The second meeting of the University Senate and Faculty Senate was convened in 25 Mondale Hall, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, November 29, 2007, at 2:32 p.m., as a joint meeting of the bodies. Coordinate campuses were linked by telephone. Checking or signing the roll as present were 25 academic professional members, 19 civil service members, 128 faculty/faculty-like academic professional members, and 16 student members. President Bruininks presided.

Daphne Berdahl
Professor
Anthropology
1964 – 2007

David Evertz
Professor
HHH Institute of Public Affairs
1947 – 2007

Donald F. McGavisk
Physician
Boynton Health Service
1931 – 2007

David W. Thompson
Professor
Theatre Arts and Dance
1917 – 2007

John Verby Jr.
Professor
Medical School
1923 – 2007

Marion B. Wallace
Professor
Entomology
1917 – 2007

Julius F. Wolff
Professor
Political Science – Duluth
1918 – 2007

Nassif A. Youssif
Professor
Library Collection Development and Management
1939 – 2007

Edward A. Bump
Carlson School of Management

Katherine A. Olson
College of Continuing Education

Jeff Stoll
University of Minnesota – Crookston

President Bruininks introduced Steven Rosenstone, Vice President for Scholarly and Cultural Affairs, and Stephen Lehmkuhle, Chancellor of the University of Minnesota-Rochester.

Professor Gary Balas, Chair of the Senate Consultative Committees (SCC), apologized to Civil Service senators for neglecting to recognize them at the October Senate meeting. He asked them to stand for a round of applause and then introduced Cathy Marquardt as this year's Civil Service Committee Chair.

Since the last meeting, SCC has received reports from the Information Technologies Committee and the Advisory Committee on Athletics. SCC plans to continue to listen to the concerns from all Senate committee and offer help when appropriate.

To: Geoffrey Sirc, Chair, Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs

From: Pam Stenhjem, Chair, Council of Academic Professionals & Administrators

Re: Proposal for the Enhanced Recognition of Retirees

Date: November 16, 2007

The Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators (CAPA) notes the passage by the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs (SCFA) of a Proposal for the Enhanced Recognition of Retirees (attached) to be presented to the University Senate at its November 29 meeting.

Based upon discussions with Earl Nolting, the University of Minnesota Retirees Association (UMRA) liaison to CAPA, and statements made by individual employees, CAPA believes the application of existing University retiree benefits and the offering of retiree volunteer opportunities on campus is applied inconsistently at the University. Statements from individual employees have revealed confusion among current P&As and other employee groups about the benefits and opportunities available to University retirees.

CAPA believes that University retirees are an invaluable resource to the University. Retirees provide a deep and diverse source of organizational history and culture, as well as crucial talents and experience that can be utilized for the benefit of the entire University community.

Therefore, CAPA supports this proposal and the continued discussion of a system-wide process to:

CAPA strongly advocates for a broad inclusion of all employee groups when retiree benefits and opportunities are discussed, particularly regarding the formation of a system-wide process to facilitate the retiree benefits and service opportunities outlined in the proposal.

CAPA stands ready to support continued work on behalf of University retirees and asks that all appropriate governance and representative groups on campus, including University Civil Service Committee, UMRA, Senate Benefits Advisory Committee, CAPA, and CAPA’s Benefits & Compensation Committee, be included in discussions and planning.

CAPA applauds UMRA’s and SCFA’s work to bring this proposal forward to the Senate and looks forward to continued, collaborative dialogue and work on retiree benefits for all University employees.

A senator noted that the goals of this resolution are right, but the language feels sloppy by mixing unlike items. Also, not all benefits should be applied evenly to all retiring staff. Departmental selectivity and clear details are also not included.

Gayle Graham Yates, President of the University of Minnesota Retirees Association (UMRA), said that her group drafted this document and it was reworked by SCFA. The intent of the resolution was to provide faculty, academic professionals, and civil service staff retirees benefits equitably among employment categories. The resolution also requests that the University centrally oversee the administration of retiree benefits.

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

To amend Article II, Section 5(A) of the University Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined). As an amendment to the University Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the Twin Cities Delegation (113) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all voting members of the University 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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The Advisory Committee on Athletics shall consist of the following voting members:

(1) a Chair, who must be a tenured faculty member, who holds no administrative appointment higher than department chair or head, appointed by the President after consultation with the Senate Consultative Committee Faculty Committee on Committees, for a term of one year;

(2) four (4) members of the faculty or academic staff (at least two of whom shall be members of the tenured faculty), appointed by the President after consultation with the faculty members of the Senate Consultative Committee Faculty Committee on Committees, for terms of three (3) years;

(3) the Faculty Representatives to the NCAA;

(4) the chair of the Faculty Academic Oversight Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, or a member designated by that committee;

(5) a dean, appointed by the President after consultation with the Twin Cities' deans, for a term of three (3) years, or another member of the tenured faculty;

(6) four (4) students, two of whom will be appointed by the President after consultation with the student members of the Senate Consultative Committee Student Committee on Committees, for terms of one year, and two of whom will be selected by the representatives of students in the intercollegiate athletic programs for terms of one year;

(7) two graduates of the University, appointed by the President after appropriate consultation for terms of three (3) years;

(8) one University civil service employee, appointed by the Civil Service Committee for a term of three (3) years.

The appointments are subject to approval by the Assembly Twin Cities Delegation. The President designates a vice chair from among the other tenured faculty members of the committee. No one, other than the faculty representatives, may serve more than six (6) consecutive years on this committee. Initial appointments will be arranged to provide for partial replacement of the committee each year.

The director of intercollegiate athletics, the director of academic counseling and the director of compliance shall serve as non-voting ex officio members.

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The Senate Consultative Committee (SCC) is recommending that the process for appointing the members of the Advisory Committee on Athletics (ACA) be placed in the hands of the Committee on Committees. SCC was given responsibility for appointing the members in the wake of the most recent Twin Cities campus basketball scandal, when it was thought important that the executive committee of the University Senate keep a watchful eye on the relationship between the athletic program and the academic programs in which student-athletes are enrolled.

While SCC continues to believe that ACA plays an important role on the campus, SCC finds it is not the best group to make such appointments. The Faculty Committee on Committees regularly considers lists of faculty in various colleges and departments and both committees solicit expressions of interest from faculty, academic professionals, and students in serving on Senate committees. SCC has no ready mechanism to identify individuals for committee service, so must rely on who SCC members may know personally. SCC is also sufficiently obligated in other ways that the task of identifying ACA members sometimes falls by the wayside, to the disadvantage of ACA.

SCC thus recommends that the Faculty Committee on Committees and the Student Committee on Committees be given this responsibility.

The language beginning "Initial appointments. . . ." is to be deleted because those provisions are elsewhere in the University Senate bylaws and apply to all University Senate committees. There is no need to repeat the language here.

With no discussion, a vote was taken and the motion was approved with 147 votes in favor and none opposed.

To amend Article II, Section 5(C) of the University Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined). As an amendment to the University Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the University Senate (124) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all voting members of the University 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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The Disabilities Issues Committee shall be composed of at least 7 faculty members, 2 academic professional members, 2 4 students (at least one two graduate/professional and one two undergraduates), 2 civil service staff members, and ex officio representation as specified by vote of the Senate. Faculty, academic professional, and student members shall be nominated by the Committee on Committees with the approval of the Senate. Civil service members shall be appointed by the Civil Service Committee.

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The Disabilities Issues Committee would like to double the number of students serving so the committee receives input from a larger number of students and represents a broader student viewpoint.

With no discussion, a vote was taken and the motion was approved with 160 votes in favor and none opposed.

President Bruininks said that a few years ago October was designated as scholarship month to draw attention to the importance of keeping higher education accessible and affordable at all campuses. Three-years ago he also made a commitment to double scholarships and fellowships and raise more than $150 million. This statement was made on the heels of a successful seven-year capital campaign that raised $1.7 billion.

