Oakland University Senate
First Meeting
23 September 2004
Minutes
Members Present: Andersen, Bard, Berven (D), Berven (K), Bhargava, Cipielewski, Downing, Dunn, Eberwein, Eis, Fink, Frick, Goldberg, Goslin, Grossman, Graves, Haskell, Hightower, Howell, Keane, Khapoya, Klemanski, Latcha, LeMarbe, Lepkowski, Licker, Mabee, Machmut-Jhashi, McNair, Moore, Moudgil, Nacy, Oakley, Otto, Russell, Schott-Baer, Shablin, Stamps, Stano, Sudol, Thompson, Tower, Voelck, Williams, Wood
Members Absent: Blume, Chapman, Giblin, Polis, Porter, Schochetman, Schweitzer, Sethi, Sevilla, Tracy
Summary of Actions
1. Informational Items:
Budget Report and Update � Mr. Russi
Future Spirit Card Bank Relationship � Ms. Snyder, Mr. Fekel
Updated Senate Archives � Mr. Moudgil
Specialization Name and Code Change � Mr. Moudgil
2. Roll Call. Approval of April 2004 Minutes (Mr. Berven, Ms. Oakley)
3. Election of member of Steering Committee, Fall 2004. Lynne Williams elected.
4. Procedural motion to staff Senate standing committees. Approved.
Calling the meeting to order at 3:10, Mr. Moudgil welcomed senators to a new academic year and expressed gratitude for the work accomplished last year, noting in particular the effort to move the general education initiative forward. Upon observing that it has become a tradition for the president to address the Senate at its first meeting of the year, Mr. Moudgil invited Mr. Russi to give his annual update on the university budget.
Mr. Russi began his remarks with an announcement that as of the previous evening, an agreement was reached by state legislators to move state tax payments to July, and that it appears the governor will sign the state budget, including the higher education budget. From the university�s vantage point, this is positive news, as the university would have been faced with an immediate across-the-board 2% cut. Mr. Russi then summarized the two-part plan for state appropriations to the fifteen Michigan universities worked out by the governor�s office. Part one involved the 5% cut during FY2003-2004, with a 3% rebate contingent upon keeping tuition under Detroit CPI. These one-time dollars have not yet appeared, as they are tied to the sale of land owned by the state of Michigan. That rebate, when it arrives, should constitute approximately 1.3 million dollars. Part two of the plan, affecting FY2004-2005, involves another 5% cut; however, if the plan holds, Oakland University (one of nine universities in Michigan that kept to the governor�s request to keep tuition constraints) will see an actual cut of 2%. The university budget for 04-05 has been set with the 2% figure in mind, and, Mr. Russi pointed out, the good news is that a rebate is likely in the future.
Mr. Russi then outlined the general picture of declining state appropriations to the university�s general fund over the last several years, noting the dramatic decrease from a level of 56% in 1992 to 36% in 2005. The per student funding at Oakland amounts to $3681 for 2005. The current budget bill before the governor contains language that would establish the floor funding at $4000 per student. Should that be approved, and the state economic recovery proceed as legislators predict, the impact on Oakland would be substantial, amounting to about 3.9 million dollars in permanent, continuing base funding for the university.
Turning to issues related to supporting our academic core, Mr. Russi observed that base budget reductions have favored academic affairs, including giving priority to preserve faculty positions (the number of full-time faculty has increased from 449 in 2004 to 459 in 2005). Charts were presented dealing with following: balancing the 05 budget with a combination of budget reductions and a tuition/fee increase; Capital Project Allocations to Academic Affairs FY2000-2004; One-Time Fund Allocations to Academic Affairs (�05), which includes 131,000 earmarked for much-needed classroom improvements and 150,000 to assist in implementing the new General Education program.
