APPROVED

To amend Articles VI. and VII. of the Assembly Constitution as follows: [additions are underlined; deletions are struck out]

ARTICLE VI. AMENDING PROCEDURE

An amendment to this Constitution shall be approved either by a two-thirds majority of all voting members of the Assembly vote of the senators present and voting at a regular or special meeting of the Assembly, or by a majority of all voting members of the Assembly at each of two meetings, the second of which shall be the next regular meeting; and provided the proposed amendment has been distributed, in writing, to the persons and in the manner provided in Article II, Section 5, for distribution of the Assembly agenda, at least ten days prior to the date of the vote on the approval of the proposed amendment. An amendment shall be effective following approval by the Assembly, the University Senate, and by the Board of Regents.

ARTICLE VII. BYLAWS

The Assembly may enact or amend its Bylaws by majority a two-thirds vote of the senators present and voting, total membership of the Senate provided the proposed change has been submitted, in writing, to each member of the Assembly at least ten days prior to the date of the vote on the approval of the proposed change.

COMMENT:

Over the years the Assembly has experienced considerable difficulty in securing the required attendance at its meetings to adopt constitutional and bylaw amendments. As a result, the Business and Rules Subcommittee of the Assembly examined the practices of other institutions as well as Robert's Rules of Order, which is the parliamentary authority for the Assembly. It learned that the current requirements for amending the constitution and bylaws are not only inconsistent with other institutions but are discouraged by Robert's Rules of Order. As a result, the Subcommittee proposed, and the Assembly Steering Committee endorsed, the above motion to change the vote requirement as indicated.

VIRGINIA GRAY, Chair

DISCUSSION:

Professor Virginia Gray withdrew the above motion due to the outcome of the vote on a parallel motion presented to the University Senate agenda earlier in the afternoon.

WITHDRAWN

To amend Article III of the Bylaws of the Twin Cities Campus Assembly to add a new Bylaw 9, as follows:

ARTICLE III. TWIN CITIES CAMPUS ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES

. . . . .

9. UNDERGRADUATE COURSE AND CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

The Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee shall work within the framework of the educational policies adopted by the Senate and Twin Cities Assembly, to provide assistance to the college curriculum committees for their review of all undergraduate course proposals in order to help the college curriculum committees to consider factors that would affect curriculum and policies across collegiate units and across the campus as a whole. The Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee shall review all undergraduate majors and program proposals.

Membership

The Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee shall be jointly appointed by the Twin Cities Assembly Committee on Committees and the Provosts of the Twin Cities campus and shall be composed of tenured or tenure-track faculty and students. The membership shall consist of: 1 faculty member from each college (appointed by the college curriculum committee); 3 decanal designees (appointed by the provosts - two from Arts, Sciences, and Engineering and one from Professional Studies); 3 undergraduate students (appointed by the Committee on Committees), and ex officio representation as specified by vote of the Assembly.

The chair shall be a tenured faculty member, shall be appointed by the Provost for Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, in consultation with the Committee on Educational Policy, and shall serve as an ex officio member of the Educational Policy Committee. Until September 1, 2000, the position of the chair shall be a 50-percent time funded appointment.

Duties and Responsibilities

a. To provide guidelines for use by college curriculum committees. The criteria for course approval shall include policies adopted by the University Senate and the Twin Cities Campus Assembly, including but not limited to those that govern the relationship between credits and contact time, the relationship between credit and student academic effort, time constraints for completion of a degree program, and the number of credits necessary for graduation. The actual review will be conducted by the college curriculum committees.

b. To review all new undergraduate majors and program proposals. This includes reviewing the overall undergraduate curriculum of the Twin Cities campus, including programs offered, the breadth and sufficiency of course offerings, and the requirements of the programs (including those established by the Council on Liberal Education).

c. To review courses for possible duplication that have been approved by college curriculum committees and proposed for the change to semesters. This includes consideration of the similarity between and among courses that are offered in more than one college; the committee will determine, with consultation from the college curriculum committees, faculty proposing the courses, and college administrators, the necessity of offering similar courses and whether one or several courses shall be offered. Such disputes will ONLY be considered when brought to the committee by one or more collegiate units. Recommendations of the committee shall be forwarded to the provosts for action.

d. To report to the Assembly Committee on Educational Policy and the Twin Cities campus provosts.

e. To recommend to the Committee on Educational Policy such actions or policies it deems appropriate.

f. To submit an annual report to the provosts and to the Assembly.