At the end of October the fund had approached $200 million, but he has told fundraisers to keep working. He believes that this is one of the most important ways to strengthen the long-term future of the University. The scholarship will cover 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students throughout the system in the next few years and includes a fifty percent increase in the number of awards provided.

Private donors also suggested other ways to help, such as funding up to ninety percent of the total cost to attend the University, transition programs, and mentoring. More than 125 students in two years have this grant. Ninety percent are Pell-eligible, only one of 77 students did not return for their second year of classes, and thirty-five percent of the recipients are students of color.

President Bruininks then turned to the February capital request to the state legislature. There will be close to $300 million total in the bonding request, of which $210 million is for asset preservation. The state revenue forecast will be released tomorrow, which might show a downturn in the economy. He stated that this is not a time to be timid, but a time to invest in the core infrastructure of the state.

He then noted that this has been an historic fall for the University. Professor Leo Hurwicz was granted the Nobel Prize for his life-long achievements in Economics. Large Animal Sciences saw an expansion with the opening of the Doug and Louise Leatherdale Equine Center on the St. Paul Campus in October. The Department of Energy awarded a $50 million four-year grant to Physics to develop the new international physics laboratory in Northern Minnesota. This could become a $200 million long-term investment. A $14 million five-year award was given to conduct a national children's study on environmental effects on children's health and development. Seven colleagues were named as fellows to the American Association for the Advancement of Science: Professors Judith Berman, Robert Herman, David Lilja, John Lipscomb, Stephen Polasky, Jeffrey Roberts, and Lanny Schmidt. A post-secondary grant to build a set of academic partnerships with North Minneapolis was also awarded. Lastly, the Institute for Advanced Studies and the University Press received a $700,000 Mellon grant to cultivate interdisciplinary scholarship and publication.

The University Senate was adjourned at 3:22 p.m.

Professor Gary Balas, Chair of the Faculty Consultative Committees (FCC), said that the Metrics and Measures Subcommittee is still working to identify metrics for scholarly work, because FCC does not believe that the current set is representative of what faculty do.

He and the Vice Chair, Professor Emily Hoover, attended the CIC faculty governance meeting in Iowa. It was clear after listening to the other institutions that the University has excellent processes in place, especially regarding access to and influence on the administration.

FCC hosted four meetings with department heads and chairs. Topics discussed included faculty morale, departmental resources, faculty support, centralization versus decentralization, burdens affecting faculty productivity, budget model impact, and improved communication between central administration and academic units. FCC will work with the administration to address these issues.

Future topics include a report from the budget-model subcommittee, senior administrator reviews, financing of the strategic plan, and funds for spousal and under-represented minority hires.

Yesterday representatives of FCC met with some members of the Twin Cities Deans Council. The meeting was informative for both sides and will be repeated.

Lastly, FCC discussed two items that are on the agenda later today, student rating of teaching questions and the liberal education requirements.

In closing Professor Balas thanked outgoing Vice Provost Craig Swan for his service to the University and welcomed Professor Robert McMaster to the position.

Professor Martin Sampson, Faculty Legislative Liaison, began by introducing Professor Caroline Hayes as the second faculty legislative liaison. The role of the liaisons is to attend all hearings at which the University is being discussed, keep faculty informed, and talk to legislators about the faculty point of view. He reminded senators of the clout that each has as a constituent in a particular district. He asked everyone to contact their legislators on behalf of the University. He will be asking for specific help once the session starts.

Agenda Items 15. and 16. are offered as a “Consent Agenda” to be taken up as a single item with one vote. Any item will be taken up separately at the request of a senator.

To amend Article IV, Section 5(K) of the Faculty Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined). As an amendment to the Faculty Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation (80) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all voting members of the Faculty 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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The Nominating Committee is responsible for identifying Twin Cities faculty candidates for the Committee on Committees and for the Faculty Consultative Committee and for overseeing elections to those two committees.

The Nominating Committee shall consist of at least nine tenured or tenure-track faculty and at least two academic professional staff members. In case of a vacancy, the remaining members, by majority vote, shall fill the vacancy by interim appointment until the next general election.

The Twin Cities members of the Faculty Consultative Committee shall nominate and certify as available twice as many tenured or tenure-track faculty members as there are faculty seats available seats on the Nominating Committee. The Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators shall nominate and certify as available twice as many academic professional staff members as there are academic professional seats available on the Nominating Committee.

1. The faculty nominations will be presented at a spring semester meeting of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation. Additional nominations, certified as available, may be made by: (1) petition of 12 voting members of the faculty provided that the petition is in the hands of the clerk of the Senate the day before the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation meeting; (2) nomination on the floor of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation. In the event there are additional nominations, the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation shall by vote reduce the slate to twice the number to be elected, and shall forward the results to the clerk of the Senate.

The Twin Cities Faculty Delegation shall then vote on the slate by secret ballot at the spring semester meeting when the slate of candidates is presented. In case of a tie, the clerk shall choose the successful candidate by lot.

2. The academic professional and administrative candidates will be elected by the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators.

In those instances when an incumbent member of the Nominating Committee is eligible for re-election, the Faculty Consultative Committee (for a faculty member) or the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators (for an academic professional member) may present to the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation or the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators, as appropriate, the name of that individual for confirmation of reappointment without another candidate on the ballot to fill the position. A proposed confirmation of reappointment would not preclude additional nominations made according to the provisions of the preceding paragraph; any such nomination must stipulate against whom the nominee will run.

1. The faculty candidates for the Committee on Committees shall be announced in the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation docket at a spring semester meeting. Additional nominations, certified as available, may be made by: (1) petition of 12 voting members of the faculty or academic professional staff eligible to serve in the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation, provided that the petition is in the hands of the clerk of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation the day before the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation meeting; (2) nomination on the floor of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation. At the meeting when the slate is presented and approved, the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation shall elect by secret ballot members of the Committee on Committees for three-year terms. In case of a tie, the clerk shall choose the successful candidate by lot.

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The Faculty Consultative Committee recommends that the P&A members of the Nominating Committee be removed. The reason is that by the terms of another bylaw amendment on this docket, the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators (CAPA) will make P&A appointments to the Faculty Committee on Committees, so the Nominating Committee will only be responsible for faculty nominations to the Faculty Committee on Committees (as well as for the nomination of Faculty Consultative Committee members).

To amend Article IV, Section 5(G) of the Faculty Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined). As an amendment to the Faculty Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the Faculty Senate (84) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all voting members of the Faculty 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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The Faculty Committee on Committees shall be composed of at least 13 and no more than 15 elected tenured or tenure-track faculty members, at least 2 and no more than 4 elected academic professional members.

Of the faculty/academic professional members, 12 shall be from the Twin Cities campus. There shall also be one member from the Morris campus. All faculty/academic professional members shall be elected for three-year terms by the faculty/academic professional members of the Senate from these respective campuses. The academic professional candidates for the Committee on Committees shall be elected in accord with procedures established by the Council of Academic Professionals and Administrators. In case of a faculty/academic professional vacancy, the remaining faculty/academic professional members, by majority vote, shall fill the vacancy by interim appointment until the next general election.

The Faculty Committee on Committees shall elect its chair from amongst its members for a one-year term of office. The chair is eligible for re-election to that position. The chair shall also serve as the chair of the Senate Committee on Committees.

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With the change to the Nominating Committee charge, language is needed in the Committee on Committees charge to address appointment of academic professionals to the Committee on Committees. The new language puts into writing the arrangement that has been used for two years.

With no discussion, a vote was taken and the motion was approved with 101 in favor and none opposed.

To amend Article IV, Section 5(E) of the Faculty Senate Bylaws as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined). As an amendment to the Faculty Senate Bylaws, the motion requires either a majority of all voting members of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation (80) at one regular or special meeting, or a majority of all voting members of the Faculty 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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The voting membership of this committee consists of six (6) members of the tenured faculty, plus the two (2) Faculty Representatives and the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Athletics. Since the purpose of this committee is to ensure that students who choose to participate in athletics have a full opportunity to pursue and complete their University studies, the primary qualification for appointment to this committee is a commitment to teaching students, rather than a special interest in athletics.