Next, Mr. Russi touched on a number of revenue sources that support academic units: on- and off-campus incentive programs, continuing education, and student course fees. The substantial increase in research awards from federal sources brought praise from Mr. Russi, as those dollars not only enrich the departments that generate them, but also the university as a whole. The total from research awards has increased 28% since FY1999. New programs were also mentioned as important sources for revenue. Finally, Mr. Russi remarked on plans to expand Oakland University�s offerings in Macomb, which he characterized as an exciting opportunity from two perspectives. First, 30% of Oakland students come from Macomb, the only county of its size and stature in Michigan that does not have a university, and, secondly, this expansion will provide significant opportunities and incentives to bring revenue back to the academic units. Mr. Russi expressed his optimism for the future of this endeavor and thanked Dean Otto for her leadership in moving the plan forward.
Lastly, Mr. Russi addressed the issue of fund raising by the university. Referring to a chart that compared contributions to the Annual Fund for the past two years, he remarked that the increase in giving has been an encouraging sign in difficult economic times. Regarding the current silent phase of the Capital Campaign, Mr. Russi announced that as of last week the amount raised stands at 60 million. He brought attention to a large gift (21 million) to the School of Engineering and Computer Science from the UGS company. Concluding his report, Mr. Russi also noted that partnerships, vital to the university�s efforts for the past several years, continue to flourish and provide valuable resources to the academic units.
With no questions forthcoming from senators, Mr. Moudgil thanked Mr. Russi for his annual report and budget update.
The next informational item was presented by Ms. Mary Beth Snyder, Vice-President of Student Affairs, and Mr. Richard Fekel, Director of the Oakland Center. Ms. Snyder explained that the OU Spirit Card, now in its eighth year of use, has been improved every year by adding functionality, and that a new era for the card is beginning with a partnership with Credit Union One, of Ferndale, Michigan. Mr. Fekel reminded senators of the multiple uses of the Spirit Card, which acts as the official student identification card and allows students to access library materials as well as a number of facilities on campus. Since its inception in 1998, two sponsors have participated in the card program � ATT and the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union. During the last academic year both sponsorships expired, which precipitated a call for proposals among financial institutions to provide bank-related services for the university community. Of the four proposals received, that from Credit Union One was selected. Over the next seven years, Credit Union One will provide the following services: the installation of four ATMs throughout campus, a renovated space in the Oakland Center for a full-service branch bank, service to electronically transfer funds from the university to a student�s bank account, and a student debit card connected to Mastercard, with cards produced on campus. The result of this sponsorship will provide opportunities for students: four internships annually at the branch bank, and a total of $445,000 in scholarships to the Honors College over the next seven years. According to Mr. Fekel, the redesigned Spirit Card is targeted for availability in May, 2005.
At the conclusion of Mr. Fekel�s presentation, discussion began with a question from Mr. Stamps about the impact of this new sponsorship on the relationship between the university and the MSU Federal Credit Union. Mr. Fekel noted that current credit union services will not be affected, but that their ATMs will disappear from campus after a one-year period. Mr. Licker joined Mr. Stamps in expressing concern about the marginalization of the credit union, as did Ms. Howell, who inquired about the criteria established for considering the proposals and the membership of the committee who considered them. Mr. Fekel responded with a list of committee members and Ms. Snyder added that the committee took into careful consideration the relationship with the MSU Credit Union but that the bids were significantly qualitatively different, and that was a major factor in the decision. In her view, the impact on students, from a service and financial standpoint, warranted the final choice. She noted that Mr. Savio, of the MSU Credit Union, has expressed his desire to continue his relationship with the university and does not expect to lose his customers. Mr. Cipielewski reminded senators that the MSUFCU was responsible for a large grant several years ago that allowed an on-line catalog to be implemented at Kresge Library. Although admitting that this is looking backward rather than forward, he emphasized that the academic mission connected with the new sponsorship should be kept at the forefront. Mr. Fink then raised the issue of the preparedness of students to deal with money management skills associated with a debit card. Mr. Fekel responded that Credit Union One plans to be actively engaged in offering seminars and workshops to educate students on such matters and to be knowledgeable consumers. Mr. Shablin inquired about the necessity of getting a new Spirit Card, to which Mr. Fekel replied that there will be a window in which new cards will be available at no cost. A question was raised by Jacqueline Claiborne, Director of Legislative Affairs from Student Congress, regarding residence hall access with the Spirit card for those living in student apartments. Ms. Snyder explained that this is a turf issue, and that the concern should be expressed at the next scheduled house meeting. One final question came from Ms. McNair about whether students would be charged a fee for the new Spirit card, and wondered whether students taking classes off-campus would be inconvenienced in obtaining new cards. Mr. Fekel replied that students would be charged for lost cards, but that there would be an ample window of time for students to get a new card (perhaps a semester) before students would be assessed a replacement fee. Mr. Moudgil then reminded senators that any further questions or concerns about the new Spirit card should be directed to Ms. Snyder.
