Oakland University Senate
17 November 2005
Minutes
Members present: Andersen, Berven (D), Berven (K), Cardiff, Deng, Dillon, Eberwein, Eis, Fink, Frick, Goldberg, Goslin, Grossman, Hamilton, Haskell, Hightower, Ingram, Klemanski, Latcha, LeMarbe, Lepkowski, McDonald, Machmut-Jhashi, Magnan, Miller, Mittelstaedt, Moudgil, Orzach, Osthaus, Reger, Severson, Shablin, Stein, Tracey, Tracy, Voelk, Wendell, Williams, Wood
Members absent: Downing, Eberly, Giblin, Graves, Meehan, Mili, O�Mahony, Otto, Rammel, Schweitzer, Sevilla, Silberman, Stamps, Sudol, Thompson, Townsend
Summary of Actions:
1. Informational Items:
Budget Update--Mr. Russi
Approval of Post Master�s Graduate Certificate Programs--Mr. Moudgil
Local Government Management and Non-Profit Organization and Management
Revisions to Oakland University Academic Assessment Plan--Ms. Andersen
2. Roll Call. Approval of September minutes. (Mr. Latcha, Mr. Lepkowski)
3. Motion to amend Senate rule of operation for the election of members to the Steering Committee. (Ms. Stein, Mr. Tracy) First reading.
4. Motion to staff Senate Standing Committees (Mr. Lepkowski, Ms. Stein) Approved.
Mr. Moudgil called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m. In keeping with Senate tradition, Mr. Russi was invited to make his annual update on the university budget. Mr. Russi began his address by noting that since 2001 a 7.2% decline in employment and a 30% loss of manufacturing jobs has led to poor overall economic growth in the state of Michigan. The outlook for improvement in 2006 in Michigan remains grim. Mr. Russi pointed out that while there is an expected 2.7% increase in the general fund budget in the state (the primary source for higher education funding), it remains off by16.2% from the budget of 1999-2000. With appropriations to higher education ranking toward the bottom of the list of state allocations, making the case in Lansing remains vital. Mr. Russi observed that the state legislature intends to focus allocations on applied and basic research, technology transfer and commercialization. Oakland University is well placed to take advantage of these opportunities.
Mr. Russi highlighted the following issues: a slight trend upward in appropriation per FYES; the dramatic decline since 1992 of state appropriations; Oakland�s position among other state institutions, and the increase in this year�s budget of 5.4 percent, or 2.6 million dollars. He expressed pride in Oakland having done well in this regard.
Turning next to a chart outlining allocations to Academic Affairs in 2006, the core unit of the university, he stressed that the faculty base has been increased by 1.3 million dollars. He noted that the new General Education program was given $150,000, and that graduate education received $200,000. He also mentioned the Provost�s start-up fund for stimulating new research; the operating support of the units; $75,000 for the Meadow Brook Art Gallery, now operating within the academic unit of the Department of Art and Art History (and not an auxiliary unit); and a dramatic cost increase in site-licenses for software packages.
Other charts highlighted faculty numbers and support for academic programs. The number of full-time faculty reached 473 this fall, and the Provost has released 49 new faculty positions for next year. Key sources for support include increased enrollment, research and partnerships, as well as the capital campaign ($66 million raised thus far). Information regarding budget incentive policies and programs, grant and contract activity, and the capital campaign can be accessed in Mr. Russi�s presentation posted on the Senate webpage.
Summarizing Oakland�s position among other universities in the state, Mr. Russi noted that OU is among three universities to have done well in state allocations. Several other institutions in the state are faced with the serious consequences of the cumulative effect of years of budget cuts, including eliminating hundreds of class sections, laying off faculty, and modifying established programs. Notwithstanding future challenges, Mr. Russi reiterated that Oakland is in a good position.
Mr. Moudgil thanked Mr. Russi and opened the floor for questions. Ms. Hamilton inquired whether some state universities would be forced to close. According to Mr. Russi, political considerations play a critical role in this issue, particularly in a community�s response to a closing. Offering the example of Lake Superior State, he observed that declining enrollment and limited opportunity for partnerships and other community-based resources, have presented grave challenges to the institution, and that the impact of its closure would be profound in the community. Representation, noted Mr. Russi, is vital to the future of all institutions in the state.
