OAKLAND UNIVERSITY  SENATE

Thursday, 15 October 1992
Second Meeting

MINUTES

Senators Present: Andersen, Appleton, Bennett, Benson, Burdick, Chipman, Cramer, Downing, Eberwein, Eckart, Edgerton, Fish, Gamboa, Gerulaitis, Goslin, Grossman, Hamilton, Haworth Hoeppner, Horwitz, Hovanesian, Kevern, Kheir, Kim, Masters, McKay, Mittelstaedt, Olson, Otto, Packard, Pine, Reddy, Rush, Schultz, Stamps, Wilczynski, Witt, Wood, Yates, Zenas.
Senators Absent: Abiko, Braunstein, Cowlishaw, Dahlgren, Dunphy, Eisenhower Frankie, Halsted, Hansen-Smith, Hartzer, Hormozi, Hough, Jackson, Mabee, Moore, Peterson, Pierson, Porter, Shepherd, Stano, Stevens, Swartz, Urice.

Summary of Actions
1. Minutes of 17 September 1992 (Wilczynski; Kevern). Approved.
2 . Procedural motion to staff Senate Budget Review Committee and Senate Planning Review Committee (Edgerton; Gerulaitis). Approved.

Hoping he discerned a quorum, Mr. Horwitz called the meeting to order at 3:14 p.m., directing attention immediately to the minutes of 17 September 1992. These, duly placed on the floor by Messrs. Wilczynski and Kevern, gained prompt approval. That action freed the chair to welcome Ms. Masters, the new student senator.

No old business confronted the Senate, so Mr. Horwitz called upon Mr. Edgerton to introduce the single item of new business advanced by the Steering Committee. Mr. Edgerton, seconded by Ms. Gerulaitis, proposed that the names advanced by the Steering Committee as candidates for the new Senate Budget Review Committee and Senate Planning Review Committee be confirmed as listed with the exception of Mr. Windeknecht's, who had requested that his name be withdrawn from the Planning Review Committee. The Steering Committee will nominate his replacement at the next meeting of the Senate. This motion elicited no discussion. When it was approved by voice vote, Mr. Horwitz extended his thanks to all those who had volunteered their energies to launch these two important but demanding new committees. Those elected were:

Senate Budget Review Committee
Denis Callewaert, chair (1992-94)
James McKay (1992-95)
Miron Stano (1992-94)
Charlotte Stokes (1992-93)

Senate Planning Review Committee
J. Curtis Chipman, chair (1992-95)
Ravi Parameswaran (1992-93)
Margaret Pigott (1992-94)
R. E. Righter (1992-94)

Senators presented no private motions for the good of the order, so Mr. Horwitz called upon Ms. Rush to present the first information item: an informative report about the impact on Oakland University of the new federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Ms. Rush, who appreciated the opportunity to call timely attention to this matter during a month set aside by the federal government for attention to the rights of disabled citizens and a week similarly designated by the state of Michigan, indicated that the university must respond in two ways. To begin with negatives, it must not discriminate against persons with handicaps. On the positive side, it must make reasonable accommodations to meet legislated standards of access. That does not mean that every room on campus is expected to meet specifications for all needs, but it does obligate us to find means of access for those with problems. She mentioned that many classes had been moved this September so that disabled students could attend. In preparation for the university's report on its compliance with this law, Oakland people are now reviewing our physical plant, policies, and procedures--even our snow-removal system. Ms. Rush called attention to several offices on campus with special responsibilities for assistance of disabled students and staff, specifically the Special Advising Office headed by Jean Colburn and her own Equal Opportunity office. She also thanked faculty members, Employee Relations personnel, and Physical Plant staff for their cooperation. The goal of all this activity is to provide a user-friendly environment. Although she welcomed questions, none emerged. Mr. Horwitz reminded faculty members about the memorandum he had recently circulated to inform instructors about things they could do to assist disabled students. He mentioned that the Political Science department has already developed appropriate language for its syllabi and suggested that  professors looking for boilerplate copy seek out Professor John Klemanski.

Margo King then reported on plans for presidential inaugural activities. She mentioned that the Board of Trustees, which takes overall responsibility for this occasion, initiated action by appointing Beth Millwood and herself as co-chairs of a widely representative committee made up of faculty members, academic administrators, students, administrative professionals, and alumni. Mr. Sims charged this group to plan and implement an inauguration ceremony that would position the university effectively with its various publics and reflect credit on the institution. The committee has been planning a warm, gracious, but low-key series of events that begin with a faculty research display and an indoor student picnic. The President's Club annual dinner on November 12, which would have happened anyway and is paid for by attendees, provides the traditionally formal social event. November 13, the actual inaugural day, features a donor breakfast at Meadow Brook Hall and a luncheon for "special selected friends" in the Oakland Center. The actual ceremony will occur at the Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. Ms. King expressed her gratitude to committee members for their work on all sorts of details.