Mr. Moudgil apprised senators of the third informational item, a specialization name and code change: Medical Technology (6064) changed to Clinical Laboratory Science (6067). The final informational item concerned the newly-completed archive of Senate minutes and agendas, spanning the years 1960-2004, an Index to Senate actions and a Chronology of Senate actions, now available on the Senate web page. Mr. Moudgil praised the efforts of Linda Hildebrand, former Secretary to the University Senate, for undertaking the labor-intensive task of digitizing, editing, and posting these valuable documents on the Senate website. Acknowledging her hard work, senators warmly offered hearty applause for Ms. Hildebrand.
The Secretary proceeded with the roll call, after which the minutes of April 2004 were approved (moved by Mr. Berven, seconded by Ms. Oakley).
Without old business, Mr. Moudgil turned to the first item of new business: the election of a replacement member of the Steering Committee for Fall 2004 (to replace David Maines while he is on sabbatical). Mr. Khapoya, Chair of the Senate Election Committee, called for nominations from the floor. Mr. Russell�s nomination of Lynne Williams was seconded by Mr. Cipielewski, and then a motion made by Ms. Howell, seconded by Mr. Cipielewski, to close the nominations was approved. The Senate voted unanimously to elect Ms. Williams.
The second item of new business involved a procedural motion to staff Senate standing committees:
MOVED that the persons listed below be appointed to Senate standing committees and that the persons so designated be appointed as chair:
Academic Computing
Mark Isken (School of Business Administration), 2004-2006
Assessment
Jill Zeilestra-Ryalls (Biology), 2004-2005
Eileen Johnson (School of Education and Human Services), 2004-2005
Jeanie Robertson (Rhetoric, Communication & Journalism), at-large, 2004-2006
Budget
Vacancy, Fall 2004
General Education
Shannan McNair (School of Education and Human Services), 2004-2005
Library
Ann Switzer (Library), 2004-2006
Mohammed Zohdy (School of Engineering and Computer Science), 2004-2005
Planning Review
Ron Tracy (School of Business Administration), Winter 2005
Police Oversight (note: not a standing committee of the Senate, but the Senate elects two members)
Ferman Chavez (Chemistry), 2004-2005
Catherine Haar (Rhetoric, Communication & Journalism), 2004-2005
Research Committee
Michael Polis (Engineering and Computer Science) as chair, 2004-2005
Charles Cheng (Mathematics and Statistics), 2004-2005
Teaching and Learning
Kasaundra Tomlin (School of Business Administration), 2004-2006
Joel Russell (Chemistry) as chair, 2004-2005
University Committee on Undergraduate Education
Darrin Hanna (School of Engineering and Computer Science), 2004-2006
Mr. Haskell�s motion to approve the staffing of Senate committees, seconded by Mr. Stamps, was approved unanimously.
With no issues for the good and welfare, Ms. Howell�s motion to adjourn was met with cheerful support, and the meeting concluded at 4:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Tamara Machmut-Jhashi
Secretary to the University Senate