. He admitted that we have heard about a possible new science structure "for n years, where n is large." Nonetheless, stirrings of change now quicken our hopes. A window of opportunity edged open lately in Lansing, and plans have suddenly started to move along. With Michigan's fiscal crises of the past decade now behind it, the state seems ready to start thinking again about new building. Mr. DeCarlo succeeded in keeping our science building project viable so that we need not begin justifying our case anew but can view it as a lively prospect for construction. Mr. Dahlgren is now coordinating work on a preliminary proposal for a new building physically related to Dodge and Hannah Halls. Hopes exist for release of initial funds to support detailed planning in terms of
projected use. The likelihood of our actually getting a building is much greater now than in the past, and quick action at this point may save as much as a full year in the overall process. Timely exertion should keep us comfortably ahead of the next recession.

He cheered the Senate still further by reporting that, with Library construction funds now assured, progress is being made in securing endowment funds for collection development. The last phase of architectural cost estimates is now being discussed in Lansing.

Less encouraging because more problematic in its implications is the news from Macomb County regarding efforts to establish four-year baccalaureate programs within its borders. Macomb Community College is now spearheading an effort to introduce third and fourth-year college instruction with a view to preserving the county's economic base in manufacturing and enhancing the quality of its cultural life. The hope is to expand MCC programs in various ways by creating a structure for universities to come into the county and provide two-year degree add-ons to existing MCC degrees. Planners for this project are soliciting Oakland University's support in offering some programs that would not compete directly with other programs to be sponsored by Wayne State University, the University of Detroit, and Walsh College. Mr. Kleckner anticipated a muddy overlap among these programs and acknowledged that he has great difficulty with the notion of isolating education in a structure with no library, no laboratories, and no faculty offices. He doubted that such plans could work out educationally unless several more buildings soon appear. Current plans call for only a single structure, however. The August ballot in Macomb County Includes a millage proposal for building or renovating a structure to house an Advanced Educational Program. This University's administration feels apprehensive about such developments and recognizes a
possible tension between its long-range and short-range hopes and fears. At the moment, Oakland University has no need for new students and might reasonably welcome an initiative to lure away a modest proportion of those coming to us. On the other hand, we get one third of our students from Macomb County. The specter of a Wayne State University-Macomb must be a sobering one for those who remember the history of Michigan State University Oakland. At this point, our Board of Trustees is beginning to consider our best stance in the face of the current challenge. Perhaps the millage will be defeated in August, although the concept can be expected to crop up again at future dates. The political situation is interesting to watch, both to the east of us and to the west in Lansing. Currently, Oakland University has made no commitment except to agree to keep talking. Wayne State, the University of Detroit, and Walsh College have agreed to offer courses at the Macomb center in the fall; we have made no promises but are leaving the door open.  We may offer courses there this fall that we have already been providing at other sites. Our short-term interest may be best served by letting this center siphon away a few students; our long-term interest would be harmed, however,by any siphoning away of state resources.

Several questions then emerged from Senators regarding issues of general concern. Ms. Gerulaitis had been reading about declining minority enrollments in state colleges and wondered whether Oakland University was among those experiencing problems in recruitment and retention. Mr. Kleckner judged the issue a serious one in terms of retention. The problem is a shortage of minority students who are prepared to succeed in college work. He cited the state's expedient of modifying ACT cutoff scores drastically to accommodate the poor performance of Detroit high school graduates competing for state scholarship funds as an example of the challenges to be faced by the university faculties who will be expected to help these graduates through a standard baccalaureate curriculum. Identifying the main problem as one of preparing minority students for college, he said that Oakland University is now attempting to secure state funding for the programs we provide to get younger minority pupils ready for college�whether they ultimately enroll here or in other Institutions. He hoped that the state could be persuaded to recognize our role in educating pupils below the college level, such as those we now serve in our pre-college program for the Pontiac schools. Our objective is to help secondary and middle schools to help themselves, thereby providing an improved base of candidates for eventual college admission. For the time being, he saw no prospect of our enrolling significantly more minority students than we have now�given the limited pool of qualified candidates and the fact that the University of Michigan is outright buying them. The long-term need is to prepare those young people who will be applying to colleges in three to five years.

Mr. Srodawa understood that an external consulting firm had been retained to look at academic computing on campus; he requested information about it. Mr. Kleckner said that all computing, not just the academic component, would be included in the study by a firm called SCT Corporation, which will send a team including engineers, natural scientists, and social scientists to campus to look at our computing facilities and talk with users. The team will pay its visit the weeks of May 5 and 12. The Provost admitted that the University has had problems with its computing systems but looked forward to making progress.

A final question came from Mr. Waters, who was standing in for Mr. Boganey as part of the student delegation. He asked what would be happening to Russian language programs and Slavic Studies and inquired what truth there was to rumors that these programs are being cancelled. He had raised questions about the matter at an UCUI meeting and found no knowledge there of any plans for cancellation. Mr. Kleckner, noting that lack of such information suggested that no such cancellation was happening, deferred to Mr. Copenhaver for background. Mr. Copenhaver explained that the retirement of the University's sole full-time Russian professor would diminish course offerings in that language next year. No program decisions have yet been made. When Mr. Waters inquired whether majors and minors would be able to complete their programs, Mr. Copenhaver reported that Professors Jaymes of Modern Languages and Murphy of the Honors College were helping students with their plans. He pointed out that the Department of Modern Languages considers it an undesirable thing to stop teaching advanced courses in any language. Mr. Kleckner pledged that provision would be made for the few students now involved. Mr. Burke mentioned rumors that several additional students mean to switch their majors into Russian in order to build pressure for program continuance. A chorus of murmurs from around the room advised interested
persons to stay tuned for further developments.

On that note, Mr. Willoughby called for adjournment at 3:66 p.m., and Mr. Kleckner released his fellow Senators to their end-of-semester duties with
thanks for a year's work well done.

Respectfully submitted:
Jane D. Eberwein
Secretary to the University Senate