The Faculty Consultative Committee appoints six (6) members of the committee after consultation with the President. The Committee on Committees will provide a list of candidates for consideration. The appointments are subject to approval by the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation. After consultation with the President, all members shall be nominated by the Faculty Committee on Committees with the approval of the Twin Cities Faculty Delegation. The term of office is three (3) years; the initial terms will be arranged so that one-third of the terms expire each year. No one may serve more than six (6) consecutive years on the committee.

The Faculty Consultative Faculty Committee on Committees designates the chair of the committee.

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The Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC) is recommending that the process for appointing the members of the Faculty Academic Oversight Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics (FAOCIA) be placed in the hands of the Committee on Committees. FCC was given responsibility for appointing the members in the wake of the most recent Twin Cities campus basketball scandal, when it was thought important that the executive committee of the Faculty Senate keep a watchful eye on the relationship between the athletic program and the academic programs in which student-athletes are enrolled.

While FCC continues to believe that FAOCIA plays an important role on the campus, FCC finds it is not the best group to make such appointments. The Faculty Committee on Committees regularly considers lists of faculty in various colleges and departments and solicits expressions of interest from faculty in serving on Senate committees. FCC has no ready mechanism to identify individuals for committee service, so must rely on who FCC members may know personally. FCC is also sufficiently obligated in other ways that the task of identifying FAOCIA members sometimes falls by the wayside, to the disadvantage of FAOCIA and faculty interests generally.

FCC thus recommends that the Faculty Committee on Committees be given this responsibility.

The language beginning "The term of office. . . ." is to be deleted because those provisions are elsewhere in the Faculty Senate bylaws and apply to all Faculty Senate committees. There is no need to repeat the language here.

With no discussion, a vote was taken and the motion was approved with 97 in favor and none opposed.

To amend the Policy and Protocol on the Student Rating and Peer Evaluation of Teaching as follows (language to be deleted is struck out; language to be added is underlined).

1.  The instructor was well prepared for class.

2.  The instructor presented the subject matter clearly.

3.  The instructor provided feedback intended to improve my course performance.

4.  The instructor treated me with respect.

5.  I have a deeper understanding of the subject matter as a result of this course.

6.  My interest in the subject matter was stimulated by this course.

--Each of the six questions will have the following scale attached to it on the form that is provided to students:

Open Ended Questions

1.  What did the instructor do that most helped your learning?

2.  What could you have done to be a better learner?

3.  Additional Comments.

The Senate Committee on Educational Policy (SCEP) and the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs (SCFA) appointed an ad hoc committee to analyze the current SET form in light of research on teaching and principles of good practice on evaluation. The committee was chaired by Dr. David Langley, Center for Teaching and Learning, and included faculty, instructional staff, and professional/administrative staff.

Over a five month period, the committee a) examined the structure of well-established rating forms, b) constructed criteria to guide the development of a new form, c) identified core items appropriate for diverse courses, d) deliberated on an appropriate measurement scale, and e) provided an optional, early semester form focused on instructional development and feedback. In addition, a bank of supplemental student rating statements to augment the six core items is under construction.

The results continue to meet Senate policy on the purpose of the form, i.e., instructional improvement, information for salary, promotion, tenure, and merit raises, and assisting students in course selection. The research-based rating form comprises a wide set of constructs known to influence effective teaching and learning. In addition, the final report of the committee emphasizes the importance of multiple approaches for documenting teaching performance.

The ad hoc committee brought its recommendations to SCEP and SCFA. Both committees deliberated several times about the wording of the questions. The committees also involved the Faculty Consultative Committee in the discussions. The questions contained in this motion are ones that have the endorsement of all three committees and they represent many hours of debate and discussion.

There was no intent to restrict the nature of additional questions instructors might wish to add, whether open-ended or subject-specific, so the motion also includes the deletion of "open-ended" in the policy language about adding questions.

Note that the questions are the only major part of the policy to change. The term "rating" is substituted for "evaluation" at appropriate places in the revised policy. All other elements of the policy approved earlier by the Faculty Senate remain intact.

Professor Cathrine Wambach, Chair of the Educational Policy Committee (SCEP), said that this motion comes from jointly from SCEP, the Faculty Affairs Committee (SCFA), and the Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC), which have all spent considerable time on this issue.

This revision started with a small committee that reviewed the literature on student ratings and then brought a small set of questions to SCEP and SCFA for discussion. At that time the subcommittee was asked to engage in a pilot study of the questions in spring 2007. The results were brought back to the three committees, at which time more discussion and some minor adjustments occurred.

In addition to new questions, the language in the policy be changed from 'student evaluation' to 'student rating' since student opinion alone is not the sole factor used in the evaluation of teaching.

Q: Why is there a large red space on the back of the evaluation page?

A: That is the space allotted for the student release questions.

Q: In the report of the Council on Liberal Education (CLE) there is a recommendation that there be a question which focuses on students' perceptions of the impact of the course in the context of the liberal education requirements. How will this recommendation be addressed

A: These new questions will be implemented spring 2008. Additional questions might be crafted, specific to learner outcomes and the CLE requirements, and added of evaluations to courses to which they pertain. This set of questions is a brief set of core questions that will allow questions to be added for individual needs without making the form too burdensome.

Q: For question number 3, did the committees feel that feedback can be provided to students in large classes?

A: There was much discussion on this topic in SCEP, especially wth faculty who teach large classes where most feedback is provided through teaching assistants in recitation sections. Departments will need to realize that not every question can be viewed the same in all courses.

Q: Why is there no overall question?

A: Literature on this issue recommends that if only one question is going to be asked, then it should be an overall question. If the evaluation has multiple questions, then the literature recommends against an overall question since a global question on a student's perception of teaching is overwhelming. An overall question also makes it easy for a department to just rely on responses to this one question when evaluating instructors, instead of the responses from the remaining questions.

Q: Will this evaluation only be offered on-line?

A: No. A paper copy will still be offered.

A senator commented that ratings can affect a faculty member's willingness to take on a difficult course or less-appealing subject matter. He asked that the directions be worded to ask student to differentiate between the subject matter and the instructor.

Another senator noted that while this is a much-improved form, there are a few modifications to still be made. The initial questions blur the line between the instructor as the manager of an educational experience and the instructor as a lecturer. The second concern is a potential loophole in the policy on the use of evaluation. Faculty know that evaluations are to be done during the last two weeks of class at the start of the class period, however, there are faculty who ask that evaluations be completed at the end of the class period. Does the policy permit evaluations to be discarded if they are not completed at the start of the class period?

Professor Sirc said that a group will be charged with developing a set of best practices, and this comment will be forwarded to them.

Q: For question two, what responses are expected from students besides study more or attend all the classes?

A: The question is meant to put agency on the student to express things that they themselves and the instructor might have done to help them be a better learner. SCEP is also interested in how responses change depending on the level of the student.

A senator said that while these questions are much better, they are not perfect. SCEP and SCFA can look at the questions again in a few years and make additional revisions based on responses received on the questions. He noted that student ratings are only one piece of the teaching evaluation process. Lastly, he said that the on-line evaluations will not be mandated due to low participation rates. The policy does allow for incentives to complete on-line evaluations, or providing access to grades as in the AHC.

Q: Health sciences has specific standards for accreditation that must be included in the rating questions. How do these revision affect the AHC?

A: The AHC is exempt from using this form.

A senator noted that there are two paragraphs in the policy that deals with peer evaluations and while details are provided for the student rating forms, the same level of detail is missing from peer evaluations. She suggested that additional language and guidance be provided to departments to implement the peer-review process in a meaningful manner.

