Oakland University Senate
Seventh Meeting
March 16, 2000
Minutes
Members present: Andrews, Benson, Braunstein, Brieger, Buffard-O’Shea, Chapman, Coppin, Dow, Downing, Early, Eberly, Eberwein, Esposito, Estes, Fink, Garfinkle, Grossman, Hildebrand, McNair, Mili, D. Moore, K. Moore, Moran, Mosby, Nakao, Pfeiffer, Rozek, Russell, Schwartz, Shablin, Sieloff, Stamps, Wood
Members absent: Alber, Blanks, Boddy, Carter, Didier, Emrich, Gardner, Herman, Kleckner, Liboff, Long, Marks, Mayer, Mitchell, Olson, Otto, Polis, Riley, Rusek, Schochetman, Sharma, Sudol
Summary of actions:
1. Approval of the minutes of the February 17, 2000 meeting. (Dow, Wood) Approved.
2. Motion to recommend the establishment of a major (B.A.) in Women’s Studies. (Moore, Sieloff) Approved following approval of a motion to waive the second reading (Andrews, Wood).
Mr. Esposito called the meeting to order at 3:15. He directed the Senate's attention to the minutes of the February Senate meeting. Mr. Dow moved that they be approved, Ms. Wood seconded and the minutes were approved as distributed.
Information items.
Mr. Esposito stated that if the proposal to establish a major in Women’s Studies is approved today, he will take it and the previously approved Ph.D. in Biological Sciences to the June meetings of the Board of Trustees and the state group of academic officers. He added that his promised response to the budget of the aforementioned Ph.D. program would be ready by the next Senate meeting.
Women's Studies Proposal
With no old business to occupy the group, attention turned to the single item of new business, a motion to recommend to the President and the Board the approval of a baccalaureate degree (B.A.) in Women’s Studies. Following Ms. Moore's motion and Ms. Sieloff's second, Mr. Downing provided the following comments in support of the proposal:
Notes on the Women’s Studies Major/Minor Proposal:
It is fitting that a proposal for a major and minor in Women’s Studies comes before the Senate during Women’s History Month. This is a poignant reminder of how long overdo and important such a program is for our students and for the community that we serve.
- Women’s studies constitutes an interdisciplinary field devoted to the description and analysis of women’s experiences in historical and contemporary societies, the representation of women in literature, art, and the media, and the treatment of women by and in the sciences.
- This proposal to replace the existing women’s studies concentration with a major and minor has been several years in the making, and the women’s studies executive committee has worked hard to develop a rigorous proposal that, we believe, fits well into the mission and strategic plan of Oakland University. The proposal has been well-received through its journey in the governance system; in part because of its timeliness, in part because it builds on an already strong concentration and in part because Oakland, with a student population of 65% women is an ideal environment in which to be offering such a program.
- This past year, the college hired a tenure-track faculty member, Professor Amber Ault, who holds an appointment in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She is the director designee of the women’s studies program, and she will oversee the implementation of the new major, once it is approved. Amber, Phyllis Rooney and other member of the executive committee and associate dean Mary Papazian, who directed the proposal through the governance system, are here to answer any questions you may have.
Ms. Ault thanked the Senate for their review of the proposal and stated that it represents the culmination of years of work and incorporates many of the suggestions for improvement that were offered along the way. The proposal has the unanimous support of the College's Committee on Instruction and the Assembly. In response to Ms. McNair's query about careers available to Women's Studies majors, Ms. Ault listed three possible tracks:
--the major as part of a general liberal arts degree with all the options available to those majors;
--the major as preparation for employment in areas that might have special concerns relating to women, including the corporate world, women's shelters, public administration, equal opportunity endeavors; and
--the major as good preparation for graduate study.
Ms. Moore wondered why the upper level courses do not have any prerequisites. That was simply an oversight, Ms. Ault responded, since WS200 is a prereq for the upper level women's studies courses. She added that WS 320 and 321 prepare the students for the capstone course. However, the WS 200 prerequisite does not apply to cross listed courses. Ms. Rooney pointed out that exceptions may be made in cases where students have had relevant exposure in related courses. In response to Mr. Garfinkle's question about courses relating to women and the sciences, Ms. Ault commented that this is certainly an area of concern and that they haven't yet developed courses to address those issues. But they are working on developing these areas and that a women's health course will be the first to be offered.
Following a lull in the discussion, Mr. Andrews moved to waive the second reading, Ms. Wood seconded and the Senate approved with the requisite 3/4 majority. The main motion was then put to the vote and passed unanimously.
Good and Welfare
In the area of good and welfare, Mr. Grossman asked for an update on the various task forces that have been formed and in particular, was curious as to how the membership of each was selected. Mr. Esposito responded that they were appointed in different ways. In selecting a group he asked the Deans for their recommendations and included representatives from appropriate Senate committees and in some cases, asked for volunteers. He noted that he expects the report of the Enrollment Planning Committee to be ready soon but that the other Task Forces will probably not have their recommendations ready until the fall semester.
Mr. Stamps asked if there was feedback on the memo concerning a conference/hotel center and Mr. Esposito responded that he had received only a few comments.
Mr. Braunstein wondered about an Oakland Post article concerning the future of the Meadowbrook Theatre and the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. Mr. Esposito indicated that individuals in the community are interested in the performing arts at Oakland and are willing to support them. As the capital campaign gets underway, a feasibility study will look at the possibility of a Performing and Visual Arts Building on campus that would include academic facilities as well as the Theatre. He added that recently Meadowbrook Gallery was integrated into the Department of Art and Art History and discussions are taking place regarding the relationship between Meadowbrook Theatre and MTD. He added that many campus theatres are closely integrated with academic units and that discussions will continue. With regard to the possibility of a new building, Ms. Wood stated that art and particularly the studio art area needs a new facility with more room.
With no further good and welfare items forthcoming, the meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m.
Submitted by
Linda L. Hildebrand
Secretary to the University Senate
3/10/00