COMMENT:

The Assembly Committee on Educational Policy (ACEP) received a suggestion from the Change to Semesters Coordinating Group that it should consider recommending the establishment of a Twin Cities campus undergraduate course and curriculum committee. ACEP, after discussing it, was persuaded that there are several reasons that such a committee should be established. This proposal represents a revision based on comments made during and after the last several Assembly meetings.

Once semester courses have been established, the committee would be responsible for adjudicating disputes between colleges about curriculum and course offerings when brought to the committee by collegiate units.

The committee will NOT duplicate the work of college curriculum committees, nor would it, except in rare instances, review the substantive content of courses. (For example, an exception might be when two colleges appear to be offering courses with the same content.)

This proposal goes beyond the change to semesters to issues of the University's financial environment and the belief of ACEP that the Twin Cities campus needs to be financially responsible. This issue has been raised by the Steering Committee on Incentives for Managed Growth in its identification of the need to "establish or assign to a permanent academic committee the responsibility to monitor the consequences of the proposed changes to program offerings, research and curriculum of the institution."

The temporary funding for the chair's position, staff and general support, and summer salary supplements for (1997) for the membership, will be provided by central administration.

Recommendations made by the committee are to be forwarded to the appropriate provost or provosts. The committee would be making recommendations in an advisory capacity to the provosts. Without the committee, decisions will be made solely by the provosts and may be made without faculty participation. ACEP believes that curriculum decisions need to be made by faculty and not by administrators. Without a campus-wide curriculum committee, decisions regarding curriculum would be made by solely administrators.

As of now, most programs and majors are within the purview of a single college, but this will not last for long. Units across campus are now working collaboratively with other units to develop programs that will cross collegiate lines. This will become more commonplace in the next several years. ACEP believes it is necessary for an all-campus committee to be able to review and monitor these programs, as well as the existing ones that are being proposed for semesters.

LAURA COFFIN KOCH, Chair

DISCUSSION:

Professor Laura Koch, chair of the Educational Policy Committee (SCEP), introduced the above legislation and reminded senators that it was the fourth time the proposal has appeared before the Assembly. She said that while there appears to be widespread support for the proposal, low attendance at the Assembly meetings has prevented its passage. As a bylaw amendment, 91 affirmative votes are required for approval, which represents a majority of the total membership. The SCEP, she said, does not intend to bring the matter back a fifth time if it is not approved at this meeting.

The proposal has been modified to reflect comments made at previous meetings, said Professor Koch, including the suggestions that the committee review programs and not individual courses and that all Twin Cities colleges be represented on the committee.

One senator inquired whether the committee will address the issue of competing courses and Professor Koch replied that it will not unless a college brings it to the committee's attention. Some senators thought it would be appropriate for the committee to look for overlaps as it would be difficult for colleges to know what other units are offering. It was even suggested that the Web site could be configured to look for duplications in course content.

At this time, the question was called and the motion failed on a vote of 79 in favor, 5 opposed, and 7 abstentions.

NOT APPROVED

To approve the following policy:

1. Standard Class Schedule and Class Period

   a) Day School and Extension

   There are two class periods. I. The standard "A" class shall be 50 minutes, with a 15-minute change period between classes. The first class of the day shall start at 0800. Classes meeting for two or more periods (such as labs), shall start and end according to this schedule. II. The standard "B" class shall be 75 minutes, with a 15-minute change period between. The first class of the day shall start at 0800. Such classes shall be scheduled only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

   All classes shall begin according to this schedule; actual starting times shall be determined by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the Assembly Committee on Educational Policy.

   Classes designed exclusively for graduate or professional students are exempt from these requirements, if held during "off peak" hours or if held in a room under the control of the department, and the campus scheduling office is consulted regarding the availability of classrooms.

   For the purposes of this policy, regular day school is considered to run from 0800 to 1700. Classes offered through University College that begin after 1700, on weekends, or off-campus shall follow the schedule set by University College, and are are not restricted by days of the week or class periods set forth in this policy.

   b) Summer School

   Summer sessions are generally considered to be a more concentrated form of the regular day session, but alternative arrangements, specialty classes, etc., may also be offered. Classes may meet during the intersession, first or second term, or may extend across two or all three terms.

