1994-95 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA No. 4
UNIVERSITY SENATE MINUTES
APRIL 20, 1995
The fourth meeting of the University Senate for 1994-95 was convened in
25 Law Building, Minneapolis campus, on Thursday, April 20, 1995, at 2:13 p.m.
Coordinate campuses were linked by telephone. Checking or signing the roll as
present were 122 voting faculty/academic professional members, 30 voting
student members, 2 ex officio members, and 3 nonmembers. President Nils
Hasselmo presided.
I. ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSE TO UNIVERSITY SENATE ACTIONS
Information
A. Morse-Alumni Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education
Approved by: the University Senate on February 16, 1995
the Administration on March 6, 1995
the Board of Regents - no action required
II. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIPS, 1995-96
Information
In the recent election to fill faculty vacancies on the Senate
Consultative Committee, Carole Bland, Victor Bloomfield, and Virginia Gray
were elected for 3-year terms (1995-98). The faculty membership for 1995-96
includes:
John Adams College of Liberal Arts
Carl Adams School of Management
Carole Bland Medical School
Victor Bloomfield College of Biological Sciences
Virginia Gray College of Liberal Arts
James Gremmels Morris
Robert Jones College of Agriculture
Geoffrey Maruyama College of Education
Harvey Peterson Crookston
Michael Steffes Medical School
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CONSENT AGENDA
Action
Agenda items III. and IV. are considered to be noncontroversial or
"housekeeping" in nature and 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. A majority of those members present and voting is
required for approval.
III. MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 16, 1995
IV. SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
Protocol for Senate Committee Involvement In Central Administrator Searches
MOTION:
To amend the "Protocol for Senate Committee Involvement In Central
Administrator Searches," as follows: (additions are in CAPS, deletions are
[bracketed])
PROTOCOL FOR SENATE COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT IN CENTRAL ADMINISTRATOR SEARCHES
I. Formation of Search Committees
Search committees are typically established to fill major University
central administrative positions. The positions to which this section of the
protocol is addressed include the following:*
President**
Senior Vice President
Vice President
Associate/Assistant Vice President
Provost
Associate/Assistant Provost
Vice Provost
Associate/Assistant Vice Provost
General Counsel
University Librarian
Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
Director, Intercollegiate Athletics (Twin Cities campus)
Members of search committees for these positions, and their chairs,
shall be chosen by the appointing authority after consultation with
appropriate Senate committees, as follows.
The appointing authority shall ask the Faculty Consultative Committee
and Student Senate Consultative Committee, or other appropriate committee (as
set out in Section III of this protocol) to submit, by a specified date, names
of the faculty and students who should serve on the search committee. The
number of individuals nominated should be greater than the number who will
serve on the search committee (perhaps twice as large), in order to allow for
those who decline to serve and to provide the appointing authority some
flexibility in the choices. The appointing authority will select the search
committee from among those individuals or will explain to the Senate committee
why the search committee membership deviated from the list of individuals
nominated. The Faculty and Student Senate Consultative Committees may also
identify the names of other individuals (who are not faculty or students) who
the appointing authority may wish to consider selecting for search committee
membership.
If the Senate committees are unable to provide names to the appointing
authority by the date specified, he or she may proceed to appoint the search
committee without Senate committee consultation. It is assumed the Senate
committee would be given at least two weeks notice of the need for nominees to
the search committee.
The Faculty Consultative Committee and the President or other
administrator may agree that identification of faculty members for other
administrator search committees is appropriate; this protocol should also be
followed in such instances. The same is true for the Student Senate
Consultative Committee.
II. Committee Responsibility for Interviews
The following Senate*** committees will be given the opportunity to
participate in interviews of candidates for the positions noted, in accord
with the provisions of Section III of this protocol. Interviews with
committees will be scheduled irrespective of the scope of the search (full,
limited, or non-competitive appointment); in the case of non-competitive
appointments, the committee will be given the opportunity to interview the
candidate "before" the position has been offered to the candidate.
