Second Meeting
October 17, 2002
Oakland Center- Gold Rooms B & C
3:10 p. m.

Respectfully submitted by Virinder Moudgil for the Steering committee.

A. Information Items
    1.  Cooley Law School Committees and charge
    2.  Telephone Directory.

B.  Roll call.   Approval of minutes. 

D.  Old Business:
        None

E.  New Business:

1.    Motion from the School of Nursing to approve a revised Constitution (Ms. Vincent)

MOVED that the Senate recommend to the President and the Board approval of the new Constitution of the School of Nursing.

First reading: Debatable but not eligible for final vote at this meeting. Senate protocol holds constitutions to be unamendable from the floor. If revisions seem to be
needed, the document will be referred to its authors for reconsideration.

Comment: The revised Constitution has been approved by the School of Nursing faculty.  Copies of the revised constitution and the original showing the changes are available as follows:
        Revised Constitution: .pdf format  or  WORD format 
        Original showing the changes:  .pdf format   or WORD format.
2.   Motion from the Steering Committee to recommend approval of a Bachelor of  Arts in Studio Art (Mr. Downing)

MOVED that the Senate recommend to the President and the Board of Trustees approval of a program leading to a Bachelor of Art in Studio Art.

First reading: Debatable, amendable, but not eligible for final vote.

Comment: The proposal, related documents and responses from the various Senate committees are available here.

3.  Motion from the Academic Computing Committee to amend the name and charge for the Academic Computing Committee ( Mr. Coppin)  [strikouts indicate deletions, bold type additions].

MOVED that the name and charge for the Academic Computing Committee be amended as follows:

1. Name: Change the name to �Academic Technology Committee�

2. Charge:

To advise the University Senate on all matters pertaining to the use of computers academic technology for instruction and research and to assist in developing services and priorities for academic technology. It is expected to define and be responsive to the needs of students and faculty using the University computer academic technology facilities. It is given primary responsibility for devising and directing the implementation of plans to develop appropriate levels of computer academic technology literacy. It is required to prepare annually a recommendation to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and President on requirements for improvements and additions in computer will include in its annual report to the Senate its recommendations on academic technology facilities (both hardware and software) to meet the anticipated computing academic technology needs. for the subsequent five-year period.

To advise the Executive Director of the Office of Computer and Information Systems as necessary and assist in developing services, schedules, and priorities for academic computing usage in relation to total University computer usage. It should, periodically, examine patterns of use and charge systems, and make recommendations for such modifications as may be necessary.

First reading:  Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote.

Comment: The Steering Committee has endorsed these revisions. The substitution of �technology� for �computers� recognizes the more integrated systems now in use.

4.  Motion from the Academic Standing and Honors Committee (Mr. Schmidt).

MOVED that the probation and dismissal policy (page 70, current catalog) be revised as follows:
[strikouts indicate deletions, bold type additions].

1. Students with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above or without an established cumulative GPA are considered to be in good academic standing. . . .

2. Students in good academic standing will be placed on probation at the end of a semester/session when their cumulative GPA is below 2.00. They will be allowed to remain at Oakland University on probationary status for at least one semester/session.

3. At the end of a probationary semester/session, students will be:

a. returned to good academic standing if their cumulative GPA is 2.00 or higher,
b. dismissed from the university continued on probation if they have attempted less than 24 credit hours and if their cumulative semester GPA is below the minimum required GPA based on the total number of Oakland University and transfer credits earned (see table below) 2.00 or higher, even though they may not meet the minimum requirements on the chart below, or
c. [continued on probation if a. or b. do not apply.]   dismissed from the university if their semester GPA is below 2.00, they have attempted 24 or more credits, and their cumulative GPA is below the minimum GPA according to the chart below. For example, if at the end of a probationary semester/session, a student has accumulated 46 credits and has a cumulative GPA of 1.77, that student will be allowed to remain at Oakland University on probation attempted 26 credits, transferred 20 credits, has a semester GPA below 2.00, and a cumulative GPA of 1.70, the student will be dismissed from Oakland University.
 

Oakland University and Transfer Credit Earned	Minimum Required GPA
1-16	1.49
17-32	1.61
33-48	1.73
49-64	1.85
65-80	1.97
81+	2.00

First reading: Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote.

Comment: This revision makes it possible for a semester GPA of 2.00 or higher to indicate progress toward good standing. Under the current policy, it is very difficult for a student with a low cumulative GPA to raise it above 2.00 in just one semester, forcing the student to file a petition that would probably be approved anyway. For example, a student might have a bad semester with a 0.0 GPA. In the next semester, the student takes one course and gets a 3.2. The low cumulative GPA puts the student on probation. In the next semester, the student takes one more course, gets a 4.0, and, under current policy, is automatically dismissed because the cumulative GPA is still only 1.70. (This is an actual case.) Under the revised policy, the grades above 2.0 in the second and third semesters are taken to be indications of progress toward good standing, so the student remains on probation without having to petition to reverse an automatic dismissal.

