Minutes
Urbana-Champaign Senate Meeting
October 4, 2010
A regular meeting of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Senate was called to order at 3:15 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the Levis Faculty Center with Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard Wheeler presiding and Professor Emeritus Kenneth Andersen as Parliamentarian.
Approval of Minutes
10/04/10-01 The minutes of April 19 and April 26 were approved as written.
Senate Executive Committee Report
Senator Joyce Tolliver (LAS), Chair of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC), welcomed all to a new Senate year.
Chair Tolliver summarized the schedule of upcoming Senate meetings and other special events. These sessions will allow senators and the campus community to provide advice to President Hogan on proposed changes to the Statutes and General Rules to reflect a restructuring of University and campus administration.
The schedule at the moment calls for an October 11 Town Hall Meeting, a special Senate meeting on October 18, the October 25 Annual Meeting of the Faculty, another special Senate meeting on November 1, and the next regularly scheduled Senate meeting on November 8. All events will be held at the Levis Faculty Center, with the exception of the special Senate meeting on October 18 to be held in the Deloitte Auditorium of the Business Instructional Facility (BIF).
Senator Tolliver briefly described the content of today’s agenda items and reminded all to pick up a revised copy of CC.11.03, Nominations for Membership on Standing Committees of the Senate.
Tellers for today’s meeting are Senators Hannah Ehrenberg (ACES), Anna-Maria Marshall (LAS), and Roy Campbell (ENGR).
Chancellor’s Remarks
Vice Chancellor Wheeler reported that the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) netted a savings of about $25 million and that 17 reports stemming from Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois (SEI) have been received.
Questions/Discussion
There were no substantive questions.
Consent Agenda
Dr. Wheeler announced that since there was no objection from any senator, the following proposal was approved by unanimous consent:
10/04/10-02 EP.11.01*, Proposal from the Graduate College and College of Media to Revise the M.S. in Advertising
Proposed Revisions to the University Statutes
10/04/10-03 Vice Chancellor Wheeler presented for information and first reading SP.10.11*, Revisions to the Statutes, Article X, Section 2 – Academic Freedom. Senator Anna-Maria Marshall (LAS), member of the Senate Committee on University Statutes and Senate Procedures (USSP), explained that the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure has proposed that the language of Article X, Section 2 of the University Statutes be strengthened 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. She then indicated that USSP would return this proposal to the Senate for action at its November 8 meeting.
Proposed Revisions to the Senate Bylaws
10/04/10-04 Dr. Wheeler presented for action SP.10.06*, Bylaws Amendments to Add an Other Academic Staff Electorate to the Senate Electorate per Constitution Amendments from SP.09.03. Professor Emeritus H. George Friedman (ENGR), member of USSP, after recapitulating the background of this proposal, moved its approval.
10/04/10-05 By voice vote, SP.10.06 was approved.
Proposed Revisions to the Senate Election Rules
10/04/10-06 The Presiding Officer presented for action SP.10.08*, Senate Election Rules for the Faculty Electorate. Professor Friedman moved its approval.
Senator David Olsen (BUS) moved to separately tally the votes of faculty and student senators. The Senate parliamentarian indicated that a 2/3 vote was needed for such a motion to pass. By a show of hands (28-88), the motion was lost.
Senator Jeff Erickson (ENGR) pointed out an apparent contradiction between the Senate Constitution and the proposed faculty election rules. The Constitution calls for the names of all those eligible to vote to be placed on the nominating ballot; while the proposed election rules call for the names of all members of the faculty, except those who are unwilling to serve, or the names of the members of the faculty who have expressed a willingness to serve.
Senator Henrique Reis (ENGR) moved to refer SP.10.08 back to USSP to resolve this discrepancy; the motion was defeated by voice vote. Professor Friedman indicated that USSP will address this issue as soon as possible and report back to the Senate.
10/04/10-07 By voice vote, SP.10.08 was approved.
10/04/10-08 The VCAA presented for action SP.10.09-A*, Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff – ABC Electorate. Professor Friedman moved its approval.
10/04/10-09 By voice vote, SP.10.09-A was approved.
10/04/10-10 Dr. Wheeler presented for action SP.10.09-B*, Senate Election Rules for the Other Academic Staff – D Electorate. Professor H. George Friedman provided a brief background to the proposal and moved its approval.
10/04/10-11 By voice vote, SP.10.09-B was approved.
10/04/10-12 Vice Chancellor Wheeler presented for action SP.10.10*, Changes in the Senate Election Rules for the Student Electorate. Professor Friedman moved its approval.
Senator Olsen moved to separate the votes of faculty and student senators on this proposal. A motion to close debate on this motion was approved by voice vote.
The motion to separate the votes of faculty and student senators was defeated by voice vote.
Senator Olsen moved to amend the proposal to remove reference to the chair of the Illinois Student Senate’s Committee on Graduate and Professional Student Affairs in regard to selecting a replacement for a graduate or professional student senator. Two undergraduate student senators supported the amendment; two graduate/professional student senators did not.
A motion to close debate was approved by voice vote. The proposed amendment was defeated by voice vote.
10/04/10-13 By voice vote, SP.10.10 was approved.
Proposals for Action
10/04/10-14 The Presiding Officer presented for action CC.11.03*, Nominations for Membership on Standing Committees of the Senate. Senator Bettina Francis (LAS), member of the Committee on Committees, moved approval of the revised slate of candidates that was distributed at the door. There were no floor nominations and nominations were declared closed.
10/04/10-15 By voice vote, the slate of candidates on CC.11.03 was approved.
10/04/10-16 Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard Wheeler presented for action SC.11.03*, Resolution on the Academy on Capitalism and Limited Government Foundation (ACLGF). Senator Joyce Tolliver (LAS), Senate Executive Committee Chair moved its approval.
Senator John Hart (ENGR) moved to amend the resolution by removing the phrases “of the particular views” and “and its founders” from the third “Whereas” clause; the motion was approved by voice vote.
Some senators objected to the inclusion of references in the background (on pages 9 and 13-14) to conflicts of interest citing their potentially libelous nature. A motion to omit the background when the document is transmitted to the principals named in the resolution was defeated by a show of hands (46-52).
An amendment to remove the conflict of interest passages on the pages noted above was approved by voice vote.
A motion to move the meeting into closed session was defeated by a show of hands (39-56).
A motion to suspend Standing Rule #1 so debate could continue beyond 5:15pm was approved by a show of hands (69-29). A motion to close debate was approved by voice vote. A request to determine if a quorum was present received an affirmative response from the Presiding Officer.
10/04/10-17 By show of hands (71-29), SC.11.03 was approved, as amended.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
Robert C. Damrau, Senate Clerk
*Filed with the Senate Clerk and incorporated by reference in these Minutes.