Minutes
Urbana-Champaign Senate Meeting
April 24, 2006

A regular meeting of the Urbana-Champaign Senate was called to order at 3:10 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium with Provost Linda Katehi presiding in the absence of Chancellor Richard Herman.

Approval of Minutes

04/24/06-01          Minutes of the March 27 and April 3, 2006, Senate meetings were approved as written.

Senate Executive Committee Report

Senator Vernon Burton (LAS), Chair of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC), provided the following report.

Welcome to the last regularly scheduled Senate meeting of this academic year.  I am pleased to welcome once again Dr. Linda Katehi, our Provost since April 1, who will preside over today’s meeting.

Thanks to all senate members for your hard work this year – your efforts have paved the way for real shared governance.

The SEC met with President Joe White on April 10 to provide input on the review of the Chancellor.

Last week, available members of the SEC participated in the review of finalists for the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs (VCSA); the SEC was also involved in interviews for Vice-Chancellor for Development and Advancement (VCDA) candidates.  The Chair of the Senate Committee on University Student Life, Bill Simmons, has also been working with the VCSA search committee.

Senator Burton called for civility in discussions both on the senate listserv and on the floor of senate meetings.  He reminded senators that Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised is by statute the governing authority over our proceedings.

Burton announced that Cary Nelson, Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UIUC, has been elected President of the national AAUP.

Senator Dick Schacht (LAS), Chair of the Senate Committee on General University Policy (GUP), will provide introductory remarks for our Committee of the Whole discussion of the UIUC Strategic Plan and GUP’s response.

Burton noted a supplement to SP.04.03 was distributed at the door today.

Floor privileges have been requested for Professors John Kindt, Steve D’Arcy and David Sinow, to speak to FB.06.02, Resolution regarding AIG-Sun America; and for Elliot Kaufman, UIC Professor and Chair of the University Senates Conference, to speak to SP.04.03, Revisions to the Statutes re: multi-year contracts.  I move that such privileges be granted; there was no objection.

Tellers for today’s meeting are Ann Reisner (ACES), Ed Herricks (ENGR), Hassan Al-Shawaf (GRAD) and Billie Theide (FAA).

Chancellor’s Remarks

Provost Kathei thanked the Senate for the warm reception and deferred further remarks.

Questions/Discussion

There were no questions.

Old Business

On the floor for vote since the Senate voted to close debate on the proposal at its April 3 meeting was RS.06.01*, Prefiled Resolution to Eliminate Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day.

04/24/06-02          By show of hands, RS.06.01 was approved.

The following reports were presented for information of the Senate.

04/24/06-03          AB.06.01*, Update on the Academics of Student Athletes at UIUC,
04/24/06-04          FAC.06.01*, 2004-2005 Annual Report of the Faculty Advisory Committee,
04/24/06-05          HE.06.09*, February 24 FAC/IBHE,
04/24/06-06          HE.06.08*, February 7 IBHE,
04/24/06-07          UC.06.04*, January 27 USC.

Consent Agenda

The Presiding Officer announced that, absent objections of any senator, the following proposals were approved by unanimous consent:

04/24/06-08          EP.06.31*, Request for a Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, ACES and LAS,
04/24/06-09          EP.06.33*, Proposal to Terminate the Teacher Education Minor in Physical Education, ALS,
04/24/06-10          EP.06.36*, Revision of the Undergraduate Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Finance, BUS,
04/24/06-11         EP.06.37*, Revised Major in Science and Letters Curriculum for Anthropology, LAS,
04/24/06-12          EP.06.41*, Graduate Minor in African American Studies,
04/24/06-13          EP.06.42*, Change in Degree Title from Ed.D. in Art Education to Ph.D. in Art Education, FAA,
04/24/06-14          EP.06.43*, Revised Core Curriculum for the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) Degree,
04/24/06-15          SC.06.08*, 2006-2007 Senate/SEC Calendar.