Faculty Consultative: President; all vice presidencies AND PROVOSTS
(including the General Counsel); Director of
EEO; Chancellors; Directors of Athletics (Twin
Cities campus); others as the President may
request
Student Senate Consultative: President; all vice presidencies AND PROVOSTS
(including the General Counsel); Director of
EEO; Chancellors; Directors of Athletics (Twin
Cities campus); others as the President may
request
Computing and Info Systems: Associate/assistant vice president/vice provost
for computing and information systems;
University Librarian
Educational Policy: Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs;
PROVOSTS; Vice President for [Undergraduate
Education and] Student [Affairs] DEVELOPMENT AND
ATHLETICS [Vice President for Arts, Sciences,
and Engineering]; DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
Faculty Affairs: Associate/assistant vice president for human
resources
Finance and Planning: Senior Vice President for Finance and
Operations; associate/assistant vice presidents
in Finance and Operations, VICE PRESIDENT FOR
OUTREACH
Intercollegiate Athletics: Director of Athletics
Judicial Committee: General Counsel
Library: University Librarian
Research: Vice President for Research and Dean of the
Graduate School; Assistant/associate vice
president, ORTTA
Student Affairs: Vice President for Student [Affairs] DEVELOPMENT
AND ATHLETICS
III. Interviewing Protocol, Candidates for Administrative Positions with
Senate Committees
It is understood that committee interviews, especially during the summer
or when scheduled on short notice, may not involve a majority of committee
members or consistent representation for several candidates. It is not the
intent of this protocol that the hiring process be slowed or hindered by the
possible unavailability of committee members. The committee interviews are
scheduled to give committee members "the opportunity" to participate in
the search process; if they are unavailable or do not attend, the hiring
process should nonetheless go forward.
1. The committee will be supplied, in advance of the interview,
copies of the position description and the curriculum vitae of
each candidate.
2. The committee will assemble and discuss, in advance of the arrival
of the candidate, how it wishes to conduct the interview.
3. The candidate will meet with the committee.
4. The candidate will depart; the committee will then meet in closed
session to discuss the candidate(s) and to decide upon its
comments or recommendation to the appointing authority. These
comments or recommendation, including any minority or dissenting
views, will be submitted as quickly as possible to the appointing
authority.
5. The Faculty Consultative Committee and the President or other
administrators may determine that faculty participation in
interviews with candidates for other positions is desirable; FCC
may delegate responsibility for participating in such interviews
to other committees of the Senate or the Assembly. FCC may also
designate additional committees or individual faculty members to
participate in any interviews. The same is true for the Student
Senate Consultative Committee.
6. When more than one committee is appropriately involved in
candidate interviews, the committees may schedule a joint session.
*In the parlance of the categorization of administrative appointees at the
time this protocol is written, it covers class numbers 9301-9305, 9314, 9316,
9321-9328, and a few of the individuals in class 9330.
**The selection of the University President is the legal responsibility of
the Board of Regents and the search committee for this office is drawn from
the members of the Board. This committee has customarily involved the Senate
Consultative Committee in the search, either relying on SCC to act as a search
advisory committee or asking SCC to appoint such an advisory committee. It is
presumed that this practice would continue.
***And, for the Directors of Intercollegiate Athletics (Twin Cities), the
(Twin Cities) Assembly Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics.
COMMENT:
The protocol was adopted by the University Senate on February 18, 1993,
as part of a consent agenda, without debate, and approved by the
administration on April 26, 1993. The proposed amendments are intended to
bring the protocol into accord with the reorganized central administration.
JOHN ADAMS, Chair
Senate Consultative Committee
DISCUSSION:
The Consent Agenda was approved without discussion by a majority of
members present and voting.
APPROVED
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V. SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
Merger of Student Senate Leadership Positions
Action
MOTION 1:
To amend the Senate Constitution as follows: (deletions are
[bracketed]; additions are in CAPS)
Article III, Section 6b
. . . .
6. University Senate and Student Senate Officers
a. . . . .
b. The officers of the Student Senate shall be a chair AND a vice
chair [, a clerk, and a treasurer].
