The fifth meeting of the Student Senate for 2005-06 was convened in Studio C, Rarig Center, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, April 6, 2006, at 11:33 a.m. Coordinate campuses were linked by ITV. Checking or signing the roll as present were 21 voting student members. Chair Josh Breyfogle presided.

Victor Bloomfield, Associate Vice President for Public Engagement, said that the Office for Public Engagement (OPE) is an outgrowth of five or six years of work that started with a task force on civic engagement. The task force led to the establishment of the Council on Public Engagements (COPE) four years ago, which administers a small grants program and an outstanding community service award.

While COPE had a broad reach across the University, it was felt that a more official position was needed. The office was then created this September and he was asked to head it. The office is not meant to control activities of any groups, but to know about what is taking place and coordinate efforts. Metrics will be used to measure efforts of patents and technology transfers as well as the extent that students are involved in this process.

Much of what he has been doing since September is thinking about what the organization should be in terms of duties, scope, and responsibilities. He has prepared a report for COPE this afternoon, and he shared that with the senators.

Public Engagement at the University of Minnesota
Office for Public Engagement and Council on Public Engagement

Draft April 4, 2006

University's mission statement:

Extend, apply, and exchange knowledge between the University and society by applying scholarly expertise to community problems, by helping organizations and individuals respond to their changing environments, and by making the knowledge and resources created and preserved at the University accessible to the citizens of the state, the nation, and the world.

Office for Public Engagement (OPE)

The mission of the Office for Public Engagement is to advocate and foster the public engagement activities of the University of Minnesota, so as to support the University's mission and its goal of becoming one of the world's preeminent public research universities.

The Office for Public Engagement will carry out its mission by
• working with COPE to facilitate and coordinate the public engagement activities of its member organizations and committees
• working with the Provost , the Senior Vice President for System Administration, and the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences to assure that public engagement is adequately emphasized in college and coordinate campus compacts
• developing and using effective mechanisms to communicate with internal and external constituencies
• developing contacts and partnerships with external organizations
• facilitating intellectual discourse on the meaning, implications, and applications of public scholarship by organizing and sponsoring conferences, forums, and workshops
• advocating and promoting public engagement skills among University community members
• encouraging public engagement initiatives within and among colleges
• working with faculty governance committees to promote engaged initiatives and strengthen a culture of engagement
• working with student governance, other student groups, and the Office of Student Affairs to support engaged programs
• supporting service-learning and civic learning programs as University-wide initiatives
• participating in projects that assess public engagement activities
• administering Seed Grant and Outstanding Community Service Award programs
• representing the University of Minnesota at local, regional, and national conferences and programs
• working with the UM Foundation and other organizations to raise funds to support engaged initiatives
• reporting periodically to the Board of Regents on publicly engaged activities and accomplishments
• maintaining the University of Minnesota's leadership role in public engagement in higher education

Council on Public Engagement (COPE)

The mission of the Council on Public Engagement (COPE) is to bring together people working on public engagement activities, along with representatives of faculty and student governance, colleges, and central administration offices, in order to
• serve as a "conscience for engagement" at the University of Minnesota by having public engagement recognized as a pervasive priority in teaching, learning, and research activities throughout the university
• initiate, carry out, and publicize public engagement programs
• form networks of public engagement participants
• identify potential new participants in public engagement activities
• share information among active participants in public engagement enterprises and with other university stakeholders
• enlist support for public engagement among all segments of the university and in the larger community
• advise and assist the Associate Vice President for Public Engagement and the OPE

The membership of COPE should include
• Leaders or representatives of all pertinent UM organizations, on all UM campuses involved in Public Engagement
• Leaders or representatives of community organizations with which the U is engaged
• Leaders or representatives of faculty governance committees (FCC, SCEP, Research, Faculty Affairs) and student governance (MSA, GAPSA, COGS)
• College and campus liaisons
• Vice Provosts for Undergraduate Education, Graduate School, Student Affairs, Faculty & Academic Affairs, and Distance Education and Instructional Technology
• Faculty, staff, students, and others with special personal involvement or interest in engaged work