The revision also allows students to avoid dismissal until after they have attempted 24 credit hours at Oakland.

These policy changes are made in response to the �Performance Audit of Oakland University� by the Michigan Office of the Auditor General.

5. Motion from the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction (UCUI) to amend the method by which the chair is appointed (Ms. Eberwein).

MOVED that the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education be named the permanent chair of the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction by amending the membership list as follows:  [strikeouts indicate deletions; bold type additions]

Membership:

One faculty member from each organized faculty, appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Senate upon nomination by the Steering Committee, each of whom shall represent UCUI to the Committee on Instruction or equivalent group in her/his academic unit and one of whom shall be chair; the Director of General Studies; two undergraduate students designated by the University Student Congress; the above to be voting members. In addition the following shall serve ex-officio and non-voting: the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education as chair; the Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee); and the Registrar (or designee)

First reading: Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote.

Comment: This change is proposed by the committee in its chair�s 2001-2002 report: �consideration should be given to appointing the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education as chair (paralleling arrangements for the Graduate Council). This was the Senate�s original plan for UCUI and still makes sense in terms of power to implement decisions and keep the catalog updated.�

6. Motion to make changes in standing committee charges and membership (Ms. Mukherji).

MOVED that the following changes be made in the charges and membership of Senate standing committees:
     [strikeouts indicate deletions; bold type additions]

1. Academic Standing and Honors Committee.

Charge: To review, propose, and implement university policies concerning academic probation, separation dismissal, and readmission; to present to the Senate the Registrar's list of candidates for graduation with any recommendations for deletions or additions to the list; and to review and transmit to the Senate nominees for University Honors.

Comment: The addition of �university� makes it clear that the committee deals with university requirements covered by  �Academic Probation and Dismissal� (pages 69-73, 2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalog) and not the requirements of specific degree programs. The replacement of �separation� by �dismissal� makes the language of the charge consistent with the language in the catalog.

2. Admissions and Financial Aid Committee

Membership:

Delete: Director of Admissions and Scholarship
Add: Director of Admissions

Comment: Administrative title change. The membership would then be:
Four faculty; two students; the Director of Admissions, and Scholarships and the Director of Financial Aid, both ex-officio and non-voting;
and an administrative officer (voting) to be named by the Vice President for Student Affairs.

3. Senate Budget Review Committee.

Membership:

Delete: Vice President for Finance and Administration, or designee

Comment: Redundant. The Director of Budget, the obvious designee of the VPFA, is already a member. The membership would then be:
 Six faculty (one of whom shall be chair) serving staggered three year terms; an administrative professional appointed by the AP Assembly
for a three year term; the Director of Budget and the Vice President for Finance and Administration, or designee. The chair, whenever
possible, will be chosen from among those members with experience on this committee.

4. University Committee on Assessment

Membership:

Delete: Vice President for Academic Affairs, or Designee
Add: Director, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Comment: OIRA houses the committee�s budget and provides the committee its administrative support. The membership would then read:
Three faculty members from the College and one from each School and the Library, appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Senate upon nomination of the Steering Committee, which shall designate one of these as chair; one student designated by the University Student Congress; the Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee), the Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee), the Director of the Office of Institutional Research and one Oakland University alumnus(a) designated by the Alumni Board on nomination of the Director of Alumni Relations.

First reading:  Debatable, amendable but not eligible for final vote.

7.  Procedural motion to appoint a replacement for Darrell Schmidt to attend Board of Trustees meetings for Fall semester 2002 ( Mr. Khapoya)

MOVED that Peter Bertocci (Department of Sociology and Anthropology) be appointed for the Fall 2002 term to attend Board of Trustees meetings and to enhance communication between the Senate and the Board of Trustees.

Procedural motion:  Debatable, amendable and eligible for final vote.

Comment:  Darrell Schmidt is unable to attend Board of Trustee meetings this semester due to class conflict. 

8. Procedural motion to appoint a committee to draft a vision statement (Mr. Graves)

MOVED that John Henke (chair), Jane Eberwein, Frances Jackson, and Joel Russell be appointed to draft a vision statement as discussed in the Senate at its meetings in April, May, and September.

Procedural motion:  Debatable, amendable and eligible for final vote.

F.  Good and Welfare:
        Private resolutions

Note: There is still a Vacancy on the following Senate Committees.
       Senate Library Committee --1 vacancy for the Social Sciences area of the College of Arts and Sciences for 2002-2004.

updated 10/15/02