Minutes
Urbana-Champaign Senate Meeting
October 30, 2006

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

Approval of Minutes

10/30/06-01          The minutes of the September 25, 2006, Senate meeting were approved.

Senate Executive Committee Report

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

Welcome to our second meeting.  First, I encourage you to check out the Senate website (www.senate.uiuc.edu) where you will find a number of items, from materials related to the Global Campus Initiative to the next Senate Review Commission.  Remember that there is a listerv so that senators can discuss issues among themselves before and after meetings.

The SEC has recently discussed the Global Campus Initiative, the formation of the Sixth Senate Review Commission, and approval of nominations for the Campus Promotions and Tenure Committee.  We will be planning our second workshop on shared governance for the spring semester.  In addition, we will host for the first time the other state school’s Senate chair and representatives meeting this spring and hope that you will welcome colleagues from our sister institutions.

The Town Hall meeting on the Global Campus Initiative was held on Monday, October 16.  We thought it was very productive for all parties involved and we appreciate the time everyone took out of their busy days to attend.  For those who could not make it, a streaming video of the event will be available at the Senate website.  Also, we are asking you to please send your comments and suggestions on the Global Campus to senate@uiuc.edu.  If you prefer to remain anonymous, please let us know in your message.  We will collect these comments and append them to the report of the Global Campus Task Force.

Another issue that you might want to be aware of is that our excellent women’s soccer team is having to play away for the tournament playoffs since the NCAA has banned UIUC from hosting playoffs because of Chief Illiniwek.  Our women’s volleyball team may have the same fate.  Also, there has been a lot of discussion about the removal of graduate student housing at Orchard Downs and what sort of housing will be available as an alternative especially for students from abroad.

Please remain for the entire meeting today, because we will be considering nominations for honorary degrees in executive session as the last business item.  All non-senators must depart prior to this session.  As you were previously notified, a very limited number of reference copies of the bios of the honorary degree candidates will be available at today’s meeting.

Senator Abbas Aminmansour (FAA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy, reported that his Committee has agreed to make editorial revisions to a few proposals on the consent agenda based on discussions with Senator Steven P. Hill (LAS).  Senator Aminmansour also reported that EP.07.15, Realignment and Consolidation of Doctoral Degrees in Music Education, is being withdrawn from today’s agenda.

Tellers for today’s meeting are Senators Zorica Nedovic-Budic (FAA), Joseph Finnerty (BUS), and Harry Hilton (ENGR).

Chancellor’s Remarks

Provost Katehi reported that campus and unit summaries for the strategic plan have been submitted to President B. Joseph White.

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:

10/30/06-02          EP.06.29*, Proposal to Rename Graduate Majors and Concentrations in College of Education,

10/30/06-03          EP.06.35*, Creation of the School of Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics,

10/30/06-04          EP.06.40*, Creation of Undergraduate Minor in Art History,

10/30/06-05          EP.07.01*, Minor in Landscape Studies, FAA,

10/30/06-06          EP.07.02*, Revision of the Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum in Art History, LAS,

10/30/06-07          EP.07.03*, Graduate Minor in Finance,

10/30/06-08          EP.07.05*, Proposal to Terminate the Teacher Education Minor in Economics in the College of Business,

10/30/06-09          EP.07.07*, Technology Entrepreneur Center,

10/30/06-10          EP.07.08*, Differentiating Master’s Degree Nomenclature for Professional and Post-Professional Programs in Architecture,

10/30/06-11          EP.07.13*, Proposed Revisions to the Masters of Science Degree in the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, College of Applied Health Sciences.

Proposals for Action

10/30/06-12          The Provost presented for action CC.07.04*, Nominations for Membership on Standing Committees of the Senate.  Senator Kim Graber (AHS), Chair of the Senate Committee on Committees, after adding the nomination of Tom Emanuel for a faculty vacancy on the Senate Committee on Admissions, moved approval of the slate.  There were no floor nominations and nominations were declared closed.

10/30/06-13          By voice vote, the slate was approved, as amended.

10/30/06-14          GP.07.02*, Global Campus.  Senator Richard Schacht (LAS), Chair of the Senate Committee on General University Policy, recapitulated the background of his Committee’s proposal and directed the attention of senators to its recommendations; he moved approval.

Concerns expressed included course compression, omission of names of academic programs that have shown interest in the plan, the for-profit element of the initiative, perceived lack of partnership and faculty involvement, and maintenance of quality once the Global Campus receives its own accreditation.

10/30/06-15          By voice vote, GP.07.02 was approved unanimously.

Proposed Revisions to the Senate Bylaws

10/30/06-16          Presented for action was SP.06.09*, Revision to the Bylaws, Part D.6 – Committee on Committees, membership.  Senator William Maher (LIBR), Chair of the University Statutes and Senate Procedures Committee, described this proposal as designed to add an academic professional to the Committee on Committees.  After adding the phrase “selected by the Council of Academic Professionals” to the line “One academic professional member”, he moved approval of the measure.

10/30/06-17          By voice vote, SP.06.09 was approved.

Proposed Revisions to the University Statutes

10/30/06-18          Next on the agenda for First Reading and Information was SP.07.03*, Revisions to the Statutes, Article III, Section 2.a. (2) – University Senates Conference.  Senator Maher reported that this proposal would eliminate term limits in the Statutes for members of the University Senates Conference, while campus Senates would be able to retain such term limits in their respective Bylaws if they wished.  This item will return to the Senate on December 4 for Second Reading and Action.

Reports for Information of the Senate

The following reports were presented for information:

10/30/06-19          SUR.07.01*, October 3 SURSMAC,
10/30/06-20          UC.07.01*, August 29 USC.

Executive Session

The Senate approved a motion to enter Executive Session at 4:10 p.m. for the purpose of considering candidates for honorary degrees.

The Senate exited this session at 4:25 p.m.

The meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m.

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