A regular meeting of the Urbana-Champaign Senate was called to order at 3:10 p.m., in Foellinger Auditorium with Chancellor Michael Aiken presiding.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

03/19/01-01 Minutes of the February 12, 2001, Senate meeting were approved as written.

SENATE COUNCIL REPORT

Senator Robert Rich (LAW), Chair of Senate Council, drew the Senate's attention to an item on today's agenda-SP.96.03 and a proposed substitute motion-related to the formation of a Research Policy Committee and the degree to which the Senate will be involved in the committee's appointments and reporting line. Rich looked forward to a spirited discussion of the matter.

Rich reported to the Senate that the Senate Council and the Senate Committee on Equal Opportunity are preparing to jointly sponsor a Senate resolution on benefits for domestic partners, in the wake of President Stukel's decision not to forward previous Senate recommendations on this issue to the Board of Trustees.

Rich then introduced Professor Thomas Ulen, Chair of the Chancellor search committee, to provide an update on the search. Ulen began by thanking the members of his committee; he reported that this was the most selfless and assiduous group he has ever known. The search committee evaluated over 100 nominations and seriously considered over 50 from that pool. Semi-finalists were interviewed here and in other locales around the country; the list of the names of the finalists were recently transmitted to the President for his consideration and that of the Board.

Rich spoke to the work of the Senate Council ad hoc committee (O'Brien committee - see XNO.01.01 on today's agenda) which has been reviewing the report of the Fifth Senate Review Commission. Among other things, this ad hoc group has recommended a Senate "orientation" schedule to be conducted in conjunction with the spring organizational meeting.

Rich announced that the following senators have agreed to serve as tellers: Bryan White (ACES), Stephen Kaufman (MED), Ron Peters (ILIR) and Billy Vaughn (GRAD). Rich reported that floor privileges granted by the Senate at its February adjourned meeting to Jenny Barrett for SP.01.05 were still in effect.

CHANCELLOR'S REMARKS

The Chancellor deferred his comments and turned the podium over to Provost Richard Herman, to talk about the tuition proposal and rationale and other budget matters.

The outline of the Provost's presentation included the headings of rationale, needs, sources, the plan, and financial projections. The rationale described the importance of the retention of academic quality across the campus disciplines, to maintain our position among the top few public universities in the United States.

The #1 need was for the recruitment and retention of world class faculty; other needs highlighted include: undergraduate curriculum enhancements (e.g., Discovery program), academic advising and career placement, educational technology programs and infrastructure, laboratory and classroom modernization, library services and collections, graduate fellowships, student financial aid, and the upgrade to student systems. Additional needs touched on new and remodeling projects, with varying degrees of prioritization.

Funding sources listed were: increasing tuition, student fees, general revenue fund (GRF), increased private sector partnerships, research and technology management office (RTMO), and development efforts. Provost Herman pointed out that between FY1990 and FY2001 UIUC has had among the lowest tuition and fee increases in both its IBHE peer group and the Big Ten.

The Provost's tuition plan calls for regular increases of 5% in the base tuition rate for all categories of students beginning in Fall 2001, with a special increase for incoming students of $500 for Fall 2001 and $1000 in subsequent years. This increase leads to financial projections calling for a net yield of $1.3M in FY02, $7.4M in '03, $10.5M in '04, and over $15M in both '05 and '06.

QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION

Senator Ron Peters (ILIR) reported that a bill regarding 100% tuition waiver for children of University employees passed the Illinois House of Representatives about two weeks ago and is now in the Illinois Senate. He hoped that the administration would support such a measure; Provost Herman and Chancellor Aiken both indicated they would have little difficulty supporting the benefit.

Senator Harry Hilton (ENGR) believed that the e-mail the Chancellor sent to the campus on March 2 (Subject: Contact with Potential Student Athletes) had a potential chilling effect on academic freedom and First Amendment rights.

Chancellor Aiken responded that he would not engage in a First Amendment debate, but he did read the following statement:

The University values and defends the principles of free speech and academic freedom for members of the University community. The University does not seek to interfere with the expression of views regarding matters of public concern. However, we also are a member of the NCAA, and are committed to controlling our intercollegiate athletics program in compliance with the rules and regulations of the NCAA. This means that we expect members of the University community to respect NCAA rules, and certainly not intentionally violate them.

Senator Peter Loeb (LAS) said he believed there was confusion over the vote taken when SP.00.08 was passed by a show of hands (50-46) at the February 12 Senate meeting. He will make a motion to reconsider that vote at the April 23 Senate meeting; the Chancellor indicated that SP.00.08 will appear on that meeting's agenda to help the Senate as it considers that motion.