Standing committees of COPE should include
• Steering Committee: selected by Associate Vice President for Public Engagement as a general advisory committee
• Program Committee: propose annual forums, speakers, and other events on relevant themes
• Seed Grant review committee
• Outstanding Community Service Awards review committee
• Campus Community Coordinators Alliance
• Student Relations committee: maintain connections with student organizations and with other relevant university offices

Ad hoc committees or groups may form and dissolve as needed for specific purposes, and are encouraged to include interested people who are not members of COPE. They may come together either as an initiative of COPE members or at the request of the Associate Vice President for Public Engagement. Such purposes may include
• Special interest groups for program initiation and development
• Communication: Help OPE develop and test effective communication mechanisms within the public engagement community, the broader university, and external communities
• Database: Help OPE develop a comprehensive listing of public engagement activities
• Faculty and staff reward system: review collegiate and departmental initiatives to enhance recognition of engaged activities
• Development: explore opportunities for external support for engaged initiatives
• Alumni relations: develop connections with the Alumni Association to sponsor programs and promote engaged initiatives
• Assessment: Help administrative offices develop suitable measures of public engagement

The Chair of COPE will be the Associate Vice President for Public Engagement.

Q: How does the scope of public engagement include patents and technology?

A: When most people think of public engagement, they mean helping poor people in poor communities. However, public engagement is also a way to increase the economy of a state region. Technology and patents developed at the University creates business and more jobs for people in the state.

MOTION:

To approve the Student Senate minutes, which are available on the Web at the following URLs. A simple majority is required for approval.

http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/ssen/060302stu.html

DISCUSSION:

Due to a lack of quorum, the motion was tabled.

Josh Breyfogle, Student Senate/Student Senate Consultative Committee (SSCC) Chair, said that he recently met with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in Duluth to discus binge drinking on campus. They are brainstorming methods to limit this on campus and increase education and training. Once a proposal is in place, it will be tested at Duluth. If successful it will be shared with the other campuses. If senators have any ideas, please email him.

Q: Have faculty been asked for feedback?

A: Mostly it is student ideas now, although faculty have been solicited and there has not been much response.

Duluth – Timothy Tangen noted that UMDSA has finished its election and most positions have been filled.

Morris – Nathan Hilfiker stated MCSA finished technology fee allocations of $177,000. A call has been made for elections, slated for April 12. The first chancellor candidate was on campus yesterday, with others scheduled in the next few weeks. A constitutional review and re-write committee has been established.

MSA – Rick Orr said that MSA met with GAPSA this week, but the meeting ended in a filibuster.

Jeffrey Wencl, Student Affairs Committee member, said that the topics the committee has dealt with this year have been: busing for the Twin Cities, strategic positioning, stadium proposal and financing, and the Student Conduct Code being applied off-campus. While there has been discussion on each of these topics, action has been limited due to a lack of quorum at many meetings.

Q: What is the student’s view of the Student Conduct Code?

A: Most students are opposed to this action since it appears to be an invasion of privacy. These students choose to move off campus so they are not subject to the same guidelines. There is also concern about how it will impact non-traditional students.

A senator said that it would appear to be a case of double jeopardy for the University to punish a student for something that happens off campus.

A member said that MSA is looking at how action can be applied on-campus for a sexual assault off-campus. As for double jeopardy, it does not apply since each judicial action is separate from the other.

A senator wondered how an off-campus policy would be applied. Would more enforcement officers be needed?

Another senator noted that it is no different from an employment policy that covers someone regardless of location. The Student Conduct Code reaching off-campus would teach students civic responsibility.

It was decided that this topic should be added to a future agenda.

A senator presented a report he had done on tuition rate increases. He had collected increases for the past 10 years from each of the campuses and noted that there has been a significant increase in rates the last four years. The next question that needs to be answered is if the current tuition rate is expensive. The answer is based on what a student should be expected to pay and what the student can actually pay.

