GP.10.04
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE
Committee on General University Policy
GP.10.04 Annual Report for 2009-2010
(Final; Information)
The Senate General University Policy Committee (GUP) is responsible for studying, reporting and making recommendations to the Senate concerning general University policy in broad terms. This report summarizes the activities of GUP during the 2009-2010 academic year. GUP met six times (September 15, October 13, November 10, December 8, January 27, and February 24). More detailed information is provided in the minutes of those meetings.
Items that were under active consideration this year (2009-10):
GP.10.03 Furlough Policy
At the September meeting Prussing reported on his meeting over the summer with Meena Rao, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Kris Campbell, Assistant Vice President, on Furlough Policy. At that time the details on any furlough policies were being discussed and formulated. Vice Provost Wilson gave an overview of the responsibilities and goals of her office.
GP.10.01 Licensing Advisory Committee (LAC)
Bill Adams, Associate Chancellor, and David Meyer, Professor of Law, met with GUP at the October meeting after meeting previously with Prussing.. GUP agreed with the request that the leadership of LAC move from the Chancellor’s office to the Senate Executive Committee (SEC). [Prussing subsequently made a proposal that was approved by the SEC and then the Senate for an (initially) ad-hoc self-standing Senate committee. After two years the SEC will decide if LAC should become a standing committee.]
GP.10.02 Positive Time Reporting
In 2009-10 administrators and academic professionals are required to report. In 2010-11 faculty will also be included. At the November meeting Livingstone distributed copies of the screen printout of her weekly time report forms. The process seemed to be less onerous than feared.
GP.08.03 Possible Out-Sourcing of Student E-Mail Services
As a follow-up to a meeting in January, 2009 Chuck Thompson, Assistant Dean of Engineering and Director of Information Service and Chair of the Campus Email and Calendaring Committee, met with GUP at the December meeting. A discussion of pros and cons was held, based on his committee’s interactions with various campus groups. Email between TAs and faculty concerning grading matters and student academic performance was a matter of concern. [In late spring 2010 the decision was made to outsource undergraduate student email, but keep graduate student email on campus.]
GP.09.01 Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation (ACLGF)
Joyce Tolliver, SEC Chair, and Nick Burbules, Immediate Past SEC Chair, met with GUP at the January meeting. The three-year history of the Academy as a Fund in the UI Foundation (UIF) was reviewed, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by Chancellor Hermann. The content of that memo has not been made public, per the donors’ stipulation. Because the Fund was formed a an academic unit to operate without the required Senate oversight, a committee was formed by the SEC and chaired by Tom Ulen (LAW) to negotiate a new MOU that complied with campus academic oversight. This negotiation of almost a year failed and ACLGF was thought to have left campus, but reinvented itself as a Foundation in the UIF. Instead of a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization it became a 509(a)(3) Supporting Organization, claiming to be independent of the University but operating like a campus academic unit. It was decided to invite Jim Schroeder, University liaison to the UIF, and later to meet with members of the UIF.
GP.09.01 Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation
Jim Schroeder, Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement and Senior Vice President of the UIF met with GUP at the February meeting. He described the limitations of the donors in “donor-directed” funds, such as ACLGF. His understanding was that the Academy is now its own entity with its own address. GUP pointed out that on the ACLGF website donations can be made either directly to the Academy by phone or online through the UIF. Schroeder agreed that this didn’t seem right and said he would check with Academy director Craig Bazzani. [Subsequently Tolliver and Burbules met with Interim President Ikenberry about the Academy and then (at his suggestion) with members of the UI Foundation. (For this reason GUP did not meet with UIF members.) This meeting achieved no progress and Ikenberry agreed to meet with members of the Academy. The latest information (June 2010) is that Tolliver and Burbules are meeting with Ikenberry to draft a document including some aspects of the Ulen report.]
Items that are being monitored by the committee:
GP.08.01 Orchard Downs Redevelopment
GP.08.03 Possible Outsourcing of Student E-Mail Services
GP.08.04 Process for Policies
GP.09.01 Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation
GP.09.02 Allowed Political Activities of Campus Employees
GP.09.05 Methods to Reduce Payroll Expenses
GP.10.01 Licensing Advisory Committee
GP.10.02 Positive Time Reporting
GP.10.03 Furlough Policy
General University Policy
John Prussing, Chair
Kara Beach
Jeff Erickson
John Hummel
Carol Livingstone
Max Malloy
J. Douglas McDonald
Hung-Chang Yao
Barbara Wilson, Ex officio