Q: Can language be included to inform students that they are supposed to complete the evaluations independently, without discussion or caucusing in the classroom?

A: SCFA feels that a best practices guide needs to be developed to deal with how forms are filled out and how the forms are used. A committee from the Vice Provost's office will be addressing these issues.

Q: Can an additional open questions be added that would ask students what they would like to see improved in the course?

A: The back page has a large space for other student comments. SCEP and SCFA will watch how this space is being used.

Q: This policy includes language on evaluating the relationship between an instructor and their graduate student, which seems like a different topic from the rest of the document. Should this language be in a separate policy with guidance on how to evaluate a dissertation?

A: Please email this topic to Professor Sirc for SCFA to address since these statements are not part of the document being revised at this time.

Q: Is there any communication to students about the purpose of evaluations?

A: Language will be added to the form, but faculty also need to take the time to educate students in their classes about the use of evaluations for salary, promotion, and tenure decisions.

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

DRAFT: November 8, 2007
University of Minnesota Board of Regents Policy
Supersedes: Portions of Intellectual Property adopted October 8, 1999

This policy applies to copyrighted works created by faculty; post-doctoral fellows, researchers, and scholars; students; and other employees of the University of Minnesota
(University).

Subd. 1. Copyright Protection. Copyright protection subsists in original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression, as defined by United States copyright law.

Subd. 2. Work. Work shall mean a work protected under United States copyright law.

Subd. 3. Academic Work. Academic work shall mean a scholarly, pedagogical, or creative work, such as an article, book, textbook, novel, work of visual art, dramatic work, musical composition, course syllabus, test, or class notes.

Subd. 4. Faculty. Faculty shall mean members of the faculty as defined by Board of Regents Policy: Employee Group Definitions, along with individuals who are not so defined but who are University employees having faculty-like appointments (namely., University employees who teach or conduct research at the University with a level of responsibility and self-direction similar to that exercised and enjoyed by faculty in a similar activity). Post-doctoral fellows, researchers, and scholars shall have the same ownership rights as faculty. And are covered under this policy.

Subd. 5. Student. Student shall mean a registered student at the University.

Subd. 6. Directed Work. Directed work shall mean a work agreed upon between the University and faculty creator(s), the creation of which is based on a specific request by the University and which is supported by substantial University resources beyond those customarily provided to faculty in the respective discipline and University unit.

Subd. 1. Ownership of Academic Works. In accordance with academic tradition, University faculty and students shall own the copyright in the academic works they create, except for academic works described below in section IV, subd. 2(b)-(e), or unless otherwise provided in a written agreement between the creator(s) and the University.

Subd. 2. University Ownership. The University shall own the copyright in the following works created by University faculty, other employees, or students, acting individually or jointly with others:

Subd. 3. Written Acknowledgments. The University and University faculty, other employees, and students shall execute necessary or desirable written instruments or agreements to evidence and protect ownership of copyright and copyright licenses in accordance with this policy.

Subd. 4. Ownership under Sponsored and other Outside Funded Agreements. The ownership of copyright in works created under an agreement with an outside sponsor shall be determined consistent with the terms of the agreement and applicable law.

Subd. 5. Works Created by Independent Contractors. Copyright ownership in works created by independent contractors shall be determined in accordance with applicable law and the contract between the University and the independent contractor. In most instances, the University shall enter into appropriate written contracts with independent contractors before services are provided to the University that may result in the creation of copyrighted works.

Nothing in this policy shall be construed to preclude the University and faculty and students from entering into written agreements governing the use, licensing, or sharing of licensing revenues with each other with respect to works, whether such works are owned by the University, the faculty, or students under this policy.

The president or delegate shall administer this policy and maintain appropriate policies and procedures to administer it.

Professor Gary Balas, Chair of the Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC), informed senators of what has happened since the October Senate meeting. Based on the input from the meeting, the copyright committee established a website to allow feedback and questions to the committee. This site is still open for input.

From these comments it was clear that there was a need for faculty representation on an advisory group to draft the administrative procedures.

The policy was presented to the Educational Planning Committee of the Regents for information a few weeks ago with strong support of the faculty's position. The policy did change from what was presented to the Senate to what went to the Regents. The policy is up for approval at the December Regents meeting, after which the administrative procedures will be drafted.

A senator commented that he heard that questions directed to the website were not answered.

Professor Balas said that this was not his experience and he had not heard this comment before.

Q: The policy defines students as people who are enrolled at the University, but how is this defined in a timeframe? Do students lose rights when they are no longer enrolled?

A: Students are covered by the policy when they are registered and they retain the copyright in perpetuity, but the policy would no longer apply to new material created once a student leaves or graduates.

A senator is concerned that the administrative procedures were not created at the same time as the policy, and that certain aspects were not addressed in the policy. Faculty have spent significant time on this issue and have not seen much change.

A senator commented that everyone who reads this policy has a different interpretation, which is why the administrative procedures should already be drafted.

A senator then said that faculty governance needs to pay attention going forward since faculty are not the only party involved.

The revised Liberal Education requirements are available on the web at: http://www.myu.umn.edu/public/cle.html

Professor Leslie Schiff, Chair of the Council on Liberal Education (CLE), said that last year Vice Provost Craig Swan charged the CLE to review the liberal education requirements since there has not been a systematic review since 1991. The process involved analyzing models from other institutions, getting feedback from faculty, staff, and students, and reviewing the minutes of CLE and the Educational Policy Committee (SCEP) with respect to implementation issues.

A proposal was developed last year, revised this fall, and then presented to SCEP in October. The proposal was then presented for one month University-wide for feedback. During this process there were four forums and a link to the University portal. CLE met this week for the first time to review the feedback, which amounts to 26 pages. CLE is now meeting to revise the draft document.

CLE, which is composed of 21 individuals, was able to unanimously agree on only one point – that they support the value of liberal education for the University. During the analysis, CLE found no compelling reason to conclude that the current design of the requirements is flawed or out of line with what other institutions are doing, but the Council did consider radical departures.

One area that required improvement was the institutional face of liberal education. The website is not inspiring and falls below the quality at other institutions. Communication on this issue needs to be strengthened, followed by implementation of outcomes and accountability.

The proposal still includes a core and themes, but the focus of the core will shift to ways of knowing information and allow students to do the work of the discipline. There will be seven cores – arts and humanities, biological sciences, historical perspectives, literature, mathematical thinking, physical sciences, and social sciences – which is one less social science than what is now required. One extra theme course will then be required to address this loss. Feedback has been received on the arts and humanities core regarding its distinctive characteristics, so this section will be revised.

Regarding themes, CLE did discuss their elimination, but themes challenge students to consider issues that are at the heart of decisions that they will make to be good citizens, so a decision was made to retain them. A major implementation change is that in order to raise the visibility of liberal education, and to address double dipping, a theme needs to be fully integrated in a course.

A senator then said that information literacy is approaching information science and computational thought, that is not addressed. When students can pull information from many digital sources, they need to be able to weigh the source itself.

Q: Do these standards apply to all undergraduate students?

A: Yes, on the Twin Cities Campus.

A senator stated that this is a lengthy document that includes some aspects of thought police. He suggested that more care should be taken in answers to some of the questions. He then said that the list of seven cores is arbitrary and does not address why some areas are over-emphasized and others are ignored. Lastly, the document contains specific directives for resource allocation and class size which faculty need to understand.

Another senator then expressed concern that the cores reaffirmed disciplinary silos of knowledge and that diversity does not address power and privilege.

A senator said that the message to students seems to be that if they want to know a subject, then they need to take an integrative course and not a regular course. Tightening the requirements leads to faculty spending more time on proposals, which might change once the course is taught if there is a different instructor from the one who created the proposal.

Professor Schiff noted that CLE believes that there is something special about liberal education courses, but that students should be able to thoughtfully choose from the available courses to create their own liberal education plan. Language will be added to the next draft to address this issue.

