Minutes
Urbana-Champaign Senate Meeting
September 25, 2006

A regular meeting of the Urbana-Champaign Senate was called to order at 3:10 p.m. in Levis Faculty Center with Chancellor Richard Herman presiding.

Approval of Minutes

09/25/06-01          The minutes of the April 17 and April 24, 2006, Senate meetings were approved.

Senate Executive Committee Report

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

Welcome to our first regularly scheduled meeting this academic year.

The SEC has held its first two meetings.  Among the items discussed were the Global Campus Initiative, the formation of the Sixth Senate Review Commission, and approval of nominations for the Campus Research Board and the Campus Promotions and Tenure Committee.

The SEC and the Global Campus Task Force have scheduled a town hall meeting on the Global Campus Initiative for Monday, October 16, from 9:00 – 11:00am in the Beckman Auditorium (room 1025 Beckman Institute).  Please mark your calendars.  As an agenda for this event is developed, it will be widely disseminated to the campus community.

The SEC sent a letter to the Trustees thanking them for approval of a fair and reasonable policy on rehiring University of Illinois retirees.  The new policy addresses many concerns raised by both active faculty and emeriti and recognizes the contributions that retired members of the academic staff can continue to make to the University.

The September 11 Annual Meeting of the Faculty was a rousing success.  We had our highest turnout in many years, with nearly 100 faculty pre-registering and over 50 more registering at the door.

Please pick up a copy of CC.07.03A, an addendum to Nominations for Standing Senate Committees, which was distributed at the door today.

You should have also picked up at the door two items related to the Global Campus Initiative.  One is a letter that the University Senates Conference (USC) sent to President Joe White and Special Assistant Chet Gardner.  The other is a resolution that the SEC recommends the Senate consider joining SEC in endorsing.  It is hoped that these items will be introduced for consideration under New Business.

I would like to welcome our new Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Dr. C. Renee Romano, whose appointment began on July 1.  We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.  The Senate responded with a warm round of applause.

Tellers for today’s meeting are Senators Belden Fields (LAS), Cheston Brauer (EDUC), and Michael Grossman (ACES).

Chancellor’s Remarks

The Chancellor referred to the importance of the Senate for discourse on campus matters.  He then provided updates on the strategic plan, Orchard Downs developments, and the increase in percentage of minority student enrollment.

Questions/Discussion

There were no questions.

Consent Agenda

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

09/25/06-02          EP.05.31*, Creation of Majors in Business Administration,
09/25/06-03          EP.06.21*, Proposal to Establish the BSLAS in Earth Systems, Environment, and Society (Sciences and Letters Curriculum) in LAS,
09/25/06-04          EP.06.25*, Proposal for Graduate Concentrations in Child Welfare, Health Care, Mental Health, School Social Work.

Proposals for Action

09/25/06-05          Next presented for action was CC.07.03*, Nominations for Membership on Standing Committees of the Senate.  Senator Kim Graber (AHS), Chair of the Senate Committee on Committees, moved approval of the slates on CC.07.03 and its addendum, distributed at the door.  There were no floor nominations and nominations were declared closed.

09/25/06-06          By voice vote, the slates were approved.

Reports for Information of the Senate

The following reports were presented for information:

09/25/06-07          SC.06.08*, 2006-07 Senate/SEC Calendar,
09/25/06-08          SC.06.10*, April 11 BOT,
09/25/06-09          SC.06.11*, May 11 BOT,
09/25/06-10          SC.06.12*, July 13 BOT,
09/25/06-11          HE.06.14*, June 6 BHE,
09/25/06-12          HE.06.16*, August 15 IBHE,
09/25/06-13          HE.06.13*, May 19 FAC/IBHE,
09/25/06-14          HE.06.15*, June 23 FAC/IBHE,
09/25/06-15          HE.07.01*, September 8 FAC/IBHE,
09/25/06-16          UC.06.04*, June 6 USC.

New Business

With the approval of at least two-thirds of senators present and voting, the following items were added to the agenda:

09/25/06-17          NB.07.01*, Endorsement of September 6 letter from University Senates Conference to President Joe White and Special Assistant Chet Gardner re “Global Campus” proposal.  Senator Richard Schacht (LAS), Chair of the Committee on General University Policy (GUP), explained that GUP and the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) have endorsed this letter and urged the Senate to do the same.  He moved its approval.

09/25/06-18          By show of hands, it was approved unanimously.

09/25/06-19          NB.07.02*, Resolution on the “Global Campus” proposal.  Senator Schacht described the rationale of the resolution as calling upon the President to adhere to the Statutes and to suspend transmitting the “Global Campus” proposal to the Board of Trustees until the senates be allowed a reasonable period of time – at least until the end of the 2006 fall semester -  to submit its advice on the proposal.  He moved its approval.

09/25/06-20          By show of hands, it was approved unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 3:55 p.m.

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