1994-95 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA No. 2
FACULTY SENATE MINUTES
FEBRUARY 16, 1995
The second meeting of the Faculty Senate for 1994-95, was convened in 25
Law Center, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, February 16, 1995, at 4:15 p.m.
(immediately following the University Senate meeting). Coordinate campuses
were linked by telephone. Checking or signing the roll as present were 126
voting faculty members. President Nils Hasselmo, presided.
I. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSE TO FACULTY SENATE ACTIONS
Information
A. Critical Measures and Performance Goals Motion
Approved by: the Faculty Senate on November 3, 1994
the Administration - no action required
(acknowledgement received)
the Board of Regents - no action required
II. MINUTES FOR NOVEMBER 3, 1994
Action
APPROVED
III. REPORT OF THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON TEACHING AND
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN
Information
When the Senate adopted the U-2000 planning statement in December, 1993,
the Faculty Consultative Committee appointed a special committee on Excellence
in Teaching and Research in the University Plan to ensure that the teaching
and research missions of the University were properly furthered by action
under the Plan. The committee consisted of: Professor Carl R. Adams, Regents
Professor Ellen Berscheid, Professor Mario Bognanno, Regents Professor John S.
Chipman, Professor W. Andrew Collins, Professor Fred L. Morrison, Regents
Professor Ronald L. Phillips, Regents Professor Paul G. Quie, Regents
Professor L. E. Scriven, Professor Gerhard H. Weiss, and Professor W. Phillips
Shively. Professor Morrison served as chair. Professor Bognanno resigned
from the Committee when he became Associate to the President; Professor
Morrison became acting dean of the Law School in December 1994.
The Committee viewed its assignment as in no way displacing the work of
the responsible Senate committee, the Consultative Committees, the Senate
Educational Policy Committee, and the Senate Research Committee. Rather, we
believed that we could assist the President and other members of the central
administration in focusing on some long-range and cross-cutting issues
essential to the continued excellence of the teaching and research missions of
the University. To this end the members of the Committee have met informally
with President Hasselmo and with other University leaders on a number of
occasions to discuss at length matters of concern to the implementation of U-
2000. These have included ways of multiplying excellence, means of improving
quality, and the state of faculty morale and support, and organizational
issues. The discussions were candid and far-ranging. Because immediately
pressing issues were already under consideration with the governance bodies,
we were able to address more diffuse, longer-range issues. We believe that
these conversations have been productive.
Like other members of the University community, we share frustration at
the limits which the funding situation have put on the possibility of
implementation on the U-2000 goals. We hope that the Partnership Proposal
currently before the Legislature will help us to move forward more rapidly.
The Committee is concerned that future budget adjustments within the
University be targeted to enhance excellence in teaching and research. We
believe that broadly distributed reductions of budget bases harm our efforts
to achieve excellence.
The Committee remains convinced that excellence in teaching, research,
and faculty recruitment are critical to the role of the University in the
years ahead. Although our original mandate has now expired, the members of
the Committee plan to continue to informally urge the administration to
implement the plan with those critical interests in mind.
FRED L. MORRISON, Chair
ACCEPTED
IV. 1993-94 ANNUAL REPORTS
Information
FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
The Faculty Affairs Committee (SCFA) met fourteen times during the 1993-
94 academic year to discuss issues of interest to the faculty of the
University of Minnesota. Included on the committee were faculty members Carl
Adams (chair), Carole Bland, Rose Brewer, Daniel Canafax, Mary Dempsey, Ann
Erickson, Daniel Feeney, Roger Feldman, Audrey Grosch, Morris Kleiner, Richard
McGehee, Michael Sadowsky, Bernard Selzler, W. Donald Spring, James Stone,
Yang Wang; academic professional member Judith Gaston; and ex officio members
Carol Carrier, Dianne Mulvihill, Roger Paschke, and George Seltzer. In order
to facilitate its business, the committee established the following
subcommittees:
- Faculty Retirement Program
- Faculty/Academic Staff Advocacy & Grievance Advisory Program
- Faculty Benefits
- Health Care
- Tenure
Additionally, SCFA was represented on the Academic Staff Advisory Committee
and the Faculty Consultative Committee.
The committee began its year by establishing a tentative agenda and set
of goals. The following is a summary of SCFA's accomplishments this year.
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON FACILITATING TRANSITION FOR MATURING FACULTY--The SCFA
reviewed the report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Facilitating Transitions for
Maturing Faculty. The report focused on issues associated with faculty
retirement, including a) income, b) health care, and c) connection to the
University, and was divided into two categories: 1) those near retirement and
2) those who are some distance from retirement. The SCFA was supportive of
the recommendations in the report and it was forwarded to the Administration
for consideration.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAVES--The SCFA reviewed a draft of the Professional
Development Leaves Policy prepared by the Working Group on Professional
Development Leaves. The policy folds under one umbrella the single quarter
leave and sabbatical leave program for faculty and the professional
development leave policy for academic professional and administrative staff.
Moreover, it streamlines procedures for applying for and administering all
professional development leave options. The final draft of the proposal is
pending and should be reviewed by the SCFA during 1994-95.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY--The SCFA met with Associate Dean Mark Brenner on
numerous occasions during the year to discuss proposed changes to the
University's Conflict of Interest Policy. Many of the SCFA's recommendations
were incorporated into the final document. The policy, which was reviewed by
other Senate committees as well, was brought to the Faculty Senate for action
in February 1994. The Faculty Senate approved the policy and it was
subsequently approved by the Administration in March 1994 and the Board of
Regents in April 1994.