Based on tuition costs, he created a spreadsheet of payment options based on what field a student graduates from and what their initial salary would be in that field. Tuition and fees for four years now cost $36,000. However, most students also have living expenses, which pushes the total cost for four years to $65,000.

He demonstrated several scenarios to the senators, based on changing interest rates and payback strategies. He found that the more money that a student starts with and the greater income they have after graduation, the better off they will be financially. The assumption is that anyone should be able to attend the University, but in reality only students who are able to pay will be able to attend as tuition increases.

A senator said that, unfortunately, students are paying for the institution’s name when paying tuition. While it may not be possible to stop the continual raising of tuition, students need to make it known that they notice what is taking place and are opposed to continual double-digit increases, otherwise more students will be forced to choose cheaper alternatives.

Another senator stated that MSA has approved a resolution to have tuition increases not be above five percent for next year. However, students need to realize that the recent double-digit increases were in response to a decrease in funding from the state,

A senator then noted that the University wants to increase attendance from out-state, since these students pay a higher tuition rate which then helps to lower in-state tuition costs.

Another senator said that the University is losing its edge when compared to private schools which are willing to provide more financial aid to students and therefore lower the tuition cost below that of the University.

A senator then noted that in some states the state has imposed a cap on the amount that tuition can be increased.

Q: Could students lobby the state legislature for this type of relief?

A: The state would not likely impose such a cap since it would mean that the state would need to increase funding to make up for lost tuition revenue.

A senator then noted that there is another side to the tuition issue. At the Twin Cities there is a tuition plateau from 13 to 18 or 20 credits, however this plateau does not exist at Duluth. Students should work on creating this plateau at each campus since the question is no longer if tuition will increase, but if the increase will be a single or double-digit increase.

A senator then stated that it is unreasonable for students to think that tuition will not increase at a University. Yearly inflation demands that funds increase, and tuition is one way of increasing revenue.

A senator then countered that the assumption should not be that tuition must increase and that whatever tuition model is used should not be over-simplified. This body needs to decide if it wants to recommend no tuition increase, a small tuition increase, or a larger tuition increase, but no that a proposal for no tuition increase will likely not be discussed by the University Senate. This proposal would make a statement, but would likely generate no further support.

A senator then said that the University always wants an increase from the state each year to pay for initiatives. When this does not happen, the University does cost-shifting to pay for what it deems necessary.

Another senator said that one of the best ways to start this discussion is to show students these numbers adn educate them on how long it will take to pay off their loans and how their loan debt can affect them after graduating. It should be unethical to entice poor students to attend the University by offering more financial aid, when the financial aid being offered is just more loans.

A senator then stated that the biggest worry in having a goal of a top three research institute is that the University will be pulled into a different category of institutions. These schools do not always attract the brightest students, but those who can afford to attend.

The Student Senate decided to pick three or four common scenarios and revise them to take inflation into account. These would then be discussed with Vice President for Finance Pfutzenreuter. A resolution would be drafted for presentation at the April 20 Student Senate Consultative Committee meeting so that the Student Senate can take action at its May meeting.

MOTION:

To amend Article V, Section 1 of the Student Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be added is underlined; language to be deleted is struck-out). As an amendment to the Student Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the Student Senate (22) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all members of the Student Senate present and voting at each of two meetings. This is the first meeting at which this motion is being presented.

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D. STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE

...

Membership

The Student Consultative Committee shall be composed of:

- one student from the Crookston campus
- one student from the Duluth campus
- one student from the Morris campus
- five students from the Twin Cities campus, as follows:
In 2004-05, and every other year thereafter, there shall be three
undergraduate students and two graduate/professional students. In
2005-06, and every other year thereafter, there shall be four undergraduate
students and one graduate/professional student.
- the chair and vice chair of the Student Senate

Student members shall be elected and/or appointed in accordance with procedures determined by the respective campuses’ student constituencies, subject to the following provision: at the time of their election, Twin Cities undergraduate students shall be members of the University Senate. A student member will relinquish their seat in the University Senate upon election to the Student Senate Consultative Committee.