   Intersession and summer classes must meet the Senate standards governing academic work per credit and contact hours per credit. Class duration is at the discretion of the department offering the class. The first class hour shall begin at 0800.

   c) Overlapping Classes

   Students shall not be permitted to enroll in back-to-back courses, when both are on either the Minneapolis or St. Paul campus, where the ending time of one class is less than 15 minutes before the starting time of the next class. Students shall not be permitted to enroll in back-to-back courses, when one is on the Minneapolis campus and one on the St. Paul campus, that start or end within 30 minutes of each other.

   d) Exceptions

   Exceptions to these provisions may be granted by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; when general use classrooms are involved, the approval of the Office of the Registrar must also be obtained.

2. Athletic Events during Study Day and Finals Week

   In those instances where post-season competitive events occur during Study Day or Finals Week (either of Day School or of Extension Classes), the Assembly Committee on Educational Policy shall consider them approved (that is, without requiring explicit action on the part of the Committee) subject to the following conditions:

   1. The event is in logical progression in the sport, leading from in-season competition to conference or regional championships and then to national championship competition; and

   2. The coach or other staff member in the athletic program can demonstrate to whomever is responsible for counseling in the intercollegiate athletics program that satisfactory alternative academic arrangements have been made; and

   3. The event is conducted under the aegis of the NCAA or the appropriate national sport governing body if it is not the NCAA.

   The chair of the Assembly Committee on Educational Policy will receive, on an annual basis, a report from the Director of Academic Counseling (on the Twin Cities campus) or the appropriate individual (on the Crookston, Duluth, and Morris campuses) on the arrangements that are made pursuant to paragraph 2, above.

   The Athletic Directors will annually report to the Assembly Committee on Educational Policy, early in the Fall Semester, on the number of student-athletes who missed any Study Day or any part of Final Examinations during the preceding year and on the academic performance of those student-athletes. These may be written reports.

   Post-season or other athletic events that are invitational in nature, rather than a natural progression to a championship, and which would take place during Study Day or Finals Week, require the specific approval of the Assembly Committee on Educational Policy before participation may occur.

   Subject only to the exception noted in this policy, no travel or competition is permitted from the period beginning with, and including, Study Day and ending with the last day of Final Examinations. Home events may be scheduled in the evening of the last day of Final Examinations if the examination schedule is concluded by 1800.

Discussion

This document is the application of the Senate policy on Classes, Schedules, and Final Examinations to the Twin Cities campus.

Section 1: This policy (and the draft implementing rules, "Recommended Semester Schedule Time Patterns and Rules," appended) are intended to establish a schedule for the Twin Cities campus that permits students to plan their classes rationally and that will permit maximally effective use of classroom facilities.

This draft is silent on whether classes on the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses should have staggered starting times. The Assembly Committee on Educational Policy (ACEP) has been informed of arguments that both favor and oppose a staggered starting time, and intends to investigate the issue more thoroughly before making a recommendation to the Assembly. Such a recommendation will be made at the Winter Quarter meeting of the Assembly.

ACEP wishes it noted that it unanimously voted to delete from the "Recommended Semester Schedule Time Patterns and Rules" a proviso that "course meeting times must be distributed equally across the day. This is an example of the occasional conflict between demands for efficiency and the need for student-friendly actions. ACEP believes that students wish more classes scheduled earlier in the day, and thus does not favor any mandate requiring classes to be distributed evenly across the day. The Committee assumes, however, that departments will make maximal use of classrooms in responding to student needs.

Section 2: ACEP incorporated into this policy (section 2) other policies already on the books relating to competition in athletic events during study day and finals week; these provisions are not new.

For Information

One Credit Classes

1. Meet for one standard hour per week, begin at a standard "A" class meeting time, and meet for one class period.

2. One-credit classes meeting twice per week follow the rules for two-credit classes. One-credit classes meeting three times per week follow the rules for three-credit classes.

Two Credit Classes

1. Meet twice per week, begin at a standard "A" class meeting time, and meet for one class period, or

2. Meet once per week, begin at a standard "A" class meeting time, and last two class periods.

Three Credit Classes

1. Meet three times per week, begin at a standard "A" class meeting time, meet for one class period, or

2. Meet twice per week, use the standard "B" class meeting times (75 minutes), and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

Four Credit Classes

1. Meet four times per week, begin at a standard "A" class meeting time, or

2. Meet twice per week for two hours, scheduled at 0800, 1010, 1220, or 1440. Two hour meetings begin at standard "A" class meeting times, and should be spread so that MW, MF, or WF and TTh classes are evenly scheduled.

Five Credit Classes

1. Meet five times per week, begin at a standard "A" class meeting time, meet for one class period, and meet MTWThF.

2. For lecture/laboratory or lecture/recitation courses with three hours of lecture time, five-credit courses follow the rules for three-credit courses. For lecture/laboratory or lecture/recitation courses with four hours of lecture time, five-credit courses follow the rules for four-credit courses.