OLD BUSINESS

03/19/01-02 The Chancellor presented SP.01.05*, Amendments to the Statutes, Article IX, Section 10 - Nonreappointment of Academic Professional Staff. Senator Robert Fossum (LAS), Chair of the Statutes Committee, explained that this item was on the floor for vote at the time of the adjournment of the February 12 meeting.

Fossum accepted a minor amendment on behalf of his committee to change "2" months to "3" both in the right-hand column below line 13 and on line 22. This amendment would make uniform the minimum notice of nonreappointment for athletic department coaches and those individuals whose appointments are subject to receipt of funds. Including this amendment, Fossum moved approval of this proposed statutory revision.

Jenny Barrett, Senior Research Programmer, Dept. of Psychology, pointed out that provisions of this proposal will extend notice of nonreappointment rights for academic professional staff to those whose appointments are at 50% or more FTE. Under the current Statutes, an academic professional who has a part-time appointment is not entitled to any notice of nonreappointment from the Board of Trustees. She urged senators to support this proposal.

03/19/01-03 By voice vote, SP.01.05 was approved, as amended.

03/19/01-04 Chancellor Aiken presented SP.96.03*, Formation of a New Senate Committee on Research Policy, Bylaws, Part D. 18. Senator Fossum moved its approval. Senator Robert Rich moved to substitute the language on page 24a for the language of SP.96.03; the motion was seconded.

The Chancellor explained that the floor was now open for discussion of whether or not the substitute language should replace that of SP.96.03. If the motion to substitute is approved, the language of the substitute motion will then be on the floor for debate and vote. If the motion to substitute is lost, the language of SP.96.03 will return to the floor as the main motion for consideration.

Senator H. George Friedman (ENGR) urged a vote against the motion to substitute. He argued that the duties and reporting line of the Research Policy Committee as articulated in SP.96.03 is clear; the dual reporting lines (administration and Senate) as recommended in the substitute have been shown not to work very effectively.

Senator Geneva Belford (ENGR) reminded the Senate that each of the two most recent Senate Review Commissions (the 4th and 5th) strongly recommended the formation of a Senate Committee on Research Policy; she did not understand the resistance to it. She added that issues before the campus related to research policy, such as academic integrity, are now referred to the General University Policy Committee (GUP) because the Senate does not have a standing research committee. Senator G. Belford encouraged senators to vote against the substitute.

Senator Hilton believed that all faculty should have a strong interest in research issues, and SP.96.03 is a way for the Senate to codify its involvement in these matters. He recommended a vote against the substitute.

Senator Fossum encouraged a vote in favor of the substitute, noting that the Senate will have a say in the appointment of the committee (including the Chair) and its reporting line. After confirming that the committee proposed in the substitute motion would have no formal relation to the Campus Research Board, Senator Emily Watts (LAS) professed her support for the substitute.

Senator R. Linn Belford (LAS) opposed the substitute; he described SP.96.03 as an opportunity for the Senate to be involved in research policy, in a way similar to how the Senate's Committee on Educational Policy influences the educational mission of the University.

Senator Wes Seitz (ACES) spoke in support of the substitute, because if, down the road, the Senate believes this arrangement is not working the way it was intended, the Senate can then create its own research policy committee.

Senator Stephen Kaufman (MED) offered a 3rd alternative, i.e., the Senate approve neither the substitute nor the original proposal (SP.96.03). Kaufman believed that as long as one had faith in the Vice Chancellor for Research, which he does, there is no need to tinker with the process the Vice Chancellor now uses to handle research matters. He conceded that if he had to choose between the substitute and SP.96.03, he would support the substitute because it was closer to the current situation. Dr. Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research, stated he was pleased with the manner in which his Research Policy Committee now functions.

Senator Rich explained that his thinking has evolved, from a time when he was certain the Senate needed its own research policy committee, to the present, where he now believes the substitute would satisfy those clamoring for senate input into the research process.

Senator Richard Braatz (LAS) was in support of the status quo, i.e., he was more comfortable with the Vice Chancellor for Research (VCR) selecting members to this committee than the Senate Committee on Committees, believing that the VCR would have better knowledge of where to find the top researchers. He also wanted to know about the duties/charge to the committee as stipulated in the substitute. Rich replied that the committee would determine its own agenda.