Proposals for Action

04/24/06-16          Dr. Linda Katehi presented for action FB.06.02*, Resolution Regarding AIG-Sun America: Safeguarding the Interests of Employees and Retirees of the State of Illinois/University of Illinois.  Professor Barclay Jones (ENGR), Chair of the Committee on Faculty Benefits, and Professor John Kindt (BUS), explained the background of this proposal.  Senator Jones moved its approval.

04/24/06-17          By voice vote, FB.06.02 was unanimously approved.

04/24/06-18          The Provost presented for action RS.06.02*, Prefiled Resolution Regarding Supporting Debate.  Senator Chime Asonye (LAS), sponsor of the resolution, summarized its rationale and moved its approval.  A motion to refer this resolution to an appropriate Senate committee was defeated by voice vote.

04/24/06-19          By voice vote, RS.06.02 was approved.

Proposed Revisions to the University Statutes

04/24/06-20          Dr. Katehi presented for second reading and action SP.04.03*, Revisions to the Statutes, Articles IX and X, to provide optional multi-year contracts, and related dismissal procedures, for certain academic staff.  Senator Linda Beale (LAW), Chair of the Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures, described the rationale for this proposal.  Senator Beale moved its approval.

Senator Dick Schacht (LAS) stated his dislike for the “advice and consent” phrase because it seems unlikely that the Board of Trustees will accept such language.

04/24/06-21          By voice vote, SP.04.03 was approved.

04/24/06-22          Presented for second reading and action was SP.06.05*, Revisions to the Statutes, Article VIII.  Senator Beale moved its approval.  Senator Tom Conry (ENGR) was troubled by the existence of quasi-departments containing tenure-track faculty.  Beale replied that this proposal hopes to ameliorate that situation.

04/24/06-23          SP.06.05 was approved by voice vote.

04/24/06-24          Provost Katehi presented for second reading and action SP.06.11*, Revisions to the Statutes, Article II, Section 2.a.(4) and (5).  Senator Beale moved approval.

04/24/06-25          SP.06.11 was approved by voice vote.

Proposed Revisions to the Senate Bylaws

04/24/06-26          The Presiding Officer presented for action SP.06.08*, Revision to the Bylaws, Part D 8. – Committee on Educational Policy.  Senator Beale explained this proposal will provide one-half academic release time for the Chair of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, to mirror the same provision in the Bylaws for the Senate Executive Committee Chair.  She moved its approval.

04/24/06-27          By voice vote, SP.06.08 was approved.

Reports for Information of the Senate

The following reports were presented for information; in addition, the annual reports of Senate Committees are available on the Senate website.

04/24/06-28          HE.06.10*, March 24 FAC/IBHE,
04/24/06-29          HE.06.11*, April 4 IBHE,
04/24/06-30          SUR.06.02*, April 4 SURSMAC.

Committee of the Whole Discussion

Senator Vernon Burton, Senate Executive Committee Chair, moved, without objection, that the Senate convene as a Committee of the Whole, to consider and discuss the UIUC Strategic Plan and the response to the plan from GUP.

Senator Dick Schacht (LAS), GUP Chair, began by describing the typical reaction he receives (laughter) when he tells people about a report on strategic planning.  He then asked how many in the assembly have read the report before them – about 25 hands were raised.  Senator Schacht was pleasantly surprised.

While there was general support of the need for planning, there were concerns expressed by GUP and others that included proposed shifting of funds (reallocation); vague terminology; and the definition of research.

Provost Katehi said the plan will give direction as we consider the future of the institution.  Chip Zukoski, Vice-Chancellor for Research, summed up the timeline and foci of the critical initiatives in the plan.

The Senate approved a resolution to rise and report for purposing of exiting the executive session.

New Business

04/24/06-31          Senator Al Kagan (LIBR) moved to add GUP’s response to the strategic plan to today’s agenda for purposes of voting on it; this motion garnered the necessary two-thirds vote.  Kagan moved to add “students” after “executive officers” in the last paragraph of the document; this amendment was approved.

04/24/06-32          The GUP response was approved, as amended, by voice vote.

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 p.m.

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