A senator then commented that the world that students are moving into and how they are being trained for the future has been omitted from this draft. Students will need to think critically and there is little context included. The University also needs to have a corresponding discussion about the changes in the world and their relation to liberal education, as well as the role of the instructor in inspiring students to think about the future.

Another senator said that he did not see the progress that has been made since 1991. Students are living in a different world in terms of communication. which is now mostly electronic. How electronic information is mediated is an entirely different world of knowledge than what is in the library. The document does not address tools that are needed to deal with this knowledge. Globalization of life is also not addressed.

Professor Schiff responded that study abroad is recommended to count for the global perspective theme. Service opportunities will also be emphasized for the themes. CLE did struggle with how information has changed and noted that within the cores and themes it will be important to teach students how to analyze information.

A senator said that this document addresses sciences and humanities, while not addressing engineering, design, or complex systems.

Another senator noted that because something is an electronic resource does not mean that it is a quality resource. Information literacy needs to be included in the curriculum.

In closing Professor Schiff noted that this document is still being revised and additional comments can be emailed to her. A revised version will be presented to SCEP in February or March, and then brought back to the Faculty Senate.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:54 pm.

Robert Anderson

Robert (Bob) Anderson; died on February 11, 2007, at age 78. Anderson obtained B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees at the University, where he also lettered in track and cross country. Upon graduation, he taught and coached at Watertown, SD. He progressed from teacher to principal and finally Director of the University High School, all the while coaching track and cross country at the University. In 1965 he accepted the positions of director of the Bureau of School Service and Research and professor of educational administration at the University of Washington, where he spent the remainder of his teaching career.

Timothy Besingi

Timothy Besingi, our colleague at University of Minnesota Extension, passed away on Monday, September 17. Tim died as a result of injuries sustained in a September 13 automobile accident.

At the time of his death, Tim was a Regional Extension Educator in Community Economics for University of Minnesota Extension, a position since March, 2006, serving twelve counties in southwest Minnesota. Prior to this, Tim worked for 25 years in Cameroon in the Department of Community Development in the Ministry of Agriculture. He was Director of the Community Development Specialization Training School and Director of the Department of Community Development before joining the United Nations Development Programme as Sustainable Development Advisor.

Tim’s passion was rural development. In fact, the day of the accident he was planning to attend a community meeting on reducing poverty. Tim revered education for its power to improve the quality of people's lives. His vocation was learned at his father's side traveling from village to village in his native Cameroon. To him, there was no greater calling than that of teacher.

Tim is survived by his wife, two daughters and one son. The daughters are both students at the Ohio State University and his 14 year old son is in high school. In addition to his immediate family, Tim is survived by his father and stepmother, his mother, one sister, and ten brothers. Three brothers reside in the United States (two in Ohio, one in Indiana). Other family members are in his native country, Cameroon, Africa.

A trust account has been established to defray the expenses of travel and final arrangements both in Ohio and his native Cameroon. This fund is critical to Tim’s family. Contributions to the fund can be mailed to: First Independent Bank, ATTN: Trust Account for Tim Besingi, 105 South Market Street, Marshall, MN 56258.

Sylvan D. Burgstahler

Dr. Sylvan Burgstahler passed away on September 28, 2006, after a 12-year battle with cancer.

Sylvan D. Burgstahler was born in Corvuso, Minnesota on November 7, 1928. He grew up in Glencoe, Minnesota, and after graduating from high school in 1946 he enlisted in the Army. Following his service to the country he entered the University of Minnesota in the spring of 1948, earning a B.S. degree in Engineering Mathematics in 1951 and a MS in Mathematics and Physics in 1953. During the academic year 1953-54, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study mathematics at the University of Goettingen in Germany. Among other things, that experience gave him and his wife, Janice, a love of travel that led to their eventually visiting some 75 countries on six continents. Following his Fulbright stay, Dr. Burgstahler returned to the University of Minnesota to complete his Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1963. His doctoral thesis, entitled “The Conduction of Heat in Composite Solids,” was written under the direction of Dr. James Serrin.

Dr. Burgstahler joined the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Department of Mathematics in the fall of 1961 and was appointed Head of the department in 1965. He was successful in building the department at a time when the national competition for qualified mathematicians was fierce, and in doing so laid the groundwork for the outstanding UMD mathematics faculty of today. By the time of his retirement in 1997, the department had grown and separated into distinct departments of Mathematics & Statistics and Computer Science. UMD faculty and staff that knew Dr. Burgstahler during his long affiliation with the University will always remember his integrity, honesty, and passion for critical thinking. His professional activities were always performed with great intellect and good humor.

As a faculty member Dr. Burgstahler spent considerable effort cultivating contacts with other mathematics teachers in the Midwest, and became a major figure in regional and national mathematics organizations. He served in a variety of leadership roles in the North Central Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). In the early 1970's, he was elected Section President and later he served a three-year term as Section Governor. In recognition of his service, the Section nominated Dr. Burgstahler for a Certificate of Meritorious Service, which was conferred upon him by the national organization in 1986.

During his career, Dr. Burgstahler taught a wide variety of mathematics courses at UMD, including several that he created, earning himself a reputation as a fair but demanding teacher. The later years of Dr. Burgstahler's career where characterized by a number of scholarly pursuits related to the area of mathematical analysis. His research areas included problems from approximation theory, sequences and series, and root-finding methods.

Throughout his career Dr. Burgstahler was interested in the uses of computers. While a graduate student in the 1950's he held an internship with IBM as a “programmer.” At that time coding was accomplished with jumper cables. As early as 1970 (when there was only one computer on the UMD campus) he began advocating and lecturing on the uses of computers in the classroom. Many of his mathematical investigations were tested with the use of mathematical spreadsheet software. His most important professional paper derived a novel and powerful improvement of Newton's Method for solving polynomial equations.

Faculty who were colleagues with Sylvan will remember with great fondness his quick wit and sense of humor. For example, one day in the Campus Club someone asked him why the Greeks had Muses for Music, Poetry and even History but none for Mathematics. His answer (delivered with mock seriousness) was, "Actually the ancient Greeks were grooming a candidate for that position but he didn't get tenure."

In 1978 Dr. Burgstahler volunteered (on very short notice) to organize the joint national summer meetings of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). When the President of the MAA learned that the UMD campus - the proposed site of the meeting - was not air conditioned, he asked Sylvan if this might perhaps be a bit dangerous. Sylvan dismissed the concern with the observation that “Duluth is the Green Tomato Capital of the World.”

After retiring, Dr. Burgstahler taught courses on the cultural impact of mathematics and on military history for UMD's University-for-Seniors organization. His non-professional interests included travel, hunting, photography, gardening, military history, and collecting various things, but during the last years of his life, he focused most intensely on his family genealogy. Known for his way with words, Sylvan loved to write. (A departmental self-study he wrote ran to 501 pages!) A favorite quote of his was, “I don’t have time to be brief!”

In recognition of his many contributions to UMD, Dr. Burgstahler was inducted into the College of Science and Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni and Friends in 2004.

Sylvan is survived by his wife, Janice; sons, Duane (Sandy) of Duluth, Scott (Alison) of Sandpoint, Idaho, and Bruce (Christine) of Duluth; brothers, Merrill (Shirley) of Minnetonka and Byron (Elaine) of St. Paul; sisters, Arlys Benjamin (John) of Minneapolis and June Jensen (Al) of Duluth; grandchildren, Jill, Brett, Elizabeth, Luke, Laura, Molly, and Matthew and by numerous friends and relatives.

Wayne Caron

Wayne Caron, assistant professor, senior lecturer, family social science; died August 21, 2007, at age 51. Caron earned his doctorate in family social science in 1991 from the University of Minnesota, where he also earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. He was an active therapist, researcher, and author, holding positions at the V.A. Medical Center Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the geriatrics program in the University’s Medical School, and the University’s School of Public Health and College of Nursing. Caron was founder and director of the Family Caregiving Center, an organization dedicated to supporting family centered care for people with dementia. In 2003 he won the College of Human Ecology Excellence in Outreach/Engagement Award, going on to win a McFarland Outstanding Teaching Award from the College in 2005.