[The chair and vice chair shall be elected by the Student Senate at
its last regularly scheduled spring quarter meeting from the
members of the Student Senate.] THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR SHALL BE
ELECTED AT A SPECIAL SPRING QUARTER SESSION OF THE STUDENT SENATE
ATTENDED ONLY BY STUDENT SENATORS ELECTED FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THE OUTGOING CHAIR SHALL PRESIDE OVER THE ELECTION. NON-SENATORS
AND OUTGOING STUDENT SENATORS MAY NOT BE CANDIDATES FOR THESE
POSITIONS. The chair and vice chair shall not be from the same
campus. In the event that no one is nominated for the vice chair
position from a separate campus, the position will be open to all
qualified members of the Student Senate. Term of office shall be
July 1 to June 30, and the personS holding office [is] ARE eligible
for re-election. The duties of the chair are (1) to be the
official spokesperson of the Student Senate; (2) to set the
Student Senate agenda, to be approved by the Student Consultative
Committee; (3) [to organize and chair the Student Lobbying Advisory
Committee;] TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF THE COALITION/UMCHE, THE
UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT LOBBYING ORGANIZATION; (4) to serve as the
University's representative on the Student Advisory Committee; (5)
TO SERVE ON ONE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TO
DELEGATE STUDENT MEMBERS FOR OTHER ADVISORY COMMITTEES; (6) TO
SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE.
The duties of the vice chair are (1) to assume the duties of the
chair in the event of an absence or incapacity of the chair; [and]
(2) to assume responsibilities delegated by the chair; (3) TO
SUBMIT TO THE SENATE OFFICE AN ANNUAL BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE
STUDENT SENATE AND STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, TO BE APPROVED
BY THE STUDENT SENATE DURING ITS FALL QUARTER MEETING; (4) TO
ORGANIZE AN ANNUAL ORIENTATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE STUDENT SENATE;
(5) TO MONITOR STUDENT SENATE ATTENDANCE AND ENSURE THAT THE
STUDENT SENATE HANDBOOK IS UPDATED AND DISTRIBUTED; (6) TO SERVE
ON A CENTRAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT IS NOT ATTENDED BY THE
STUDENT SENATE CHAIR IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE SUCH COMMITTEE
ACTIVE; (7) TO SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE.
[The clerk and treasurer shall be appointed by the chair subject to
the approval of the Student Senate. The duties of the clerk and
treasurer shall be prescribed in the Senate Bylaws. The Student
Consultative Committee shall periodically review these officer
positions.]
c. . . . .
MOTION 2:
To amend the Senate Bylaws as follows: (deletions are [bracketed];
additions are in CAPS)
Arcticle I, Section 8
Article I. University Senate Membership, Elections, and Officers
. . . .
[8. Treasurer of the Student Senate: The treasurer of the Student Senate
shall be the chief budget officer of the Student Senate. The
treasurer shall chair the budget subcommittee of the Student Senate.]
Article III, Section 4
4. Consultative Committees
The Senate Consultative Committee shall be composed of 10 elected
members of the faculty, 9 elected students, and the vice chair of the
University Senate. The faculty representatives shall serve as the
Faculty Consultative Committee; the 8 elected student representatives
and the chair and vice chair of the Student Senate shall serve as the
Student Consultative Committee; the 8 elected student representatives
and the vice chair of the Student Senate shall [comprise] CONSTITUTE
the 9 voting student members of the Senate Consultative Committee.
. . . .
Student Consultative Committee
Membership
The Student Consultative Committee shall be composed of:
one student from the Crookston campus
one student from the Duluth campus
one student from the Morris campus
five students from the Twin Cities campus, as follows:
1993-94 4 undergraduates, 1 graduate/professional
1994-95 3 undergraduates, 2 graduate/professional
1995-96 4 undergraduates, 1 graduate/professional
1996-97 3 undergraduates, 2 graduate/professional
1997-98 4 undergraduates, 1 graduate/professional
the chair and vice chair of the Student Senate
Student members EXCEPT FOR THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR shall be elected in
accordance with procedures determined by the respective campuses' student
constituencies, subject to the following provisions:
- At the time of their election, students shall be members of the
University Senate (except for Crookston).
- Students shall serve a one-year term, and are eligible for re-election.
No student member is eligible to serve more than three consecutive
terms.
Student vacancies shall be filled in accordance with procedures determined by
the respective campuses for the balance of any unexpired term until the next
regular election.