Standard "A" Class Start Times

0800 0905 1010 1115

1200 1325 1535 1640

Standard "B" Class Start Times

0800 0930 1100 1230

1400 1530 1700

LAURA COFFIN KOCH, Chair

DISCUSSION:

Professor Koch also presented the proposed Policy on Classes, Schedules, and Final Examinations, explaining that it is a supplement to the policy approved earlier in the day by the Senate. Before turning to discussion, she corrected the standard "A" and "B" class start times at the end of the document to read:

Standard "A" Class Start Times

0800 0905 1010 1115 1220

1325 1430 1535 1640

Standard "B" Class Start Times

0800 0930 1100 1230

1400 1530 1700

Discussion then ensued concerning staggering the start times for St. Paul classes. Professor Koch told the Assembly that the SCEP is still reviewing that possibility and if there is to be a change, the policy will be so amended.

Speaking in support of staggering the start times, one person noted that if class schedules are the same on both campuses and clause 1C on overlapping courses is enforced, many students will encounter scheduling conflicts and with the change to semesters there will be fewer opportunities for students to enroll in the classes they need when they need them.

Another person suggested striking the words "and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays only" in item 2 under three-credit classes in order to provide units flexibility in scheduling. Professor Koch objected to the recommendation citing that SCEP left those words in because of room scheduling problems.

Due to some confusion about which portion of the document is policy and which is not, Professor Koch clarified that the policy ends after Section 2. The remainder of the document is for information.

Several of the same concerns about overlapping classes that were expressed at the Senate meeting were also raised during the Assembly meeting.

The motion, as amended by Professor Koch, was overwhelmingly approved.

APPROVED, as amended

To approve the following membership of a Nominating Committee to select Twin Cities faculty/academic professional candidates to stand for election to the Senate/Assembly Committee on Committees: Professors Marcia Eaton, Douglas Ernie, Patricia Ferrieri, Ed Fogelman, and James Houck.

COMMENT:

The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying Twin Cities faculty and academic professionals interested and willing to stand for election to the Senate/Assembly Committee on Committees, and will present a slate of candidates to the Assembly at its next meeting. If approved, the Faculty Assembly will elect two to serve 3-year terms on the Committee on Committees.

VIRGINIA GRAY, Chair

APPROVED

That the Faculty Assembly and UMD faculty senators approve the following slate: Gary Balas, Avner Ben-Ner, Thomas Clayton, Mary Dempsey, Candace Kruttschnitt, Matthew Tirrell.

INFORMATION:

The Nominating Committee appointed by the Assembly December 5, 1996, to fill three 1997-00 Twin Cities/UMD faculty positions on the Senate Consultative/Assembly Steering Committee presents the following six names, from which three are to be elected by mail ballot by the Twin Cities faculty and the non-represented UMD faculty:

GARY BALAS: 1990*, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, Co-Director of the Control Science and Dynamical Systems Center and Director of its Graduate Studies Program, Institute of Technology. Committee participation (past and present): Senate Faculty Affairs Committee; Physical Sciences Policy and Review Council (chair).

AVNER BEN-NER: 1988*, Professor, Industrial Relations Center, Carlson School of Management. University Senate member: 1994-97. Committee participation (past and present): Professional Studies Provostal Faculty Consultative Committee; Provost's Council; Senate Faculty Affairs Committee (chair); Senate Faculty Retirement Plan Subcommittee (chair); Senate Finance and Planning Committee; Center for Labor Policy Advisory Board; Institute of Public Affairs Ph.D. Planning Committee; University Health Plans Task Force; U of M Hearing Officers' Panel; School of Management Faculty Appointments and Promotions Committee;

THOMAS CLAYTON: 1968*, Professor of English Language and Literature, Adjunct Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies, College of Liberal Arts. University Senate member: 1973-76, 1977-80, 1982-85, 1987-90, 1991-94, 1996-99. Committee participation (past and present): Senate Academic Standing and Relations Committee; Senate Educational Policy Committee (chair); Senate Faculty Affairs Committee (chair); Senate Honors Programs Committee; Senate Use of Human Subjects in Research Committee; CLA Dean Search Committee; University Task Force on Mandatory Retirement; Morse-Alumni Teaching Award Selection Committee; Graduate School Ad hoc Committee on Doctoral Programs (chair); Task Force on the Quality of Graduate Education and Research; CLA Assembly; Task Force on College Priorities. Other: current chair, Classical Civilization Program; University Representative for the Rhodes Scholarships.