Roland A. Delattre

Roland A. Delattre served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota from 1972 until he retired in 1996 as a member of the Department (then Program) of American Studies and as an active member of the Religious Studies faculty. He received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania and his MA and Ph.D. from Yale University in Religious Studies. He served previously on the faculties of Miami University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
His book, Beauty and Sensibility in the Thought of Jonathan Edwards: An Essay in Aesthetics and Theological Ethics was originally published by Yale University Press in 1968, and republished in 2006 in the Jonathan Edwards Classic Studies series. Professor Delattre was recognized as a distinguished Edwards scholar. His subsequent research focused on ritual and on consumption as an ethical issue. His book on that topic was nearly finished at the time of his death.

He served as a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal. He was one of the founding editors of the Journal of Religious Ethics.

Professor Delattre was chairperson of American Studies from 1975-1980 and Director of Graduate Studies from 1990-1991. He also served as Director of Graduate Studies for four years in the interdisciplinary Religious Studies Program for four years. He taught students at every level of the curriculum in American Studies and advised a substantial number of graduate students.

Professor Delattre organized the Swedish Teachers Seminar in American Studies that brought Swedish secondary teachers to the University of Minnesota with support from the Ministry of Education for twelve years. The goal of the program was to place in every school district in Sweden at least one teacher who had taken his intensive three-week course in American culture.

Roland Delattre died in Minneapolis on April 17, 2007 at the age of 78.

David Evertz

David directed a program at the University of Minnesota funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that worked closely for 5 years with the ST Paul Public Schools - and specifically with 4 high schools plus senior district administrators. David was relentlessly and passionate about the details, as well as the overall design of the project. Ultimately the project did help produce improved achievement, higher graduation rates and reductions in achievement gaps between students of different races and economic levels. Editorials in the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press praised this project.

The most important thing to say is that David had a huge love for his family. As one friend in Cincinnati who came to know David via his school reform work wrote:

The last time I was in David's company was in Seattle at a Gates meeting. He wasn't feeling well and needed to rest before we met for dinner. We started walking to the restaurant and were so caught up in our conversation we walked a long distance in the wrong direction.

Undaunted, David merely took a deep breath, turned on his heels and headed toward our destination with a grin and a shake of his head.

During dinner he spoke little of his health, although I asked many questions, and mostly of his family. He then shared the most recent events of his daughter, whom he adored. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting the two ladies in his life I always felt I knew them both. There was no doubt that they were David's world!”

Another friend, a Humphrey Institute colleague wrote:

“ David told me that he and Beth went out and bought matching lounge chairs to put in front of their fireplace so they could sit side by side and read in front of the fire when they were both recovering from the transplant operations. I always found that an amazingly comforting image, the two of them sitting there in front of the fire, snow piling up outside, linked by a kidney and so much, much more.”

Beautiful, but a little heavy. Let’s talk another side of David.

He was Relentlessly pragmatic . One time he and I were in California. It was the year that there was a huge gas shortage, and people were having to wait an hour or more at a gas station to fill their cars. We realized that we did not have enough time to wait an hour or more in line to fill our rented car and get to the airport on time.

I began cursing the gas companies. David had a more constructive approach. We called the rental company and negotiated - if they would not sell us some gas at a nearby rental car outlet, we would rent another car that was full of gas and go on to the airport. They saw the insanity of the situation and sold us enough gas to get to the airport. Relentlessly pragmatic, that was David.

He also was a poet- and a widely published one. Here are a few of them.

poem

In the middle of an image
my grey cat has needs
he rubs my beard
his body/my face
a worry stone
a knife’s edge
from side to side
he sharpens himself.

Cats were very important to David. And of course, medical issues demanded a lot of his attention. He wrote about this many times. Once in a poem called
“Kidney Machine” he wrote

“It is a marriage of metal and flesh
it sucks me out fills me up sings to me
whirr, whirr"

David sometimes joked about his operations. For example, in a poem called Scar, he explained

“according to the map
you ride the train to
Betty Button
portage to Hip Ridge
and Head South.”

David was an urban guy. He was born in the city, graduated from Johnson High School in the City (and he would be very glad to see Johnson’s principal here today), and lived in the city. He loved to travel to other places. He once wrote that “the soul and feel of asphalt is a tonic.”

David had many friends, and many people who admired his work:

“David was brave and undaunted when faced with a terminal illness, and unflagging in his mission to promote learning and growth to all our children. He treated everyone who joined him in his mission with gentle grace.” George Latimer, former mayor of St. Paul

“David was one of the kindest, most insightful, and passionate educators I have ever known, ALWAYS focusing on what was best for kids.” Anne Carroll, St. Paul School Board

He was a living testiment to the way that the spirit can beat back the forces that attack the body -- maybe not forever, but in his case for a very long time. that gave me what I needed most at the time: hope. ... I want to say to Beth and Misha -- neither of whom I have met but whom David talked about often -- that David is gone, but he is really not gone, and his extraordinary spirit will help you chart a new course together. He would want nothing less, and we are all here to support you along the way. Kent Pekel

“David was a splendid teacher at Open School and remained among the best of humanistic educators throughout every facet of his career.” We enjoyed his poetry and insightful humor. We are all better for knowing him. Joan Sorenson and Wayne Jennings, St. Paul Public School Educators

David was relentless and passionate about each youngster’s possibilities. He was creative, diplomatic and determined." Joe Nathan, Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute

Perhaps one of his former students, who is here today, summed up his teaching skills best, "He was very funny, and really motivated you. He also challenged you and made you want to do your best.”

Kwame McDonald had a single, eloquent sentence about him: “David was the most courageous person I ever met.” Kwame McDonald, columnist, Spokesman-Recorder

It was not the kind of courage that was displayed in a single remarkable action - but the kind of persistence, ongoing courage displayed over decades.

David was not just one of those people who thought, wrote or talked about how to help build a better world. David was a doer, a creator, a constructor.

He offered a little advice about this in his poem “Planting”

hold the sun with your left hand
part the earth with your right
removing large stones
knead the earth with both feet
keeping your toes turned up
whisper orange water words
while turning around three times
be vigilant
let no one see you do this
set albino squirrels to guard the ground
care very much.”

David DID care very much.

But David went beyond caring. He will live on in his many acts of kindness, creation and compassion.”

Eldon G. Hill

Eldon G. Hill died Friday, June 22, 2007 at home in West St. Paul, MN at the age of 89. Hill had retired as an associate professor at the University’s Hormel Institute in Austin, MN in February 1984.

In 1953, Dr. Hill received his Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from the University of Minnesota St. Paul. In October of that year, as a research fellow, he began his 30-year career at The Hormel Institute, which was founded in 1942. In the Institute’s original location, Dr. Hill’s early research emphasis was cholesterol relating to atheroscierosis. In 1976, Eldon relocated to the new facility, resulting in a change in Dr. Hill’s research emphasis.

Dr. Hill’s research section, Nutritional Biochemistry, focused on lipid biochemistry in animals and isomeric fatty acids in nutrition. Dr. Hill was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1955 and to Associate Professor in 1961.

After retiring, Dr. Hill remained in Austin until 2003, when he moved to West St. Paul.

Dr. Hill is survived by one daughter, Karen (James) Shatek, one son, Glenn Hill, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Donovan Johnson

Donovan Johnson; died on April 1, 2007, at age 96. Johnson was both a University alumni and professor. He received a B.S. in mathematics in 1931; an M.A. in educational psychology in 1933; and a Ph.D. in education in 1948. After obtaining is doctorate, Johnson taught science at Stillwater High School for six years before returning to the University as a professor. He taught math education within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction until his early retirement in 1973. Among other accomplishments, Johnson published several widely-used math textbooks. He and his wife, University alumna Alice Johnson, were profiled in the Spring 2007 issue of Connect!, available online.