THE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT SENATE SHALL ALSO SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. THE VICE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT SENATE SHALL ALSO SERVE
AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. IF EITHER THE CHAIR
OR VICE CHAIR HAS ALREADY BEEN ELECTED TO THE STUDENT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
AS A REGULAR MEMBER, HE OR SHE MUST CONCEDE HIS OR HER PRIOR POSITION TO
ANOTHER STUDENT, TO BE CHOSEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY THE APPROPRIATE STUDENT
CONSTITUENCY. THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR SHALL SERVE NO MORE THAN TWO
CONSECUTIVE TERMS. The [vice] chair of the Student Senate shall serve as an
ex officio, nonvoting member of the Senate Consultative Committee [if not
otherwise elected in his or her own right]. The vice chair of the Student
Senate shall serve as a voting member of the Senate Consultative Committee.
Duties and Responsibilities
a. To meet separately, when necessary, to discuss with the president, or
others, matters of concern to the student body.
b. To serve as [the nucleus of an] THE executive and steering committee of
the Student Senate.
[c. To provide for a budget subcommittee of the Student Senate. The budget
subcommittee shall be chaired by the treasurer of the Student Senate.
Three members shall be appointed by the chair of the Student Senate with
one member from each of the following committees: Student Senate
Consultative Committee, Student Committee on Committees, Student
Lobbying Advisory Committee. These appointments are subject to the
approval of the Student Senate.]
Chairs: The chair[s] of the Faculty Consultative Committee [and of the
Student Consultative Committee] shall be elected by [their respective] ITS
members from among their number for a one-year term of office. [Chairs] THE
CHAIR OF THE FACULTY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE shall be eligible for re-election
to that position. THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT CONSULTATIVE
COMMITTEE SHALL BE ELECTED BY THE STUDENT SENATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE
III, SECTION 6B, OF THE SENATE CONSTITUTION. The chair of the Faculty
Consultative Committee shall serve as chair of the Senate Consultative
Committee.
[The Student Consultative Committee shall have a chair and a vice chair who
shall be from separate campuses. The vice chair shall assume the duties of
the chair in the event of an absence or incapacity of the chair and shall
assume responsibilities delegated by the chair.]
MOTION 3:
To amend the Senate Rules as follows (deletions are [bracketed];
additions are in CAPS)
Article III, Section 2
2. Ex Officio Members of Senate Committees
Ex officio members shall be appointed from each of the offices listed below
and are non-voting positions unless otherwise noted.
. . . .
Senate Consultative--Vice chair of the University Senate (voting); Chairs of
the Finance and Planning and Educational Policy Committees; elected
representative from the Duluth faculty eligible to vote in Senate elections;
VICE chair of the Student Senate
COMMENT:
The above amendments were approved by the Student Senate on February 16,
1995, and if approved by the University Senate will merge the chair and vice
chair positions of the Student Senate and the Student Senate Consultative
Committee. The Student Senate believes these changes will result in more
effective leadership and communication within student governance. The Senate
Consultative Committee endorsed the amendments at its April 6 meeting.
JOHN ADAMS, Chair
Senate Consultative Committee
DISCUSSION:
Mr. Rabun Taylor, Student Senate Consultative Committee chair, presented
the motions to merge the Student Senate leadership positions. As a
constitutional amendment, motion 1 required 146 affirmative votes at one
meeting or 110 affirmative votes at each of two meetings for approval. It
received 115 affirmative votes and will be brought back to the Senate for a
second vote at its next meeting. Motions 2 and 3 were held over to May 18.
NOT APPROVED
VI. SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE
Change to Semester System
Action
MOTION:
To approve the following Resolution:
Resolution
WHEREAS, there would be utility for the University to change to a
semester system in order to be more compatible with other institutions of
higher education throughout the state and nation, and
WHEREAS, a change to semesters would require an extensive revision of
University courses and curriculum, and
WHEREAS, U2000 envisions improvements to University courses, curriculum,
operations, and infrastructure which would need to be redone if the University
were to change to a semester system,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that if such a change is to take place, the
administration must, before the beginning of the next academic year, commit
the University to a definite target date on which the change would take place,
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the implementation of the change from
quarters to semesters must include a sufficient budget to acquire adequate
faculty time and resources to accomplish the transformation in an
educationally sound manner, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any semester calendar must not result in a
loss of instructional time and must be consistent with the education,
research, and outreach missions of the University, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the planning process for a change from
quarters to semesters must take place in close consultation with the Senate
governance system and with academic units.