Student vacancies shall be filled in accordance with procedures determined by the respective campuses for the balance of any unexpired term until the next regular election.

The chair of the Student Senate shall also serve as the chair of the Student Consultative Committee. The vice chair of the Student Senate shall also serve as the vice chair of the Student Consultative Committee. Chair and vice chair elections should be subject to the following provisions:

The seven members who serve on the Senate Consultative Committee shall be composed of:

- one student from the Crookston campus
- one student from the Duluth campus
- one student from the Morris campus
- three students from the Twin Cities campus, as follows:
In 2004-05, and every other year thereafter, there shall be one undergraduate student and two graduate/professional students. In 2005-06, and every other year thereafter, there shall be two undergraduate students and one graduate/professional student. The undergraduate students shall be elected by the committee from the eligible members.
- the chair Student Senate

...

COMMENT:

Last year the Student Consultative Committee approved this procedure to determine which students would serve on the Senate Consultative Committee. This procedure was used to allocate students this year. This motion just incorporates this procedure into the charge for the committee.

DISCUSSION:

Due to a lack of quorum, the motion was tabled.

MOTION:

To amend Article V, Section 1 of the Student Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be added is underlined; language to be deleted is struck-out). As an amendment to the Student Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the Student Senate (22) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all members of the Student Senate present and voting at each of two meetings. This is the first meeting at which this motion is being presented.

ARTICLE V. STUDENT SENATE MEMBERSHIP, ELECTIONS, AND OFFICERS (Changes to this article are subject to vote only by the Student Senate)

1. Membership

For the purpose of electing representatives and alternate representatives, if any, to the Student Senate, qualified students shall vote within each of the following units of the University:

TWIN CITIES: Agricultural, Food, & Environmental Sciences: Architecture and Landscape Architecture; Biological Sciences; Continuing Education; Dentistry; Design; Education and Human Development; Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences; General College; Graduate School; Human Ecology; Law; Liberal Arts; Management; Medical School; Natural Resources; Nursing; Pharmacy; Public Health; Technology; Veterinary Medicine

CROOKSTON

DULUTH: Business and Economics; Education and Human Service Professions; Fine Arts; Liberal Arts; Medicine; Pharmacy; Science and Engineering;

MORRIS

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COMMENT:

The Twin Cities collegiate changes are being proposed based on the results of the Strategic Positioning process. The Duluth changes are being proposed based on the fact that these colleges have been merged with the colleges in the Twin Cities. Representation for these programs has been assured through changes with GAPSA.

DISCUSSION:

Due to a lack of quorum, the motion was tabled.

MOTION:

The Student Senate Stipend Review Committee has reviewed the performance of the following stipend-receiving students: Matt Painschab, Student Affairs Committee Chair; Joshua Breyfogle, SSCC/Student Senate Chair; and, Rick Orr, SSCC/Student Senate Vice Chair. The recommendation from the committee is that:

The Student Senate Stipend Review Committee felt that the effort exhibited by Joshua Breyfogle, the SSCC/Student Senate Chair, was more equivalent to the role of the Vice Chair, and that the effort exhibited by Rick Orr, the SSCC/Student Senate Vice Chair, was more equivalent to the role of the Chair. The committee therefore recommended switching the total stipend amounts for these two people.

DISCUSSION:

Due to a lack of quorum, the motion was tabled.

MOTION:

To approve the following statement.

The Student Senate recognizes that there is a lack of graduate and professional student housing on both the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses.

The Universities of Minnesota has a responsibility to its graduate and professional students to provide an adequate amount of graduate and professional Student housing that is accessible to campus. This housing should be developed in a way that fosters community, which in turn will improve the culture of the University of Minnesota graduate and professional schools.

Therefore, be it decided that the Student Senate supports any efforts by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) and the University of Minnesota – Duluth Student Association (UMDSA) to urge the University of Minnesota Administration to create more graduate and professional student housing on both the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses.

DISCUSSION:

Due to a lack of quorum, the motion was tabled.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:53 p.m.