MARY DEMPSEY: 1963*, Professor of Biochemistry, Medical School. University Senate member: 1980-83, 1993-96. Committee participation (past and present): Senate Faculty Affairs Committee; Tenure Subcommittee of the Faculty Affairs Committee (chair); Tenure Working Group; Senate Student Affairs Committee; Senate Resources and Planning Committee; Medical School Committee on Committees (chair); Medical School Promotions and Tenure Committee; School of Dentistry Promotions and Tenure Committee; Medical School Scholastic Standing Committee; Biomedical Sciences Study Section, NIH; National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, NIH.

CANDACE KRUTTSCHNITT: 1979*, Professor of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts. Committee participation (past and present): Senate Judicial Committee; Regents' Professorship Nominating Committee; Twin Cities Campus Assembly Council on Liberal Education; Council for Policy, Planning and Budget; Ad Hoc Committee to Review Intercollegiate Athletics; Planning Committee for President's Forum on Teaching and Learning; President's Distinguished Faculty Mentor Program; CLA Budget Advisory Committee; CLA Student Academic Affairs Committee; CLA Assembly; CLA Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee; CLA Composition and Communication Policy Advisory Board; CLA Curriculum Committee; CLA Consultative Committee. Other: Interim Associate Dean for Planning and Fiscal Management, College of Liberal Arts; Associate Chair, Department of Sociology.

MATTHEW TIRRELL: 1977*, Professor and Head of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Institute of Technology. University Senate member: 1988-91, 1996-97. Committee participation (past and present): Senate Consultative Committee/Assembly Steering Committee (one year interim appointment, 1996-97); Senate Judicial Committee; Senate Planning Committee; Patent and Technology Transfer Council; Presidential Task Force on the Student Experience; Task Force on Support and Service Units; IT Awards Committee (chair); Graduate School Ad Hoc Committee on Minor in Scientific Computation (chair); Search Committee for Assistant Vice President for Research (chair); Twin Cities Campus Assembly Council on Liberal Education; President's Committee on Teaching and Learning; Graduate School Research Strategic Planning Committee; IT Dean Search Committee; Preceptor, Combined M.D/Ph.D. Program. Other: member, Graduate Faculty--Fluid Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering, and Biomedical Sciences Programs; Center for Interfacial Engineering Program Leader; Polymer Microstructures; Center for Interfacial Engineering Program Leader; Bio-Interfacial Engineering; Earl E. Bakken Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Director of Biomedical Engineering Institute.

The Assembly Steering Committee serves as the executive committee of the Twin Cities Campus Assembly and forms the Twin Cities membership of the Senate Consultative Committee. Recent Senate and Assembly legislation has merged the Twin Cities faculty and the non-represented UMD faculty for purposes of Senate Consultative Committee/Assembly Steering Committee elections. Should a non-represented UMD faculty member be elected, that individual will be a member of the Senate and Faculty Senate Consultative Committees, but shall not be a member of the Assembly Steering Committee.

Additional nominations, certified as willing to stand for election, may be made by (1) petition of 12 voting members of the faculties, provided that the petition is in the hands of the Clerk of the Twin Cities Campus Assembly the day before the Twin Cities Campus Assembly meeting, and (2) nominations on the floor of the Assembly. The faculty representatives of the Twin Cities Campus Assembly shall reduce by vote the slate to twice the number to be elected.

Currently serving with terms continuing at least through next year are:

---------------------------------

*Date of initial appointment at the University.

IRWIN RUBENSTEIN, Chair
AMY ALVING
DOROTHY ANDERSON
CATHERINE FRENCH
MARGARET HOSTETTER
LANCE NECKAR
DAN PANSHIN
GAIL PETERSON
BURTON SHAPIRO
KENDALL WALLACE
CHERYL ZIMMERMAN

DISCUSSION:

In accordance with Assembly procedure, Professors David Hamilton and M. Janice Hogan were also nominated to stand for election to the Assembly Steering Committee/Senate Consultative Committee [one by petition of 12 voting members of the faculties and one from the floor of the Assembly]. In a vote to reduce the slate to twice the number to be elected Professors Thomas Clayton, Mary Dempsey, David Hamilton, M. Janice Hogan, Candace Kruttschnitt, and Matthew Tirrell were selected to stand for election.

APPROVED, as amended