COMMENT:
For many years, the question of changing from a quarter to a semester
system has divided the campus community. It always raises the specter of
having to redo any real academic restructuring at the University. With the
improvements in the University envisioned by U2000, it is time to either
commit to changing to a semester system, and incorporating those changes into
U2000 plans, or commit to keeping the quarter system for the forseeable
future.
The relative merits and costs of the two systems, the issues of the
changeover, and faculty and student preferences have already been studied in
great detail in University reports of the 1985 Semester Working Group
(Robinett), 1986 Analysis of Academic Calendar Survey (Hendel), and the 1988
Materials to Support a Decision to Convert to a Semester System (Kvavik).
From these reports, it is clear that there are strengths and weaknesses
to either system, and that there is a legitimate difference of opinion as to
which is superior for the academic and the research enterprise. For example,
relative to the quarter system, semesters may allow students to spend more
calendar time to learn course material in greater depth but reduce the variety
of courses which would be taken in an academic career. It is also clear that
there is bureaucratic simplication which results from reducing three to two
the annual cycles of registration, classroom assignment, and grading. This
simplification would help relieve the overburdened academic infrastructure of
the University, which has suffered in a constant climate of budget cuts.
In addition, more institutions of higher learning, both within the state
and across the nation, have changed to the semester system over the years,
generating difficulties in coordinating our calendar and academic structure
with the increasingly interdependent milieu in which the University operates.
The awkwardness of translating between quarter courses and semester courses
affects the approximately one-half our undergraduates who are transfer
students, and it may handicap our ability to attract students from other
institutions who wish to participate in our summer academic program. As
improvements in communications technology facilitates sharing of courses
between institutions, the incompatibility between semester and quarter courses
may become an increasing problem.
The discussion about the change has been held repeatedly in recent
years; it is time to make a decision.
[Endorsed without dissent by the Senate Committee on Educational Policy,
April, 1995.]
JOHN ADAMS, Chair
Senate consultative Committee
KENNETH HELLER, Chair
Educational Policy Committee
DISCUSSION:
Professor John Adams introduced the resolution concerning a change to
the semester system. The University, he said, has discussed for many years
the semester vs. quarter issue. Every study has brought similar results; that
is, approximately 50 percent of faculty and students favor each system. It is
recognized that there are strengths and weaknesses of each system, said
Professor Adams, and that legitimate differences of opinion exist as to which
is superior for a research university on a commuter campus at the heart of a
major metropolitan area. It seems clear, however, that there is a steady drift
within the state and around the nation for the semester system and for an
increasing interdependence between the U of M and other colleges and
universities with which it interacts, and is likely to interact with in the
years ahead. Transfer of courses among schools is just one issue, the
possibilities for sharing of courses is another, and political pressure to
change to the semester system may increase.
The resolution, Profesor Adams noted, simply says that if a change is to
be made, the Senate would like the University to make the decision by the
beginning of the next academic year; that a date certain be set for the change
to take place; that resources be made available to accomplish the change in an
educationally sound manner; that the changes be made in ways that support the
educational, research, and outreach missions; and that the planning process go
forward in full consultation with the governance system and the academic
units. If the University goes forward with the shift to semesters, it will be
important that the next few years be used to look at ways to reduce, refine,
and remodel the curricula to support the goals of U2000. The Consultative
Committee, Professor Adams said, has also discussed using this opportunity to
reconcile the several different calendars already in use at the University, to
unify the registration system and record keeping, and to automate and
rationalize the scheduling of classroom use.
With little further discussion, the resolution was approved by a
majority of members present and voting.
