SP.10.12
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE
Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures
SP.10.12 Annual Report for 2009-2010
(Final; Information)
In addition to this report, the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (USSP) considered fourteen items this year including three held over from previous years. As of the date of writing this report, the status of these items is as follows:
A. Items passed by the Senate.
SP.06.05 Revisions to the Statutes, Article VIII
Following referral of this item in Spring ’09 by University Senates Conference and subsequent revision by the Vice President’s Office, the proposal was approved by the Senate on March 29, 2010.
SP.09.03 Proposed Amendments to the Senate Constitution to Support the Inclusion of Other Academic Staff in the Senate Electorate
During academic year 2007-2008 discussions of various questions concerning the Senate electorate, USSP decided to investigate how the faculty electorate was currently being determined. This led to a discussion of whether the Constitution’s definition of the faculty electorate should be updated to reflect the evolution of duties and responsibilities of academic staff other than faculty. Meanwhile, the Sixth Senate Review Commission recommended that the Constitution be amended to provide representation for Academic Professionals. USSP proposed that a new Other Academic Staff electorate be added and that eight senators be added to the Senate. One senator would be elected at-large by the group comprising lecturers, instructors, associates, and those with modified professorial titles. The other seven senators would be elected from academic professionals employed by academic units or the UI Extension or the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability (INRS). The Senate approved the revision to the Constitution on November 9, 2009. The Board of Trustees approved the revision to the Constitution on January 21, 2010.
SP.10.02 2009-2010 Urbana-Champaign Senate Membership
This report to the organizational meeting listed the elected members of the new Senate. It was adopted by the new Senate on April 20, 2009.
SP.10.04 Revision to the Statutes, Article I, Section 2 – The President of the University
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Interim President Stanley O. Ikenberry requested that the word “executive” be inserted into the first sentence of Article I, Section 2 of the Statutes for the purpose of clarifying the roles of the president of the University and the campus chancellors. The revised sentence is: “The president is the chief executive officer of the University and a member of the faculty of each college, school, institute, division, and academic unit therein.” The Senate approved the revision to the Statutes on February 22, 2010.
SP.10.05 Proposal for Renaming the Department of Advertising to the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising
An agenda item for the November 12, 2009 Board of Trustees meeting called for the renaming of the Department of Advertising to the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising. The Senate Executive Committee (SEC) noted that the renaming of a department is subject to the provisions of the Statutes, Article VIII and Standing Rule 13. USSP approved a motion for Chair Maher to send notification to Joyce Tolliver, Chair of SEC, requesting that the item be removed from the Board of Trustees agenda so the proper process could be followed which requires the name change to be approved by the unit and college and then sent to the Senate Committee on Educational Policy for transmittal to the Senate. The proposal was approved by the Senate on December 7, 2009 via the Educational Policy Committee.
SP.10.07 Revision to the Bylaws, Part E.1(c) – Athletic Board, Membership
At its meeting on November 12, 2009, the Board of Trustees approved an overhaul of its committee structure, which included eliminating its Athletics Committee. Subsequently, the Clerk of the Senate was officially advised of this committee restructuring by William Adams, Associate Chancellor and Designee of the Chancellor to the Athletic Board, with the recommendation that the Senate remove the Chair of the Board’s Athletic Activities Committee as a voting member to the Athletic Board of the Urbana-Champaign. The Senate approved this revision to the Bylaws on April 26, 2010.
B. Items presented to the Senate for information.
SP.10.01 Faculty and Student Electorate and Senator Distribution
This report provided a statistical analysis of the membership of the new Senate. It was reported to the organizational meeting on April 20, 2009.
C. Items removed from the Committee agenda.
SP.09.10 Student Senate Term Commencement Date
A proposal was made by student senator Yousif Al-Rawi to have the student senate term commencement date be the same for both the Illinois Student Senate (ISS) and the UIUC Senate. USSP noted possible conflicts with changing the UIUC Senate student term commencement date including an entirely new slate of student members for the last Senate meeting each spring which could have those new members uninformed on issues that have been discussed throughout the year. After review, USSP determined not to proceed.
SP.10.03 Request to Add Liaison from Legal Counsel to USSP
There was consensus by USSP to have a representative from Legal Counsel added to the committee. After discussion between Chair Maher and Steve Veazie, Campus Legal Counsel, it was verbally agreed to have Roopali Malhotra serve as the Legal Counsel liaison as a pilot effort.
SP.10.13 Appointment of 2010-11 Senate Parliamentarians
This has been accomplished. The parliamentarians are Ken Andersen and George Friedman. Gay Miller and Frederick Schwink have agreed to serve as interns.
D. Items to be carried over to 2010-2011.
SP.10.06 Revisions to the Bylaws for the Academic Professional Teaching and Research Criteria
On November 9, 2009, the UIUC Senate approved an amendment to the Constitution (SP.09.03) to add an Other Academic Staff electorate to the UIUC Senate as well as making some changes to the Faculty electorate. Implementation of these changes requires changes to the UIUC Senate Bylaws and the creation of Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff electorate. SP.10.06 will recommend the necessary Bylaws changes. It should be considered in conjunction with the Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff Electorate and the proposed changes inthe Senate Election Rules.
SP.10.08 Changes in the Senate Election Rules for Faculty
This document recommends the necessary changes inthe Senate Election Rules and it should be considered in conjunction with the Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff Electorate (SP.10.09) and the proposed changes to the Senate Bylaws (SP.10.06). The proposed changes : 1) bring the election rules into compliance with the new definition of
the Senate faculty electorate required by the Constitution amendment in SP.09.03; 2) allow for elections to be conducted via electronic means; and 3) describe two options for identifying candidates – an opt-in or an opt-out method.
SP.10.09 Creation of the Senate Election Rules for Other Academic Staff
On November 9, 2009, the UIUC Senate approved SP.09.03, thereby adding an Other Academic Staff electorate to the UIUC Senate as well as making some changes to the Faculty electorate. Implementation of these changes requires changes to the UIUC Senate Bylaws (SP.10.06) and the Senate Election Rules for Faculty (SP.10.08), as well as the creation of Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff electorate. SP.10.09 will recommend the creation of the Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff electorate required by the changes in the Constitution.
SP.10.10 Changes in the Senate Election Rules for Students
During the review of Senate Election Rules for Faculty (SP.10.08), as well as the creation of Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff electorate (SP.10.09), the Senate Election Rules for Students were also reviewed to bring them up to date with current practices.
SP.10.11 Revisions to the Statutes, Article X, Section 2 – Academic Freedom
The Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee has proposed that the language of Article X, Section 2 of the Statutes be strengthened to more specifically define the scope of academic freedom and to affirm the freedom of the University of Illinois’ academic staff to teach, conduct research, and participate in faculty governance and civic discourse without interference.
University Statutes and Senate Procedures
William Maher, Chair
Leslie Cornell
H. George Friedman
Karen Hogenboom
Patrick Lynch
Vera V. Mainz
Anna-Maria Marshall
Ann Reisner
Kristine Campbell, Observer
Robert C. Damrau, ex officio
Sandy Jones, ex officio