Senator Karen Chapman-Novakofski (ACES), Chair of the Senate Committee on Committees, objected to the characterization by Senator Braatz that the Committee on Committees was less qualified to ferret out top candidates for the research policy committee. She challenged him to propose an amendment to the effect that only members of the National Academy or only those with so many publications or grants be eligible to serve on this committee.

Senator Jennifer Greene (EDUC) was also offended by the remarks of Senator Braatz, and disputed the existence of a multi-tiered system of faculty researchers.

Senator Bruce Geryk (GRAD) noted that this entire debate presupposes that the recommendations of the committee as identified in SP.96.03 would be heeded by the administration. If not, its existence is moot. He expressed his support for the substitute motion.

03/19/01-05 By show of hands (55-35), the motion to substitute the language on page 24A over the language in SP.96.03 was approved.

Chancellor Aiken reminded all present that the language in the motion to substitute was now on the floor for discussion and vote.

Senator Friedman moved to refer the substitute motion to the Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (USSP) with instructions to prepare language to insert provisions of this motion into the Senate Bylaws. Senator R. L. Belford moved to amend Senator Friedman's motion to specify that the procedure delineated in the substitute motion be implemented concurrently with its referral to USSP. With the blessing of the Senate, Senator Friedman withdrew his motion.

Senator Ackerman moved to amend the substitute language by adding an undergraduate student to the composition of the research policy committee (this amendment required changes in seven places in the document).

By show of hands, Ackerman's amendment was approved.

03/19/01-06 By show of hands, the language of the substitute motion was approved, as amended.

Senator Friedman moved to refer the approved substitute motion to the Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (USSP) with instructions to prepare language to insert provisions of this motion into the Senate Bylaws. The motion was approved.

The Chancellor presented for information the following reports:

03/19/01-07 XNO.01.01*, Report of the ad hoc Committee on the Implementation of the Report of the Fifth Senate Review Commission,

03/19/01-08 SC.01.11*, Report of the November 8-9 BOT Meeting,

03/19/01-09 SC.01.12*, Report of the January 17-18 BOT Meeting,

03/19/01-10 HE.01.04*, Report of the December 8 FAC/IBHE Meeting,

03/19/01-11 UC.01.03*, Report of the November 28 USC Meeting.

Senator Nancy O'Brien (LIBR), Chair of the ad hoc Committee (above), thanked the members of her committee for their due diligence, and she directed the attention of senators to the Implementation (Recommendation 9) component of her committee's report. She added that some of these recommendations are already working their way through the Senate committee system, such as the proposed orientation session for new and continuing senators, scheduled for April 16 (details will be forthcoming from the Senate Clerk).

CONSENT AGENDA

The Chancellor announced that, absent the objections of any senator, the three (3) proposals under this moniker were approved by unanimous consent.

03/19/01-12 EP.01.10*, Proposal to Establish a Minor in Atmospheric Sciences,

03/19/01-13 EP.01.13*, Proposed Revision to the Teacher Education Minor in Physics,

03/19/01-14 EP.01.07*, Revision of the Name of the Consumer and Textile Marketing Major, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, ACES.

PROPOSALS FOR ACTION

03/19/01-15 The Chancellor presented CC.01.08*, Nominations for Membership on Standing Committees of the Senate. There were no floor nominations and nominations were declared closed.

03/19/01-16 By voice vote, the nominations were approved.

03/19/01-17 Chancellor Aiken presented for action LB.01.01*, Resolution on the Library Budget for FY02. Senator Leslie Struble (ENGR), Chair of the Library Committee, briefly highlighted the details of recent library budgets, and asked the Senate to support the recommendations in the FY02 Library budget by approving this resolution.

03/19/01-18 By voice vote, LB.01.01 was approved.

03/19/01-19 The Chancellor presented for vote SP.01.07*, Proposed Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.12 - Committee on External Affairs. Senator Fossum explained that the work of the Senate Committee on External Affairs has been subsumed by other Senate committees, such as the Committee on Continuing Education and Public Service. This proposal will discharge the committee of its duties, and thank them for their service to the Senate; Fossum moved its approval.

03/19/01-20 By voice vote, SP.01.07 was approved.

REPORTS FOR INFORMATION OF THE SENATE

03/19/01-21 HE.01.05*, Report of the February 2 FAC/IBHE Meeting,

03/19/01-22 HE.01.06*, Report of the March 2 FAC/IBHE Meeting,

03/19/01-23 UC.01.04*, Report of the January 19 University Senates Conference meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m.

Robert C. Damrau, Senate Clerk
*Filed with the Senate Clerk and incorporated by reference in these Minutes.