William Kavanaugh

William Kavanaugh; died on April 22, 2007, at age 93. A native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Kavanaugh moved with his family to Minnesota when he was 9 years old and graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls in 1932. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, he entered Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis and then moved to the University as an instructor in 1946, a year before he received his bachelor's degree. He became a professor in the education department in 1955 and retired in 1984. Kavanaugh’s work at the University primarily focused on preparing vocational and industrial educators.

Marcus Kjelsberg

Dr. Kjelsberg passed away July 11, 2007, at age 74. The cause of death was acute myelogenous leukemia, with which he was diagnosed last fall. He is survived by his wife, Marge, son, Michael, and daughter, Ann.

Dr. Kjelsberg had a long and distinguished career at the School of Public Health (SPH), and led a number of significant clinical trials, among them the landmark, highly visible, 12,866-person “MRFIT” (Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial), which studied the effect of a multi-factor intervention on mortality from coronary heart disease in high risk men. MRFIT began in 1972 and analysis of the data continues today. Perhaps his most lasting legacy is his founding of the SPH’s Coordinating Center for Biometric Research (CCBR), which coordinates and analyzes data for some of the world’s largest clinical trials. Dr. Kjelsberg also served as the original principal investigator of the Lung Health Study (LHS), the largest clinical trial in chronic lung disease ever conducted. With MRFIT, LHS, and the establishment of the CCBR, he can be credited with bringing large-scale clinical trials to Minnesota. He truly put the University of Minnesota on the map as a group that knew how to lead major clinical trials.

Dr. Kjelsberg came to the University of Minnesota as a graduate student in 1952. He received his master’s degree in statistics in 1955, taught for a brief time at Tulane University, and returned to the University of Minnesota to earn his doctorate in biostatistics in 1962. He went on to a faculty position at the University of Michigan, and returned to the University of Minnesota as an associate professor in 1966. He served as the head of the Division of Biostatistics from 1972 to 1987, during which time the Division steadily grew in size and reputation. He retired in 1997. He continued his involvement with the SPH well into retirement with Biostatistics professor Jim Neaton as a senior advisor for the journal Controlled Clinical Trials, of which Neaton served as editor. This brought him into the office every week, a commitment he kept faithfully.

Colleagues describe Dr. Kjelsberg as the consummate gentleman, gracious well beyond the call of duty, universally well respected, and a thoughtful, even-handed administrator. He played an integral role in helping the School of Public Health achieve the strong nationwide status it enjoys today. He is fondly remembered and will be dearly missed.

Carol H. Pazandak

Carol Pazandak was Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology. Dr. Pazandak fulfilled many roles in the University of Minnesota community. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University in 1970. Dr. Pazandak devoted her career to student issues. During her tenure, she served as the director and advisor for the College of Liberal Arts undergraduate advising, Assistant Director for Prospective Student Services, Director of the Office of International Programs, and Acting Director of University Student Recruiting. In 1979, Dr. Pazandak was appointed Assistant to President C. Peter Magrath. She continued in this role until 1984. Dr. Pazandak retired from the University of Minnesota in 1993.

Dr. Pazandak had a passion for developing relations between the University of Minnesota and the University of Iceland, Reykjavik. She was integral in drafting the exchange agreement between Minnesota and Iceland, which was ratified in 1982. Thanks to Dr. Pazandak, this exchange agreement has resulted in several individuals coming to Minnesota for graduate studies. The Psychology Department has two Ph.D. and two MA graduates from Iceland. Dr. Pazandak was recognized for her work with the University of Iceland, Reykjavik with two prestigious awards. In 1990, she received the Order of the Falcon, which was awarded for her work in developing the University of Iceland, Reykjavik counseling services, creating a graduate program in counseling, and fostering ties between Minnesota and Iceland. In 1994, she received the Partnership Award for her contributions to the greater understanding of cultures.

Grace C. Peterson

Grace C. Peterson, a long-time faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, passed away in her Duluth home on May 27, 2006.

She was born in Two Harbors, MN on March 1, 1914 to parents Axel Gustav and Amanda Sopia (Carlson) Anderson. She was a graduate of Central High School and the Duluth State Teachers College, the school that would eventually become the Duluth Campus of the University of Minnesota.

She began her career teaching Grades 1 - 8 in a one-room school just north of Duluth. Her pay was $60/month, but she was allowed to earn an additional $10/month by doing school janitorial services. This included bringing in firewood and lighting the wood stove every morning, scrubbing the floor, and carrying in water from the pump. She went from there to teaching grades 5 - 8 in a two-room school in Normanna, then to teaching junior high school in Calumet. Later she taught high school in Grand Rapids and also in Oconto, Wisconsin, near Green Bay.

When her husband, Ernest, returned from the WW II Pacific front, they came to Duluth and she tried to get a teaching job in the Duluth high schools. At that time, however, the school board wanted men as math teachers because they were perceived to be "more practical.” At first they required that she go back to school to earn graduate credits --something not required of male applicants. When she surprised them by accomplishing this, she was hired only as a substitute teacher at Ordean Junior High School.

In those days, acceptance of women as mathematics teachers was hard to come by. Peterson recalled that she was relieved of her substitute teaching responsibility one day short of three months, and then after one day, was re-hired into the same position. This curious turn of events was likely related to the fact that if she had served for over three full months, the school board was required to put her on the salary scale of regular, full-time, teachers.

Not long thereafter Peterson was hired by Dr. William McEwen, head of the UMD Mathematics Department and a fellow classmate of hers from Duluth Central High School and Duluth State Teachers College. In an interview long after her retirement she recalled that the Mathematics Department was always cordial and hospitable. She felt respected and was treated as a full member of the Department. In fact, there were other women on the staff at the time of her hiring, including Miss Mary Elwell and Miss Clara Ayers, as well as the faculty member that Peterson replaced.

As a new faculty member, many of her classes were taught in the Old Main building located on the “lower” campus. By the time of her retirement the current campus was well - established. UMD had roughly 3500 students when she joined the faculty. She recalled that the entire administration occupied part of the second floor of Heller Hall and a few offices in Kirby Student Center. During her tenure, the department did not have a graduate program, so all classes were taught by faculty members. Class sizes in the introductory courses typically had 40-45 students.

In those days every math and science student had a slide rule. The Mathematics Department even taught a one-credit course on how to use the slide rule. When it was necessary to find values for trigonometric functions or logarithms, students had to use tables that took up the last several pages of every textbook.

The only calculators that were available were simple adding machines, so calculations with large numbers were done with logarithms. Even by the time she retired in 1978, UMD had one computer for student and faculty use. The computer took up an entire large room on the third floor of Heller Hall and no doubt had less capability than a laptop computer of today. Programming instructions and data were put on punched cards and run through this computer.

Peterson was an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics from 1957 to 1979. She taught a variety of students ranging from World War II veterans headed for careers in engineering to new young high school graduates training to become teachers. UMD grew enormously during Peterson's years at UMD, primarily due to the post-Sputnik explosion of interest in science and mathematics.

Her students remember her as having very high standards, but always being available for extra help. They describe her as kind and caring. In 1980, in recognition of her contributions to the freshman/sophomore curriculum, the department established the Grace C. Peterson Award. The award is given each year to students who have demonstrated excellence in their calculus classes.

In the early years of her retirement Peterson's time was spent acting as caregiver for her husband and her sister. She was involved in various volunteer activities in Duluth, and pursued a life-long interest in gardening. Grace Peterson is survived by many nieces and nephews.

Judy Peterson

The School of Public Health lost a dear friend recently when our longtime Dean’s Office staff member Judy Peterson passed away on August 23, 2007, after a brief battle with lung cancer. She is deeply missed not just by the many who had the pleasure of working with her every day, but by the countless people she came in touch with during her 40 years with the School. Judy is the only person to have worked with all seven deans in the history of the School of Public Health.