U2000--During the course of the year the SCFA received and discussed a number
of reports and issues relating to U2000.Retirement Income Issues The SCFA met
with retired University faculty to discuss inequities in the University
retirement plan. Specifically, retirees who entered into University
employment prior to October 1, 1963 receive a very small retirement benefit in
comparison to the accruing benefit available as a result of serving after
October 1963. As a result, many retired faculty are not receiving fair
compensation for their pre-1963 service. The committee was very concerned
about this situation and recommended to the Administration that an adjustment
be made for these individuals. In the spring of 1994 the Administration
agreed to establish $20,500 as a minimum income for those faculty who retired
prior to 1963. Approximately 85-95 emeritus faculty will be effected by this
decision. Annual adjustments will be linked with social security adjustments.
HEALTH CARE SUBCOMMITTEE--The SCFA subcommittee on health care met frequently
during the year to review and discuss the University's health care plan. Two
important recommendations that were forthcoming from the sumbcommittee
included 1) encouraging the University to reconsider whether it should develop
its own health plan, and 2) urging the Administration to do everything
possible to re-establish the University's level of participation with the
State concerning State health plan decisions. Both recommendations are being
pursued.
TENURE ISSUES--During the year two issues relating to the Tenure Code were
brought to the committee's attention. One concerned "stopping the tenure clock
for caregiving responsibilities" and the other related to timely response
after a preliminary termination proceeding. After careful consideration
motions to approve stopping the tenure clock for caregiving responsibilities
and to establish timelines in preliminary termination proceedings were
prepared and subsequently approved by the Faculty Consultative Committee and
the Faculty Senate.
REQUEST TO CONSIDER CHANGING THE TITLE OF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (RA) SERIES TO A
RESEARCH PROFESSOR SERIES--This request was initiated by individuals in the
(senior) research associate series because of dissatisfaction that the current
title causes confusion both inside and outside of the University with respect
to their responsibilites and status. The RA's argued that the title strongly
impacts on their ability to function at a national level, to establish
collaborations and obtain Federal, private, and business funding for research
projects and in some cases has played a major role in the rejection of grant
applications. While the SCFA was sympathetic to the RA's concerns, it could
not support the use of a "professorial" title for a number of reasons. The
committee recommended the research associates consider alternative suggestions
working in conjunction with the Office of Human Resources.
COMPENSATION ISSUES--The SCFA established a subcommittee to examine issues
related to compensation, including the clarity of the compensation plan
instructions, the notion of equal treatment of all employees, and the issue of
merit versus across-the-board decisions. A meeting was also held with Mr.
David Berg, Director, Management Planning and Information Services, to discuss
and review salary comparison data.
Toward the end of the year, a Compensation Working Group was established by
the Faculty Consultative Committee and the Administration to review faculty
and academic professional salary issues and to provide a report to the Faculty
Senate during 1994-95.
RESEARCH CLIMATE--The Faculty Affairs Committee and the Research Committee
held a joint meeting to discuss issues concerning the research climate at the
University. Discussion of this matter will be carried forward into the next
academic year.
FACULTY VERSUS ADMINISTRATIVE APPROACH TO PROBLEMS--The SCFA discussed at
some length the perception that current administrators are not as sensitive to
faculty viewpoints as they have been historically. This was communicated to
the President and he expressed a willingness to discuss specific actions that
might improve either the attitudes or the perceptions. This matter is being
carried forward into the next year.
As the report indicates, members of the Senate Committee on Faculty
Affairs and its subcommittees worked very hard this year and I wish to express
my appreciation for their contributions.
CARL ADAMS, Chair
JUDICIAL COMMITTEE
CASE LOAD
During the 1993-94 academic year, panels of the Senate Judicial
Committee held hearings in two cases, issued a summary judgement in another
case, conducted the prehearing phase in two additional cases, and began
proceedings to rehear a case as ordered by the Court of Appeals.
ISSUES
During the 1993-94 academic year, the committee dealt with the following
issues:
1) Due to the increased complexity of cases that come before the
committee, a proposal for a legal advisor for the committee was taken
to the President and Provost who approved it. This attorney will
provide advise to hearing officers and panel members upon their
request and assist the committee generally.
2) The Director of the Minnesota Data Practices Office met with the
full committee to review specific issues and to answer questions
related to public and private data according to the Data Practices
Act. Current committee rules will be revised to conform with the
Data Practices Act.
3) A subcommittee of members was appointed to study the committee's
Rules of Procedure. Any changes in the procedures developed by the
subcommittee will be presented to the full committee for approval,
and then forwarded to the Senate Tenure Subcommittee and the Faculty
Consultative Committee for approval.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SENATE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE
The Judicial Committee is an all faculty committee. Its members in 1993-94
were: Professor David Ward, Chair; Jean Bauer, Hyman Berman, David Born, Susan
Brorson, Johnathon Chaplin, Amos Deinard, Edward Foester, David Frank, Shirley
Garner, Susan Gerberich, Hillel Gershenson, John Imholte, Shirley Johnston,
Tarald Kvalseth, Barbara Loken, Cleon Melsa, Larry Miller, Steve Nickles,
Carla Phillips, George Ruth, Sharon Satterfield, Harold Schwartz, David Smith,
Roderick Squires, Patricia Tomlinson, Billie J. Wahlstrom, Carol Wells, and
Frank Wilderson.
Members who served as hearing officers were Professors David Born, Amos
Deinard, Shirley Garner, Hillel Gershenson, John Imholte.
Assignment to the Senate Judicial Committee involves work on very important
issues and a major commitment of the time of faculty members and the Chair
would like to commend members of the 1993-94 Committee for their service in
this vital University function.
DAVID WARD, Chair
ACCEPTED
V. OLD BUSINESS
NONE
VI. NEW BUSINESS
NONE
VII. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 4:21 p.m.
Martha Kvanbeck
Abstractor