APPROVED
VII. SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
Academic Freedom and Responsibility Statement
Information and Discussion
Academic Freedom and Responsibility Statement
The Regents of the University of Minnesota reaffirm the Principles of Academic
Freedom and Responsibility. These are rooted in the Belief that the Mind is
ennobled by the Pursuit of Understanding and the Search for Truth, and the
State well served when Instruction is available to All at an Institution
dedicated to the Advancement of Learning. These Principles are also refreshed
by the Recollection that there is a Common Bond through all the Arts:
COMMUNE VINCULUM OMNIBUS ARTIBUS
Academic Freedom is the Freedom to discuss all relevant matters in the
Classroom, to explore all Avenues of Scholarship, Research and Creative
Expression and to speak or write as a public Citizen without institutional
Discipline or Restraint. Academic Responsibility implies the faithful
Performance of Academic Duties and Obligations, the Recognition of the Demands
of the Scholarly Enterprise and the Candor to make it clear that the
Individual is not speaking for the Institution in Matters of public Interest.
"Questions regarding academic freedom or academic responsibility shall be
resolved in accordance with the "Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure" or
other applicable University procedures."
JOHN ADAMS, Chair
Senate Consultative Committee
DISCUSSION:
Professor Adams introduced the discussion of the proposed Academic
Freedom and Responsibility Statement. He reminded senators that the Board of
Regents, as part of its 3-year cycle of reviews of Regents policies, asked the
Consultative Committee (SCC) to examine the three existing policy statements
on academic freedom and responsibility and to recommend a single statement
that the Board could adopt as a replacement for the earlier three. Last fall
the SCC presented to the Senate a statement which built upon the brief but
elegant statement on the books. In late winter a working group revised the
draft, improving its content but losing some of its elegance in the process.
At that point the SCC was in agreement with its content but not its form. It
asked Regents Professor Rutherford Aris, one of the University's finest
wordsmiths and a chemical engineer "to try his hand at transmuting our base
prose into gold." The above statement is the result of Professor Aris' work.
Professor Aris indulged his preference for the 18th Century style of
capitalized nouns, which the SCC believes adds a nice but faintly archaic
flavor to the presentation. The Latin phrase, Professor Adams said, comes
from the Regents' Seal. Some colleagues, he said, have remarked that it is
beautifully crafted and poetic, but it may come across as a bit "precious" to
the world outside the walls of the University. Others have said that with the
proper preamble, it says what needs to be said about academic freedom and
responsibility and says it extremely well.
The floor was then opened for discussion, but none was forthcoming. The
proposed statement is scheduled to be brought back for action at the next
Senate meeting.
VIII. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
President Hasselmo began his remarks with an update of U2000. A vision
has been articulated, he said, that envisions the University as a global,
land-grant, research university--a first rate institution for the 21st
century--successful in meeting the changing expectations of higher education,
responding to changing demographics and to an increasingly diverse society,
helping to enhance the social and economic health of Minnesota and the upper
Midwest, and responding to the shift of society and the economy from a local
to a global scale, through research, educational, and outreach programs of
outstanding quality. University 2000 is premised on the assumption that the
University will continue to be one of the premier research universities of the
nation and the world. Quality will be a hallmark of every activity of the
University.
Eighteen critical measures have been placed on the table, the President
said, five of which have been approved by the Board of Regents. The second
phase of critical measures are under discussion and review and it is expected
they will be submitted to the Regents in June for information and in July for
action. Senate and Assembly committees have actively participated in their
development.
President Hasselmo also called attention to the "President's Work Plan
for Fiscal year 1994-95" which was distributed to senators. It provides a
comprehensive overview of the University's primary endeavors. The five
primary goals were formulated in consultation between the Board of Regents and
the President, the supporting outcomes--and by extension the action plans and
time lines--were developed in collaboration with the University's senior
administrative officers. The President said the Work Plan incorporates the
critical measures and those performance goals developed to date for U2000 and
encompasses outcomes identified in the biennial budet request. As a composite,
the Work Plan facilitates the process of tracking and assessing progress
toward outcomes undertaken to realize the vision of U2000 and to fulfill the
University's mission.
