The second meeting of the Faculty Senate for 1999-00 was convened in 25 Law Building, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, December 2, 1999, at 2:08 p.m., as a joint meeting of the University Senate, Faculty Senate, and Twin Cities Campus Assembly. Coordinate campuses were linked by telephone. Checking or signing the roll as present were 120 voting faculty/academic professional members, 1 ex officio member, and 4 nonmembers. President Mark Yudof presided.

The announcement was made that there would not be a Senate/Assembly meeting on December 9.

The University Senate, Faculty Senate, Student Senate, and Twin Cities Campus Assembly minutes are available on the Web at the following URL:

DISCUSSION:

With no discussion a vote was taken and the motion was approved.

APPROVED

Faculty Senate

Amendments to Faculty Tenure

Approved by the:

Faculty Senate April 22, 1999 Administration PENDING Board of Regents PENDING

Interpretation of Faculty Tenure

Approved by the:

Faculty Senate April 22, 1999 Administration July 1999 Board of Regents PENDING

Amendment to the Judicial Committee Rules of Procedure

Approved by the:

Faculty Senate April 22, 1999 Administration PENDING Board of Regents PENDING

Intellectual Property Policy
(http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/policies/intelpropertycp.html)

Approved by the:

Faculty Senate May 20, 1999 Administration July 1999 Board of Regents October 8, 1999

Resolution Concerning Retention of Faculty Lines

Approved by the:

Faculty Senate September 30, 1999 Administration PENDING Board of Regents - no action required

Professor Fred Morrison, chair of the Senate Consultative Committee (SCC), reported that the committees have been dealing with athletics, which will be discussed later in the meeting. Other items that will be brought to the Senate in the future include a report from the Student Academic Integrity Committee (SAIC) dealing with academic integrity in general. A forum will be held on this topic from 1 - 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 7 in this room. The President, students, and people in the governance structure will be there to speak and hear comments. The SAIC will then have a preliminary report for discussion at the February Senate meeting so that this topic can be concluded at the April Senate meeting.

Secondly, the Health Plan Task Force (HPTF) has been studying the health insurance issues and its chair, Professor McGehee, will be speaking later in the meeting.

The third issue is a follow-up from the Joint Committee on Academic Appointments that was chaired last year by Professor Kent Bales. A task force, including deans and faculty, has been working on this issue and a report should be ready in a few weeks. This might then be an action item in February.

Lastly there is a Budget Task Force which should be reporting within the next month. Some of these items will be included for information in February.

Additionally, all Senate and Assembly committees continue to be working on their specific topics and generating future agenda items.

MOTION:

To approve additional members of the various Senate/Assembly committees for 1999-00: (A simple majority by all bodies is required for approval.)

Faculty Senate committee memberships for 1999-00:

FACULTY AFFAIRS - Students: Janet Holdsworth, Meghan McCauley.

JUDICIAL - Faculty: Marty Rossmann, James Van Alstine.

KAREN KARNI, Chair
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES

DISCUSSION:

With no discussion a vote was taken and the motion was approved.

APPROVED

MOTION:

That the Faculty Assembly and UMD faculty senators approve the following group of individuals to serve as the Nominating Committee to name six candidates to fill, by election, three 2000-03 TC/UMD vacancies on the Faculty Assembly Steering Committee/Senate Consultative Committee and six candidates to fill, by election, three 2000-03 vacancies on the Academic Health Center Provostal Faculty Consultative Committee.

COMMENT:

The Twin Cities Campus Assembly Bylaws require approval of the Nominating Committee by the Faculty Assembly and UMD faculty senators.

KAREN KARNI, Chair
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES

DISCUSSION:

With no discussion a vote was taken and the motion was approved.

APPROVED

BACKGROUND

The University's health benefit package is determined by the State of Minnesota through collective bargaining between the State Department of Employee Relations and the unions representing organized employees. State statute spells out this process and gives the University the option of joining the resulting group insurance program.

The State Joint Labor Management Committee is charged with monitoring existing plan performance and studying the possibilities for modifying the plan designs. The committee's recommendations are used as the basis for collective bargaining. Although the University does not participate in the collective bargaining, the University has traditionally had representation on the State Labor Management Committee.

The University's Health Plan Task Force (HPTF) was constituted in Fall 1997 in response to the loss of Medica Premier as an option. It was originally appointed by FCC, SCFA, and AAUP, and charged with studying the long term solutions to the health benefits crisis. It is currently expanding and becoming a joint administration/governance initiative.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT THE STATE

• "Care System Approach" did not come to pass
  
• Instead, we got "modified status quo":
  • Price up 23-42% plus
    
  • Medica Premier out; Preferred One in
    
  • All plans now "self-insured"
• "Status Quo is not an option": State plans to continue moving toward a Care System Approach for 2002

• Conduct a major study of the options
  • A consulting company has been identified -- to Regents for Approval December 9
    
  • The Task Force is currently being expanded
• Define a continuing process for future health benefits changes

RICHARD MCGEHEE, Chair
HEALTH PLAN TASK FORCE

DISCUSSION:

Professor McGehee, chair of the Health Plan Task Force (HPTF), distributed a handout that detailed the background of this process. He noted that when he last reported to this body, a year ago, he expressed a degree of optimism that the state was heading towards a "Care System Approach." Returning to the handout, he noted that this did not happen. Other changes did occur, such as self-insurance which allows the state to get more usage data from the health care providers.

He commented that people tell him that things are fine as is so nothing should be changed. What these people do not realize is that if the University does nothing, things will change and not always for the better.

In the meantime, the HPTF will be expanding its membership to include union representatives and students, and the administration has agreed that the task force can seriously study what it would mean to separate from the state. To facilitate this task, the HPTF has found a consultant to work with. The company will go through purchasing and then needs Regents' approval. The two issues to be addressed are whether there is some way for the University to purchase health insurance for its employees that would be an improvement over what the University currently has with the state and what kind of process would be needed by the University each year to make sure that health insurance is being purchased which is effective for the administration as well as the employees.

In closing he noted the web address on the handout as a source of information and said that the HPTF welcomes input.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:28 p.m.

Rebecca Hippert
Abstractor