GP.07.04
March 31, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

Committee on General University Policy
(Final;Action)

GP.07.04 Multi-Year Contract Option for Eligible Academic Staff: Implementation Proposals

Background

Until recently, non-tenure-system academic personnel could only be hired on (renewable) one-year contracts.  Multi-Year Contracts (MYCs) for a number of categories of academic personnel are now authorized as an option in the Statutes.  (The relevant sections are attached.)  As the attached memorandum from Chancellor Herman and Provost Katehi observes, implementation of this option on each of the University's campuses requires that certain procedures be developed by the campus chancellor, with the "advice and consent" of the campus senate.  When this option was approved by the three senates and Board of Trustees and was incorporated into the Statutes, the Senate Executive Committee referred the matter to the General University Policy Committee.  Over the past several years GUP has been working with the campus administration to provide the advice called for.   It has had considerable input, and believes that the matter is now ready for action.  (GUP notes that the Senate may offer any comments, suggestions or recommendations it may wish in conjunction with its actions, but that the only actions that are appropriate for the Senate to consider with respect to the Chancellor's proposals and related materials on this occasion are those indicated below.)

Recommendations

1. GUP recommends that the Senate give the consent to the proposals from the Chancellor stated in the memorandum of February 22, 2008 (attached) on the three items for which Senate consent is required by the Statutes to implement the Multi-Year Contract option on this campus.

2. GUP recommends that the Senate express its approval, as "the sense of the Senate," to the draft of Provost Communication No. 25 pertaining to the administration of the MYC option on this campus (also attached), recognizing that its administration and the language of the Communication are sure to evolve in the years ahead as experience with the option proves to warrant.

General University Policy Committee
John Prussing, Chair
Roy Campbell
Christopher Jump
Carol Livingstone
Mary Mallory
Jenna Prochaska
Matthew Wheeler
Colin Wraight
Ruth Watkins, Ex officio

Note: GUP reported its recommendations to the Senate Executive Committee, which reviewed the attachments and discussed the matter at its March 10, 2008 meeting, and agreed that it is appropriate to present the Chancellor's proposals and related materials and GUP's recommendations to the Senate for action at its next meeting.