The third meeting of the Faculty Senate for 1997-98 was convened in 25 Law Building, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, April 16, 1998, at 2:00 p.m. Coordinate campuses were linked by telephone. Checking or signing the roll as present were 122 voting faculty/academic professional members, 1 ex officio member, and 5 nonmembers. President Mark Yudof presided.

MOTION:

To approve the following Resolution:

In the course of the common efforts to build connectedness within the total University community, the Faculty Senate respects the need to include retired faculty. At present, there is a virtual absence of University policy on the status, rights, privileges and services of faculty retirees, aside from pension and health plans.

The only identified policy is a Regents resolution of January 9, 1969, now styled Regents Policy on Emeritus Title for Faculty:

Even this policy is seriously out of date. Since the end of mandatory retirement, nobody can be said to retire "because of age." Even earlier, the policy made no provision for early retirements. The role of the vice president and president is no longer clear.

There is a clear need for revising the policy. Advantage should be taken of this occasion to open and consider the entire question of retiree status, rights, privileges and services and to draw up appropriate policies on various aspects of this question - what may be called a Retirees’ Bill of Rights.

The basic principle which should guide this policy is that a Professor Emeritus continues as a Professor, to the extent that each such Professor is willing and able. The change to emeritus relates to pay status only, and termination of pay need not terminate any other connection with the University or its units. Conclusion of the formal employment relationship does not necessarily terminate a working relationship. Indeed, the concept of "employment" is inadequate to describe the relationship of either active or emeriti faculty to the University, which is more a matter of commitment rather than of work for pay. Many emeriti continue their connection to the University, volunteering or contracting their services, continuing their research, attributing their publications to the University, working with students (especially graduate students), or at least maintaining a useful social connection. Others would like to do those things, but are denied.

The continuity of a Professor Emeritus within the University was understood in the days when the title was specifically conferred by the Regents, when one spoke of being "promoted to Professor Emeritus." It should be recognized as a promotion, not a removal. The ultimate goal should be the maximum degree of connectedness within the University community, by which the University will be the net gainer. In this spirit, we propose the following Retirees Bill of Rights.

1. The rank of Professor Emeritus or Emerita is a rank within the University faculty, albeit without regular pay status. Such title is automatically conferred upon retirement under any honorable circumstance, including terminal leave and the end of phased retirement. It is understood that the emeritus rank will be that held by the faculty member at the time of retirement.

2. In order to maintain connection between departments and emeriti, departments are expected to provide the following to emeriti who desire them: mail and routine office services, including xeroxing; e-mail accounts and internet access; graduate faculty status (subject to Graduate School rules) and continuity of graduate advising; listing in directories; and, in general, services and social inclusion of similarly minimal cost.

3. For the same purpose, but subject to constraints of cost, space and availability, departments are encouraged to provide active emeriti with office space, computers and laboratory space. Deans should assist departments to provide such facilities; and to encourage deans, central administration should make allowance for this in its planning. The enumeration of specific benefits shall not prevent departments from providing more, or from entering into contractual agreements for teaching courses or for research support (including the right to submit grant/research proposals).

4. In order to maintain connection between the University and emeriti, the University shall provide full faculty advantages to emeriti who desire them, such as full library privileges; faculty discounts; special prices for bookstores, computer and software purchase, recreational facilities and athletics; U-cards or similar ID cards; and continuity of parking at faculty rates, with no requirement of special permission.

5. Emeriti who provide volunteer services, especially when such services are on a continuing basis, should be regarded as having entered into a relationship with the University in some ways analogous to employment, with some consequent rights. They should be provided with some agency to hear their grievances, whether the Grievance Office or another. They should be covered by legal indemnification and/or insurance when functioning as or in lieu of employees, regardless of pay status. They should be provided the facilities and services necessary to perform their duties. Employed emeriti are entitled to full faculty protections.

6. The cost of medical insurance is recognized as a problem for retirees, and should be dealt with. Whatever new plan(s) may be adopted, retiring faculty must be able to maintain a seamless continuity of medical coverage without proof of insurability.

The Faculty Senate calls upon the Administration and the Board of Regents to work with faculty to enact the above principles as Regents’ and University Policies.

KENT BALES, Chair
FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

DISCUSSION:

Professor Kent Bales, Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee, reported that the resolution was prepared by the Faculty Retirement Subcommittee and approved by the Faculty Affairs Committee. At present, there is a virtual absence of University policy on the status, rights, privileges and services of and for faculty retirees, aside from pension and health plans. For example, a Regents policy exists about the title of Emeritus which is now obsolete and must be changed. Since this policy must be modified, it would be beneficial for the Regents to review other policies that address the rights of retirees. The resolution invites the administration and the Regents to propose policies or for the Regents to invite the faculty to draft policies for them regarding this issue. The Faculty Affairs Committee will represent the faculty in negotiating draft policies with the Regents and administration.

With little discussion, the resolution was unanimously approved.

Professor Victor Bloomfield, Chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC), reported on the following developments:

• The committee has continued to press the administration in the last few months to honor the commitment of the University to increase faculty salaries to the mean of the top 30 research Universities.
• The committee is still grappling with representation of the former provostal units in the new governance system since the Senate and Assembly did not adopt the bylaw changes at their last meetings.
• FCC members are discussing a new sabbatical policy in concert with the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs and Executive Vice President and Provost Robert Bruininks.
• The committee began meeting with groups of faculty senators and college consultative committee chairs, including Academic Health Center (AHC) faculty, in March and will begin meeting with Arts, Sciences, and Engineering faculty next week. In meeting with the AHC faculty, the committee has learned about the allocation and shifting of ICR and O&M funds among units, the manner of funding faculty appointments, the impact of IMG on colleges, and how AHC faculty receive salary increases.
• The Faculty Consultative Committee is holding a special meeting with the Finance & Planning Committee to evaluate data on the levels of financial risk in the colleges depending on their funding sources. The meeting is closely related to the work of a task force on academic appointments chaired by Professor Bales which is considering the conditions under which tenured and tenure-track faculty appointments should be made, funding sources available, and use of P&A and part-time faculty at the University.
• The IMG subcommittee has been asked to consider a number of issues related to funding for colleges and departments and faculty lines.
• The committee intends to devote more attention to the budget and financial issues for the remainder of the academic year.
• Representatives will be sent to a conference at Oregon State University in the fall to consider ideas about the redefinition of scholarship in research universities.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m.