Recognizing that questions had arisen about funding of this celebration, she explained that she had arrived at an early cost estimate of $20,000 to $30,000 to present to the Board before the planning group began its work. The Board approved expenditures "not to exceed" $30,000. By this time, it appears that the cost will be less than that and that all will be covered by donations. No state allocations or student tuition dollars will be used. People had asked  her about the medallion that is being cast for the installation ceremony, and Ms. King explained that her committee's review of tapes from many university inaugurations revealed that a medallion is almost universally used to represent a chain (in this case a ribbon) of office. The Board chair invests the new president with this symbol, which she will wear for commencements, but the medallion remains the university's property to be used by all future presidents. Although such a medallion would normally have cost about $2,000, Oakland University's will be donated by Paul Haig--jeweler, loyal alumnus, and member of the President's Club. Other gifts include the use of shuttle vans from Wilson Hall to the pavilion, provided by auto companies, and breakfast at the Hall contributed by its caterer. Other businesses have also shown their goodwill on this happy occasion. Student groups have served generously, including the Golden Key Honor Society whose members stuffed invitation envelopes. Such contributions of time and talent reflect the community spirit the committee aims for in this inaugural celebration. Ms. King expected the event to be a tasteful one, dignified but not elaborate, and a positive expression of Oakland University. Anyone who wants to assist her committee with last-minute pavilion decoration is welcome to show up in work clothes on the morning of the 13th.

Mr. Stamps responded to Ms. King's informative presentation with two questions. He addressed the first to Vice President Horwitz, inquiring what was expected of faculty members scheduled to teach during the inaugural ceremony. Mr. Horwitz, acknowledging that "we" had not yet considered that problem, lobbed the ball into President Packard's court, but she deftly returned it to him with the judgment that the matter lay within the sphere of the university's chief academic officer. Since both of them instinctively felt that the decision should be left to each professor's discretion, the matter was left there. Ms. Packard mentioned that the Friday afternoon time had been chosen specifically because it conflicted with the fewest possible classes. Mr. Horwitz added that individual campus offices were free to decide whether or not to close so that staff could attend the ceremony, to which all have been invited. Mr. Stamps then asked Ms. King about rumors that a university mace had been commissioned. She responded that no such symbol would be ready in time for this ceremony, but there are hopes that one will be cast for use at commencements. Ms. Packard, who attended the Arts and Sciences June commencement, had been surprised not to see the marshal holding the mace that traditionally serves as an institutional symbol at longer established universities. When she asked Oakland's marshals whether they would like a mace, they responded favorably to the idea. At this point, staff members here are gathering information about maces at other academic institutions in the expectation that one incorporating the Oakland University seal will eventually be designed for us. She urged anyone interested in this project to talk with Priscilla Hildum. Although many maces at other universities have been designed and cast by faculty members, Oakland's lack of a Studio Art program will probably force us to go outside the immediate campus community--perhaps no further than to the alumnus jeweler who is preparing the medallion. She estimated total costs for the mace in the range of two to three-thousand dollars. Mr. Olson, one of the senators serving on the planning committee, urged faculty members to participate in the inaugural ceremony, whether academically robed or not. It is important, however, to let the committee know how many people are coming so that seats can be provided.

Mr. Horwitz then reported that the Steering Committee had referred several issues to Senate committees in response to the president's request for wise counsel. The Committee on Human Relations, chaired by Ann Pogany, will be considering whether a Minority Affairs Office functioning in an ombudsman role might provide more effective services to minority students than current administrative arrangements. The Campus Development and Environment Committee, chaired by Geoff Brieger, has been asked to review whether changes are needed in the university's current smoking policy. Persons with strong concerns on either of these matters should communicate with the appropriate chair. Concluding the session with updates on leadership searches, Mr. Horwitz reported that two Professors Jackson, Frances and Glenn, had agreed to head decanal search committees for the Schools of Nursing and Engineering and Computer Science respectively. Committee meetings will soon begin. He then called upon Dean Pine to report on the search for the next Vice President for Academic Affairs. Mr. Pine announced that his committee had met twice and is now actively circulating its call for applications. Our position description has appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education and in other appropriate periodicals and has been mailed around the country. His committee is availing itself of many mailing lists in its effort to publicize this opportunity to likely candidates, including women and members of minority groups. He estimated that about 3,000 letters announcing the position would be sent out, and he invited members of the university community to propose additional names. The search proceeds on schedule. He hoped the committee could review applications in mid-November and make recommendations to the president in January for screening of finalists before Board action in March. Mr. Horwitz emphasized that timing is crucial in this case because Nursing and Engineering dean candidates will properly want to meet.the anointed individual when they visit the campus. On that note, Mr. Horwitz welcomed Mr. Kevern's call for adjournment at 4:47 p.m.

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