The administrative reorganization adopted by the Regents last September
turns executive authority and accountability over to the three chancellors and
three provosts on the Twin Cities Campus. That provostal reorganization, the
President said, has taken a major step forward with the appointments of
Provosts William Brody, C. Eugene Allen, and W. Phillips Shively. President
Hasselmo then welcomed and introduced Provosts Allen and Shively, both of whom
received a warm round of applause from senators.
Reporting on the bienniel request, the President recalled for senators
that the University asked for $87 million in investments on the part of the
State for essential developments under U2000. The Governor recommended
approximately $61 million, the House voted to increase that to $62 million,
and a Senate bill is working its way through committees at the rate of $58
million. While this would provide an infusion of funds to invest in U2000
initiatives and would provide some funding for the compensation base, there is
no question that the University and all of higher education in this country
faces major challenges at this time. Challenges that can be described as a
"crisis." On the other hand, the President said, the University has enormous
opportunities. He is confident the right vision has been established for
what the University should be and that plans are being developed that can move
the University into the 21st Century with confidence.
U2000 is the University's plan and it has a fundamental vision behind it
that says it will remain one of the leading research universities of the
country. This means it will have to invest in those centers of excellence in
research, scholarship and artistic activity that are going to be the
intellectual sources from which it will draw strength in the future. That is
one of the challenges the chancellors and provosts will be deeply involved in
with the deans, faculty, staff, and students. In the land-grant spirit, it
will be important to ensure that the University has delivery systems that can
give society access to the University's knowledge through educational
programs. In this same spirit it is also important to have networks to make
the knowledge available to those who can use it, be it in economic development
in Minnesota communities or in international activity.
In closing, the President expressed appreciation to senators and
committee members for their interest and active participation in shaping the
future of the University.
IX. QUESTIONS TO THE PRESIDENT
QUESTION: Will you please distribute to the faculty and staff a brief
summary of your vision for U2000 and describe why you believe it
to be a revolutionary change?
RESPONSE: [The requested summary was distributed.] U2000 is not
revolutionary in changing the University's basic vision and
mission. Those remain the same--outstanding research, education,
and outreach. It is revolutionary, though, in the changes that
will need to be made in how things are done and in the kinds of
choices that will be required in the coming years.
QUESTION: Will the Provost for Health Sciences be permitted to cancel all
Health Sciences faculty raises for this year, in effect allowing
him to rescue the flagging Medical School by taxing the other
schools in the Health Sciences which have been productive,
solvent, and relatively scandal-free?
RESPONSE: A compensation plan for the University has not been adopted yet
and cannot be adopted until final decisions are made at the State.
Those decisions are not expected until late May. At that time the
University can develop a compensation plan. That plan will be
firmly guided by the recently completed report of the Compensation
Working Group, chaired by Professor Carl Adams. There is no
intention to take money away from one unit in order to make salary
adjustments in other units. The University is evaluating,
however, to what extent it needs to have different salary plans
for different segments of the University. It is quite clear that
different parts of the University face different competitive
pressures. But it is also important that a basic sense of
fairness be applied as well.
QUESTION: Two other questions related to the relationship among the
different Health Science units and the challenges that the Health
Sciences face in the new health care environment.
RESPONSE: With the leadership of Provost Brody, every possible avenue will
be explored for dealing with the financial challenges facing the
Health Science units, with due consideration to fairness among
units, including both the funding and compensation for those
units.
X. SENATE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT
Professor John Adams, Chair of the Senate Consultative Committee, drew
senators attention to two handouts distributed at the door: 1) a report from
the Senate Social Concerns Committee concerning the University investment
policy in the People's Republic of China, and 2) statements prepared by the
Faculty Consultative Committee concerning the selection of the provost for
arts, sciences, and engineering. He also reminded senators about the new
faculty/staff periodical (KIOSK) that is entering an eight publication trial
period. The initiative for this project came out of the Faculty Affairs
Committee and received strong support from Vice President Mel George and
University Relations. During the trial period, focus groups will be formed
and surveys will be conducted to determine whether there is support for the
continuation of the publication.
It is anticipated that a task force to review governance will be
established by the end of spring quarter, reported Professor Adams. During
the remainder of the year, the Consultative Committee and other Senate
committees will also participate in and respond to budget decisions that will
be made within the next couple of months, will actively participate in
discussions about a possible change to the semester system, will work with the
administration to move forward with U2000 initiatives, and will continue its
participation in discussions concerning Responsibility Center Management.