What people miss most is Judy’s wit, which lightened even the heaviest of burdens, and her ability to accomplish anything she set her mind to. She instilled immense confidence because she had the most amazing track record of success.

In addition to her “can-do” approach to her work here, Judy had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the School of Public Health and thus became the School’s unofficial historian and her office, the defacto archive.

In the course of her decades with the School, Judy came to take on all kinds of new duties, many of which no one else relished but which needed to be done. By the end of her tenure, she had served in roles too numerous to list which include office manager, communications director, editor, facilities manager, human resources director, and senior administrative director. More importantly, many would also call her confidant, mediator, valued colleague, and friend.

Samuel Popper

Samuel Popper, professor emeritus, educational policy and administration; died August 28, 2007, at age 90. Popper received his doctorate from New York University in 1952. He then worked with the Minnesota Jewish Council, eventually becoming a high school sociology teacher in St. Paul in 1955. Three years later Popper began his career at the University in the Department of Educational Policy and Administration. During the late 1950s, in addition to teaching and advising Ph.D. students, Popper led the Minnesota School Facilities Council, a group formed to ensure better school buildings, sites, and facilities. He later joined several others in forming a small health maintenance organization in St. Paul called Group Health Plan, which eventually became Health Partners. Popper authored several books, including The American Middle School: An Organizational Analysis (Blaisdell Publishing Company, 1967). He retired in 1987.

L.E. Scriven

Professor L. E. (Skip) Scriven, faculty member of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota, passed away August 3, 2007 of complications from pancreatic cancer.

Professor Scriven received his B.S. in 1952 from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Ph. D. in 1956 from the University of Delaware. He worked as a research engineer for Shell Development Co. before joining the Chemical Engineering department in 1959 as an Assistant Professor. Skip was named a Full Professor in 1966 and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1978. In 1988 he was selected as Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota

During his illustrious career, Professor Scriven has authored over 400 publications and has advised over 100 Ph. D. students in the department. His research program was internationally renowned, focusing on coating and coating processes. The program excelled at combining experimental, theoretical, and computer modeling approaches in order to better understand industrial coating application processes. During his career he also made significant contributions to the fields of capillary hydrodynamics, enhanced oil recovery, colloid science, and the theory of interfacial phenomena. He was one of the co-founders of the NSF Center for Interfacial Engineering at the University of Minnesota.

In addition to his research program, Skip was very much involved in undergraduate instruction in the department. He was the champion for the Unit Operations Lab, the most important chemical engineering lab taken by undergraduates. Professor Scriven was an advocate for and much involved in the team teaching program in the department. His graduate course in fluid mechanics was one of a kind. He spent years polishing, sharpening and perfecting the course.

Professor Scriven has held many distinguished visiting professorships and lectureships, and he has served on committees for outside and national organizations. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). In 1986 he was invited to give the Josiah Willard Gibbs Lecture by the American Mathematical Society. Some of the more recent awards he has received include two Roon Awards from the Federation of Societies of Coatings Technology (1993 and 2002), the ACS Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (1990), the Tallmadge Award in Coating Science and Technology (1992) and the Founders Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1997). Most recently, he received the Roy W. Tess Award in Coatings for 2007 from the American Chemical Society, in recognition of outstanding contributions to coatings science and technology. In 1998 the International Society of Coating Science and Technology instituted the L.E.Scriven Award to recognize outstanding young researchers in the field that he helped to found.

In addition to teaching and research, Skip was very involved with the chemical engineering profession, and wrote a number of articles on its history. He also had some thoughts on its future:

In brief, the practice of chemical engineering, like seasonal foliage, changes; like individuals, the subdisciplines grow, mature, and give birth to others; the discipline like a species evolves, but the essence, like a tree, is invariant. For the better part of a century, the profession in the United States has broadened its base - now rejoining materials science - and built on it successfully to fulfill the needs of both the existing and the emerging chemical process technologies of each era. As past high technologies have matured, and turned senescent or moribund, the profession has again and again moved on to new frontiers, rapidly enough to avoid any danger of extinction. What factors are likely to be important for the next hundred years? Primarily those that have been important over the past hundred. My encounters with them leave me with two deep questions that remain largely unanswered. What constitutes an engineering discipline like chemical engineering? And what maintains the associated profession?

Perspectives in Chemical Engineering, edited by C. K. Colton, Academic Press, New York, 1991 (Advances in Chemical Engineering, Volume 16) pp 1-40

Nazmi Shehadeh

Dr. Nazmi Shehadeh, Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a recognized expert in communications systems and radio signal propagation, died February 20 in Larchmont, New York. Nazmi died at home in the arms of his wife, Mary Shehadeh, with his family by his side. He was 70. The cause was complications related to colon cancer.

Dr. Shehadeh was born in Palestine in October 1936 and emigrated from Jordan to the United States in 1961. Dr. Nazmi Shehadeh graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1964.  He went on to earn Master of Science and Doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa in 1965 and 1967 respectively.   After graduation,  he held several faculty positions at the College of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia and the University of Houston and including serving as the Chair of the Electronics Department at the Higher Institute of Electronics in Libya.  He was a recognized expert in communications systems and radio signal propagation and was very active in engineering professional societies.  He joined the faculty as a Professor of the nascent  Computer Engineering Department at the University of  Minnesota Duluth in 1986 and was appointed its Department Head in 1987; a position he held until 1998.  He guided the transition from Computer Engineering to a well-recognized  Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1994.  Nazmi retired from the University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2003 to be closer to his children and grandchildren.  He was well respected  as a teacher, scholar, advisor, and mentor by students, colleagues,

He is survived by Mary, his wife of 42 years who is retired from the faculty of the Department of Psychology of the College of St. Scholastica; his mother, Nazmia; his sons Samuel Shehadeh, a lawyer with Baker & McKenzie LLP, and Dr. Ramsey Shehadeh, an economist with NERA Economic Consulting; five grandchildren; and seven siblings. Dr. Shehadeh battled colon cancer since 1999, most recently with the help of physicians and nurses at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital.

David W. Thompson

The Thompson family moved from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to Minneapolis in 1925, where David attended Marshall High School and the University of Minnesota, from which he received his BA (Phi Beta Kappa) and MA degrees. During this period he acted in several University Theatre landmark productions, including the title role in Johnny Johnson and Mercrutio in Romeo and Juliet. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University and served in the U. S. Army during World War II. In 1945 he joined the faculty of the Department of Speech as an Assistant Professor and began a highly distinguished career in teaching oral interpretation, directing and administration. He wrote the original script Rifle, Axe and Plow which traced the highlights of Minnesota history from 1848 to 1851 to celebrate Minnesota’s Territorial Centennial. With long-time colleague Virginia Fredricks, Professor Thompson co-authored the ground-breaking publication in the field entitled Oral Interpretation of Fiction in 1964 and served as editor for Performance of Literature in Historical Perspectives in 1983.

From 1966-67 he served as Associate Chairman of the (then) Department of Speech, Communication, and Theatre Arts and as Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts from 1997 to 1980. Over the years of his remarkable teaching career, he directed several plays for both the University Theatre mainstage and Theatre of the Word series. Among the notables were 1975's The Ideal Husband on the Minnesota Centennial Showboat, and Man and Superman in the Whiting Proscenium Theatre in Rarig Center.

Professor Thompson retired in 1985 and continued his favorite activities -- reading and traveling to view nature and writing poetry about his experiences. He will be remembered by his colleagues as an impassioned teacher, a scholar, and a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

Mary West

The School of Music mourns the passing of Mary E. West, Emeritus Associate Professor of violin.  We continue to grieve for her son, Chris, and her daughters, Bonnie and Robin.  She is remembered, as one student said, as "joyful and light in spirit while firm and consistent in her expectations."  She will be missed .