With no further questions, Mr. Moudgil turned to the remaining informational items on the agenda, first noting the approval in Lansing of two Post Master�s Graduate Certificate Programs: Local Government Management and Non-Profit Organization and Management. Mr. Moudgil then invited Ms. Andersen to present information regarding the final item -- revisions to the university�s Academic Assessment Plan. Ms. Andersen prefaced her remarks with the observation that North Central added assessment as a criterion for accreditation in the 1980s, and since then their (and our) understanding of assessment continues to evolve. One of the most useful documents created by North Central is the �Assessment Culture Matrix� (copies may be obtained by emailing Ms. Andersen), which identifies three stages of institutional achievement: 1) initial phase of implementation; 2) progress in implementation of plans; 3) continuous improvement of assessment plans (thus assessment is never �finished� or fixed).
Oakland�s Assessment Committee continues to review plans and program reports. Assessment plans are now required in proposals for new university programs, which are reviewed by the Assessment Committee before being brought to the Senate. Ms. Andersen pointed out that Oakland�s current position in the matrix is presently somewhere between the second and third levels. With the goal of moving further into the third level, the committee continues to provide workshops as well as supports activities that will foreground assessment as an institutional priority. She then highlighted the following items in the revisions to the Assessment plan: an update of terminology (most importantly, �learning objectives� have been replaced by �student learning outcomes�); elimination of redundancies and restructuring for more sequential order in the document; and, finally, an emphasis on the dynamic nature of assessment, mindful of the continuous improvement factor stressed by NCA. In light of Oakland�s commitment to a �culture of assessment,� Ms. Andersen announced a new Assessment Excellence Award, established by Provost Moudgil, which will recognize a department or program that models North Central�s principles and that is successful in integrating assessment findings with program revisions. Recipients will be recognized at the Faculty Excellence Luncheon in April and will receive $5000.
At the conclusion of Ms. Andersen�s presentation, the secretary proceeded with the roll call. A motion to approve the minutes of September�s meeting was made by Mr. Latcha and seconded by Mr. Lepkowski. With Mr. Goslin�s observation of a typographical error in the last paragraph duly noted, the motion was approved.
New Business
A motion to amend Senate rules of operation was made by Ms. Stein and seconded by Mr. Tracy.
MOVED that the Senate rules of operation be amended so that elections of members to the Steering Committee are not included under the provisions of recorded votes. In particular, such elections in cases for which there are more nominees than positions to be filled shall be by anonymous paper ballots.
Mr. Moudgil explained that the election of Steering committee members that took place at the September meeting prompted the motion. The current election procedure, which requires votes to be publicly recorded, created an uncomfortable situation for our colleagues. The proposed amendment would, in effect, eliminate future situations of this type. Mr. Moudgil reminded senators that this is the first reading of the motion.
The final item of new business was a procedural motion by Mr. Lepkowski to staff standing committees:
MOVED that the persons listed below be appointed to the committees designated:
ACADEMIC COMPUTING COMMITTEE
Elysa Koppelman (Philosophy) -- 2005-2007 (replacement for John Halpin)
HONORARY DEGREE COMMITTEE
Vince Khapoya (Political Science), Chair -- 2005-2006 (replacement for Ron Sudol)
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
Anne Mitchell-Gieleghem (Nursing), Chair -- Winter 2006 (replacement for Julia Urla)
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Jill Zeilstra-Ryalls (Biological Sciences) -- 2005-2006 (replacement for Andrei Slavin)
Seconded by Ms. Stein, the motion was approved after a question from Mr. Grossman. He wondered whether the Senate�s approval last year of eliminating the need for full Senate vote for replacement committee members would apply here. Mr. Moudgil replied that while a full vote is preferable, there are instances in which committees may need a faculty member�s participation before a full vote is possible, and in those cases (primarily short-term assignments), it would be brought to the attention of the Senate as an informational item.
Mr. Moudgil then asked whether there were items for good and welfare. Mr. Wendell inquired about the status of the search for the Vice-President of Research. Mr. Moudgil informed him that the search committee was about to reconvene to initiate a new search, after nearly a year�s work identifying a candidate who verbally accepted the position and who subsequently reversed that decision. He indicated that the process would begin as soon as possible.
A motion to adjourn met with general approval, and the meeting concluded at 4:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Tamara Machmut-Jhashi
Secretary to the University Senate