XI. OLD BUSINESS
Ms. Barbara Thompson, GAPSA senator, urged the Consultative Committee to
move quickly to establish the Governance Task Force, particularly in view of
the fact that the three provosts are now in place.
XII. NEW BUSINESS
NONE
XIII. TRIBUTE TO DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
FACULTY
Robert C. Bright
1928-1995
Robert C. Bright (Bob), 66, died February 16, 1995, in his apartment in
Eaglecrest Commons in Roseville, Minnesota. He was born in Salt Lake City,
Utah, on December 27, 1928, the son of Ray C. and Merle Ingram Bright. He and
his family moved to Preston, Idaho in 1929 where his father managed a lumber
company. Bob graduated from Preston High School and then pursued
undergraduate studies in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Idaho
and ultimately majored in Geology at the University of Utah. He was first
Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from 1953-1954. He received his M.S. in
Geology from the University of Utah in 1960 and his Ph.D. in Geology with Dr.
Herbert Wright at the University of Minnesota in 1963. He was a postdoctoral
fellow at the University of Sweden in 1963-64 studying paleoecology, and a
research associate with the Limnological Research Center from 1964-65. From
1965-67 he was the State Paleontologist with the Minnesota Geological Survey.
He joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota in 1965, initially
in the Geology Department and later in the Department of Ecology, Evolution
and Behavior. From 1965 he was Curator of Paleontology and from 1987 to the
present, he was Curator of Invertebrates in the Bell Museum of Natural
History. He also served as Acting Director (1956-1970) and Associate Director
(1978-1980) of the Bell Museum. He started a seed collection in 1970 for
teaching and research in Quaternary paleoecology. This collection now
contains over 500,000 specimens and is one of the best university-based
collections of its kind in the country. He conceived and managed the 1971
Bell Museum of Natural History Art Show which established the Twin Cities as a
major wildlife art center, and set the standard for such shows nationwide.
Through Bob's efforts, the Bell Museum acquired the Dwight D. Taylor
Collection of Mollusks from the Western U.S., one of the most significant in
North America for Western material. He also expanded and updated the museum's
freshwater mussel collection. He spearheaded and organized the establishment
of a graduate minor in Quaternary Paleoecology in 1987 at the University of
Minnesota.
Bob was elected fellow of the Geological Society of America, and member
of many professional organizations. His research expertise was in
volcanology, Quanternary geology, limnology, paleobotany, paleontology,
paleoecology, Cambrian trilobites, freshwater diatoms, seed and pollen
analysis, and malacology. He lead many workshops, conferences, and field trips
on various topics in geology and paleobotany. He was particularly proud of
his involvement (1966-1972) as Director of the Wasatch-Uinta summer field
course in geology for undergraduate majors in Park City, Utah. Besides
serving as a major advisor and committee member to over a dozen graduate
students, he was a mentor to many undergraduate students. Bob believed
undergraduates could conduct research. He provided endless opportunities for
undergraduate students to experience the natural sciences, allowing and
expecting them to participate in the project design, collection, and analysis
of data, photography, illustration, and collection management. He spent hours
discussing questions, theories, and principles of the natural world, both past
and present. Bob was interested in everything from the smallest detail to the
grand scheme of things, and was never too busy for his students or anyone
else's students. In addition, he supported and participated in educational
outreach activities for high school and grade school youth. He is survived by
aunts Betha Ingram and Zelma Bright and numerous cousins. His absence is felt
especially by his students and colleagues. Memorials to the James Ford Bell
Museum of Natural History or donor's choice.
STUDENTS
Heather A. Berglund
College of Liberal Arts
Julia E. Brantley
Graduate School
Scott W. Franke
College of Liberal Arts
Daniel J. Hacker
General College
Terrence J. Millner
College of Liberal Arts
Lynn M. Weaver
College of Veterinary Medicine
Atsushi Yokotsuka
Graduate School
XIV. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned 3:15 p.m.
Martha Kvanbeck
ABSTRACTOR